September 2015 – Gator Girl Art

It was Greek, Jewish, and Gay

Posted on September 30, 2015November 6, 2015 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

The name if this painting is “And Justice for All”. Thank you to the Federal ruling, it has come true. I usually call this painting by the name “Justice”, but now the full title is fitting.

There is a story here. A beautiful love story.

I met the woman on the right, in 2010. She posted (on Facebook) a prompt called “22 Questions for the New Year”, by Shiloh McCloud. My husband saw it on a virtual friend’s timeline and remarked, “That is my wife’s painting mentor.” The woman on the right, Rene (pronounced like Irene), Googled Shiloh, joined her class and ultimately messaged me. Tada! We were Internet friends for 5 years.

January 2013, I started this painting.

The thing is… I had not met Rene in person. Rene had not met Amy at all. This photo is from last weekend, September 27, 2015.

I flew up to Minneapolis to attend their Jewish Wedding Celebration.

Seriously, I can’t even believe these two photos.

Rene helped me try to find two women who looked like this painting (for years). I really felt the whole time I was painting that these women were real and existed somewhere. She asked around among her friends in the bay area. I asked at a marriage equality fund-raiser. The deal was, I would exchange a print for a photo. “Do you look like these women?”.

Roughly, a year later, Rene meets Amy at choir.

May of 2015 they are married. The first time that I saw Rene in person, she was walking down the aisle to get married.

Rene and Amy walking down the isle. — Rene and Amy walking down the aisle.

Amy in sunglasses. Can you believe this?

There is even more back story if you search “Justice” on this site.

Congratulations, Amy and Rene. I am so happy you met.

From a crazy universe that arcs towards Justice.

Gator Girl

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Artist I adore… Annie Hamman

Posted on September 18, 2015 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I am taking an on-line class from Annie Hamman. She was Kazakhstan born and has lived the past 16 years in South Africa. Here is a link to her website, Annie’s Website.

I don’t know when I have enjoyed an art class so much. I am picking up a few ideas to help me progress in my painting. For example, I use reference photos when I don’t know what something I want to paint looks like. Annie gathers all the references before she starts painting. OK that’s all. I don’t want to give her class away.

This is the beginning of the painting I am doing with the class.

The shiny part is black acrylic ink, the mat part is black gesso. I like the idea of starting out all black.

The alligator is Spots, the leucistic gator that just passed away at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. Spots was rescued from the wild as a baby. White alligators cannot survive unprotected from the sun and predators. He lived at the Zoo for 28 years.

I am painting him outside at night. That way he will be free from the zoo, but not baking in the sun.

That’s it for now.

In love and gratitude,

Gator Girl (click here for my website:)

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Life takes over

Posted on September 1, 2015 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

Here it is September first. I think I am pretty organized, but sometimes I don’t get to my paint brushes.

Sometimes I get to my paint brushes, and I am embellishing giclées, not playing with a new painting.

Sometimes I have a million non-artistic errands.

Sometimes I look up and it is September first.

The painting that I started is Roller Girls. I have some of it blocked out. Here is a glimpse.

I listened to the soundtrack of Whip It, while I was painting. I love that movie. I love Drew Barrymore, too.

Maggie made me a paint brush out of pipe cleaners. It should come in handy. It is adjustable.

One of my favorite topics about Cuba is the Medical program. Cuba will train American doctors at no cost to the USA or the students. The students are given free room and board with all of their meals prepared for them, their basic medical supplies, and basic toiletries. They are even given a stipend in their last two years when they are most valuable as a resource.

I saw 4 recent US graduates from Cuba’s six-year training program discuss their experiences. One of the recent graduates is from the 9th ward in New Orleans.

I will tell you the highlights of the medical program, as I remember them.

The program is taught in Spanish. Most people go to Cuba without any Spanish. The first semester is Spanish immersion. All of the exams are oral, which teaches the potential doctors to think on their feet. When they are stuck on something, they are told to help each other. They spend a full semester without any equipment so they can learn to diagnose with their 5 senses. As for paying Cuba back, they are told to go home and serve.

Medicine as a public service is just the approach that drew many US graduates to ELAM, (Latin American School of Medicine).

“When I learned about Cuba’s health system—free, universal, and with a focus on public and global health—I knew this is where I wanted to study,” Dr. Veronica Flake of Philadelphia told MEDICC, (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba).

“I came to ELAM because I believe health is a human right, and so does Cuba,” said Dr. Tia Naquel Tucker of Sulphur, Louisiana. (medicc.org)

Before I went to Cuba, I would have thought a Cuban medical degree was inferior to a degree in the US. Now I can’t wait until Dr. Gigi Simmons puts her shingle out.

There is no smooth transition here.

We had a tragedy in our family. Although it is sad, I feel it needs to be said. My nephew passed on August 20th. My sweet darlin’ and I flew to California to be with the family. He was 27. It’s a sad story with a sad ending.

Until next time,

Thank you for being there.

Holding you in my loving thoughts,

Gator Girl