60s Series

I grew up in the 60s and the music was woven into the fabric of my life. I still love it! So when I was asked to be a featured artist at the Prairie Art Alliance gallery, I decided to illustrate 60s songs. I tried to cover all the main genres and popular groups, but space and time were limited. Realizing that some people would not know the songs, I have made labels from 45 records with a small recorder attached to the back. If you hit the button, you will hear a few seconds of the song. I call these "memory joggers." It makes the show a very special one since it is visual and auditory. I had so much fun doing these pieces that I will probably continue to illustrate more songs in the future.

Octopus's Garden
Hurdy Gurdy Man
I am the Walrus
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show
She's a Rainbow
White Rabbit
Joy to the World
Eleanor Rigby - back
Eleanor Rigby - front
Baby Elephant Walk
I am a Rock
Both Sides Now
Do You Love Me (Now that I can Dance)
The Little Old Lady from Pasadena
Little Red Riding Hood
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Magic Bus
Mr. Tambourine Man
The Strawberry Fielders
Sugar, Sugar
Surfin' U.S.A.
The Fool on the HIll
Unchained Melody
Season of the Witch
Traces of Love
Come Together
Bridge Over Troubled Water
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Octopus's Garden

Octopus's Garden

This Beatles' song is completely collaged with hand-painted papers using a Gelli Plate. Lots of fun.

12"H x 12"W

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Hurdy Gurdy Man

Hurdy Gurdy Man

This is a Donovan song. I found the man and his dog in a photo on the internet and got permission from the photographer to use them in this work. The collage elements are the large tree, the vest, the hurdy gurdy, and dog's blanket. The rest is acrylic.

36"H x 24"W

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I am the Walrus

I am the Walrus

I collaged the walrus from hand-painted papers. I had several ideas about adding the egg-man and finally settled on the 3D egg. He looked worried so I gave him a life preserver. Beatles.

8"H x 10"W

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Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show

Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show

The tent is made from teabags, the floorboards are cut from a map of Southern Illinois, the podium and guitar are from a hymnal and Brother Love's suit is Bible pages. Love Neil Diamond!

24"H x 24"W

$350

She's a Rainbow

She's a Rainbow

I loved the Rolling Stones but despaired of coming up with a good image until I heard She's a Rainbow on my Sirius 60s station. And she is a rainbow with a caftan made of hand-painted papers.

24"H x 24"W

$300

White Rabbit

White Rabbit

I decided to go with the Alice in Wonderland version instead of the Jefferson Airplane psychedelic one. The Dormouse is on the left side of the canvas.

18"H x 24"W

$250

Joy to the World

Joy to the World

Jeremiah was a bullfrog--here he is drinking his wine. His body is hand-painted papers. Three Dog Night.

12"H x 12"W

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Eleanor Rigby - back

Eleanor Rigby - back

All the lonely people--Eleanor is faceless, choosing her "face in the jar" for the day. Each jar has a different expression. This is the only 60s song that I could find using a violin. Beatles.

20"H x 10"W x 2"D

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Eleanor Rigby - front

Eleanor Rigby - front

The scene on the front of the violin shows the church and graveyard with Father McKenzie as the only mourner at Eleanor's funeral.

18"H x 10"W x 2"D

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Baby Elephant Walk

Baby Elephant Walk

This instrumental piece is by Henry Mancini. I used hand-painted papers for the elephant on painted background.

12"H x 12"W

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I am a Rock

I am a Rock

Yes, you are! This piece is in my show as a joke. But it does have its own record label with Simon & Garfunkel's song.

4"H x 6"W x 4"D

NFS

Both Sides Now

Both Sides Now

This Judy Collin's song has a variety of images in the clouds for you to find. The key words of the lyrics can be found in the layers of the hillsides.

40"H x 30"W

$450

Do You Love Me (Now that I can Dance)

Do You Love Me (Now that I can Dance)

This is a Motown song by the Contours, but I pictured dancing Hippy rabbits. Don't ask why!

12"H x 36"W

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The Little Old Lady from Pasadena

The Little Old Lady from Pasadena

The little old lady's super-stock Dodge is collaged with painted maps of southern California. You can read Pasadena on the side of her car. The street is Colorado Boulevard and the boys are ready to race. Jan and Dean.

12"H x 36"W

$250

Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

There he is--the wolf in sheep's clothing. His jacket says The Black Sheep. I loved this Sam the Sham record and got to see him perform it in person.

24"H x 18"W

$185

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

I decided to do Lucy from the viewpoint of a 5-year old (Julian Lennon, whose drawing gave the title for this song). This is 4 canvases. Lucy's dress and the kaleidoscope eyes are done with holographic paper. There is real movement when you look at them in the light. The tangerine trees, marmalade sky, and green and yellow cellophane flowers are all there. I worried about the Rocking Horse people, but then made a pub called the Rocking Horse. Therefore the people inside are the rocking horse people--eating marshmallow pies, of course. Beatles.

40"H x 24"W

$850

Magic Bus

Magic Bus

I had to have one psychedelic image and this piece fits the bill! The Who.

12"H x 12"W

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Mr. Tambourine Man

Mr. Tambourine Man

This piece is collaged on the tambourine. I used the Bob Dylan version for my recording since he wrote the song and I wanted to include him.

8"H x 8"W

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The Strawberry Fielders

The Strawberry Fielders

I could not resist! Here are my 9 little strawberry baseball players, ready for the game. Beatles.

6"H x 16"W x 4"D

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Sugar, Sugar

Sugar, Sugar

This piece is just for fun--like the Bubble gum music that it represents. She is collaged with candy wrappers, sugar labels, cupcake liners, etc. I wanted her hair to look like icing or cotton candy. She has some strategically placed labels to add a little humor. The Archies.

16"H x 3"W x 3"D

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Surfin' U.S.A.

Surfin' U.S.A.

This Beach Boys song brings back memories of my life in California in the early 60s. The beach is full of surfers as they might have appeared at that time.

12"H x 36"W

$250

The Fool on the HIll

The Fool on the HIll

I love Medieval fools so doing this song was fun. He is on a very tall hill and there is magic around. Beatles.

30"H x 16"W

$250

Unchained Melody

Unchained Melody

I heard this song and immediately thought of a Viet Nam soldier writing to his girlfriend back home. The uniform and face are collaged, the rest is acrylic. Righteous Brothers.

24"H x 24"W

$300

Season of the Witch

Season of the Witch

This Donovan song is not well-known. This witch is kindly, her face, hands, basket and the toad are collaged with hand-painted book pages.

36"H x 24"W

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Traces of Love

Traces of Love

This Classics IV song just cried out to be a shadow box with the elements of an old love including a faded photograph, an old love letter, ticket stubs and ribbons from her hair.

10"H x 10"W

$75

Come Together

Come Together

This assemblage is loosely based on the Beatles' song, Come Together. I view the song as I would an abstract piece of art and I went for the feeling, not the image.

19"H x 11"W x 8"D

$140

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon and Garfunkel sang this beautiful song. The angel is the bridge to trusting in God and using faith, not ego, to get through tough times. The wings are collaged and painted with luminous paints.

24"H x 24"W

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