Art and Photography Blog

Painting of Shrimp Poboy - New Orleans

Here is a 20" x 24" acrylic painting of a shrimp poboy dressed at Felix's in New Orleans. I now an artist with the Arts Council of New Orleans and particpate in their monthy art market. These markets occur generally on the last Saturday at Palmer Park in New Orleans, at the corner of S. Carrolton and S. Claiborne. Saturday May 25 is the next market and I will have a booth and offer paintings for sale. Since I arrived back in my hometown, I have been painting a variety of themes related to the city. 

You can also purchase my paintings directly from me through the Web. I have shipped paintings as far as Australia. Contact me at [email protected] to discuss prices and logistics. 

Painting of Street Marker, New Orleans

New Orleans initiated corner street markers in the 1920s. The are all with blue letters on white tiles and most survive today. Here is a 16" x 20" acrylice painting on one in my neighborhood. 

I now an artist with the Arts Council of New Orleans and particpate in their monthy art market. These markets occur generally on the last Saturday at Palmer Park in New Orleans, at the corner of S. Carrolton and S. Claiborne. Saturday May 25 is the next market and I will have a booth and offer paintings for sale. Since I arrived back in my hometown, I have been painting a variety of themes related to the city. 

You can also purchase my paintings directly from me through the Web. I have shipped paintings as far as Australia. Contact me at [email protected] to discuss prices and logistics. 

Photos of New Orleans Second Lines 2013

Since I first wrote this post, there was a terrible shooting at a second line on Mother's Day in which many people were injured but, so far, there were no fatalities. I am pleased to hear that the organizers are planning to reschedule the event. They will do it, both in honor of all mother's, as their second line has been on Mother's Day, and to honor the victims of the shooting. They will also dedicate it as a march against gun violence. There is no reason the act of an individual coward should stop these important cultural events in New Orleans any more that other acts of violence should stop what was occurring at the time, whether it be a politician meeting her constants or a marathon. I missed the second line on Mother's Day but plan to join the rescheduled event.

I am also pleased to read that since the shooting, the New Orleans mayor and the police chief have repeatedly and emphatically divorced the shooting from the occasion that it ruined. They have called the parades a crucial part of the city’s culture and even a bulwark against its violence, an argument marchers have been making for years.

New Orleans is a city where parades are often a participatory event. Second lines are the prime example. The "main line" or "first line" is the main section of the parade that includes members of the club with the parading permit as well as the brass band. The club dancers are separated from the crowd by walkers holding ropes. Those who follow the band just to enjoy the music and dance or walk along are called the "second line." There are more formal second lines held by social aid and pleasure clubs. On many Sunday afternoons, there is a social aid and pleasure club second line parade. In addition, many music events will have an informal second line.

As a child in New Orleans in the 1950s I expereinced another form of second line, the post-burial celebration honoring a person's life. About once or twice a month in the late afternoon, a black jazz funeral procession solemnly passed on foot down the middle of Lowerline Street passed our house, with a small brass band playing hymns on its way to the Carrolton Cemetery. On the way back, the mourners would celebrate the passed person’s life and the expectation they were off to a better place. The band played more lively numbers and neighbors would join in to dance or walk along. At the time, I did not know how special this was and just accepted this participation as part of our city life.

We have gone to three of the social aid and pleasure club second lines this year and hope to do more. Here are photos from these three. They are a great part of the city’s culture and a good way to see its neighborhoods. These parades generally last four hours or more with stops along the way. Vendors offer food and drinks at the stops. Others drag wagons with drinks to sell along the route.

The first second line we went to was led by The Perfect Gentlemen Social & Pleasure Club along with Men of Unity & The Original Steppers on a sunny January 19. It was downtown, starting at Canal and Rampart Street. Then it went up Rampart to Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Along the way a group with maroon suits joined in. It took a right on MLK to Simon Bolivar and turned right on Simon Bolivar. The first stop was at the Hot Spot Barber Shop where a group with orange feathers joined it. We only took part in the beginning of this one but we did the complete route of the next two. You can click on any image to make it larger. 

            

The next second line was led by the Cross the Canal Steppers (CTC) on February 24. It started on Elysian Fields Ave  and went down St. Claude Avenue stopping at HiHo lounge. We picked it up just before it went across the St. Claude Ave. Bridge over Industrial Canal into the Lower Ninth Ward. The condition of Lower Ninth was improved over what I saw in '06 and '07 but there was still much work to be done. Most of the wreckage was cleared out. There were now many empty lots but some new construction of raised houses. These new houses are surrounded by empty lots, so they also seemed in the country in an area that was more densely lived in before. The CTC ended at 5119 St. Claude Ave. Mickey B's Bar. This was still in the Lower Ninth. We walked across the bridge back to our car.

                

The third second line was in our neighborhood and started on Oak Street. It was led by the Pigeon Town Steppers and supported by the Stooges Brass Band on Easter, March 31. This is their traditional day. It started at the Maple Leaf Bar, a few blocks from where I live. Then it went away from the river through the Pigeon Town neighborhood, stopping at Walter's Lounge, then on to Holly Grove, and beyond to return to Pigeon Town, ending at Sista Sista Lounge. Other stops along with way included the Broadway Lounge and the E&C Lounge. Along the way they went by Carrolton Cemetery and very near where I lived in the 1950s. The cemetery served as our primary playground and was also the destination point for the funerals I wrote about above. 

                      

Painting of Mardi Gras Pontchartrain Krewe Float Rider

Here is a 20" x 20" acrylic painting of a flost rider from the Pontchartasin krewe. I also did a 12" x 12" version with a different color combination. 

I now an artist with the Arts Council of New Orleans and particpate in their monthy art market. These markets occur generally on the last Saturday at Palmer Park in New Orleans, at the corner of S. Carrolton and S. Claiborne. Aoril 20 is the next market and I will have a booth and offer paintings for sale. It is ealrier because of Jazzfest. Since I arrived back in my hometown, I have been painting a variety of themes related to the city. The May market is held on May 25. 

You can also purchase my paintings directly from me through the Web. I have shipped paintings as far as Australia. Contact me at [email protected] to discuss prices and logistics. 

Two Paintings of Mardi Gras Flambeaux Carriers, New Orleans

When I went to the canrival night parades as a child in the 1950s, I remember the flambeaux carriers. They carried gas fried torches to light the parades. Now many parades use electic lights but a few perseve the old tradtion. Here are two form this years carnival season. One is a 12" x 12" work and the other is 16" x 20." Both are aryclic. I also did a 9" x 12" version of the larger one. 

I now an artist with the Arts Council of New Orleans and particpate in their monthy art market. These markets occur generally on the last Saturday at Palmer Park in New Orleans, at the corner of S. Carrolton and S. Claiborne. Aoril 20 is the next market and I will have a booth and offer paintings for sale. It is ealrier because of Jazzfest. Since I arrived back in my hometown, I have been painting a variety of themes related to the city. The May market is held on May 25. 

You can also purchase my paintings directly from me through the Web. I have shipped paintings as far as Australia. Contact me at [email protected] to discuss prices and logistics. 

  

Photos of Great Meals in South Louisiana

As my last post indicated I recently went to west to take in some Zydeco and Cajun music and dancing. A delicious part of this trip was the wonderful food of the region. Every meal was worthy of a repeat. 

It began with lunch at Victor’s Cafeteria in New Iberia that included gumbo, fried shrimp, crawfish ettouffe, frogs leg, and fried fish. There were some inviting deserts. While I was full from the meal I could not resist taking pictures of some of the treats. That night we ate at Miller’s Zydeco Hall of Fame in Lawtel LA as we saw the Zydeco bands. The food included one of the best gumbos I have had, well as some great fried chicken.

         

The next morning we stopped at Ray’s Bakery in Eunice for two dozen fresh doughnuts to take to the Cajun jam session at the Savoy Music center where we had some wonderful boudin. We each had a doughnut on the way and the rest were consumed quickly once we got there. Lunch was at Don’s Seafood in Lafayette and consisted of BBQ oysters, gumbo, along with crawfish five ways: bisque, cocktail, ettouffe, au gratin, and fried. Dinner was at the Mayor’s Gala in Opelousas and included some wonderful gumbo in the same homemade style we found at Miller’s.

               

On Sunday morning we stopped at the Donut Queen in Mamou for two small sausage kolatch and a boudin kolatch. Both were sausage wrapped in bread. Later we ate at McGee’s Landing in Henderson. Our meal included: grilled catfish, crawfish, alligator, stuffed shrimp, hush puppies, stuffed potato, and syrup cake for desert. Most of the seafood came from the nearby Atchafalya Basin. 

               

Highlights of the Smith College Art Museum Part Two

The Smith College Art Museum is locateed at Northampton, MA and has a great collection for a small college. Here are some highlights. There were so many that I split it into two posts.

                                   

Highlights of the Smith College Art Museum Part One

The Smith College Art Museum is locateed at Northampton, MA and has a great collection for a small college. Here are some highlights. There were so many that I split it into two posts. 

                          

               

Photos from Chiba; Great Japanese Food with New Orleans Flavors

The New Orleans food scene is stronger than ever with over 1300 places to eat, up from 800 pre-Katrina. I have long enjoyed the food of my hometown. Since I returned to live here full time at the end of October, I have been conducting further explorations into what New Orleans offers.

In my own neighborhood, there are easily twenty good restaurants worth repeating within walking distance. One of these is Chiba, offering high quality Japanese food on Oak Street.  Chiba is run by my neighbor Keith Dusko. It has provided the two best meals I have had since I moved here on Halloween.  And their innovation crosses over to wonderful cocktails like a blackberry mojita and a very large sake selection.

You know you are in New Orleans with items like Crawfish Tempura and Bananas Foster Egg Rolls.  And they manage to pull it off with great skill doing homage to both food traditions.  Their sushi and sashimi are wonderful and likely the highest quality in the city. However, their cooked dishes also show great innovation and execution, with examples like the two above and pan-roasted mussels with ginger, garlic and green onions and short rib tempura served on fresh lettuce with sesame soy jus. I think it ranks with any place across the city for culinary innovation and execution.

Here is our first meal: crawfish tempura, pork belly steamed bun, fried oyster steam bun, pan-roasted mussels with ginger, garlic and green onions, soy mirin-glazed NY steak with marbled potatoes, Tasso ham, Thai basil and chili aioli, and we finished with blueberry beignets and ice cream.

        

The tempura was light with plenty of crawfish and we ate it before I got the camera out, The mussels were flavorful, the steamed buns were very light with intense flavors inside, the steak was thin sliced and combined well with the potatoes and Tasso, and the desert blew us away.

Here is our second meal; tempura calamari salad with radish and green vinaigrette, sashimi special served in a crispy fish that was also very eatable, short rib tempura (partially eaten as we got carried away before I took the picture), crispy skin salmon with spinach and a peanut sauce, and closing with bananas foster egg roll with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.

    
  

Each dish was innovative, fresh and well prepared. There were lots of calamari, the sashimi was subtle and the presentation in a whole crispy fish was a pleasant surprise, the short rib reminded me of a high end version of chicken fried steak and I say this with great homage to a dish I grew up on, the salmon had a nice combination of crispy outside and juicy inside. Once again the desert blew us away.  We will be back many times as there are many other innovative choices left on the menu to sample.

Chiba is located at 8312 Oak Street,
New Orleans, LA 70118 (504) 826-9119. They do take out but we enjoy sitting at the bar watching all the new drinks being prepared.