robert trudeau art

St Maurice, Nubian / Coptic martyr, by robert trudeau 2011

2011-12-25T15:44:00.001-08:00

St Maurice / robert trudeau 2011, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

St. Maurice was an Egyptian from Thebes in Upper Egypt, says Wikipedia.

His Egyptian origin is stressed by the Coptic Greek name "Maurikios", which appears in the papyri, and is identical with the later Roman name "Mauritius", according to G. Heuser in his Personennamen der Kopten.

In fact, the name is found in epitaphs of the Ptolemaic Egypt and Egyptian Christian periods, and is still used as a personal name in Egypt's Coptic community.[2]

"The oldest surviving" [13] image that depicts Saint Maurice as a Black African [14] was carved in the 1240s for the Cathedral of Magdeburg, a strikingly accurate depiction of a contemporary armed knight; there it is displayed next to the grave of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor. Jean Devisse,

Black, the History of a color, Michel Pastoreau, is where I discovered the story.

Given as a holiday gift at the end of 2011.

St Maurice / study / robert trudeau 2011

2011-12-23T20:47:00.001-08:00

St Maurice / study / robert trudeau 2011 , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

About the year 325 CE the Egyptian Christian general, Maurice, was ordered to Gaul. There he and his men were martyred for refusing to attack the opposing troops. They refused because the foes were also Christians.

He is known as St Moritz and also as St Mauritius. There are many churches and shrines dedicated to his name in Europe.
He is the first African man, a Nubian, who earned widespread veneration in the church.

Catalog for artists / Dia de Los Muertos 2011 / Robert Trudeau

2011-10-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

Catalog for artists / Dia de Los Muertos 2011 / Robert Trudeau, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

No telling which you might prefer, the earlier and motley draft or this, the straight-up final product.

Catalog for artists / Trudeau 2011

2011-10-23T14:21:00.001-07:00

Catalog for artists / Trudeau 2011, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

A draft of a sketch for the Dia de los Muertos to be presented at minicine? on Sat, Oct 29.

Pharaoh Ai / trudeau 2011 pen and ink

2011-08-15T06:56:00.001-07:00

Pharaoh Ai / trudeau 2011 pen and ink, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

There were many deified kings in the vast Egyptian pharaonic era; this is one about which you've heard little. Because he was exhumed only this week.

Pharaoh Ai is a spontaneous sketchbook exploration. One of the things my hand trends to when not guided by purpose is the vizier's visage.

And you can tell that I'm intrigued by the idea that the image is composed of a vast number of interlocking cross hatcheries. The portrait oscillates because of the many lines in the body of the work.

Tequila Williams, red ink, Aug, 2011

2011-08-08T14:50:00.001-07:00

Tequila Williams, red ink, Aug, 2011, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Prints in basic colors.

Pine board and lath frame.

Recent breakthroughs include a new frame style: slab of wood painted black, print glued to the board. Lathing frame butted at top and bottom.

Also, Insty Prints converted the black ink to prints using colored lines: got versions of this print in red, blue, green and yellow.

I like it and consider it progress. The ink change was provoked by a change in the kitchen. "Creole Riders" and "The Interlocutor" came down and in their places are two of Talbot's still lifes, a yoncopin on table and bowl of red apples. I saw that black lines, no matter how sinuous, don't really reach the energy level that a room gets from a color display.

Printing with color ink is a way to move into the difficult world of hues.

Tequila Renae Williams, Shreveport, Louisiana / July, 2011

2011-07-28T21:37:00.001-07:00

Tequila Renae Williams / Trudeau 2011, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Met her on Texas St, downtown Shreveport. She was accompanied by her mother and 2 small and squirming children. They were waiting for the bus, I believe.

As a sketch Tequila has been through 3 or more drafts prior to this version. Originally she was destined for the Nude show at Bossier Arts Council. There were exigencies. She's headed to the Philadelphia Center auction for Aids relief.

Here on the edge of the art world, I'm what's called a marginal artist. That means part-time, not an art school grad, nor the beneficiary of any formal instruction. Have sketched all my life; it took years before I came to think of myself as an artist.

Pen and ink on Vellum Bristol, 8.5 X 11.

Study for Texas Ave series: Dunny G.

2011-07-07T05:48:00.001-07:00

Study for Texas Ave series: Dunny G. , a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Cornelius Dunny Gilyard is a veteran R & B trombone player in Shreveport. A veteran of the Lightnin Bugs and Zillionaires, Dunny once traveled with R & B show bands.

He remembers the years when Texas Ave was alive with live music and dance. This is an early-stage sketch.

Study: the Girl A / Robert Trudeau 2011

2011-06-26T16:36:00.001-07:00

Study: girl a / Robert Trudeau 2011, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Getting ready for 2 projects. The Nudes show at Bossier Arts Council and my gift to the annual Philadelphia center auction.

Hope to refine this view of a Texas Ave girl next week.

Mtoto, from the Bayou LaFourche Coloring Book, Robert Trudeau

2011-05-26T09:08:00.001-07:00

Mtoto, from the Bayou LaFourche Coloring Book, Robert Trudeau, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

A study of a queenly woman and her attendees that is based on West African ceremonial scenes.

The symmetry of the umbrella, gown and assistants is satisfying. But I realized I have a portrait in my photograph bank that can be traded for this generalized face.

There may be a color version, too.

Looking forward to re-doing this one.

bikers, shreveport, 2011 / mural study

2011-03-25T18:16:00.001-07:00

bikers, robert trudeau, shreveport, 2011 / mural study, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Riding a bicycle is one of my great pleasures. And I'm an advocate for biking to the store, biking to work, biking on historic tours, etc.

Thus watching the bicyclists of my community is an avocation.

What I love most is what you might call an Art Bike. Wheels festooned with cards and bottle caps and reflectors, frame painted gaily, excessive mirrors, bells and brackets fastened to handlebars and over fenders. Sometimes the frame is modified, too.

I've been working on a public art idea . . .
I want to paint silhouette murals of riders resting alongside their bikes. Just to seed the idea of biking. And to to remind people that we bikers are on the streets and need the care of the auto and truck driver.

Romulus Remus t-shirts feature Parachute Patty; order one at romulusremusmusic.com

2011-01-23T08:38:00.001-08:00

myspace.com/romulusremusmusic
Originally uploaded by trudeau

If you like the rendering of Parachute Patty, the cover girl for the Romulus Remus album, Good Grief, you can wear it.

Kern Courtney, guitarist, producer and member of Romulus Remus, is ordering a run of hand-printed silk-screen t-shirts with this image. Black or white t-shirt with contrasting artwork. They're $15 and can be quickly ordered at http://romulusremusmusic.com.

You can also download the album, which is Beatlesque, quirky and richly recorded. Listening to the music - the tune "Parachute Patty" is a classic - was integral to my making the sketches that resulted in this image.

Paper project - robert trudeau art '11, shreveport

2011-01-12T08:18:00.001-08:00

robert trudeau art '11, shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Help apply fluorescent paint to life-size outlines of dancing figures on Feb 19 at minicine Shreveport.

"Paper Personalities."

Many artists make light work.

Participation being the key to a growly event.

Gulf of Mexico Girl - an elegy for the people, the planet, the sea, the quandaries of modern life

2010-06-28T11:49:00.001-07:00

Gulf of Mexico Girl - an elegy for the people, the planet, the sea, the quandaries of modern life
Originally uploaded by trudeau

She has been swimming in the gulf and has returned, spotted with petroleum, aware that there is no easy solution to the quandary faced by people in 2010.

She will drive home in an older SUV-type vehicle, using pretty hefty amounts of petrol. She will speak out against continued drilling and in favor of alternative sources of energy. At home she will go to the store on foot or bicycle, because she knows that will help a little bit.

Her memories of swimming in the gulf in a more innocent era have proven rancid. We were living in a bubble, denying the disturbing truths of modern consumption.

Barataria Bay / robert trudeau pen-and-ink 2010

2010-06-16T14:11:00.001-07:00

Barataria Bay / robert trudeau pen-and-ink 2010
Originally uploaded by trudeau

The people of Barataria Bay are somewhat isolated denizens of a Gulf estuary that is, really, not that far from New Orleans.

Their tradition is that of the buccaneer Jean Lafitte. He organized a band of impoverished Creoles - French, Spanish, Italians, etc - to make money from the war between Spain and England. Lafiite, with his brother, Pierre, was a trader in slaves as well sundry goods which avoided the tax system.

So the people of Barataria Bay, vaguely outlaws and certainly not mainstream Americans, make their humble way of life as fisherman, guides, hunters, bar tenders, boat makers, and laborers. Until the next disaster arrives. Then, with some luck, they will make a few dollars serving the inquiring media.

Shreveport Means Business / Trudeau 2010

2010-04-23T17:11:00.001-07:00

Shreveport Means Business / Trudeau 2010
Originally uploaded by trudeau

What is one implying with the guns, anyway?

Well, fella. It's like a blues tune. Fine young black woman. Several suitors. Jealousy. High, high blood pressure.

She can't say "No," can she? And where does that leave her fellows? Each one of whom possesses enough cash and confidence to swoop down and deposit a deep mess.

This one's about temptation, rationalization and miscommunication.

A Simple Wimple / Robert Trudeau 2010

2010-04-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

A Simple Wimple
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Created for the next Bubble Rap show, A Simple Wimple is pure Carnival albeit without the usual godawful obviousities. No purplegreen&gold, no fleur de lis, no mask.

For those deeply invested in Carnival, the view might be that this person - let us call her Sheila the Slayer - represents Over the Topness, Transvestitism and Whimsic Contrariness.

Indeed.

Wicker and bassinets

2010-04-02T05:43:00.001-07:00

Kawanaka lass is due in August!
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Madeline, my daughter, needed an invitation for a baby shower. Casting about for inspiration after one failed sketch, I cam across a photo on flickr entitled "Picot Hemmed Bind Off Swatches." From a distance the rectangles of textured fabric implied baby baskets to me.

Btw, there are already two wicker bassinets in Madeline and Lyosuke's apartment. One was saved by talbot from Jett's infancy and another was rescued by Madeline from a curbside de-acsession.

Haiti: the other peoples of the island

2010-03-30T20:01:00.001-07:00

Haiti
Originally uploaded by trudeau

With all respect to the impoverished, I know that elegant people live in Haiti, too. Or they once did. Seen here: Garaille and Dinique.

Welcome to Shreveport, Dudes; green room grafitti at 516 Soundstage / Robert Trudeau 2010

2010-03-28T19:12:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Shreveport; Robert Trudeau
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Graffitti on the dressing room wall at 516 Soundstage, Shreveport.

While waiting to perform with Tracy Chappell & Friends at the Dan Sanchez benefit.

Romulus Remus CD cover: Parachute Patty / Robert Trudeau 09

2010-01-16T12:08:00.001-08:00

Parachute Patty / Robert Trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Nathan Woods is a musician and recording artist who has packaged one of set of his tunes into an album called Good Grief. As a group, as a recording unit, Woods works as Romulus Remus.

The first Romulus Remus album opens with a Beatlesque tune about a girl called Parachute Patty.

Thus this design for the Romulus Remus CD cover. Am in the process of tweaking and refining my vision of this image.

Parachute Patty 3

2010-01-16T12:02:00.001-08:00

Parachute Patty 1 / Robert Trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

A study for the Romulus Remus CD cover.

Radim LeMonde a solstice / trudeau 09

2009-12-21T17:09:00.001-08:00

LeMonde a solstice / trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Mark Burt, of the amazing mind and pen of C. Mark Burt, asked for a small sketch with head, body, legs. He's got a serial sketch thing going. This what I found in the sketchpad and ink well.

Hope it works for his assignment. He said "the radium the better." Hm. I'm afraid this fellow's radiality is quiemus. .

Alonzo Maxile, Jr, with a title and proper respect

2009-12-13T12:07:00.001-08:00

Alonzo / Trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

In Albrecht Durer's age, artists sometimes put the name of their subject on the canvas beside the portrait. It was a variation that has always attracted me, somehow.

I've taken the idea of painting the name of the subject on the canvas and made it larger, bolder and more modern. Subject-wise, Alonzo is no longer a characterful black man, a stock figure. This piece proclaims his name in attention-getting form, both with a classic calligraphic edge to the lettering as well as with an idiosyncratic spacing of the letters on the canvas. In the spacing I was influenced by an antique map that I found online of Terra Incognita America.

This is my idea of a good Christmas card. Happy holidays, Xmas 09, all!

Please check the fresh link in the title box to viewing a range of my sketches.

While listening to Regina Spektor

2009-12-05T06:55:00.001-08:00

regina spektor
Originally uploaded by trudeau

What a lovely and thoughtful songwriter and performer she is. Heard an interview at NPR.org.

Alonzo Maxile, Jr / trudeau 09

2009-12-04T18:56:00.001-08:00

Alonzo Maxile, Jr / trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Edward Plankton, 1954, Shreveport

2009-11-20T10:48:00.001-08:00

Edward Plankton - Robert Trudeau
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Driving through Shreveport on his way from Cleveland to New Orleans, music promoter Edward Plankton stops to enjoy a Saturday night at the Louisiana Hayride.

Alonzo Maxile, Jr / a study

2009-11-20T10:36:00.001-08:00

Alonzo Maxile, Jr / Robert Trudeau study
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Not happy with this sketch but this work-in-progress, a presentation of a striking and warm downtown denizen named Alonzo Maxile, Jr, is driving me. I shot 4 photos of him on Spring St during the Revel and he was soft-spoken, kind and sort of magnetic. Hope to find him again over the holidays and to find a fluent way of capturing his holiness.

Hilaire Manteaux - a study in Warholia

2009-11-20T10:28:00.001-08:00

Hilaire Manteaux - Robert Trudeau
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Soon I will be exploring the Andy Warhol blotted-line technique. It involves India ink and Strathmore paper and I am excited about the possibilities. This portrait of Hilaire Manteaux was a first run, but without the ink. Nonetheless, I think of this sketch as evocative of the early Warhol illustration style.

Vis a vis / Robert Trudeau 08

2009-09-15T00:23:00.001-07:00

Vis a vis / Robert Trudeau 08
Originally uploaded by trudeau

The aching difficulty of appropriate communication.

Sometimes we become patchy-headed robots when we cannot gather the personal resources needed for effective communication.

"You made a mistake. I've been wounded."
"I know. But that's as good as I can get it right now. Mistaken and wounding."
"Can't you see it as I do?"
"Essentially, my understanding is limited. Why can't You see it as I do?"
"You are frustrating."
"Sadly, so are you."

You can see some degree of warmth as well as obtuse distance in the figures. Facing each other, they are looking past each other. They've shaved their heads in mourning, in sacrifice. Otherwise, the terrain is that of a cold, denuded battlefield.

Yet the idea of a struggle to get past the ramparts is implied.

Jambo

2009-04-11T20:53:00.001-07:00

Jambo
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Jamming on a rug, on a face, on a mass of knots tied in woolen thread. Got to do another one like this. The improv nature of this one has a certain appeal, but I'd like to see one executed with more deliberation.

Cole Porter & Josephine Baker in New Orleans

2009-04-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

Cole Porter & Josephine Baker in Paris / Robert Trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Yes, they fell in love in Paris and, despite his marriage and other liaisons, shipped out for a sortie to New Orleans. There they stayed at the Roosevelt Hotel on Canal St and hung out, incognito, in the Blue Room. Their after-hours suppers at Bailey's were part of the legend of the Roosevelt.

Billie the Kid and his mane

2009-04-01T11:06:00.001-07:00

Billie the Kid / Robert Trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Is there anything more joyously eye-catching than a fine hat? Well, yes, there is. But in this sketch it's the hat and people who know how to purchase and wear them that's up front. And what of a finely processed head of hair? Equally righteous, I'd say.

I plan more sketch work on Billie but as a character he's part of my pantheon.

The new interlocutor / trudeau 09

2009-01-11T08:42:00.001-08:00

The interlocutor / trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Since this is one of my favorite images, I've redone it in cross-hatching. If you search for Interlocutor you will see my explication of this sketch - the tendrils go in many directions.

Creole riders, almost done

2009-01-07T13:13:00.001-08:00

Creole riders / robert trudeau 09
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Cold Carnival. Most of them are cold. And it's raining. Sobers you. Still, there might be jolly fun ahead. You go with the ritual and see where it leads.

Creole men can find fun even when it's hiding.

Smile, Shreveport / Trudeau 08

2009-01-01T10:52:00.001-08:00

Smile, Shreveport / Trudeau 08
Originally uploaded by trudeau

With population sliding and the recession making itself felt more clearly, it is reasonable to offer this encouragement. Shreveport may not be handsome, but a smile makes it better.

Rabbin

2009-01-01T10:51:00.001-08:00

Rabbin
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Secular priest, and all that. Since this site is composed largely of works in progress, it's good Rabbin finds a place here.

Nicholas says Happy Holidays

2008-12-17T23:15:00.001-08:00

Nicholas
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Saint Nicholas (270 - December 6, 346) is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey), says Wikipedia. Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. He became the model for Santa Claus, whose English name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints.[2] In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southern Italy. While such movement is not rare, it is one of the more interesting kidnappings in church history.

Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, and children, and students in Greece, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro. He is also the patron saint of Barranquilla, Bari, Amsterdam, Beit Jala, and Liverpool. In 1809, the New-York Historical Society convened and retroactively named Sancte Claus the patron saint of Nieuw Amsterdam, the Dutch name for New York City.[3] He was also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, who protected his relics in Bari.
All hail Nicholas.

Guardian angels for Sara and Chris, upon their first marriage

2008-07-21T16:43:00.001-07:00

Friends 2
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Getting back to couples: friends, lovers, former lovers, long-time friends, maybe lovers, semi-friends, deep friends plus long-time lovers, sympatico but not lovers, should be lovers but stopped at friends, platonic friends, cannot be lovers regardless, fantasy friends, scarred lovers,
universal, free and pathological friends and lovers.

Let us celebrate them all on this holy day. Amun.

Circus Boy 1 / Robert Trudeau / Wacom Bamboo

2008-06-24T15:29:00.001-07:00

Circus Boy 1 / Robert Trudeau / Wacom Bamboo
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Back to the Bamboo after months away. Ha. Certainly it is awkward. Yet there's no better way for me to experiment with color.

Inspired by Circus art and the louie colors of that stylized world.

Reggie Runnels / sketch Robert Trudeau

2008-06-11T07:55:00.001-07:00

Reggie Runnels / sketch Robert Trudeau
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Reggie will be my rep in responding to the many kind greetings received during my hospitalization. He will appear on the thank you notes as a symbol of appreciation and brotherhood.

Thanks, Reg.

Marvin & Malvina / sktch Robert Trudeau

2008-06-11T07:51:00.001-07:00

Marvin & Malvina / sktch Robert Trudeau
Originally uploaded by trudeau

From the hospital stay during my recent aneurysm repair in Houston.

Don St Martin & Reginald LaCoste

2008-05-24T13:39:00.001-07:00

Don St Martin & Reginald LaCoste
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Sketch is based on a couple of fellows I observed in Houston, though I imagined them in New Orleans. Don is a barber in his father's shop and Reg is a sous chef and trumpet player.

Cole Porter, Josephine Baker in New Orleans

2008-05-24T13:36:00.001-07:00

Cole Porter, Josephine Baker
Originally uploaded by trudeau

A study for a show called Couples. Everyone seems to love celebrities.
And these are my favorite pop artists of the recent era.

Merci to my comrades

2008-05-19T10:55:00.001-07:00

Merci!
Originally uploaded by trudeau

In this time of health issues my long-time comrades at Caddo Magnet High have sent marvelous gifts of consolation and honor. I am humbled and delighted. This is part of my Thank You to them.

Dixie goes to Carnival - in New Orleans

2008-05-13T18:04:00.001-07:00

Dixie at Carnival / Robert Trudeau 08
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Bandages as part of one's costume or mask is not an untoward idea, is it? Today Band Aids come in colors. They make this neat prickly sensation on your skin. Also, they're quick, eh?

The rest of Dixie is bastardized Maori. The raised facial tattoos. The flowing ink pattern tattoos make her look as though she's been in a wind tunnel air flow study.

The background expresses a musical vibe that comes from the soundscape of the entire Creole city.

Is that a perm?

Two books / Robert Trudeau 08

2008-05-13T17:24:00.001-07:00

Two books / Robert Trudeau 08
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Notes from a series on couples. Having sketched it, I'm impressed by how I can be so sappy.

Still, I like the place where the noses overlap and the bizarre eyes and non-Rohrschach test and the unconsummated kiss.

The background doesn't really look like books, but that's good. Talbot said they looked like palapas, which is lovely. I like that the dif in facial coloration is the product only of the frequency of the horizontals.

Workshop time. Do another.

Ascha means "hope" and "life" in Hindi and Swahili

2008-05-03T10:30:00.001-07:00

Ascha means "hope" and "life" in Hindi and Swahili
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Sketched as a gifty to Wendy Benscoter and Pam Atchison, managers of ShreveportBossierFunGuide.com, on the launch of the new web site.

Wendy and Pam have employed me as the arts guide editor, a territory that I relish. And they both sent gifties to me on opening day.

Merci!

Willie & Willie Mae Williams: based on Louisiana characters I've met in Shreveport

2008-04-18T05:46:00.001-07:00

Willie & Willie Mae Williams
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Lot of style and character to local men and women of color. I'm trying to capture the independence of spirit as well as the sartorial sense.

Welcome to the Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali

2008-01-02T10:53:00.001-08:00

Djenne
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Let's go to the continent of Africa, where clothing flows with graceful, billowing lines.

The bearded man in the foreground is holding a harp-like, gourd-based kora. We would imagine he's a griot.

It was not my intention to portray the people in the mid ground in a scuffle. They were supposed to be dancing. But, sh*t happens. Even outside a mosque, sometimes.

The mud and wood mosque of Djenne is a monument. The expanses of smooth, hard mud wall are studded by the protruding ends of the structure's wooden skeleton.

First sketch of 08, I do believe.

Sketch that led to Talbot's felt design for the Blanc et Noir Marching Society banner and coat emblem

2007-12-20T11:32:00.001-08:00

B & N 1
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Hey, Blanc et Noir is parading on Sun, feb 3, 08, in the Krewe of Highland parade. You're welcome to join us.

Please see more at http://blancetnoirmarchingsociety.blogspot.com.

Burroughs in El Paso / 07

2007-12-16T12:43:00.001-08:00

Burroughs / Robert Trudeau 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau

While Burroughs is associated with Paris, London, Mexico City, even Lawrence, Kansas (1981 - 1997), I was watching the movie about Johnny Cash when I sketched him and imagined Burroughs crossing paths with Cash in El Paso. Two dark birds on a wire.

le reve

2007-12-08T15:05:00.001-08:00

le reve
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Spontaneous dreamscape before bed, thinking of how it might go in a sketch performance. Wondering what I'd produce. How to squeeze out the week's protribulations.

Zaraa zehr 02

2007-12-08T15:00:00.001-08:00

Zaraa zehr 02
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Souvenir of a belly dance production by Rebecca Nesbitt Prosino at soundstage 516, downtown Shreveport. I performed as narrator and photog. Bevy of beauties and all that.

Happy holidays 07 from the staff of Trudeau Communications

2007-12-08T14:53:00.001-08:00

Happyholidays 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau

A quick burst of pen work before bed to deliver some of the demons to the castle.

Actually, I was rehearsing, sort of, for doing a concert using a live pen atop a musical bed.

Jean le Bon, Paris

2007-11-23T11:56:00.001-08:00

Deck the Halls art market, Artspace, Shreveport; opens Nov 15 / Robert Trudeau
Originally uploaded by trudeau

This fellow entered the sketchbook via a notable painting at the Louvre. Jean le Bon, aka John II, was immortalized in a portrait by an unknown French artist, 14th century Paris.

Jean was king of France from 1350 to 1364.

In my recent sketch he has entered the monastery and taken tonsure, which is probably portrayed too broadly. Still, I like the robes d'investiture
and his sanctified glow. His eyes seem to say High As a Loon.

Sugar in Shreveport

2007-11-11T19:40:00.001-08:00

Sugar
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Inspired by a van Eyck painting of Christ that I sketched in a Belgian museum this summer, I've been playing with this face and watching it morph.

The eyes seem characterful and somewhat unsettling. Clearly this is a sober and intense person. Angry? Possibly. Threatening? OK.

Partly it is a study of aging flesh. So many furrows in one face.

I think of him as a monk; one of a series. From age 14 to 18 I went to a Catholic seminary, a boarding school outside of Covington, La, in which we were ruled by monks. Order of St Benedict. Some were benevolent fellows. Many were old school-stern and even malicious.

Then why the title, Sugar? For the sake of irony, I think.

Blood on the walls at Deck the Halls

2007-11-11T19:24:00.001-08:00

Blood
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Blood might also be entitled Iraq.

You can see a previous version of Blood in an earlier post.

Meeting of cultures.

Many African-Americans are Muslim. Many of them are descended from West African families that were Muslim before coming to the US.

This piece also comments on the much-debated gangsta stance. Are these women veiled or gagged?

It's also about texture, of course. Texture freak.

It will be for sale during the holiday art market at Artspace, Shreveport.
In a heavy black frame.

Calacas: the Godfather of Soul, Artspace, Shreveport

2007-11-05T00:52:00.001-08:00

the Godfather of Soul, Artspace, Shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

In a benefit for Artspace and the Dia de los Muertos exhibit, SRAC supplied me with the plastic skeleton, which as you see is quite charming. Found the large raw wood frame in Talbot's collection of old frames. Put in a few screw eyes and wired in the dancing calaca.

It went for $100 in the auction. Thanks to Gif and Bonnie Gillen for fancying it.

Chicken of the Dead, a response to celebrations of Dia de los Muertos

2007-11-05T00:30:00.001-08:00

Chicken of the Dead / pen and ink robert trudeau 07, Shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Being involved in a celebration of Dia de los Muertos at Artspace, Shreveport, has resulted in . . .

* shooting and editing 2 videos: one of interviews with Mexican-Americans and another of the party that marked the opening of the exhibit (please see youtube.com/trudeau11 on the short one).
* making 6 illustrations from the life of folksinger Huddie Lead Belly Ledbetter for a large ofrendas.
* making a calaveras to be auctioned for the sponsoring arts organization.
* additionally, this quasi-skeleton popped out last week.
* expresso pen in a moleskine.

Christ the Secular / After Jan Van Eyck's Christ / mixed media by Robert Trudeau

2007-07-19T14:55:00.001-07:00

After Van Eyck's Christ / mixed media by Robert Trudeau
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Sketched the face while standing in front of Jan Van Eyck's study of Christ in the Groenigen Museum, Brugges, Belgium.

At home I realized one reason I was drawn to it was that it was a secular Christ. So I found some bleached blond hair and a royal tunic and laid it upon a Jasper Johns piece. July 07.

To be donated to the Auction against AIDS in Shreveport for support of the Philadelphia Center.

Musee du Louvre 07

2007-07-02T19:58:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Louvre 07

2007-07-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

This week in Europe

2007-07-02T19:56:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

When found, return to LouisiAfrica

2007-07-02T19:54:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Shreveport 07

2007-07-02T19:53:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Crowd noise 07

2007-07-02T19:52:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

London mime

2007-07-02T19:51:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Packing 07

2007-07-02T19:50:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Louvre 07

2007-07-02T19:48:00.003-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Happy birthday, Talbot

2007-07-02T19:48:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Europe 07

2007-07-02T19:47:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Louvre 07

2007-07-02T19:46:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Louvre 07

2007-07-02T19:30:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Beauborg 07

2007-07-02T19:29:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

In the lobby 07

2007-07-02T19:28:00.003-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Modernisme 07

2007-07-02T19:28:00.001-07:00

Paris 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Pompidou 07

2007-07-02T19:27:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Paris / Pompidou 07

2007-07-02T19:26:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Cy Twombly

2007-07-02T11:52:00.001-07:00

Cy Twombly
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

A walk thru Spt 07

2007-07-02T11:49:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Notes, Europe 07

2007-07-02T11:43:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

British Museum 07

2007-07-02T11:40:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Cirque du Trudeau 07

2007-07-02T11:23:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Shreveport notes, June, 07

2007-07-02T11:21:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Shreveport notes 07

2007-07-02T11:19:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Shreveport 07

2007-07-02T11:16:00.001-07:00

Shreveport 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Den Haag 07

2007-07-02T11:14:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Rijksmuseum 07

2007-07-02T11:12:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Rembrandt 07

2007-07-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Amsterdam 07

2007-07-02T10:29:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Amsterdam 07

2007-07-02T09:26:00.001-07:00

Amsterdam 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Amsterdam 07

2007-07-02T09:21:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Europe 07

2007-07-02T09:08:00.003-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Medieval Europe 07

2007-07-02T09:08:00.001-07:00

Medieval Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Rims project & notes 07

2007-07-02T09:05:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Christ in Europe 07

2007-07-02T09:04:00.001-07:00

Europe 07
Originally uploaded by trudeau11

Watching Trudeau's Video Documentary at the opening of the Lotus Studio

2007-06-04T23:19:00.001-07:00

Watching Trudeau's Video Documentary at the opening of the Lotus Studio
Originally uploaded by Red River Blog Jam

Thanks, kathryn, for documenting the documentary. June 2, 07.

Box guitar player / in memory of Johnny Slim Campbell

2007-04-02T08:50:00.001-07:00

Box guitar player
Originally uploaded by trudeau.

Sketched while listening to American Routes radio program host/producer Nick Spitzer talk about the rebirth of New Orleans.
Centenary College, Feb 07.

Image based on memories of the late blues singer Johnny Slim Campbell.

N. Fez

2007-04-02T07:22:00.001-07:00

N. Fez
Originally uploaded by trudeau.

Mediterranean dude. The stylized hair is borrowed from an impression I got from Etruscan art, maybe. Minoan?

This is a misbegotten figure all around but I think he's an amenable sort.