A Strolling Pierrot Under a Full Moon

"Carnival Evening" was painted in 1886 by Henri Rousseau (Philadelphia Museum of Art). Early last evening, while driving in my car, I saw a sky that looked exactly like this with the winter trees in silhouette. Rousseau painted a pierrot strolling with his girlfriend under a full moon. This is one of my favorite paintings, although Rousseau created many pictures that I could easily call favorites. 

The Art of Amy Crehore

Rare Monkey Jazz Cartoon from 1930s

Dorothea Tanning RIP

"Primitive Seating" sculpture by Dorothea Tanning 1982

Surrealist painter Dorothea Tanning (1910- 2012) died peacefully yesterday at age 101. She's the one who was married to Max Ernst. LINK to article by Jerry Saltz

LINK to decades of images

Maurice Sendak on Colbert Report

This almost made me wet my pants:

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"Fake Death Picture"

"Fake Death Picture" by Yinka Shonibare (digital print) 2011 

from upcoming Exhibit: Addio del Passato (so closes my sad story)

Feb 16- March 24, 2012

533 w.26th St. NYC, James Cohan Gallery 

Interview with artist Yinka Shonibare - Whitehot Magazine

Mystery of a Masterpiece

Last night, there was a fascinating NOVA show on PBS. Experts were investigating whether a portrait of a girl on vellum (shown above) is really a Leonardo Da Vinci. They think it was cut from an old book of the period (they found the book in a museum in Poland).

Link to article about the story in the Guardian.

Here's the link to the show which you can watch online if you missed it.

NOVA -Mystery of a Masterpiece

I blogged about this picture earlier and said I thought it looked to me like it might be authentic. That was just my gut feeling based on the style of the face and execution of the drawing.

Rockwell for Collier's Magazine 1919

Last night on PBS Antiques Roadshow (Eugene, OR !) someone brought in a really old Rockwell painting. They appraised it at half a million. It is a nice one called "The Little Model". This painting is one of only four that Rockwell painted for Collier's magazine (1919, cover). I rather like it and I am surprised how large he painted his illustration work (using oils). I'll get to see it since it is on display now at the museum in my town. I don't think I have ever seen a Rockwell in person.

Watch Appraisal: 1919 Rockwell "The Little Model" Oil Painting on PBS. See more from Antiques Roadshow.

New Leonard Cohen Album Live Stream

LINK

Magical Gift of Picasso Etchings to British Museum

The British Museum recently acquired the complete suite of 100 Vollard etchings made between 1930 and 1937 by Picasso. It was a surprise gift from a man named Hamish Parker in memory of his beloved father Major Horace Parker. Depicting himself as a minotaur (in 15 of the works), the etchings are a visual diary of Picasso's great love affair with Marie-Therese Walter. Almost half of the prints show a classical sculptor's studio with Marie-Therese as a model. 

These etchings are magical and will always be inspiring. This is the Picasso that I love the most, unafraid to show emotional sensitivity toward his muse. Picasso exchanged the plates for these etchings with his dealer Ambroise Vollard for a couple of paintings by Renoir and Cezanne. This rare, complete set will go on view from May 3- Sept 3, 2012. Link

Right now, you can order the book Picasso's Vollard Suite from the Getty Museum.

The Art of Amy Crehore

RIP Etta James

NYTimes

"Some Things Just Stick in Your Mind" performed by Vashti Bunyan

More songs from album of the same name 1964-67.

Yayoi Kusama and Joseph Cornell were lovers

Although I had read Joseph Cornell's biography a couple of times, I hadn't realized that it was the amazing dot woman artist Yayoi Kusama who had been his first girlfriend (when he was 60). I blogged about Cornell a couple of times: here and here. 

 I also recently blogged about Kusama ( LINK). 

She talks about the affair (lasting 10 years) in an old interview with Kusama by Grady Turner in Bomb Magazine (1999).

Degas - drawings of the nude

Thanks to Artinfo slide show-

Bringing in the new year with some exquisite drawings by Degas. 

He makes me want to draw. 

I'm finishing up a couple of new paintings this week and I will post them here soon. 

THE ART OF AMY CREHORE

P.S. I am no longer posting my art on tumblr, in case you were looking for me there.

Rosa Loy and Neo Rauch

Rosa Loy is married to Neo Rauch. She is a painter, too. This video shows them exhibiting together. Here is her website: Rosa Loy. Their show was at the Essl Museum near Vienna in 2011. I would have liked to have seen that show.

Lori Ellison at McKenzie Fine Art (Jan 5 - Feb 11, 2012)

James Kalm (a.k.a. Loren Munk) filmed our friend Lori Ellison's art opening in NYC on Thursday night. 
LINK to video. 
Lori's drawings and paintings show a deep appreciation for the importance of design in art. She patiently builds intricate patterns on paper or wood using subtle textures and optical illusions. These meditative works are executed with the precision of Indian miniatures. Like woven textiles or combs created by insects (with their natural irregularities), William Morris' patterns or early examples of Op art, these creative works are mesmerizing and uplifting to behold. I'm sorry I can't see them in person (the great video helps), but if 

you are in NYC, be sure to catch this wonderful show at McKenzie Fine Art (511 West 25th Street).

Bubble Houses by Wallace Neff

Wallace Neff designed Italian-style mansions for Hollywood celebrities, but he also designed some revolutionary bubble houses. Many were built in Falls Chruch, VA and elsewhere. Here is a bubble house that he built in 1946 in Pasadena, CA. Artist Steve Roden and his wife Sari actually live in the last surviving one (a single dome "shell" house that the architect built originally for his brother, before living in it himself). You can read stories here and here. PHOTO gallery. (L.A. Times) 

I'm jealous!

 (thanks, beatgrrrl )

National tricone ukulele 1928

This is a style #1 National brand German silver tricone ukulele that we have at home - most likely from 1928 (based on a National advertisement that I saw). The pear-shaped body is exactly like the mandolins that National offered at the time. It has 3 small resonator cones inside.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Origins of Modern Art- Maurice Denis 1870-1943

I enjoy looking at the design elements, colors and compositions of these paintings by French artist and writer Maurice Denis

Read about him here and see more of his wonderful paintings here. 

There is a beautiful museum in France that opened in 1980 located in Saint-Germaine-en-Laye called the Maurice Denis Museum. It was once his house. Before that, it was a hospital.

Looks like a great place to visit. It is dedicated to his work and the work of his artist friends of the Nabis movement (inspired by Gauguin at Pont-Aven, it lasted from 1888 to 1903). Read about the Nabis. LINK

2012 Blues Calendar with Free CD- can't beat it.

The free CD that comes with this year's blues calendar is excellent! Tampa Red, Jenny Pope, Lane Hardin, Papa Charlie Jackson to name a few favorites of mine. I blog about this calendar (Blues Images) every single year because it is so fabulous and they never seem to run out of great 1920's artwork or music. They only have a limited supply left, so get yours today.

Check out the complete track listings and buy HERE. 

I am painting away to this music and, boy, does it help my creative juices flow! It's a great way to bring in the new year - with hokum music.

The Art of Amy Crehore

The Obliteration Room by Yayoi Kusama

Japanese artist and dot-woman Yayoi Kusama doesn't quit. Have a look at her "Obliteration Room" at the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. She constructed a large domestic all-white environment and for two weeks had kid-visitors place thousands of multi-colored dot stickers all over it. Before and after photos can be found at This is Colossal. Kusama's Look Now, See Forever Exhibition runs until March 12, 2012. She's cool and one of my favorite artists. A fearless woman.

(Thanks, April!)

The Art of Amy Crehore

German Cinema Cards

Pretty collection of German Cinema Cards to look at on cigcardpix's flickr:

  LINK 

(Internet Weekly  via MonsterBrains)

Architects and Artisans

Crehore Tickler Uke #2 
Happy 2012! My Tickler Ukulele #2 is featured on a design blog today called "Architects and Artisans" (Thoughtful Design for a Sustainable World) along with a short article/interview/slideshow of work. We are currently working on Tickler Ukulele #3 (a new concert model designed by me). It should be ready to show sometime in 2012.

Here's the LINK to the article.

Thanks, Mike.

The Art of Amy Crehore

My painted antique ukes

Happy New Year!

Click to enlarge

I thought I'd bring in the new year with a charming design by the artist Olive Fell (1896-1980). A friend sent me this fabulous vintage card for Xmas. (Thanks, Dr. Powell!) 

Don't you just love this little bear character that she created? Not that different from Mark Ryden's bear. Perhaps Olive was the first western "pop surrealist". She developed a  series of popular "Little Bear Cubs" (shown on this card) in the 1930s to sell at National Parks and other western shops. Olive studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in NYC. She returned to Wyoming to live for the rest of her days. She rode horses like a real cowgirl, too.  For more about Olive Fell: LINK , LINK , LINK

The Art of Amy Crehore

"Sexy" Tiny Tim in Glam Rock Outfit with Ukulele

Not sure where this photo was taken - maybe the Johnny Carson Show or "Laugh In"? I never saw it before. Tiny Tim is rocking out with a silver ukulele and gold boots. I wonder what song he was playing? (Thanks, Joe Schenkman facebook)

Here's an unusual clip from Australia TV 1970 where he sings "Rock Around the Clock" with go go dancers, minus the uke. Apparently he played in Australia quite a bit.

Terry Gilliam-The Christmas Card