Hi all y’all!
I started beading. It is taking longer than painting. I can see why it takes a year to make a costume. I started on the front of the headdress with sequins.
I like the seed beads better. Because they are smaller than the sequins, they are more forgiving. I think they look more traditionally Native American.
On the lower part of his suit I am going to bead a design with seed beads on another piece of material and attach it to the painting with gel medium. I like sewing directly on the canvas, but it is awkward and thick. I can’t sew on the bottom of the canvas because of the stretcher bars. Mardi Gras Indians usually sew the beads on a separate piece of material and attach it to their suit. By the end of this project, I will know what works best for me.
Raffi hasn’t started pre-school yet. While he was over here this week, he worked on his big painting. It is 30 x 40 inches. It is not finished yet. For sure he is going to put a little more paint on Lacy. When he is all finished, he will add goggly eyes.
Lacy is a cat that has a “tail like a raccoon”. Alberta is a Guinea pig. Kenobi is a mix of Great Dane, Lab and maybe Pitbull. The crawfish is John Jones Nixon. When Raffi finishes his painting, I will post photos of the animals.
Until next time.
With scaly love,
Gator Girl
Gator Girl Art 
Excellent Beading. Excellent and beautiful. You are one brave artist. I love inclusion of Raffi’s painting.
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Love your sharing your work as you proceed. Reminds me every time that painting is a work in progress and can always be reworked and change. You could title your blog “Painting without fear”.
Painting is a little isolating. I really appreciate that you take the time to comment. The compliments last a long time.