To Be or Not to Be Royalty?
I wonder what it would be like to be part of a royal family? From the paparazzi press I’ve seen about the royal family in Great Britain over the years I don’t think it would actually be that much fun to be a true royal with someone snooping on your every move.
Being ‘royalty’ in a Mardi Gras parade on the other hand sounds like it would be a blast. There is a King’s Parade and a Queen’s Parade, and parties to prolong the celebrations. I’d love to ride on a decorated float and toss strings of colorful beads out to the crowd lined up along the parade route. And who doesn’t love King Cake? I’m working on a blueberry one my daughter froze for me to have when I arrived in Louisiana.
In my ‘antiquing’ here in Louisiana I came across two brass chalices that are engraved for King Gabriel. I’m told that they would have been presented to that year’s parade king. As I looked at them, they seemed to be calling me to transform them into pieces for my ‘mocktails’ series. I filled them with alligators and made one an alligator who was clearly the king with his royal yellow crown, I hope the other one isn’t jealous.
I’m in Louisiana for a couple of weeks getting ready to join in on Open Studio Tour March 21-22. My home studio here is a bit off of the beaten path but I think that part of the fun of open studios is the adventure of visiting places that are normally the private domain of each artist so I hope people will come and find me too. Open Studio Tour lets us kind of ‘look behind the curtain’ at how each artist has set up their work space and how they create what they make. It’s often an opportunity to discover a treasure that you won’t find in a gallery.
My studio here is in a big metal building with nice high ceilings and both heat and air conditioning. It feels like quite a luxury compared to The Pot Shop where I’m more at the mercy of the elements. Luckily California is, for the most part, pretty comfortable!
I do miss the big roll up door I have at The Pot Shop which lets me be part of the outside world while I work. Here I’m right on the bayou, which is beautiful, but the studio has only one small window. The building doubles as a safe space during hurricanes and tornados so I understand why it doesn’t have a big glass wall but I sure would like to see that bayou while I work! My someday plan is to enclose a little screened area out front so that I can be outside when the weather permits but keep the bugs away.
I’ve got one more week to finish up the fun projects I’m working on before I welcome in the studio tour visitors. I’d better get busy!
Do you have a favorite treasure from a studio tour?
