It’s Taken Awhile But I’m Gettin’ There.
I finally had the opportunity to lay paint brush to canvas after an extended hiatus. Man, it felt great! The move from central TX to south LA turned out to be quite the epic adventure. I needed the downtime to settle in here and to spend time with the family. So many interesting things for one to absorb here in Acadiana. I suspect it will rub off shortly in my work and in the subject matter in particular. I have been mulling over possibilities in that regard for years. I must admit that I have been gluttonous in my consumption of the local Cajun cuisine here having missed it so terribly much. And so much of it is deep fried! That reminds me of an old joke: how do you make Cajun iced tea? Deep fry the lemon. Insert rimshot here. Hopefully, my family’s frequent short hikes through he woods and along the boardwalks of Acadiana park have helped to offset my intake of boudin balls and oyster po-boys. I somehow forget just how truly awful the mosquitoes can be in south Louisiana. On our first outing, we were each swarmed by large black clouds of the insects which then followed us along as we walked. We were forced to admit defeat and make a hasty retreat toward the parking lot. Luckily, we ran into a friendly family of disc golf players who were generous enough to share their bug spray with us which allowed us to continue unmolested. I have been drawing for some time on my current project. It is a larger canvas piece for me at 3 x 4 feet. Completion of the under drawing seemed to take a veritable eternity. It is another crowd scene as it my wont and I found it challenging to get the depth of figures aligned as I desired. I worked in short bursts squeezed between life’s commitments. Often late at night while completely exhausted. Finally I finished it two days ago and last night commenced with the painting itself. It felt wonderful to see visible progress. Tentatively titled “Carnival in the Crescent”, it depicts a boisterous crowd at an unseen Carnival parade as they reach enthusiastically for throws.