Ars Gratia Artis :: Sweet Life Photo

Sidecar Social Club explodes at Artsplosure 2012

Administrator — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:50:20 +0000

I was excited to see that Sidecar Social Club was on the Main Stage at Artsplosure this past Saturday. I was excited because I got a small taste of these guys earlier in the month at the Hob Nob Jazz Series at the Koka Booth Apitheater and was waiting to hear a full set. I was also excited that I had a rare spring Saturday off (our wedding for the weekend was on Friday) and could hang around in the beautiful weather and hear some great music. So who is Sidecar Social Club? According to the band’s facebook page they are “stumbling into our view playing the musical equivalent of a Jim Thompson novel!” To my ears, they put a modern,edgy spin on the classic jazz combo.

Here is the lineup:

J.Clarence Crew, Jr – Piano
Aaron Bittikofer – Bass
Edward Theolandos Butler – Drums
F.O. Finch III – saxophone
Lisa Veronica Wood – Vocalist

Lisa and F.O. generating some musical heat on a beautiful mild May afternoon.

I really love B&W images and these are a few of my favorites from the day!

These guys are fierce and innovative musically make sure you check them out at the NC Museum of Art every third Friday this summer – June 15th, July 20th and August 17th. If you just can’t wait until then, they have a few tunes posted on You Tube. Check ‘em out.

New photo essay of the Yolanda rabun and Stanley Baird Group show…

Administrator — Tue, 01 May 2012 16:38:26 +0000

Check out my latest photo essay on the Art of Cool Project Blog of last Friday’s show at Labourlove Gallery, which featured Yolanda Rabun singing with the Stanley Baird Group.

To see all of my photo essays for the Art of Cool Project go to The Sweet Life section on the Art of Cool blog.

Rebirth Series :: American Sign at the Shack-Up Inn

Administrator — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:50:27 +0000

The Shack-Up Inn is an integral part of the Rebirth workshop experience. The Shack-Up Inn in Clarksdale Mississippi is a collection of sharecropper shacks moved onto the property and positioned around the Hopson Mill which acts as the lobby, bin rooms and jke joint all around an open courtyard. I was in the newest shack, one of the few that was built onsite, not an original shack ( because there aren’t any more in the immediate area), with found materials. In fact the property of the Shack Up is a paradise of found material that creates a rich visual experience.

Another new addition to the Shack-Up Inn was the huge American Service Station sign that was installed in the courtyard this past year. This is a rare sign that was a short-lived logo for Amoco in certain markets. I made a series of shots in and around the shack-up grounds during the week. These images are a series of my favorites that feature the American sign.

Digital Art :: Around Durham :: American Tobacco Campus and DBAP

Administrator — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:42:58 +0000

I have been trying for almost a year to make time to get over to Durham and shoot some images that I could use for a couple of digital art pieces to add to my wall at Labourlove Gallery. Well the opportunity arose last weekend when the Durham Bulls opened their home season. I spent a good portion of the late afternoon and evening in and around the park and had a great time. Here are a couple of images that I created from these last week…

Rebirth Series :: Tallahatchie County Courthouse

Administrator — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:30:30 +0000

I just returned from an incredible photography retreat in the Mississippi delta called Rebirth. I will talk more about the retreat and share images that I made over the next couple of weeks. However, the first morning as we were wandering around the area near Clarksdale, we found ourselves in Sumner and stopped in front of the Cassidy Bayou Art and Culture Center. One of our retreat leaders, Will Jacks, told me that the courthouse behind us was the Tallahatchie County Courthouse which is infamous as the courthouse where the murderers of Emmett Till were acquitted.

I was fascinated that I found myself in this location as the the story of Emmett Till has been resurfacing in the public conscience in context of the Trayvon Martin murder. So I did what I do, I shot a couple of images…

As the tragedy of Trayvon Martin unfolds I think it is instructive to look back and see the way in which the murder of Emmet Till galvanized a large group of Americans of multiple races and religions to face adversity in order to serve the greater goal of creating legal equality out of tragic injustice.

Limited Edition prints available of the Marcus Anderson event

Administrator — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 00:32:33 +0000

We will have these limited edition 16″ x 20″ posters for sale exclusively at Labour Love gallery for $40. These handmade prints are ready for a prominent place on your wall to commemorate this great event! $10 of the proceeds go to support the Art of Cool project. They will be for sale at the January Art of Cool event with Peter Lamb and the Wolves.

Peter Lamb with the Countdown Quintet :: NYE 2011 Casbah

Administrator — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:35:31 +0000

Worked over the weekend to finish up this project from the New Year’s Eve celebration at the Casbah in Durham. This is from the Countdown Quintet’s set when they called Peter Lamb up to play a rousing version on “Hole in my Bucket” that featured the three sax’s on stage taking a break! Sweeet!

Peter Lamb and Countdown Quintet at the Casbah New Year's Eve Sweet Life photo art

To see more from my “Bopscotching” tour of NYE 2011, go over the Art of Cool page here on the site or Check out my page on the Art of Cool Project blog

New San Francisco Streetcar Digital Paintings

Administrator — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:42:02 +0000

I have sold a lot of paintings of New Orleans streetcars and San Francisco cablecars and I really love the energy of these images. I just finished two new San Francisco streetcar images of the historic cars that run along the Embarcadero.

The first two are using my traditional approach to the painting, but the second two are using some new brushes that create a different look. Please leave comments below on your reactions to these!

San Francisco streetcar digital painting Digtial Art Sweet Life Photo 9770

San Francisco streetcar digital painting Digital Art Sweet Life Photo 9889

New Photo Gallery of the Carlitta Durand Event

Administrator — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:44:17 +0000

Check out my Art of Cool gallery page for a new photo gallery from the Carlitta Durand Show for the November Art of Cool Project show at Labourlove!

I am also excited to be a guest blogger on the Art of Cool Blog Page. Check out my first entry here!

Here is one of my favorite images from the evening, now go check out the rest…

Boney James After Concert Jam part II :: The Art of Cool Project

Administrator — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 02:08:25 +0000

Latest Digital Art Inspired by the Art of Cool Project part II

The Republic was jamming on Saturday night May 5th! This is the second art piece inspired by the latest Art of Cool Project event. Check out the rest of the images, I shot during the Jam Session on my Art of Cool gallery.