SuzeBlogz

a glimpse of NOLA life

I guess its been obvious that I LooooooooVED New Orleans. I can't believe it took me this long to get there....but, I sure know I'll be back..and soon !

I come from the greatest city in the world -  New York - but let me tell you....The flavor of this city is delicious !! Now I hope to give you a little taste of my experience.

 

this must be why BIGGER is better !!

This was one of our waitors at breakfast...he looked like a movie star !!

below...Mike, the driver of our shuttle...and our guide...and he was fantastic...and of course, The Lenster !!

street musicians

the most fabulous sweet potato fries.

we had no idea who half these people were...they just jumped in and joined our fun !!

 

there are art galleries on every corner

 

When you are celebrating your birthday you pin dollar bills to your clothes and strangers come up to you and give you money....Mister Demeng racked it in !!!!..he even got some 5's, 10's and 20's !!!!

WHAT A RACKET !!!

we ate the very famous NOLA pastry, the Beignet...litterly like an English fritter....YUMMMMM-MMMMY

these lights (we bought one !) are made from recycled Mardi Gras beads...and let me tell you, they are way cool !!

more recycled bead lamps

breakfast at The Camellia Grill

 

doesn't matter if you're coming or going

New Orleans is a VERY unique and special place !!

 

so, have you been to The Pharmacy ?

Trust me...you need to go....

it's Located in the historic French Quarter between St. Louis and Toulouse Streets

this is not just ANY Pharmacy...no..no...this is Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic building within the Vieux Carre Historic District.

It is the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum 

In 1823, the first licensed pharmacist in the United States, Louis J. Dufilho, Jr., opened an apothecary shop here

this is an experience not to be missed. The tour is $5 and takes about 45 minutes and you will learn about things you never dreamed were possible !

if you're looking for an outdated cure, illicit drugs like a cool bottle filled with opium or herion (used back then as a 'pain management' treatment..oh boy) , or a jar of living leeches..you have come to the right place. It's straight out of history yet it seems so impossible !!

It's a place where bone saws and all types of early surgical instruments are right in front of your nose, scaring you half to death !!

it's about history, voodoo potions, artifacts, absurd medications and blood-letting tools and it's a visual & mystical disneyland of bottles and ointments !

 The Creole-style town house doubled as Dufilhos home, and he cultivated the herbs he needed for his medicines in the interior courtyard (pictures below) 

this is when medicine was barely more than snake-oil potions.

written prescriptions were kept in 'files' that looked like this...AMAZING !

and these were prescription ledgers

very 'mixed media' looking, wouldn't you say !

 cue the spooky music...

Children were sometimes given alcohol mixed in with the medicine because it made the medicine taste better....and we're upset about medical marijuana !!??!!

or how about tampons coated with belladonna & opium...

OY VEY !!

a device for counting pills

now here is a courtyard...

and inside you climb the spiral staircase to the upstairs where the 'patient' would be housed.

scared the crap outta me !!!!

well...Im hoping this little 'tour' makes you sincerely want to visit NOLA....I can't wait to go back...and tomorrow I'll have even MORE to show you !!

 

YES  I  WILL !!

 

sculpting in New Orleans

a huge highlight of our trip was to go to The Sculpture Gardens, 

(1 Collins Diboll Cir, New Orleans, LA 70124)

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Now remember....we're part of a group of 8 artists taking a class from the delightful Michael DeMeng and, as part of our 'experience', we get to take side trips to actually see some of the New Orleans highlights.

Kathryn Engel (center, red scarf) organized the entire weeks event...all the great things I've been blogging about came about as a result of Kathryns magnificent planning...and this side trip was no exception !

This is called "Overflow" by artist Jaime Plensa

the garden sits on five acres of beautiful land and, if you treasure the arts, you'll love it. The sculptures are installed in a beautiful natural setting around a central lagoon, laid out by project architect Lee Ledbetter and landscape architect Brian Sawyer.

There are more than 50 sculptures (which are gifts from the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation) combined with works from the Museum’s permanent collection, and are valued in excess of $25 million.

Like WOW !!!

there are 1,500 acres of walking paths, centuries old oak trees, a small amusement park, lagoons and Storyland.

and lots of gorgeous flowers, ducks and wildlife

Louisiana's state wildflower is the beautiful Louisiana Iris, the name for a specific group of Louisiana native species and their hybrids. Although many think these Louisiana flowers are all blue and violet, in fact they come in a rainbow of colors including red, yellow, gold, brown, pink, and white along with those blue, lavender, and purple shades. 

 

Live Oaks and Spanish Moss are an odd New Orleans Couple.  They have gotten along for hundreds of years and remain very compatible.

 

 

We Stand Together by George Rodrigue

The garden opened in 2003

The sculptures are of course the highlight of the garden and there are many showcase pieces from renowned artists, including Auguste Rodin (the 'father of modern sculpture'), Henry Moore (possibly the most celebrated 20th century sculptor),

Louise Bourgeois (famous for her huge spiders)

Jaume Plensa (known for his Crown Fountain and figures constructed of letters), Paul Manship (creator of the Prometheus statue at Rockefeller Center) and many others.

Here we have the famous LOVE, a sculpture by American artist Robert Indiana. It consists of the letters LO (with the O canted sideways) over the letters VE. The image was originally designed as a Christmas card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964. The original three-dimensional version of LOVE is made of COR-TEN steel and has been on exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art since 1970. 

If you think you've seen it elsewhere, you're right....The LOVE design has been reproduced in a variety of formats. Likewise, the sculpture has been recreated in multiple versions and a variety of colors, and is now on display around the world.

(he was real !!)

In 2005 thirty percent of the garden was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. After a three month renovation the garden reopened in December that same year.

 

and so....the day comes to an end....but, believe me...nothing about it was the wrong way !!

 there'll be MORE tomorrow....y'all come back now, y'hear!!

 

burying the past

One of the amazing places to visit in New Orleans are the cemeteries. The Metairie Cemetery was on our list.

( 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA)

 

the site of the cemetery was, back in 1838, a horse racing track.

then it became a Confederate Camp.

read on...here is some really eerie history on the cemetery

The race track, which was owned by the Metairie Jockey Club, refused membership to Charles T. Howard, a local resident who had gained his wealth by starting the first Louisiana State Lottery. After being refused membership, Howard vowed that the race course would become a cemetery. Sure enough, after the Civil War and Reconstruction, the track went bankrupt and Howard was able to see his curse come true. Today, Howard is buried in his tomb located on Central Avenue in the cemetery, which was built following the original oval layout of the track itself. Mr. Howard died in 1885 in Dobbs Ferry, New York when he fell from a newly purchased horse.

 

The crypts are works of art in themselves

this is the Chapman H. Hyams mausoleum on the SE corner of the cemetery. It is where you will find the "Weeping Angel" statue that you see so many photos of in art galleries.  

she is breathtaking

most of the crypts have religious statuary either on top of them or around their perifery. Every one of them is a work of art.

there are numerous famous people buried in Metairie...just a very few of the names:

Louis Prima, bandleader, Stan Rice, poet, deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison, Sr., Mayor of New Orleans, Samuel D. McEnery, Governor of Louisiana, Grace King, author, Al Hirt, jazz trumpeter, Dorothy Dix, advice columnist, Al Copeland, Founder of Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits and several other restaurants and Renato Cellini, operatic conductor.

 

Jewish folk are supposed to be buried IN the ground (not that we all do that...some do choose crypts ) and we found a section of the cemetery for them

if you stop back tomorrow you'll get to take a tour of the Sculpture Garden with me....

don't miss it !

and then there were the antique shops...

I'm missing New Orleans !!

We're home now but that's not gonna stop me from using the rest of this week to fill you in on all the fabulous things we did this past week....before, during and after class.

Did I tell you about the shopping in Denham Springs?? Well..prepare yourself...

we all (yup...thats us !!...the class) 

went antique hunting as part of the N'awlins experience.

the hope was that we found things to use in our Mystic Marionette of Marignay class...and we did !! (BTW....Here is Michaels class sample...)

but now....we were on our own...

I found this hystercial Star Wars mask and made Michael (DeMeng...our teacher extraordinaire !) put it on...he's game for all that nonsense...thank goodness or where would we get our daily laughs !!

and of course The Lenster is always a good sport when I say ......"Oooo...try this on !!"

and I LOOOOOOOOVE the old hat that I found....had to buy it

I loved these old baby shoes...so, I got them for myself !!

and I completely remember playing these games when I was a kid !!

there is so much more to show you....it was a fabulous week...so...visit again for more pictorial wonders !!

 

touring the artists studios

What a great experience our group had....Michaels class gathered

 to tour 3 local New Orleans artist studios and watch them demo.

First up...Artist Linda Berman owner of

Drunk Monkey Studio.

Here she stands with one of her many commissioned pieces for Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer.

she works in her garage studio

Linda paints, but she also does incredible raku. 

we watched her fire up her kiln (outside) and do her magic

we saw pieces that were getting ready to be fired

Inside her house we saw her art.

her house was loaded with very interesting and eclectic art. Many were her own pieces, and lots were from others that she's purchased.

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we kept a strict schedule.....45 minutes with each artist, so, from there we drove over to the warehouse studio of Benjamin Bullins...

Bens work involves unusual found objects and creating large pieces. Ben has a broad following and sells a lot. He's also a professional photographer.

 

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Last on the tour was the breathtaking Thomas Mann retail shop.

Tom gave us quite a tour of his full facility which features all types of art and jewelry from both himself and others.

but here are just some of the highlights that will leave you breathless !!

 

 

 

This picture, below, is Thomas' actual work space

Yes...we ALL found something we loved and so we bought it...

NOTE: see neck purchase !

so..on that note I say...come back tomorrow for more fabulous stuff

after all....who knows what you'll find here....right !

a day with artists

busy...busy...busy...

thats what students in class are ....busy...busy...busy...

and happy...happy..happy...

we're working on our Mystic Marionette of the Marigny in Michael DeMengs class and we are having a very good time !!

the great thing about any of Michaels classes (this is my fourth!) is that no ones finished project ever looks anything like someone elses. It's all about your interpretation of his suggestions!!

and Michael is a great instructor....as well as very funny!

You can see his humor in his art...like this great piece he brought to show the class...

he works a lot with Apoxie Clay...a 2 part putty that he applies to surfaces, manipulates and paints. 

he definitely has his own unique way of working with product. Here he's demonstrating how he makes his special color blends with arcylic paints.

and one of the products he really got into was VerDay paints from TenSecondsStudio. They can make any substrate (wood, paper, plastic...even metal) look like it's been rusted or antiqued or verdigris. It's a faaaaaabulous product !

Check out the rusted surface below...all done with the simple, easy to apply and easy to use VerDay paints.

As you know...we're all in New Orleans taking Michaels class and the week involves seeing a lot of the city...more on that in future blogs...

so..keep ready...you'll get to see more of the project and our visit to 3 artists studios...

 

you'll love the week in Nawlins !!!

we're comin' down highway 10....

Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train
And I's feeling nearly as faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
It rode us all the way to New Orleans.

Yup...that was us...headed over to Baton Rogue to the Antique market and to see some of the city. It was Presidents day so we knew a lot of buildings would be closed....no problem...we saw plenty!!

and we met someone pretty famous in this here part of town

Joseph Jilbert...known as the Metal Whisperer

 

have some fun checking out some of his bigger than life work...made from scrap...seriously...scrap....amazing ! This one below...MY Favoritr!!

 

 

Joseph sits in one of his sculptures !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that was just DAY 1...I have  whole week to go in Louisanna....

back now in New Orleans and getting ready for my class with the amazing Michael DeMeng...

c'mon back now, y'hear!!

 

 

 

 

A Valentine Birthday

Last year you might remember was The Lensters B-I-G  70th surprise Birthday bash...today we celebrated his 71st by going to a B-I-G Valentines Day bash thrown by the Society of Marine Port Engineers...of which The Lenster is a member.

A super event !

this is a luncheon/dance that is thrown every year for families of people in that industry (Lenny is a Marine Engineer) and we always love to go. This year it was at the beautiful Graycliff Manor in Moonachie, NJ.

They hire a balloon/magician for the kids and a DJ who plays all the top dance music.

I force myself to put on a pair of heels and play dress up! I even put my favorite (don't panic !) temporary/washes out/pink hair mascara (drugstore brand) in my hair cause I am more than sightly off the wall !

They give all the ladies roses...Jen and I each got TWO !

It was a beautiful ballroom and the food was very tasty

we all got up to do the Cupid Shuffle

The little kids were the absolute cutest

fabulous Viennese Dessert Table

and a wonderful day was had by ALL !!

except possibly my bunions !!

 

playing with second skin

I love it when I get asked to participate in a blog hop!

For this one, my Canadian friend Carmi sent me a new product to create with, a scissors to cut it and a blank cuff bracelet to apply it to...it's called SECOND SKIN and it's sold into stores by the John Bead Co., Canadian distributors.

I began by brushing the cuff bracelet with E6000 so I could attach the skin to the cuff. I used the special leather scissors to trim away any excess leather. I decided to push the envelope a bit .....

..... I brushed some glue on the surface of the Second Skin, wiped it off & dusted the now tacky surface with Ranger Perfect Pearls. WOW ! It added a very amazing luster.

THEN I added all my embellishments by gluing them on with E6000.

I kept trying it on because it just got more and more "ME" !!

the skin has the most amazing and unusual texture.

and, lucky me..I had enough left that I said..

"Self...make a necklace too"!

I can't answer your questions about where to buy this product or how much it will sell for (I'll guesstimate $10-$20 pkg) because I dont have any of that info. When I do...I'LL POST IT !! I don't even know if it is in stores just yet

 

I just know it IS in MY wardrobe !!

xoxoxoxo

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In the meantime...what CAN be in YOUR wardrobe are the items in my ETSY shop

This being the newest