John Lee Hooker

John Lee Hooker

9x6 (unframed)

watercolor

That voice. He told us to leave his wife alone. He told us that the Motor city was burning. He told us to huckle up, baby. He told us about one scotch, one bourbon and one beer. And he even told us that he eats heavy metal. And we listened. I know that I did and still do. If there is a musician quite like Hooker was, I'd like to see her or him. Of course, there have been imitators and those inspired by him, but there really was no one quite like him. And one cannot copy that voice. Only mimic it. 

This piece as well as others will be a part of my watercolor portrait show coming up in April at the River's Edge Gallery in Wyandotte, MI. 

Pipedreams #4

(click on image to enlargify)

This is the fourth strip that Darin Palmer (story, inks and colors) and I (story and pencils) did years ago about our time in the sexy and glamorous world of mattress making. These three chaps were modeled after actual employees. The truck in the background? A bit exaggerated, but not too much. Apex Bedding was the name that we gave the place, so, you know, to avoid lawsuits and baseball bat beatings and such. 

Thomas Hart Benton

This here is my most recent watercolor portrait of one of my favorite painters, Thomas Hart Benton. Benton was a regionalist painter who seemed to age like his face was a relic of weather worn strata. I tried to capture that here. He looked like he could chew through anything.

Yet, his paintings were fluid, languid and a palette all his own. He depicted life as it was and that irked a lot of people. As with a lot of people whose work I admire, i never really think that Benton would have liked a person like me much, but the more I learn about him the less I think of him like that. He painted interesting scenes and characters and in turn was an interesting character himself.

This watercolor, as well as others that I have posted here will be in a small show soon. Details forthcoming.

Shiver On The River 2019

I'm a little late in the day for this post, but it's still in time. If you are son inclined, head on down/over/up to Belle Isle (you know the one, that big island in the middle of the Detroit River) for the Shiver on the River event that is held island wide every first Saturday of February. There will be things to do at most of the buildings on the island, including the aquarium. I will be helping out with the marshmallow station out front with some fun volunteers. So, if you like fish and marshmallows, stop on by.  

Pipedreams #3

(click to make enormous)

This fellow here was also based on an actual employee at the mattress factory that my co-creator Darin Palmer and I worked at. I honestly thought that we used his real name, but didn't. Melvin is so much better of a name for this guy. The real guy didn't have flies around him, but if I recall correctly, he did have a unique odor. Nothing truly offensive, just all his. When the rest of us saw garbage, he saw nothing but sunshine. Infuriating. 

The Empire Strikes Back Black And White Artist Proof Sketch Cards

These there are my artist proof cards for doing the ESB B/W card set for Topps. The links are below:

AT-AT Walker    Space Slug    Leia

The Empire Strikes Back Black And White Sketch Cards

These here cards above are about half of the ones that I did for The Empire Strikes Back Black/White set released by Topps today. I'll post more and my AP's soon.