I don’t pretend to know anything about art. Sadly, I never took an art class in High School or college. I’m not an art connoisseur, but I know what I like. Unfortunately, my pocket book doesn’t allow me to be a collector. I like art, but I’m fond of eating as well…perhaps too fond. There are times, though, that I just have to spend my money. My frugal friends would say, “Go to a museum.” But, sometimes, I just have to bring it home.
At the Bedford Blues Festival in Texas several years ago, I walked into the arts & crafts booth expecting to find a lot of kitschy stuff. Instead I ran smack dab into an artist who has become one of my favorites. His colorful paintings just screamed, “The Blues.” The artist, stood shyly at the back of his booth. His lovely wife greeted me and began telling me about the paintings and prints.
Displayed at the front of the booth was a small painting of Satchmo (Louis Armstrong) that I fell totally in love with. I said, “Hold on, let me go get my purse out of the car.” But, by the time I got back, the picture was sold. As I wailed my disappointment, the artist sidled up to me and whispered that he would paint another like it just for me.
After we talked for a bit, I decided that instead I wanted to commission him to paint a picture of one of my favorite blues artists, Keb’ Mo’. A week later, they arrived at my house to survey where I hoped to put the picture and talk to me about what I wanted.
I didn’t get the painting quickly, because the early fall is festival season, and the artist had to attend festivals and sell his artwork. But, the picture I got that winter was everything I could have wanted and more. The piece is atypical of his work, because it’s much more somber. Most of his work pops with color. But, the above picture of Keb’ Mo’ suited me, and it has since been displayed proudly over my fireplace mantel for all to see.
The next year at the festival I went straight to that artist’s booth with my money in hand! I bought another picture that he had on display of a clarinet player. This lively picture is typical of the majority of his paintings. It expresses the joy that he puts into his work. I’ve put it in my office, so I can look at it closely every day.
By the following year, he was the “official” artist of The Bedford Blues Festival. He designed the logo for the festival that year. My new husband had fallen in love with his work and commissioned him to paint a picture of the jazz organist, Jimmy Smith. It hangs in our living room over the Hammond organ that dominates the room.
Another artist I love is Barrett DeBusk. He creates whimsical, simple looking sculptures from cold rolled, hand bent steel rod that is welded together. It either stands alone or is put on “legs” that display it off of the wall for a shadow effect. He says on his website: “It’s my way of drawing. I use torch and steel instead of pencil and paper.”
I first saw his work twenty or so years ago in Dallas. I whined and begged, but my ex-husband wouldn’t let me buy a piece of his work (at the time, a large sculpture cost a whopping $50). Now, of course, nothing that he has is that inexpensive. His work is collected by people like Michael Jordan, Tara Lipinski, Jerry Seinfeld, Elaine Boosler and Norman Lear. But, this husband bought a piece of his sculpture for me, despite the price. It’s small, but it’s delightful.
In Keller, Texas there is a gallery we like to visit called Iron Chinchilla. You don’t have to drive to Keller to see their work because they have one of the most delightful websites I have ever visited. The galleries display a variety of artists work, but the focus is functional, fun furniture welded from iron. This is not Grandma’s cast iron lawn furniture! One day, I’m going to have me some of their furniture in my house. I promise.
Go to their website to see their work. They state on the site, “Each design you view was born not from a student of the arts, but rather a student of life and a simple welder with an overactive imagination…. hopefully the end result will be a functional part of our day-to-day lives that looks like something from the other side of the looking glass.” Indeed.
In our own family, we have a couple of budding artists who have interesting work. My son, who calls himself “Setch,” has a fun interactive website called Oogashaka(unfortunately, he has put it “to sleep” temporarily).
Kate Fuller , my husband’s niece, is also a talented painter. Maybe I can get my husband to buy some of her work for my wall. I’d love to have “wall to wall” art!
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