Just Tango On

I love the scene from “Scent of a Woman” where U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Al Pacino), dances the Tango with the beautiful Donna. Slade and his young companion Charlie, find themselves at a restaurant, observing a beautiful young woman (Gabrielle Anwar), waiting for her date. The blind Colonel takes her for a tango on the restaurant's dance floor.

This abstract print from my original painting seeks to capture the depth of passion in the Tango and the powerful feelings of the blind Frank Slade. I have used army colors and black for Pacino along with yellows, pinks and reds for his dancing partner. The paint is put down with bold strokes to express passion and the movement of the dance.

Sassy Crow

Crows are sassy and cocky and also mesmerizing. This giclee print evolved from my original acrylic painting. It has abstract twist to it now. That crow tinkered with all the filters in Photoshop and came out looking so pleased with himself. You can find him on: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoxyFoxDesigns

Jazzy Blue Fruit

A bowl of winter fruit all in blue -- it didn't start out that way. My photo was a straight forward picture in yellow and reds. But with some digital magic, it is now rather jazzy looking and certainly more interesting. You can see it in its full presentation here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoxyFoxDesigns

This is Oscar Peterson's jazz version of "Girl Talk" ... just the right tune for the calmness of blue. Peterson was one of my dad's favorite jazz pianists. I grew up knowing his music very well.

Green Dolphin Street

"Lover, one lovely day,

Love came, planning to stay;

Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting,

The setting for nights beyond forgetting..."

Green Dolphin Street (1947) is a historic drama film starring Lana Turner that was based on the historical novel Green Dolphin Country (1944) by Elizabeth Goudge. The title song "Green Dolphin Street" (sometimes given as "On Green Dolphin Street") is a song written for the film by Bronislaw Kaper and Ned Washington. This song has become a jazz standard.  

Someone Like You

The song "Someone Like You" expresses our deepest feelings for that one person to love.  This artwork was originally done in acrylic paint on canvas.  It is now in my etsy.com shop as a signed fine art print.

Kitchen Man

I took this photo in my kitchen after hearing the saucy, sassy lyrics of the  song “Kitchen Man” recorded in 1929 by the legendary jazz and blues singer Bessie smith.


Here an excerpt from a recording for the Public Radio series "Riverwalk Jazz," featuring The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and guests—singer Catherine Russell and pianist Dick Hyman at Pearl Stable, San Antonio, TX, May 2010. 


Halfway through the video Catherine Russell sings.







Madam Bucks
Was quite de-luxe;
Servants by the score,
Footmen at each door,
Butlers and maids galore!

But one day Dan,
Her kitchen man,
Gave in his notice, he's through!
She cried, "Oh Dan, don't go,
It'll grieve me if you do."

I love his cabbage, crave his hash,
I gotta have me some of that succertash,
I can't do without my kitchen man!

Wild about his turnip tops,
Like the way the man warms my chops,
I can't do without my kitchen man!

Anybody else could leave
And I would only laugh,
But he means that much to me,
And you ain't heard the half!

Oh, his jelly roll is so nice and hot,
Never fails to hit the spot,
I can't do without my kitchen man!

His frankfurters are oh so sweet, 
How I like his sausage meat.
I can't do without my kitchen man!

Oh, how that boy can open clams,
Nobody else will ever touch my hams,
I can't do without my kitchen man!

When I eat his doughnuts,
All I leave is the hole!
Any time he wants to,
Why, he can use my sugar bowl!

Oh, his baloney's worth a try,
Never fails to satisfy,
I can't do without my kitchen man!

Wow -- Look At These Changing Portraits

Since I usually paint on really large canvases, I thought I'd try a tiny one -- 5 x 7 inches. Here is an optical trick.  If you paint big on a small canvas, it makes the size expand and vise versa.  Paint tiny and the canvas will appear very small.

I found this vidio of changing portraits and thought you'd enjoy seeing them.

 

Isn't that cool?

Skylark an Impressionist Painting with Andre Previn at the Keyboard

Entitled "Skylark" this is an impressionistic style painting done in acrylics on a 5x7 inch canvas panel.  She was inspired by the song of the same name.

I love Renee Olstead's version of this song, which she sang on her 2009 album of the same name.  The lyrics are by Johnny Mercer; music is by Hoagy Carmichael.  This is considered a jazz standard and was published in 1942.

Lyrics:

Skylark, have you anything to say to me?
Can you tell me where my love may be?
Is there a meadow in the mist
Where he’s just waiting to be kissed?
Skylark, have you seen a valley green with spring
Where my heart can go a journeying

Over the shadows and the rain
To a blossom covered lane?

And in your lonely flight have you heard the music?

In the night, wonderful music.

Faint as a will-o-the-wisp, crazy as a loon,

Sad as a gypsy serenading the moon.

Oh, skylark, I don’t know, I don’t know

If you can find these things,

But my heart, my heart is riding on your wings.
So if you see them anywhere

Won’t you lead me there?

Time After Time

Such a beautiful song inspired my painting entitled "Time After Time". Here it is performed by the Larry Franco Quartet with guest Michael Supnick.

I Won't Send Roses

Giving a painting a title isn't always the easiest thing to do. This man is in love, but is at a loss as how to express it.

See if you think Michael Feinstein's "I Won't Send Roses" sums it up.




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