Louisiana Art – Page 7 – Gator Girl Art

After the festival (a re-hash)

Posted on May 23, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

In New Orleans, when we aren’t talking about our next meal, we’re talking about the weather. FYI, my next meal is coming from Juan’s Flying Burrito and the weather has been gorgeous for two weeks straight. 80’s, sunny and dry. My favorite weather is dry in the day and raining all night, but not when I am leaving my art all night in a tent on the bayou.

Duke, my sort of brother-in-law took some fabulous photos of Bayou Boogaloo. I think this will be a photo essay. I will include information for first time festers, which I am not one of. (Thankfully.)

Gator Girl Art had exposure to the public. Lots of people came out. I sold a little over $1,000. My expenses were a little over a thousand dollars. I almost broke even. Yes, I would have liked to make some money. No, I am not giving up.

I signed up for Blues and Barbecue taking place in Lafayette Square in October. Jazz and Heritage will tell me soon if I have been accepted. You will be the first to know.

Walking to New Orleans seemed to be the crowd favorite.

My sort of brother-in-law bought it. Thank you, Duke.

In New Orleans, if you are selling in an arts district, there is no city or state tax on original art. The tax I had to pay is only on the $200 I made selling prints… $8. That’s cool, right?

I decided some things for the next festival. I am going to buy nice, white, mesh sides for my tent. They will be easier to transport and look professional. I am going to paint some smaller originals. I like originals better than prints. People who have a small space or limited finances will be able to buy an original. I am only going to take my originals and one size prints.

I made these cool presentation binders. One binder has all of my originals that are still for sale. One binder has all originals already in collections. I filled the binders with 8 x 10 prints. On the facing page is their story. I am going to take along the binders.

This has been an important week for Maggie. She graduated from kindergarten and turned 6!

Maggie's Celebration — Maggie’s Celebration

I am pretty excited to paint again.

With green, scaly gratitude,

Gator Girl

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Count Down to Festival!

Posted on May 7, 2014May 7, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

It’s May. How are you doing?

Count down to festival! (Click on the picture to watch a short video.)

: Bayou Boogaloo

Counting today, it’s 10 days until Bayou Boogaloo. Tent. Check. Art. Check. Yen for a new adventure. Check.

It is hard to prepare for something I have never done before.

My plan is to try my best without being compulsive about it. Trying my best is getting all of my prints ready. Packing everything I think I will need. It is not watching festival videos and ordering on-line (with one day shipping) for something I suddenly need.

If I told you I wasn’t even a little stressed, I’d be lying.

If I told you I wasn’t even going to watch one “How to do a Festival” video, I might be lying.

Wish me luck. I’ll post photos on Facebook.

Until after the fest,

All my love,

Gator Girl

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My steps to putting art on-line and check out my finished gator.

Posted on April 23, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

Gorgeous today in New Orleans. I opted out of a picnic so that I could write to you. I need to keep a work schedule or I feel like a fraud. Today, I am starting to list 4 of my originals.

It is a process.

Dorka sent me the files of the photos she took of my most recent paintings. I changed the size of the photographs slightly. Dorka discourages me from changing the photos too much by myself.

Then I up-loaded two sizes to Fotoworks Pro. The sizes I offer are 8.5 x 11 and 11 x 14. I tried printing 8 x 10, but that seems too small for art. Fotoworks Pro is in Southern California and I work with them through the mail. I have had only positive experiences with their personal service and great quality.

After I ordered prints, I started up-loading to Etsy and WhereY’Art. The difference, I think, between the two Internet stores is Etsy is international and Where Y’Art is local. I have been with Etsy for a few years and am pretty happy with it. I just started in February with Where Y’Art. I love that it is local and I know the owners and some of the other artists. Where Y’Art also offers shows out in the community a few times a year. I will let you know more later… when I know more.

It takes about 10 days to get the prints from California. (I am sure this is because the mail is coming to Louisiana.) I am only putting up the originals now. I want to have the prints in hand when the orders come in. (Hear that universe?)

I used to hate the business part of painting. Now I like it. It is like having a secretarial job for a day. I wanted to be a secretary once.

I hope your day is going great.

Sending alligator love,

Gator Girl

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Working with Copper

Posted on April 15, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

We are having a blustery Tuesday. It is really cold and windy out there. I know I shouldn’t complain because we don’t have snow, but we are supposed to be a tropical climate.

I was given a big sheet of copper. I took it to a metal shop and had it cut in 8 x 10 inch pieces. I think I have about 50 pieces. I can cut them smaller myself, but the copper is pretty thick. My idea is to put some of my art on the copper. I tried using a transfer paper called TAP. It is designed for transferring onto material, but it advertises that it transfers to any surface. I chose Baby, I got this. because his skin color is so beautiful, but the white wings did not transfer. I added some color to his lips with red paint and darkened his features with black paint.

I painted embossing powder on the wings with varnish, then used a heat gun until it bubbled. I sealed his face with wax and the rest of the copper with varnish. I won’t use the wax again. It didn’t make that much of a difference.

I tried printing the same photo on organza.

This was easy. I just attached the organza with varnish.

My plan is to nail the copper onto reclaimed wood with copper tacks and add some kind of embellishment. If you have any ideas for this project, let me know, please. I plan on taking a few finished pieces to Bayou Boogaloo to see if people like them.

I also bought a silk screen kit to try with the copper. So far that has been a big mess, but I am not through.

I have painted Nice Hair a little bit. I have an idea that might help you if you are just starting to paint faces.

I started by painting her face and hair, then I stopped and measured. Are her eyes level? Her ears the same size? It saves me from painting her over and over without knowing why she looks out of whack. I painted her before I measured because I don’t want to be too controlled.

When I put the pencil marks on, her left ear was short and one of her pupils was more dilated. A little quirky is good in a face, but some things like pupils just look off.

I don’t know where I am going with this yet.

Right now, I am getting ready for my in-laws. They are coming tomorrow for Easter. I always feel like I need a block of time to get started on something. I might be able to pop in here once in a while. We’ll see.

I really would appreciate any copper feedback.

Love to you all,

Gator Girl

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Gator in the Hen House

Posted on April 9, 2014April 9, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

I wanted to finish Gator in the Hen House before I wrote to you this week. I am taking 4 paintings to Dorka to photograph this morning. This is my photograph of the finished painting. I am going to frame it with some wood I have saved under the house.

This is pretty large, 24 x 36 inches. My favorite part is the alligator. My second favorite part is the chicken wire.

My goal was to make the gator the center of attention with a smug and cavalier attitude. The chickens are a riot of color and feathers. They each have their own personality.

I raised the chicken wire with molding paste, then lightly brushed some Golden Green Gold and Cobalt Teal back in.

The rooster was painted with Golden’s Permanent Violet Dark, then Carbon Black and more colors. The shiny parts are Silk’s Acrylic Glaze.

This rooster is standing as straight as he can on his tiptoes trying to look invisible.

This hen's eyes are starting to roll back in her head. She thinks she might faint. — This hen’s eyes are starting to roll back in her head. She thinks she might faint.

I used Golden’s molding paste and Liquitex heavy body acrylic on the white chicken. I said “used” because I painted with a brush, my fingers and a palette knife.

I loved this chicken when she was pure green, but I wanted her to be a more realistic color and contrast with the gator.

So I changed her to..

Mama chicken is yelling, "Get outa here!" — Mama chicken is yelling, “Get outa here!”

On Mama Chicken I painted with acrylic paint and Dylusions Postbox Red Ink Spray. I painted with it, not sprayed it. I love how it saturates. I had to seal the hen with varnish and then paint the white bits back in. When you paint with ink it keeps soaking through.

I made the floor of the hen-house dirty, by putting broken toothpicks and beads in black and tan paint, putting them on the floor of the hen-house and pulling the pieces off with tweezers. I knew I would have a hard time making the dirt look random, otherwise.

One of the challenges of this painting was to keep the chickens in the background as supporting actors. They really wanted to take over.

I bought this cart at IKEA. I love it more every day.

Each day I have to trust again that I am on the right path. For me, right now, it seems like the only one. So I am putting one foot in front of the other and going on.

Loving you unconditionally,

Gator Girl

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Life in Progress

Posted on March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I have a to do list as long as my arm, but my studio is quiet and here I am.

Just a little update today.

Company is coming to New Orleans in waves. And why not? New Orleans in the Spring is the best.

Raffi is beginning a large painting of his pets. He wants it to go with his 3-year-old painting of his family.

I gave him some student quality paints for the first layer. Besides the color, the paints themselves look drab. I ordered him some Liquitex paints for the next layers. They aren’t Golden, but they are nice.

My Gator in the Hen House is still in progress. I have spent many hours on this. I will continue to paint it until I am happy with every inch.

Gator in the Hen House, still in progress

This is why I am a little late with my list today.

This is super fun. I have painted the darks. I think her hair will be full of fun stuff. Maybe butterflies, bugs, a bird? I don’t know yet.

She seems to welcome Spring.

Maggie lost her tooth. Too cute.

Gotta run.

Until next week my loves,

Gator Girl

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Bayou Boogaloo

Posted on March 18, 2014March 19, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

I didn’t really think it would happen that I am accepted to Bayou Boogaloo. In the application they asked for a picture of my tent. I wrote that I did not have a tent yet, I have never been part of a festival, but rest assured, it will be fabulous. I figured this was a shot in the dark . It is a big art and music festival along the bayou by City Park. It runs for 3 days, May 16, 17 and 18th. I haven’t slept well since I found out.

When I start becoming too anxious about life and I can’t calm down by thinking that my life is pretty good, I write. I found out by writing that it is the outlay of money that is making me anxious. You know how they say you have to spend money to make money? I have to use the communal money from my marriage to fund this new adventure, i.e.. my sweet darlin’s income.

Before I started making art as my full-time profession, I bought a lot of art supplies just for fun. I had to remember fun. So I put my worries aside and started a new, easy painting. In this painting, I will paint intuitively. No learning curve.

I do like to learn how to paint a chicken with an expression of fear. I like to analyze what chicken feathers flying off the chicken might look like. I like to figure out how to paint a swaggering alligator walking toward me. I was becoming too tight. (Imagine wearing a t-shirt two sizes too small.)

I want to paint with abandon. Reclaim joy.

I know it will be a woman. I know she has a lot on her mind. I think she has wild hair.

You can already see her eyes peaking through.

Anyway, that’s where I am. Regaining joy.

I have never been a fan of journaling. But in a pinch, it is a good way to find out why your head is spinning.

Wishing us all freedom.

Gator Girl

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Mardi Gras and a Gator

Posted on February 26, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

We are in the full swing of Mardi Gras come rain or come shine.

Day 2 Mardi Gras, last weekend — Saturday, February 22nd, 2014

Last Saturday, the weather was beautiful, the crowds were there, but in a gentler, roomier way.

It rained all night.

Sunday, started out muddy and fun. Then the deluge. Only the hardcore monsters of Mardi Gras stuck it out.

Pussyfooters put on a happy face.

I am working on a new painting called Gator in the Hen House. It could symbolize government corruption. I really wanted to paint it because chickens can be so colorful. I wanted a challenge. This painting is pushing me to experiment with proportions, movement and design. I am just going to take my time.

So far, it is only acrylic paint.

My plan is to add some ink behind the chicken wire for depth and color. Then, chicken wire made with medium gel gloss using rabbit wire as a stencil. I want to add paint to molding paste and put some of the feathers on with a palette knife. Finally, many more layers of paint.

All of this will occur after Mardi Gras.

I am already liking the Gator’s swashbuckling attitude.

That’s what’s happening in my neighborhood. What’s going on in yours?

Happy Mardi Gras,

In abundant love,

Gator Girl

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Walking to New Orleans

Posted on January 28, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Good morning all y’all!

New to me stuff going on in New Orleans. The schools, government offices and many other businesses are closed for two days because of a storm coming in. The grocery and Red Box were crowded with people yesterday, like before a hurricane. The low tonight will be 27. It is 36 as I write this. The roads will be icy. Some bridges will be closed. For this transplanted me, this preparedness seems over the top. Maybe I will be educated.

The Blush Ball was last Saturday. There is a great video on Facebook of our dance, but I can’t get it to transfer out of Facebook. At least you can see our costumes and our awesomeness. We raised $30,000 for the Metropolitan Center of Women and Children.

That is me in the very middle in a short pink, curly wig.

Walking to New Orleans, because I have been thinking about alligators and skyline.

I have a nice old frame that I acquired at an estate sale. My sweet darlin’ cut a piece of wood to fit in the frame. It measures 15.5 x 28 inches. Usually, when I do a background, I start haphazardly, intention mixed with wild abandon. Most of it gets covered up. This time, I thought it would be cool to paint the land and sky the same colors. I started painting land and sky (with intention and abandon).

I cut out maps, music, and decorative paper for the buildings and paper that looks like French writing for the foliage. I outlined the skyline in black paint and painted a much finer line around the buildings.

I am waiting for Golden self-leveling gel to arrive in the mail. It will be shiny and totally protect the paper. I think people will be drawn to touch the buildings, so I want to protect them.

The Chinese New Year begins this Friday. The year of the horse. Symbolically, I plan to dust the house before then. I like to take a small part of another culture’s ritual and make it my own. Especially, if many cultures share the same ritual.

“Horse year is a time of fast victories, unexpected adventures, and surprising romance. Energy is high and production is rewarded. We’Moon 2014

Looking at the rain. Shaking my head. I believe we will be open again on Thursday.

Last but not least, our own Fats Domino.

Love you all,

Gator Girl