Baby I Love Your Way

I heard this song on the radio today; it had been years since the last time I'd heard it. I was just a kid when the Peter Frampton version was out. I always loved it, but somehow didn't really hear the lyrics until Big Mountain came out with their version nearly 20 years later (the difference between being 9 years old and 29, I suppose). They did a beautiful job covering the song. It's got sort of a floaty feel, and the reggae beat makes dream of a summer romance.

The video is kind of cheesy, but it's the best one I could find....

Schlepping artwork is just part of the job

thefreedictionary.com defines schlep as:
v.tr.
To carry clumsily or with difficulty; lug: schlepped a shopping bag around town.
v.intr.
To move slowly or laboriously: schlepped around with the twins in a stroller.

Yeah that about describes the joy I feel at lugging my artwork around town. Don't get me wrong; I'm thrilled to be showing my work anywhere. It's just a laborious process. The word schlep may imply carelessly tossing and dragging things along. But really it's just the opposite - I take great care in the transport of my paintings. The are my babies - my creations, and I love them dearly. The 'schlep' comes from all the trips back and forth, up and down stairs, carrying them so they don't scratch up against each other or bump into anything. It's my least favorite part of being an artist. Well... that and the the pay!
And once I schlelp it to wherever I'm showing it and hang the show (which can be an art in itself)...well let's just say I'd much rather sell it than schlep it back home! I suppose I should be happy I'm not a potter or a glass blower...
Anyway, I take down another show this week. Anyone care to save me some schlepping?
My show will be up through Friday April 30th at Swallow Hill Music: 71 E Yale Ave in Denver www.swallowhillmusic.org

Very cool animated wall art

I can't even imagine how long it took to do this. It's amazing!!

He Called Me Baby All Night Long (Kandi)

I'm crazy about this song right now! It's Kandi from One Eskimo...

Painting ocean life and bioluminescence...wow!

I doubt I'll ever go diving because I've got this thing about breathing (I don't like the idea of getting my air from a tank for some crazy reason), but love to learn about the creatures that live in the ocean. Some are beautiful, some are frightening, but they are all amazing.

The ocean is a whole other world right here on earth.

A few years ago I was inspired by a documentary to start a painting of the view from below the surface looking up at the light from above. It's a deep blue canvas except for a circle of light and a couple of schools of fish swirling around the light. (I'll post a pic if I can find one.) I was never quite satisfied with the painting... it seemed to be missing something, but I could never figure it out. It has been sitting in the back room of my studio unfinished. A few days ago I decided to work on it again, and I checked out a book of from the library called "Underwater Eden 365 Days". It's got (as you might figure) 365 pictures of ocean life. I am - as always - completely blown away by the beauty of it all. There are some photos in the book of fish scales that actually look like flower petals. We are all so connected on this planet.

This all leads me to today's TED talk. Just in the right timing, the universe delivered me this talk on deep sea exploration and bioluminescence. You can check out the TED talk on the amazing world of bioluminescent underwater creatures below. I'm not sure how this will effect my painting, but stay tuned and find out!

Jill Scott & George Benson: Summertime

I absolutely LOVE this version of the jazz standard Summertime. This song has been recorded by everyone from Billie Holiday to Willie Nelson, but I've never heard it done quite like this. Jill Scott and George Benson really swing it, and my girl Jill even scats!

The LowDown on my band

As you may know, I've been working on a music project with my friends Ravay Snow and Marc Gibson for the past few months. Marc and I met in a House of Rock class at Swallow Hill last Fall, and Ravay and I met in a voice class at Swallow Hill in 2002, and played together in another band about 5 years ago.
Our new band is called LowDown, and we're all very excited about it!  We're working on some cover songs (two of which you can hear by clicking on our picture above this post), and will eventually write our own material. Our goal with the covers is to add new dimensions to each song while honoring the original intent.
Please check out our page at ReverbNation and become a fan if you're so inclined.  We'll be uploading new songs soon, so stay tuned!