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.
Annie
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 Kiss
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.
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.
Roller Girls, the beginning
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.
Paint Brush
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.
Dr. Gigi Simmons
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 togo 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.
August. Like a warm, wet blanket. You can reach out and grab the air.
This is my audition photo to get into Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival. This is my second year applying. I am on the waiting list. I am showing you this photo so you can see the wooden frames where my art is hanging. Katy made the frames from Pinterest inspiration. We wanted something easy to put up. Possible to store without a garage. And not distracting from the art.
Tent Audition
I am fixing up my studio so it will be ready for visitors. I think the easiest and most satisfying way to sell art will be to have people come to me. The first step in my master plan is making my studio stunning.
When we moved in this house 5 summers ago, I put everything in my studio without much thought and started painting. It is a long, narrow room with a lot of furniture. More furniture all the time. Also, Maggie and Raffi paint in here. And by paint, I mean build things out of piles of recycling.
When I got back from Cuba, I painted one long wall with flat white paint. I put two of the festival panels up very high on the wall. I was afraid it would be too busy, but it worked out better than I expected. I can rotate art easily and the panels draw your eye up. It makes the ceiling look very tall.
Studio Wall
This is the best photo I could get because the room is only 10 feet wide.
August 1, I was the artist at Bolden Bar. It is the most beautiful venue. The downside was that nobody came. August 1 was also White Linen Night in the Arts District. I hope to go back on a busy night. It was lovely there.
Bolden BarLarge Paintings
Shortly, I will be painting again. I am narrowing down the subject today.
Cuba continued…
My sister, Jan
Jan is standing on the balcony of Hotel Ambos Mundos in Havana. Hemingway lived for years in room 511. Behind Jan is the Cuban flag and directly behind the flag is Che Guevara’s house.
We saw Pablo Menendez perform on the roof-top patio of his home. He is originally from Oakland, California. He moved to Cuba with his mother when he was 14. It was a fabulous night.
Hi all y’all! I just got back from a week in Havana. My sister and I took the trip with Global Academic Adventures. We both had our concerns about going with a group. It turned out to be the best trip ever. Dr. Siri Briggs Brown(founder of Global Academic Adventures) led our group and packed the agenda with tried and true adventure. Every day was better than we imagined. There really was not one wasted minute. My sweet darlin’ did some extra work this summer and encouraged me to go on a sister trip. He puts the sweet in sweet darlin’. I am working on a way to go back to Cuba with David next summer. More on that later.
Most of our tour group.
Cuba is amazing. The people were the best part. I wondered what our reception would be like after a 47 year blockade. The Cubans were happy to see Americans. So happy and hopeful to have a chance to travel to the US and have the opportunity to rebuild their infrastructure. One woman cried when she saw us in a restaurant. 3.1 buildings in Cuba collapse every day.
Havana neighborhood
Cuba is picturesque, but the buildings will not last another 47 years without some supplies and money. I fell in love with Cuba. I think I could write a book… but this is a blog. I will add a little bit of Cuba to each blog for a while. I want you to know about US medical students in Cuba, the food, the cars, the economy…
This is where Hemingway stayed in HavanaOur taxi driver
He played Cuban music on the radio and honked at all the girls on the Malecón (8 km sea drive).
Hotel National de Cuba
The hotel was built in the 1930’s. There is still a bunker on the grounds with a map of the missile launching sites and targets. I found inspiration in the colors and music. I am looking forward to being with my paints.
Heading into 4th of July weekend. I hope y’all are having a nice summer. I think it is pretty much hot in the United States now, with a few exceptions.
My ginger-haired girl is helping her friend embark on an adventure that leads them out of the swamp. It is the first time for the little gator to see something of the world beyond his home.
Moonlit Walk
On a moonlit night, she hiked up her dress, and together they walked out of the swamp.
The painting is large, 24 x 36 inches, acrylic paint and varnish on canvas.
I hope you are enjoying the first days of summer. I know it isn’t really summer, but the kids are getting out of school around here and we are starting to get the air heating up followed by the afternoon thunder storms.
Some people have mentioned that I am painting more or faster now. The paintings are just smaller. They are smaller for the same reason I sell prints of my art. If someone likes my work, I want them to be able to afford something. These next two paintings go together (or not). They are 11 x 14 on canvas (smallish). I will sell them for $120 each or both for $225. I like a larger painting because it tells a bigger story. It took a little adjustment in my thoughts to go smaller.
Ballerina Gator
I painted the canvas dark reddish-pink. Then I scraped gesso over the walls with a plastic motel key. Lastly, I “aged” the walls with some Titan Buff paint. I wanted the walls to look like old plaster.
The alligator has always had a dream of performing in a ballet. It looks like it was a huge success.
When I was growing up, I had two small paintings in my bedroom of young ballerinas. I am sure this influenced me.
This is the girl who made the gator’s dreams come true. Sometimes it is nice to share the stage.
Ballerina
May has been very busy. My youngest daughter moved back to New Orleans. My niece from California visited for a week. My oldest daughter graduated from Tulane Law. Maggie turned 7. Now Maggie and Raffi are both between school and summer camp. My sweet darlin’ is basically absent from home because it is the end of his school year.
If you are visiting New Orleans, I think you should make time to go on one of the tours that Christine Miller of Two Chicks Walking Tours offers. My favorite is Drop Dead Sexy. It meets at the visitor center… Marie Laveau’s tomb in St. Louis #1… and hits a bit of Storyville. She will also designs any tour that suits your fancy. Christine is both entertaining and knowledgeable.
Hi all y’all! My mini muse came through for me. I saw a drawing Maggie did in her notebook. I fell in love. The alligator was subtle. I noticed the girl first. She had no color or background, so I asked Maggie to tell me a story about the girl. She said the girl is in a long green dress. The dress is old and her hair is messy. She lives in a swamp. I asked if there were flowers in the background. She said I could paint flowers, but if I did, make it mostly green with both light and dark greens.
Maggie’s Swamp Girl
Maggie and I generally copy each other if we like what we see. I painted a more realistic swamp background, but it made me unhappy. So I painted over-sized leaves and flowers. The painting reminds me of a page in a children’s book.
Swamp Girl
I added the eyelashes on the alligator and the freckles on the girl just like Maggie. I made her dress just a little shorter to show her toes. A friend wrote to me and said I seemed so happy on Facebook and in my blog. She was wondering if life here is really that wonderful. Well, yes. And also, I don’t want my blog to be a downer. I do struggle with waking up in the morning. I am slow to start. It takes at least 2 cups of coffee. I still have to take care of me. I have chores and responsibilities. I eat too many carbs. I need a certain amount of happiness to paint. So some days I don’t paint. I have to try not to compare my art to anyone else’s. While I was looking at realistic swamps, I ran across Adrian Deckbar. Adrian is a local artist that paints more beautiful than a photograph. My heart sinks just a little when I compare myself to others. But then I move on. Even with the ever-present road work on nearly every road, New Orleans rocks. The people are nice. My friends are interesting. I hope, if you are not there already, you find your happy place. I suggest writing down what you want, painting it, dancing it, speaking it every chance you get. There is a vehicle to get you there. lovingly,
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.
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.
Gator Girl Art 