I am here to share my most recent paintings. I am showing them in a group, because I paint 4-6 paintings and have them photographed before I sell them. I also share them on Facebook, but not everyone follows me on Facebook.
Accepting New MembersSongbird Singing Songs of LoveJesterGator Jester
Distracted no frameDistracted in cabinet doorDistraction without frameDistraction on cabinet door
The original Distracted and Distraction are sold together. The prints and giclee’s can be sold separately.
You can purchase my paintings on-line in myEtsy shop and Where Y’Art (an artist collective).
My paintings are also in Covington at theWhimmsey Shoppe and on the corner of Julia and Baronne at theM Studio in New Orleans.
Spring is here. And so are two Bohemian Beauties. I didn’t have a reason to paint these women, except that they make me happy.
Bohemian Beauties
I like that they are so different. In color. In shape.
Close up of embellishment
I like the subtle embellishment. I put heavy body gel medium in a stencil, took it off carefully, let it dry, touched it with white paint. The sunflower with my favorite spiral in the center reminds me of a carefree spring.
This is where “They didn’t know we were seeds” started.
Indecision
I ended up painting a deer back in. You can still see the little red bird that I cut out of a Christmas card. Also, part of the fortune. All of the love is still there, it is just buried.
Seeds
I don’t love words on my painting, but words are what this painting is all about.
I resisted painting grasses and flowers because I think the women are as strong as trees
growing in a cool, quiet, magical forest.
The words are writen in an earthy rainbow. “They tried” is streaked in red, like blood… torture, family…
women.
Ending in light yellow with the word, “seeds”.
In the wise words of mini Mags, “Don’t stop until you are happy with it”.
I am happy with it.
Here, in New Orleans and in our family, we are approaching Easter break.
This holiday is drenched in tradition. The in-laws arrive. We visit cousins and cemeteries.
We boil crawfish and eat snoballs.
If a holiday lasts one or two days elsewhere, in New Orleans it lasts a week or two.
Mardi Gras has come and gone (sigh). I signed up to dance with the Pussyfooters at the House of Blues for Friday. I feel pretty lucky.
xx
Saturday is the St. Patrick’s paradeand the St. Joseph’s parade. The parades are very different from each other. The St. Patrick’s parade is in the Irish Channel in the afternoon. Friends who live near the parade route will open their house before and after the parade to offer drinks, snacks, and a bathroom. The floats throw vegetables along with the beads and toys.
The St. Joseph’s parade is in the evening in the French Quarter. My sweet darlin’ is in the Italian American Marching Club. I don’t have a photo to show you, because last time I saw the parade all the Italian men in tuxedos looked the same. I couldn’t find him.
Super Sundayis when the Mardi Gras Indians parade. This is one of those amazing things that is truly New Orleans.
So there you go. A quiet weekend after Mardi Gras.
In my art world… the original Joan of Arc was purchased for the new hospital. I am so excited to have her in a public place.
Joan of Arc
My friend just bought the original Garden Fairyaka City Park Fairy.
Fairy
I am thinking that They didn’t know they were seeds is a learning painting. Learning how I feel about writing on the painting. I have liked words occasionally… in script along the side of the image, bananagrams, Pairs in Pears, a little piece of ripped paper with handwriting…
I made two more attempts to like the painting and call it done.
Words on Organza
I printed on organza. The words shifted slightly.
handwriting
I decided that I do like my handwriting, but I didn’t like the square shape. To be continued…
Raffi had an art show at his pre-school. His teacher is fabulous. When he painted part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he laid on his back under a table.
Raffi Rodrigue
Raffi Chagall
Raffi Seurat
Raffi Warhol
Raffi Pollock
Raffi Picasso
Blue Dog 3-D
Raffi O’Keefe
Raffi Matisse
Raffi Van Gogh
I hope all y’all are having a nice end of winter, almost spring.
Today, I am combining my blog and Mardi Gras celebrations. Don’t you think one of the hardest things is to balance? Like balancing work and play, me-time and family, king cake and exercise. From the minute I wake up it is a puzzle to see what I can fit into my day. Give and take.
My recent painting has been fun and frustration. It started like this…
It started like this.
Indecision. I added colors that I liked. I was leaning towards an alligator among lily pads. Then I added Jesus on the cross that Maggie drew, a peace symbol, a note from my sweet darlin’, advice from mini Mags, a movie stub, a fortune, cute little deer. My collage items were all based on love.
Starting Over with a plan
My friend, Rene, posted on Facebook, “They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” I Googled it and found out it was an old saying attributed to nobody in particular. It fit perfectly into my strong women theme.
We were seeds. Completed
I kept very little from the beginning. The colors are still mostly blue and orange. There is a little bird and most of the fortune. I was going to paint a lot of flowers, but the trees looked so strong.
This is what it looks like on the parade route near our house. Only, it will be more crowded tonight.
Our Mardi Gras Crew
My daughter, Angie, sets this all up for us every day. This year I decided to cook dinner and bring it down to the parade. Tonight is red beans and rice.
I am almost done with Songbird. Just a couple of touch-ups left. The bird and song are sealed in varnish. I am going to seal the rest in wax. I want the song to look bright in comparison.
Songbird
It has sort of a graffiti feel. I think that is why I wanted her looking a little bit tough.
Songbird Close-up
I like how the oranges and blues are working off of each other.
I thought I would welcome the New Year in with a little songbird. I had a plan to paint an alligator swimming among lily pads. I prepped a large canvas for this painting before Christmas.
When I got back into the studio, I felt like playing with art. I painted a few layers of abstract strokes and my favorite symbols. The key to playing with paint like this is to stick with the same temperature of colors in each layer and let the layer dry before the next layer.
I started with yellow, orange and red.
Then blues and greens.
Back to warm colors.
The fun part really begins when I added white.
Then black. I think white and black look great side by side.
I used a BIG canvas to let the New Year know that I am allowed to use materials however I want.
Song Bird, the beginning
I wanted a woman. So I painted a face shape with white gesso over the part of the painting that I liked least.
The rest was going to be hair, but the hair was just too big. I liked the rainbow colors in what is now the tail feathers of the bird as well as the breast area.
It was hard to paint out areas I still liked. I was happy to paint over areas that looked like big blotches.
I kind of want to keep her blue, but I might give her flesh tones. Leaning towards a natural skin tone.
I smoothed over the gesso with a plastic hotel key card.
Song Bird, Work In Progress
TheBlush Ball is this Friday. If you want to come, contact me. The tickets are $40 and $60 dollars. We are raising money for women with children who need to get to a safe place and start over.
You can also buy raffle tickets.
If you can’t attend, I will deliver your winnings.
Among many distractions, I finished “Distraction”, my first duo painting. The women are in a coffee shop at different tables. One woman is distracted by the humming-bird hovering over the flowers in the second woman’s hair.
I just entered them in a mixed media competition.
I used a ton of mixed media… acrylic paint, Silks Acrylic Paint, foil, paper, lace, thread, gesso, matte gel, Gilders Paste, charcoal pencil, varnish on reclaimed cabinet doors. The competition is to tell a story with your painting. Click on the logo if you want to enter.
Here are close-ups of my favorite parts. I had this lace collar since I was maybe 12. It has been in my sewing basket for more than 40 years. I trimmed it and inserted it into her sweater using matte gel.
I painted embossed paper. Then I top-stitched it on my sewing machine. Sewing on paper is one of my all time favorite activities.
It is also a great way to mount children’s art on construction paper to make a quick frame.
The hummingbird has pieces of gold and blue foil applied with matte gel. I painted over the foil about 50% to push the foil back and make it seem more part of the bird. I painted several coats of Acrylic Silks over the humming-bird.
Now, the picture of the day. I think this would be a great cover for a coffee table book.
Pussyfooter the next morning eating cereal. Clearly not ready for the party to be over.
My goal in Spark this month is to paint. The other two things I am balancing December with are getting out and enjoying New Orleans and celebrating a bit of Christmas in our house every day. Balance is sometimes difficult and Spark helps.
Today, I am giving you a link to Spark. Click anywhere on the picture below. Don’t worry, clicking on the picture is not a commitment. It is a window into the wonderful world of getting’ er done.
Spark is an online community.
To participate, you need 15 to 30 minutes a day to give [insert desire here] the energy it needs to get it accomplished. Last month, my focus was power tools. Empowering power tools.
There is a new Spark nearly every month of the year. The next class starts December 1st. It costs $30.
Is there something you would like to work towards? Are you feeling at loose ends? Do you need some focus?
The class is led by Jenafer Joy. Sometimes I take the class just to hang out with her. She is that cool.
So, if this interests you, click on the picture and get more information.
I am starting with a painting that is not painting herself. Maybe I am a bad listener. Like maybe I have something in mind and it is not Magnolia and we go round and round.
Sometimes my sweet darlin’ asks me what I have been working on and for weeks I have answered, “Magnolia”. My idea for Sweet Magnolia is simple. I wanted her encompassed by the Magnolia flowers. She needed to have the same coloring as the flowers and leaves.
Magnolia, the beginningWorking on Magnolia
I love this version of Magnolia, but look at her left eye.
Magnolia’s eyes spaced incorrectly
I fixed the left eye making her eyes too close together.
Magnolia, starting over
Here is Magnolia today. I wonder if she just wanted big, Southern hair. I made her earrings by photocopying the two magnolia flowers on the left, shrinking them and applying with gel medium. Her crown is made from glossy, green tissue paper.
Magnolia completed
I have a frame cut for this painting. It is dark green, made from a screen door. I need to cut a piece of wood to go on the back. This is held up by not having a table to cut on at the moment. The back yard is in limbo.
Is something in retrograde?
My new painting goes with another painting. A duo.
Cabinet door repair
I took the handle off and threw it away. The hinges I soaked in vinegar, salt and dish soap for two days. They came out sparkly clean.
Hummingbird beginning
She will be looking at the woman on the other cabinet door. They are in a coffee shop at different tables. I was going to put a chicken on the woman’s head. Maggie thought of hummingbird drinking from the flowers on her hat. Go Maggie.
Hummingbird in progress
So far, this one is painting herself. I love her already. I am doing something cool with her shirt. I am painting textured paper then stitching the collar and sleeve together with my sewing machine.
I went back to the salvage store for more cabinet doors. I waited too long.
Cool fact. The bridge is 24 miles long. It is the longest bridge over water in the world.
The Whimmsey Shoppe will be open starting November 1. The hours are Tuesday-Saturday 11-7 and Sunday 12-4.
The owner is Kathleen Peterson.
Kathleen and me
We just met and you can already tell we are BFF’s.
Cool fact #2: Our birthdays are 4 days apart and our favorite color is green.
This is the place where art meets antiques. Gator Girl Art is here with prints, giclee’s and original works of art. In downtown Covington there is no sales tax on original art. Win/Win.
Kathleen finds great stuff and makes it better. She has lots of mid-century furniture and cool new items. This can be your one stop shopping for eclectic gifts.
Gator Girl Art 