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

Merry Christmas to all......

Putty Tat Trouble

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.

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

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

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

Daffy Duck Hunt for Saturday

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

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

On The Road To Santa Cruz

On my road trips to Santa Cruz to surf, I pass by this wind break of Eucalyptus trees that always reminds me of the sentinels that stand guard outside a castle. But then, I have an active imagination. I did a smaller version that I published on the blog about a month ago and this is the final version.
Oil on stretched canvas 16"x20" $425.00 + $10 S&H

Chinese Kite Flying

During the Korean war my stepfather was in the Navy and stationed on Guam. That was from 1952 until 1955. Just before we left for home my mom took a weekend shopping trip to Hong Kong. While she was there she bought several Chinese paintings on silk from a little shop. I still have four of them and enjoy the simplicity and subtle colors. This little watercolor is in homage to those Chinese silk paintings. SOLD

"Now Hear This"

On this strange day they call "Black Friday" I ran across this, the strangest Chuck Jones cartoon I've ever seen. Chuck was the originator of the Pepe LePew and Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons, but this doesn't quite fit that mold, (or any mold). This looks like some of the animation we did at Chouinard Art Institute. Chuck used to come and view the films during the end of year Film Arts showings at Chouinard so he must have stolen some of our ideas.(?) Actually he graduated from Chouinard in the early 1930's and after washing cells for Ub Iwerks was hired by Leon Schlesinger (Warner Bros.) in 1933 as an assistant animator. Two years later he was made animator and was assigned to work with director Tex Avery. So, I guess that kinda' explains his nuttyness. He must have inherited some from "Tex".

Gracie and Buster

The Airdale Terrier is sometimes called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds, 50 to 100 pounds. The breed has also been called the Waterside Terrier, because it was bred originally to hunt otters. Originating in the Airedale area of Yorkshire, England.
Also called "Bingly Terrier".

Pet Portrait oil painting on stretched canvas (commision) SOLD

Happy Birthday Mickey

Nov, 18,1928- HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY MOUSE- At the Colony Theater in New York Walt Disney’s cartoon "Steamboat Willie" debuted- The first major sound cartoon success and the official birth of Mickey Mouse. Two earlier silent Mickey's had been done, but they were held back when the sound experiment went ahead.

From Tashjin Ozgur in Istanbul yesterday: It was in 2005; the future of traditional, hand-drawn animation, the original "animated cartoon", seemed dark, with a diminishing number of die-hards trying to keep it alive, when some participants of a Turkish webforum on animation proposed a day to celebrate the art. The date chosen was November 18, in commemorationof the 1928 release of 'Steamboat Willie', the first Mickey Mouse cartoon to reach audiences.We hoped our idea would spread across borders and be taken up by all who consider the art of the hand-drawn animation to be something special and worth preserving. We here, at least, have observed and celebrated the day for the last two years, and are gearing up to do so again.So this year, on Novemeber 18th, take some time to watch an old fashioned cartoon, and appreciate it for what it is- drawings that seem to move. The heritage of the Renaissance that runs through the centuries has culminated at the tip of the animators' pencil. Happy Cartoon Animation Day!

(Thanks to tomsito.com)

The Old Red Barn

The barn has always been the main structure of the family farm. It housed the horses, wagons and other animals of the farmyard. The farmer of years ago built his barn first, before he built the farm house. Even today the rural barn presents a forceful image of community spirit.

This one is in the foothills of the Sierras, east of Sacramento,Ca.

8 1/2"x 11" acrylic on gessoed watercolor paper $195.00 + $5 S&H SOLD

Have A Daffy Day

I'm trying out a new feature of the blog, adding cartoons when I don't have time to post a new painting. Try it out and let me know what ya' tink. The cartoons marked BANNED were made during WWII and the censors didn't like them for one reason or another.

Alice and the Cheshire Cat

Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. "Come, it's pleased so far," thought Alice, and she went on. "Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.
`I don't much care where--' said Alice.
`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

In the original (1862-1864) manuscript, Alice was not the little blond girl we're used to seeing. She was patterned after a little dark haired child of a church colleague, for whom the Alice stories had been originally created. (Alice Pleasance Liddell)
The Rev. Charles Lutwidge Dodson created the story on a 2-1/2 hour rowboat trip with a friend and his three daughters. The little girls loved the story so much, Alice begged him to write it down. It was originally titled 'Alice's Adventures Underground', later changed to 'Alice's Adventures In Wonderland' and published under the nom de plume Lewis Carroll.

16"x20" oil on stretched canvas - commission - SOLD

Mountain Colors

Having lived in the Sierras for more than 20 years, scenes like this are commonplace and even taken for granted. We lived approximetly 20 miles outside of Nevada City, near the little town of North San Juan. The town has 2 small grocery stores, 1 gas station, 1 bar (The Brass Rail) and 1 restuarant (Toki's). Most of the town residents are either loggers, miners or hippies, and quite a colorful lot they are. I have many good memories of those people and times. Debi and I lived, and our kids grew up in the woods on our 6-1/2 acre parcel. We built a house, dug a well and planted a huge garden. (We were in the hippie group.) Chickens, turkeys, goats, ducks, Great Danes and cats romped all over the place. What a fun time in our lives. Then we moved to civilization and got civilized.......(sort of)....... but we still have the memories.

9"x12" watercolor on 120 lb. acid free paper $120.00 +$5 S&H

Autumn Leaves

Leaves changing colors, cooler weather, Daylight Savings Time ends this weekend, Sun. 11/4.
In 1784 Benjamin Franklin came up with the idea of setting our clocks ahead during the spring and summer and then setting them back during the winter. The reason was to save money on expensive lamp oil. Pretty good idea.

It's not the cooler weather that makes the leaves change colors, it's the lack of sunlight.
As the photosynthesis in the leaves slows down and the chlorophyll dissappears, the bright green in the leaves is replaced with the yellows, browns and reds that we see, from left over glucose. These different colors have always been there but the bright green chlorophyll covered it up. The brown colors in leaves from oaks and other trees is the left over waste. It's the combination of these things that make for the beautiful colors we see.

9"x12" watercolor on 120lb Arches paper. $125 + $5 S&H prints available $30 ea.

Mad Max

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

ALL HALLOWS EVE- The night before the Feast of All Souls, was confused in Medieval custom with one of the four Druid fire festivals, All Hallows.
In Ireland it was called Samhein. In Scotland all hearth fires in the land are extinguished then re-lit from the fire at the Druids’ sacred grove. Add to this the early Church's attempt to eradicate the pagan custom of giving food to departed spirits -(Greek Anthesterion in Feb., Roman Feralia and Lemuria in May) by moving the date to honor the dead to the Feast of All Souls on November 1st.
Many cultures have customs of putting food offerings on doorsteps so invisible spirits would give you good luck. So today's the last night for the devil and other ghosties to romp before the Holiday Season (Advent) begins. (tomsito.com)

Mad Max, the meanest cat on Earth, is now living somewhere in Texas. We'll miss you..... sort of.

Acrylic on canvas board 12"x16" $225.00 + S&H

There was an old woman...

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,

she had so many children she didn't know what to do.

She fed them all broth without any bread,

then whipped them all soundly and sent them to bed.

This nursery rhyme was supposedly written to make fun of King George II and his wife. They had eight children who were apparently driving the woman quite mad.

Another thought is that it refers to King George who began the men's fashion for wearing white powdered wigs in the 1700's. He was consequently referred to as the old woman! The children were the members of parliament and the bed was the Houses of Parliament - even today the term 'whip' is used in the English Parliament to describe a member of Parliament who is tasked to ensure that all members 'toe the party line'.

As a point of historical interest the wigs worn by women of the period were so large and unhygienic that it became necessary to include mousetraps in their construction! (rhymes.org)

16"x20" oil on canvas Copyright Bill Reed 2007

More Snooty Fish

Another Snooty Fish sighting off the coast of Palm Beach Florida. They seem to be popping up where you least expect, along with shopping malls, grocery stores and gas stations. When the earth gets warm enough and the oceans rise and flood the coastal cities, they'll be right at home in those condo's overlooking what was once the coast of Florida.

Oohh, the humanity. We should have listened to Al Gore and stopped breathing out that damn CO2.

Acrylic on canvas board 12"x16" $198.00

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

Easy Rider

This is one of my favorite watercolor surf paintings. Fast and spontaneous, not spending too much time laboring over details. After I finished I sprinkled sea salt over parts of the wave to get the mottled effect. The large granules of sea salt suck up the water and paint and leave a blank area. When the paint dries the salt is wiped off and voila it's finis. Mon deu!! (?)

watercolor 5"x7" on Canson 140 lb paper NFS

Coyright Bill Reed 2007

"My, what big ears you have, grandma."

"The better to hear you with, my dear."

There are a few versions of this tale, but the original is usually attributed to the Brothers Grimm. One version has the wolf eating the grandmother (whole)after getting into the house (pretending to be Little Red Riding hood). He then waits disguised as grandma, and eats Little Red (whole)after she arrives. A hunter in the forest hears the commotion, runs in, kills the wolf and cuts open its stomach saving grandma and Little Red. Then they fill his stomach full of stones which kills him. (Over kill?) I'd think just cutting him open would have done the job, but I guess they wanted to make sure he got his just deserts. (Arf! Arf!)

Another version has Red saved by the hunter before getting eaten.

The tale makes the assertion that it's safer in the village than in the dark forest, or "don't wander off, see what happens."

Acrylic on stretched canvas 16"x20" SOLD Copyright Bill Reed 2007

Prints available

Gardenia

Painting a white flower on white paper is quite an interesting set of problems to solve. Basically it's painting only the shadows. I threw away a few before I started getting the hang of it.

This is a 9"x12" watercolor on 140 lb paper $65.00 + $5 S&H

North Coast

The Northern California Coast has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.
Driving south from San Francisco along Hwy 1, the cliffs begin and continue past Pacifica, Half Moon Bay and all the way to Santa Cruz and Capitola. From there it's the Monteray Bay. It's a pretty wild coastline and you'd never know you were so close to civilization. Driving north from San Francisco the coast is even more wild.
This is a bit of the coast just a few miles north of the town of Santa Cruz.

12"x16" oil on stretched canvas $375.00 + S&H

Chili's verde

Anaheim green chili peppers

According to many accounts, chili peppers were introduced into what is now the U.S. by Capitan General Juan de Oñate, the founder of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1598. After the Spanish began settlement, the cultivation of chile peppers exploded, and soon they were grown all over New Mexico. One variety that adapted particularly well to New Mexico was a long green chile that turned red in the fall. The chili was called "Anaheim" because of its adaptation to the more settled California around 1900.
They were cultivated as a spice, hung on strings and dried.

In 1846, William Emory, Chief Engineer of the Army's Topographic Unit, was surveying the New Mexico landscape and its customs. He described a meal eaten by people in Bernalillo, just north of Albuquerque: "Roast chicken, stuffed with onions; then mutton, boiled with onions; then followed various other dishes, all dressed with the everlasting onion; and the whole terminated by chile, the glory of New Mexico." (fiery- foods.com)

acrylic on 140 lb Arches paper 5 1/2"x 9" $115.00 Copyright Bill Reed 2007

SOLD

Marbled Godwit

The Marbled Godwit (Limosa Fidoa) is a large shorebird found along the coasts of California, Mexico, and South America.
Their breeding habitat is the northern prairies of western Canada and the north central United States near marshes or ponds. They nest on the ground, usually in short grass.

In autumn, they migrate in flocks to the coasts of , California, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico and South America. (Wikipedia)

Their long bills allow them to poke around in mud flats and sand for crustaceans. They also eat insects and some aquatic veggies.They’re fun to watch on the beach as they dart around in groups, poking in the sand for goodies.

Watercolor 9"x12" on 140 lb.Arches paper

Snooty Fish

This is a new species of fish that has been spotted off the coast of Laguna Beach, Malibu and Santa Barbara. A local Malibu resident, Tom Betternyou, said; "These areas have been overun with those damn Rock Fish and lazy ass Flounders. It's good to see something with some class move in. We can relate to those Snooty Fish."
We'll keep you updated as the story develops.

SOLD

Copyright Bill Reed 2007 12"x16"Giclee prints available $35 + $5 S&H

King Charles Cavalier

King Charles Cavalier has its roots in the old breed of the King Charles Spaniel which was bred during King Charles I reign 1600-1649. After his death, his son King Charles II issued a decree that these dogs could not be forbidden entrance to any public place including the House of Parliament. He dubbed his parliament "The Cavalier Parliament".

The King Charles Spaniel was later bred with the short snouted Pug and Japanese Chin resulting in the English Toy Spaniel breed .

In the 1920’s an American offered a prize for any King Charles Spaniel “of the old fashioned type” with a longer nose, flat skull and spot on the crown of the head called “the “Kissing Spot” or “the kiss of Buddha”. The result was a dog that resembled the boyhood pet of the future King Charles II of England (“Cavalier King Charles”) where the breed derives its name.

oil on canvas panel 12"x16"--- sold Pet Portraits this size $250

Free Counter

Surf and Sand

Keeping it simple is not as easy as it seems. I usually have a tendency to want to keep working on a piece until it gets over worked. With this one I was able to quit just in time.

(On trying to paint a pale blue sky:)
"I cannot pretend to be impartial about the colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones, and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns." ( Sir Winston Churchill )

Watercolor on 140lb acid free paper 8"x12"image, matted to 11"x14" $100.00 + $5 S+H
http://www.mysurfbaby.com/ Copyright Bill Reed 2007

Wind Break

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

On my way to the ocean for a surf, I often bring my little camera to try and catch a scene or something interesting to use as inspiration for a painting. This is an old Eucalyptus windbreak along the highway that brings back memories of a simpler time. It was a quick study for a larger painting I have planned.

oil on canvas board 5"x7" $95.00 + $5.00 S+H

Bartlett

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

Pears have been cultivated for over four thousand years.
There are over five thousand varieties.
Pears are cousins to the apple.
Most pears are grown west of the Rockies, where disease is less of a problem.
A pear tree can produce fruit for over a hundred years, provided
it doesn't get hit by a train.

watercolor 9"x12" on 140 lb coldpress acid free paper $130.00 + $5 S&H

Surf Tiki

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

In Maori mythology, Tane the God of forests creates the first man Tiki, then makes a wife to keep him company.

In Maori usage, Tiki is the word for large wooden carvings of roughly human form.

In English usage the word "Tiki" is usually followed by the word "Bar".

Macintosh

Macintosh my favorite apple.
8"x10" Watercolor-- matted to fit an 11"x14" frame
$75.00 + $5.00 S&H

Did you know an apple is 25% air? That's why they float.

The apple originated in an area between the Caspian and Black Sea and is in the rose family.

Charred apples were found in prehistoric cave dwellings in Switzerland. That was before the marshmallow was invented.

The Pilgrims brought the apple to the New World and planted the first apple orchard. In colonial times they were called winter banana or melt-in-the-mouth.

In 1730 the first apple nursery was opened in Flushing, New York.

Americas oldest living apple tree was planted in 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhatten orchard and was still bearing fruit when a train derailed and ran it over in 1866. Doohh!!

Lily

Spunky little pup "Lily" sold

oil on stretched canvas 12"x16"

Portraits this size start at $250

Contact Bill at http://www.mysurfbaby.com/

Beach Hut

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

When I was a kid my step father was in the Navy and was sent to Guam during the Korean war. The whole family went along and we spent three years on the island from 1952 until 1955. We loved it and I have some fond memories of my brother and I running around in the jungles and beaches. Since it was the early 50's, there was still plenty of evidence of W.W.II . Broken tanks and pill boxes with the big guns still in them dotted the beaches and cliffs. A great place for a couple of boys to play. My brother found a .45 service revolver on the beach. It didn't have the clip in it so my mom said we could keep it. We had lots of fun with that playing war.

What I remember most was how beautiful it was. There are thousands of islands that are found in the Pacific Ocean south of the equator. From The Easter Islands to New Zealand to Australia and the East Indies, Captain Cook must have been amazed at what he descovered during his voyages.
16"x20 acrylic on stretched canvas. $500.00 SOLD Prints also available. http://www.mysurfbaby.com/

Morgan's Cove

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

Sir Henry Morgan - 1635-1688 was a Welsh privateer who became leader of the buccaneers. He was among Englands most notorious and succesful privateers.

Now, what is the difference between a privateer, a buccaneer and a pirate? A privateer is authorized by a country to raid another country's ships during wartime and share the booty with the host country. A pirate is basically a robber on the high seas. Buccaneers were cattle theives native to the Caribean area, named after the french word boucanier. The Spainish forces didn't cater to the theives and drove them from Hispaniola to a small island called Tortuga. From there they were joined by many others and to get even, turned to piracy against anybody that sailed by. Buccaneers and pirates became synonymous.

Morgan was chosen by buccaneers to be their admiral after seizing the islands of Santa Catalina and Providence. His exploites soon became legendary as his forces grew to hundreds of men.
This painting is 16"x20" acrylic on stretched canvas. $425.00
contact Bill at http://www.mysurfbaby.com/

Hey diddle diddle....

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon,
The little dog laughed to see such a sight,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

The origin of the poem is unknown however I found two theories regarding it.

One theory is that it is a parody about Queen Elizabeth I, 1533 - 1603 ( the only surviving child of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn). The cat is supposed to be Queen Elizabeth and the dog Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester. She refered to him as her lap dog. The dish being a server at the royal court and the spoon a taste-tester. Seems they ran away together and when they were caught were confined in the Tower of London. Don't mess with the Queen Mum.

Another theory is, during the early times in England when no one could read or write, the poem refered to constellations only visible in the April night sky.

Hey diddle diddle, the cat (Leo) and the fiddle, (Lyre) the cow (Taurus) jumped over the moon (the moon); The little dog (Canis Minor) laughed to see such a sight, and the dish (Crater- a dish shaped constellation) ran away with the spoon (Ursa Major, the Big Dipper).

April is the only month when these constellations can be seen in the night sky, thus signaling planting time to the farmers. http://www.mysurfbaby.com/

Old King Cole

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

Old King Cole was a merry old soul

And a merry old soul was he;

He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl

And he called for his fiddlers three.



Every fiddler had a fiddle,

And a very fine fiddle had he;

Oh there's none so rare, as can compare

With King Cole and his fiddlers three.


According to British legend, some think the rhyme was written about King Cole who lived in the town of Colcester in Essex England in the third century AD. It was claimed he was the father of St. Helena who later gave birth to the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor.
Then again, others think the rhyme was written after Sir Walter Raleigh brought tobacco from the New World in 1585. Yet others think the "pipe" was not refering to a smoking pipe but rather a flute because of the last lyrics of the rhyme "Oh there's none so rare, as can compare with King Cole and his fiddlers three. That suggests he played the flute along with the fiddlers. .

Then there's King Coel of Northern England, but that's another story.

www.mysurfbaby.com

J. Wellington Wimpy

Wimpy was a regular character in E.C. Segars comic strip called Thimble Theater. He was actually one of the more important characters until Popeye was introduced and became Olive Oyls new boy friend. Wimpy was soft spoken and a bit of a coward, thus living up to his name. He was also the worlds biggest moocher. The strip originally centered around Olive's family. Wimpy had a crush on her, but when Popeye showed up she only had eyes for him. When the Popeye cartoons were being made at Fliesher Studios, Wimpy then became a minor character. Dave Fliesher said Wimpy was too much of an intellect to be a good character in film cartoons. He was very intelligent and well educated but a big lazy moocher as well. His famous line, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." was first introduced in the 1934 Popeye cartoon "We Aim To Please". In "Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor", Wimpy is seen eating hamburgers almost the entire show. No matter about his character flaws, you gotta love the guy.
http://www.mysurfbaby.com/

Beach Buggy

Copyright Bill Reed 2007

When I was 13 and my brother had just turned 16, he worked for a landscaper and saved enough money to buy his first car. It was a 1931 Ford Sport Coupe. A SportCoupe was a rag top but the top didn't go down like a convertable. I guess it was cheaper to manufacture a car without a top and just put a canvas lid on it. Or they just thought it looked sporty. I never did figure that one out, but it was a really neat car with a rumble seat. I guess the girls liked it alot too, because I didn't see him much once he started driving. I've had an affinity for old cars ever since he bought that thing.

This is a watercolor of a 1930 Ford pick up. It was more of a utility truck since the bed was too short to carry lumber or anything longer than about 6ft. That surfboard wouldn't fit either but I thought it would look cool.

9"x12" watercolor on 140lb. acid free paper matted to fit an 11"x14" frame. $125.00

www.mysurfbaby.com

' 36 Chevy

All images copyright Bill Reed 2007

When I started Disney in 1966 as an apprentice inbetweener my salary was $55.00 a week. It was pretty poor pay but I figured I was getting the best education in the animation industry and they were PAYING ME. Wow, I was getting paid for doing what I love, and I was in SHOW BIZ. My wife Debi and I had an apartment in Hermosa Beach and of course she had to work too. A friend of ours bought a 1936 Chevy and drove it up from San Diego. He kept it for a while and then sold it to me for $50. I bought it from him so Debi would have a car to drive to work in Santa Monica. This old clunker had been on blocks for many years and actually had the original tires. As we drove along, rubber from the tires would fly off and hit the fenders with a whap, whap, whap, clunk. This painting is my tribute to that good old Chevy. I later sold it for $60 because I didn't have the money to restore it, but hey I made $10.

I've sold the original painting, but I have limited edition high quality giclee prints for sale.

16"x 20"-$95

11"x14" $55

8"x10" $40

Check out my web site http://www.mysurfbaby.com/

It's "Talk Like A Pirate Day"

Descent

As a surfer, I anticipate the big waves that roll down the coast every winter. Those big storms that brew up in the Northern Pacific and generate those humungus waves that pound the west coast and send shivers down the spines of sailors. There is a cadre of surfers who wait all year for the chance to pit their daring and skills against these monster waves. Maverick's is the NorCal spot where the monster waves reach their biggest. This painting is a salute to those watermen who dare Mother Nature.

"Descent" 16"x20" acrylic on canvas
Please visit my web site www.mysurfbaby.com

SOLD

Through The Worm Hole

As a kid growing up in the 1950's, my brother and I would get up early on Saturday mornings, turn on the t.v. and watch the test pattern until the first program came on. All t.v.'s in those days were black and white with a huge 12" screen. We'd watch Popeye, Roy Rogers, The Three Stooges,Our Gang Comedy and Looney Tunes among others. This painting is my tribute to Buck Rogers and those rocket ships on strings with a sparkler sticking out the back. Hey those were the days when all we had to worry about was the Russians blowing us up with an atomic bomb. Hell I remember when hamburgers were good for you, the air was clean and sex was dirty. I still think hamburgers are good for you.

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