Little Hokum Rag

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Half Moon Banjo Ukulele

Unusual banjo uke from University of Leipzig - Museum of Musical Instruments
(Thanks twitter, @ShelleyRickey and @UkeHunt)

Monday, February 25, 2013

Celebrating Renoir's Large Bathers on his birthday

Here's my favorite Renoir painting, The Large Bathers 1884-1887 (Philadelphia Museum of Art). I actually like the combination of styles in this painting better than his works that have his trademark, brushy-style throughout.
It has great form and beauty. The smooth skin of the figures, contrasted with less-defined impressions of nature, makes sense to me. Shown below it is one of the sketches that he did in preparation for the painting. You can see how he changed the position of the girl with the braid in the final work.
Happy Birthday, Renoir!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Let's Get Drunk Again- performed by The Hokum Scorchers

The Hokum Scorchers at my "Dreamgirls and Ukes" gallery show.

(Photo taken by Mark Lowrie 2009 at Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles)

"Let's Get Drunk Again" (song by Bo Chatmon 1938). This is a 1990 tape recording- Hokum Scorchers. Lou plays National guitar, Amy Crehore (me) on washboard w/cups.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Thursday, February 21, 2013

My portrait of Jessica Watson - The Art of Doing

Jessica Watson by Amy Crehore 2013, oil on linen, 8" x 10"

I created this portrait of the amazing Jessica Watson for Camille Sweeney and Josh Gosfield's blog dedicated to their brand new book The Art of Doing: How Superachievers Do What They Do and How They Do It So Well. There are many wonderful interviews in this book, including one with friend Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing .

At the age of 16, Jessica Watson became the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

The interview with her in the book is quite fascinating.

The authors share some of it today on their blog, have a look:

LINK .

You can buy the book on amazon here.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Amy Crehore Originals

Homage to the King of Cats, 2001, 18" x 22", oil on linen ©Amy Crehore SOLD

"Checkers", 2003, 18" x 22", oil on linen ©Amy Crehore SOLD

"Feed the Bear Blues" 2007 preliminary drawing, pencil on 8 1/2" x 11" paper ©Amy Crehore SOLD

"Black Cat Tease", 2005 oil on paper, image 6 1/2" circle © Amy Crehore SOLD

"Geyser" Camp Uke, 2009, oil painting (on Lyon & Healy antique 1920s) ©Amy Crehore SOLD

The Art of Amy Crehore

Here are some originals of mine that have recently found new homes with collectors in NYC, L.A., Austin, etc.

The top two fine art paintings were award winners in national competitions, Communication Arts Magazine and the American Illustration annual. The "Homage" painting was also exhibited in NYC some years ago at the Museum of American Illustration in a show called "Dreams". The antique ukulele was part of my "Dreamgirls and Ukes" show in Los Angeles. The pencil drawing was a preliminary sketch for a painting that was shown in a Brooklyn, NY gallery a few years back (the painting is still available). The circle painting is one of my "Little Pierrot" series (10 Little Pierrots were selected winners in the American Illustration annual some years ago and 4 were shown in a Santa Monica gallery).

For more information visit my website.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Walt Kuhn and Guy Pene du Bois

The painter Walt Kuhn (above) was actually one of the organizers of the 1913 Armory show in NYC as a member of the Association of American Painters and Sculptors. Here's a link to Kuhn's records.