Monday, December 31, 2012

Malbuchgeschichten Bild 13

Beautiful set on flickr of German "Coloring Book" 1949 with a surreal tapestry-like style of illustration by Heinz Kiessling. Here is just one page. Follow link. Thanks to micky the pixel.

Friday, December 28, 2012

Funny Little Nudes


The Crowd Pleaser and the VIP make perfect conceptual art pieces.
Duchamp would be proud. I've always been a sucker for tiny things and these were nudes hanging around the house untouched, in the old packaging, so I took some photos. These are "the little people that add a lot".
(H O scale figurines)
 

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Winter Images by Oliver Herford

 Jack Frost - Ladies Home Journal 1926
The Snowman's Christmas - Ladies Home Journal 1924 LINK
(Click image to enlarge)
 
Who was Oliver Herford (1863-1935)? They say he was "the American Oscar Wilde". I love these two illustrations which clearly show his sense of humor and his wicked talent for drawing and painting. He was also a poet and writer.
Here are some of his works online.
 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

A Henri Cartier-Bresson View

Click to enlarge
Henri Cartier-Bresson photo via mardecortesbaja.com
Somehow this photo says "looking ahead" to me.
It is a group of school children and a young couple soaking in the view of the Seine river (1953) from the top of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

And a Lucky '13 to you!


Happy Holidays to all of my blog readers, fans, friends, acquaintances, collectors and wonderful people around the world who browse the internet and visit Little Hokum Rag!
May the year 2013 be a "Lucky '13" for you. 
Little Hokum Rag will continue to celebrate the little things in life that make it special.
Love,
Amy

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Big Maybelle by Ruth Farrall

5 1/2" x 7" glitter and acrylics
Big Maybelle by Ruth Farrall
This portrait of Big Maybelle was done by a dear friend of mine who recently passed away on Thanksgiving from cancer. I received this little painting in the mail today from her sister. (Thanks, Linda.)
Ruth was a highly talented artist and an unforgettable friend.
I blogged her "cat with crown" drawing earlier: LINK 
Ruth loved all of the best stuff in life- blues music, cats, nature and all forms of art.
She was smart, funny and beautiful. She was also a teacher who inspired her students and she inspired her friends. I think about her every day.
Ruth Farrall 

 

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Hokum Scorchers Playing National Brand Instruments


More information about this 1930s song and the vintage National instruments that Lou and I play can be found here !
This song was featured on boingboing's GWEEK .

Friday, December 07, 2012

Crehore Art Ukes

Here are some of my art ukes.
Follow this link for more details.
Click this image to enlarge.

Thursday, December 06, 2012

Holiday Idea: Artist Signed, Limited Edition Prints by Amy Crehore

 Song of the Sea
 Weed Smoker's Dream
 NEW one! Dragonfly Vanity Waltz
 Homage to the King of Cats
 The Waiting Pool
Deja Vu Waltz
 
There's still time to get a print by Xmas, if you order soon.
You may have seen some of my artwork featured on boingboing (link to see all)
including my newest prints.
LINK to prints
These are all signed by me, numbered and only available in small limited editions, printed by a pro.
Each comes with a special certificate of authenticity, also signed by me.
Ask about buying originals. amy@amycrehore.com
 I also have a really nice signed, numbered 3-color letterpress print on sale
with girls, monkeys and ukulele. LINK
 

Monday, December 03, 2012

Bye Bye Bazooka Joe

Bazooka Gum is getting a makeover and there will be no more Bazooka Joe comics inside of each bubble gum package.
Now, that is sad. LINK

Saturday, December 01, 2012

Teenar and the Green Cheerleader


I'm taking some photos around the house with the new ipad. Top photo shows Teenar, Girl Guitar and bottom photo shows one of those green Cheerleader ukes from late 20s or early 30s. 

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Monday, November 26, 2012

The First Circus 1921



Thanks, Decaying Hollywood Mansions on FB
This is a great early animation from 1921, don't you think?
I remember taking film and animation classes back in art school.
Some of my favorite times- staying up all night painting animation cells.

Hey- they call this Cyber Monday, so
be sure to check out my new print editions for the holidays, if
you haven't already!
LINK 
The Art of Amy Crehore


Saturday, November 24, 2012

New Crehore Prints: Krampus and Dragonfly

CLICK TO ENLARGE IMAGES
Hey, I just released two artist-signed, limited edition prints.
Here are the links to buy: "Dragonfly Vanity Waltz" (giclee of painting, only 40 prints in edition)
Krampus Silk Screen (3-color silk screen, only 18 prints in edition)
 
 
 

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Erotic Playing Cards by Paul-Emile Becat (1885-1960)


Nice video of "Le Florentin", Becat's 1955 limited edition deck of erotic playing cards, Paris
Thanks, shivabel.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Combo Waltz performed by the Hokum Scorchers

Here is one of our Hokum Scorcher's recordings called Combo Waltz. I am playing the washboard and cups and Lou Reimuller is playing the National guitar, harmonica and kazoo. This song is based on a Memphis Jugband song from the late 20s, early 30s.



Monday, November 12, 2012

Wednesday, November 07, 2012

Children's Book Tattoos

Look at this Alice in Wonderland tattoo. Click photo to enlarge.
For many more wild tattoos taken from children's books go to Flavorwire.

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Photo of the Day by Raleigh Powell (1973)

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE
"Dolores River, Colorado-Utah 1973", photo by Raleigh Powell. Taken with a brownie.
(all rights reserved by Raleigh Powell)
Gotta love those Type #2 Transporters (VW buses) and girls' legs.

Friday, November 02, 2012

Picture of the Day: Cat with Crown by Ruth Farrall

Hanging in my kitchen: a wonderful print of an original scratchboard drawing of a cat with a crown by my dear friend, artist Ruth Farrall. Ruth, you are the best. This cat says it all. Look at those eyes.
Image Copyright Ruth Farrall 2004

Friday, October 26, 2012

New Painting: "Girl With A Fig Leaf Parasol" by Amy Crehore

Here are some details of my new painting.
Follow this link to see large view of painting.
 
CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE
(You can view the new painting large on the home page of my website, too)
 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Underneath the Woman is a Man

"Woman Ironing" by Picasso
The fact that Picasso started a portrait of a man and then switched his idea to "Woman Ironing" is no big deal. Painters do this all the time. I often sand down a head or face numerous times and make shifts in composition. If a painting takes months to work on, it may end up a whole different painting than I originally intended by the time I am done. The "process" of painting is fascinating- it keeps painters challenged and interested. We are allowed to change our minds and change our strokes. It looks like Picasso flipped his original sketch upside down and this may mean that he simply wanted to reuse the canvas and/or wasn't satisfied with his idea in the first place. Anyway, I'm glad Picasso decided to paint over it or we might have missed out on this masterpiece- "Woman Ironing"- which is currently on display at the Guggenheim in the exhibition "Picasso Black and White".
Go here> LINK (NYTimes) to reveal the painting underneath. Just scratch the image with your mouse! By the way, it is Picasso's birthday (born Oct. 25, 1881). He is definitely one of my favorite artists, warts and all. I have learned so much from looking at his art.
 
Stay tuned to this blog - I will reveal a new painting of mine very soon.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Giant Vases in Sargent Painting - Good Fun for Daughters


I always loved that John Singer Sargent painting because it has a hint of surrealism. You know, the one with the giant vases and young girls:  
The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit. The Boit family gave those giant Japanese vases to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (shown above). Apparently the girls used the vases to play games with as conservators found: coins, buttons, feathers, badminton shuttlecocks, tennis balls, chocolate wrappers inside the vases (see B&W photo above). Book about this painting available on the museum website: LINK

Monday, October 15, 2012

Little Nemo Himself

Was there anyone more inspiring than Winsor McCay?
His art is so imaginative, surreal and well-crafted.
CLICK photo to ENLARGE
Today, the Google logo celebrates his creation Little Nemo in Slumberland.
Here is a photo of Winsor McCay (sporting a gorgeous white suit and hat) in 1908 sketching for a charity benefit;
the young boy wearing the knickers and Nemo sash could actually be his son, age 12. The character of Nemo was supposedly modelled on his son Robert. LINK (Library of Congress photo)

Trivia: My grandmother's uncle Stanley Forde was in a silent film with McCay in 1924: The Great White Way. McCay played himself. LINK

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Moonrise Kingdom - So Good


Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom blew my socks off.
I finally went to see it and it did not disappoint.
In fact, it inspired. I can't say enough good things about it.
I want to see it again. Often. It has everything. So many great visuals.
Feels like a foreign film, yet so very American.
So dreamlike, yet so real.
Spilling over with nostalgic details -  
a New England summer setting, 1965.
Wonderful characters and great actors.
Oh joy.
 

Frida Parade

I saw 10 Fridas parading down the sidewalk yesterday.
One was only about 6 years old. Beautiful.
 

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Newly Discovered Works by Magritte

Above are three examples of works- Night in Pisa 1953, Transatlantic Passenger 1936 and The Harvest of the Clouds 1927 by Rene Magritte published in Rene Magritte: Newly Discovered Works: Catalogue Raisonne Volume VI. Read more at artnews . This new book has 130 previously unseen works.  (Top and bottom: ©2012 CHARLY HERSCOVICI, BRUSSELS, middle: COURTESY SOTHEBY’S IMAGES.)
I love the way Magritte's mind works. It is easy to take him for granted because he was so good at what he did and his classic work was so often appropriated/copied.
Magritte invented his own unique world of visual poetry and it is nice that he is still being celebrated (upcoming show at MOMA in Sept. 2013).
 
 

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Rocks as People



Early-twentieth century illustrations by ArtuÅ¡ Scheiner (1863 BeneÅ¡ov – 1938 Prague)
LINK (Thanks, 50Watts)

Friday, October 05, 2012

Chris Anthony book on Kickstarter

Project: poetic photographs done the old-fashioned way using wet plate collodion and tintype processes by Chris Anthony to be published in a book.
There is an Oct 17, 2012 deadline to support this project, Seas Without a Shore book (90 photographs) on Kickstarter.
I have another book by Chris (and a print) and his work is wonderfully imaginative and darkly elegant.
 
 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Friday, September 28, 2012

Painting of the Day

 
Huile sur toile by Frances Picabia 1942-43
Collection Michael Werner © ADAGP, Paris 2012 LINK

Friday, September 21, 2012

Actor James Mason's Cat Drawings




Lou told me recently that he took a boat with his mom to Capri, Italy when he was young. The amazing actor James Mason of Lolita fame happened to be on the boat as well. How cool! Unfortunately, Lou got seasick and was throwing up most of the trip. Anyway, Lou's story prompted me to look up James Mason on wikipedia.
I found out that James Mason was a cat-lover and wrote a book with his wife Pamela in 1949 called The Cats In Our Lives. The wonderful thing is that he illustrated the book as well. His ink drawings are superb and perfectly capture the personalities of his pet cats in a few strokes. More illustrations can be found on Silents and Talkies blog.