Designs to Color!

Normally, I just post my records.
But this is a special mention for Designs to Color!  This psychedelic, abstract coloring book was *THE ORIGINAL*, created in 1965 by my beloved aunt, Betty Schaffner.  She was an artistic pioneer, decades ahead of her time.

Coloring books with unusual subject matter are the current "zen" thing - but what you need to know is that the Betty Schaffner Designs to Color book was the first, created almost 50 years ago.  She knew she had created a phenomenon then, and now it's back in full force.

My aunt believed that everyone had innate creativity, and in a time where she felt traditional coloring books for children lacked imagination, she boldly created and published designs that could be decorated in a unique way. No two people color the designs the same.  Each design can be colored and interpreted differently, as many times as you like.  The possibilities are endless, when you color in one of the Designs to Color books. Six books were published in the late 1960s.

They are for people of any age, any gender, any ability, and any lifestyle to enjoy.  Use markers, crayons, watercolors, ink pens, or whatever you want to color the designs. No limits.  Open your mind...

And you know what else?  You can color within the lines --- or not!  Your choice. The lines are only a suggestion of where to take your thoughts.

My aunt Betty and these books were an enormous influence on my life and creativity.  I had the unique privilege of living with my aunt until her tragic death, and I am so happy to see that her spirit lives on with these magical designs.

Here is a link to the coloring books, available online:

http://www.tallfellow.com/default/tf-designs-to-color.html

You can also request them at your local bookstore or art supply store.

HAPPY COLORING!

Go Ahead and Take a Ride; No Telling What You'll Find.

Here's a record I've listened to about a million times.  I love you, Go-Go's.

Jane Wiedlin, you are a bonafide goddess and a genius.

I painted this for a lovely couple that lives near the beach in California.

The Go-Go's had a huge influence on my teenage self in the 80s.

Something for the girl with everything

A very generous person gave me their collection of old Sparks albums, which included this one called Propaganda.  I think it came out super groovy.

If you would like to purchase this perky album, please visit my Big Cartel store with this link to the record:
http://recordsbyrachro.bigcartel.com/product/sparks-painted-record-mandala

Thank you for looking!

Hawaii calls

The Best of Hawaii Calls.

I adore this record and it will be displayed at Jude's Old Town,

in the heart of beautiful Rainier Beach in Seattle.

Glitter in the gallery

 

I love this one. Lime green glitter and soft red design.  This one wasn't planned.  It was improvised and I think it came out rather deliciously.  I love when art just happens. It now lives in a gallery in Houston.

Say it correctly in Russian

 

Here, above, is the strange baby cousin to the other Russian language records.  It is 7-inches in diameter, just like a regular 45 rpm record.  But the inner label and spindle hole are the size of a 12-inch LP.  Weird and neat!  You don't see that everyday.

This was called "Say it Correctly in Russian."  Well, okay.

Your lonesome nights are over

This record used to be Roger Williams' Songs of the Fabulous Fifties.  It featured the songs: Mister Sandman, Mona Lisa, Goodnight Irene, and Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.

This teal and brown paisley record went to live, appropriately, with a man who really loves oldies radio.

Hawaii, instrumentally yours...

 

 

Pink!  Hawaii!  Flowers!  Wheeeee!

 



Buddah Records presents

 

This is one of my favorites.  It was painted as an anniversary present for my good friends, Amy and Tiger.

It lives in Los Angeles.  Wanna see it close up?  Sure you do.

 





Syntonic Research, Inc. Environments 10. Side 1: English Meadow

Record reads:

Syntonic Research, Inc.  Environments 10.  Side 1:  English Meadow:

"Bird should be heard, as if from a distance.  Rushing water should just barely be heard."

(*Fun Rachro fact:  My mother used to listen to this sort of ambient, biofeedback-ey, sound effect stuff, back in the 70's.  She also had a record with whales talking, and swore that she could understand them. Oh......you hippies...)

ANYWAY, this record has gone to live with a newlywed couple, several states away.





Arteries, Veins, and Theater

I painted this record for the annual Theatre Off Jackson fundraising auction.  The songs on this 10-inch record were all about love and the heart, so it inspired me to paint in red/blue heart colors.



Blue and living in Hempstead, Texas

 The blue record above was painted for a man who *really* likes the color blue.

I turned this design into some really cool business cards.

The Towering Inferno: An Architect's Dream

 

The record above was formerly the Warner Brothers soundtrack to The Towering Inferno.

Whoever owned it previously circled the side number and the track entitled, "An Architect's Dream."

We may never know why...



Magic Sounds of the Islands

The record above is base-coated with a super-glittery red, and painted with a "5 point plumeria" motif.

It was inspired by the pink Hawaiian label, full of the magic sounds of the islands.





The Led was gotten out.

This was formerly a Led Zeppelin album.  It was lovingly painted with some wild blues and purples, with copper metallic accents.  And now it belongs to the Teach Like a Rock Star folks!

Orange and Teal

 

This orange and teal 10-inch, green glitter beauty is the sister to the other Russian language record on this page.

I'm blue (but not in the Ike Turner, doo bee doo, Gong Gong Gong way)

 

This record has a shimmery, silver undercoat with light blue and black detailing.

It has gone to live in a blue and white room in the Seattle area.

Mile High

 

The record above is crazy, crazy vibrant.  The background has fluorescent red and orange edges (which unfortunately don't show up well on a screen), blending into a yellow center.  The painted design is a kind of indigo-ey purplish blue, with metallic gold accents.

It has gone to live in Colorado.

So happy together

 

The rainbow record above lives with me in Seattle.  Not ready to part with it just yet.

Dallas

 

The 10-inch record above lives in the Dallas area, with a very cool teenager.

Long time, no see

This incredibly detailed record went to a very nice lady, somewhere in The Republic of Etsyland.

Sketches of Spain

This record is different from my usual style.  The person wanted something asymmetrical, and they wanted the colors to exactly match the album cover.  They wanted it to really convey the feeling of the album.  So, I put the album on in my car, and took a nice long summer drive out into Port Orchard, Washington to really let the whole thing sink in at once.  No breaks.  This is the result, and I think it came out pretty great.  I also had to switch to a different type of paint to get the exact color match that was requested, so the texture of the design is quite painterly and the blocks of color took several coats to achieve the desired opacity.  It lives in Texas now, with its brothers and sisters.

 

The record cover that I was requested to riff off of was this:

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.