Drummer Riff Raff Skelly Kat

Skelly Kat Series
Now for something different.

I created the three pieces in the Skelly Kat Series in 2006. This was my response to that bitch Katrina. The skeleton characters are a metaphor for the rebirth of New Orleans. A movement that has gained momentum this year of 2010. Bless you boys!! Who Dat?

Gotta love New Orleans. Unique in all the world.

The pictures started first as pencil and then water color sketches on paper. I developed the concept and then worked them in Photoshop.

The Skelly Kats are a large boisterous prototypical New Orleans musical family. A bit like the Marsalis family with the respected patriarch Ellis Marsalis. Like the Neville family. Wow!!

Skelly Kats grow up in a home filled with musical instruments. It looks like a up side down music store. This is a shining place where the family spontaneously breaks out in song, standing around the kitchen, singing in harmony. Memaw's overloaded shrimp gumbo simmers on the stove. Papaw is jiggling a cranky baby.

The Skelly home is a cacophonic catastrophe, jumbled with rusty tricycles, scratching dogs, keyboards and guitars stacked on the coffee table, dirty laundry draped over the drum kit, fluorescent Mardi Gras beads in a Pat O'brien's hurricane glass, roach spray, Jerry Springer blasting from the television, loud friends raiding the fridge, blessed unwed mothers, drunk uncles, someone's ex who will not go away, stray neighborhood kids who sleep on the couch, stylish transvestites struttin' about in size fifteen red patent leather high heel boots, ol' broke down cats, three phones all ringing at once, bill collectors, run away teens who sleep in the backyard junk car, the priest wolfing down gumbo, feuding Aunt Moonbeam, stinky diapers, yard eggs and fresh juicy tomatoes from the country, crumpled comic books, and unidentified crusty objects under the bed.

The Skelly Kats family, these colorful musical skeletons, defy death and destruction and bring back New Orleans, one song at a time.

SILVER CREEK

I love it best when my family gets together at Silver Creek and makes music. The band is set up in the breeze way. Derek singing and playing guitar. Ben drumming. The little children get their turn with instruments and microphone. How fun! The best! Ryliegh, three years old grandniece, showing her dance moves (How did she learn that so young?.) Katie and Sydnie struttin' their stuff, singing and dancing. Thank you Goddess, for these peak experiences.