New Orleans triptych: Mid-City, French Quarter and Garden District.
New Orleans is almost like a second home to me. When I was asked to do a series of paintings with the city as my inspiration, I was thrilled. For the triptych, I wanted to create pieces that were like postcards of my memories of the city. More than just recreating images of landmarks, I wanted to capture the feeling of the place. Each piece has the same unifying elements: A border (related to that area), the fleur de lis, parish name and a central image.
Mid-City: This is the area of New Orleans I’ve spent the most time in. What was most memorable about this part of this city were the homes, bayous and parks. The border on this panel was inspired by the architectural style of many of the homes. The central image is based off of a photograph I took at City Park. I had walked miles in the mid-summer heat to get to the park. Once I reached the park, I had found this quiet, shady spot to rest. I just sat and enjoyed the day and watched the swans bathe. In this piece, I wanted to capture that peaceful feeling.
French Quarter: When people hear New Orleans, this is what they think of. One of my favorite spots is right in front Jackson’s Square, overlooking St. Louis Cathedral.
I enjoy looking at all the hustle and bustle going on in and around the square, then venturing into the cathedral. Once I step foot into the cathedral, I feel completely removed from the world outside. It is beyond silent and the air is cool, a nice break. The fact that this calming place of worship is in the center of an area with a seedy reputation has always amused me. The tri-color beads hanging from the top of the border serve to reflect the relationship of these two contradictory elements (place of worship surrounded by Mardi Gras party-ville). The border ties-in the light posts, street signs and the wrought iron found in the quarter.
The Garden District: Trolly rides through the Garden District are always a pleasure. The green line that runs through the garden district, takes you under a canopy of trees, which is nice because they don’t have air conditioning. The area is absolutely beautiful, never a shortage of things to look at. For the border, I chose to use flowers and a pattern that mimics vines/foliage. The flowers in this panel are magnolias and swamp roses, both found in Louisiana.
