Following The Followers

Today, like every Friday on Twitter, is #followfriday. For those who haven't the foggiest about Twitter, basically you can label updates with #[blah] so your tweet will be grouped in with a larger trending, or popular, topic. The hokey word play of followfriday just became a routine for people to tell other people who they like following and why. It helps expand your Twitter circle, which can get to feeling real small real quick.

I don't follow everybody who follows me. I do, however pay attention to who is following me, especially when they direct tweets at me. I decided to turn the idea of sharing who you like around and share who likes me. So I do #followerfriday.

On Twitter, I have the benefit of knowing who is watching and reading along regularly, for the most part. However, here on my blog I only know those who've followed using Google's friend connect, or who've subscribed via email, like my friend Rodney. I've got some 50 people right now presumably regularly reading this blog who I don't know.

I'd like to.

To that end, I'm going to try not moderating comments. I explained before why I'd stuck to moderating them even though some people in other circles consider it a surefire way to discourage commenters. Basically, I wanted you to know I was listening because you'd know I was forced to decide to accept or reject every comment submitted, and it is my blog and I wanted to avoid having to delete spam comments.

But I want you to feel totally free to leave whatever comment you'd like. I want to know anything about yourself you want to tell me, like what music you like right now, what you think about American Idol or Grey's Anatomy, or why you keep up with this blog. Anything.

So we'll try it.

Peace.

What's The One Album?

Paul up in Canada bought this early last year. His feedback is also on my testimonial page. He recently bought a Billie Holiday as well. Billie's music and the man who introduced him to her helped Paul see his way out of his "hopelessly mixed up" teen years. I'll share more of that story when he sends me a photo of the Holiday displayed in his home.

It was, though, the New York Dolls and this album in particular that opened him up to the vast array of "new" music, including jazz. In fact, this album on which I painted was his actual album, played so much that it wouldn't play anymore. What a cool way to remember his music, with a piece of art created with that music! And here it is, on his mantle.

For me, that one album was "Revolver" by The Beatles which really opened my eyes to the possibilities in music.

What's your one album?

Peace.

When The Old Is New

Jazz. The old, new again.

The Beastie Boys' 2007 release "The Mix-Up" is an all instrumental album, their first. They'd sprinkled in funky jams on previous albums, but nothing like these. Jazz, specifically hammond organ-based jazz, is some of my favorite music. Blue Note. So forth.

To bring genres who's time of widest popularity has passed into the present like this CD by the Beasties is awesome. I also got the album along with "License To Ill", their first album as a rap group. Yeah yeah, I know. I didn't have it yet. It's new to me!

I listened to that album while painting Stevie Nicks earlier today. "The Mix-Up" I listened to while painting this Billie Holiday. Both paintings are Christmas gifts from a woman in Phoenix who remembered seeing me on the news. I was new old news.

I've painted Billie Holiday before. A couple times. Stevie Nicks too. But every time is unique. Every time the composition is different because of where I put the image, the record's label, and how I edit the image. The old, as yet new.

Peace.

SOLD - Billie Holiday 11/17/08

The Kids Are Alright

This was on an A-frame out front. I love the lower case.

This hangs from the ceiling inside the front door. The place is actually a hallway that by day is the entrance to the local VFW. They put down rugs and a backdrop at the end of the hall behind the stage to turn it into a concert "hall".

Here's the school's vinyl sign hanging on the wall just inside the door.

Here's a view of the wall of my art alongside the chairs. People walked right next to the paintings so a lot of'em stopped and checked them out. I think several thought that the images were somehow printed on the records. It's a weird problem to have: having to explain that they are handpainted instead of printed or screened or computer generated. I guess it's a compliment, but it's a marketing hurdle.

Paul put up information about my process and the availability of commissions. My wife came up with the brilliant idea to print up half-sheet commission forms for people who might want me to paint somebody else. If the order is placed before the middle of October, I'll still give the %25 to the school for their scholarship. Hopefully some people picked'em up.

They made this snazzy name sign. It was all sparkly and looked great on the gold wall. That wall color was nice. It and the rugs created a warm feeling in the place.

Me! My wife was so proud. During the gig, they introduced me and told the audience about the percentage going to the school a couple times. The kids were really appreciative and the general manager of the school thanked me a bunch.

None sold that night, but the Billie Holiday and Howlin' Wolf are going to be in the school's fundraising silent auction at the House of Blues on November 1st. So hopefully I'll get them some money then.

It was so cool to be able to connect my art with an organization that gets kids excited about music! My main point with my art is to celebrate the music, and to inspire kids to pick up an axe and learn how to riff like Jimmy Page is awesome! They played Zeppelin, Who, and other classic bands' music along with some originals by the kids. The drummers for the band were excellent, so I hope they saw my Moon and Bonham. They played "London Calling" and while I didn't use that album, I did paint Joe Strummer of The Clash. So my work fit right in with what the school's about. I really hope I get to continue to draw attention to them.

So, check out The Paul Green School of Rock!

Peace.

The Whole World Should Adopt The Siesta

A 40 minute or so nap around 2 in the afternoon. If you haven't, you should try it. After I woke up, I'd sold 2 more pieces and had received an album I'd bought on eBay. And I felt way better.

So Pigpen is for a guy who'd bought Jerry a ways back. He also had bought Louis Armstrong and now is buying Billie Holiday. Cool collection of my work he's building! He's got a bunch of Dead memorabilia too that he's going to frame separately and hang alongside my pieces.

I haven't done or read any technical research on the siesta, but I think it really would help productivity and our mental condition if everybody took them. I feel like I have a whole other day, so like 2 in 1, but I don't get exhausted by the end of it. Refreshing is the word. Or revitalizing. Something like that. Perks ya up.

Peace.

SOLD - Pigpen 07/07/08

Moichandising! Moichandising! Moichandising!

After being reminded of the idea of merchandising on one of those forums I was talking about yesterday, I also remembered I was going to file for a federal trademark for my logo. Way back in the beginning when I was getting my legal ducks in a row, I did successfully register the name and mark with the State of Arizona. Wasn't actually that difficult a process. It also was relatively cheap. The federal process is a bit more technical and $275 per "class" of trade or service involved. I now have the historical usage of the mark and I have the money to do it. So do it I did! Not as nerveracking as filing for a patent, I imagine, but, not being a lawyer, I hope I don't end up going to jail for something in the process. ;) I'm glad I have more funds available to do this because, once done, for example, I'll then be able to have stickers made for which I've had the design ready for awhile. I'd love to be able to give a couple to you with a purchase.

Oh, they should be free, you say? :)

Well, they might end up as freebies for entering my contest when I do it. You can think of other things you'd want like t-shirts and mousepads too. I'll get a list going of things on which to slap my logo, and maybe a silkscreened image of a painting. But speaking of my contest, you've gotta help me before I can start it. I might end up learning how to create and run the contests by trial and error, but since it's for you, help me make it what you want! I know this isn't a fascinating post, but you out there running businesses for yourself or others know about these practical matters that might just make your business grow. I'm not saying you sweat the small stuff, but it's small stuff that can make big differences. You know what I mean.

Hoo, I need to paint! Gotta plan these profound blog entries more, ;). I hope you'll:

CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE AT: http://www.vinylart.info/

and my new YouTube channel widget over there to your right. Peace.

Give And Take

My goodness! Primitive Kool already sold all five I sent them!

http://primitivekoolart.com/pages/DANIEL.html

How... well, "kool"! I hope they want more! If you haven't seen what Vinyl Art's all about, you can also:

CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE AT: WWW.VINYLART.INFO

and give koolart@pacbell.net a hooray!

Top 11 Voices - A Nice Unround Number

Billie Holiday, just one of those voices that hit you right in your soul. Voice in music has been very important to me over the years. I'm quite picky - too whiny, too jangly, too something. But then there are those voices that knock me out of my comfortable lounging position. This, then, is a list of those voices or groups of voices that struck me as most stunnning, unique and wonderful:

Kelly Jones
Peter Gabriel
Jefferson Airplane
The Beatles
Janis Joplin
Nina Simone
Jeff Buckley
Kurt Cobain
Richard Ashcroft
Kate Bush
Otis Redding

I know this is an odd group, musical styles ranging from prog rock to the blues, but it does relate to the types of music I listen to the most. This blog is as much about self-discovery as it is communicating to you all about me and my art, so it was interesting to look through my CD collection to compile this list. My wife has always told me I listen to some weird music! I'll get into the extent of that weirdness in later posts, but suffice it to say I've got Nina Simone's raw blues next to Tangerine Dream's ethereal electronica.

Who are your favorite singers? Please leave me feedback about what you think of my choices and, of course, to see other singers I've painted:

CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE AT: http://www.vinylart.info/

Don't be a stranger!