Monday, October 23, 2006

Gibson Mando-Bass

Blues Gal#5 sketch w/ Mandobass copyright 2006 Amy Crehore

We have one of these at home. You can play the Gibson Mando-bass upright or sitting... like this woman in the picture. It's a beautiful piece of furniture. I might have to work on my drawing of the bear - not quite there yet.


Sunday, October 22, 2006

Music and stuff

Robert Armstrong with his creations (Frets.com)

Here's a picture of Big Bill Broonzy with the Gibson guitar that I mentioned in my previous post - on an album cover from Yazoo Records. Yazoo always had a great selection of hokum music with wonderfully illustrated album covers by R. Crumb and Robert Armstrong (two of my favorite underground comic artists who also had a great band called Cheap Suit Serenaders).

Check out talented Robert Armstrong's

page at Frets.com to see close ups of his painted instruments!!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Blues Gal # 4


Blues Gal #4 Sketch Copyright 2006 Amy Crehore
Here's another new Blues Gal drawing. This one has a Gibson Style O Guitar from 1920 in it. We don't have one of these guitars at home, but we have others in the Gibson guitar family such as the teardrop-shaped Mando Bass and the cubist-looking Harp Guitar. All are classic beauties just like this girl who is feeding an acorn to her pet squirrel. I'm listening to The Essential Nino Rota Film Music Collection as I draw.
Check out Elderly Music

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Drawn!

Mini-Monkey # 3 copyright 2006 Amy Crehore courtesy of Blab Show website

Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog is such a great blog. It is well-read across the world. That's because they continually post about wonderful artists day-after-day-after-day.
Anyone who enjoys the history of the graphic arts, comics, contemporary illustration, painting, and drawing will love this blog. Thanks to Johnny for posting about the Blab! Show today:
Blab! Art Show - 4 days left
"You have four days to catch the Blab! Art Show at Copro Nason Gallery in Santa Monica, CA. The show features 18 fantastic artists and illustrators including Drawn! favourites Amy Crehore (shown here), Gary Baseman, Ryan Heshka, and Tim Biskup. The show closes this Saturday, October 21. " (Johnny, Drawn!)

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Blues Gal Drawings

Sketch for Blues Gal #3 Copyright Amy Crehore 2006

I have been working away on some new drawings. I'm trying to expand my new blues gal series. It's interesting how some of my motifs overlap. Early blues and hokum stringed instruments are often the same as the Hawaiian ones: National guitars and ukes (banjo-ukes and koa wood ukes). Cats in the woods, why not? Waterfalls in the woods. Ditto.
This drawing probably needs more work...it's just one of my new ones.
By the way, there is only one week left to go see the Blab! Show.
Copro Nason Gallery in Santa Monica, CA is open from Wed-Sat, Oct 18-21st.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Shunya Yamashita

Sera Art of Shunya Yamashita
This is a nice figure. I might have to buy this for someone I know who collects them. I like these anime figures much better than some of the designer toys. They seem to have a lot more going for them.

Metaphysical Mamie



 I did a painting for the Women With Issues Show at M Modern Gallery in Palm Springs, CA. It opened on Sept. 23, 2006 (same day as Blab show). The show was a Valley of the Dolls theme show and I think they also had vintage photos for sale of Patty Duke and Sharon Tate.

Here is a photo of Mamie Van Doren from the Blond Bombshell show at the same gallery last January. I got to go to that one and it was fun. Mamie certainly does not look her age!