Wednesday 5 November 2014

Brothers of the Six Strings

Hey,

Thought I'd post up all 4 of my 6 string brothers series 4 paintings in all.

Ancient Weavers
Two Sisters
When They Was Fab!
Heavy Decibels

Still got a few more paintings I'd like to do for the series (maybe another 4), though I feel like it's pretty much completed really. 16 of the main series, 6 single portraits, 4 Aussie guitar slinger portraits and the 4 above.

Still gotta bit of work to do, hopefully I'll be able to announce the exhibition dates by the end of the year.


Wednesday 29 October 2014

All 16 (Only Rock'n'Roll)

Hey,

Saw the Stones on Satdee night in Adelaide. Freakin' AWESOME, can't wait to see them again at Hanging rock next weekend...'Midnight Rambler' with Mick Taylor, holy crap!!!



So, it's time I posted all 16 now I've done the touch ups. In chronological order. From Hank to Hendrix!











So, that's the main series of 16. Next week I might do a re cap on the portraits, and some overall stats and thoughts...



Tuesday 21 October 2014

never stop, never never never stop....

Hey,

Been pretty damn busy, finished doing all the touch ups on the 16 main pieces. I'll post all 16 next week. The onto touchin' up some of the portrait paintings.

Done the Malcolm and Angus painting. Here it is.


Here's somethin' to watch. "Let There Be Rock". Watched this while paintin' the above piece of work. AC/DC live in Paris 77. 


Goin' to see the Stones in Adelaide this weekend, finally.  Can not wait!!





It's gunna be a Gas...

Sweet Summer Sun 2013.




Tuesday 14 October 2014

Little Wing

Hey,

Just finished Jimi Hendrix "Little Wing" last of the 16 in the main series. Here tis.


Done a rough for my Malcolm & Angus painting too.Should have this finished in the next few days.


AC/DC "Let There Be Rock" 1978 Apollo Theartre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3nEAmt5AZ8

Also, just did this flyer, outside of the series, but I'll plug it anyways...Celebrating the release (finally!!) of the near complete Basement Tapes recordings.




Tuesday 7 October 2014

Fab!

Hey,

Finished John and George portrait. Kinda very cartoon like. I was a big fan of the 60s Beatles cartoon as a kid. Think this had an influence on the painting, as I guess did the Beatles' very cartoon like persona's of 64', Hard Days Night and all that.

Here tis'


 Also, changed Hendix song. Decided on another song from "Axis: Bold As Love", "Little Wing".
Part of the decision for this was lyric imagery, easier to interpret,  part was due to it having more "play-ability", as I'm hoping all the songs in this series will get performed at the exhibition opening.

Here's the rough.


Here's the lyrics.


Jimi Hendrix – Little Wing Lyrics
Well she's walking through the clouds
With a circus mime
That's running wild
Butterflies and zebras and moonbeams
And fairly tales,

That's all she ever thinks about

Riding with the wind

When I'm sad she comes to me
With a thousand smiles
She gives to me free

It's alright, she says
It's alright
Take anything you want from me
Anything

Fly on, little wing

 After this I've got a couple more portrait paintings to do, starting with a tribute to the guys I named the whole series after. The Young Brothers, George, Malcolm and Angus. So sad to hear about Malcolm last week. Such a great rhythm guitar player, one of a kind, but so many damn imitators! 

 Malcolm with the Gretch and Marshall.Classic.

     Malcolm and Angus.


Older Young brother George, with songwriting/producing partner and Easybeats band mate Harry Vanda.

Also would like to do a tribute to 4 great Telecaster players, James Burton, Steve Cropper., Jesse Ed Davis and Clarence White. And maybe a couple more guitar hero portraits. Who that may be is yet to be decided.....


 


Tuesday 30 September 2014

Diamonds

Howdy,

Finished Joan Baez "Diamonds & Rust" painting on Monday night. Pretty sure I've actually finished this one, maybe a small touch up, but 99% happy with it.

Here tis.


Also done a rough yesty for the John and George painting. Kinda needs some obvious tweeks in the painting, but general lay out is all there. Circa 64', round the Australian trip/Hard Days Night. 50 years ago...Hard Days Night suits, though John's hair is a little longer like on the Australian tour. Listened to a bunch of Beatles yesterday and watched Hard Days Night last night, such a great film, those guys....


Here's somethin' else I haven't posted that I'll feature in this exhibition. Dylan as Woody.



So, after I finish the John and George painting in the next couple o days, I'll sketch up my last piece of the main 16 painting series. Jimi Hendrix. what song? Thinkin' "If 6 were 9". Maybe... Maybe somethin' more obvious. Maybe even Purple Haze, but at the moment...

Jimi Hendrix – If 6 Was 9 Lyrics
Yeah, sing the song, Bro

If the sun refuse to shine
I don't mind, I don't mind
If the mountains fell in the sea
let it be, it ain't me
Alright, 'cos I got my own world to look through
And I ain't gonna copy you

Now if 6 turned out to be 9
I don't mind, I don't mind
Alright, if all the hippies cut off all their hair
I don't care, I don't care
Dig, 'cos I got my own world to live through
And I ain't gonna copy you

White collared conservative flashing down the street

Pointing their plastic finger at me
They're hoping soon my kind will drop and die
But I'm gonna wave my freak flag high, high
Wave on, wave on
Fall mountains, just don't fall on me
Go ahead on Mr. Business man, you can't dress like me
Sing on Brother, play on drummer

behind the song.

Hendrix lookin' mean! In front of the Marshall stax.

 Been alotta great portrait inspired by Hendrix, my favourite by Martin Sharpe. He originally printed this with Jimi playin' right handed..oops..







Tuesday 23 September 2014

Joan and Bob

Hey,

Been working on Joan Baez sketch and painting, decided on "Diamonds and Rust", which is obviously a song about Joans relationship with Dylan, although she once denied it...It is probably the first real personal song I've dealt with in the series. Great song, great chords. The song was written in 74' just after Dylan had gone back out on the road again for the first time since 66'. With the Band again. Also on the album is another song about this "Winds of the Old Days". Both are very public out cries of lost love, with the later a commentary on Dylan turning his back on the whole "spokesman of a generation" tag that he so rightfully felt uncomfortable about.  Very brave indeed. She also does a great cover of Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate" on the record.

"Winds of the Old Days"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMzWqIZXUAg

Joan sketch.


Next up I think I'll do another portrait in the same vain as the Ronnie/Keith and Ray/Dave paintings. This time John and George circa 64'. 50 years ago! damn! Great year for that band. The year they really conquered the world.


"Twist and Shout" Festival Hall Melbourne 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTS65BESzn8

And then onto the very last of the 16 painting series. Jimi Hendrix. Then back to the start, touching up more than a few things...Probably another couple of portrait paintings along the way. Who?

Tuesday 16 September 2014

Blue-collar

Hey there,

Finished a few paintings during the week.

When I think of blue-collar artists these three are the first to come to mind I reckon. Both in the material and the audience they play for.

Although this song (and most of the album "Born To Run") was written on piano, it's about cars and guitars. It also has the classic line "Well, I've got this guitar and I've learned how to make it talk".

Bruce Springsteen "Thunder Road"


Willie.


and John Fogarty



Next I start work on Joan Baez. Been debating with myself all week on which song. I also kinda need a drinking song in the series as it's been a major topic in songwriting forever, also missing a prison song too. But at the moment I'm leaning towards her 1975 song "Diamonds and Rust" which seems to be about Bob. That fits...Guess we'll find out next week.

 Joan in 75' performing that song.


And the Lyrics...

DIAMONDS AND RUST by Joan Baez
Well I'll be damned
Here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you happened to call
And here I sit
Hand on the telephone
Hearing a voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall

As I remember your eyes
Were bluer than robin's eggs
My poetry was lousy you said
Where are you calling from?
A booth in the midwest
Ten years ago
I bought you some cufflinks
You brought me something
We both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust

Well you burst on the scene
Already a legend
The unwashed phenomenon
The original vagabond
You strayed into my arms
And there you stayed
Temporarily lost at sea
The Madonna was yours for free
Yes the girl on the half-shell
Would keep you unharmed

Now I see you standing
With brown leaves falling around
And snow in your hair
Now you're smiling out the window
Of that crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes out white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could have died then and there

Now you're telling me
You're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Because I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly
Yes I loved you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust
I've already paid


Tuesday 9 September 2014

Except, Roll Down Your Windows...

Howdy,

Been workin' on the Boss's "Thunder Road", such a great song, and great album. Have been quite content listenin' to it over and over again through the last week. Such a big, thick sounding record. Helluva production.

Here's me rough....



And the song, live at the Hammersmith Odeon in London 1975 just after the LP's release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx71aA62Hx4

And watch the makin' of "Born To Run" Awesome doco, box set that came out a few years ago is really worth the $$$

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwkt6L_vY-I


Here's a painting that I did last year. Thinkin' it'll feature in the exhibition. An impression from my memory of Neil Young and the Crazy Horse in Geelong 2013. Incredible night, never thought I'd see Crazy Horse play my home town (Though I did strangely dream it a few years back). It rained really solidly all day, but then when the band launched inta "Like a Hurricane" it really came down.



I'll have the finished Thunder Road" painting to post next week, and hopefully a portrait of Willie Nelson too.




Tuesday 2 September 2014

Lizzie and the Two Sisters

Hey,

Finished Mempis Minnie "Bumble Bee" painting. Such a great guitar player, singer and songwriter. Been really good listenin' to hours of her stuff while doing this piece. Kinda pretty happy with myself with it. Though I just realized I didn't paint the guitar strings in between the nut and the tuning heads, oops. Easy fixed...

Here tis'.






Also finished brothers Davies painting. Titled after the Ray Davies song from the Kinks' 67' record "Something Else", "Two Sisters" This is Ray and Dave circa 67'/68'.


So, gunna start the Boss "Thunder Road" sketch tonight. "Well, I got this Guitar and I learned how to make it talk".

Gettin' towards the end of the series I just realized that the first painting I did was Hank Williams and the last one will be Jimi Hendrix...Just like the Neil Young song from Harvest Moon "From Hank to Hendrix". Stoked on that coinsidence...

Here's somethin' ta watch.

The Kinks - "Days" BBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQetbyueIWg 

Live set from the kinks early 70's.AWESOME!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smIF5374bTw

Neil. "From Hank to Hendrix" MTV Unplugged

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIAiPQ2Ge50



Tuesday 26 August 2014

twelve and thirteen

Hey,

Sorry, no post last week had the  Johnny Cash "Don't Take Your guns to Town" painting finished, but didn't have time to blog it.

Here it is. Need to re work his eyes a little.






Also have nearly finished the Memphis Minnie "Bumble Bee" painting.  Should have it finished tomorra I reckon. I'll post the final next week. For the meantime here's the rough.





I'm gunna start workin' on the Davies brothers piece tonight. Reckon I'll have somethin' to show by next week too. The Kinks are at times my favourite band, but then I have a lotta favourite bands...

Speaking of which, saw Bob last week. Awesome show. Awesome band. Played a bunch of songs from "TEMPEST", great record and live they were so damn good.

Bob and Charlie Sexton Palais Theatre St. Kilda


Hafta start the Bruce Springsteen "Thunder Road" one too next week. Here's the lyrics. Such a great song, but I don't have to tell ya that do I?



Bruce Springsteen THUNDER ROAD
The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey, that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
Oh, and that's alright with me

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey, what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks

Oh oh, come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road

Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride ain't free
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
But tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken

There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines rolling on
But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind
So Mary, climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win