Pea Patch Pig

Pigs on Parade

It's time for the Hog Dog trials again!  And I got some GREAT help today
painting my pig.  My students agreed to paint it today, and they had
so much fun.  It is going to be "Pea Patch Pig...with the letter
"P" and a patch of fabric.  So, that's what they painted today....just the
letter and the patch.  I will come back and add the finishing details.

The tutu pig was finished today, and is "Hog Wild".  There will be many
more finished this week...will try to keep posting.

(For those of you not familiar with this tradition:  Our little town hosts the largest
hog dog competition in the world every March.  Hunters with dogs come from
everywhere, and enter their dogs in a hog baying contest, where they must
keep the wild hog pinned in the corner, etc. The businesses paint these concrete
hogs downtown to help celebrate...just for fun)

sheltongail@hotmail,com 

Olympic Invitation

We have scheduled the reception for Daniel

Rockett's show. Here is the invitation. If you

are in town, please make an effort to come by

and meet the artist and view the show. The

show will hang through May.

I am saddened today by all the losses throughout

the South. The devastation is incomprehensible.

I am familiar with many of those cities, and my

heart goes out to those families and communities.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

The Gallery Scene

I am down in Covington, LA for the weekend, and
I am visiting a couple of galleries here. These are
from the Brunner Gallery, a contemporary art gallery
in the historic downtown area. I have observed a lot
of abstract art lately; I believe the decorator's are
using it in the newer homes and corporate buildings.
And I just have a few comments about it. If it is well
done ( good design, center of interest, contrast, etc), I
do not have a problem with it. Some well done abstract
work can be very pleasing. However, if it has poor design
elements, sloppy craftsmanship, weak color sense, etc...
I do not consider it a "good" piece of art work. And sometimes
collectors or buyers get talked into buying something that
is recommended by the decorator, etc, simply because "they"
say it is the latest thing...the next new artist, etc.

I tell buyers in my gallery, that they must love the art work,
no matter what the type, subject matter, or artist. They are
going to have to live with it, and it should be something they
will be happy to wake up to every day~! And as for the matter
of where to put it..if they truly love it, they will find a place for
it. And the other advice I give them, is to buy the original if
they can afford it, instead of the print. Original work is going
to last longer, and hopefully become an investment piece.

Anyway, there is my two cents worth on the gallery scene.
Any questions, please feel free to let me know!!

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Being Positve in a Negative World

These are Brianne's butterflies.

these are Katherine's dragonflies

these are my lady bugs....

One of the "art" things I do each week is teach
some beginner lessons to some children in the
community. It is such fun; they are so eager to try
something new each time. This past week, my two
talented 6th grade girls did this little project along with
me. It was a lesson about positive and negative shapes,
and I had them draw the geometric shapes first. Then
they traced the bug of their choice overlapping the shapes.
Then they colored them in, interchanging the postive and
negative values inside and outside the shapes.
I thought they turned out really neat, and I told them
I would post them here.


then, this week, we added the element of color.
This is my example for them...these graphic
dragonflies. They are still working on their's...will
have to share the final results.


for info on Art Classes: sheltongail@hotmail.com
Beginner Drawing Classes: Pea Patch Gallery
Wednesday Afternoons 4-5pm. Ages 10 and up
$10.00 an hour Please call to sign up...thanks!

1940's Memories and Museum

Here is old Clark Gable, decked out in military style.

They were selling Rosie t-shirts along with lots

of other war time memorabilia.

The famous Louisiana artist, George Rodrigue,

(of "Blue Dog" fame) painted this large portrait.

This is the bar with one of the dapper

waiters standing at attention!

This is the new John Besh restaurant in the

Museum. It has the 1940's style as the theme,

and it is quite adorable.

One of my first stops in New Orleans was the

WW II Museum downtown. I had been there

before, but they have done some additions recently.

We met some of my son in law's family here for

lunch.


One of the things they have added at the Museum is

a multi-media presentation about the war. It is narrated

by Tom Hanks, and it is excellent. It gives a great

synopsis of the war, with touching and emotional footage

and photographs from the events during the major battles.

It made us all proud to be Americans by the time it was

over. It was a great reminder of the magnitude and

impact of that tragic yet triumphant time. If you are

in New Orleans anytime soon, I highly recommend the

WW II Musuem...you will be glad you visited.

sheltongail@hotmail.com

Final Exam

This is the finished drawing of the Huey P. Long
Trade School. I used black watercolor to do the
washes over the ink drawing. I will mat and frame
this original, and the Trade School is purchasing
it from me. It will hang in the new school that has
been approved, and will be built in the near future.
I still have to do some tweaking over the main
door; there is an added awning there now that was
not original to the building. I have to see an old
photo to see what was above the door. I will try
to do that tomorrow, and add the finishing touches.

I enjoyed doing this drawing. And I hope they are
pleased with the results.

for info on House Portraits/Architecture Drawings:
sheltongail@hotmail.com