Skelly Kats, Artistic Katrina Response

Saxie Skelly

Archival print, 2006

Shut up and Dance

Archival print, 2006

 Wicked Good Boogie Band

Archival print, digital, 2006

Bringing back New Orleans, One Song at a Time.  Shut Up and Dance.  Music in Your Hair.  Wicked Good Boogie Band.

Here at the Studio in the Swamp, (Washington Parish, Louisiana), Katrina was much worse than Ida.  We enjoy being surrounded by forest. This is where I want to live, I love being surrounded by trees. Katrina tornados took all the leaves off of the trees.  The canopy was bare from the end of August, until the next spring, when Mother Nature revived herself.  I am grateful that our house and studio were not damaged.  We were without power for six weeks.  To cool off and bathe, we swam in the spring fed creek.  We did OK, because we like camping.  We did OK, but when the power came back on we were ready to really appreciate electricity. 

New Orleans was settled in 1718, she has survived many storms and the civil war.  Soon, New Orleans will be better than ever.

 Tree with Ice Sparkles

2/2021

How long did that freeze last?  The Louisiana record freeze of 2021?  About five days of freezing weather,  below 32, some nights 26 degrees F.  Here in the subtropics, we felt like we were in Alaska.  Then one day, the ice was melting.  The ice cycles were dripping.  I looked up to a vivid cobalt blue sky and saw a leafless tree sparkling with a million diamonds.  I was amazed at the beauty.  I went for my camara, the battery was dead.  By the time the battery revived the ephemeral beauty was gone.  But, the image was engraved in my head.  So, I made this digital painting.