I am looking for nests and other natural objects from Louisiana to include in an installation for LPP. I hope to be collecting photographs of these objects on my research trips.

I am thinking a lot about this portrait at the New Orleans Museum of Art. François Fleischbein Portrait of a Free Woman of Color.  It is a captivating painting with wonderful detail. This image has become integral to the ideas in my work for this project since a young woman told me the story of her father wanting to go into St. Martin de Tours in Martinville, LA as a child.  He was not allowed in because of his skin color.  She went to the cathedral with her father when he was older and they walked freely into the sanctuary.  It was a very important moment for her father.  A symbol of liberty.

 New Orleans. Great museums: The Ogden, NOMA, National WWII Museum,  Louisiana State Museum and others. Sylvain Restaurant,  architecture,  beignets, antiques, fabulous people and stories.  

  

Lafayette.  Ponds with ducks, Winkeydoo's Barber shop, 
Prejean's Restaurant, crawfish and alligator cheesecake,  daiquiris to go, the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

This morning I am working on a painting based on the photograph above taken near Grayson, Louisiana. The contrast of red and green and the arresting site of the boat up in the air as a clever advertisement for Riverton Marina compelled me to turn around on the highway and go back to take a photograph.  Unfortunately, I did not have time to photograph all of the interesting signage along the road.

On Friday, May 30, 2014 I started my first official trip for My Louisiana Portrait Project to collect portraits and record stories from the people of Louisiana. 

My first trip was in conjunction with two workshops that I gave at the Masur Museum.  The staff of the Masur invited me to stay in their Artist Residency apartment for a few days.  I met people through the workshop and was able to photograph those who volunteered for my project and record some of their stories about their families and growing up in Louisiana.

The above image is the river bank of the Ouachita River directly behind the Masur Museum of Art.

The project that I am working on is a portrait of Louisiana through its people and land.  The resulting body of work will include a series of painted and drawn portraits, a series of painted landscapes, an audio installation and a paper room that viewers will sit in and be surrounded by images on transparent paper.

I expect this project to take 3-5 years to complete.  The first year and a half I will concentrate on collecting images and information.  I will be collecting portraits and recordings from all areas of the state.  At this point I have taken portraits of people from Shreveport, Lake Charles, the Monroe area and Lebeau, LA.  My next planned trips are in July:  Lafayette, New Iberia, Baton Rouge, Gonzales and New Orleans; August: Delhi, Winnsboro, Bastrop and Tallulah.

If you are interested in participating with the project please contact me at lisa@lisaqualls.com.