Dinos...Can ya Dig?!

I began working on the Audubon Zoo's upcoming Dinosaur exhibit this week. I have been casting dinosaur eggs, teeth, claws, and low-relief sculpted heads, etc. for the Dino Dig area! I'm having oodles of fun with portland cement, I tell ya... My favorites are the trilobites.

They also have me repairing and repainting the elephant skeleton too look like an afternoon snack for the animated dinosaurs that will be in the garden area of the exhibit. I will also be repainting the resin-cast T-Rex and Tyrannosaurus skulls for the interior portion of the exhibit.

Until I get photos out of my fabulous adventures, take a look at some old favorites.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxbernardi/

At Mitch Landrieu's Office January 22, 2008

Here are additional photos of the moment I presented Mitch Landrieu with his portrait.

He Likes It! He Likes It!

This past Thursday I presented Mitch Landrieu with his portrait. Unfortunately, my flash did not go off for the photo above. There were two cameras snapping, so hopefully the other one will reach me soon via e-mail so that I can post it as well.

He asked me many questions about the artisitc process and was fascinated with the fact that I worked from a combination of photos I shot of him at City Park (one for the pose, one for his facial expression) and yet another photo of the bayou. While we discussed the casual manner of his pose, he found himself standing in the exact same position! Note the top photo.

Back Stage at "All Shook Up"

This flat was designed to peek out from behind the curtained wing of the stage. The musical, "All Shook Up", opens with this rear fender of a '57 Cadillac peeling out from a gas station. I do plan to photograph the set pieces on their stage marks this upcoming Friday.


Here is the flat which represents the travelling art-exhibit trailer for "All Shook Up". My color choices are in keeping with the 1950's themed aesthetics of the play. In other words- right up my alley!

Honey Don't

These maniacs at Le Petit cut out these crazy shapes, then say, "Can ya paint it to look like a bus?" Well, I aim to please. This back end of a bus juts out onto the stage from behind a curtain. One of the characters boards the bus and waves good buy to his sweetheart as before the bus "pulls away" and disappears offstage! The lunatic waving in my photo is really Rob, the carpenter, and the passenger is none other than Josh, the theatre's technical director.

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

I'm at Le Petit Theatre for the next few days helping with the set for "All Shook Up". I painted these "classic sculpture" flats. They roll out of a travelling art museum, which is really a tiny trailer. At some point in the musical, three back-up singers pop out from behind the sculptures to accompany Elvis as a... Greek chorus?!

This Elvis musical is loosely based on...Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night"! Who dreams up this stuff?! I tried to comfort the TD (technical director) in his misery by telling him, just think of "The Producers" and try to keep laughing. He answered, "I don't want to- we're doing that one in May!"

AT LAST

Finally, I have completed my portrait of Mitch Landrieu, our esteemed Lietenant Governor. It was an honor to paint the portrait of a man I have long admired for all he has done for our city and our state! I wish all of our politicians were as effective, but we must be fair... Being in charge of Culture and Tourism in a state like ours must make showing up for work exciting. Still, I am grateful that we have someone enthusiastic in that post! I also must thank Gene Meneray at the Arts Council for suggesting I begin this blog!