gatorgirlart

I call this style “Mine”.

Posted on August 10, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Good morning all y’all!

Glitter and Glam is complete. I think will paint a sequel that expresses the Pussyfooter party energy.

What I like about her the most is the use of real jewelry. Her necklace and earring were added after she was painted. The pearls are painted on and the jewel is from an earring. I sewed sequins on her dress. I ordered them from a majorette website, so they wouldn’t be the thin, flimsy kind. I definitely will sew on canvas again. What inspired me to paint this was this beautiful color, Old Holland Iridescent Carmin. I used this color throughout, adding white, orange, black, brown or whatever to change it up.

I framed “I am enough”. She is suspended with eye hooks and copper wire just inside the frame. My sister made the clay embellishments along the top.

My new painting is on wood. I put three coats of Gesso on the wood, two white coats and one black. If you skimp on the Gesso, it makes it harder to paint. Wood without Gesso, or not enough Gesso, grabs the paint and makes it difficult to spread and mix with other colors.

This painting is called, “That’s what friends are for.” I had the song running through my head while I was painting. Something like, “In good times and oil spills, I’ll be on your side forever more…”

If anyone can make the words flow with oil spill better, I would love to hear from you.

That's what friends are for. 4 or so hours in. — That’s what friends are for. 4 or so hours in.

FYI, there are thirty species of turtles, tortoises and terrapins in Louisiana. See, not just bugs.

Although we do have stinging caterpillars that drop out of trees making August even more enjoyable. They are deceivingly cute.

Maggie made this cool picture.

On the left is Paw Paw’s house. On the right is my more beautiful house (my words). In between is a river and Paw Paw in a kayak coming to see me. The window at the top left of my house is open, so I can watch him coming. I totally love this painting/ idea. Frida Kahlo lived in a similar style. Diego and Frida had separate houses with a walkway across. I am thinking that this would be an idea women would favor and men not so much. Maybe we should take a poll.

Wishing you all a happy day.

love,

Gator Girl

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From Teacher to Artist

Posted on August 2, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Good morning all y’all!

In New Orleans, August is more of a thing than a month. It hangs around you in wet, warm towels. Only the brave can endure.

Here is a link to an 11 minute interview with Cosmic Cowgirls, Shiloh and Mary. I think this is an easy way to share my journey from California to New Orleans.

Someone asked me the other day how they can make their dreams materialize if they don’t paint. I told them to say what you want as often as you can bring it up in conversation. Write it down. Take a picture of it. Keep it in the forefront.

Once we were living in Chico, California. We were looking to move into a larger house. I wrote that I wanted a big, yellow farm-house near the downtown. In a few weeks, our realtor called me and said she had a big, yellow farm-house near the down town. Did I want to see it? I told her it wasn’t necessary to see it. I am sure it is our house.

Between husbands, (I like to say that because I sound like Elizabeth Taylor.) I told whoever would listen that next time I got married, I wanted to marry an Italian from a big family. David is half Italian with 5 brothers. I wish I was a little more specific… maybe some sisters. (Italian mothers can be a little intimidating for the first 20 years.)

Anyway, you get the picture. Thoughts and action.

I am off to sew some sequins on my Pussyfooter.

In loving abundance,

Gator Girl

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Baby, I got this.

Posted on July 26, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi All y’all,

Writing to you from the deep south in the deep summer, and loving it. My mother-in-law grew up here without air conditioning. I’m not sure I would be loving that.

The angel put on a white button up shirt. The painting is called, “Baby, I got this.” So please don’t worry about your problems. They are being handled on an angelic plane.

The angel is standing in the midst of many easily handled problems.

Note: In the south, “baby” is a term of endearment, containing no disrespect.

I started a painting of a Pussyfooter to give to the Blush Ball this year. Last year they raised 22,000 for the Metropolitan Center for Women and Children.

The painting is about half done.

A wig that I saw at Fifi Mahony’s in the French Quarter was my inspiration.

I am thinking about sewing sequins on her dress.

She is going to have lots of sparkle,

but first I need to love her and she is not quite there.

I am sure she is going to say something meaningful. We Pussyfooters are not just glam and sparkle. 🙂

I was the guest speaker on the Cosmic Cowgirl phone call last night. The Cowgirls asked me to tell my story, how I went from teaching children in California to New Orleans artist. It made me remember how dreams materialize. Seriously, it is pretty magical how things work out.

Maybe I will share my story with all y’all next week.

Wishing you happily ever after,

Gator Girl

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an Angel

Posted on July 13, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I hope this blog finds you in perfect health and enjoying the best life has to offer.

Today, I want to share my process of painting this angel.

I grabbed my favorite portrait size canvas, with all belief that I was going to paint a woman. The only mysteries that I was expecting to have revealed were her message, the color of her skin and hair, and her attitude.

I applied 8 to 10 layers of background. Sometimes, I think this step is too much, but I like the texture and depth it creates. Also, it is fun to experiment with colors and shapes that will most likely be covered by the subject.

I started painting and knew it was male.

Shocked in disbelief. I painted on some short hair. Not right.

I painted a skeleton. No again.

Zombie, walking dead? Not the message I was feeling.

I added wings. The fullness and redness of the lips increased. This is when I saw the androgynous angel appear.

This is the part of the painting where I fall in love. I am just sitting with this feeling for a couple of days.

Love is usually followed. Maybe always followed by the part where I think I have ruined it. Followed by feeling that I have given it my best and seeing the painting as completed. (I fall in love again, but not the love at first sight love.)

One thing I get about painting… Trust your instincts. Let go of control. The harder part is applying that philosophy to life.

Updates to follow.

We have a new family member. Desdemona was giving to us by friends who can’t take her on their move to Hawaii. It turns out that Desi is the perfect dog for us. She is 9 years old, playful, smart and independent.

36 pounds of joy.

We gave her a Mohawk for summer. She looks like a Disney wildebeest.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for supporting my dream.

Loving you,

Gator Girl

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The One Really, Really Important Rule About Painting

Posted on July 1, 2013July 1, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

I have been wanting to connect with y’all on-line, but the universe has been conspiring against me. Maybe it is all this retrograde talk or maybe my blog was just not ready to be birthed.

Crows on a wire has been a difficult painting.

#1 I painted a tree without really knowing how to paint a tree, so I painted the tree 20 times before I was happy with it.

#2 The question occurred, “Why are the crows dressing up?”

#3 “Why are they all wearing random costumes?”

I don’t usually paint with massive amounts of detail. I usually know basically where the painting is going. I am trying to just remain open.

I am getting to know these quirky birds.

I have a million women inside of me wanting to be painted. I do not know how the crows took precedent.

I love how the background showed up in the roof.

I now know the crows are dressing for Mardi Gras.

The 2 black capes on a black bird were getting lost. I tried something new with the judge’s robe. I colored the robe with a black oil pastel. Then I melted the pastel with a heat gun. I like the feeling and the denseness. On the vampire’s cape, I streaked silver ink, let it dry and colored in with black oil pastel. I am going to paint with acrylics on top of all that.

Magnificent Maggie, who I am certain is going to be the next Rodrigue, told me something interesting.

She said, “Nena, there is one really, really important rule you need to know about painting.”

I replied, “What is that, Mag Pie?”

“The one really, really important rule is to Never quit painting until you are happy with it.”

Seriously, words to live by.

Unabashedly in love with life,

Gator Girl

P. S. In my next blog you will see the finished Mardi Gras Crows, as well as a, hopefully, happy story about visiting Gaza Gaza.

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Gasa Gasa

Posted on July 1, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

An interesting thing happened when I was checking out a venue today. Let me back track. A month ago, I saw a flyer about a music and art venue called Gasa Gasa opening up a few blocks from my house. The flyer looked cool, gritty and funky.

Today, I stopped by in the middle of the afternoon. It looked closed, but I tried the door. They were closed, but the owner was waiting for someone.

I think, “waiting for me?”

He thought he was waiting for someone else. Ha! Retrograde working in my favor. (Mercury retro is known to be a time of ‘fated’ events.)

I loved the place. He said he liked my art. I left my card.

Cool or what?

Gator Girl

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Crows on a Wire

Posted on June 10, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

The weather is heating up here. It gets really muggy and then the thunder showers start. I love the south unreasonably.

I have some pictures to share today.

I bought this chandelier at an estate sale in the Marigny. The man who died was an old artist. Maggie showed me the chandelier. I told her I was busy and needed to look quickly because there were so many people there buying his treasures. She insisted I come with her and she showed me this chandelier for $25.

I took the bead strings off and soaked them in vinegar for 48 hours, and then in vinegar and dish soap. 60 years of grime floated off. I painted the chandelier with two coats of gold craft paint that I had sitting around. On the underside of the horizontal parts when you look up from underneath, I added brown glitter flakes and gold glitter.

Close up of Chandelier

I wrapped the candles in washi tape. They came out super nice. You can’t even tell it is washi tape. It cost me $75 to have it installed above my desk. As an added bonus that I didn’t expect, all of those lightbulbs made it much brighter in here.

Maggie and Raffi's dresser for art storage. — Maggie and Raffi’s dresser for art storage.

I bought this dresser at the estate sale, too. It is IKEA and it cost $20. I had some cans of paint from other projects that I wanted to use up. I also wanted the dresser mainly black to go with my mainly black and white studio. The black part is gloss enamel. I love the shine and resilience of enamel.

The blue and yellow parts are latex paint. I wanted Maggie’s bees to adhere. She drew the bees with Montana paint pens. The pens are filled with acrylic paint, but are easy to control, like a pen.

I wanted to see what would happen if I painted a wild background with many colors and shapes as the base of my painting.

How much do I cover up of the original painting? I love all the colors, but it is so busy.

The little houses got larger. The crows are dressing up. The tree is turning into a magnolia tree.

Where is this going?

This is a picture of one of my paintings at Urban Roots. Counting her Chickens and Bee Love are also there. I love that place.

I worked like crazy this week.

My BFF from California is coming to New Orleans tomorrow. She has never been here before. I am totally excited.

Love to you all,

Gator Girl

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In the garden.

Posted on June 2, 2013June 2, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Good Morning all y’all!

Happy June! Today is a picture sharing day.

In the garden is finished. I might frame this, but I also like the purple edge. The girl has her hands full. She is balancing her friend on her head. Girls are creative and strong that way. She doesn’t mind getting her hair a little messed up.

Cathy and Dennis sent me this picture from their home in California. It makes me so happy to see them with the painting. (The nasty voice in my head is fearful of buyer’s remorse.) They said that Heidi from Parcels and Post wrapped it so well, it could have traveled around the world.

Cathy wrote…

I call the painting WAITING FOR MOSES.
I love what you said about it in your blog when you were painting her. As I remember you were trying to show her in an unhappy place as a slave who had a hard life picking cotton on a plantation, but with the hope of a brighter future for the baby she is holding. The darker side of the painting clearly says this to me and all the brightness is on the right side as the hoped for future. It fit so perfectly for me as I had read and talked with my 3rd graders over the years of Harriet Tubman that many slaves knew and called Moses for secrecy. They called her Moses because she made numerous trips south to lead her people north to freedom. Plantation owners placed a bounty for her dead or alive.

Thank you, Cathy for liking and buying Moses.

Maggie’s teacher at the JCC taught the kids so much about art and artists this year.

Apparently, 4 year olds are little sponges.

And the JCC teachers are awesome.

Maggie said, “I was dreaming that the unicorn and me were looking for a lost toy.

The unicorn was dreaming about going to the grocery.”

Now, what’s new with me… and then I will let you go.

Acrylic paint dropped on canvas with a lot of water.

Added Kosher salt. Let dry completely. Brushed off salt into the sink.

warm colors with cool blue

Painted intuitively, whimsically, with abandon. I used brushes, my fingers, more water and a little bit of ink.

I don’t know the end version of this painting. I am hoping a crow turns up… a whimsical crow… with a friend.

I have been busy painting a dresser and a chandelier. I will show you next week. They are both going in my studio, so I am just having fun with them.

Wishing you all a fabulous summer,

filled with good luck, happy celebrations, and love.

Gator Girl

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Candle or Mirror?

Posted on May 23, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I am inspired today by a poem I found on-line. I decided to name my most recent painting after one of the lines. The poem is, “Be Strong. Be Confident. Be You.”~ Copyright: Tia Sparkles Singh, 2011. You can read it here. The line I borrowed is, “Stronger than you know.”

She was originally called, Born Hip". — She was originally called, “Born Hip”.

Maybe a third of the way finished here. It is a large canvas. 24 x 36 — She is, maybe, a third of the way finished here. It is a large canvas. 24 x 36

I don’t think I used any cool painting techniques that I haven’t written about before. This is the first time I painted a border on the canvas. I knew what I was painting when my hands touched the canvas, but not before. She wanted to wear all red, and not have any red elsewhere on the painting.

The background was red inside the border in the beginning, then I added white with a roller, then the teal with a brush.

I used Caran D’Ache water-soluble crayons for fun and for the crayony look. To make the crayons permanent, I used Golden spray varnish when I was completely done.

“Strength” was the only title I could hear.

The next painting is, “In The Garden”.

I am showing part of the easel so you can tell she is in progress. I was going to paint her with an “Oh my!” mouth, but Maggie said she is just giving her friend a ride on her head because her hands are full. I liked that better. I love chickens.

Raffi is beginning his 3 year old painting. — Raffi is beginning his 3-year-old painting.

His favorite color is blue. His next favorite is orange. His third favorite color is blue and orange.

My newest Gator Agent. This photo makes me laugh, because when she was teaching kindergarten, she dressed like this one day (without the mustache) and her students didn’t recognize her. I am thinking she is still incognito.

The King Gator original has sold. I think he sold to his soul mate.

King Gator Says Wager it All! — King Gator Says, “Wager it All!”

There are two ways of spreading light. To be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it. – Edith Wharton.

With loving abundance and sparkly light (reflected or not),

Gator Girl

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On the road…FINALLY!!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by gatorgirlart

Adventures in Skyhorse

My sister said it best in her recent facebook post: “Never thought this day would actually come. What started as an ambulance 2+ years ago has finally embarked on its year-long journey through north and central America.”

We finally left Key West on Thursday April 25. It was completely anticlimactic. Hani left for the mechanic early in the morning and I stayed back and walked aimlessly around a depressingly empty apartment. I followed up a few hours later with all the animals in tow, after I couldn’t bear to sit (on the floor) there anymore. We waited at the mechanic for a few more hours for them to fix (the last?) thing, AND THEN we were finally off. By that point, my tears had dried (I’m such a sap) and we were both antsy to get moving. But not without a few stops on our way out of the Keys…

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