What's The Sense?

How do you think? Is it in words? Images? Sounds? Smells or tastes? Feelings?

I've got words, images and sounds up in my brain. But words usually trump. It's sometimes annoying, no? I know I just want to turn off the stream of conversation my brain seems to have with itself. It gets in the way of what I want to do. That's why I paint. With music on.

Ahhhhh.

It really does sort of turn into meditation. I don't think in words about each dab of the brush. I don't think in words about each moment of music. It's very peaceful. I think that means, while words are dear to me, my passion lies with music and art.

Funny how what I ended up doing every day combines both. Makes me feel really lucky I sometimes get paid to do it. Those moments fly by, leaving me wishing for more daylight.

Do you do what makes time fly for you? If you do, it's cool isn't it? If you don't, why not? What's the sense?

Peace.

Three For Thursday, Three Times!

Syd Barrett of early Pink Floyd is for our friend Doug's son's birthday. I'm giving it to him in exchange for an awesome collection of '60s and '70s albums. Doug, like my wife and I, is nuts about music. In fact, he and my wife met at a concert when she was following the Black Crowes during their early days. I'm not sure what I'll do with the albums he gives me, but it'll be special.


Mike Love of the Beach Boys is another one for the David Lynch Foundation! The Beach Boys are doing a benefit concert early next month for DLF and they decided to have me do another one to auction. So cool. Mike is going to not only see this, he's going to sign it! Hopefully I'll get a picture of him doing so, but at the very least I'll get the painting back signed to frame, so I can take a shot then. I'll keep you updated about the David Lynch and this piece as far as the actual auction.

This Hendrix is for the guy with stellar taste who also commissioned the Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters, and Jim Morrison I painted recently. They look so cool together, it's going to be hard to part with them. But I'll take a shot of them framed all together before boxing and shipping them.

Speaking of commissions, I also just got a commission this morning from another guy with awesome taste. He wants Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk on albums with 'blue' in the title, IN BLUE! So cool. I've already bought the albums on eBay and am really looking forward to painting them. Another set of three.

Things are really getting exciting right now for whatever reason. A friend online noted that it seems I have something new going on every day. I hope it stays that way as I roll with more commissions, more exposure and more charity connections. My goal is to, sooner than later, be able to support our family with my art. And, since we're about to have a baby in January, I need to be working on probably at least 2 pieces a day. We'll see. I'm hopeful the Universe's plan heads in this direction. I'm trying to do what I can.

Along those lines, I've got over 50 fans on Facebook now! Pretty sweet. A bunch of people I don't even know yet. Even better. I really hope that page can be a gathering place for people who like what I do, and human creativity in general, getting some good discussions going. Make it about music trivia or deep philosophy, whatever, I'm game. I'll jump in when I have something to say and I'll post updates of relevant exciting stuff. So, if you're on Facebook and haven't yet, check it out!

Also, I'm still doing my monthly email newsletter with continuing stories of my life and art, presented in a little bit more organized fashion than this blog. If you'd like to subscribe, please email me and let me know!

And on a 3rd front, following the 3 paintings and commission of 3 pieces, for those out there reading regularly, please share this blog. At the bottom of every post, there's a button to share the individual post on pretty much every social site out there. The same button is in the sidebar if you want to share the whole blog. The more people who know, the more people who know! :)

Peace.

Attribution & Creativity

My brain and the Universe apparently think it's funny to mess with me this week. What one thinks, lessons one needs, are presented all the time by both. For me, it's my gut check that sees me through, guides me on my path. I don't need a written constitution or mission statement to refer back to and I don't need my internal storyteller fucking with me.

But, Life has its plan. So I'm having to do a tough gut check again about what I do. After all, I do create for sale works based upon works created and copyrights owned by others.

Mick Rock responded through his assistant to my contact form submission on his site that he thought my painting of David Bowie is pretty cool. Awesome! But he definitely takes the tough stance regarding the copyright issue. They wanted to make sure I wasn't planning a mass reproduction run for sale, infringing on his work, his art, his ego, him.

I have NO problem with that stance. I totally understand where he's coming from, as I feel the same way about Fairey's use of Garcia's photo. Fortunately, I have an internal "don't fuck with people" rule. It's golden. It's why I don't sell out my purpose, my art, my self.

I do what I do for the right reason and can communicate that externally. I can say that my art is meant to pay tribute to musician and photographer, music and photograph, not simply to use them for personal gain. I wouldn't be unhappy if people were simply printing off my blog images and pinning them up in their rooms or cubicles. I want my art to spread, to connect, to reach humanity.

But I want people to know I did it.

So I sign my pieces and I put my website in the corner of each image, assuming I remember. Hugh of gapingvoid.com does the same. He's now welcoming connection with his fans by posting photos of his own cartoons they have printed and posted in cubicles. No gain to him before, but now he gains by showing how people use his work, his art, him.

He gets to say, hey maybe someday you'll buy an official signed print, but no worries. It's good enough, even possibly better, for me that you pay me with your attention, your connection, your sharing, your spreading of my message, you.

Life for Life. Is that attribution enough? But Hugh's looking, as I am, for that provenance, that thread of humanity he started, or he continued. I want people to send me pictures of how my pieces hang, how my stickers are stuck. I want that ego boost. Mick Rock wants that ego boost to be in control of all his connections.

Again, I don't fault him one bit.

As long as humanity can still create. And that's where I side with Fairey in the sense that I think human creativity feeds itself. It's how we sustain our culture. Remixing, sampling, quoting must be allowed, and I think encouraged in order to encourage us as people. Shut it down and we wither.

But that creativity indeed BENEFITS from attribution. When you gratefully share those on whose shoulders you've stood, you encourage camaraderie and ease egos, you show your character, your essential truth, and build trust.

My gut says I'm good.

Peace.