Rock N Roll Paintings, Mini-Adventures & Thackery Binx

[Fig. 1: "Come Together" © Amy Hood]

Things I've recently discovered and subsequently loved:


1. Painting with India ink. Instant gratification. The variations you can achieve with just your brush stroke, or adding a little water or layering the ink are so unique to that medium. It is my new favorite medium. Expect many more ink paintings to come. Kobe portrait is next on my list. (I know he had a rough night Sunday, but he did break another scoring record didn't he?! Give the guy a break. Yeah, I'm talking to you Eric, if you're reading this.) Here's a recent commissioned painting I did for Sara Wilkins [Fig. 1] as a present for her Dad for Christmas. Turned out pretty fun. I especially love Ian Anderson, mid prance.

[Fig. 2: Don The Beachcomber. Sara and Yenny!]

2. Don The Beachcomber. This old tiki lounge [Fig. 2] that was established in Hollywood in the 30's but now resides in Sunset Beach, up the coast from our new digs in Newport. I went with Sara and my sis, Jen, after our mini vacay to Palm Springs this last week. It was like being on the set of Elvis' Blue Hawaiian. I'm sure it used to be like one of those old themed Hollywood clubs that the stars hung out in. Like the one in The Aviator where snow was falling and there were hot chicks wearing fur hats and swinging from trapezes while the bandstand howled. It wasn't that cool, but it was still pretty rad. They also had some killer Mai Tais that are supposedly world famous.


3. Palm Springs. I could definitely start doing winter breaks in Palm Springs from here on out, lounging pool side and working on my tan.


4. Rye Bread. Once hated it and now can't get my stubby fingers on enough of it.

[Fig. 3: Thackery Binx]

5. Thackery Binx on NCIS: I love crime/myster/investigation shows of any kind. And I mean any. Columbo, Hawaii 5-0, CSI: Miami, Law & Order:SVU, MacGuyver, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, and even stooping to Matlock and Murder She Wrote. The one exception to this was NCIS, the murder/mystery genre's dorky, dweeby little brother. All this changed when my pops was watching an episode over Christmas break and I sat down and watched long enough to realize that Thackery Binx, my adolescent crush/soulmate/star of Hocus Pocus, was in fact alive and well and still acting on NCIS [Fig. 3]. Hollywood had not eaten him up as a yummy childhood star and spitten him out a bankrupt coke-head with a bad goatee (poor Corey Feldman). So I guess what I'm saying is, that if the only things on were Wipe Out, Everybody Loves Raymond and NCIS, I'd watch NCIS.


- Amy
Listening to: "Rock And Roll Heart" by Lou Reed

Dressember Week 2, Scandal & Fraulein Maria

The second week of Dressember, was full of some fun ones. Scandal broke out of the jean shirt outfit, but there was a spaghetti strap black number underneath for warmth. Reports were filed and an investigation ensued, but my name was eventually cleared and I was exonerated of all charges. I even had the Dressember creator take a peek for proof! No cheatin' here ladies and gents. Pure dedication. The photos are from instagram, so they're fun but a little pixelated. The crowd pleaser in this week was the Swedish schoolgirl/missing cast member from The Sound of Music (a.k.a. the yellow dress with the knee highs and the wide brimmed hat).  Click on any of the pics to enlarge.

I am so excited to wear pants. Heck, I'm so excited to just be able to wear whatever I want. 

- Amy

Listening to: "I Am 16 Going On 17" from The Sound of Music

Recent Work, The Great Lemmy Killmister, and Instagram

[Our new Hoodzpah logo and it's accompanying motto: "Shine On" inspired by Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."]

I have been rather slack on my personal blogging of recent due to the fact that I've been funelling all of my efforts into my twin sis Jen and I's new design company, Hoodzpah Art + Graphics! We have a business lisence, a website, bank accounts - and we really made it official because now we're on twitter and facebook too! I designed the website with the help of the savvy Chris Steblay who has done quite a bit of this in his day. Shameless shout out! He's been filming a lot or rad stuff for Nike's "Chosen" campaign recently. Check out his blog for some clips of that and a slew of other great videos and photos from his various adventures. Anyways, Hoodzpah is up and running and open for business! If you need art or graphics, we're your gals. 


Check us out on twitter here
And on facebook here
(Hit "like"... you know you wanna...)


In other news, I'm back on my "The Beatniks, The Bastards, & The Saints" series. I'm working on a painting of my friend Jordan Sabolick right now. That's right kids... the one and only Jordan Sabolick a.k.a guitarist for The Union Line. Jordo's one of the funniest, nicest chaps around, and has that look that perfectly suits my series. So far the painting is going along swimmingly!

I recently got the Instagram app on my iPhone and I have become a monster. You could spend hours choosing a filter from their wide assortment of awesome photo filters. If Words With Friends weren't taking up enough of my life, now I've got this. I'm becoming the iPhone user I hoped I'd never become - the one glued to it at all times, tweeting, facebooking, and texting people that are in the same room as them. *Shudder* I digress. Above are a few photos of the painting as it stands from my Instagram account. 

What's inspiring me these days? Well I just watched the documentary "Lemmy" today. It covers the life and times of Motorhead's Lemmy Killmister, and what a life he's had. I need to start dropping by the Rainbow Room when I'm in LA more so I can run into the old legend. It's ridiculous I haven't done that yet when I live so close to such a legendary place that plays second home to one of rock's greatest. Anyways, it was a really interesting watch, on a very interesting bloke. It's on netflix. Rent it. (It's not on Instant Play... sorry kids.)


- Amy
Listening to: "Blind Tom" by Grant-Lee Philips

Clint Eastwood, OMG Tattoos, And Living Vicariously Through Others

Those of you who know me know that I have long been pondering and coveting a Clint Eastwood tattoo. Yes, Clint's ugly, wrinkly, slanty-eyed mug somewhere permanently emblazoned on my flesh. It sounds crazy, but if it's one thing I've realized after three tattoos, it's that they're not as serious as I once thought they were. Sure, they're forever, but that doesn't mean that every one you get has to have some deep and philosophical meaning. I realized recently that the tattoos I like most on others are their "random" tattoos or "mistake" tattoos. Like my friend Tim has a smiley face tattooed on his knee cap along with a tattoo that got sabotaged after a fuzzy drunken night (it was the Las Vegas sign that was supposed to read "The Fabulous Las Vegas," but now reads "The Fagulous Las Vegas"). Or my friend Ryan, who got "Play it Loud Fuckers" tattooed on his foot one night when he was on drank. He says he'll have to get it removed for his grandkids, but I say those are the ones that give us character. Or I saw this girl who worked at the makeup counter at the mall who had a portrait of Lon Chaney as Frankenstein. I can't imagine that has any emotional meaning to her, but it was nonetheless awesome. 

 

[Figure 1. Eastwood oozing cool in The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.]

[Movie Poster for The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.]

Which is what got me thinking that I really wanted a portrait of a really iconic pop culture figure. Whether it be real man, or myth. After much deliberation and many worthy candidates (Humphrey Bogart, Bob Dylan, John Wayne, to name a few), only one remained in my mind: The Man Without A Name... that is, Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. This Eastwood Leoni masterpiece is a tradition in my family. My twin sister and I are often referred to as Blondie or Shorty, and the film along with it's sequels are often on the bill for our Forced Family Fun Nights. Aside from all of this, who oozes rugged cool and confidence more than that character [see Fig. 1]? The poncho contrasting with his cowboy boots and hat betraying his vagabond lifestyle, that skinny little cigar clinging for dear life between his tightly clenched teeth, those eyes fixed in a perma-squint on the wide open horizon, that intrepid contrapposto stance, need I continue? 

I still have yet to make the final decision, as I am running out of places that I'd want to get inked. I don't want to be covered which is proving problematic, seeing as I have so many ideas for tattoos I'd like. Until I'm sure one way or the other, I'll just oooh and ahhh over these guys' amazing Clint tattoos. First two are my faves.

 

[Kyle J. Ligenza's tattoo by Jamie Cross of Nightmare Tattoo]

 

[Tattoo by Cecil Porter. Won best of Show in 09 in Mesa, AZ.]

 [Matt Lang's Eastwood Tattoo by Dave Wallin.]

 [Eastwood Tattoo by Nick D'Angelo.]

 [Outlaw Josey Wales Tattoo by Ryan Cook. If I got this one I could get "Hell's Comin' For Breakfast" in a banner below him. Best line in the movie.]

 [Another one from Ryan Cook of Anchor Tattoos and Piercings, this one of Dirty Harry.]

 [Clint Eastwood tattoo by Remigijus Cizauskas.]

 [Clint Eastwood tattoo by Brandon Bennett of South of Heaven Tattoo.]

- Amy

Listening to: Deer Tick's "What Kind of Fool Am I?"

Humphrey Bogart, a Study in 'However's, and The Walk of Love

Today’s inspiration: Humphrey Bogart.

Bogart is a study in ‘however’s. An embodiment of cool, this actor was all man, yet still effortlessly charming and vulnerable. He was a bad student and got expelled from Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, but nonetheless ended up an extremely well read man who could quote Plato and Shakespeare and ran in the circle of philosophers and writers. He worked for years on Broadway and in the film industry to little success or recognition, not getting his first big break till he was 37 (The Petrified Forest), yet after that he had one of the most successful careers in the history of film. He weathered three tumultuous marriages which took a heavy toll on him, however found lasting happiness in his fourth marriage to his costar from To Have And Have Not, Lauren Bacall. He was famous for his role as Rick Blaine who let the girl go at the end of Casablanca, but in real life he never would have let the woman he loved go. (Bacall said he once phoned her from right here in Newport Beach telling her he wanted to see her and that he’d walk all the way from Newport to LA if he had to. She got in her car and started heading south on PCH only to find him walking on the side of the highway with a flower in his lapel. It's over a 50 mile trek from Newport to LA. If that isn’t romantic, what is?)  

Why that nasally growling voice or those droopy hound dog eyes are so endearing, I can’t explain. It’s all a part of the glory, the mystique, and the unexplainable allure that was Humphrey Bogart.

- Amy

Listening to: "As Time Goes By" 

The Royal Tennenbaums, Living Life Like a Movie, and Dawes

Inspiration of The Day: Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums.

I love this movie; especially this scene. The golden lighting; the abstract, whimsical era Wes Anderson creates for the backdrop;  the endearing Luke Wilson in those '70s aviators with that scruffy beard; the melancholy Gwyneth Paltrow in that wooly fur coat with her blond bob and thick black liner; Alec Baldwin's low, gravely voice narrating the scene before us; then the cut to slow motion and the long pregnant pause followed by the unassuming entrance of folksy guitar picking as Nico's cover of Jackson Browne's "These Days" begins to play. If only our everyday moments were this charming, right? I think I might start carrying around my iPod speakers so that I can play the soundtrack to my life as it happens.

- Amy
Listening to: Dawes' "Peace In The Valley"
Check out this live version. They really jam at the end. I love the illustrations on the cover of this album, North Hills, too.

[Click to enlarge.]