NEW ORLEANS/POST 3/A UNIQUE CITY FULL OF WONDERFUL CHARACTERS

PEOPLE OF NEW ORLEANS

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

Photo by Elizabeth Gordon

 There is not much I don't love to photograph in New Orleans

but the people are wonderful and they have such character. This man was an art dealer sitting outside his gallery talking about his daughter who was an up and coming fashion model in Paris. The snippet of conversation is like the photo…a moment frozen in time, little bits of life that surround us and amaze us at the same time.  I loved his thin wiry build, and immaculate dress.  He was a fashion model in his own right.  Sitting on this straight old chair, shoes polished, red feather in his hat and a tie clasp not shown in the photo, made of a light colored hair.  Old fashioned and modern with his cell phone at the same time.  I also love the colors of black and peach against each other. The texture of the antique brick and green post in the back ground all spell New Orleans.

Photo by Elizabeth Gordon

One of the things I love about New Orleans is its eccentric people.  It is a city full of great characters and people who feel free to be themselves.  I was walking down the street with my little Lumix point and shoot camera when I saw this woman walking ahead of me.  I would have loved to have a shot from the front, but I was also enamored with the walk away image.   Look at the three photo's, which is the most appealing, which captured her best.  I am guessing she is a story teller or a tourist guide, but who knows for sure.  With the walking stick and hat she could be one of the guides for the haunted New Orleans tours.  I loved the black and her red hair flaming down her back, such great contrast.

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

In the  photos below I happened to catch this wonderful interaction between these two music lovers and friends.  The faces of the men so captured by a common love of music was so wonderful to get a shot of.  You don't have to be rich to be a musician in New Orleans, if fact, you probably wouldn't be.  But music can be enjoyed by all people no matter what economic level.  The city lives and breathes music.  Like my other home of Asheville you can't walk down the street without hearing music on every corner!

Photo by Elizabeth Gordon

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

Young Music lovers, out playing music in the Quarter with parental supervision of course.  These were twins, brother and sister and they wanted to play in the French Quarter, so two very loving parents helped them to experience their dream.  

photo  by Elizabeth Gordon

Photo by Elizabeth Gordon

NEW ORLEANS ON THE ROAD, CONTINUED

THE ART OF GOOD FOOD/NEW OREANS STYLE

The Alcoholian by Renior                    from google for art education oly

I MIGHT AS WELL CALL THIS THE ART OF FOOD SECTION FOR FOOD IN NEW ORLEANS IS DEFINITELY PRACTICED AS A FINE ART.  It is apt that the painting above by Renoir is French as so much of New Orleans food is influenced by the French that once ruled the city.

THIS WAS BREAKFAST AT STANLEY'S ON JACKSON SQUARE. FRIED OYSTERS, POACHED EGGS, HOLLANDAISE SAUCE, CANADIAN BACON, AND ENGLISH MUFFINS WITH LOADED GRITS(CHEESE, BACON, AND CHIVES), AND CAFE AU LAITE.  HEAVEN!!!  THIS DISH IS CALLED STANLEY'S EGGS BENEDICT AND ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

Photo by Elizabeth Gordon

BBQ SHRIMP NEW ORLEANS STYLE AT MR. B'S

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

CHAMPAGNE A GOOD PAIRING

photo by Elizabeth Gordon

HERE IS A GOOD START FOR YOU…JUST CLICK ON NEW ORLEANS GREAT RESTAURANTS

Where do you get the perfect poor boy, click here 

AND THEN THERE IS GUMBO
click for recipe

RABBITS MOON STUDIO ON THE ROAD IN NEW ORLEANS/PART I

HELLO BIG EASY!

A golden haze over the New Orleans.  A view from our hotel room.  

 NEW ORLEANS IS NOT LIKE ANY OTHER CITY IN THE WORLD, IT IS UNIQUE UNTO ITSELF A WORK OF ART.  IT IS CONSTANT MUSIC, THE BLUES AND JAZZ FLOW IN THE BREEZE THAT MOVES THROUGH THE FRENCH QUARTER AND ENVELOPE YOU IN ITS MYSTERIOUSNESS. THE CITY OOZES MYSTERY. WRITERS AND ARTISTS HAVE FREQUENTED THIS CITY FOR CENTURIES. NAMES LIKE TENNESSEE WILLIAMS AND DEGAS FLOAT AMONG THE FAMOUS THAT HAVE BEEN CHARMED BY THIS WONDERFUL CITY.  TOURIST BY THE MULTIPLE MILLIONS VISIT THIS CITY AND AND LOOSEN UP AND PARTY.  

Canal Street Tourist Vendor          in color

Pralines/the Southern equivalent to sin

from google image

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 4 tbsp butter, cubed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and evaporated milk over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then insert a candy thermometer.

3. Cook the candy, stirring occasionally, until the candy reaches 240 degrees on the thermometer.

4. Once the proper temperature is reached, remove the pan from the heat and drop the chunks of butter on top, but do not stir. Allow the pan to sit for one minute.

Tourist Vendors   Black and White

IT IS A CITY THAT LETS YOU BE, THAT CALLS YOU OUT LET GO, LAY BACK, AND LIVE IN THE MOMENT.  

Mr. B's Restaurant on Royal    My favorite New Orleans Eatery

NEW ORLEANS EASILY, HANDS DOWN HAS THE BEST FOOD AMERICA OFFERS AND I THINK THE WORLD ALSO.  IT'S MIX OF FRENCH, ISLAND, CREOLE, ITALIAN AND SPANISH CULTURES OVER THE CENTURIES HAVE COME UP WITH THE PERFECT BLEND TO CREATE PERFECTION.  NEEDLESS TO SAY PERFECTION IS NOT REACHED WITHOUT  A LOT OF BUTTER, CREAM AND SUGAR!!! THERE IS A SECTION OF NEW ORLEANS CALLED FAT CITY, IT IS APTLY NAMED!

Jackson Square Artist in regular color

Jackson Square Artist in Purple and Blue Tones

Beignets and Cafe au laite/ a New Orleans favorite
google image

YOU HAVEN'T LIVED UNTIL YOU HAVE BBQ SHRIMP AT MR. B'S, OR CAFE AU LAITE AT THE CAFE DUMOND OR MY FAVORITE THE MORNING CALL IN METAIRIE.  YOU CAN NOT CALL IT A LIFE UNTIL YOU HAVE A NEW ORLEANS BEIGNET AND SIP YOUR CAFE AU LAITE OVER LOOKING THE QUARTER AND LISTENING TO NEW ORLEANS JAZZ ON BOURBON STREET.  EVERY BUCKET LIST SHOULD INCLUDE NEW ORLEANS AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED.  

Tongue and Cheek Look at The Art Elements!

If you studied art in high school or college art programs then the Elements of art were drilled into your mind.  I know that mine was.  Repetition, Color, balance, emphasis, dominance, line, pattern and so on.  So on this artist date I had taken myself to a flea market deep in the South, and I mean deep South.  The Southern Culture is hard to miss in these photos and the almost circus like activity of the flea market with buyers and sellers testing their skills on each other to make a bargain. 

Though making fun of the use of art elements, they are behind every decision I make as an artist whether consciously or not.

REPETITION OF WRENCHES

FLAMING COLOR AT THE KNFIE SHOP

 

BELLY DANCERS CHORUS LINE

REPTILE DOMINANCE WITH GREAT EMPHASIS

 REPETITION OF COLOR AND LINE IN THE FLY SWATTER

AN EMPHASIS OF DEER HUNTING 

LARGE BRA'S IN COLOR AND LINE AND REPETITION

LINE IN SHOVELS REPETION AND REBEL FLAG

HUNTING MASKS, COLOR

WHITE DOMINANCE 

LINE AND CONTRAST IN BLACK AND WHITE BRACELETS FASHION

DOMINANCE IN RELIGIOUS KITCH 

NO PICTURES…OOPS

A CULTURE OF GUN, HATS AND GEORGIA IN BALANCE

DOMINANCE OF IDEOLOGY AND COLOR

PATTERN IN RELIEF

EMPHASIS OF A NATIVE CULTURE LEFT TO STATUE

REPETITION OF STRANGE ANIMAL HATS

DOMINANCE!!!!

THE AMAZING WORK OF PATRICK DOUGHERTY

STICK WORK

Patrick Dougherty calls his website Stick Work and perhaps it is but it is wondrous sculpture.  I was visiting a friend in Sarasota, Florida when I discovered Dougherty's work was at the Sarasota Museum of Art.  I knew of Patrick's work before, but what a treat to discover it is person and actually get to walk through the mazes of forms and take my own photo's! So take a walk through the maze with me and enjoy every angle.