The Denver Gentleman (David Eugene Edwards ) Nov. 2010

David Eugene Edwards, I am not going to write a lot about this man, other than he is very pinnacle of passion when it comes to his faith, performing, and his craft. I have the utmost respect for this gentleman. I had heard he is a self-taught musician and plucked his first banjo from someone's garbage can...and the rest is history. Check out 16 HorsePower and the Woven Hand, two powerful tomes to this man's legacy!

Ink, acrylics, found objects, found wood on found wood

Banjo (November 2010)

Something new and something fun!! I had been listening to a lot of old-timey music and the sweet tunes of Banjo Outlaw Demi-God, Charlie Poole. This baby is life size and fame of all found objects: two hubcaps, fence wood, garden wire, twine, and curtain brackets.

Angola Special/ Two Wings (Robert Pete Williams) Nov. 2010

I started this piece in the summer. Had it built and inked, but just couldn't bring myself to start painting it for some reason. I started painting it toward the end of October and finally finished it in November.
Robert Pete Williams was a Louisiana blues man (kinda like the Thelonious Monk of country blues) who was imprisoned in Angola State Penitentiary for homicide. He claims to have shot a man in self-defense, but was sentenced to life in prison. Long story short, a folklorist did some field recordings in the prison, and couldn't believe the stuff coming out Robert Pete Williams. In a plea for Williams' freedom, the folklorist played the music for the judge. The judge was impressed and set Williams free with several years of not being able to leave home. The probation ended just in time for Williams to enjoy the folk and blues revival of the late 60's and 70's.
Anyway, ink, acrylic, and found chicken wire on found wood

One, two, skip a few, 75

Excuses, Excuses....I gotta million of them, but I have been painting. I have painted a lot of little pieces. I would sketch them out in the morning, ink at night, paint the next morning, again and again. Many of the pieces were and are for J. Gumbos in Gahanna and the new one in Polaris, as well as keeping my hand/eye coordination sharp.
These passed few months have really made me appreciate free time...I rather be with my newly improved healthy wife, my wonderfully eager for experiences son, and our friends, family, and of course, which has always been the case: painting. I much rather make the art,than promote it, catalog it, and blog about it. Anyway the next few posts of kinda like a greatest hits of sorts. I will be posting the smaller pieces as time permits. Happy Thanksgiving!

Summer Baby

Our summer baby turned two this season. Ezra kept busy lookin' for bugs, huntin' for spiders, going down big slides, diggin' in the dirt, help cutiin' the grass, helpin' growing things in the garden, going potty outside, skinny dipping, gettin' dirty, and wearing bandages on pretend injuries...what a fantastic few months!!!

Lust for Life (Iggy Pop) 2010

The Rockin' Iguana, godfather of punk, Iggy Pop from his fantastic album Lust for Life (one of my top 100 albums I ever heard). Nice quick little piece: ink, acrylic, and pine cone pieces for teeth on found wood...worth a million in prizes!!!

Head on Over to 4th Street: New digs and New Art

4th Patio and Grill, on the corner of 4th and 16th...its all done up real nice, all kinds of beer, all kinds of atmosphere, all kinds of food, and all kinds of wicked art from yours truly! Check it out! Sweet happy hour too!
Here is a link to the article in the Columbus Alive.

Keep Cool: The Gypsy (Reinhardt) 2010

The King of Cool, The King of Gypsy Swing...Django Reinhardt! Ink and acrylic on found wood, heavy man. Django is pretty damn amazing. The dude lost the use of all but two fingers on right hand due to a fire and still is one of the greatest guitarists ever, jazz or other wise. I found a sweet recording he made toward the end of his life, where he recorded with some hip young modern jazz cats and it freakin' swings, all angular and raw with his finesse intact...killer, unexpected from Djanago!

Masterpieces of the Future (Omar Souleyman, 2010)

Oh yeah, my homage to Syrian Pop Sensation burnin' up the airwaves, Mr. Omar Souleyman. Omar has been creating a wicked blend of traditional Arabic, Persian, and Syrian music with hardcore electronics...he is the voice to some amazing poetry..."I will dig your grave with my bare hands, I will bury you in my chest..." wow, some heavy stuff here!!! Cool stuff and he has made over 500 albums since '94 and the fine folks at Sublime Frequencies have released three wicked compilations of Mr. Souleyman's pure intensity in the last few years. (They have put out plenty of other far out releases, that need to be heard to be believed!)
Ink and acrylic on found metal, found wood, and found tape recorder with plastic flowers

Hoodoo'd Blues (Lightnin' Slim, 2010)

On a a roll here!!! Thee wickedest swampiest bluesiest gueetar slinger ever there was...Lightnin' Slim. His album Rooster Blues is all that and a bag a chips and an ice cold sixer on a humid day (like today)...ink, acrylic, found, pine cone pieces for fingernails on found wood...this one is headed for the new cajun digs in Gahanna, J. GUMBO'S.

Soul Rebel (Bob Marley, 2010)

It has been a couple of crazy weeks, but finally we are getting some art up. This was a commission for the greatest bartender at Chile Verde Cafe, Maggie T. Good Ol' Bob Marley, never outta fashion, he will forever be the man...24" x 24" ink, acrylic, found wood, and pine pieces for teeth on wood (a cool little idea I picked up from folk artist Richard Burnside)

Lucha Verde! La Parka (2010)

Another piece for the Chile Verde Mini-Gallery...the infamous Lucha, La Parka, big and bad and makes think what if Glenn Danzig was a luchadore?!
Ink and acrylic on found wood

Anywhere the Sun Shines (Joe) 2010

Joe from the rockin' newly reunioned Flower Travellin' Band: old school Japanese blues/psyche/ hard rock/ proto-metal sweetness!
Ink and acrylic on found wood...greatest pair of skinny jeans I have ever painted!

A Long Walk Home (James 'Son' Thomas) 2010

Like I said before, wicked wicked wicked! My sculptural tribute to Mr. Thomas: sun-dried clay mixed with sawdust, pine cone pieces for teeth, rope, dryer lint, foil, cigarette, plastic rat, paint can lid, .38 bullet casings, found liquor bottle and found wood...and a whole lotta swearin' and hollerin' (wood working ain't my thing)

Devil Blues (James 'Son' Thomas) 2010

So, this guy is kinda a holy grail in my own particular niche of geekdom...he was a blues musician who also made some wicked folk art and had a mighty interesting life story. James 'Son' Thomas was a grave diggin' skull scultpin' geetar playin' dude from Mississippi. Here is an awesome interview with Mr. Thomas done in '81. Wicked Wicked Wicked...anyway this man has already been the basis of a painting and sculpture and the second painting is on its way!!!

This here painting is on found wood and done with acrylic and ink, found rope, and homemade clay skulls with foil eyes. (It is as if this wood was condition for this image)

Mr. Tambourine Man (Big Chief Monk Boudreaux) 2010

Now this is thee big chief, I believe, one of two "thee big chiefs" of the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans. Big Chief Boudreaux has been leading the Golden Eagle Tribe for nearly a decade after a long run in the Wild Magnolias, chiefed up by Big Chief Bo Dollis...anyway The Mardi Gras Indians are a very wicked culture! This here is the Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, ink, acrylic, feathers, jar lid, poker chips, and pie pans on a found wooden ironing board.

The Fonky Fessa (Professor Longhair) 2010

The one and only Big Chief, the Professor of Piano Hisself...Professor Longhair. The genius behind and beyond the keys bridging the old and new, the funky and exotic...ink, acrylic, bottle caps, and found wood on found wood.

My Time Outside the Womb (Titus Andronicus) 2010

Titus Andronicus: a nasty little play from Shakespeare and a nasty little band from New Jersey. I saw these guys in a tiny little hole in the wall and it rocked: kinda like the Pogues and Bruce Springsteen jamming at an east coast hardcore show...good stuff, anyway here is the lead singer/songwriter of the group...Titus does have a very wicked beard! Ink and acrylic on found wood.

My Intentions are War (Lord Invader) 2010

Lord Invader was one of the most popular Trinidadian Calypso singers to bring the music form to the states. He did so to collect royalties on a song he wrote (Rum and Cola) that was appropriated by a folk group in the fifties. After a very lengthy trial (several years) Lord Invader conquered New York legally, but he vanquished it with his scorching tunes years earlier. Ink and acrylic on found wood.

Love Letters (Lord Cobra) 2010

Lord Cobra, a... no... thee Panamanian Calpsonian...wicked stuff from this guy
Ink and acrylic on found wood

That Golden Melody (Lord Melody) 2010

Another Calypso superstar from the golden age.
Ink and acrylic on found wood

The Golden Voice (The Mighty Terror) 2010

A Calypso superstar: The Mighty Terror
ink and acrylic on found wood

Lucha Verde 2010

Here's some of the highlights from my LuchaVerde show now hanging at Chile Verde Cafe on Sawmill Rd. Come for the art, stay for the food...it is excellent!! All the pieces are ink and acrylic on found wood.

Gonna Rock this Joint Tonight (Esquerita) 2010

The one-eyed (maybe I made that up, I read somewhere that he had a wooden eye), extremely tall, white painted face, double bouffant wearin' piano slingin' uniquely fabulash: Esquerita! Which came first, the Little Richard or the Esquerita? Who really knows for sure?! Ink, acrylic, and rope on wood

Down at the Rainbow's End (Hank Snow) 2010

A tender? portait of the man whose been everywhere...ink, acrylic, rope, and plastic flowers on found wood

Super Sonic Astral Projection (Sun-Ra) 2010

The mighty Sun-Ra, slightly less tripped out than normal...ink, acrylic, plastic flowers, and stereo parts on found speaker panel

The Higher Ground (Stevie Wonder) 2009

Been going through a serious early 70's Stevie phase. This one is for Ezra Bean, we have been diggin' Stevie's Superstitious on Sesame Street! Ink and acrylic on stretched fabric...37.5" x 48"

United Our Thing Will Stand (James Booker) 2010

The great gonzo pianist from the Big Easy! Ink, acrylic, bottle caps, found wood on found wood

Hell's High-Sheriff (Peetie Wheatstraw) 2010

Peetie Wheatstraw: Hell's High-Sheriff, The Devil's Son-in-Law, and one of the first musicians to take on and perform under a "fiendish" alter ego...on a side note he is usually pictured with a geetar, but in actuality he played a very wicked piano! Ink, acrylic, straw, and found wood on wood.

The Log Bomb (Bob Log III) 2009

"Ladies and gentleman...Bob Log the Third, one man band from Tuscon, Arizona...I am a professional goddamnit!" See this cat live, holy smokes, it'll change your life...ink, acrylic, and found wood on found wood

Los Tres Gallos (The Three Roosters of Mexico) 2010

The Three Roosters of Mexico: Javier Solis, Jorge Negrete, and Pedro Infante were extremely popular singers and actors who died early and tragic. Ink, acrylic, rope, plastic flowers, and found wood on found wood

Folk Blues (Leadbelly) 2009: response to LA trip

Short and sweet little piece of Leadbelly. Ink and acrylic and bottle caps on found wood...found in Louisiana, anyway this is going to the Holcombes. Thanks for all your hospitality and great kindness!!

From All Sides (Vince Guaraldi) 2010

This one's for you Jerry Kalback! Pretty large and heavy...I mean heavy freakin' piece. Ink and acrylic, found wood, Peanuts finger puppets, and poker chips on found wood

Milestone 2009: Grievous Angel Blues (Gram Parsons) 2009

Yeah I know, '09?! Especially when this year is a quarter over!!
Gram Parsons, the grievous angel, large and iconic!