This “Pop Art” painting is my portrait of Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist, Annie Lennox. (Masked Duality, hand cut stencils and acrylic paint on a 24X24” birchwood panel).
She and fellow musician Dave Stewart went on to achieve international success in the 1980s with the group Eurythmics. The bands sleek synthesizer pop sound became one of the most popular new wave music groups, racking up a number of hits in both the U.S. and U.K…
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" was released in 1983 in which Annie Lennox appeared with orange cropped hair and wore a man's business suit in the music video. I first saw the video for this song while watching MTV* and based my painting on this powerful androgynous look gracing the cover of the album Touch.
* MTV: (Music Television) an American Cable channel officially launched on August 1, 1981
Inspired by nature and with a strong use of metaphors and mysticism in her lyrics, Stevie Nicks is a music icon. Her charisma, gently broken voice and her delicate country rock pop sound has inspired generations of artists.
My painting “Bird In Flight” (Hand cut stencils and acrylic paint on a 24X24” birchwood panel) is a portrait of Stevie with her quintessential look of the era, having probably the most famous shag haircut of the 1970’s.
My artwork titled 'Silver Jubilee' is now being showcased at "The Queen exhibition" from September 23 till October 23, 2022…
Organized by Biafarin Inc and powered by @Biafarin platform.
The Silver Jubilee (Queen Elizabeth ll & Prince Philip, Sydney Australia 1977) Digitally edited black & white photograph, 2021
In 1977 (Her Majesty) The Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee, marking twenty-five years of service. The anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's accession, and the death of her father King George VI on 6 February 1952, was commemorated with church services. The Silver Jubilee was a major national and international event.
I was teaching public school art in a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales Australia at the time. I used a traditional 35mm camera, black and white film with a 200mm telephoto lens. I took the train to center city and waited on an overpass clearing above the motorcade to get this memorable image. In 2021 I decided to update the photograph by digitally editing the file and transforming it into a bit of “Pop Art“
My painting 'A Purple Haze (Portrait of Jimi Hendrix)' is now being showcased at the Gallerium Art Prize - 2022 exhibition, organized by Gallerium (Toronto Canada) and powered by @Biafarin platform. The exhibition opens on May 20, 2022, and will continue through June 30, 2022.
A Purple Haze
Hand Cut Stencils, spray paint, acrylic paint and acrylic paint pour on a birch wood panel
Story:
Jimi Hendrix was an American music legend who had had a massive impact on how the world heard rock and roll. While this talented recording artist was only 27 years old at the time of his passing, he left his mark on the world and remains popular to this day. Widely regarded as one of the most creative and influential musician/guitarists of the 20th century, Hendrix's style continues to be a source of inspiration for many aspiring musicians.
Inspiration:
I was a teenager at the rise of Hendrix's popularity and was a huge fan. Jimi has always been a creative inspiration to me. He was a gifted composer and lyricist that put the heavy in Rock n' Roll with his unique high energy guitar leads. In reference to this particular painting some music venues of that time, like the Fillmore East in NYC, had rear view projected oil light shows, on stage, behind the groups. I was inspired to achieve a similar nostalgic effect and did so by using an acrylic and oil pour. I feel that "A Purple Haze" reflects the intensity of this era in popular music and of Jimi's presence as an iconic rock guitarist.
Description:
For the past few years, I have been working on a series of portraits of rock and roll music legends and admired women. “Body & Soul” was created using hand cut stencils and spray paint with the addition of acrylic paint applied with a brush and marker. It is my tribute to the late great iconic singer Amy Winehouse. She was known for her deep expressive vocals & her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm & blues, and jazz. Amy struggled with substance abuse and is among the tragically long list of musicians who died at 27 years old. My portrait was created to be a positive and youthful representation of her trademark hair and retro 60's look.
Story:
The painting is titled "Body and Soul"* after the Jazz Pop classic. It was performed first by singer Gertrude Lawrence in London in 1930 and recorded by Coleman Hawkins on RCA records in 1939. In 2011 Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse rerecorded it as a duet on the album Duets ll. While the two stars may have been an odd pairing personally, their musical styles blend together beautifully. It's a gorgeous performance, and its sentimental power is only amplified by the knowledge that this would be the singer's final recording session. (Rolling Stone)
* Body and Soul lyrics by Edward Heyman Robert Sour and Frank Eyton. Music by Johnny Green…
Inspiration:
I was inspired to paint the happy, funny and full of life Amy Winehouse to portray her before everything went bad. With the ascent of singers like Adele, it is easy to forget that it was Winehouse who kicked back and open doors for real melody, genuine rhythm and lyrics soaked in passion. Certainly for young female artists, Amy was a creative inspiration, the like of which hadn’t been seen for many years. (The Guardian)
Of Angel Hair: Hand Cut Stencils, spray paint and acrylic paint on a birch wood panel
I am pleased to announce that my painting "Of Angel Hair" (A portrait of a young Joni Mitchell*) is now published at Artistonish - March 2022 magazine via @Biafarin portal.
