New Orleans

I was in New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year - what a hoot! Aside from the crowds and outrageous costumes, I took note of the charming architecture and took photos of several character homes; the tiny facades belie the surprising depth of the structures. I hope to try my hand at painting a few. I won't be the first artist inspired to try to capture the charm of these cuties; check out the artwork of James Michalopoulos, Amzie Adams, Melanie Douthit, Heather Galler, and Terrance Osborne.

Don't think, just create!

Earlier in the week I painted two coats of gesso over a number of unfinished canvases and yesterday afternoon I began a mixed work on one of the canvases. I wanted to try some different techniques than my usual, so thought I'd give a large collage piece a go. I kept telling myself not to over-think what I was doing and as a result I'm having a lot of fun with it - it's all a grand experiment, using a canvas that's already been painted over twice. I worked very quickly and am pleased with the results so far.