A Learning Curve

Posted on March 11, 2015 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

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.

GV_NOLA115_StPatricksDay_WG-1000x500 — xx

Saturday is the St. Patrick’s parade and 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 Sunday is 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.

My friend just bought the original Garden Fairy aka City Park 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.

I printed on organza. The words shifted slightly.

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.

I hope all y’all are having a nice end of winter, almost spring.

With and open and loving heart,

Gator Girl

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Joan of Arc

Posted on July 11, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

How is your summer going? We just got back from New York City. It was fabulous. We did the tourist things and were constantly amazed. This was the longest my sweet darlin’ and I have been away alone and not visiting friends or relatives ever. Prior to this trip, we have only been away for 2 nights.

Before we left, I spent an entire day with Joan of Arc.

The flames and the clouds are on the side of the canvas, too. It is a museum wrap and is 2 inches wide. I wanted to try it, because usually paint on 3/4 inch thick wrapped canvas. I still prefer the thin wrap.

I cut zebra/ glitter paper for the flames and painted on top. Next time, I would just paint flames.

I like the dress. It is linen from my grandmother’s old table-cloth. I put burlap on the shoulders like a shawl, didn’t like the burlap, and pulled it off. I like the texture the burlap made when I removed it.

I started writing on the back of my paintings. I put the size. I find often I have to look at my spread sheet or re-measure. The size is always a question.

I also write the name, date, a few notes (loyalty, courage, passion) and sign it. I will still sign the front after it is photographed.

I started buying canvas that has this structure on the back. I feel like the canvas won’t loosen up. It is like a wooden frame inside a wooden frame.

I found this piece of flour dis lis jewelry in my mom’s stuff. I wanted to incorporate it into the painting.

It physically fits perfectly on the cross of light. I think I like it better without.

My Katy is coming in tonight from California. We are driving to Destin, Florida tomorrow so Katy can see her Godmother and hang out on the beach with Maggie and Raffi. Florida is four hours away from New Orleans and the beaches are beautiful. Five us are squishing in the Prius. Good thing we like each other. Wish us luck with the driving and the sharks.

All of my best summer wishes for you!

Gator Girl

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Gator on the Go

Posted on June 29, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

This gator is headed to New York City.

My sweet darlin’ and I have not been away for our anniversary for a while. We decided to go big. Not Europe big, but definitely USA big.

I don’t know if other New Orleanians feel like this, but it is always hard to leave New Orleans even if the destination is fabulous.

There is so much to miss here.

Somewhere around the middle of July, I will be a full-time artist again. Right now, I am only painting enough to keep a small hold on my sanity.

Crow Questioning the Moon is almost complete. I just need to put the wire on the back and varnish it. This painting is small. 12 x 16 inches.

I am not happy with Joan of Arc yet. I think I know where it is going, so I am sticking with it. I planned to paint Joan in her father’s garden hearing the angel for the first time. Then the flames came to mind, lots of red, and words like courage, loyalty and strength.

The painting looks like heaven and hell with the flames and the cross. I like the linen dress that I made out of my grandmother’s table-cloth. I like her up-turned eyes with the sky reflecting in them.

I need to soften the sky, her nose and her chin. The cross is a combination of a sword and cross. This combination seems like too much detail. If I add more orange to the flames or green to the sky the colors will compliment each other better.

Maybe I wanted to paint her for the wrong reasons. I started painting Joan because I like to paint women and I like to paint New Orleans themes. I am not in love with leading soldiers to war. I am not sure I love Joan. I don’t like to judge, but was she crazy?

The light pink areas on the Mardi Gras Indian will have sequins. I bought a variety of sequins to sew on the canvas. I have to finish the painting first. I feel like he is almost done, except for brightening the feathers. I painted a combination of 1/3 lime green acrylic paint with 2/3’s varnish on some of the feathers. I just need to do more of something like that.