Mardi Gras beads for flower arranging

 In New Orleans it is the carnival season and that means balls, parties, parades, king cake, beads, dabloons and other trinkets. New Orleanians come up with many ways to use the items that they catch. They decorate the following year, or they keep a shrine.

 Mardi Gras becomes a part of you whether your family belongs to a social organization, your school participates or you are a spectator. Some items become collectibles and others can be sold or used for other purposes. Over the years I have used the beads that I didn't sell instead of floral foam or those decorative stones. 

If you are using a clear glass vase then you will won't the beads to match your color scheme, but if you are using a dark vase in which you can't see then it doesn't matter what color beads you use.

For this projects I am using the signature colors of Mardi Gras, purple, green and gold. Purple is for justice, green is for faith and gold is for power.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.

The Story behind the Photograph Southern Decadence 2015

In New Orleans it's Southern Decadence which comes to a close with a parade Sunday afternoon. These are images from last years event. This year I wasn't able to go to document it. It would have been nice since a friend is one of the Grand Marshalls for the 42nd Southern Decadence.

(It's like Mardi Gras in the summer.)

( Cafe fittes in Exhile)

(You never know what you will see)

(People from all over come out to support the LGBTQ community)

(Two of the Grand Marshalls from 2015,)

Jeff Palmquist on the left is one of the 42nd Grand Marshalls for 2016

(Representing the leather community)

Thanks for stopping by. If you are in New Orleans, have a safe and happy Southern Decadence.

A fascination with tats.

I am not sure when I had an attraction to this particular art form. I of course would never get a tattoo, but I had thought about it. When I was on the Big Island I had one of those temporary tats of a gecko. It was made to look like a tribal design. I still have one that I was thinking of using in a photo shoot.

I’ve known many people with tats that I’ve photographed on several occasions and there are people I’ve just seen around and asked if I could photograph their tats.

There are people who have tats that aren’t always visible. I'm intrigued when people tell me they have tats. There are some really great works out there.
I’ve also come to realize tats don’t look good on everyone. Some people just know how to pull it off like fashion. The right canvas makes everything look just right. Some times I am only interested in the tat and there are other times when the person is just as intriguing; it helps with telling the story. But not everyone wants to be photographed so I just do the best I can to capture the moment.

The images featured here were taken during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It happened to be one of those times when the weather was warm and everything was visible.

I am still on the prow for people with unique tats that would like to be photographed. I have several locations around Austin where I would like to shoot that, but since the focus is on the tat, whatever city I am in I can always pull it together.

I’m hoping I can get some new equipment and create a studio/gallery here in Austin. I’ve found a few spots now I just have to work on my business plan and see if I can get the funds together. I also have to give myself a time frame. If I wait too long I could miss out, but I always feel when things don’t come together as I plan it just wasn’t meant to be at that moment.


Artography by Dlonzo “It’s not just a Photograph, it’s Art!”

If you are in need of an artist/photographer to capture your event from concept to completion contact me, 1960Photo@gmail.com or Photo1960@aol.com

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again to see where the journey leads.

Check out my other blogs for more insight.
http://dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com
http://filmlover4pg.blogspot.com
http://artbyDlonzo.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by; and keep an open mind.
Taking it one day at a time. Keep the faith.

Remember Artist Trading Cards (ATC) are available simply by asking. Send an email with ATC in the subject and I can email one to you.

http://www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com

While you’re here, why not become a follower (fan).

Check out the links below for some of my videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmgUzGZGt98

The above link is a video for an organic flutist in New Orleans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hciIcHFm3Yw&NR=1

The above is a link of a performance from Oz in New Orleans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-qcybZsUzc

The above link is for a promo of a DJ in New Orleans.

http://www.myspace.com/darqueleight/music/songs/d-bohemian-31098704

Computer generated music.

An Update from the Artist

There was a magazine called Bluecanvas that I stumbled across a few years ago in a Barnes and Noble bookstore. I then checked out the website and saw that I could upload my art to sell. Although I didn’t sell anything to my knowledge, I liked the idea of being able to have other artists critique my work. I also got to be involved in a virtual community of artists where we could collect and share each others work.

A few weeks ago I found out the site would be shutting down. It probably has to do with the fact that it isn’t generating enough income to run the site.

I was thinking about posting some of that art here if it is still on this computer. I have been working on some newer stuff which I also hope to post.

I got me a new camera which I have been teaching myself how to operate. It wasn’t the camera that I wanted, but it’s a start to get back into being in control of my photos. I keep trying to get that same effect as I did with the 35mm camera. That was the reason I wanted to stay with Pentax, but the camera I wanted was a bit pricey at the moment. So I’ll keep working toward getting the money saved to buy it.

There are always newer models coming out. I’m learning to use a Canon, but there are some things I don’t like. As I get familiar with the camera perhaps it won’t matter as much. There are things that I didn’t like with the Casio and I got used to it.
Now that I have a laptop with Windows 10 I’m using the photo program to enhance some of the images that just couldn’t be taken over. Sometimes you only have a moment and once it is gone you can’t recreate it. So, if the shot it blurred or a little out of focus, you do what you must do.

Artography by Dlonzo “It’s not just a Photograph, it’s Art!”

If you are in need of an artist/photographer to capture your event from concept to completion contact me, 1960Photo@gmail.com or Photo1960@aol.com

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again to see where the journey leads.

Check out my other blogs for more insight.
http://dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com
http://filmlover4pg.blogspot.com
http://artbyDlonzo.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by; and keep an open mind.
Taking it one day at a time. Keep the faith.

Remember Artist Trading Cards (ATC) are available simply by asking. Send an email with ATC in the subject and I can email one to you.

http://www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com

While you’re here, why not become a follower (fan).

Check out the links below for some of my videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmgUzGZGt98

The above link is a video for an organic flutist in New Orleans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hciIcHFm3Yw&NR=1

The above is a link of a performance from Oz in New Orleans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-qcybZsUzc

The above link is for a promo of a DJ in New Orleans.

http://www.myspace.com/darqueleight/music/songs/d-bohemian-31098704

Computer generated music.

Memories of New Orleans 2015

(This is the castle.) When you are a kid everything looks big. I remembered this castle and I wondered if it was still around. Each trip I would make to New Orleans I'd think about it, but I never remembered to go and check it out.

Ash Wednesday was a day of reflection. I went to Corpus Christi Church which is where I attended church almost every Sunday as a young man and I went to school there for two years. Since the school is non-existent, they are renovating to turn it into some sort of senior facility.

I parked in the next block from the church which was near the home in which I was brought to after I was born. Then I passed by the elementary school that I attended, McDonogh #42 which is becoming a Charter school. From there I decided to see what had been done to the first home my parents bought.

 O f course it didn't look like this. It had a nice porch and a yard. Everyone gathered at my house or that of my best friend on the other side of the street.

From there I went and happened to spot the tower of the castle. It was not as big now as when we were children. You can get a pretty good view. We used to climb up the fence and get the cooking pears from a tree that hung over the fence. The top had cut glass so you had to be very careful.

Here are some other random shots taken at City Park. Some images are for sale if interested. Send an email to Photo1960@aol.com or 1960Photo@gmail.com, put ArtbyDlonzo in the subject.

(A rose by any other name... this is from the art project, Prospect 3. The sculpture is located in City Park.)

(The park swing has the City Park logo.)

(Inside of City Putt, the putting area features New Orleans Heritage. This one represents Mardi Gras.)

(This is morning call which has opened in City Park where the Casino used to be.)

   (The entrance to Storyland where many of the local kids rode their first roller coaster and enjoyed the Carousel.

(This is McDonogh #42 which is soon to be a Charter school.)

Happy Mardi Gras 2015

Here are some images from 2015 and past Mardi Gras' in New Orleans.

(The flamebeaux carrier goes back to the beginning of Mardi Gras as they used to light the path of the Krewe.)

(The lead float from the Krewe of Hermes.)

(From the Bourbon Street Awards when they were moved to St. Ann and Burgundy.)

(People come from all over to participate in Mardi Gras. Thaddeus had come in from Chicago.)

(One of the paper mache floats from the Krewe of Endymion from years past.)

(Often people will get together as a group and dress up.)

(One of my all time favorite images of a couple on Orleans. Who stopped to let me photograph them.)

54 of my favorite images from 2014

(The front line employees of ZACH enjoyed a get together and a few games of bowling at Dart Bowl in North Austin.)

Why 54 you may be asking.

Well, two weeks ago I turned 54 so I decided that was a nice number to go with.

(Adam Pasqual on the guitar at ZACH Scott)

That's how the artist in me thinks from time to time and it seems to work.

(This is definitely one of my favorite pics from that night.)

 So I'll use that same strategy as I work on getting myself out of debt.

(Whenever no one is available I get in front of the camera.)

(The skyline from Mueller)

It's going to be an interesting start to the new year.

Enjoy the images and let me know what is your favorite is you see one that you like.

(Jason Bateman makes an appearance at ZACH during SXSW for the film Bad Behavior)

(Part of my Poarty series)

(Boys being boys at the Amercican Diabetes Association Step Out and Walk.)

(I found the culprit of my bending cactus leaves)

(A Mural of James Dean is South Austin.)

(This image of Molly Ringwald speaks volumes to me.)

(Tim Curry's band played ZACH's Z lounge.)

(Laura Benedict Scott was first to play the Z lounge and allowed me to photograph her.)

(Laura and Kenny Williams after the Christmas night performance of A Christmas Carol)

(A family pic with the Petlin's)

(This was opening night of A Christmas Carol)