New Orleans Artist – Page 9

Beading the Mardi Gras Indian

Posted on August 22, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

I started beading. It is taking longer than painting. I can see why it takes a year to make a costume. I started on the front of the headdress with sequins.

I like the seed beads better. Because they are smaller than the sequins, they are more forgiving. I think they look more traditionally Native American.

On the lower part of his suit I am going to bead a design with seed beads on another piece of material and attach it to the painting with gel medium. I like sewing directly on the canvas, but it is awkward and thick. I can’t sew on the bottom of the canvas because of the stretcher bars. Mardi Gras Indians usually sew the beads on a separate piece of material and attach it to their suit. By the end of this project, I will know what works best for me.

Raffi hasn’t started pre-school yet. While he was over here this week, he worked on his big painting. It is 30 x 40 inches. It is not finished yet. For sure he is going to put a little more paint on Lacy. When he is all finished, he will add goggly eyes.

Lacy is a cat that has a “tail like a raccoon”. Alberta is a Guinea pig. Kenobi is a mix of Great Dane, Lab and maybe Pitbull. The crawfish is John Jones Nixon. When Raffi finishes his painting, I will post photos of the animals.

Until next time.

With scaly love,

Gator Girl

Uncategorized

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

Uncategorized

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.

Until next time,

With unwavering love,

Gator Girl

Uncategorized

My plan for smaller original paintings.

Posted on June 3, 2014 by gatorgirlart

Hi all y’all!

Things are heating up around here. It is raining today, but the rest of the week will be dry and 90. (Weather √ ) My sweet darlin’ is barbecuing all day to acquire some kind of pink line in the meat that lets us know he did it perfectly. The barbecue is on auto pilot now while he takes Maggie and Riff Raff to the children’s library. (Next meal √ ). One of the reasons he is my sweet darlin’ is because he takes the kiddos out so I can talk to y’all.

Now, an art update.

I painted a picture of my oldest daughter in oil paints. I found some oil paints that clean up in soap and water. I felt like I wasted a day, but I learned that I hate oil paints. They are creamy and lovely to paint with, but the look is creamy. They take forever to dry. I am spoiled by how quickly acrylic paints dry and how bold they look. I had a thought in the back of my mind that when I was a real artist, I would paint in oils. I don’t know why I thought that. (No more oil paints √ )

I love the way the cowboy hat looks. I didn’t finish the painting. I knew I would never get it right with the oil paints. This is a small canvas, only 12 x 16 inches.

Because the paint was still damp the next day, I covered everything with paper. At the top, there is a Lucky Rooster coaster. Bottom right is a Juan’s Flying Burrito logo. Some bingo paper and little red dots because dots make me happy. Peaking out is my sister and her beau.

I am going to show you what I am painting, but it is still in progress. I photographed the paintings today on the easel, because I don’t like to see my unfinished paintings when I google something. I wonder if people think they are done.

I am half done with this. It is called Crow Talking to the Lucky Moon.

This turtle is also 12 x 16 inches. Pretty much half the size of my go-to canvas. I am going to make a frame for him.Maybe a few more wrinkles on his neck.

I have a small problem with Nice Hair. Maggie wants to buy it. She has $20. When I finish her, I guess she is already sold. I might put some molding paste in her hair and for sure attach some antique embellishments. My plan is to paint flowers in her hair and a butterfly hovering.

I like the blue background. It reminds me of Tiffany blue.

Well, that’s all she wrote.

The kids are here all week. It is between school and summer camp.

Feeling lucky,

Gator Girl

Uncategorized

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

Uncategorized

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