Giraffes have attacked my bedroom, in a good way! I've been working on a series of large-giraffe paintings, some of which are commissions and some of which will be placed in the gallery to find their forever homes. There's one in particular I'm really excited about, as it will be adopted soon by a wonderful little baby who also happens to be one of Cocoa's good friends. While I don't support zoos, I have always associated giraffes with New Orleans, since the five giraffes at the zoo here can be seen peeking over the fence if you stand on the river side of Audubon Park.

I've been painting furiously, as there are a couple events on the horizon that mean travel and most likely time in front of a sketchbook as opposed to my usual large canvases. First is a trip to the D.C. VegFest!!!! I'll be in the Nation's Capital next week for the festival on Saturday, September 20, at Yards Park from 11-6pm. Anyone close by should come out! I'll have Wish Dogs (and plenty of Wish Friends) and of course vegan-themed tanks, tees, and prints from my clothing line Cocoally. My sisters Evie and Tory will be with me, and we're looking forward to not only networking at the fest but also enjoying the vegan businesses around DC — a new Native Foods at 1150 Connecticut Ave (opens Sept 30th, Evie's bday!) and Sticky Fingers Bakery (one of my all-time favorites). 

After that, it's down to Costa Rica!! I'll be visiting the Sloth Sanctuary, taking pictures, and gathering artistic inspiration from the local flora & fauna. In line with my vegan ethics and passion for environmental caretaking, I'm excited to be staying in a local eco-lodge with Gondwana Ecotours ! I've recruited my sister Juliette to come along, which means we'll spend October getting sweaty in the jungle on yoga mats, playing with sloths, eating vegan food, staying up late sketching and watching sunsets, and possibly designing a full-sleeve tattoo based on my art work (to be sported by Juliette). The last one makes me uneasy since it's so permanent. Maybe I can convince her to settle for a custom-designed Cocoally long-sleeve shirt instead.

Here's to sisters, sloths, sunsets, shirts, sustainability, etc! 

See the original at NOLA's brand-new all-vegan restaurant SEED. !

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival officially begins tomorrow (Friday, April 26th, 2013). In honor of Jazz Fest Eve, we are unveiling our 2013 Jazz Fest Poster!! Here it is in its natural habitat (near an authentic NOLA shotgun house). 

Order it online here!

I'm vegan. Here's a painting of lots of the foods I eat! 24"x20" on canvas. <3

100% real, local, handmade Mardi Gras beads!! (Made by me ;). At $25 each, they are affordable pieces of original art!! Share the love and celebrate the season with Wish Beads. Find them at 736 Royal Street, or buy online at www.WishDogandFriends.com.

Red Glitter Wish Dog stars in our Wish Dog Christmas Special.

Last night, I got a sneak peek at the not-yet-open Saints & Sinners! It's the new Bourbon Street lounge co-founded by Actor Channing Tatum and his long-time friend Keith Kurtz. Please don't expect this blog post to be well written; I'm a little hungover.

First of all, the ratatouille (full menu here) was the most amazing dish I have ever had in my life! It was so good I'm mentioning it first, even before pointing out how wonderful, sweet, and charming Channing and his wife Jenna Dewan are and were that evening. 

The bartenders were great, and the whole vibe was just as it should be. Envisioned as an homage to the New Orleans Storyville era of 1897 - 1917, the lounge features dark red walls, a Bourbon St. balcony, and guests of questionable actions and attire (which I'm sure will be a staple on any night). A small stage in the back hosted the fabulous NOLA jazz band Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns last night. It remains to be seen whether they will make regular appearances, but I'm sure many a memorable band will grace that stage. The video (below) of Meschiya and the band, captured at The Spotted Cat Music Club on Frenchman Street, sums up their vibe and music perfectly. 

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a Bourbon Street regular.... but I might just become one now! Stay tuned, as the spot is rumored to officially open for business soon :) . 

This past Saturday was our 2nd Dirty Linen Night, an annual event that invites locals and visitors to enjoy an art-filled French Quarter block party from the 200 to 1000 blocks of Royal Street. Being at 736 Royal, Gallery B falls right smack-dab in the middle of all the fun, and since Dirty Linen 2011 was our official-un-official Grand Opening Party, we also consider it a landmark day for the Gallery.

Lauren "Fleury Girl" Thom, amazing New Orleans native and founder of the Fleurty Girl tshirts and shops, stopped in to interview me about Dirty Linen Night! It happened so fast, I have no idea what I said! I hope I remembered to thank the thousands of people who come out to meet the artists and enjoy the galleries. The only thing I remember clearly is that Cocoa kept trying to eat the boom mic, and then got annoyed and gave the camera the cold shoulder. I always dreamed he would get discovered and be in movies, but maybe that's not his life plan. Being a mom is all about accepting that your children will take their own paths.

We also had a wonderful time with Anna, Kim, and Lee from Old New Orleans Rum! They graciously came for the SECOND year to serve up complimentary Dirty Frenchman cocktails. They also had free samples of their new Gingeroo, a spiced ginger drink served over ice, perfect for the hot NOLA summers. 

And WHO is that beefcake, you might ask?? He's a hunky leftover from the Red Dress Run, NOLA's annual event featuring girls and guys partying around the Quarter in red. The Red Dress Run starts around 10 in the morning, so we were happy to see a few troopers who managed to pace themselves and still be standing come 6 p.m., when Dirty Linen starts. Everyone who came out contributed to making it a huge event, and one we'll remember forever!! Thank you!! Here's to our 1st birthday, and many more to come. XOXO <3.

We had a visitor in the Gallery today!! Sam, from the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. <3 <3 

Here at Gallery B, every time we run out of business cards is an opportunity to experiment with the design and aesthetics of new ones. If you've visited the gallery in the past, you would have seen and probably received your own Birdie Business Card, which looks like this: 

While we love our Birdie Cards, we're excited for business card 2.0!! The new cards are based on The Notebook Series, which has garnered a lot of attention and is quickly becoming as trendy and popular as spacing out in math class. Are you ready to see the final design? I hope so, 'cuz here it is!

Technically these are "Birdie Cards" too, but for the sake of clarity we'll call them our Pelican Cards. They are the same size as before (standard business card size, 2.5"x3"), although this time they feature a novel vertical orientation. This allows them to mimic teeny tiny little pieces of notebook paper! And, on the back, they have space for notes, which we project will be very useful in the gallery. On our blue Birdie Cards, we were constantly squeezing information about paintings and prices in the white space. The Pelican Cards allow us to clearly write wonderful informations tailored to your specific interests and inquiries. (The size, medium, and price of an original that you've got your eye on, for instance.)

We're also excited to feature the STATE BIRD OF LOUISIANA!!!!!!!!!!!! The Brown Pelican. We hope you like it!! Stop by the gallery and pick up a card for yourself or your friends, and feel free to let us know in the comments section if you dig this design. We'd also love to hear if you've any innovations or suggestions for future cards! xoxo