Happy New Year - Eat Up Some Hoppin' John

Happy New Year, everyone!  Actually, I'm posting this on New Year's Eve...one more drawing to finish up a big art year.

I love eating the dish, Hoppin' John, even if it wasn't good luck.  What am I talking about?  Are you familiar with the Southern saying about eating it on New Year's Day?  Well, here it is:

Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year.  Rice for riches and peas for peace.

Below is my tongue-in-cheek version of it. (-;  Here's to a wonderful 2015!

12" x 16"

Here's some more Black Eyed Peas -two of my favorites from them!

"Let's Get It Started"

"Where Is The Love"

Will Had A Way with His Quill

Will Had A Way with His Quill

Even as a young, naive boy,

Will had a way with his quill.

His mother would shout

from the room across the hall

put that candle out,

once and for all!

But forge ahead the precocious writer sped,

he had so much he needed to get down with his feathery pen.

In his clever mind, scampered ladies and lads,

their stories needed to be told, both happy and sad.

He knew not why he needed to act thusly,

his desire to express exactly the words needed

made him seem quite fussy.

William could hear when his characters pleaded,

"Write beautifully our most hidden actions and thoughts, 

your labor in the future will reveal how richly you succeeded."

So he abided, much to his mother's chagrin,

the call of the mighty muse, 

plucking aside her reprimands like strings on a violin.

His fingers stained with ink, his eyes made bloodshot still

A wordsmith always would he be,

for Shakespeare obeyed the will of his quill.

Holiday Cravings

Jean-Marc had done a Master Cleanse before his GQ assignment, swilling only hot water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup in order to be at his most svelte.  The stylists had raved at his six-pack, and he momentarily considered continuing on this stringent, liquid diet until the new year.  However, the rumbling underneath those abs and the feeling of faintness as the cameras continued to click, left him with only one thought:  "As soon as I am done with this modeling shoot, I'm going to gorge myself on fudge."

RIP Joe Cocker (No Longer Available)

Over the last 2 weeks, I have been listening over and over again to the Black Crowes singing Joe Cocker's "Space Captain" from their 2006 Freak 'n' Roll...Into the Fog: The Black Crowes All Join Hands, The Fillmore, San Francisco.  I kid you not.  As things connect dot after dot, I in turn started watching them on YouTube, and then thought, "why aren't I listening to the original, Joe Cocker version from 1970's Mad Dogs & Englishmen?  And so, I ordered that CD last week, and it still isn't here from Germany or was is PA that I eventually got it?  Anyway, still waiting for this classic when the BBC news of Joe Cocker's death arrived today.  

My heart aches at the passing of all these great, rock 'n' roll singers, players, geniuses.  Joe had the penultimate gravel-filled, whiskey-soaked voice.  I think only Van Morrison, and yes, Chris Robinson, (at times Chris Cornell in heartfelt bluesy mode) hold my soul in their hands when they sing.  The movements of their bodies possessed by what their voices are trying to express and feel.

I am failing miserably, trying to capture with words the emotions their gifts have given me--their willingness to go so deeply with their vocal ability.

RIP in peace, Joe.  You are irreplaceable.

Trying to catch his frenetic energy here.  I don't think it's possible.  

Joe Cocker's "Space Captain"

Black Crowes' "Space Captain"..(OMG--esp. at 2:22 and 3:33!  I could cry!)

Space Captain

Joe Cocker

Once I was traveling across the sky

This lovely planet caught my eye

And being curious I flew close by

And non I'm caught here

Until I die

Until we die

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Till we die

I lost my memory of where I've been

We all forgot that we could fly

Someday we'll all change into peaceful man

And we'll return into the sky

Until we die

Until we die

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Till we die

Live together, yeah,

Learning to live together

Till we die

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Till we die

Hum...Oh...

Ah... hum...

Until we die

Until we die

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

Learning to live together

To live together...

To live together...

To live together

Hans Put on His Holiday Toupee

Hans had tried carefully to conceal the fact that he wore a toupee.  He ordered them online, never going to a store in-person.  He tried 8 different styles until he found one that was most "lifelike."  The fact that it came from the Raquel Welch "Hair U Wear" line just went to show how much he was willing to step outside of the box, finding just the right short style even though it was a women's wig.  Things were going smoothly; in fact, he convinced himself that he had yet to catch anyone's sidelong glances and eyes fluttering up to his topper. Success!

He headed assuredly to a family Christmas party where everyone remarked on his youthful appearance.  His yuletide glee rapidly deflated when, ladling spiked eggnog to hand to his Aunt Hattie, he realized she was wearing the same hairstyle.  His face fell while her's lit up.  What could he do? Quickly add a double shot of liquor into her crystal cup and hope her accusations were taken as drunken senility?  Oh, the truth had to come out.

Perhaps it was the holiday spirit that caused Hattie to grab his hand and take him into the next room.  She opened up her suitcase of a purse and pulled out a sparkly wig.

"Hans," she said with eyes gleaming, "I was going to wear this wig at the end of the night for a laugh.  You do it instead, because after all, when you come out with the truth, you might as well do it in grand style!"  Truer words were never spoken!

Hans put on his holiday toupee, took a deep breath, and bravely rejoined the party.  He also had several crystal cups of double-shot eggnog, but that's beside the point. (-;

Santarotica Opening Night

First of all, DON'T look at this post if you're easily offended by a little erotica.  This was a quirky, tongue-in-cheek show I made a painting for, that's all.

O.K., a few days ago, I posted about this show at White Trash Gallery here (Santarotica Holiday Extravaganza).  I put little tidbits of my painting out there.  Here's the entire thing as well as pics from the show.  I put the sanitized version on Facebook, and I don't think I'll share this post...I'll just make it like a hidden song on the tail-end of the the B-side of an album that no one knows is there unless they listen to the whole thing.

Mine:

Opening night as shown below.

Fabulously coiffed gals and my friends Donna and Abby.

 My friend Cassie was in town from Seattle.  The last time I saw her she had pink hair, so I didn't recognize her at first!  That's why she giving me that weird look in the first pic. below.

Cassie and a potential suitor.

 Cassie flirting.

Carey and her husband, Bob.

 White Trash Peg's nude portrait of Iggy Pop.

 Elvis lives!

White Trash Peg, gallery owner/artist and Cassie.

 Cassie made Jamberry fingernail stickers from my artwork for a Christmas present for me.  So cool!

ACCA Music Awards (American Country Countdown Awards 2014) SOLD

You know, I put this on Facebook, but not on my sweet, little blog.  Sorry, little blog, that I didn't put you first.

Here's the background:  Last August I posted on FB and Twitter, a commission of Brett Eldredge singing "Beat of the Music." A few weeks ago, the digital team at Dick Clark productions, producers of the American Country Countdown Awards (ACCAs) held on Mon., 12/15 on FOX saw my art, invited me to participate in an art showcase, and said my piece may be digitally autographed by Brett and tweeted back at me from the ACCAs! That show was tonight, and Brett Eldredge ended up winning song of the year.  

Let me tell you, I think I really do believe those Academy Award Acceptance speeches where they say, "it's an honor just to be nominated" because that's the way I feel!  I have been on a little floating cloud for a few weeks, and I suppose even more so because this was something that I didn't apply for, "go after," etc., but rather something that was given to me as a gift from God and the universe.  What an exciting gift!  I'm forever grateful for a sign of being on the right path.

Here's my original posting (Blue Diamond Eyes) of the story, the painting, and the video.  Below that is the painting one more time. 

She Was Feeling Thoughtful

Hannah was feeling thoughtful, thinking about her future.

Santarotica Holiday Gallery Show

Ohhh, this is a spicy one!  Just turned in my drawing/painting today for the Santarotica Holiday Extravaganza Show at the White Trash Peg Gallery in LaSalle, IL next Thursday, 12/18 starting at 7 p.m.  I'm sure it will be going on until the midnight hours.  I'm just going to post a little tantalizing tidbit below...  this is the PG version of the R version.  Please just chill people, and don't be chilly.  In a world that is currently selling 50 Shades of Grey at Target, this is all meant to be good, Playboy-like fun.

Here you go--just a little foreplay...I'll post more next week.  I think this was about 30" x 36" on super heavyweight watercolor paper--it's a big one. (-;

Riverside Art Center Gallery Show

Hello lovely people. (-:

I will be showing in Riverside, IL beginning this Friday, December 5th (through March) opening just in time for their "Holiday Stroll" from 6-9 p.m. held in their Business District.  Here's a pic of some of my paintings (not all are visible in this shot).  I will be located in their town hall.

Thanks to Karen, the Director at Riverside Art Center, for putting it together.  Karen, herself, is an incredibly talented artist who studied both at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) and SAIC (School of the Art Institute).  You can view her amazing paintings at this link: http://karenazarnia.com/

Back to me (ha!) - see below.

Here's one of my quirkier paintings that will be on display.  You can read the story behind it here:

Day 350: Harold's Obsession with Roasting Root Vegetables.

Here's a part of their current exhibition called "Surface Tension."  Unfortunately, I only have this one shot, but it really is an incredible display.  The artist in the picture below is Lindsey Hook, who is an SAIC graduate.  Altoon Sultan is also showing.  Karen told me that she believes some of her work has been featured at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Click the following link for more information on this exhibit: Surface Tension.

Isn't this super coolio?  It's a foam sculpture located in the backyard area of the exhibit.  I think it looks like multi-colored churros.  I love it!

Here's some pics of the town square of Riverside, IL (located just outside of Chicago.)  It was early morning this past Sunday, Nov. 30th, so there weren't a lot of people out and about.  Karen also said that Frederick Law Olmsted, an American landscape architect who co-designed Central Park, the Biltmore Estate, parks in Chicago, etc., also designed Riverside's town square, which has many fabulous, twirling streets.  Hmm.  I just find this fascinating.  I WIKIed him just for you:  Frederick Law Olmsted.

Kman and I were tired and needed some coffee.  Look at this great bakery we found.

Great light!

Loved these old photographs hung over the coffee prep area.

I'm a sucker for chalkboard art. (-: