The Steamboat Landing

One of my favorite spots in the New Orleans French Quarter, you can hop onboard an authentic paddle boat and cruise up and down the Mississippi River. The music from the old-time calliope beautifully floats throughout the entire French Quarter and, once you hear that melody, you know you've arrived in New Orleans. It's a scene I've wanted to paint for a long time and had previously taken numerous reference photos. Drawing upon elements from various pieces of my photographs, I finally got up the courage to paint this scene this year during the pandemic. I tried to capture the relaxed attitude of visitors to my city, as well as the hustle and bustle of boarding the steamboat Natchez. Various pastels on Lux Archival paper.