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

Happy Holidays to you!

I will be spending Christmas/NewYear week working in the studio. 

It's actually my favorite time of year to paint, so I'm hoping to finish these paintings up and start another. I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful holiday and to thank you all for reading my blog. I won't be going anywhere, so stay tuned. I'll be making a big list for 2012 of all the things that I told myself I would do in 2011, but didn't get around to. 
A special thanks to all of the kind people who have supported my artwork over the years. 
It means so much to me and keeps me going.
Love, Amy

The Art of Amy Crehore

Remedios Varo at Frey Norris Gallery

San Francisco is in for a treat. Frey Norris Gallery (161 Jessie Street, S.F., CA) will be having a show featuring the artwork of the late, great Remedios Varo. The show, called "Indelible Fables", will run from January 7, 2012 until February 26, 2012. This show marks the first gallery exhibition of Varo's work in 50 years. That's pretty exciting. Remedios Varo died in 1963 at the young age of 55 in Mexico City. Her art is splendidly strange and imaginative. Read more about her here. There will also be an LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) show called "In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in Mexico and the United States" from Jan 29-May 6, 2012. LINK

More examples of the paintings of Remedios Varo can be found here: Classic Art Paintings   

The Art of Amy Crehore

For those who like the "old" internet better....

For "vintage" internet ads like this old facebook ad - here's a link:

 retronaut (ads by moma). There is a ton of cool stuff on this website, by the way.

Amazing light show on front of building

Comfort and Joy at the Local Drugstore

Whistling Mitch played a trombone kazoo in the local drugstore yesterday. I took a grainy video with my ipod. I blogged about him last year and took a ton of photos.LINK  (He told me he doesn't use the internet. He's old-fashioned to the max.) He also played a green (vintage) stenciled Harmony ukulele.

My "Peekaboo" is a SammoS Banjo Ukulele, 1919

SammoS banjo ukulele

SammO soprano ukulele

When I painted my "Peekaboo" design on an antique banjo ukulele (shown above) for my solo art show in Los Angeles a couple of years ago ("Dreamgirls and Ukes"), the brand of ukulele was a mystery to me. I loved the unique construction (walnut and maple marquetry), but I had no idea who manufactured these or exactly how old they were. Thanks to Google Books, I found some information in the "Music Trades" publication of 1919. I now know that these particular banjo ukuleles are at least 92 years old, making them older than I thought. An old advertisement (top image) shows one like it and tells us that the The Samuel C. Osborn Manufacturing Company, located in a Masonic Temple in Chicago, made these instruments. Osborn claimed to be the largest manufacturer of stringed instruments at the time. A little more digging and I found out that this company was around since 1897, but went bankrupt in 1921 (after moving to a new building). Mr. Osborn died in 1922 at the age of 50. They also made a soprano ukulele called the SammO, a really nice koa uke (shown above, the one I have at home). It's design seems to have been based on the older Hawaiian ukuleles. Osborn also made mandolins, guitars, taro patch fiddles and something called the Pianoette. 

The Art of Amy Crehore
P.S. All we can really do is guess at some of these when the label is missing or the brand is not indicated on the headstock.

Two Charming Nudes Together

 Lucas Cranach, "Venus and Cupid" 1537

"Nude Girl on a Fur" by Otto Dix 1932

Click image to enlarge

In the summer of 2010, The National Gallery of Scotland hung these two paintings in a mini face-off show called "Confrontation". The Dix is possibly my favorite painting he's ever done. It's so weird and beautiful all at the same time. I love the tones of yellow and the textures in this painting. The girl's crooked, curled toe completes a great composition. Her eyes and expression (of longing?) are uniquely Dix. The Cranach is one of many (see link) that he did using the exact same theme, but it's a charming one. I love that the "drape" the girl is wearing is so transparent as to be almost invisible (she is holding it up with her hand). 

The Art of Amy Crehore

Picture of the Day

"Chalk Cliffs on Rugen", 1818, by Caspar David Freidrich, 

painted as a celebration of his marriage to his wife. LINK 

I found this painting recently online and it reminds me a little bit of the art that I am currently doing, so I must get back to work. 

The Art of Amy Crehore

Salesman 1968

Mark at boingboing posted this trailer to a documentary about 4 salesmen selling bibles.
More info about the movie  LINK

"The Starfish" 1928 Film by Man Ray

 If you have 15 minutes, here's a wonderful, mysterious little B&W film by Man Ray starring Kiki and a starfish.

"Loan Me Your Heart", a Papa Charlie Jackson Song

Papa Charlie Jackson portrait by Amy Crehore

I love Papa Charlie Jackson's music from the 1920s. He played a 6-string Gibson guitar- banjo. Check out the huge head on this banjo (above). I painted this portrait of him in the 1990s. Our little band, The Hokum Scorchers, did a few of his numbers. One such song is "Loan Me Your Heart". I love this song. 

You can listen to our version (recorded in the 1990s) HERE. 
(I play washboard/cups and Lou Reimuller plays guitar and sings).

P.S. Another song by Papa Charlie Jackson is "Papa Do Do Do". Our version of that song can be found here: LINK 

The Art of Amy Crehore

A Few Unicorns

for Xeni

Robinet Testard, 1470 from the "Book of Simple Medicines"

 Raphael, 1520, Lady with Unicorn

 Leonardo, 1470s, Maiden with Unicorn

Unicorn Tapestry 1495-1505

Rembrandt's New Old Man

Experts have reclassified this painting, "Bearded Old Man", as one done by Rembrandt when he was 24 in the year 1630. X-rays show that there is a self-portrait of Rembrandt as a young man sketched underneath. This is only 6" x 8". Small works can be quite masterful. This one has wonderful lighting and great depth of feeling. LINK 

I previously blogged about a current show at The Clark Art Institute, showing a couple of examples of Rembrandt's self-portraits as a young man.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Watch her face

A great gift for the monkey in your life!

Brand NEW Boing Boing Monkey T-shirt designed by Amy Crehore

My favorite blog, Boing Boing, has partnered with another favorite, Neatorama, to produce this wonderful t-shirt with my artwork and hand-lettering. A friend of mine sent me the photos above. She's delighted with her purchase, which arrived yesterday. She says they look "great"! I want to thank Pop Drawer, for featuring it on their Holiday Shopping Guide, and Kozmicdogz for giving this shirt a big shout out, too. 

You can pick out your size and color and buy this shirt HERE .

The Art of Amy Crehore

Original Paintings and Prints by Amy Crehore

My art has been shown in many galleries over the years: Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, Palm Springs, New York City, Brooklyn, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Art Basel Miami and more. The Portland Art Museum (OR), the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the American Museum of Illustration (NYC) have all exhibited my paintings. Visit my website for available work and a selection of signed prints.
The Art of Amy Crehore