Rock Art - Part 2

Archive for Rock Art

Feb

Judging a Book by Its Cover

Posted by: Susie | Comments (8)

We have all done it… that’s for sure. Here is a quick 10 minute sketch of Alice Cooper, who could sum up, don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

I simply was amazed to learn, Alice Cooper has been married to the same woman for over 30 years. By just looking at the cover, I would not have guessed that.

Known for his fake blood, electric chairs and goth before it even had a name.

30 plus years with his wife. In the rock standards, that’s a flipping miracle. Alice Cooper has entertained us for over 5 decades, some of which I was a wee one, but none the less, his appearance can be a little daunting.. but it doesn’t change the fact that he is a heavy metal icon. Have you stepped out of your realm lately and listened to anyone’s music that by chance you wouldn’t have because the cover wasn’t appealing.

How quick do we form an opinion, solely on appearance?

I shutter at admitting this, but one day last week, in the wasteland of winter blues, I worked with my laptop from bed, that’s not what I am shameful to admit….. I watched Oprah..yeap..Oprah, will I again, not until Palm Tree’s Grow in Chicago Naturally.. “I’m just not into Oprah”

I sat sadly though, for the teens that were on this show, struggling with weight issues, quite an eye opener to how quickly opinions are formed on appearance. Struggling through school to make friends, to gain self confidence.

How quickly we judge the book by the cover, I am guilty of it myself. If we took the time to get to know the person behind the cover, we may find a unsuspecting friend, companion or even a great piece of music.

Categories : Pencil Sketches, Rock Art, celebrities

Comments (8)

Jan

Steve Marriott - Go On My Son

Posted by: Susie | Comments (3)

Steve Marriott would have turned 62 tomorrow - January 30th.

A musician, singer, songwriter and guitar player, known from Humble Pie and Small Faces.

When I think of Steve Marriott, I think of 30 Days in the Hole..and I also think of the Lukas Clan.. mainly Jack. A guy whose life blood is the volume switch on the stereo.

One year, Jack invited us to a Marriott Memorial Birthday Party.. my son, thought this was awesome! Any reason to get together and listen to old rockers joke, laugh and give each other a rash of shit about times gone by and concerts they have seen together.

These are for Carol - Jack’s niece - who requested it! Rock on Little Sister, once the hair grows back, I know you will be tossing it around in that head banger fashion that I’ve grown to love!

In April of 1991, Steve Marriott lost his life at the age of 44 - having been born pre-mature and weighing in at 4 pounds 4 ounces..

I know of one person that will question those numbers after reading this.. I’ll wait for your 4:44 call! And I’ll love ya for 44 years

Having played in Moments, Small Faces & Humble Pie, his life intertwined with many names that we all know. Whole Lotta Love by Zeppelin bares a similar sound to Marriotts version of a song originally written by Willie Dixon - apparently harboring no ill feelings for Plant, Marriott is quoted as saying.. “Go On My Son”

Achieving greatness should carry with it a sense of “humble” - we don’t get places with out inspirations, we don’t get places without learning from someone.

No matter’s whose path you cross, you can learn at least one thing from them.

Here is a single line from “As Safe As Yesterday Is” by Humble Pie - I was in a meeting yesterday and there was a topic of the “fear” how our news broadcasts and how reading the daily paper is like an emotion blizzard-put on some good music today and eliminate a bit of your fear.

And you can’t be diseased by what you fear

Happy Birthday Steve Marriott!

Categories : Pencil Sketches, Rock Art, celebrities

Comments (3)

Jan

When It Just Ain’t Right

Posted by: Susie | Comments (6)

I’ve got wood..but not the type Frank is talking about over at Tech Jaws.

This is a piece that I knew was BAD.. and just wasn’t right. I beat myself up for 24 hours, knowing I totally missed the deal on this as well it being an unjust to my favorite subject.

This is a piece of work that will be auctioned off at a charity event coming up in February. My husband did not understand my angst over it not being correct, but graciously spent several hours sanding it off for me.

I even asked my brother-in-laws opinion, and he said if I had to ask him, I knew it was not right! He always has an opininon.. most often times one that’s larger than he is. I am not proud of this one, and it just pissed me off.. reworking pencil on natural wood is a pain in the ass. I erased, re-drew, erased, re-drew and nothing, I just could not connect this time.

I highly suggest number one, if you are going to sketch on wood, as I have in the past, go lightly. I mean that literally, it would have saved me time as well as Buck, but determined to get the darker shades down, I laid it on thick.. and the wood just soaked it up..and no matter how I tried, the mistakes could not be corrected.

There has to be a lesson in it right? What makes us good? Going back at it and trying again. Not wanting to butcher another guitar biting sketch, I opted for another favorite pic, really which one of them is not one of my favorites. To many pictures of Stevie, too little time!

Walking away from a project or re-grouping early on is the best way of fixing something that is not going as you had planned. We can all be off our game on any given day, I took a breather and with wood had clean fresh slate which is now turning into something that I can with confidence sign my name to.

Not all the work we do is perfection, not all the projects we are involved in can be “spectacular”, walk away with a lesson & a plan for the next one.

Categories : Pencil Sketches, Rock Art, Stevie Ray Vaughan, guitar

Comments (6)

Oct

A Man & His Guitar

Posted by: Susie | Comments (1)

I started looking around Freelance Folder a few months back, and thought I would try my hand at writing. I submitted an article and actually got one published.

K eeping the Creative Juices Flowing - Following the links through out Freelance Folder, I ran into the Heavy Act that the founder - Jon Phillips plays guitar for. I am not real versed in Heavy Metal Rock, but this is a band to be on the look out for if you are.

I was intrigued to say the least at the photo’s of the band members, there is something that is just bad ass about them, they emanate what the rock scene is all about, bringing out and showing the core of the musician’s.

I wrote to Jon and asked if it was alright to sketch this particular picture of him and his PRS-Paul Reed Smith Guitar, he was more than happy to send me the original photo so that I could get to work. There was just something about this particular picture…

I incorporated the Gods of Now logo around Jon to give it more attitude. The PRS Guitar was done in black charcoal to stand out a little bit more on Jon’s shoulder.

This project really was fun to see come to life, it continues to fascinate me how much we can find through the internet and how much talent is out there that we are completely unaware of.

Again, I say, it’s like taking a road trip from your cushy office chair.

Categories : Rock Art

Comments (1)

Oct

Sliding into the Weekend - Bonnie Raitt

Posted by: Susie | Comments (1)

The Best of Bonnie Raitt shows off some of this musician’s phenomenal bottleneck style guitar playing. With a birthday just around the corner, you’d never think she was close to 60, she’s got a vibrancy about her that comes out in her music.

Music was part of Bonnie’s life from early on and reviews of her work have been a mixed bag through out the years. Struggling with substance abuse as many before her, she credited Stevie Ray Vaughan the evening after he died tragically, in helping sober herself up.

It took close to 20 years of recordings and labels before this musician was to find commercial success. On her 10th album Nick of Time. That is determination.

Bottleneck style guitar playing is one of my favorite sounds, some of the great blue’s players used bottles, aspirin bottles, Excedrin bottles - you name it. That was, when those type of materials came in glass. Now, they are made special, coming in different sizes and materials.

Rocky Mountain Slides Swamp Frog Medicine Bottle Glass Slide Standard

Rocky Mountain Slides Poncha Bullet Guitar Slide Mojo Green

Here is my Friday Line Up of Slide Players that I will make sure I listen to today! If you haven’t heard of them, check out some of my favorites.

Ry Cooder - Vigilante Man , Bonnie Raitt Live at Montreaux, Duane Allman, Sonny Landreth