A Southern Love Letter...

See Ya Later Alligator!

As I mentioned in an earlier post,  I just love to visit arts/crafts shows to experience local talent and find unique finds for our home. We knew when we up-rooted from Florida and moved to Louisiana that we would incorporate the spirit of this state wherever we could. But let's not get carried away, my husband's prized stuffed ducks are safely hung in his "man cave" a/k/a the garage! 

One sunny spring day last year, we visited a Baton Rouge art market. This market is one of the larger ones in the area so it made for a full day just trying to see it all. But amongst several of my favorites was a very unique booth called Swamp Dog & Friends. What first drew us in was the site of cypress frames initially and then as we got closer the fine photography stopped us in our tracks.  The pieces were unique and quirky but also had a beauty to them because of the way the photographer, Robin Bell, incorporates the charm of Louisiana.

And with so many to choose from, I was drawn to this guy, an alligator. We had the perfect spot for him at the bar in our home. 

Don't judge, who hasn't been there after martini night! 

Swamp Dog & Friends has many wonderful options to choose from but it will be hard to pick one because they are all full of personality, charm and unique beauty!

Here is the sweet story from their website:

The story of Swamp Dog is a sweet and simple one. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, she was found on an old gravel road between the banks of Bayou Lafourche and a sugar cane field near a small village called Napoleonville in South Louisiana. No one knows for sure if she was a victim of the Great Hurricane or simply a victim of sad circumstances, the kind that finds so many strays abandoned and alone. Her rescuer, a good man from the swamp took her home and made her whole again. He named her Shiloh unaware of the journey he would soon take with her, a journey from her humble beginnings as his little stray hound of questionable heritage and pedigree into the world of Swamp Dog.

Shiloh began her career in front of the camera rather suddenly. One day, Robin Bell and her business partner, Jennie Alexandry traveled to the swamp to visit the man. Their sole purpose was to photograph an old blue pirogue soon to become firewood for an upcoming bonfire. The man tied the little blue pirogue for towing then helped the two women into his boat. When the perfect photo-shoot location was found, the small boat was tied to a large cypress knee. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Shiloh came running through the brush on the lake’s bank. The man from the swamp had forgotten his new family member and, apparently, she was not going to stand for it. Without warning, Shiloh jumped into the shallow water and proceeded to swim through the cypress knees towards the little blue pirogue. When she reached the boat, she climbed in, desperately trying to inch closer to her Papa. Before long, Shiloh was standing over the side of the boat. The photograph that was soon to become Swamp Dog was staring right back at the three surprised onlookers. Shiloh cried, barked and begged for Papa; then, just at the right moment, Robin did what she does best – she snapped a memorable photograph. After Shiloh’s impromptu photo-session, Robin turned to the man from the swamp and remarked, “Do we have a picture to give your wife for Christmas”! Yes, he did have a unique Christmas gift. And as for Robin, Jennie and Swamp Dog, well as they say, the rest is history.

Robin A. Bell is a self taught photographer who currently lives in Thibodaux, La. She currently works as a child psychologist in Napoleonville, LA. Swamp Dog & Friends was conceived and developed by Robin and her friend and colleague, Jennie T. Alexandry.  And we would be remiss not to mention Arch A. Bell, Robin's father who is the Woodcraftsmen and Frame Designer, considering his work was what drew us to this wonderful booth in the first place! 

Check out the website, it's so worth a look!

www.swampdogandfriends.com

   My next one? I'm thinking the Blue Crawfishtini...:)

Gratefully,

Deborah...xxoo