Art

Outer Journey

I did tour the art galleries on Royal Street of New Orleans. However, the artist that kept drawing me in was found in Jackson Square in front of the St. Louis Cathedral. The artist who was my favorite was A. J. Kinney. She paints the buildings such as the St. Louis Cathedral, Cadildo, Presbytere and restaurants that are surrounding Jackson Square. There is a spot that she sets up to show her and her husband’s paintings. The painter goes by A. J., but her real name is Joy. She has black hair with a stocking hat that is covering it. She is wearing a grey winter coat, and has gloves on with the fingers cut out. The first time that I saw her she was standing and painting on the right side facing the cathedral. The last time I saw her she was doing the exact same thing and painting on the left side facing the cathedral. Approaching her was somewhat intimidating. She was focused on the painting that she was creating. A. J. was painting another picture of the cathedral. She had paintings that started at $250.00. She had copies of the paintings that were $20.00 and $10.00. I was able to purchase a copy of one of the paintings that I like which only cost $20.00. The art that I purchased was of the St. Louis Cathedral. It is white and outlined in black paint. The clock that is on the front of the cathedral is showing. There is a beautiful old tree that is in front of the cathedral. The black fence that is present and surround Jackson Square is also present within this painting. The sky that is in the background of the painting is blue. I really liked the contrast in the colors that A. J. used in the painting that I purchased. You could see that the contrast and the paintings were similar throughout her work. A. J. studies art at University of Southern Mississippi. She then studied at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. A. J. likes to pain the environment and other pure abstractions. Other paintings that were found at this exhibit was those created by A. J.’s husband, William Kinney. William’s painting reminded me of the paintings that were created by Jackson Pollock. Pollock was part of the abstract expressionist movement. William’s paintings were very similar to this. Pollock used drip painting to create his master pieces. I believe that William used this type of painting also.

Inner Journey

I like the work that Kinney produces because they are visuals of what I am seeing in New Orleans. I like the painting more than an actual photograph because a painting provides more details. I like both A. J. Kinney and her husband William’s paintings. I liked observing all of the artists but kept being drawn to A. J.’s work. I kept imagining where I could place her work in my home. I think that it will look best placed in my living room. I am not sure if a black frame will work though. I am trying to get away from all of the portraits and paintings in my living room to be framed in black frames. I though that the St. Louis Cathedral was a beautiful piece of architecture and was the foundation of the history of New Orleans. I also loved the tree in the painting. I personally love art that is from wildlife especially trees and plants. My son actually makes fun of me because we were looking for a new home and I kept saying that I wanted old trees on our property. The wilderness makes me happy, feel peaceful, and makes me calm. Kinney’s paintings show the beauty of New Orleans. It provides the beginnings of the St. Louis Cathedral and is the foundation of history of this city. I like this because all new beginnings are a fresh start for all who are involved. A successful new beginning requires a lot of hard work. I think that New Orleans is a very successful city because of the hard work that was provided by the ancestors of this city. It is hard to succeed at anything if hard work and time is not put forth. Finding this artist has made me want to seek out additional artists who paint natural scenery. I would like to purchase these type of paintings and to keep the theme of my home natural.