gatorgirlart

You Stole My Heart

Posted on December 20, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

The holidays are here. Soon to say good-bye to 2013.

I have been thinking back on the year. It was a good year for me. I tried to work hard. Be kind. Practice gratitude. My sweet darlin’ aways says that you can only control your own attitude and effort. I tried.

On my vision board from last year I see that NOLA Groundswell is now a non-profit business. That’s it so far. I applied for a few grants, but I think money is a little tight. No grants yet. I do love Maggie’s input…Good Luck, celebrations and love. My word for the year was VISIBLE. I am heading in that direction.

My last painting for 2013 is competed.

I wanted to paint the love between a mother and daughter. I like the words because they can be spoken by either person. I used a few of my favorite icons… the blue bird of happiness, the home, daisies and a sun. I like the fanciful childlike renderings.

I have some Shasta daisies in my front yard that I planted 30 years ago in Sacramento at our first home. Every time we moved I divided a few plants and moved them with us. 5 moves. I think that is why I put daisies in so many of my paintings.

The sky and the sun are tissue paper, decroative paper and paint. The words are chip board that I painted white.

I hope you like it.

I am off to visit the in-laws in California.

Have you been thinking about your 2013? I would love to hear.

In hopeful anticipation of 2014,

love,

Gator Girl

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You can use this idea if you want.

Posted on November 13, 2013November 13, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

I swear, where do the days go. At least the days are beautiful, cool and breezy.

I made business card holders for my Gator Agents. First, I ordered a few slim, aluminum cases on Amazon.com. I paid $7.00 each and should have believed the reviews. These holders are too flimsy. I am still using them for the time being. I can always upgrade later.

Second, I altered a print of King Gator. I used a tool on Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor. (Photoshop Elements is 1/10 the price of Photo Shop.)

Easy peasy, this is how you do it.

In beginner’s mode, click on the picture of a band-aid, then click on “content aware”. The crazy amazing editor grabs the colors from around the brush area and blends it all together. I blurred out the words, “King Gator says Wager it All”. I clicked on “T”, chose a font and added the text, “Gator Agent”.

Then I went to “Image”, “resize picture”, and made it 1.2 x 2.3 inches, with the resolution at 300. This made the photo small enough for the case, but clear.

I made 8 of these images and printed them on an Avery Printable Fabric Sheet. They are about $2 each. I only needed one sheet.

Print of King Gator before changing it:

Print after changing the words:

On the business card holders:

Open case:

I just ironed the image on the case. It seems to stay on very well.

My new endeavor is NOLA Synchro Splash. Yes, indeed… water ballet. It will be at the Tulane salt water pool. Want to join me? I am very certain that everyone is welcome. My latest attempt at water ballet was in high school PE and there was a lot of gasping for air and sinking. I’ll keep you posted.

Until next time,

Always in my heart,

Gator Girl

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Here Come the Girls

Posted on November 6, 2013November 6, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

Here is some music to listen to as you read my blog this morning. I love this song.

Here Come the Girls is one of the songs we march to during Carnival. Sometimes, my sweet darlin’ acts as a Pussy Handler and sweeps the beads off of the street, straddles horse poop, and holds the crowds back. He says the parade watchers see us coming and start shouting, “The Pussyfooters are coming!”. This is a rather fantastic explanation. Even hard for me to believe. The entirety of this explanation is the motivation for my painting. And I just wanted to say, “Pussy Handler”.

The Blush Ball is put on by the Pussyfooters. We are raising $30,000 this year for the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children. I am donating the original painting to the raffle.

I always donate when asked. I usually donate prints and giclee’s. For tax purposes, you can only write off the painting supplies that you used. Time and talent are not considered. Crazy. For the Ball, I am making an exception.

Writing the blog this morning is clearing something up for me. In the beginning of October, I decided I wanted to take my art to a festival or two. This idea and the following actions threw me into a head spin. I am starting to recover. I made jewelry with images of my paintings. I ordered extra prints, many extra prints, and some giclee’s. My inventory was starting to overwhelm me. I started to lose faith. I went into a mind cave.

Danielle Laporte whispered to me through my Kindle, “You’ve never been where you are going. You’ll figure it out. You’re the only one who can.”

Crawling out, I see the light. I am back on my path.

Here are the finished flags for my booth. My supportive sister sewed them together.

Putting one foot in front of the other.

Thanks for being here.

With unrelenting love,

Gator Girl

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That’s what friends are for.

Posted on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Good Morning all y’all,

Hansen’s closed for the season yesterday. The last snoball of 2013 feels like a passage. It is walking through a doorway from Summer to Fall.

Saying good-bye to summer is bitter-sweet. The light is softer. The air is cooling down.

Things are picking up. Everyone is discussing Halloween costumes. Halloween costumes are either put together at a costume shop, ETSY shops, or are handmade. That is one reason when October 1 rolls around, you have to be on it.

My talented and beautiful friend, Mimi, made her family’s costumes.

The list of festivities grows. Now we have to choose, because there are choices.

Pussyfooter practice starts in October with mandatory attendance. We all look toward the Carnival season with anticipation.

You can feel the Saints victories as palatable, like a physical happiness in the air we breathe… breathe in 4, breathe out 0.

Everything seems possible.

Today, I am sharing the completion of Friends.

The frame is old. I bought it at the estate sale of an artist. Accidentally, the colors of the pelican and the colors of the frame are amazing together. I painted this on a board cut to fit inside this frame. Maybe the color matching was subconscious, but I gasped when I saw the painting in the frame.

There is only about a quarter-inch of the painting covered up by the frame. Unfortunately it covered up the cat tail along the side.

There is plenty of carbon black and bone black in the painting lest we forget the oil spill. The gold near the top is the hope we hold for the future.

I swear this will make you cry. (Just click on the blue sentence.)

In abundance and gratitude,

Holding hope for our future,

Gator Girl

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I drive a Prius and shit.

Posted on September 24, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hey y’all,

A Prius is super cool. For one reason you don’t have to use a key to drive it. You just need to have the key near by. Like the passenger can have the key in her purse.

So… my husband (from this point forward referred to as “my sweet darlin’,”) dropped me off in the Whole Foods parking garage while he circled for a parking place.

If you don’t have a key for the Prius near by, you may continue to drive, as long as you don’t turn the engine off.

My sweet darlin’ is energy conserving, much like the Prius. While waiting for someone to back out, he attempted to put the Prius in park. Instead of “park” he pushed “power”.

On a Saturday, the Whole Foods parking garage is over-flowing with cars.

My sweet darlin’ called me, called me, called me. Silently praying for me to come running out with the key.

Then he came rushing into the store like Super Mouse yelling at me for not picking up my phone.

Maybe you had to be there.

I still laugh a little when I think about it.

I consider this an added perk of driving a Prius.

Enjoying some dark humor on this fine September morning.

Gator Girl

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Making the Banner

Posted on September 17, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I finished my part of the banner this weekend. Sewing the banner will be a joint effort with my sister in October. It will be so cool.

I have a good feeling about getting into Bayou Boogaloo in May. We’ll see. I don’t know if feeling optimistic about Bayou Boogaloo really means anything. I sometimes think I am fancifully optimistic.

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I made each letter on computer paper, using some of my original art for accents.

Then, I scanned each letter. Next, I printed it on Inkjet Fabric Sheets that I bought on Amazon.

Voilà!

My sister, Jan, found these burlap panels at Michael’s for $1 each.

You can see the pretty colors. The Green is for Gator and Art. The pink is for Girl. They are just a little bigger than the letters that I made. We are going to add fringe, dingle balls, etc… to the bottom of each letter.

Next time you see these letters, I hope they are on my white E-Z Up at the festival.

Last weekend, I attended a fundraiser with the Pussyfooters and my husband. The W Hotel gave $45 for clean drinking water in India for each person who walked the runway carrying 80#’s of water. This is me, trying to make it look easy.

Mia Borders played at the event. It was awesome.

I plan on finishing every painting that is almost done this week#goal.

With abundant love and kindness,

Gator Girl

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Girl Power

Posted on September 6, 2013September 6, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

While I am impatiently waiting for a delivery of art supplies, I started a fun painting.

I used a free-cycle canvas (the background was already on the canvas) and a photo of Maggie in California for inspiration. I made grid lines with chalk to get an idea of proportion.

I Googled “bubbles” to see how other people painted bubbles. I combined a couple of ideas.

This idea came from a one minute video that I found on You Tube. I went to Home Depot and bought some spray paint. I went to the grocery and bought some paper cups.

OK…

First, I cut the bottom off of the cups.

2. I sprayed a small amount of silver spray paint in the cup, aiming at one edge.

3. I took that same cup and ran the rim through some white acrylic paint. I used this to make a whiter edge.

4. I didn’t like the whiter edge and muted it with LuminArte’ paint. Now looking at the photos, I think the white edge makes it look more 3 D. I am going to add some white back in. I am also going to add some white highlights where the light is hitting. My highlights are too subtle.

5. I looked at photos of bubbles on Google as a reference and added some colors that were already in the painting. I used LuminArte’ because it is so delicate and luminous.

What is working for me:

the topic, Girl Power

the childhood symbols of bubbles, a marble circle, and hopscotch

the brilliant colors.

I want her hair more flow-y, add shoelaces, and darken some of her features, because the background is so dark.

Incase you are wondering what happened to the other cups…

Last weekend at Southern Decadence…

Decadence Parade with Paddy

It is so easy to make friends in New Orleans.

Until later,

with alligator kisses,

Gator Girl

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Mostly a cat costume

Posted on August 31, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

Happy 3 day weekend!

My intention is to be accepted as a vendor at The Bayou Boogaloo this May. I am working on a banner. Each letter will be on fabric measuring 8.5 x 11 inches, then sewn on a sturdier fabric, probably the weight of denim, so the letters will hang nicely. Lastly, embellished and strung like prayer flags.

10 flags.

GATOR GIRL ART. “Art” will be on one flag.

The space is 10 feet across. I am going to buy a 10 x 10 white easy-up.

The beginning of "G" — The beginning of “G”

I printed the G on material; but it is still in progress.

While I was playing with the banner, Maggie came by with some plans of her own. Literally.

We are all having a going away barbecue on Monday for some friends who are moving to Hawaii. Maggie wanted her cat to have a party outfit. (Sorry about the shadows.) Maggie chose the purple outfit, but in a different color.

Maggie did the cutting and sewed the grey ribbons on by hand.

Lacey was willing to wear the cape, but did not cooperate with the shoes.

I am working on two paintings. I need a little time with the turtle and pelican.

And I am waiting for supplies to complete my Pussyfooters painting. I ordered a brighter orange acrylic, some small brushes, and Liquitex paint pens. The Pussyfooters volunteer all year, but the season picks up speed in the fall. Practices start next week. I am Pussyfooting in Southern Decadence tomorrow. I haven’t been to their parade before, but it sounds like fun.

Until next time,

With unending love,

Gator Girl

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Only the facts, ma’am.

Posted on August 27, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Good morning all y’all!

I was pulled over on the way home from Chickie Wah Wah’s tonight.

The police officer turned on his lights and told me to pull over.

Another police car pulled up behind him with his lights flashing.

I rolled down my window and waited.

Officer on his bullhorn: Get out of the car.

I get out of my Prius. BTW a Prius never gets pulled over. And I don’t mind telling you, my heart was beating pretty fast.

Officer: You turned on a red light. There is a sign at the corner that says “No Turn on Red”.

Me: (understanding the need for two patrol cars) I didn’t see the sign or I would have waited.

Officer: There was a police car right behind you, but you turned on a red light.

Me: I didn’t se the sign or I would have waited. I turned because I didn’t see the sign. Does it help that I am sorry?

Officer: Let me just ask you. If you saw a sign that said, “No Turn on Red” would you understand what it means.

Me: Yes. If I saw a sign like that, I would understand what it meant.

Officer: Do you drive over here often?

Me: No.

Officer: Where were you coming from?

Me: I was at Chickie Wah Wah’s for a Pussyfooter general meeting.

Officer: (taking my license back to his car.) Is this car registered to you?

Me: Yes.

Officer: (Talks to the other NOPD officer.)

Officer: This car is registered to you and David.

Me: Yes, he is my husband.

Officer: Is he home?

Me. What?

Officer: Be patient. I am leading up to something. When you get home, you have to take him out for ice cream. Buy him a banana split if he wants.

Me. OK.

Officer: What are you going to do when you get home?

Me: Take my husband for ice cream and buy him a banana split if he wants one.

Officer: Where does he like to go for dinner?

Me: Dinner?

Officer: Nothing fancy, just fast food. Where does he like to go?

Me: Anywhere. He likes lots of things.

Officer: Oh, is he a fat guy?

Me: Well, we both have to watch it.

Officer: LOL. I need to trust you here, because I don’t want to let you off with a warning if you aren’t going to take him out for ice cream.

Me: I promise. Thank you.

Officer: Don’t thank me. Thank your husband. He got you off.

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Trusting and Wondering

Posted on August 15, 2013August 15, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Good morning all y’all,

I am here today to tell you about an interesting, boring, and somewhat disturbing week. The blogs I follow often have an upbeat and authentic vibe to them. This authenticity is what I offer.

I have been looking forward to this week of absolute aloneness so I can paint, paint and paint. It is always a surprise to me when I am planning on being alone and I am still here. You know, the problem…

I will backtrack.

I woke up Monday morning, got out my sewing machine and started making little girl and doll clothes. In the past, when I was going to sew anything, my family ran for the hills. I have so many issues with sewing that connect with my mother… in an unpleasant way. It usually ends in some kind of break down.

Day 2 of my “aloneness”… Tuesday. Woke up and started sewing. Just sitting with it. Literally all day. Wondering why.

Cute hedgehog jumper. Monkey dress for Curl, Maggie’s baby doll. Bat ray skirt waiting for lace trim. I sewed because I was drawn to it.

Trusting my desire.

I wondered why.

Wednesday, I painted. I painted and watched Netflix on my computer. That was addiction. I know better than to have distractions while I paint.

Thursday, I decided to do what I know. I downloaded George Winston’s, Gulf Coast Blues and Impressions, lit a candle and connected with my painting.

The gulf coast is eroding and needs protection. If gulf coast restoration interests you, I like this interview with Tab Benoit.

I am ready to paint, with inspiring music, intentions set. Still wondering… “What’s up with sewing?”

Starting to like the turtle’s face.

This is why I am alone this week.

Half way through Thursday now. On the right track.

Or was it always the right track?

Trusting,

Gator Girl