Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Paint Job of Tickler Uke







Here are some of the steps that were taken in order to paint the Tickler Uke.
Krylon primer was sprayed on the wood of the uke (after the pores were filled with pumice and shellac) before painting. The fingerboard, bridge and hole were masked off with tape or cardboard. I rubbed in layers of paint and also brushed them in. I hung it up with a hook to paint it, but I also held it in my hands. I patiently waited for the oil paint to dry between layers, but I also used Liquin medium which has a dryer in it, so that helped. I brushed Liquin over the whole thing after I was finished to give it a nice, protective hard coating (it's a varnish, too). Click on photos to enlarge. Sorry that these photos are out of order, but you get the idea.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Lady Godiva

Here's a beauty: "This painting was painted in 1898 by John Collier the English Pre-Raphaelite artist (1850-1934). It depicts Lady Godiva, an eleventh century Anglo-Saxon gentlewoman. Legend says that she rode naked through the streets of Coventry (now a small city in central England) as a protest against the heavy taxes imposed on the local populace by her husband, the local Lord." MORE BY THIS ARTIST

Projects

I'm working on some very special paintings for a very special show at a very special gallery called Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, CA. The show is called "Literartistry" and about 50 artists (including my favorite fine art photographer, Chris Anthony) will be doing interpretations of their favorite books. I am doing the novel "Lolita" by Nabokov in two parts. I will write more about this show very soon. And the first "Tickler" ukulele should be unveiled by the end of the week. I still have to have photos taken and tweak it a bit. It's interesting just how much a luthier's craft is like that of a fine jeweler. Plus, the added dimension of making sure that the instrument is quite playable and sounds good. It was not an easy thing to paint with oils either. I'm very happy with the results and I hope you will like it, too.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Miss Josephine Baker



Images of Josephine Baker!
She was a delectable muse for many an artist and extraordinary American entertainer in Paris.
The Art of Amy Crehore

Friday, July 13, 2007

Vintage Hollywood Magazines



Look what I found at
Aren't these beautiful old illustrations from the 20's?
The Art of Amy Crehore

Unknown Flemish Masters

Portrait of the Artist and his Wife, 1496, Oil on panel, 38 x 26 cmKoninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp
Be sure to click to enlarge this one. It's so cool. Check out the fly on his wife's bonnet!
Some of the unknown masters of Flemish and Italian art of the 15th century are amazing.
Unknown Flemish masters and lots of other art: