For this semester in watercolor, I’ve been researching various facets of feminine identity. For this week, I chose to paint a transgendered person we encountered on Bourbon Street, who had taken upon herself the task of directing traffic. Keep in mind, this was at around noonish on a weekday! Yes, there is always something going on in New Orleans!
It has been brought to my attention by a commenter that my paintings/descriptions of them could be construed as offensive, mocking, or exploitative. That is not at all the intention of this series and I apologize for any offense it may have caused. I intentionally chose to eliminate the background/passersby (and replace them with the subject as a triptych) because I did not want this to be about the novelty of my experience, but rather about her grace and what she sexually identified herself as – regardless of how others perceived her. I was not aiming for shock value (as for the third part of the painting, I felt like it was an important piece of information), nor was I trying to be cute or edgy. Honestly, this is one of the things I truly LOVE about New Orleans – that anyone of any gender identity could be directing traffic in fishnets and a miniskirt on a weekday, and it would be the “norm.” Now onto the images!
The painting is actually a triptych in three separate pieces, digitally collaged together here. For your reference and mine, I photographed my process!
Momo always stays up late with me on Sunday nights to watch me paint!
Some of the original photographs:
Photos by my sister, Lulu!
April 7, 2010 at 8:56 am
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I love the subject you chose, and your coloring is SO beautiful, Catherine! She looks so graceful, especially in the second to last comment
April 7, 2010 at 8:58 am
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Comment should be”photo.” Sorry, I was distracted by the insane comment someone left above me.
April 7, 2010 at 4:09 pm
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I love the photos you took of the work in progress. And Momo is so cute sometimes I want squeeze her!
April 7, 2010 at 4:19 pm
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I don’t understand what’s so offensive about which avenue she chose to paint? This transwoman identifies as female in heart and soul and is a person and has every right to be included as one of the many facets of feminine identity.
April 8, 2010 at 1:49 am
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your painting skills never cease to amaze me.
April 8, 2010 at 12:57 pm
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everything about this is wonderful! I don’t understand anything about the offensiveness that someone said might be there. In any case, it’s gorgeous and I think you did a great job!
April 8, 2010 at 1:30 pm
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Beautiful! I was curious to see the originals and I am stunned at how detailed your painting came out. The colours are amazing, too.
I am rather surprised that someone would be offened about you drawing a transgender person. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. Of course when it comes to which expression should be used to discribe such a person, one should choose wisely in order not to offend anyone.
April 10, 2010 at 5:05 pm
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Before it was pointed out that the word previously used here was offensive, I was also unaware of its insulting meanings. Wonders of the internet, every day I learn something new (:
Your watercolour paintings are so beautiful that they always leave me in admiration and tad bit of envy!
April 12, 2010 at 3:42 pm
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It has been way too long since I’ve looked at your blog. I LOVE your art and all your recent posts.
April 15, 2010 at 2:24 am
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i really love the paint! how fuuny picture hehe..
your an artist!
Yaryy<3
April 16, 2010 at 4:42 am
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omg…. i love this…. i mean the subject u chose honestly isn’t the classiest subject but the face that its being water colored(i assume ?) gives it a very different vibe and feeling.