I'm one half of the duo, The Uke Box together with Marko van der Horst. I sing, play the Ukulele, have gotten pretty handy at the Singing Saw, and i'm a bad ass on the Washtub Bass : ). We perform internationally, host 'The Ukulele Jamboree' in Rotterdam and are the founders of 'The Big Damn Ukulele Band'
Music is also the greatest inspiration for my other art & craft passions such as Cigarbox Instrument Construction, Graphic Design, Painting and All-Round Tinkering.
This blog is my little showroom where i display my work and present various projects with personal items of interest thrown in between. I hope you enjoy your visit. If you like what you are reading, seeing and/or hearing here and are interested in employing my talents or just have something to share, i would love to hear from you.
Man, i really loved Halloween as a kid. Carving the pumpkin, making my own costume, going into the haunted house at the school carnival with (gripped to) my grandpa, the cake walk and all the CANDY. So much damn candy. Good grief. What a feest! I remember that on the days following Halloween we would play board games and gamble our penny candy which of course ended up in a brawl. Here in Holland there isn't much Halloween to speak of. Booo!
Halloween reminds me of another thing that i've always loved. Classic & Cult Horror Movies. When i was little mom used to let me stay up and we'd watch them together real late at night. It was so thrilling. But there was one man in particular that seriously scared the living daylights out of me.
Vincent Price. I was TERRIFIED of him. And not just in horror movies. Even if he was on a talk show or a commercial. TERRIFIED. I used to have this little blanket which we called my security blanket. I toted it along with me all the time. (till i was about 23 and my dog ate half of it) When Vincent Price would come on the TV I'd hide under it. But of course i was also enthralled... so i would peek. Vincent Price. Look at that face. Nowadays of course, i've grown to ADORE him. I even find him,... sexually exciting. I know. It's crazy but i can't help it. I'm also strongly attracted to Harpo Marx.
There are lots of great Vincent Price movies. I haven't even seem them all but here is a great one you may not know. The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Not only is Vincent disturbing in a most attractive way, the sets and the costumes and the colors are FAR OUT & GROOVY! The opening scene and the typography used for the opening credits alone are stunning. I recommend it highly. Enjoy the tricks and treats, y'all and be safe!
This was sent to me from my Belgian friend, Karl Catteeuw. It suggests using a bed leg for the neck and the back of a closet for the body. Won't Mom be happy!
"We Are OPEN, Come on in!"
Last weekend i did some sign painting. This 'Open' sign is for the new store we will be opening soon...Woohooo! I haven't blogged about this yet because i'm a bit superstitious. I don't like talking about projects until they are fleshed out and nearly ready otherwise, i have the feeling that if you talk about these things too early, it may never flesh out. We've had some set backs with the renovations (who doesn't?) and had to set our opening date back a little. So, we're not actually 'OPEN' yet but pretty soon, it's going to be one swinging place!
Lonnie Pitchford (October 8, 1955 – November 8, 1998) was an American blues musician and instrument maker from Lexington, Mississippi. He was notable in that he was one of only a handful of young African American musicians from Mississippi who had learned and was continuing the Delta blues and country blues traditions of the older generations.
In addition to the acoustic and electric guitar, Pitchford was also skilled at the one-string guitar and diddley bow, a one-string instrument of African origin.
If you look closely at the picture you will see a Diddley Bow permantly mounted to the right-hand side of his gravestone.
In this wonderful documentary by Alan Lomax called 'The Land Where The Blues Began' you can see and hear Lonnie Pitchford demonstrating his amazing technique on the Diddley Bow beginning at 3:58.
To carry on the tradition we started last year, Atticus and i made something cool together to celebrate World Animal Day.
Last year we made Bad Dog Paté. Kind of hard to top that one but we finally came up with an amazing project. We made a mini-Atticus out of his fur!
Follow the pictures and instructions below to make your own...
Click on the images to ZOOM.
1. Collect Fur
2. Spread Fur into a 'sheet'
3. Cut out mold from cardboard
4. Wrap mold in plastic
5. Cover mold in fur
6. Dip into soapy water
7. Press wet fur around mold
8. Squeeze in a towel to remove moisture
9. Cut the tail from the bottom and
remove mold.
Extra Tips:
The cat-fur felt can be shaped a bit while it is damp to get the right form.
Once it has dried you can embellish with beaded eyes or a little collar. Oh, and if you have some fur left, roll it up in a tight ball using the same method above. Your cat will adore playing with it.
Download the free PDF from pizzabytheslice.com, print and fold your own paper ukulele!
Do y'all remember gravel art? I think we had a gravel art rooster in our kitchen when i was growing up. Make this fab 60's gravel-art inspired ukulele by following the instructions on HGTV. GROOVY! And check out this Mini Ukulele Quilt. Download this funky pattern for just 5 bucks from The Sometimes Crafter
The term Outsider Art was coined by art critic Roger Cardinal in 1972 as an English synonym for Art Brut (which literally translates as "Raw Art" or "Rough Art"), a label created by French artist Jean Dubuffet to describe art created outside the boundaries of official culture; Dubuffet focused particularly on art by insane asylum inmates.
While Dubuffet's term is quite specific, the English term "Outsider Art" is often applied more broadly, to include certain self-taught or Naïve art makers who were never institutionalized. Typically, those labeled as Outsider Artists have little or no contact with the institutions of the mainstream art world; in many cases, their work is discovered only after their deaths. Much Outsider Art illustrates extreme mental states, unconventional ideas, or elaborate fantasy worlds.
Fishes For Atticus
Click with your mouse to feed them...they're very hungry!
“When I am in a painting, I'm not aware of what I'm doing. It is only after a sort of 'get acquainted' period that I see what I have been about. I have no fears about making changes, destroying the image, etc, because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.”
click & paint...click again to paint with a new color! Oh, and don't forget to chain smoke, drink heavily and fly into a rage while your doing it. Otherwise, it doesn't count!
