Adam Koford's New Book

Only a month to go before Adam Koford's new book is officially released, but it looks like it is already doing well on Amazon. You can pre-order the book here. "The Laugh-Out-Loud Cats Sell Out presents the very best of Koford's online archives, alongside 30 new comics produced exclusively for this collection. An introduction by bestselling author and Daily Show correspondent John Hodgman, whose '700 Hoboes' project inspired Koford to create The Laugh-Out-Loud Cats, frames the strips for both the longtime fan and the LOLinitiate."

I love these comics.

Check out Adam's great blog

HOBOTOPIA or his flickr

The Art of Amy Crehore

Details of New Paintings

The Art of Amy Crehore

This is a detail of a new painting called "Hokum Hallelujah". It's for my upcoming show in L.A. at Thinkspace (Feb 13). I am going to start to show you some glimpses. I have been scanning all day and still have much to do in the weeks to come. But, the art is done for the most part.

"Dreamgirls and Ukes" Sneak Peeks

Ten of the restored, vintage ukes on the floor of my studio. They still need a bit of final paint.

Here is the front of the postcard for the Thinkspace show. They did a great job with the graphics.
I often blog links to flickr sets. This time, I am blogging my own. I just posted some sneak peeks of my art for my upcoming show at Thinkspace Gallery in L.A. (opens Feb 13, 2009 and runs through March 6th). The 14 paintings are finished and need to be framed. The 13 ukes are almost there. I will be finishing them up this weekend. For clarification: these are fully restored (by Lou Reimuller) antique ukes, most from the 1920's and 1930's. Some are rare, some near mint, some are brand names. All playable. They will all be set up by a luthier, but they are also hand-painted (by me) fine art objects which will hang next to my paintings in the gallery setting.

"Dreamgirls and Ukes" studio shots on flickr

(you can watch it as a slideshow)
The Art of Amy Crehore

Crankbait featured in "Outdoor Life"

Hey kids, the crankbait lures we painted a while back for Steve Lodefink of Finkbuilt blog now appear in "Outdoor Life" magazine, February issue. The online art show was a lot of fun with a lot of great artists. Read about it and view it here:

FINKBUILT

"Movers and Shakers" Exhibit, L.A. opens Feb 14, 2009

The day after my solo show opens at Thinkspace Gallery in Feb., another exciting show will be happening in Los Angeles in Chinatown. I am also taking part in this show. It is called "Movers and Shakers", curated by Gino Joukar. The date is Valentine's Day, Feb 14, 2009, from 7-11 pm. Here is the show postcard. It will be tons of fun. (Click image to enlarge to see a fantastic list of some of your favorite artists) For more information, including a preview of a special boxset of prints go here:

POVEVOLVING

The Art of Amy Crehore

Interview with Amy Crehore in INKED Magazine (FEB)

I'm so excited. This really nice magazine did a full page interview with me about my upcoming solo art show ("Dreamgirls and Ukes", Thinkspace, L.A., Feb 13). They printed two of my paintings and photos of my No. 1 Tickler Ukulele. I just got my copy! It's the Feb. issue of INKED Magazine. Jennifer Goldstein did a great job writing it.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Theme from Amarcord

The theme from Amarcord by Nino Rota was always my favorite.

Here's a film clip w/the music.

What am I up to?

Hoop Dream (Detail) by Amy Crehore

Here is just a detail of a small new painting. I have been finishing up my paintings for my "Dreamgirls and Ukes" show. There will be 14 new paintings in the show unless I find time to add another. Not sure if I will put sketches in the show or not. There will also be 13 hand-painted, restored vintage ukuleles in this show. Still working on those. Those are 85% done. Then I will have to photograph and frame, plus all the rest (including practicing music). I will be painting something on the front wall of the gallery as well. Thinkspace Gallery will have a "question and answer" with me on their blog soon. I'll let you know when. There's also an ad in Juxtapoz and an interview in Inked Magazine (February issues). They should be out now. I will be blogging more details and paintings very soon.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Oscar Schmidt 1920 Koa Uke for Xmas

Click on image to enlarge
I got this incredible gem for Xmas. Flame koa antique uke with a koa bridge and nice detailing all around. The headstock I wanted, too - it's sort of a paddle-shape at the top. It was made around 1920- give or take. This photo does not do justice to it. The flame wood is iridescent.
The Art of Amy Crehore

Heinrich Kley 1863-1945(?)

Heinrich Kley was a German painter and editorial cartoonist. Here are a couple of examples of his fine drawings. Walt Disney built an extensive private collection of Heinrich Kley. A number of early Disney productions, notably Fantasia, reveal Kley's inspiration. (Wikipedia)

More drawings here: thescreamonline .

The Art of Amy Crehore

Louis Moe 1857-1945

Yes, he has a strange name, but he was a damn good draftsman and creative whiz. View more works from the Norwegian artist,

Louis Moe

The Art of Amy Crehore

P.S. Here are some more links: Troll Moon,

Monster Brains

Moira Hahn Solo Show at Koplin Del Rio Gallery

"Raijin Tiger" painting copyright Moira Hahn
"Tan Don't Burn" painting copyright Moira Hahn

" Next Exit" painting copyright Moira Hahn

Moira Hahn's new watercolor paintings will be on view at Koplin Del Rio Gallery in Culver City CA from January 10th to February 28th. Her opening will be on Saturday, January 10th, from 6-8pm.
Hahn "paints anthropomorphic animals contending with catastrophes brought on by human-kind. In 'Next Exit', for example, the blackened scaffold of a two-story tall, elephant-shaped house full of leaking oil drums disintegrates in a fury of swirling flames and demons, while a pot-bellied cowboy rider flogs it with a whip. Exquisitely garbed primates heed warnings from other species, and ancient Buddhist hell scroll imagery is transcribed, mutated and blended with other historic and contemporary sources to represent trials of the modern age." (from Hahn's statement about her work)
You can view her amazing work here:
KOPLIN DEL RIO


The Art of Amy Crehore

What am I listening to?

I am listening to the free cd that came with my 2009 blues calendar! It's amazingly good! If you haven't purchased a calendar yet, get this one chock full o' race record ads. Just look at this play list on the cd:

Track Listings:January to December artwork(1) Night & Day Blues • Blind Blake(2) Milk Cow Blues • Kokomo Arnold(3) Shake It and Break It • Charley Patton(4) Jesus Is A Mighty Good Leader • Skip James(5) Home Town Skiffle-Pt. 1,2 • Paramount All Stars(6) Jailhouse Fire Blues • Buddy Boy Hawkins(7) Worried Blues • Blind Lemon Jefferson (8) Cherry Ball Blues • Kansas Joe and Memphis Minnie(9) Graveyard Dream Blues • Ida Cox(10) Nightmare • Elgar's Creole Orchestra (11) The Death of Blind Lemon • Rev. Emmett Dickerson(12) Death May Be Your Christmas Present • Rev. A. W. NixBonus tracks (artwork doesn't exist for these songs)(13) Sun to Sun • Blind Blake(14) The Laffing Rag • Ben Curry(15) Hot Dog • Ben Curry(16) Home Town Skiffle-Test •Paramount All Stars(17) Alchohol And Jake Blues • Tommy Johnson(18) Ridin' Horse • Tommy Johnson

NOTE: The "Paramount All Stars" includes Papa Charley Jackson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Blind Blake, Hokum Boys, Will Ezell, & Charley Spand. (Great!)

Get your calendar and free cd here:

Blues Images

This is the kind of roots music that I play with the Hokum Scorchers.

The art and music of Amy Crehore

Marilyn and her Uke

Happy New Year, Too!

Happy New Year, Too!
Originally uploaded by stevechasmar

More Vintage New Year Postcards

Happy New Year!

Follow this link to see over 300 (and counting) beautiful old New Year's postcards -

riptheskull 's collection on flickr.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Maile Waltz on Uke

Here is John King performing the pretty little Maile Waltz on his uke.

Dolly Sisters

Who were the Dolly Sisters? "The Dolly Sisters, twins Rosika (Rose) and Jansci (Jenny) Deutsch, were born in 1892 in Hungary and emigrated to the U.S. in 1905. They perfected a single-sex "tandem" dance act - practicing in front of mirrors - under the name of 'The Dolly Sisters' they began earning money in beer halls as early as 1907. Barred for being under age by the NYC stage, they toured the Orpheum circuit until 1909 when they debuted on the Keith vaudville circuit till 1911 when they signed with the Ziegfeld Follies for two seasons.
In addition to making about a half dozen films from 1913 to 1920, they toured the theatres and dance halls of Europe." Wikipedia

Confetta has a nice set of Dolly Sisters photos on flickr .

As you can see, the Dolly Sisters inspired some art deco figurines.

The Art of Amy Crehore

Early Flight Collecting Cards

Early flight collecting cards, ca. 1895

From the Tissandier Collection at the U.S. Library of Congress.

This is from a beautiful flickr set of flight collecting cards, old trade cards and other interesting things put together by by trials and errors. (Follow the link for more.) My grandfather, William, and his brothers were early aviators in WWI. (link to Wikipedia article on Austen Crehore).

The Art of Amy Crehore

Christmas Holly Girl in Blue Cape

Christmas Holly Girl in Blue Cape
Originally uploaded by desertglitter

from another nice collection of
vintage Xmas postcards on flickr.
Follow the link.

jayne mansfield xmas tree

jayne mansfield xmas tree
Originally uploaded by carbonated

From a great holiday set on flickr

Vintage Snowmen

Boingboing blogged the Smithsonian Magazine article called "Snowmen Gone Wild" . There are some fabulous vintage images in the photo gallery that illustrates the article. Check it out! And...I found the above images on flickr thanks to jijen (bottom card)and chicks57. The snowman is a wonderfully warm fellow who deserves a hug, even though he is made of ice and snow.

The Art of Amy Crehore

A Ukulele Story

"The Creature" by Amy Crehore

Someone nice wrote this on his blog the other day:

"I found a ukulele in the thrift shop in P'aia a couple of weeks ago. Well, actually, Carl found it, and told me where it was, but that is another story (like, who is Carl?). I've really been enjoying it, been playing it more than my guitar. I really enjoy playing for my students in yoga class, and I adore the portability aspect. I'm also kind of into this artist I discovered on 'boing boing', Amy Crehore. There is a print called 'The Creature" in the back of the yoga studio that she painted. It is a gentle fantasy set in an apparent island paradise, tucked away in a valley. Two beautiful, brown skinned women sit at the edge of a clear blue pool. Both nude except for hibiscis flowers in their hair, one holds a monkey in her lab while the other plays a ukulele! Oh, and the uke player has a tail. I imagine that she is the creature, as the other two characters eye her curiously as she strums away on her little instrument. A remarkable depiction of magic and wonder, which also happen to be two of my favorite things. Cool thing is, I liked her art even before I started playing uke, I don't think it even registered in my mind that it was an ukulele in the print until I started writing this post. Trippy. Amy is having a show in Los Angeles in February/March, called "Dreamgirls and Ukes". If you happen to be in LA, and make it to the show, send me a postcard, would you?"

Here's the blog: The Main Line Sutras

(thanks!)

RIP Eartha Kitt

Here is a nice little story about Eartha Kitt from the Washington Post.

Royalties for Leonard for Christmas

Number 1, number 2 and number 36 on the charts in the UK!

Leonard Cohen's song, Hallelujah. (read article)
Leonard singing:

YouTube 2008 in Dublin.

Tangle-Foot Rag

Tangle-Foot Rag
Originally uploaded by wackystuff

The cat's face is a killer.
More sheet music covers
at flickr...follow link.

a,b,c,d,e,f, & g

abcdefg
Originally uploaded by laamish

Photo of the day from the collection of
Mark Lowrie.
Check out Mark's great photo
sculptures on flickr of western scenes!

Ukulele Headstock Art by Amy Crehore

Here is a sneak peek at some drawings from my sketchbook of some of the designs on the headstocks of ukes in my upcoming show at Thinkspace in L.A. (Feb. 13, 2009). Also, if you missed it, there is a new interview with me at Sadie Magazine . I'm wishing everyone out there safe and Happy Holidays!

The Art of Amy Crehore

Little Pierrots in the Old Days

Chicks57 has a collection of over 1,200 vintage little girl postcards on flickr. In this amazing collection I found some "little pierrots". I know that I have probably blogged about these postcards before, but they are fascinating and extremely beautiful. So have another look during the holidays:

LINK

The Art of Amy Crehore

Torture Garden Cover, 1955

octave mirbeau, torture garden, 1955
Originally uploaded by A Journey Round My Skull

from a Journey Round My Skull
Cover of a Book by Octave Mirbeau

Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur (1904)

Plates from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur (Artforms of nature) (1904)

See more beautiful plates at:

Wikimedia commons

Thanks, lolaleeloo2 's flickr