Sunday, December 30, 2007

Remembering Dewey

Dewey Weber was the first surfboard builder to use his name as a brand for his logo. He also became one of the largest surfboard manufacturers of the 1960's.
As I remember the story, Dewey asked an advertising guy to design a sticker for him to use on his new boards. The ad man told Dewey to sign his name on a piece of paper, he transposed his signature to the center of a diamond shape and voila, the classic Dewey Weber sticker was born.
I worked for Dewey as a glosser when he had his shop on P.C.H. in Venice, Ca.(1964). My job as a glosser was to put the pinstripes, panels, or any design the customer ordered onto the board. As the business was (and still is) seasonal, I didn't work for him much more than a month or so, but it was a great experience. Later, I worked for other surf shops in the South Bay while in art school.
Dewey was a very aggressive marketer and his longboards were very popular. By the mid sixties, he was the largest builder in the world, turning out 300 boards a week. He did quite well during the '60's, however, as the new shortboards became "the ride" , the customers left Dewey and the other longboard builders. He downsized but it was too little too late and he gave up, built a two man boat and went fishing.
In the early 1980's longboard surfing made a resurgence and Dewey was there to greet it, sponsoring The Dewey Weber Longboard Classic surfing contest. His business started back and he did quite well but his years of hard drinking were starting to catch up with him. By 1993 he died as a direct result of his alcoholism. When he died, newspapers around the world payed homage and eulogies appeared almost everywhere. The California Assembly adjourned in his honor.
The longboard surf contest is still held every year in his memory.

16"x20" acrylic on 140 lb Arches paper $400.00

Monday, December 24, 2007

Merry Christmas to all......

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Putty Tat Trouble

A very funny cartoon for a Saturday.
The animators names have been tagged onto the scenes they worked on by Thad K. at thadk.blogspot.com. I worked with Virgil Ross when he worked at Filmation. He was responsible for the Archies band and each individual players animation. His desk was surrounded with cardboard so nobody could see him working, (or sleeping). He always took a nap after lunch, which everyone respected and let him rest. Hey that's what great talent gets ya'. At the time, he must have been about seventy or so, but still one hell of an animator.





Friday, December 21, 2007

Mickey's Christmas Carol

I "borrowed" this image from Rob Richards blog to keep the Christmas theme going. It's a great B.G. from the T.V. special of 1983.
Rob "screen captures" scenes from animated T.V. and theatrical movies and digitally removes any characters from the scene, leaving only the background. A lot of work no doubt but about the only way to get an empty B.G. to appreciate. The actual artwork is almost impossible to get.

Digitally re-created background art by Rob Richards
Visit "ANIMATION BACKGROUNDS"
http://animationbackgrounds.blogspot.com

The sample artwork is the property of the respective copyright holders, and is displayed here is for educational purposes only. It is expressly forbidden to download, copy, distribute and/or reproduce any of these images or text without prior permission of the copyright holder(s).
Thank you.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Christmas Surprise

This is a drawing I did for a coloring book that was not used, so I colored it myself in "Paint Shop Pro". Since starting back to work last week I haven't had much time for painting. I'm working on a show for Mike Young Prod. called "Twisted Whiskers" based on the digital greetings cards. Check it out at www.twistedwhiskers.com

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Madonna and Child

More from the Christmas tree, this is bordering on the abstract. I enjoy experimenting like this too, it's part of the whole experience of painting.

"Objective painting is not good painting unless it is good in the abstract sense. A hill or tree cannot make a good painting just because it is a hill or tree. It is lines and colors put together so that they may say something." (Georgia O'Keeffe)

watercolor on 140lb. Arches paper

Monday, December 10, 2007

Christmas Colors

A little watercolor using the Christmas tree as my inspiration. The colors of the season are happy and joyous in celebration of the birth of Jesus.
The Roman emperor, Charlemagne was crowned on Christmas day in 800 AD. He is considered the father of France and Germany and generally of Europe.
Around the 12th century, the remnants of the former Saturnalian traditions of the Romans were transferred to the Twelve Days of Christmas (26 December – 6 January).
Christmas during the Middle Ages was a public festival, incorporating ivy, holly, and other evergreens, as well as gift-giving

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Lisa

Dora Maar was Picasso's mistress for over ten years during the ninteen thirties and into the forties. He painted many images of her and his "Portrait of Dora Maar" was sold at auction in 2006 for $95 mil.
This is not it, or even close, but I will sell this portrait of "Lisa" (Mona's sister) for $45.00
5"x7" acrylic on watercolor paper

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Desperado

1896- We remember Wyatt Earp as the marshall of Dodge City and gunfighter of the 1881 OK Corral gunfight. He was better known to his people of his own generation as the referee of the Fitzsimmons-Sharkey Heavyweight Championship prizefight. After leaving Tombstone Arizona, Wyatt Earp drifted to San Francisco where his skills as a fight referee were called upon for this last of the big bare-knuckle bouts. He enraged the public when he declared the fight for Sharkey in the 3rd round after Big-Bob Fitzsimmons couldn't stop bleeding. More people were out to kill him over this decision than were ever out to get him when marshal of Dodge City. He quickly pulled up stakes and went to the Yukon for the gold rush. He was all but forgotten until a cheap book called Wyatt Earp Frontier Marshal published in 1920 made him famous. He died in Los Angeles in 1929 selling real estate and advising movie companies on how to shoot their westerns.
Thanks to tomsito.com