As many of you know, I moved to New Orleans last January. January 15th, 2014 to be exact. I have lived in Florida my whole life and I dearly love my historic home in Pensacola. But times they are a changin’ and I needed a new life.  I needed a new artistic environment. I needed new intellectual stimulation and I wanted to downsize into a simple little apartment and garden.  My daughter is graduating from college and my parents are still healthy ( in body, but they are weird as shit).  I saw a giant beam of light called freedom. And I hopped on that freedom train.  The box car dropped me off in the Bywater neighborhood, on St. Claude Avenue. I live just blocks away from the French Quarter and Marigny in a crazy little house built in 1830.  I am surrounded by wild chickens. And hobos.

Ok, so actually I did not downsize. I added one more thing to my already full plate. I kept my two houses in Pensacola and I travel back and forth. It takes me exactly 2 hours and 50 minutes to drive from doorstep to doorstep. I did not sell my Florida houses, I just added a New Orleans house.  My shotgun apartment is small and neat with really good light, and a tiny little courtyard garden. So when I am in New Orleans I have practically no chores to do. Not to say I don’t work all the time: I do. The life of a famous painter is hectic.