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.
