Van Gogh Gala - 2012

We are honored to be selected again as "star artists" for the Van Gogh Gala fundraiser.  Our donation this year is "Snake Drawer".

View photo album



Title and Medium: "Snake Drawer" – assemblage, mixed media.  Notice the snake that has slithered through the drawer front leaving his rattle as a drawer knob. The snake eye dice, the snake rattle keychain, and assorted verbiage complete this assemblage.

Inspiration: We have a drawer full of wooden snakes that we have made over the past 20 years. Guests seem to enjoy seeing and touching them so we thought – why not make a "Snake Drawer" for Van Gogh. Dave made the drawer, Judy and Dave carved the snakes, and Judy painted them.
Reward: Creating a piece for the Van Gogh Gala is very satisfying. We enjoy working on something together, and it is especially fun if it is something not quite mainstream. You know the old saying, "People who carve snakes together, stay together." It’s been 47 years with many ahead.



The River Road - Port Allen to Destrehan, LA

St. Raphael Cemetary

St. Raphael Cemetary

We had a most enjoyable drive along the River Road from Port Allen, LA to Destrehan. It was a beautiful day and the roads were full of trucks carrying sugar cane to the mill for processing. Lunch was great at the Grapevine Cafe and Grill in Donaldsonville.  We saw beautiful plantations and cemetaries and plenty of cane fields.

Cane field

Cane truck

A highlight for me was when we stopped along the road south of White Castle to watch the cane trucks dropping off loads of cut cane for processing at the Cora Texas Manufacturing plant where they grind the cane to produce raw sugar and black strap molasses.  Watch these videos to see some of the activity.
Video 1 - at Cora Texas
Video 2 - at Cora Texas
Processing at Cora Texas

Cora Texas sugar mill

Turtle soup - Grapevine Cafe

Eggplant wheelswith crabmeat au gratin

Evergreen Plantation - Edgard, LA

in Donaldsonville