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.
