One of the lovely people who, when you saw him, made you feel the French Quarter was still a haven for artists and souls that could not really exist other places. Sharon Litwin gives a sweet snapshot of him in the link below.
An elegy for George | NolaVie – Life and Culture in New Orleans.
One of the great Carnival events is not a parade or watching beads rain down on desperate breast-baring middle Americans on Bourbon, but this yearly artistic gathering of our city’s great costumers.
Link to a great picture on nola.com this week of my pal Tracy Thomson standing in her studio. Her gorgeous hats, potholders, bags (and more) are available daily at Dutch Alley Cooperative, a local artist cooperative found in the French Quarter (Dumaine at the river). The rumor is that if you check in with her early enough in the year, you might just be able to get on her list to purchase a unique Mardi Gras costume designed and hand sewn by Tracy herself. Tracy has also vended at JazzFest in the Contemporary Crafts area for the last 20 years and was one of my premier Festivus vendors for the five years that we ran that market in the mid 2000s.
(February 5, 2014) – French Quarter Festivals, Inc. unveils two 2014 French Quarter Festival Posters by artists Varion Laurent and Simon Hardeveld. Each year, the festival’s Merchandise Committee selects paintings that portray the fun, festive atmosphere of French Quarter Festival that both locals and tourists will identify with. Consideration is given only to local artists. To keep the festival free and open to the public, French Quarter Festival relies heavily on merchandise and poster sales, sponsorships, and beverage sales to generate its operating budget. Visit http://www.fqfi.org/shop to purchase the limited edition 2014 French Quarter Festival posters and other official festival merchandise.
Varion Laurent
For the 2014 poster, artist Varion Laurent, a lifelong resident of New Orleans, pays homage to Grammy award-winning Dr. John, who returns this year to French Quarter Festival for the first time since 1987. In this striking painting, bold colors capture the energy of the French Quarter, a perfect backdrop for Dr. John’s charismatic persona.
In 1995, Varion graduated from St. Augustine High School. On a whim, his parents encouraged him to submit his portfolio to Xavier University’s Art Department, and it was here at Xavier where he was first formally trained as an artist. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed his entire body of artwork, it took Varion nearly two years to emotionally recover and return to art. Since his decision to dive back into painting, Varion has garnered a ground swell of support. He was commissioned by the St. Augustine High School Alumni Association to create a portrait of NBA player, coach Avery Johnson; commissioned by the Gentilly neighborhood association to produce the first three posters for the annual Gentilly Festival; commissioned as the official poster artist for the 2013 Old Algiers River Festival; and in 2010, was selected by French Quarter Festivals, Inc. as the artist to produce the poster for the 10th Anniversary Satchmo SummerFest.
Editions:
2,000 Artist-signed & numbered prints, $45
350 Artist Proofs & numbered prints, $65
Poster Size 20″ x 28″
Painting Size 36″ x 48″
Brand new card game for Carnival enthusiasts from one of my favorite illustrators, Dalt Wonk (whose name resembles my real signature way too closely!)
The Riddles of Existence is an oversized deck of fifty cards, each with a full-colored figure wearing a costume. Beneath the illustration, there is a riddle in verse. The costume is the answer, or hint, to the riddle. This is the game. The illustrations and the verse provide great pleasure, above and beyond, the game. There is also a card with the answers to The Riddles of Existence for those who are stumped.
other work: http://www.daltwonk.com/illustrated-texts/
French Quarter block by block 
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