Giving Back(spacer)

This piece is another for the fellow who commissioned these. This one is for his wedding's MC.

An artist friend asked if she could interview me. Today she sent me a list of really good questions about my art. Really good. I'll definitely share her post when she's got it up.

Answering her questions left me very excited about my artwork. See, I love culture. My parents exposed me to all kinds of creativity, both seeing and doing. I saw museums, plays, musicals, concerts. I did art, piano, writing, gymnastics. As I grew up, I kept adding to my creative aesthetic. Listening to Pearl Jam's "Ten" as a teenager, the perfect timing for the explosion of grunge in my life, left an indelible impression.

Contributing to that culture which has enriched my life is one of my main goals with my art, both Vinyl Art and Liter(art)ure. I love the idea of giving back. Getting to paint Eddie Vedder on the band's new album, inspired by a photographer's captured moment is a dream.

And goals and dreams do come true. I'm proof as so many projects I'm involved with right now have to do with giving and celebrating our shared culture. I hope you share it with me.

Peace.

SOLD - Eddie Vedder 11/17/09

'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

I Know They're Out There Somewhere

This Iggy Pop was a gift from a wife to her musician husband, a friend of mine from grade school. Here is my original post featuring the piece. It looks awesome right above a light like that, between more art even! Sid Vicious, Iggy Pop and the White Stripes. Doesn't get much better.

I love getting pics of people's pieces in place. I've only gotten a few, which you can see by clicking on "owner" in the label list at the end of this post.

I'd also dig pics of the stickers I've sent out, if people've stuck'em somewhere. My wife and I have ours in the corner of our rear windows. I'm looking forward to the day I first see one on somebody else's vehicle.

So if you have a piece of Vinyl Art or a VA logo sticker stuck and haven't sent me a photo, please please do. I'll feature you in a post unless you tell me not to, as well. Or if you know someone who has a piece, tell them! Thanks!

Peace.

Human Being Human

There's a difference between a noun and a verb. The problem is that "being" is both.

All people are good. Not all people ACT good, er well.

Peace.

SOLD - Mick Jagger 08/21/09

Regifting In A Good Way

This was great. I got a call from the woman who bought this Stevie Nicks for a friend. She wanted to surprise her friend with another piece of Stevie Nicks by me! She said the friend shows off the 1st piece all the time. So gratifying.

This make me feel more than doubly good because it means that not only did someone enjoy receiving my work as a gift, but someone else enjoyed giving it so much that they wanted to do it again!

SOLD - Stevie Nicks 07/13/09

Excitement Delivered

Ok, ok, ok. So how do I put this? HOLY CRAP! Yeah, that'll work.

I LOVE how the Universe works. Last night went really well, very cool. Here's the story.

My wife and I get a kick out of watching Rob Dyrdek on MTV, both his old show with Big Black and now in his Fantasy Factory. The face Rob makes when that mini horse whinnies in the back of his SUV is hilarious.

Anyway, we noticed that Rob had quite a bit of art hanging in his apartment and his office. Luke Chueh pieces and lots of painted skate decks. I thought it'd be really cool to be able to give one of my pieces to him someday. Someday.

Skip ahead to a coupla months ago when I randomly left a comment on a local guy's blog about a new restaurant around the corner. That guy is making a name for himself as a connector. He loves the Kings Of Leon, whom I had just painted, and he wanted to see my studio and my work. He did.

Somehow we ended up talking about Dyrdek. It turns out Jarod knew Rob from back when he was in SoCal working on cars. They had stayed friends. Jarod had a whole bunch of ideas and people he'd thought to connect me with, but Rob was the one I got a real kick out of the possibility of a connection.

Both Jarod and Rob are on Twitter. Jarod at one point talked with Rob about me and asked him who he'd want a piece of for the Fantasy Factory. "Shootout at the Fantasy Factory" by Traffic.

At the time, I already had "Mr. Fantasy" and so I painted it. Awhile later I found both a better picture of Winwood online, and the album Rob wanted at Hoodlums. Last week, for reasons I now know, I had the urge to paint the piece even though I hadn't heard from Jarod for awhile about Rob. So I painted it.

Yesterday morning I saw a tweet from Jarod to Rob about meeting up in Tempe. Rob was in the valley! So I sent a message to Jarod to see if he could hook us up. All I needed to do was frame the piece. And early that evening:

So cool. Rob was totally chill, but excited and interested in taking a few moments to have a conversation with my wife and I. He had done 2 signing events and was walking in to this place to introduce the movie he executive produced before getting on a plane for Atlanta. Apparently a normal day for him! But he was totally present in that moment with us. He made it feel like we could've spent as long as we wanted taking with him.

What's he going to do with my painting? It'll be awhile before I can show you, but I'll tell you in my newsletter next week. If you didn't get my 1st one and want in, email me and I'll add you to my list.

So exciting. What's going to happen today? I'm not sure what I'm expecting.

Peace.

GIFTED - Steve Winwood 05/18/09

Of Giving

Entering 2009, Vinyl Art continues to seem to do its job best as a gift. I've pondered a reason why before. From Christmas to birthdays, like with this GG Allin, people are apparently keeping my work in mind to give to close friends and family. Coworkers too.

I can hardly begin to convey how good this makes me feel.

Really. I mean, how cool is it that people are seeing my work and taking the time to think about someone who loves music and who they'd like the most? Right? I might even get to do a couple wedding gifts this year!

It is all about those connections for me, my ultimate goal being to bring people together to celebrate human creativity. I mean, if the financial necessities of capitalism didn't exist, I'd give these away. I do, heck. I love helping charities, finding ways to exchange my art, and so on. My job is to express my love of music, art and Life and to spread that as far as I can, meaningfully, deeply.

To all those who've given my work as a gift, from the cockles of my heart, thank you.

Peace.

SOLD - GG Allin 01/02/09

You'd Think I Was A Boyscout

Preparedness. You never know when you'll need what you'll need whenever.

So, a woman who'd picked up my business card, which I stick to the back of every framed piece, at Red Dog Gallery months ago contacted me yesterday about doing Tupac. Sweet.

Then, another woman who'd seen me on TV, which I have online, on Channel 3 months ago contacted me today about doing Marley and The Beatles. Sweet.

And me with albums of all 3, and images ready to go. Still hopping with the Christmas gifts!

You've got time. I'm ready.

Peace.

SOLD - Tupac Shakur 12/09/08

In The Dark

Do you like surprises?

Jenn and the girls are here! Jason's family showed up for the wrong holiday! They're here from Texas for Thanksgiving and then they'll be here again for Christmas. Woohoo!

It's hard to focus on my art on a day like this, but I've got commissions! This Jerry is a gift from a woman to her husband for Christmas. He's a Deadhead who'll flip over this and she wanted to make sure it'll be a surprise.

My wife and I are terrible at keeping things like gifts secret. We just end up telling each other way beforehand or even giving each other the gifts right when we get them. I don't know what it is about secrets like that, but I've never liked them much. It's more fun just to give the present for me.

Can you keep secrets?

Peace.

SOLD - Jerry Garcia 11/24/08

Ignorance Or Bliss

This is for my neice, Jason's older daughter. Losing my brother-in-law is a pain, a knowledge, I could do without. Blissful ignorance. But this isn't about that.

I don't like being ignored. The reason isn't my ego. Well, partially it is. But not entirely.

The main reason is that I know people are missing out on something cool. If they ignore me, then they don't get to see my art. This probably sounds pretty arrogant, the self-important professional artist spouting off about how good his art is again. Maybe it is.

But I know what a kick people get out of seeing my art, maybe not bliss, but certainly a bit of enjoyment. I don't necessarily mean buying one for themselves or even giving one as a gift. I mean just seeing them. Taking the moment to get what it is, to remember their favorite music, to wonder what that would look like as a piece of Vinyl Art, and then maybe wanting one enough to tell somebody else about it.

So, I know I can't ask the people who ignore me why they do. But I can ask you, you who've been so kind as to read this, check out a few of those old posts, and give that bit of attention, that energy, that moment of your life to see my art. I can ask you, are you glad you know?

Also, like the above posts all from before, does anybody know how to get back blissful ignorance?

Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?

Peace.

SOLD - Billie Joe Armstrong 11/19/08

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

Rock & Roll Never Forgets

I feel bad. I just found out my friend Robert is having financial problems, may lose his house! I don't know if I can help much, but what I can do is point you here, his blogger profile. The website link there will take you to his main site where he offers his vinyl collecting ebook for donations.

This Bob Seger is a gift from a wife to her husband for his "man cave" which has picture disks and such on display. She also bought my John Lee Hooker for her mother-in-law.

If you're thinking about commissioning one from me for a holiday gift, you can go to Robert's site too. He's offering a 15% discount on my framed pieces, and he gets a referral. So everybody wins!
Peace.

SOLD - Bob Seger 11/10/08

Don't Know Where To Put One?

Give one away!

Last week, I asked you to think about where you could put one of my paintings in your home. I know a lot of you who see my paintings probably think, "That's cool, but it wouldn't really go with my decor." So you don't know where you'd put one, even if you want one.

I've got the answer. Make that someone else's problem!

Really, the majority of the commissions I've sold have been as gifts. I love that because it means people think enough of the paintings that they want someone they love to own one. They make great unique gifts because they show you pay attention and know what the giftee's favorite music is and sometimes even their favorite album. I definitely try to use the album you know they'd like. Makes for an even better story.

So, I painted Ray Charles on his Christmas album as an example of what might just be the perfect holiday gift.

And you can keep the snazzy sticker.

Peace.