down by the river

i went down to the big river today

to begin installing work for  'muddy waters'

i was worried this piece might be a bit short

it isn't.

soon it will be suspended

from good sturdy snapper hooks

acquired recently in Aotearoa

then i wandered off to collect dried mud to make mud paint

[why dried? ...have you ever tried to sieve wet mud?]

a thrift store strainer made a good start

and a finer mesh was provided by a cheap spatter guard 

mixed the fine sievings with a little powdered gelatine

to give it a good 'squish' factor

letting it rest until tomorrow

then

the writing will be on the wall

any leftovers can be used for stenciling...

unpacking the big roll with the work from New Orleans

unleashed a tsunami of emotions

New Orleans gets under your skin

in a way no other place does

so

when i got home

i rummaged on Youtube

and found this.

i was there that night.