On How Life Is

A great album to drive my painting, Macy Gray's debut is wonderful. It's one of those softly philosophical records, with a couple moments deep about Life's end. Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere" is another, beautiful and thoughtful with awesome music. If you watch the video, listen to the lyrics.

Anyway, my brain, I'll tell ya. This morning I practically jumped outta bed, with more energy than I've had for awhile. I tried Afrin yesterday and apparently it helped me sleep better. I got so excited about doing my art, about our possible move, and about two new possible projects involving my Vinyl Art I was pacing around the house talking to myself. Both projects involve publishing, one in print, the other digitally. These are thoughts with no substance yet. All potential. So we'll see.

Then, after painting this piece, my energy drained. My focus blurred. Angels and demons, the emotions with which I breathe Life into this body, messing with me. Ahh, the rollercoaster of Life. I'm still very excited about what's going on, but I just can't concentrate on it right now. So, if you want to read a more coherent blog post about direction in Life that is very inspiring, check this out. Please just read the whole thing. Ken's a really nice guy, and this is brilliant.

Peace.

Truth N' Time

Calling myself an artist was a big step. It was back in my mid-twenties when I kind of awoke to my Life.

For someone who'd tried to be invisible as much as possible, becoming an artist was a big swing in the other direction. But then I'm prone to big swings. Fortunately, this one's paid off in many ways. I feel so so SO lucky to be doing what I'm doing. I wish all artists could have the good fortune and feelings about being an artist as I do now.

It didn't happen overnight though, by any means. I'd done art since I was little, both in school and as an extra-curricular activity. And the teachers I had were encouraging, not critical as many experience. Or I was oblivious to their criticisms. In any event, I built my own internal foundation that in the last few months has ended up giving me my self-confidence.

I had a sculpture teacher who summed it up perfectly, and oftenly. He said that there will always be somebody better than you, and somebody worse than you. So why compare?

Pretty simple. Not easy, but simple. As an artist, it's my job to communicate my expression to you. It's an individual thing, completely subjective. Yes, accuracy is involved, but only as it applies. There are no absolutes in art.

So go make what you make or serve how you serve. Be an artist. And, yes, you can be an artist doing whatever it is that you do.

Peace.

Al Green 07/14/09

Now I'm Not Saying I'm Robin Hood

My friend Rodney is having a hard go of it these days. "Soul-crushing" he says.

My friend Robert isn't doing great. Already on disability, he was foreclosed on and had to move. And he's going blind in his other eye.

The randomness of real Life, eh?

This is why I feel SO lucky to be alive and to be able to do what I do. I get to bring joy, to give love, to share passion. My art may simply hang on a wall or lean on a ledge, but make no mistake, it DOES something. I thank Life, G'od, for using me, for allowing me, for guiding me to serve in the way I do.

Besides creating the pieces, I also work my butt off trying to help others do what they do as I can. Being connected means I occasionally can reach the right people, and they can reach me. This Johnny Cash is now up for auction for 4 more days. Help Civia and Musicians On Call, through Country Music Television, help people recovering in hospitals with the power of music. It's only $55 framed as of the writing of this post, a steal for a good cause.

You have to take to give.

Peace.

Can You Dig It?

What do you hear in your head when you see an image of Isaac Hayes?

That's why I paint these.

Peace.

Isaac Hayes 05/22/09

33 1/3

I'm 33 1/3 years old today. And this is my 333rd post. Kinda cool. I waited a day so it would coincide. :)

I love vinyl, LPs, 33 1/3 rpm pieces of PVC. Magic. How did NASA decide to send out a "hello" to any other Life out there? On a record. Granted it was metal and 16-something rpm, but it was a record. How cool.

It is awesome that albums like Pearl Jam's "Ten" and Nirvana's "Nevermind" are being reissued. A whole new generation, and the previously disillusioned generation, can once again revel in the pops and ticks and warmth of vinyl. You know, I really don't hear many pops and ticks on my records. Just the warmth.

Hopefully my art will become what I want, inspiration for connection. Connection to other people, to your memory, to your culture, to your heart and soul. Music has that power. Has that warmth of human creativity that can bring people together in time and space.

In my effort to create those connections, I've posted for sale 10 pieces of my Vinyl Art on a site whose goal is harvesting American creativity. Check them out. They're a wee bit more to give a wee bit more in commission to Larry and Sharon. Cool people. Their main business has been as production designers/managers for some big names in American music's history. They too created art in order to bring people together to celebrate culture, to revel in music's power to unite and move.

With a floppy 12" diameter piece of plastic with a groove in it. A groove in it.

"Get up for the down stroke. Everybody get up!"

Peace.

SOLD - George Clinton 03/18/09

What's Your Favorite Instrument?

Mine's the Hammond organ. Both organic and electronic sounding, the growl of this electric organ just sends me. From CSN&Y to the Allman Bros., from Yes to ELP, from Jimmy Smith to Larry Goldings, from Ray Manzarek to John Medeski, from Reese Wynans to Rick Wright, and from Isaac Hayes to Booker T. & the MGs, I love the sounds different players coax and force out of this instrument.

Booker T. of course recorded his group's song, "Green Onions", which is one of my favorite instrumentals, along with the Allman Bros. "In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed". The recordings on Blue Note during the early '60s, including Lou Donaldson and Grant Green's, have some of the funkiest Hammond ever. All seriously funkin' good music.

I loved it so much that I took a break from playing piano, which I'd played as a hobby since my mom put me in Yamaha classes, to learn the Hammond and specifically the solo from "Green Onions". Never got very good at it, but it felt good playing it, the way the organ vibrates.

What's your favorite instrument to hear? To play?

Peace.

Booker T. Jones 02/24/09

When Stevie Wonder Looks Like "Stevie Wonder"

When you see the painting and can hear his voice in your head.

Peace.

SOLD - Stevie Wonder 02/04/09

Halfway Under The Limbo Pole

I was hoping I could tell you my big news before the long weekend. But, alas, the full information is yet to come. Drat.

Oh yeah, I have potentially big news! Heehee.

The good news so far, this afternoon, is that "they are interested". Right on. I have no idea what's next. So picture me bent backwards, knees buckled almost to the floor, nose hovering underneath the limbo pole.

I'm trying not to sneeze.

Have a good holiday weekend, and on Monday think about him and what he'd be doing.

Peace.

Roy Orbison 01/16/09

Life +'Justments

I'd painted this sometime last year, but today I was inspired to share it again.

In trying to figure out how to get more exposure, I set out to contact Rolling Stone. Aiming high, right? So it turns out they recently started some blogs hosted on their site. One is called "Smoking Section". It had that post yesterday about Chrissie Hynde that I found quite motivating.

Today, wandering the web again, trying different angles at Rolling Stone, I ended up on another post of that blog. It's a transcribed phone interview with Bill Withers after he'd done that impromptu performance in Brooklyn.

You've gotta check out the YouTube video embedded on that post! He sounds possibly better, and the recording is so clean, and the other musicians are awesome! Talking about authenticity! He says at one point that he really just goes with what he wants to do, not feeling forced into things, just living his life as it comes. Such a great soulful outlook.

I hope he gets that tricked out golf cart.

Peace.

Bill Withers 09/19/08