I also wanted to be able to keep track of the paintings if I sold them. This portrait of Willie Nelson, measuring 36" wide and 48" tall, is titled the same as his recent autobiography, Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die. It was commissioned by John and June Wood, but I still consider it part of the series. (Click on the image to see details.)
Of notable interest with regard to this canvas, the words that form Nelson's face are on white paper and are his words about his own life. Sections of the book were printed on gray paper. These are the comments from other people, and were used to form his hair. Of course, the background is made of some of the artist's most memorable songs, and the guitar strap, the 3-D element in the painting, is "texted" using words from another Nelson biography. The Wood family also owns the pink haired girl, also 36" x 48", (real life author Ashley McNeil), which was cut from Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine by Candace Pert and Deepak Chopra. Another painting that has been sold from the series is "da Vinci's Diva." It is in the private collection of Jim Stewart. The text from this monochromatic painting comes from a biography of Leonardo da Vinci. The square formatted canvas measures 36" x 36" and the hair is created with a plaster finish reminiscent of a fresco. |
Still another in the series is pictured below. It was cut from Diane Ackerman's book of poetry titled, Jaguar of Sweet Laughter. It is approximately 36" x 36".
This painting was inspired by one of the Madonna figures of Sandro Botticelli. The text from which it is formed was cut from a paperback thriller titled, The Girl with the Botticelli Eyes by Herbert Lieberman. As I began reading the book, I soon discovered that it was filled with graphic violence toward women. The author attempts to humanize a fictional, mass-murdering, psychotic antagonist, while simultaneously dehumanizing his female victims. I found the premise to be completely untenable, and decided that the best way to offset its negativity was to transform it into a work of art based on beauty and compassion. |