September 28, 2015

September 28, 2015

I have told you that I wanted to cover as many of the 60s musical genres as I could, as well as certain artists.  It was not easy to find music that could be illustrated for some of my favorites.  The Rolling Stones were especially difficult.  Some of my favorite songs just did not have appropriate images for my type of art—or Springfield.  Think about the lyrics to ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,’ ‘Get off of my Cloud, or ‘Jumping Jack Flash.’  I listen to Sirius 60s in the studio and one day they played ‘She’s a Rainbow.’  EUREKA!  I saw a girl wearing a rainbow of color.  I painted her standing on a rock overlooking the ocean.  The background is all done in grey tones so that she comes alive on the canvas.  Her caftan is painted with Twinkling H2Os, watercolor paints that have mica in them so they shimmer.  I use these paints for a lot of my painted book pages.  The shimmer adds a richness and vibrancy to the paper.  I hope to see you on opening night, October 17 (5:30-7:30).  If you cannot attend opening night, please come by during gallery hours through December 3.  (Prairie Art Alliance Gallery, Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL).

September 27, 2015

September 27, 2015

Twenty days until opening night!  When I started writing about this show on September 17, I had seven pieces to complete.  Today I am down to just 3.  Last night I finished my last two dimensional piece.  It was just about six weeks ago that Linda Post-Lucas (the other featured artist) asked me about my 3 dimensional work.  I told her that I was told that I could not have any 3D pieces because of the wood workers show using the floor space.  She said that I was known for my quirky 3D pieces and that I should do them.  So I checked, and as long as they were not large, I could do a few 3D items.  But my show was approaching fast and I had not been planning or thinking in three dimensions.  However there was one piece that I had wanted to do for years.  In fact, I have had the elements in a baggie set aside for the job for over 4 years.  Then my friend, Mary Ann Defend, gave me a wonderful piece of wood that she knew I could use in an art project.  It was just what I needed to complete the piece.  So my first 3D work for this show is – TA DA – The Strawberry Fielders!!  Yes, I know it is terrible, but, if you know me, you know that I love puns and humor.  I had to search to find something to make the hats from.  The crown of these hats are made of kids’ party poppers.  I had to order a gross in order to get 9 of the same color.  (If anyone needs 130 poppers, I have them.) 

September 26, 2015

September 26, 2015

The featured artists are asked to donate a piece to the Prairie Art Alliance for a raffle.  Chances to win are $1 each or 6 for $5.  I decided to make my raffle item early so that it would not be a last minute idea.  I made an image for ‘Joy to the World’ (3 Dog Night).  Jeremiah (the bullfrog) is leaning back in his red beach chair, chilling with a bottle of mighty fine wine.  One of my friends really liked Jeremiah and wanted to buy him.  So, with an actual sale in hand, I decided to make a new raffle piece.  So I did an Octopus’s Garden (Beatles).  But an Octopus’s Garden turned out exceptionally well.  It is entirely collaged made with hand-painted papers (more on that process in another posting).  And I thought that this is also a piece that someone might buy.  So I had to make a 3^rd piece to be the raffle item.  I did ‘I am the Walrus’ (Beatles) and, if I say so myself, it is pretty cute.  The walrus is made from hand-painted papers collaged to the canvas.  But I decided that there had to be an Egg-man too.  First I thought about painting egg-men all around the edges of the canvas.  Then I thought about having a flat egg-man peeking around from behind the canvas.  But finally I came up with the best way to do the egg-man—he is 3-dimensional sitting on top of the canvas, looking a little worried about the water and the walrus.  I felt sorry for him, so I gave him a life preserver (but it might be too small for him which adds to the worry.)  I hope that you will come to the show at the Hoogland Center for the Arts (October 17 – December 3) and buy a chance to win the walrus and egg-man.

September 25, 2015

September 25, 2015

I have always loved Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers.  I had absolutely no plans to illustrate this song, I just would not have known how to start.  But, again, one day my Sirius 60s channel played Unchained Melody and an image popped into my head.  It was a Vietnam soldier sitting on his duffel writing a letter home.  This was so appropriate because the words fit so well, and Vietnam was a huge part of young people’s lives in the 60s.  The draft, the protests, the demonstrations; every night there were more war images on the nightly news.  It was the first war televised daily at suppertime.  It caused high feelings for nearly everyone—whether you were pro or con.  Unfortunately, the result was that the returning soldiers were rejected and made to feel that their service was wrong.  We lost so many young men, many more were badly injured, physically and mentally.  It tore the country apart.  So including an image from Vietnam is appropriate for a 60s show.  Letters were the only communication that we had with the soldiers.  Letters were the soldiers’ link with home.  I think that my generation may be the last to have used the hand-written word and to know what it is to wait days or weeks to hear from a loved one.  “Oh, my love, my darling, I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time.  Time goes by so slowly, and time can do so much.  Are you still mine?”

September 24, 2015

September 24, 2015

I have loved Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (the books) since childhood.  And I love some hard and surrealistic rock.  So doing ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson Airplane was an easy choice. (I did own The Surrealistic Pillow album.)  However I did the painting in the book sense rather than the Grace Slick sense.  But I put in all the elements mentioned in the song.  The white rabbit is prominent with a lovely herringbone jacket.  The caterpillar is on the mushroom with his hookah and smoke billowing around.  Alice is in the 3-inch stage, peeking over the mushroom.  In the background you can see the chessboard, the White Knight and the Red Queen.  Here is where Grace made a mistake.  The Red Queen in the book is the chess queen.  Grace meant the Queen of Hearts (“off with her head”), not the Red Queen.  But using the Queen of Hearts in the lyrics would have messed up the rhythm so it is OK.  I have a nod to the surrealistic with the large flowers.  And if you peek around the left edge of the canvas, you will see the dormouse in the sugar bowl. ( I don’t think that he ever said “Feed your head.”)  Perhaps I should have gone more surrealistic, but that is not in vogue these days.  And there is a possibility that someone might want to buy The White Rabbit for a child’s or grandchild’s room.  It is a bright and colorful image.  Come to the show at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.  It runs from opening night on October 17 through December 3.  Hope to see you.     

September 23, 2015

September 23, 2015

I have loved Neil Diamond music for over 50 years.  He is the only entertainer that I have seen in person 4 times.  So, after Donovan, I started doing ‘Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show.’  I love that song and I felt called to illustrate it.  The collage elements were such fun to do!  The tent walls are made from teabags.  Teabags are great for getting wonderful brown stains which add depth and age.  The floorboards are cut from a map of southern Illinois which were painted with transparent watercolor.  Brother Love’s suit is made from pages of a very damaged Bible that I got at a garage sale for a dime.  I really didn’t want to offend anyone by using actual Bible pages, but it was perfect for his suit and the Bible was in tatters.  The podium and his guitar were cut from hymnal music pages, also painted with transparent watercolors.  The people in the crowd have clothing which is mostly painted book pages.  This piece is energetic.  It is also the reason that I am creating special labels for each piece in the show.  I told a friend about Brother Love and she said that she did not remember that song.  HOW could anyone not remember Brother Love?!!  That got me thinking that my audience might not know these songs.  So I started searching for small devices to share the music—like those in some greeting cards.  I found some (no, not really cheap), but I decided that it would add a great pizazz to the show.  So I am making labels from old 45 records, adding my own labels, and putting a push button on the record so that you can hear a few seconds of each of the songs.  I could not record the entire song because of copyright issues, but you can get enough of the music to jog your memory.  This is taking a lot of extra time and adding to my expenses, but I think that it will make the show more enjoyable for the viewers.  I am so excited to do this and hope that you will come, not just to see, but now to hear as well.

September 22, 2015

September 22, 2015

My second piece was another Donovan song, ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’.  Don’t ask me why Donovan got two pieces.  The ones I mainly remember are ‘Mellow Yellow’ and ‘Sunshine Superman’.  But the idea of a hurdy gurdy player was fascinating.  I googled images of hurdy gurdys and found a wide range of styles.  I also found a wonderful photo of an old man playing a hurdy gurdy in a park with his dachshund at his side.  I loved that photo and wanted to try and paint it.  However someone else had taken the picture.  So I went to the website and e-mailed the owner asking for permission to use the photo in a painting.  He replied in the affirmative, so I was able to use the picture.  The background was unclear so I did have to make up a park and cityscape behind the man.  It is winter and he is playing for money, but he has made sure that his dog is comfortable.  The dog not only has a jacket, but his dog bed and blanket if he gets cold.  This is a large piece and took weeks to finish, but I am happy with it.  The collage elements include the tree behind the man, his vest, the dog’s blanket and the money in his hat.