I was camping under the pinion pines in New Mexico, south of Santa Fe on Route 66, when I drew up this design for a tattoo. I said to myself, while I was sucking up some nasty java in the middle of the desert on a Sunday morning, "What ever I draw now I am going to have done up as a tat on my leg." After I finished the drawing, I jumped into my Little Red Chili Pepper (my name for my car), and drove into town. By some miracle, the tattoo shop was open. There was one person in the shop, she had come in for an appointment she had that morning. She locked up the shop and did my piece. Unbelievable luck. Part way through her boyfriend came in and waited while she finished up. They were good people and I had a great visit with them. Such a great experience for a Canuck on vacation. The funny thing is, just the other day I got a message on myspace from a gal in Cali that saw the original drawing and wanted to know if she could use it for a leg tattoo. I told her, just send me a picture!
Friday, March 20, 2009
First Tattoo
I was camping under the pinion pines in New Mexico, south of Santa Fe on Route 66, when I drew up this design for a tattoo. I said to myself, while I was sucking up some nasty java in the middle of the desert on a Sunday morning, "What ever I draw now I am going to have done up as a tat on my leg." After I finished the drawing, I jumped into my Little Red Chili Pepper (my name for my car), and drove into town. By some miracle, the tattoo shop was open. There was one person in the shop, she had come in for an appointment she had that morning. She locked up the shop and did my piece. Unbelievable luck. Part way through her boyfriend came in and waited while she finished up. They were good people and I had a great visit with them. Such a great experience for a Canuck on vacation. The funny thing is, just the other day I got a message on myspace from a gal in Cali that saw the original drawing and wanted to know if she could use it for a leg tattoo. I told her, just send me a picture!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Low Brow, High Brow
Okay, lowbrow art is in my mind one of the sexiest, coolest forms of art out there. What makes it so sexy is what it ain't, highbrow art. Yeah, I know, clear as those globs of paint you smeared with your hands in kindergarten until it turned the color of mud.
Well, let me put it this way, to make those brows raise you have to go to school for a few years and come out saying things like "the dicotomy of the juxtoposition of conflicting iconic elements". To lower those brows you just get busy doing it your way without the education in B.S. A good dose of kustom kulture, hot rod lovin' pin-up tattoo style is good spice to add to the mix. Because lowbrow has become so cool all the system educated artists wanted in on the action so the mutant child of highbrow and lowbrow art was born and it was called Pop Surrealism.
Here's a lowbrow art history lesson.
A pop surrealism gallery.
An excellent link to check out the book Pop Surrealism; The Rise of Underground Art.
Well, let me put it this way, to make those brows raise you have to go to school for a few years and come out saying things like "the dicotomy of the juxtoposition of conflicting iconic elements". To lower those brows you just get busy doing it your way without the education in B.S. A good dose of kustom kulture, hot rod lovin' pin-up tattoo style is good spice to add to the mix. Because lowbrow has become so cool all the system educated artists wanted in on the action so the mutant child of highbrow and lowbrow art was born and it was called Pop Surrealism.
Here's a lowbrow art history lesson.
A pop surrealism gallery.
An excellent link to check out the book Pop Surrealism; The Rise of Underground Art.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Johnny Cash Picked Up My Mom
Every time I turn around this week it's Johnny Cash. I was watching “Walk the Line” for second time the other night. Then today there was a bulletin from the band Townline on myspace asking people to check out their new song about the big JC. When I clicked on another myspace profile picture(attracted by the vintage car) there was a video of this guy singing, he's spanish, living in Spain and HE'S wearing a Cash t-shirt.
My mom went to see Johnny Cash in concert when she was a saddle shoe and rolled up jeans wearing doll. I don't know where or how she managed it, and she's not here anymore to ask, but she fell over the big guy's guitar case. Johnny picked her up and put her back on her feet. She couldn't remember anything he said, she was too nervous, I'm sure.
Anyway, it has always made him more real to me and all of these reminders just take me back to memories of my mom. You don't always need to look to big names to get in touch with the retro rockabilly style. You're likely related to your best resource. Just go dig in your parents or grandparents photo albums.
My mom went to see Johnny Cash in concert when she was a saddle shoe and rolled up jeans wearing doll. I don't know where or how she managed it, and she's not here anymore to ask, but she fell over the big guy's guitar case. Johnny picked her up and put her back on her feet. She couldn't remember anything he said, she was too nervous, I'm sure.
Anyway, it has always made him more real to me and all of these reminders just take me back to memories of my mom. You don't always need to look to big names to get in touch with the retro rockabilly style. You're likely related to your best resource. Just go dig in your parents or grandparents photo albums.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
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