Happy Father's Day! Love, Carly Simon

This sweet record was painted for a father in Gig Harbor, who happens to love Carly Simon.  I am deeply amused by that.  This family is pretty awesome, on the whole.  I wanted to paint something simple, but bold with vibrant colors that was very flowy and flowery.  It came out lovely.  Happy Father's Day!

Buongiorno, Mona Lisa

This record was painted for a delightful person who loves Italy and wanted a record with a little bit of purple.  It has gone to live in Federal Way, WA.  Ciao, pretty donna misteriosa.

Coast to Coast fun with Scorpions

Oh hai, Scorpions.  I had some Coast to Coast fun with you.  Enjoy your new home!

Some say love, it is a.........record.

I love how this record came out, and I adore the people that it went to.  And did Bette Midler just completely nail that performance in The Rose or what?  She is one of my all-time heroes.  Netflix that sucker, if you haven't already.

Seen enough fences to last a lifetime.

For a fun change, I reverted to painting in my spontaneous, freewheeling style from a few years ago. I love the glossy black against the colors.  It gives me flashbacks of growing up in our Texas house, whose contents and appliances were lovingly painted with psychedelic designs by my beloved late Aunt Betty with her abstract designs in the 60s. What?  Didn't everyone have a refrigerator in their dining room painted with fluorescent pink and turquoise seaweed and anenome?

My aunt was a pioneer of innovative coloring books for children, and believed that people needed to keep their creativity alive in their leisure time, by avoiding the conventional and expected.  The usual coloring books of the day that kids spent time using were stifling to young minds (you know, before everything was electronic and made of plastic, and back when people used their HANDS + BRAINS to do and make things).  And she was totally right.

***BONUS FREEBIE: Here, have some of my Aunt Betty's printable coloring sheets for FREE!

Please remember that they are copyright protected and strictly for non-profit and non-commercial use.  Click the link to be taken to the Pinterest link to the DropBox folder. 

Betty Schaffner's Designs to Color.

This far-out record went to live in an incredible house in California.  It is comforting to know that it is surrounded by beautiful works of art and lovely people, so it will never be alone.

And then the whole world will seem brighter.

This record was painted for my beloved friends, Karen and Gretchen, who got married recently.

This record lives in Seattle.

Modern Medicine Fall Short of Your Complaints

Here is the other record that now lives in Canada with the beautiful Siobhan.  Super colorful and perky, like the lovely person that owns it now.  It happens to hang on a violet-colored wall and it looks f-ing great.  Godspeed, Kajagoogoo. And hush, hush.

I Took Myself a Blue Canoe and I Floated Like a Leaf

This is one of 2 fun records that I painted for a super-cool lady in Canada.  She loves 80's pop, and also loves Sir Elton John.  Presenting: Tumbleweed Connection in blue.

All Star Spectacular for Dad

My dad is truly an all-star, and also - he loves the color blue. So I painted this for him, because he's my dad.

There's the sky where the sea should be

This Herb Alpert record is heading off to New York, to live with some newlyweds.  This record featured the song "What Now My Love", but I'll tell you what - listening to Herb Alpert is one of my guilty pleasures. This is a link to one of my all-time favorite songs ever:

http://youtu.be/RPHogQ02DFw

I occasionally go on earworm kicks where I listen to it repeatedly for 2 days at a time.

Now showing at the Hillman City Collaboratory

Some of my records are being shown in an installation at the Hillman City Collaboratory through the month of September, via the courtesy of Backstreet Bazaar, and my friend, the fantastic artist and muralist, Mr. Jake Millett.  Thanks, y'all!  The other art being shown is incredible, and I'm honored to be included with such impressive work.

Success hasn't spoiled me yet.

The pure awesomeness of Rick Springfield is within these fine, fine grooves.  This commission was painted for a person who, like me, loves the color orange, and who has a crush on Mr. Springfield.  Have you seen how incredible he still looks and sounds (please watch Sound City).  I have turned scratched up audio love into visual love, here.  

Under the Tin Umbrella skies...

This perky album now permanently resides at the Tin Umbrella coffee shop in Hillman City, Seattle, WA.  I adore Tin Umbrella and their delicious coffee, and other fun goodies. And did I mention that their story WON AN EMMY??  The owner, Joya, is a truly inspirational person.  Make this place part of your visit to south Seattle, for sure.

Steve Lawrence, featuring Tango of Roses and Tender Moments

Plenty of pink and plum on this one.  It looks like yummy candy, with flowers.

Open your eyes. Look up to the skies and see.

Queen.  News of the World.  Luckily, this record came to me with a huge scratch - or I would not have painted it.  Because Queen is kind of.......shall we say.....sacred and awesome.  Some records you just don't mess with. But this one was already a car ride away from the garbage, due to its unplayability.  And now it's art.  And it lives in San Francisco, with a handsome genius who I'm very proud to call my cousin.

The mind's true liberation

This record is The Age of Aquarius, by The 5th Dimension.  Oh, I love this record.  The song Aquarius has special meaning for me.  I grew up singing and performing an "Aquarius medley" (in a musical theater group in my hometown of Houston) as a young teen many, many, many times.  (Oh, the days of "medleys"...do theater people still do those?)

Thank you hippie people, for writing this awesome song from Hair, and letting The 5th Dimension record such a fabulous edition of it.

This record went to Colorado!

Long as there are stars above you

Legendary album!  We actually own Pet Sounds in several formats and now our kids love the Beach Boys as well.  It pretty much speaks to me on a molecular level.

This record was affectionately painted for some newlyweds in New York who are lovely and brilliant people who want to make the world a better place.  I'm glad they found each other.

And if that doesn't give you hope for the next generation of youngins, I don't know what will.

LoA

I was just asked to contribute to an art show in May.  Stay tuned for more details!  

When Smokey Sings

I had a lot of fun making this record for the lovely Amy in Los Angeles.  It was inspired by the colors of the old  psychedelic 60's Peter Max art (love that guy), with a theme of peace, love, and flowers.  The underpainting has shimmery violet iridescence added to it, which the camera sadly doesn't pick up.

But trust me, when you tilt it into some light, it glows like a happy, glowey, tripped out butterfly.

Here's a close up.  One more super cool thing about this record: It used to be Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.  Amy wanted to give it to a friend who was born in the late 60's.  

I found this album and it was made in 1968.  PERFECT.

Year of the monkey, baybee.

You, You........You

This record has fluorescent hot pink outlines.  Wooooo!  It used to be a Slim Whitman collection.

Songs on this side of the album include, "I'm Walking Behind You," and "You You You".

This record now belongs to the Ark Lodge Cinema.

Built in 1919, it was a former Freemason lodge and is now the super niftiest movie house in Seattle.  One of my favorite places in the city.

You are so beautiful

This record has lots of bright metallic silver to enhance the vivid greens.

It used to be a Billy Preston album - and it's hard to get cooler than that.

It has gone to live in New Hampshire with a very cool person.

We've been a while

This record is totally far out!  It is a 10-inch, red vinyl album.  Very rare and so beautiful!  It was painted with browns, reds, and metallic gold for a guy who is possibly the coolest dude in Seattle (thanks, DC!).  The record was originally sent to me unexpectedly from a friend in Columbus, Texas.

Show 'em how we do it now.

This record was formerly Peaches and Herb.  It is going to live in Colorado.

It wants you to shake your groove thing.

Paganini Rhapsody

This record is unique, because I didn't choose it.  It was sent to me with the request to paint it.

It was Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini.  It has lots of silver!

The night is young and full of possibilities

I don't usually paint 45s, but this one came out really perky.  Anita Ward - Ring My Bell!
It lives in Edmonds, WA, with the fabulous Elliot and Jodi.

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do.

This record has come through the pod bay door, Hal.

It was formerly the soundtrack to 2001:  A Space Odyssey.  (One of the best films ever made, in my opinion.)

And - -  just like the 4-million-year-old black monolith that emits a single, very powerful radio emission, the origin of this record is a total mystery.

It now lives in Los Angeles.

Whispering Hope

 The Mom & Dads - - Whispering Hope.  My mom said that this record looked "fresh".

Well, alright alright alright..

It went on its way to some lovely folks in Texas.