One More Day — The Story Behind "The French Quarter"
Every morning we went down to reception and added another day.
We had booked three nights in New Orleans. We ended up staying much longer. Not because we had run out of things to do — but because we hadn't run out of reasons to stay.
This was my second visit to the city, and it was just as good as the first. Better, even, because I knew what was waiting. The tin-roofed music sheds where you pay a couple of dollars and stand in the dark listening to blues musicians who play like they mean every note. The cajun food that ruins you for anywhere else. The street parades that appear without warning and pull you in before you've decided whether to join. The locals — warm, proud, generous — who treat a stranger like a neighbour from the moment you step outside.
Our visit coincided with President Obama's trip to New Orleans on August 27, 2015, to mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The city was reflective but not diminished. If anything, the anniversary seemed to remind everyone of what they had survived and rebuilt — and the energy in the streets that week had a particular kind of defiance to it. Joyful defiance. The best kind.
I illustrated Bourbon Street in explosive colour because that is the only honest way to render it. New Orleans doesn't do subtle. It does excessive, vibrant, alive — and it earns every bit of it.
This piece is for anyone who has been to New Orleans and left a piece of themselves there. And for anyone who hasn't been yet and doesn't know what they're missing.
Some cities you visit. New Orleans visits you back.
Bring The French Quarter Into Your Space
Available as canvas, framed canvas and art print options.