Monday, August 21, 2006

Pierre Puvis De Chavannes 1824-1898

Hope 1872 by Pierre Puvis De Chavannes
Young Girls at the Seaside 1879 Pierre Puvis De Chavannes

I had forgotten how much I love the paintings of Pierre Puvis De Chavannes
until the Balnea Museum reminded me. His design sense is impeccable and it is so very modern.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Antonio Donghi - Encore!

Canzone 1934 Antonio Donghi
Ammaestratrice Di Cani 1946 Antonio Donghi
Here are two more images for your viewing pleasure from the
out-of-print book, "DONGHI", De Luca Editore, Rome,1985.

Flog! is Cool

The Fantagraphics blog is called Flog. They talk about the Blab show, a major Joe Coleman exhibit, Daniel Clowes & Terry Zwigoff interviews, interview with Seth, etc. It's chock full o' interesting tidbits about comics and art. Check it out!

Friday, August 18, 2006

Fellini Cartoons


Copyright Federico FelliniThe Balnea Museum (previous post) also has hilarious cartoons by Federico Fellini. Apparently, he drew the poster illustration himself for his wonderful movie Amarcord(1973). It's one of my favorite films of all time and Nino Rota's soundtrack is unforgettably classic and hauntingly beautiful.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Museum of Sea Bathing

Pablo Picasso, Le Bagnanti
Carlo Carra, La Romantica
I just found the most wonderful "Virtual Museum of Sea Bathing and Seaside Tourism"
called The Balnea Museum. In their Special Exhibition section they have many of my very favorite early Picasso Bathers as well as the marinas of Metaphysical Italian painter, Carlo Carra. Plus much, much more! What a find! I will bookmark this one.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

My Little Monkey

This is a picture of my precious little cat.
She was the inspiration for the cat in many of my Little Pierrot paintings. As you can see, she is perfectly comfortable standing up like a human being.
She is waaay too friendly for her own good. I am often worried that she will follow someone home and be gone forever.
She never got much bigger than seven pounds, although I believe she is about 5 years old now.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Hokum Music

I played washboard, tenor banjo and sometimes a National plectrum in a little band called "The Hokum Scorchers" for many years. That's a kazoo mounted on the rack. We mostly played songs that were popular in the 1920's and 30's by artists such as: Papa Charlie Jackson, Blind Willie McTell, Blind Blake, The Memphis Jugband, Tampa Red, Memphis Minnie and countless others.

Wikipedia's definition of Hokum -
"Hokum is a particular song type of American blues music - a humorous song which uses extended analogies or euphemistic terms to make sexual inuendoes. This trope goes back to early blues recordings and is seen from time to time in modern American blues and blues-rock."
"Got out late last night, in the rain and sleet
Tryin' to find a butcher that grind my meat
Yes I'm lookin' for a butcher
He must be long and tall
If he want to grind my meat
'Cause I'm wild about my meat balls."
from Meat Balls, by Lil Johnson, recorded about 1937

www.amycrehore.com