BANJO MAN

-----

Look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

Bird nerds, click here.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: THE BLUES - MA RAINEY

"You sing 'cause that's a way of understanding life."

-----

Look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

Bird nerds, click here.

POST #301: SINGIN' FARMER

I'm resuming my eBay art career with this guy, SINGIN' FARMER. He looks like he's off-tune, but I'm sure no one minds. He's singing

I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my day.
I bid farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised.

That song was in the movie, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? which the wife and I have yet to see.

Also, I think I can tie this in with the latest ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY topic, Juggle, as I am trying to juggle owning a house for the first time, my regular job, and this art thing.

-----

Look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

Bird nerds, click here.

NEW YORK LENNON

-----

Look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

Bird nerds, click here.

YOUNG LENNON

-----

Look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

Bird nerds, click here.

BANJO PLAYER PRACTICE

-----

Look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

Bird nerds, click here.

ART CLASS SKETCHES

A slightly better image of Jack, my art teacher.

Some kids, hanging out. Up to no good, most likely.

Some bottles. Hickup.

The groundskeeper at the park in downtown Greensboro.

Jack again, playing the guitar. Deep down, I think he really wants to be a model.

-----

Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

THAT AIN'T BLUEGRASS

The kids, looking to the past for their edge, walked into the backroom of the gas station where the old-timers hung out. They, the old timers, have seen it before: the new set proudly pulled out their mandolins and dobros and guitars and banjos (no fiddle? thought Rooster, one of the regulars), proudly playing as fast as they could from their bindered music book.

"That ain't bluegrass," muttered Rooster.

And thus beganeth the lesson.

Here's a closeup of Rooster:

And here's the work in progress:

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: REJECTION

I've been trying to get an aceo done of Hank Williams Sr. Previous attempts have been likened to Pres Bush. The one on the left up there looks like Giuliani. I'm not sure which Republican the one on the right looks like.

Anyway, these are a couple of the rejects. I made a bad ink choice on the tip of the nose on the Giuliani one. The proportions are all wrong on the anonymous republican one. Neither one is as good as my final sketch:

Totally off-topic, but you should go over to GreensboroBirds.com and check out the birds I shot. SHOT.

With a camera, of course.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

HANK PRACTICE

I'm still working on Hank Williams Sr. I've moved his right eye over to a more sensible location, and added some extra shading. No aceos yet, unfortunately. I've tried two to no avail. My ebay store is currently empty - I better get crackin.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME!?! HANK WILLIAMS SR

All of a sudden I can do relatively realistic faces. Where did that come from? Hope it lasts...

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

GREEN HERON

Ol' Green Heron is steppin out
Steppin out with leg so lean
Don't you holler, don't you shout
He's so good lookin he don't wanna be seen!

Ol' Green Heron!
Ol' Green Heron!
Ol' Green Heron,
Don't be scared of me.

Makin his way down the shore
He spots a tasty frog to eat
His dinner don't know what's in store
Soon his maker he shall meet.

Ol' Green Heron!
Ol' Green Heron!
Ol' Geren Heron,
Don't be scared of me.

I'm going to have to figure out how to make mp3s. Don't you want to hear me singing this stuff? I know you do.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

GAS TANK BASS PLAYER

There's a band called Split Lip Rayfield that I find to rock quite sufficiently. They have a bluegrass/punk/whoknowswhat sound. The bass player's instrument is made out of a gas tank. Enough said, I think.

I'm particularly proud of the subtle detail of his face, so here's a closeup:



One of my favorite lyrics:

It was just like a Gillian Welch song,
Except it was mine.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY: REMEMBER

My downstairs neighbor used to be in a band in the 80's. He asked if I would mind drawing some aceos of his past. Here's one from his trip down memory lane.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TIM: DOC WATSON

I'm not very good at drawing people in a way that ends up actually looking like them. This one turned out pretty good, though. So my good buddy and Doc Watson fan Tim gets this aceo.

Thanks, Tim, for making me take my guitar out of the closet and start playing again. Keep teaching me strumming rhythms and I'll return the favor with harmonies.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

JUST A GUITAR

I bring you: another guitar.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

TRUMPET

I enjoyed drawing this in art class. If it sells for the cost of that class, I'll be breaking even.

I guess you could say you're not paying me, but rather the Art Alliance of Greensboro.

Anyway, here's a trumpet for your enjoyment. You can't actually play it, of course, but that may be a good thing. If you are a terrible player, for example. Like the guy that was painfully honking a rendition (for lack of a better word) of Girl From Ipanema. I loved that song, once.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

CRAZY SINGER

There's a great restaurant called Hillbilly Hideaway. It's one of those one meal on the menu style places. They also have music in the barn out back (NO DANCING, DRINKING, OR CUSSING). There's an old man who I believe owns/previously owned the place singing in the barn every time we go. He'll forget words, sing a little off key, the usual stuff that will get you kicked of American Idol, but he's very entertaining. That's who I was trying to draw.

Instead, this crazy looking dude is what materialized. Funny how life can be.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

ART CLASS: INSTRUMENTS

The mountain dulcimer I got for my birthday is making the rounds: here it is in art class, modeling with a mandolin, tamborine, flute, and one of those thumb piano things.

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.

FIDDLER #2

Another fiddler.

I am a man of constant sorrow
I've seen trouble all my days
I did farewell to old Kentucky
The place where I was born and raised

For six long years I've been in trouble
No pleasure here here on earth I find
For in this world I'm bound to ramble
I have no friends to help me now

It's fare thee well my own true lover
I never expect to see you again
For I'm bound to ride that Northern railroad
Perhaps I'll die upon, this train

You can bury me in some deep valley
For many years where I may lay
Then you may learn to love another
While I am sleeping in my grave

It's fare you well to a native country
The places I have loved so well
For I have seen all kinds of trouble
In this cruel world no together can tell

Maybe your friends think I'm a stranger
My face your'll never see no more
But there is one promise trhat is given
I'll meet you on God's golden shore

-----
LOOK! Pretty shiny things to buy @ NUTMEGNINE.COM!

And look here! Art to buy!

Need more wittyness and birdwatching excitement? Click this VERY SENTENCE.