JAZZY

New Orleans, Jazz and art...these are a few of my favorite things. Moving along on the new pastel from one of the Bresciani photographs. I'm enjoying it so much that the time flies by down in my studio.

PASSING TIME AND PRACTICE

Scratchboard doodleing...and a jazz collagraph.

I LIKE GOOD SAX...

Surrender your whole being to a note, and gravity disappears...with one chord, John Lee Hooker could tell a story as deep as the ocean.

—Carlos Santana

This print was used on a T-Shirt which

sold well on Cafe Express

 

Good Sax

Reduction Linocut

WATERCOLOR AND MUSIC

Great wet, loose watercolor technique and Norah Jones music...the perfect blog post!!

JAZZ

Jazz is...an open-minded music designed for open minds. 

                      ~Author Unknown~

Devil Music

Reduction woodblock print

on Japanese Kozo paper

THE OTHER HALF

One of my fellow bloggers (Wm Cook) pointed me to a link on his blog for Charlie Mingus. This reminded me of the second use my studio gets. One half of the area is set up with my drums plus guitars, keyboards and various other instruments. Some teacher friends of mine join me at every oppotunity to play what we think sounds like blues and other types of music. With apologies to my wife, who heads to the farthest reaches of the house, we do have a lot of fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0UjfkEo-0M

PHOTOGRAPHY, BLUES AND ART

I have found myself spending more and more of my time around music and art over the past few years. I guess it's never too late to do the things you enjoy and not just the things you're expected to do! One of the people who follow this blog sent me a link to a great site that shows some wonderful examples in these areas. Brandy Kayzakian Rowe is a photographer and painter who grew up and lived in the south (Memphis). Her photographs of the Delta and it's blues music are simply fantastic. She has recently moved to the Pacific Northwest and continues her work in it's rich jazz scene.

http://www.brandykayzakianrowe.com/

MORE FROM THE PAST

I received an invitation to enter an art contest which prompted a journey through scans of my art, both new and old. I'm still undecided as to what I am going to enter, but I did find some older things that I had forgotten all about. One is a two block lino of a blackbird. The bird turned out for me but the background never worked for me.

The second scan is an etching I did on a piece of plastic.

JAMMIN

Finished the last cut and pulled the prints on the reduction woodblock I've been working on. I ended up with an edition of five, two of which have already been promised to teachers at the high school.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Welcome 2010...a little scratch art to kick off the new year. It's fast and always fun!!!

NEW WOODBLOCK

I have been working on a new woodblock over the last month. Another Blues/Jazz theme. The reduction technique again and I'm down to the final cut which will be the details in a dark ink.

TRY,TRY AGAIN

Well, I'm giving it another try. I have yet to figure out why I'm comfortable painting with acrylics, yet struggle so with watercolors. Trying this for a friend of Teri's from a print she liked. I'm making the attempt using the medium that haunts me so. The start doesn't seem terrible!!

JAZZ FESTIVALS

McClain's art supply had suggested that I send JazzTrax a sample of my artwork for use in some of their promotional materials. JazzTrax promotes the biggest and best Jazz Festivals around the United States. I've gone to a number of their events and must admit that it would be pretty exciting to see one of my pieces there.