Paint Me A Winter Window

(Source)

Remember when every grocery store was outfitted with a lobster tank?  Do you remember when the same grocery stores ran perpetual coloring contests for prizes so spectacular that you often took multiple copies of the coloring page in the event of a mess-up, neurotically over-thought your crayon choices, and stayed within the printed lines like your very life depended on it?  Do you remember when the facades of theses supermarkets were nothing more than great, gleaming, glass canvases just waiting for the deft hand of a skilled artist to anoint them with something far more sophisticated and substantial than posters advertising discounts on canned peas and frozen/defrosted ham hocks?  At Christmastime it was these very grocery stores that transformed into veritable winter wonderlands with a just few strokes of the master's brush.

Welcome to the wonderful world of window painting!

It always seemed to me that holiday window painting ushered in the Christmas season; after Thanksgiving, one would be hard pressed to find a supermarket, a hardware store, a bank, or a coffee shop whose window panes hadn't been visited by a skillful "Jack Frost."  It appears, however, as monolithic, windowless grocery stores, and political correctness have taken their jackbooted foothold, that window painting has taken a backseat to dispassionate displays of joyless, holiday-neutral consumerism.  On my first venture out to look for holiday window art, I was disheartened to drive for miles and miles without a single example to document.  It was as if, in unison, retailers were joined in singing a chorus of "Little Jack Frost, Get Lost."  Just when I thought hope was lost, I began to see a few holiday holdouts - with all of the usual suspects present and accounted for.

SANTA CLAUS
The obligatory Santa Claus adorns so many windows and doors
that it is hard to chose a favorite.  The obvious choice for many
would be the rock 'n roll Santa (or even sexy siren Santa), but I  am
quite partial to the primitive, noseless, coal-eyed Santa (top-right).

A Southern California sleigh ride

CHRISTMAS TREES
There is no shortage of evergreen varietals in our neck of the woods; we have spongey, blobby, stack-y, and zig-zaggy.

SNOWMEN
Don't worry, the improbability of a Snowman coexisting happily with a
swordfish is not lost on me (even if said swordfish is wearing a Christmas cap).
I guess that is why I love the realism of the gleefully-melting snowman with
tyrannosaurus arms sticking out of the lowest part of his corpulent frame.

REINDEER & WREATHS
I really like the white wreath with the ornaments of primary colors
but it pales in comparison to Santa's long-lost reindeer, Bootsie!

CANDY CANES
I can't be the only one who used to whittle down one end of
the candy cane into what can only be described as a shiv, can I?

BABY JESUS
The reason for the season is surprised to find Himself
on the window of Northgate Market in Santa Ana, CA -
one grocery store committed to making their windows
work for them at Christmastime.

For all of the regular Christmas characters that were represented, there were one or two "misfit toys"
to round out the bunch.

"'Buon Natale' means Merry Christmas to you.
Buon Natale and lots of fun; Happy New Year to everyone."
This is the window of one of our new favorite places, Claro's Italian Market.

Apparently, for some folks, Christmas has a lot to do with steaming bowls of tripe
soup and seafood; a fan of neither, I can wholeheartedly get behind the custom
of Christmas tamales but I definitely draw the line at rooster eggs...

It is worthy of note, sociologically-speaking, to recognize that every single example of holiday window painting that I encountered was in a neighborhood marked by predominantly-minority populations.  I'm thrilled to know that even if "Main Street, USA" isn't painting its windows this holiday season, that Southern California's diverse communities are keeping a wacky tacky art movement and holiday tradition alive!

In my frenzy to present the best winter windows, I should
acknowledge that not everyone celebrates in the same way.
I don't think that an outward display of one person's celebration
diminishes the validity of another.  I honestly believe that there
is something interesting and worthwhile to be learned from most
faiths/traditions/schools of thought.  More importantly, I believe
that when a flying octopus wishes one a "Merry Christmas," one
should not be offended.  One really ought to be excited; it is a well-
known fact that most flying octopi are agnostic.

"Little Jack Frost, Get Lost" - Frankie Carle & His Orchestra

I may not agree with the sentiment where holiday window 

painting is concerned, but it's got a good beat and I can dance to it.

Have you ever made like Jack Frost and painted some winter wonder on a window?  Do shops in your hometown deck their windows with boughs of temporary, tempera holly?

Season's Greetings from Mr. Tiny to you!

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Doris Day Pops!

In spite of the dubious protestations in the title of his tumblr (see "I Am Not an Artist"), my brother is indeed a bona fide artist.  His work has been bought and sold and he is regularly shown in galleries and at special events.  While his work maintains a "low-brow" sensibility, he is a master of composition and he is constantly working on refining his skills and employing innovative techniques.  My favorite part of having an "artist" for a brother is the benefit of custom artwork.  

Our most recent Christmas celebrations found us drawing names for gifts; too many people and too few dollars made it a budget and time-friendly necessity.  Lucky for me, my brother drew my name and I got one of the coolest presents of my life -a matched set of pop art-inspired, Doris Day portraits.

Aren't these cool?!!
Hand painted and screened with Doris Day's visage, what isn't
visible in the photograph is the micro-glitter that
shimmers over the entire piece.  wacky tacky and glitter
are inexorably bound together!

I love this picture of Doris Day and the way he mirrored the slight tilt of her
 head; in my mind it makes it more of a set and looks more dynamic when hung.

The scale is great too; these 2x2', lime green and bright orange
 wall hangings make quite a statement.

After seeing the thrill I expressed upon removing the brown-paper wrapping from these beauties, do you think my fifteen-year-old cousin made fun of me by telling me not to cry?  Yep.  Did I cry?  I was close (we are huge crybabies in our family).  As I have mentioned before, I LOOOOOVE handmade gifts!!!  There is something so miraculous about the beautiful synergy of an honest "It's the thought that counts" sentimentality and the exhibition of time, talent, and love.  Unlike many of the gifts that are exchanged over the holiday season, most of which will quickly fall out of favor or fashion, these pieces will stay with me forever.  Interesting art and the thoughtfulness of a talented sibling - now that is good gift giving!  He might have a hard time recognizing and accepting his talent - but I don't!  MY BROTHER IS AN ARTIST!!!

"Any Way the Wind Blows" - Doris Day

Just because I made "the artist" and his girlfriend

 watch this scene from Please Don't Eat the Daisies

the other day as I sang along...

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

wacky tacky Icons: Al Hirschfeld

Al Hirschfeld
June 21, 1903 - January 20, 2003

When I was young I wanted to be rich and famous.  Rich because, well, who doesn't want a few extra scheckels to rub together?  Famous because I wanted my portrait done by Al Hirschfeld.  I really thought, and continue to think, that being immortalized by "The Line King" is the height of celebrity.  With a few deft strokes of his pen or brush, Hirschfeld was able to fully capture not only the stars' looks, but their personalities, their mannerisms, their foibles, and their charms.

Marilyn Monroe

Groucho Marx

Lucille Ball & Robert Preston from Mame

Bing Crosby

Betty Hutton

Carol Channing

Diane Keaton & Woody Allen from Annie Hall

Lena Horne

Bob Hope

"Apollo Chorine"

Rex Harrison & Julie Andrews from My Fair Lady

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Yul Brynner as the King of Siam

The Beatles

Born in St. Louis, Hirschfeld did all of the things that a budding artist in the 1920's should do including the obligatory stint in Paris.   Back in the U.S., he found work as a cartoonist for The New York Times and quickly made a name for himself as America's premier caricaturist.  Because his career spanned eight decades and included political figures, society luminaries, and stars of music, stage, and screen, his work came to define the medium in the 20th Century. His style was so unique and spare that a Hirschfeld caricature is identifiable at first sight.  The quality and impact of his artistry are astounding; with a minimum of line and shape he created master works.  His influence was so profound that many modern cartoonists, illustrators, caricaturists, and animators cite his work as inspiration for their own work.  In fact, the "Rhapsody in Blue" animated sequence from Walt Disney's Fantasia 2000 is an homage to the genius of Al Hirschfeld.

"Rhapsody in Blue"

Fantasia 2000

As the great Line King has moved on to his great reward, it seems highly improbable that I will have my portrait made any time soon.  In his absence I do feel a modicum of relief, only because if the day had ever come when the master caricaturist and illustrator did find me a worthy subject, the internal conflict would be huge; with the thrill of achievement would come the overwhelming, petrifying terror.  On which of my many "flaws" would Hirschfeld choose to focus - exaggerate even - to create my caricature?  Would it be my big ears?  My crooked teeth?  My chubby cheeks?  My funny nose? My oversized form? All of the above?  Even still, I would risk it.  In reviewing his work, I can't imagine that any of the stars could feel anything but flattered. 

The Line King , himself

At this point in my life, I am satisfied being neither rich nor famous.  In fact, I'm quite content with my magic combination of poverty and anonymity, but what I wouldn't give to have Al Hirschfeld draw my picture.

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

wacky tacky Icons: Tretchikoff "The King of Kitsch"

Chinese Girl (1950) - Vladimir Tretchikoff

You might remember my friend Suzy, the Disney artist/cast member whose retina scan not only gives her unlimited access to the archives but once gained her entry into "the freezer" where she took the opportunity to do body shots off of Walt Disney.  Well, it is nice to have friends like that who are always on the lookout for wacky tacky-ana.  Knowing my predilection for art history and popular culture, she sent me a link to the article that told the backstory behind one of the most famous and most-famously reproduced paintings in the world - Chinese Girl by Vladimir Tretchikoff.  Dig this, the "Green Lady" was a real woman but she wasn't really green!  It has been said that more prints have been made of Chinese Girl than even the Mona Lisa, herself.

Vladimir Tretchikoff 1913-2006

Russian-born Tretchikoff was a self-taught artist who captured the spirit of the exotic both in still life and, more fascinatingly, through portraiture.  He lived the better part of his life in South Africa but was heavily influenced by Asian culture as well.  His reputation is that of the "King of Kitsch," but during his lifetime, he was the second-richest, living artist behind only Pablo Picasso.  I have always found it interesting that in the world of "high art," accessibility and popularity immediately equate to "low-brow."   Below are several examples of Tretchikoff portraits; I find them rich in passion and technique.

Lady from Orient

Hindu Dancer

Fruits of Bali

Miss Wong

Balinese Girl

Zulu Girl

I find Tretchikoff's work to be sensual, personal and intimate.  He chose subjects that were uncommon for the time and instead of exploiting them, he showed the beauty of their spirit and culture.  My brother has a copy of Chinese Girl that I have vowed to steal one day - she shall be mine!


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny