Pushing To Give

My new mantra.

Usually people push to get. To get attention, to get money, to get love. But it can be a challenge to give too. To give attention, to give money, to give love. To get taken.

A lot of the metaphysical, philosophical, religious types from the East and West talk about our purpose in this Life here being tied to giving of ourselves, finding what we can contribute to humanity, loving as we would be loved. As I've pursued my Vinyl Art as a means to share my passion for music and art, it has developed into a means to give back as well as to gain financially.

During this past half-year, while my family was in the process of moving, a MAJOR opportunity to do so arose. I had quite awhile ago painted auteur David Lynch and was honored that he signed my piece as an eventual auction incentive for his foundation. He then set out to create a charity music label, DLFM, that would pull unique music tracks from various musicians whose online downloads would benefit the David Lynch Foundation.

I fortunately got in touch with that group and got to contribute pieces to the new venture. My goodness, indeed. Above you can see the photo of my paintings of Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Moby and David Lynch signed and pledged for during the initial Pledgemusic drive by one fellow in France. Other pieces also were pledged for at that point and I have the rest ready to auction off on DLFM's website launching soon.

While there were challenges requiring that push, it has been an amazing chance to do good helping Mr. Lynch with his DOWNLOAD FOR GOOD campaign. My video on the link above about my pieces says it all for me.

I don't know where it will lead, as I've also gotten to give "thank you" pieces to Tom Waits, Iggy Pop and others whose pieces have benefitted the foundation, but pushing myself feels very gratifying. I only hope the Universe feels it too.

Peace.

Taking Stock

Over the years, I've built an inventory of records, and some painted pieces. This past month or so has shown me how valuable preparation is in life.

My brother-in-law wanted all of the Eagles. I already had 4 copies of their greatest hits album. They're going to look so cool all together. I've painted Don Henley and Joe Walsh already.

My friend, Ryan Barton, wanted Topol from "Fiddler On The Roof" to give to his dad for Father's Day as his piece he won in the auction I talked about awhile back. I already had the soundtrack album. I've painted it and shipped it off.

A fellow in Norway wanted Tom Waits to give to his music teacher. I already had painted this piece. I've framed it and shipped it off.

I've said before, preparation prevents perspiration. Now that I'm a stay-at-home dad, efficiency is really important in all that I do, especially work. Having the stock of records and paintings that I do is helping me take care of what is most important in life. Family. Speaking of, she's waking up.

Peace.

'Tis The Season

As we near my wife's due date, time is getting wacky. It's almost my birthday! Then all the holidays. Man.

Imagine throwing a wedding into the mix?

The fellow up in Canada who has commissioned these pieces is getting married early December. My wife and I got married late December, but we did it in Vegas, baby! He's apparently doing the whole deal as these four are for his groomsmen. How cool! What a neat idea. All get basically the same thing, but personal for them. It adds that edge of thoughtfulness.

I am finding that my Vinyl Art makes for a great gift, for any occasion. People seem to feel much better about splurging on art if it's for a loved one.

I certainly know I'm thinking pretty much only about things to give Abbey once she's born!

Peace.

SOLD - 11/05/09

The Best Of The Most Popular Vinyl Art Posts

I've been meaning to assemble a list of blog posts that have been popular and that I enjoy the most. I know that the prospect of not only keeping up with reading a post a day, but digging into the archive unguided is overwhelming. Your time is precious, and there're some posts that, beyond having a neat painting are, for different reasons, not worth that time and thought.

So I figured that I could at least share the posts that more people have checked out, those I think are worth your time.

The most trafficked posts are the one with JFK's famous line from his inauguration speech and the one with the discussion of my favorite funny people because of the reference to SNL's 101 top moments. These are found by searchers looking for something completely off-topic from my work. So I wouldn't count these, or point you to them.

After those, my introductory post with a painting of The Beatles is the most read. Good! That's the best post to get a handle on what I do, what I'm about and the point of this blog.

Next is one of my more philosophical posts with a painting of Tom Waits. I like this post a lot too, so I'm glad it gets seen. The painting is being used for the poster of this year's Vinyl Killers show, and Waits himself posted a tweet complimenting the piece. What I say in it is worth the read, I think, as well. About value and people.

Following that is my contest post with the painting of David Lynch that he then autographed to auction for his foundation. I received some amazing entries to that contest and this post shares my interest in stories, your stories. Stories persist, facts fade. It's still a good post, and hey, if you send me your story still, I'll send you a sticker.

Skipping a couple more posts popular only because of wayward searchers, my reproduction post with the painting of Santana that, along with John Lennon and Mariah Carey, eventually was reproduced for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel is a good story. The result of my adventure certainly was positive. I do still have to frame the copies I got.

Next is another great story post with my philosophical and practical thoughts about the largest record collection in the world and how to find a buyer for it. It's always a matter of the value. Not monetary. Human.

That is indeed why I paint Vinyl Art, to celebrate and find value in humanity. The creativity that I bring together, from the album cover artist to the photographer of the photo I draw inspiration from to the musician and the production of the album to me is very cool. With a simple portrait, I hope to share the meaning of all that combined contribution to humanity.

Something meaning more than it simply is, by being simply what it is.

Do you have a favorite post of mine?

Peace.

Straight From The Crate - Vinyl Art Show

-----------------
SHOPAROONI kindly directs your attention to

STRAIGHT FROM THE CRATE
presented by Keith Corcoran
June 26 - July 26
Opening reception June 26, 7-10pm

Once again, NYC transplant and general Cleveland do-gooder Keith Corcoran brings together 33 1/3 of the hottest artists on record with his latest curatorial endeavor STRAIGHT FROM THE CRATE.

Using old vinyl records originally destined for the trash as their canvas, the participating artists have created a diverse collection of traditional and contemporary art.

This show runs from June 26 through July 26 at the very hip Shoparooni Gallery Annex in Cleveland's Waterloo Arts District and features artists from Cleveland, LA, NY, Arizona and Australia.

In an effort to take some of the mystery out of art buying, this show, unlike others, will be "cash-and-carry," meaning if you see something you like, you can take your new-favorite-artwork home with you that night, straight off the wall!

"The overall goal of the show," says curator Keith Corcoran, "is to put high-quality one-of-a-kind artwork in the hands of the average citizen at a price that won't break the bank."
-----------------

I've sent Keith 3 pieces: Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and David Bowie. If you follow the link above to the show's blog, you can check out links to the other artists. The styles are really varied. Should be a cool show!

Peace.

Tom Waits' One Red Eye

Like trying to lay down a track with a jackhammer outside, a loud record label usually distracts, detracts from a piece. It's hard to look away from a bright red dot in the middle of the sky.

So I put it in the middle of his eye.

Peace.

When Vinyl Is Better

When you buy a $6 Tom Waits album because the slight hiss intensifies his voice and the occasional pop makes the music unique to your copy.

Peace.

SOLD - Tom Waits 02/04/09

Get On thegoodfoot.com

I didn't do James Brown like last year, but I did do a bunch for this year's Vinyl Killers show up in Portland, OR. Half sold! Woohoo! Happy Halloween!

The John Lennon on the top row and the three with blue backgrounds on the second are still available at http://thegoodfoot.com/gallery/artist/daniel-edlen/. You can buy them online there.

Jason, the owner of the Goodfoot Pub and curator of this year's show did an amazing job. Below is a picture of just one wall. Mine are kinda in the middle with the blinding reflections.

You can see all the pieces in the show here. There's also a news story here about the show with a couple sentences about my work specifically. Looked like a pretty cool scene. Hopefully I'll be able to go next year!

Peace.

Real Gone

Value is strange, no? It isn't real, but just as it is determined by humanity, it also determines how humanity will act. Fear, greed, judgement, comparison are all born out of value, even though it is relative.

In today's world, it seems the media has no time to explore depth. Hence the extreme importance placed on packaging, image, facade. The storefront of our world hides the turmoil within. Discord develops along with broken people. Where is reality? Who is Britney Spears?

Value is flattening. When a cost is placed on something, it becomes a commodity. It is spoken of as though all it were was that cost. Money, something intended only to hold value in the interest of making trade more efficient, has become all people see. People are in general so focussed on amassing more value, they do anything but. They collect, they exploit, they greedily look for every way to take advantage in order to get more money.

When was the last time you thought about the people who make the goods you buy or provide the services you use? They are selling their LIFE to you, as you are to those who pay you in your job.

We need to appreciate PEOPLE, not the value they create for us to take. I'm lucky in that, firstly, I get to do what I enjoy, and secondly, I usually get appreciation for what I do. I get to feel connected to the goodness in people. It is there. Behind the ever thickening facade created by societal value lie suffering, broken real people.

Where has your real gone?

Peace.

Buy Now - Tom Waits 09/30/08

Advancing The Ball

Jason, who's running Vinyl Killers 6, let me know that he'd most likely sold the Miles Davis and Tom Waits I'd sent him. The show doesn't start until the END of October! So he's letting me send more pieces by the Oct. 8th deadline.

I found this Miles Davis image on the cover of "Tutu" and I painted it on a greatest hits compilation. I've also found a reissue of a double album of Tom Waits, so I can do two pieces from that. Apparently, Waits is very popular in Portland, OR.

Hopefully, more will sell and more people will find out about what I do. I keep reaching out myself to let people I think would be interested know about it, but word of mouth is the best. You can explain to people what my work's about with the passion you have for your music.

I'd love to know stories about people's reactions to my pieces. If you have any, let me know! Post'em here as comments if you want!

Peace.

SOLD - Miles Davis 09/30/08

Stick A Fork In It

This is two shots of the same painting. The shot on the left is from my previous post. The shot on the right is about an hour later after I realized the piece wasn't done.

How do I know it's done?

When I look at the piece and say "Dangit, now I don't want to sell it."

Nice double-edged sword, huh?

Peace.

Blues For Thee, Vanilla

Value = you. You'll see
where I'm going, eventually.

Last year I participated in Vinyl Killers 5, a show of artwork using vinyl records as canvas in Portland, Oregon. I sold a James Brown and Bob Dylan. I've got a link to the show's website in my linkroll off to your right. This year I'm sending Afrika Bambaataa, Miles Davis, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and this one of Tom Waits.

I first found out about Tom Waits when I watched him in Jim Jarmusch's Down By Law, a great movie that also stars John Lurie and Robert Benigni. All 4 of these people are brilliantly creative. If you aren't familiar with their work, I'd urge you to explore.

I'm noticing that all the creative types mentioned in this post are distinctive, strongly individual, unique, and defiant. Types that live on the edge of creativity and culture. Remarkable.

But you are remarkable too. Even if you don't have a page on Wikipedia or a cult following, you are perfectly valuable as a human being. Think about the people killed back in 2001 on this day, each with a story, each with value.

Anything that you do or create, any ripples you send off, any effect you have on those around you, is your value, is part of "you". I was sitting listening to this Tom Waits album while my iRecord turned it into a reasonably accurate digital version and started thinking about everybody involved in creating the piece of art I was going to create using the record.

I end up thinking about that a lot, as I realize how we share our value. The people who have a part, any part, in your story have value to you. I mean the people who made the steel that became the machine that pressed the record that got released by the record company, bought, listened to, and sold to the store where I bought it are important to me. And so are all the people along that path. Get it?

So be remarkable as you are. Be you, the best, the most authentic you that you can, even if you are vanilla instead of homemade pumpkin caramel with whipped topping.

And thank you for being part of my journey, for as you read this, you exchange your attention for my creation, mutually sharing value, neither seeking gain.

Peace.

SOLD - Tom Waits 09/11/08