Many years after Stevie’s death, Rolling Stone ranked him #7 out of 100, in their list of Greatest Guitarist of all time.

What makes a great musician? As in anything we do, I belive it is the passion behind what we are doing that drives us to greatness.  Life certainly can have it’s share of trials and tribulations, for some way more than others.  I wrote of Wellness Wednesday a few posts back, when you have the blues, winter blues or otherwise, remember your passions in life, and sink into one of them.  Even if it is only for a glimmer of a minute. 

I found this picture of Stevie many years ago and it has always been a favorite of mine.  Yes, I have always been attracted to “attitude”, this is a picture of Stevie that carries that attitude and the swagger of an outstanding musician.  The intesity that Stevie played with is incredible.   I have said it before, and I will say it again, if you have not watched Hug You, Squeeze You, go look it up on YouTube, at one point in the video the camera shoots him at an upward angle, and he glimpse’s directly into the camera, you can literally see the passion of the song in his eyes. 

I was working on this piece that was done with a woodless graphite, 97 4B with an extreme amount of shading.  I got to his muscular chest, and sat thinking, what the heck is wrong with this? I realized, I had his peacock tattoo drawing backwards, as well as his famed belt buckle, “The End of the Trail”, which still is backwards on the sketch above.

Take today to chase away your blues!

~ Soul to Soul - Susie

If you know me..you heard the horror story of the trip to Puerto Vallarta that went bad! Book trip, husband can not get off work, even though he has 27 years seniority, oh they will let him off for the 5 days during the week, but forget the weekends.  Okay, dealt with that moved the trip, sweet talked the airline agent, guess what.. the boy comes home and his teachers won’t let him out of finals for the 2nd option! CANCELLED TRIP.. BAD MOOD strikes.. let it set..

But now we are going to Austin Texas, to walk where Stevie Ray walked, to visit his tribute statue and spend some time at the Robins Nest Bed & Breakfast Austin Texas! What a wonderful woman answered my call and gave me hope for vacation again.

This is a bar stool that I did of Stevie Ray Vaughan for my own collection, do I want to sit on it…hmmm, ladies answer that yourself.. but no matter what it’s used for in my house, it makes me smile.

Austin…here I come!

Soul to Soul

This particular pencil sketch is done on a hand spun wooden plate.  This was captured off Stevie Ray Vaughan’s In Step Album.

I used woodless graphite #97-HB and just a small amount of the auburn charcoal.   Whenever I think of Stevie.. I think the phrase, “no doubt”  I will be listing this piece on ebay pretty soon.  The plate 10 inches round, and was made by my parents old neighbor. George Blum & Sons -

Soul to Soul

~ Susie

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New Years is approaching all to quickly - planning on staying in for most of the weekend, its pretty typical Chicago-Style weather, dreary, ugly and I am waiting for Summer!

What makes us all tick, what makes us happy? With so much death and distruction in the news and all around us, I’d like to take this time to open up the floor for comments and conversation.

Things that make me happy or put a smile on my face these days:

1 - Stevie Ray Vaughan - any way shape or form (I know..its getting old)
2 - My new Chicago Bears Office Chair - even though they blew off the entire year, but  they swept Green Bay!
3 - Fresh Clean Sheets
4 - Playing Nap on a cold day
5 - A purring cat in my lap

Whether its a corn dog at Coney Island, or a ski lodge filled with laughter - what puts a smile on your face?  Go for it, even if it involves your nasal passage - what a funny conversation that was over at Bloggeries Forum!

Stevie Ray Vaughan’s music is still an inspiration to me, and his story as so many know, has been written about and talked about since his passing in 1991.  One of my all time favorite guitarist’s, his dedication to his music should be a lesson for all of us.

It doesn’t matter what mood I am in, the minute I put on some of Stevie’s best, my attitude can change, from the moment he hits the first cord in the song Hug You, Squeeze You, it brings me to life. I can picture his fingers on the neck of Number One, and can feel the passion he had for what he did through his playing. 

This piece of Stevie was younger in his career and yet, it speaks.  I once read about the Vaughan forearms and you can clearly see as I tried to bring out in this portrayal of him, the muscle that he had behind his playing.  I love watching as he plays and uses the thumb on his left index finger on the neck of his favorite guitar, adding to the uniqueness of his playing and his style.

This was a graphite drawing that I hang proudly in my office, I used photoshop on this original piece to add the light behind him and the stars that float above him.  The price he paid for the hard road that he lead was only beginning to become a written piece of his history, with those chapters un-finished due to his un-timely passing.   Any fan will agree, I am sure, that the remaining chapters of his life would have surpassed many of his guitar hero’s and his mentors.