On the eve of Fat Tuesday, I share the last days of my trip to New Orleans. Our arrival is several weeks before Fat Tuesday, but does mark the Mardi Gras season and parades. In past years the Krewe du Vieux was always the first parade, but that's not the case now and there were several during our week in New Orleans. Regardless, once the first parade occurs, the word on the street is "Happy Mardi Gras".
The French Quarter is the center of most events, Bourbon Street, the most famous of New Orleans streets, runs through the center. Parades have a tendency to avoid the congestion and insanity of Bourbon and travel through on neighboring streets. We (the workshop attendees) have learned that the more you are dressed up, the more likely you are to come home with parade trinkets that are thrown your way. Given the times and Covid concerns I only attended one parade, The Krewe du Vieux, which was smaller than usual, and only slightly less congested. Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun.
I have photographed this individual 3 times over the years and was actually looking for him. Always on a bike with a great big smile. The following are years 2019 and 2020.
The weather was fantastic and many of the decorated businesses and homes still had hanging baskets out as well as lots of decorations:
For a second time we went to the Broad Theater to catch our own movie with dinner and drinks in the lobby. The movie was "Extra Ordinary" and Rotten Tomatoes had this to say about it: "Extra Ordinary" is an extraordinarily funny tale about ghostbusting, lonely hearts and moving on. It'll possess you. And I couldn't agree more, it was a blast!
The class began on a Sunday and wrapped up on the following Saturday. Our goal was to create a journal style piece of art with the theme of "Dante's Infernal Journal". And I will add that this was one of the harder themes, at least for me. Before the real journal work began, we had a class with Andrea Matus deMeng, Michaels wife. Lighthearted and really fun, we altered cabinet cards by changing the faces to pets.
In working on the real theme and doing some homework, it boils down to 9 layers to hell, each layer is named, examples include treachery, gluttony, lust, greed, etc... The devil himself lies in the River Styx, where the dammed souls are swept away on their way to the lower level of hell. There were many remarkable pieces of art that came from this study of Dante's Inferno and so many interpretations. Some managed to complete the project - I was not one of them. Here is a sampling from the group:
I have since finished what I was working on, here is Dante's Infernal Journal, complete with the devil in his hellish dormer:
the counter is for the souls as they pass through
the treatment for the inside cover is much like the plastered stickers that are everywhere in New Orleans
Our teacher held a critique on the final day, which is worth the price of admission. Dressed in his workshop finest, it used to be white.
Happy Mardi Gras!