Friday, December 28, 2007

King Cake courtesy of Lee Spruell at the 12th Night lunch at Brother's Seafood on Sat, Jun 5


King Cake
Originally uploaded by Travis Stansbury
Lee Spruell writes, "I hope you and your family have had a blessed Christmas season --- mine has been --- it has also been busy --- I have moved everything out of my classroom in Marshall and will move it into my room at Ridgewood on Jan. 2 --- I love it though --- I feel the move is going to be a positive one ---

I was in town yesterday shopping half price sales for next year's treasures ---so I stopped by the bakery across from Byrd High and ordered a King Cake for the party at Brothers on the 5th ---please let me know if there is anything else I can do --- if not I will see you there.
¡Felicidades! ------ Lee


Merci beaucoup, Lee!

Btw, don't you like the pattern of the King cake above? Fresh take and strong design.
RT

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Blanc et Noir Marching Society follows the Crescent City tradition by second lining with a brass band

Here's an evocative shot from Ed Newman. It was 1992, Newman was a law student in New Orleans. If you want to see where the B&N vibe is coming from, please click on this photo and follow Newman's photo stream.

Blanc et Noir: make your own pins, Tshirts, felt medallions and posters


B & N mask 1
Originally uploaded by trudeau
Blanc et Noir is a krewe founded by a group of artists: Robert & Talbot Hopkins Trudeau and Jerry & Tarama Davenport.

Thus the emphasis is on original and artful costumes and paraphernalia.

Here's one design created by the Trudeaus that you can use on jackets, posters and pins. Download it by following a link back to flickr.com and above the photo, click All Sizes; there you will be able to download the image.

But you are certainly Not required to use this motif. If you create a design - Jerry Davenport has his own, which was used on lots of jackets last year - please send me a photo of it.

At the Costume Workshop on Jan 15 (site tba) I will show you how to make a freezer paper stencil to paint designs like this one atop black Tshirts or what have you. My daughter Annabel and I are going to do a run-through tomrrow.

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Blanc et Noir salutes the Mystick Krewe of Apollo Shreveport; Bal Masque XXII to be Sat, Jan 19, 2008


100_0728
Originally uploaded by BrianOrrell
Says charter member of B & N Sheri Underwood, "I am going to be attending the Krewe of Apollo ball this Mardi Gras and wanted to wear something that would identify me as a Blanc member. I thought it might help in getting some new members. Do you have an idea for a good look that I could steal? I was thinking some sort of pin but I am not sure of the design. Any help you could pass along I would appreciate it.

P.S. I will be at the brunch next month. Hopefully with new members and definitely with money!"

Thanks, Sheri. Truly, the spirit of unity in Carnival is one of its great pleasures.

If you'd like to have one of Talbot's medallions, appropriate for sewing or pinning to the back of a black blazer, you may. Basically it looks like an African mask and is the symbol seen on the krewe banner. I like your idea of a pin, too. I'll try to design one and publish it here.

Anyone else with ideas? Post them, please, in the comments box.

The Bal Masque of the Krewe of Apollo will be held at the Municipal Auditorium, 705 Elvis Presley Blvd, Shreveport, on Sat, Jan 19. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased at The Vacuum Cleaner Hospital, 101 E. King's Hwy, 318-869-3197. Black tie. Valet Parking. Cash bar. Age 21 and older.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Blanc et Noir press release to the Times


masque
Originally uploaded by trudeau
For the Times Jan section on regional krewes we submitted the following . . .

Royalty:
Le Capitaine: Robert Trudeau, Comtesse: Talbot Hopkins Trudeau
Dauphin: Jerry Davenport; Baronne: Tarama Davenport

Join us:
Join the Blanc et Noir by sending a check for $30 per adult or teen (children free and welcome) to Robert Trudeau, 912 Monrovia St, Shreveport 71106.

Celebrations:
Twelfth Night brunch at Brothers' Seafood at noon, Sat, Jan 5. Costume Workshop on Sat, Jan 19, noon, location tba.

Robert

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Artist Lee Spruell latest addition to B&N krewe

Lee Spruell and I met on the set of Dia de los Muertos, the recent exposition at Artspace Shreveport. I am delighted that he has sent in his check to be part of the Feb 08 parade.

Lee was on the Dia planning committe because he is in love with Mexico and its culture. A frequent traveler to Mexico, he brought ideas and materials to the Artspace show and also presented beautifully-costumed youngsters whom he'd taught folkloric dances. His ofrendas to Frida Kahlo was super-colorful and detailed.

Lee and Jerry and Tarama Davenpoprt and I want to present a costume workshop on a Sat morn in January. Drop me an email at trudeau@earthlink.net if you'd like to join us and trade ideas for costumes that are cheap and easy but imaginative and fun.