Magnolia – Gator Girl Art

I love resin. Me encanta Puerto Rico.

Posted on August 1, 2019 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I love resin!

I have been back to my encaustic and resin combo. Encaustic art has been around for thousands of years. There are so many ways to do it. I tried to look for a video to show you, but it was too hard to narrow it down. Encaustic is painting with wax and fusing the wax with heat. I am a beginner. First I paint the subject and background with acrylic paints. For the wax painting, I use an electric skillet, encaustic wax, paint brushes and a heat gun. The tricky part is getting the wax down before it cools. It takes a little more patience than I have.

I was very happy with my magnolia countertop, so I thought I would try a crab. The crab was a little less forgiving than a flower. The crab needed me to stay in the lines.

I like encaustic painting, but I love it after a resin pour. It looks so shiny and 3D.

This is my crab in the middle of my wax painting.

You can see the layers of wax build up.

This is after the resin pour.

It is hard to show resin on the computer. Trust me, it is smooth and shiny now.

I also did a small magnolia.

This magnolia was the prototype for my counter top. I let the edges get a little more melty than the crabs edges.

Me encanta Puerto Rico

My daughter’s significant other is working in Puerto Rico. She invited us to share their Air BnB in Old San Juan. We were lucky to see the beginning of the demonstration to remove the governor. There was lots of banging of pots and pans and lots of singing. It was an every night, growing, demonstration… much louder and more persistent than I’ve witnessed in the states. The protestors were nice people.

The first photo is the beginning of the tear gas. The second photo is tear gas and small fires in the street. The third photo is the clean up in the morning. By 9:00 am you couldn’t see any sign of the demonstration. All of the graffiti was painted over and the street was washed clean.

Their corrupt governor was removed. Power to the people.

July looks so exciting.

My best to you all. Loving wishes for whatever you are dreaming.

Gator Girl

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Some paintings paint themselves. Some don’t.

Posted on November 14, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I am starting with a painting that is not painting herself. Maybe I am a bad listener. Like maybe I have something in mind and it is not Magnolia and we go round and round.

Sometimes my sweet darlin’ asks me what I have been working on and for weeks I have answered, “Magnolia”. My idea for Sweet Magnolia is simple. I wanted her encompassed by the Magnolia flowers. She needed to have the same coloring as the flowers and leaves.

I love this version of Magnolia, but look at her left eye.

Magnolia's eyes spaced incorrectly — Magnolia’s eyes spaced incorrectly

I fixed the left eye making her eyes too close together.

Here is Magnolia today. I wonder if she just wanted big, Southern hair. I made her earrings by photocopying the two magnolia flowers on the left, shrinking them and applying with gel medium. Her crown is made from glossy, green tissue paper.

I have a frame cut for this painting. It is dark green, made from a screen door. I need to cut a piece of wood to go on the back. This is held up by not having a table to cut on at the moment. The back yard is in limbo.

Is something in retrograde?

My new painting goes with another painting. A duo.

I took the handle off and threw it away. The hinges I soaked in vinegar, salt and dish soap for two days. They came out sparkly clean.

She will be looking at the woman on the other cabinet door. They are in a coffee shop at different tables. I was going to put a chicken on the woman’s head. Maggie thought of hummingbird drinking from the flowers on her hat. Go Maggie.

So far, this one is painting herself. I love her already. I am doing something cool with her shirt. I am painting textured paper then stitching the collar and sleeve together with my sewing machine.

I went back to the salvage store for more cabinet doors. I waited too long.

I hope you are having a great Friday.

With abundance and joy,

Gator Girl

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Power Tools

Posted on October 9, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

It has been a while. I think I had a virus. I hope you are doing well. I am much better.

October is the beginning of the time of year when we have to start choosing activities. Things begin to over-lap… This weekend we are choosing the Louisiana Seafood Festival in City Park.

I embellished another Expecting Grace. This one I am donating to an auction to raise money for St. Andrew’s Village in Abita Springs, Louisiana.

It is much easier to make something to sell or give away. When someone has pre-ordered, I always worry if they will like it. This one has nice depth and texture. I felt bold with the colors. So far, I am not tired of Grace. I love to spend a couple of days with her.

I am taking a little jump-start class with Cosmic Cowgirls, called Spark. We make a plan for the month. It is something we want to accomplish that takes 10 or 15 minutes a day. They offer it every month, but I haven’t signed up for about a year. My goal in October is to live my art. With a side note of using power tools. I have a habit of waiting until I can ask my sweet darlin’ to hang pictures, drill holes, cut wood… I am perusing my house, moving paintings, and using power tools to build and improve things. It has been a physical 8 days.

I made this frame from wood I bought at the salvage place.

Those mitered corners are hard. I think I did a good job.

I am re-visiting Magnolia. I hope I will be happy with her soon.

She looks much more alive. I am going to bring her hair forward over her ears a little and add magnolia earrings. I cropped and resized the two magnolia flowers on the left and printed them on paper to make her earrings.

More power tool use…

Cabinet doors prior to sanding. — Cabinet doors before sanding.

I wish I took a photo of the doors when I brought them home. They looked like they had sat in dirt of years. I washed them outside with dish soap and a sponge. Then I put them in the bathtub for a day soaking in Charlie Soap and washing them over and over.

I sanded them with my Craftsman Mouse Sander. The sandpaper is peel and stick. The sander has a little nose that gets into corners. I am going to paint on the panels. I plan on them hanging together. Maybe a woman and her flowers or a woman looking at another woman. I don’t know yet.

Wishing you abundance and joy,

Gator Girl

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Back Street Museum

Posted on August 11, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

Welcome to the dog days of summer. It is hot in New Orleans in August.

I finished Magnolia. Magnolia is blending with the tree by the same name. If you look closely, she has little dots on her tissue crown and in the iris of her eyes, representing the seeds in the magnolia blossom. She is glistening a little from the August heat. She is in the middle of being framed in a dark green recycled screen door. I want to get a photo before I frame her. The magnificent Dorka is back in New Orleans and available to photograph this week!

I started a fun painting inspired by the Waterbeams and their advertisement for new members. I already like the woman on the right edging away from the blissful gator.

I am ready to bead the Mardi Gras Indian. I have some apprehension, because I don’t want to make a mistake. I looked at some photos my sweet darlin’ took on Super Sunday last Mardi Gras.

I looked at many photos on-line. I went to Jefferson Variety to buy gems, beads and talk to the helpful staff. The women showed me photos and told me what they knew about costuming. I talked to a Mardi Gras Indian buying sequins for her costume. She told me that Downtown Indians use more sequins and pin feathers and Uptown Indians used more beads, gems and plume feathers. Now I really didn’t want to blow it.

From there, I was directed to the Backstreet Cultural Museum. I looked at the costumes closely and took my time. It is OK to take pictures at the museum. Here are two. Notice on the first photo, there are sequins, beads and gems.

In this example, the scene is entirely beaded.

At the Backstreet Cultural Museum, I learned the only rule is to start fresh every year. You are not allowed to use part of last years costume.

In my painting, I am going to sew beads, sequins and gems on the parts of the costume that are pinkish red. I cannot sew on the very bottom because of the wood bracing in the back. I am not sure what I am doing there yet.

I have also been making necklaces of my art. I will share that next time.

I appreciate all your support. Thank you for reading my blog.

Ever grateful,

Gator Girl

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Some New Art

Posted on July 30, 2014July 30, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all,

I am happy to be home, but if I had more money I would jet-set around. It was fun going more places this summer. It will be quiet here for a while. The kiddos are on a train to California, my sweet darlin’ starts school next week and there are no visitors on the horizon.

Shotgun Angel will be at the M Gallery on Julia and Baronne for White Linen Night this Saturday.

I have been working on two paintings.

This is painted from a photo of my friend, Christine, of 2 Chicks Walking Tours. She is dressed up like her mother back in the day. I just love this picture and I love a cigarette.

I am not quite done with Magnolia.

I like how the girl is the same colors as the Magnolia flowers. I think she needs something more, like a crown so the middle flower doesn’t look like it is growing out of her head. Her eyes are a little deep-set.

My grand babies are on their way to visit their great-grandparents.