GUMBO GATORS

written and illustrated by Paul Schexnayder

Hardcover $19.99

Meet Fran and Van Harahan. This spicy alligator couple travels the state of Louisiana, makin’ groceries for a gumbo. In their boat they pick up rice in Crowley, sausage in Lafayette, and wild game in Shreveport and Monroe. As Fran and Van explore from the Red River to Bayou Teche and down along the old Mississippi, delighting in the delicious ingredients they find along the way, they introduce young readers to the waterways of Louisiana. The book is complete with a Cajun-French glossary.  

New Iberia’s own author and illustrator Paul Schexnayder captures a local’s perspective of his home state with his playful, folk-art-style illustrations. Paul will be autographing his book at Books Along the Teche on October 8  (Gumbo Cookoff weekend) throughout the day. Call the store at 337-367-762 to reserve a signed copy.

Review presented by Books Along the Teche 

337-367-7621  |  106 E. Main Street, New Iberia 

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RENEE de BELLEVUE

Work: Blue-backed Conebille, Orange-billed Sparrow, and Ochre-breasted Brush-finch

Medium: Watercolor (prints)

Available at: Designs by Robin, Lafayette

Price: $36 ea.

If you detect an impressive level of detail in Renee de Bellevue’s paintings, there is a reason. The Louisiana native says, “By studying ornithology and observing the birds’ feathers closely, I am able to create the fine details that I want in my paintings.” The artist has been painting her entire life and says art is a “learning and doing process” that allows her to see things with keener awareness and curiosity. In addition to her extensive series of birds, she also paints historic homes, landscapes, wildlife and flowers in hopes of helping “others see how I see.”

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STEVEN MELANCON

Work: Flex Bowl

Medium: wood

Available at: A&E Gallery, New Iberia

Price: $100

Now that Steven Melancon is retired, he has more time to pursue woodworking. Although he refers to it as a hobby, he’s been woodworking for 30-plus years and now turns out myriad items. For his Flex Bowl, he used Louisiana cypress wood for the top and purple heart for the bowl’s base. Working from his workshop in New Iberia, the artist says he mostly creates his works with a table saw that has a special jig for making precisely spaced cuts. His studio, called Weldon’s Workshop, is a tribute to his father, who was a lifelong woodworker, a veteran (WWII and Korea) and a public servant as a Veterans Service Officer.

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DWIGHT GREEN

Work: A-Symmetrical Jazz Trio

Medium: Acrylic

Available at: ARTworks by Ted Bertrand

Price: Contact studio for pricing

Lafayette native Dwight Green is a self-taught artist who has been painting since the age of 10. A-Symmetrical Jazz Trio is one in a series of brightly colored Jazz-themed pieces Green recently painted, and the series has garnered so much attention lately, the artist has been motivated to continue the theme in future paintings. Green is also a talented concrete designer, and his work can be found on his Facebook and Instagram pages. His Jazz-themed paintings, as well as landscapes, were recently featured in an open house event at the ARTworks by Ted Bertrand studio in Lafayette.