2018 Arcana Workshop New Orleans Day Six, Seven and Eight

Arcana – A Tale of Tarot Workshop

January 20-27, 2018

Thursday, January 25

Today's breakfast is in the sleeping hotel at Vacherie with Kelley, Lynn and Cris.  Then it is over to the studio for a full day of art making.  It feels so good to be back at it.

Although we have been here for awhile it does not feel like we have had a full speed ahead day until now.

Today I had lunch at Moon Walk, a Vietnamese restaurant, with Marilyn, John, and Kathleen.  We went a little early to lunch because Marilyn and I were offered the opportunity to have our palms read by our classmate Karen Bunting.

Karen read my palm in the lower level meeting room of the workshop hotel.  I was a fascinating process.  Believe what you want, this is a process that takes years of study and Karen was confident in her abilities to read.  It was really cool.

Because of the volume of people needed to get over to The Potion Lounge for tarot and tea readings, Kristen and I volunteered to go one-half hour early to be first.  We walked over with Lynn and Cris to the Fritzel bar, through the bar and up a steep staircase to discover where the magic is done.

After my reading I was going to leave with a Karen and Lynn.  Karen headed downstairs to wait, I sat outside the door and Lynn got hijacked into a group tea leaf reading.  The Potion Lounge is home to at least two cats and this was when one jumped in my lap.  Being The Cat Whisperer, I took this as a sign but it meant I lost Karen.  After quite awhile I went downstairs and discovered with good reason Karen had taken off. Finally the tea leaf folks showed up and I then had dinner at Deja Vu with Deb, Kat, Cris, Lynn, Kay and Kelley.

Some of us worked in the studio until midnight.

Friday, January 26

Today I woke up very early which is fairly typical at art workshops.  I went down for breakfast today at Vacherie and was joined by Kat and Mary C.

I then headed over to the workshop and got to work.  The rest of the day is a blur and I failed to record what I did.  I must have been suffering from workshop overload at this point. 

I do know that at some point I finished the fourth figure.  Because Cris was still working and I did not want to head out, I decided to clean up my work space.  I had enough packed when I was done that I could take it back to my room at midnight in preparation for leaving on Sunday.

Saturday, January 27

I was going to sleep in this morning but I got a message to meet folks in the Vacherie for breakfast and I decided to head down there to eat with Kelley, Lynn, Cris and Kathleen.

I took one last pass at my projects and decided I was pretty happy with the results.

Because I was done and cleaned up I took a walked to Jackson Square and down Decatur to find the art of my friend and fellow deMengian Terie Christmas Davis.

Terie's work in a nice display case

I needed to be back to the workshop hotel by 11:30 a.m. for one of the highlights of the workshop:  the Michael deMeng critique.  This is a special time when all the students' work is laid out for all to see, photos are taken, and then we settle in.  Michael does a critique of each students' efforts and what he says about others' work can be as informative and valuable as anything he says about your own.

The Conductor

Actually singing his praises!

Mine

Our Class Photo (Photo by Alan Ashley)

After the critique I helped clean up the critique and workshop area with Cris, Michael, Andrea and Kathryn.  Despite the heavy rain, Cris and I walked over to Funeral Gallery so she could pick up her new ring. 

At 5:30, the group gathered in the Vacherie to have its Farewell Party.  This is always a bittersweet moment for the group.

OK, bitter sweet or maybe sweet with bitters.  

At 6:30 some of us braved the elements to walk to the Graphite Gallery which has art by Michael deMeng in the window.  There is our sanctuary while we are waiting to view the first parade of the Mardi Gras season, Krewe du Vieux.  

As you can see, the wigs came with us.

Graphite Gallery was a bit claustrophobic for me so I headed outside.

When there is a parade, there is no lack of interesting things to take pictures of.

This parade is a small neighborhood parade with an angry theme--these New Orleanians never lack for someone to complain about.

After the parade it was a last gasp gathering of the die hard folks in the bar at the Vacherie.  I challenged our favorite bartender Victoria to make me a good drink for a non-drinker that she would recommend and she made me her version of a lime vodka gimlet.

I had no problems falling asleep this night.

Sunday, January 28

Today was an early day with me up at six, breakfasted by eight (I did have a Lynn sighting so I got to have one last goodbye), on the airport shuttle by 8:30 and in the airport by 9:30 a.m.

My first leg was a noon flight to Atlanta followed by a 4;30 flight to Milwaukee.

Once again the trip to New Orleans proved entertaining and educational.  Thanks to Katherine Engen for organizing and Michael deMeng for teaching.  And to all my fellow travelers, be safe and see you next year.