Plate Tectonics

Two posts in Two days? Woah. Has hell frozen over, or what?

I debated whether or not to make a post today. If only because I didn’t want my three readers (too many?) to get used to this way of life. I probably shouldn’t antagonize y’all either.

SELF-PROMOTION: hey, ma! look at what I can do!

"Fat Tuesday Shotgun (one of a kind painting)" 36" x 24"

This is the largest painting I’ve ever painted. It’s 3 feet x 2 feet. CRAZY! You can check it out in more depth at my #ETSY shop, Katnawlin’s Shop. I really had a good time making this one. I have hard time painting New Orleans Shotgun style homes. It’s much easier for me to draw and color them with colored pencil and make them very detailed. But with painting it’s hard to get the detail in. I think, “Fat Tuesday Shotgun” is the closest I have gotten yet to my hand-drawn colored pencil pieces on #ETSY. An EXAMPLE of that is below:

"NOLA Townhouse (one of a kind)"

DIE-HARD FAN PORTION: Where Y’all get to ask me questions!

You can e-mail me or leave questions for me to answer in the comment section. I love to answer questions- a favorite pass time for me.

1. Good to c ur back, but wait a minute! where were all the hi-larious chimp pics? you go away forever and win u return u dont even post a single pic of a gorilla or nothing. whhhhhhhyyyyy???? – Pip (From Washua, OR)

You’re sooooo right. I feel dreadful. I’ve really failed you, faithful reader. I’ve really failed all of humanity and monkey kind on this one (I know Chimps aren’t monkeys, but actually an ape). Actually, in the mean time I have been saving up some monkey/ape pics. Here’s one of the truest beauty. Enjoy, Pip.

You look familar, Gibon (is this a gibon?

2. YOU’RE BACK! I’VE MISSED YOU. I REALLY HAVE. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE A QUESTION HERE, RIGHT? I KNOW YOU MOSTLY DRAW AND PAINT 2-D MOSTLY. DO YOU PAINT ANYTHING 3-D? THANKS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WRITING. – LORNE (From Toluca Lake, CA)

Thank you, Lorne. ALL CAPS, huh? Are you a screamer or senile? Just keeding! (I’m in a snarky mood clearly, and some would say that’s my natural state, so can you call it a mood if it’s always?). To answer your question, YES, I do create some things in 3-D (other than paintings). I have one piece in my #ETSY SHOP that is 3-D, and I have other pieces chilling in my home not on sale that are. Example:

for sale: "Katnawlin's Keepsake Box (One of a Kind)"

I painted this paper-mache piggy seen here in my SOLD colored pencil drawing, "Home is Where the "X" Is (one of a kind)"

3. hi. – Rita (From Arlington, VA)

Hello, Rita. I almost didn’t print this, but I figured it was so innocent and sweet. It’s like a callback to a much simpler time, and for that reason and that reason alone I decided to keep it. Thanks.

Receptionist is like… WOAH or like sittin’ at a desk answering a random call and signing for packages (jealous, world?)

Good Afternoon, my little chicklets! How I have missed you? It’s been awhile since a real post from me. I’ve just been busy (and not just on Farmville (I am on level 18 haha oh how lame)). I’ve been painting, drawing, going on auditions, performed at the UCB and working. And of course reading and watching everything I can about my boys, THE SAINTS (8-0, baby).

So, what am I doing toady? I am working as a receptionist for a film company best known for sparkling vampires (only clue y’all will get). Just at I type this bit of fun I overhear German Business Men speaking in German (surprise!). What are they saying? Who knows… I’m sure something German-y & Business-y. Other than that I just answer phone calls, receive packages, and call people to them their “noon is here.” It’s so exciting! Right? Right? ugh.

This is what I wish I was doing instead:

This is what I dream of doing as I sit at my lonely desk answering phone calls I could care a less about... oh to be a chimp!

But alas, I am here sitting at this desk writing to you, my loyal readers about the drudgery (word or not?) of sitting under flourescent lighting and sparkling vampires (since the trailer is on 24/7 in the lobby- sooo much longing). Really nothing interesting to report apparently there was an ambulance and cop cars downstairs earlier, someone had to come out in a stretcher. There are no windows around me, so I didn’t see this happen, but I was told by a delivery man. BREAKING NEWS, people, or breaking news for that person on the stretcher.

So, this trailer being on repeat… I have no idea what the movie is about. Whenever I look up to watch for a moment it’s a totally different scene then the one I’ve seen before. A lot going on in this one film (so many elements: wind, water, fire… the fourth element). And a girl in a scarf (that’s the scene I keep seeing by chance). Oh, and there is a lot of running. I wonder how much dialogue there actually will be with all that running. Except for the obvious “Why are you running?”, “Hurry Up!” , “Keep Running!”. “Why are we running?” , “There is a werewolf- RUN” and “Why am I running, when I can fly?” <— this is what I think about when I sit at reception.

DIE-HARD FAN PORTION WHERE Y’ALL GET TO ASK ME QUESTIONS

You can e-mail me or leave questions for me to answer in the comment section. I love to answer questions- a favorite pass time for me.

1. That orangutan looks a lot like what I picture your father to be like. Kinda hairy and always with a dog? Please elaborate on the weirdness of your paternal canine-watcher. – Elle (Berkeley, CA) or could be from OW (New Orleans, LA)

Yes, my father looks like that picture of an orangutan with a leashed dog: remember it’s here. Which is why I chose that picture because it reminded me a lot of my father, which I believe was the point. My father loves his three daughters, but he loves his four dogs perhaps a bit more. He considers his four canine pals to be his children as well as his companions while he stays at home all day painting and answering the doorbell for UPS (my mother receives many packages). His favorite dog would probably be the schnoodle, Heidi (ten pounds of delight) who makes him carry her everywhere. Though he loves his new son (and only son) very much, Buckley, the german shepard-mix we rescued from El Paso, TX back in August. He loves those dogs as much as he’ll hate this answer.

2. luv the blog, but hate the DMV- how did it go? - Chuck (from Baltimore, MD)

Hi Chuck, thank you and I hate the DMV, too. I know I said in my last blog I was going, but I ended up having to post-pone that trip to later this month. I am going to the DMV to get a California license as well as needing to register my car in California (to get Cali license  plates). Wish me luck, please!

3. You do improv? what type? long form or short? any stand up? a comedy fan. keep up the good work. – Jasper (Louisville, KY

Thanks, Jasper. I just completed my first level class of improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade and look forward for 201 level in January. I prefer watching and performing long form, but I think short form is a great way to warm up, and can be a lot of fun. I don’t do stand up currently, but as soon as I gets the balls to do it I figure why not try it out. Thank you. How is the comedy scene in Louisville?

If seeing is right then look where you’re at

Hi Y’all! It’s been a while, huh? Let’s get the self-promotion jingle out of the way first.

So, I have a new piece up on Etsy (y’all wanna see… you don’t have a choice).

Sister Laveau with the Gris Gris (One of a Kind Painting)

It’s my first painting I’m putting up for sale. So, this is an experiment of sorts to see how it does. I’ve been working on a couple of other small paintings, which in the next week I may just put on etsy, too.

So, you may be wondering who in the hell Marie Laveau and what is gris-gris. Well, M.Laveau is one of the most famous Voodoo Practitioners to come out of New Orleans (back in the 19th century.. so real real long ago). And gris-gris is like a voodoo amulet that people would buy from Voodoo witches and what not as a way to word off evil or bad luck.

Second Bit of Self-Promotion: Katnawlin’s Shop has been featured in my 4th Etsy Treasury (on etsy.com people can create a page will similar pieces of items that for sale). Check out the treasury here (it will expire on November 6th).

It took some voodoo to make this happen:

Hey, Katnawlins! That ain't a chimp!

This is going to a short post, but tomorrow I’m going to the DMV for the first time while in Los Angeles. So, who knows what crazy & fun times I’ll have there… yeah, kill me now.

DIE-HARD FAN PORTION WHERE Y’ALL GET TO ASK ME QUESTIONS

You can e-mail me or leave questions for me to answer in the comment section. I love to answer questions- a favorite pass time for me.

1. hI kat, i liked all the saints talk (who dat!!!!), but i’m also part of who dat nation. were u as nervous as i was durin that falcons game monday? damn, a real nail biter for no reason. keep up the good work. and geaux saints. – Jermaine (from red stick, LA)

Haha Jermaine, I like you’re Baton Rouge (red stick) joke in there, nice LA type joke (corny!). I know I love the Saints talk, too, but even can admit it was excessive. We’re all just so proud and happy for our boys. And yes the game against the dirty birds this past monday night was really hard to watch in the 2nd half because the Falcons had the momentum for most of that half, but a WIN is a WIN, and we won hahaha. 7-0, baby!

2. Katnawlins, do you have a problem with grammar? You mis-use it on a regular basis. I don’t mean to be insulting just friendly constructive criticism from a fan. – Douglas (from Little Rock, AR).

Thank you, Douglas. I’m not insulted, but I’m also not moved to change my horrible use of grammar ways. Thanks for looking out, and keep reading!

3. Why are most of your questions from dudes? What’s up with that? – Jesse (from Memphis, TN)

That’s a great question, Jesse (with a purposefully gender ambiguous name, I see). Well nothing against womenfolk it’s just I receive more questions from men, what can you do? Over the past couple of weeks however there have been a couple of questions here and there from women. Also strange how all three questions came from the South today. hmm.

Until next time… hopefully I’ll post tomorrow, but no promises.

If I’m One Thing, I Guess I’m Just NEW ORLEANS

Wow! Guys what a weekend, huh? Are y’all still as wiped out from it as I am? Tell me about you weekends in the comments, thanks!

So, first things first. SAINTS game yesterday. Wow, what a roller coaster that was for us SAINTS fans out there. During much of the first half (ok, the whole first half minus the last five seconds of it) in Miami against the Dolphins the SAINTS looked sluggish and a real mess. At times I was on the brink of tears at the bar I was at. I kept eating sweet potato fries after sweat potato fries long after I was full. I was so nervous, but somewhere deep down inside I realized that the SAINTS could get a hold of this game. Who cares if we were 21 POINTS behind. This is the SAINTS, and we’ve had an amazing season so far.

Brees (our QB) Diving for a TOUCH DOWN in the last 5 seconds of the first half

Sure enough after a touch down in the last five seconds of the first half the momentum changed in Shark Stadium, and was placed firmly in the SAINT’S hot hands. By the end of the 2nd half the SAINTS had scored 46 POINTS to the dolphins 34 POINTS. Another fine whooping from the SAINTS. And now we’re 6-0!

The game was epic that my father actually let me talk to him about the game. He hates the SAINTS with passion mainly because he hates football (and all sports in general). This typically how he feels when my mother or I talk about the SAINTS.

My Father Has This Expression Whenever The SAINTS are Mentioned in Our Household

Enough with the SAINTS love. (oh, but WHO DAT?)

Oh, so I’ve started painting on canvas. But I’m not sure, should I add them to my SHOP or not. Here are two pieces I did Saturday– obviously not the best quality photo because it was taken on my iphone, but give the girl a break I do what I can. Thanks.

Two Paintings I Just Finished

DIE-HARD FAN PORTION WHERE Y’ALL GET TO ASK ME QUESTIONS

You can e-mail me or leave questions for me to answer in the comment section. I love to answer questions- a favorite pass time for me.

1. I hope you’re feeling better! I once had a bout with food poisoning. I was hurling into a trash can by my bed for a whole week. I will never again eat a whole wheel of brie covered in blue-green mold. – Lars (Ashby, MN)

Oh, Lars that sounds absolutely dreadful. I’m sorry you’re life became that though it’s common sense not to eat a whole wheel of brie in one sitting by yourself, and really not to eat if it’s gone bad. But brie is so yummy I totally understand where the impulse came form of course.

2. Hey Katnawlins, where in the h*ll did october go? one minute it was the 1st and now its all gone out the proverbial window. i hate it. – Roscoe (from San Jose, CA)

I know October literally flew by. Time has a way of doing that though. My best advice for you to make time slow down a bit is to adopt a child preferably a new-born baby that doesn’t sleep much then time will really move slowly, but you’ll also be out a lot of money because baby adopting and baby keeping are expensive!

3. I know you’re a huge saints fan. do u think they will go to the super bowl? cause i know they ain’t ever been b4. tell me is it a possibility? i’m actually a buccaneers fan, but they ain’t got a chance in hell of getting there. so now i’m rootin for the saints. Michael (from Tampa Bay, FL)

I am going to be waaaaaay biased with this answer, but I think they have a real shot of making it to the Super Bowl as long as they keep healthy and win the games they are supposed to win then I don’t see why not. Right now they are definitely the best in the NFC. It’s very sad the Superdome has hosted the most super bowls, but the Saints have never ever gone. Keep your fingers crossed for my boys! (only undefeated team in the NFC, too).

That’s it for this post! Don’t forget to ask questions in the comment section, and till next time, boooooos!