Oh heartbeat city
Here we come
And happy days
Count on thumbs
And nothin’ really
Gets us down
As long as Jacki’s
Back in town

I’m glad you made it
And I can’t complain

Oh Jacki (echo) What took you so long
On just a holiday
Oh Jacki (echo)
What took you so long
I thought you knew the way
(Heartbeat city)

The noise electric
Never stops
And all you need
Is what you got
And there’s a place
For everyone
Under heartbeat city’s
Golden sun

(Jacki)
Oh Jacki
(What took you so long)
What took you so long
On just a holiday
Oh Jacki (echo)
(What took you so long)
What took you so long
(So long)
I thought you knew the way

Oh, yeah yeah yeah

You know? (unintelligible)
I’m glad you made it
And I can’t complain
I missed you so badly
When you jumped that train

(Jacki)
Oh Jacki
(What took you so long)
What took you so long
On just a holiday
Oh Jacki (echo)
(What took you so long)
What took you so long
(So long)
(Thought you knew the way)
I thought you blew away

(Heartbeat city)
Oh heartbeat city
Lights at night
(Heartbeat city)
Keeps getting closer
Out of sight
(Heartbeat city)
Heartbeat city’s
On the loose
(Heartbeat city)
Better catch
The blue caboose
Oh, huh, heartbeat city
It’s my life, uh
(Heartbeat city)
(Heartbeat city)
(Heartbeat city)

Well, it’s been way too long – time to get back into the swing of things! I actually have a lot of time right now, as I have been searching for a job for the past three months after being let go from my previous gig (along with my entire team).  So no excuses, other than procrastination of course!

This one is based on Heartbeat City, by the Cars. I’ve been listening to this album (yes, the actual vinyl album) a lot lately – reminds me of high school. The photos are ones that I took this summer – the main one is a model railroad scene.

There walked a lonely man,
silent, mute, the only man
not knowing how, not knowing why
was he the sole survivor

why should he be alive,
breathing still while others died
and the only question
why was he the sole survivor

Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night

Wind blew across the sand
He stood alone and he had no plan
And with the last rays of the sun
He screamed aloud, began to run

In his tears he sees his face
“I am the end of the human race
When I’m gone there’ll be no trace
For I’m the sole survivor”

Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night

One night when years had passed
The skies shook from a fiery blast
And there a starship – saved at last!
To come rescue this survivor

They beckoned him inside
but only man, he would not ride
instead he found a place to hide
for he’s the sole survivor

Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night
Sole survivor, cursed with second sight
Haunted saviour, cried into the night

Welcome back Constant Reader. For some reason, the Muse of Inspiration finally awoke in me, and I decided to check out the Illustration Friday website to see what this week’s word is, and it is Return. Very fitting, as one of the definitions is “to go or come back, as to an earlier condition or place.”  I’m returning to creating my art again.

The first thought of a song to inspire this theme was the Blue Oyster Cult song Sole Survivor. This song reminds me of college – specifically one summer I stayed up at school to work.

The photos are pictures I took recently at the Biosphere 2, near Tucson AZ. The spaceman is a stock photo.

For anyone keeping track, my goal for 2010 (and 2011) was to do 52 pieces of art per year, or what would average out to one a week. 2010 I achieved that goal. 2011…well, not so much. I believe I finished up with 23 total pieces. Still not too shabby for someone who up until 2010 hadn’t done much of any (personal) art in the past 15 or so years.

I did manage to sell a few pieces in 2011, which was a nice bonus. And I donated a print of Two Silver Trees, which I made into a triptych, for a charity silent auction at work which ended up selling for $145!

I’ve decided for 2012 to not put a set goal on the amount of pieces I do. I do have a few goals for this year. I’d like to start up doing some actual painting again, which is what I originally set out to do at the beginning of this blog. I’m also going to take a new twist to my digital art. I’m going to keep doing pieces based on songs, but I am going to pick songs that have had some sort of impact on my life. I find that music is a big part of my life, and I associate a lot of major life events that I’ve had with certain songs. So I’m going through some of them now, and hope to have a new piece soon.

Stay tuned…

Let me take you down, ‘cos I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It’s getting hard to be someone but it all works out, it doesn’t matter much to me.
Let me take you down, ‘cos I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low.
That is you can’t you know tune in but it’s all right, that is I think it’s not too bad.
Let me take you down, ‘cos I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.

Always, no sometimes, think it’s me, but you know I know when it’s a dream.
I think I know I mean a ‘Yes’ but it’s all wrong, that is I think I disagree.
Let me take you down, ‘cos I’m going to Strawberry Fields.
Nothing is real and nothing to get hungabout.
Strawberry Fields forever.
Strawberry Fields forever.

This piece is based on Strawberry Fields Forever, by The Beatles. Classic song. I think I could do a piece on every Beatles song. Well, I’ve done quite a few so far!

All photos were taken by me this past summer – the building is from Dublin, Ireland – the background mountains are the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland, and the sunset and ship are from South Haven, Michigan. In case you were wondering.

Oh let the sun beat down upon my face, stars to fill my dream
I am a traveler of both time and space, to be where I have been
To sit with elders of the gentle race, this world has seldom seen
They talk of days for which they sit and wait and all will be revealed

Talk and song from tongues of lilting grace, whose sounds caress my ear
But not a word I heard could I relate, the story was quite clear
Oh, oh.

Oh, I been flying… mama, there aint no denyin
Ive been flying, aint no denyin, no denyin

Let me take you there. let me take you there

This piece is based on the lyrics to the Led Zeppelin song Kashmir. If you’ve never heard it, well…it’s probably one of the best songs ever.  Sure it’s eight minutes and 32 seconds long, but as far as I’m concerned it could keep going well past that mark.

Photo credits:

Background - enrico nunziati

Junk – Alexander Warnolf

Texture – Billy Alexander

Texture – Robert Linder

Eight miles high, and when you touch down
You'll find that it's stranger than known
Signs in the street that say where you're going
Are somewhere, just being their own
Nowhere is there warmth to be found
Among those afraid of losing their ground
Rain gray town, known for its sound
In places, small faces unbound
Round the squares, huddled in storms
Some laughing, some just shapeless forms
Sidewalk scenes and black limousines
Some living, some standing alone

This piece is based on the lyrics to the song Eight Miles High by The Byrds.  This song is kind of the quintessential Sixties sound for me. Kind of sinister, kind of trippy, kind of happy.

I probably should have done a piece with the lyrics “Hello it’s been awhile…” I’ve been pretty busy lately, and have been working on this one for awhile. I decided I’d better post it, since it’s been two months since my last one! I’ve started and stopped a couple of pieces since then – maybe I’ll finish them.

All photos are from ones I’ve taken.

You would not believe your eyes
If 10 million fireflies
Lit up the world as I fell asleep
Cause they fill the open air,
And leave teardrops everywhere,you’d think me rude but I would just stand, and stare

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems

Cause I get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they try to teach me how to dance
A foxtrot above my head,
A sock hop beneath my bed,
A disco ball is just hanging by a thread

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems

Leave my door open just a crack
(Please take me away from here)
Cause I feel like such an insomniac
(Please take me away from here)
Why do I tire of counting sheep?
(Please take me away from here)
When I’m far too tired to fall asleep

To ten million fireflies
I’m weird ’cause I hate good-byes
I got misty eyes as they said farewell
(said farewell)
But I’ll know where several are
If my dreams get real bizarre
Cause I saved a few and I keep them in a jar

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep
Cause everything is never as it seems
(when I fall asleep)

I’d like to make myself believe
That planet Earth turns slowly
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake (when I’m asleep)
because my dreams are bursting at the seams.

This piece is based on the song Fireflies, by Owl City. (it’s a pretty cool video too – very retro) I thought it was only fitting that I include my kids in the piece, as this song kind of has a child-like feel. Plus my three year old son always sings along to it in the car…if he happens to hear it, he says, “Can you turn this up?” Funny.

All photos in the piece I took – the fireflies are fireworks on the beach in South Haven, Michigan. The kids were looking out at a waterfall in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. This piece has been in the works for awhile…finally got around to finishing it.

I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I’ve been dreaming of?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

And if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?

Oh simple thing where have you gone
I’m getting old and I need something to rely on
So tell me when you’re gonna let me in
I’m getting tired and I need somewhere to begin

So if you have a minute why don’t we go
Talk about it somewhere only we know?
This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
So why don’t we go

This could be the end of everything
So why don’t we go
Somewhere only we know?

Wow, I’ve been away for awhile. You look up, and the summer’s almost gone. (there’s a Doors song in there somewhere…might have to do a piece on that!) So since we last visited I’ve been on an incredible trip to Ireland with my family to retrace our roots. We had an awesome time, and I took over 1200 photos! One of them is the basis for this piece, which is loosely based on the lyrics to Somewhere Only We Know, by Keane. I actually had almost completed this piece, and wasn’t using any song lyrics as inspiration. But then I heard this song on a commercial for the new Winnie The Pooh movie, and thought it fit perfectly.

When I saw this hill and trees (which was on a pathway up to Dundrum Castle…if you open this link there’s a panoramic view…the trees I used are between the Mourne Mountains in the background and the round castle turret) it immediately looked like a place where fairies might live. I took quite a few pictures of this area, and knew one would end up as a piece.

So, I’m way behind if you do a count for the year of pieces – this is number 19. I’ve got some catching up to do! I needed a little time off to recharge the batteries.

Through the corridors of sleep
Past the shadows dark and deep
My mind dances and leaps in confusion.
I don’t know what is real,
I can’t touch what I feel
And I hide behind the shield of my illusion.

So I’ll continue to continue to pretend
My life will never end,
And flowers never bend
With the rainfall.

This piece is based on Simon & Garfunkel’s Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall. I was listening to this album (yes album – the actual record on a record player!) the other day, and really liked this one. It sounds happy and upbeat, but the actual lyrics are kind of depressing. This piece went through many iterations before it ended the way it looks now.

The main photos that it is based on are from pictures I took at a butterfly house at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. I really like how this piece came out, especially since I was this close to scrapping the whole thing.

Parched land, no desert sand
The sun is just a little dot
And a little bit of water goes a long way
’cause it’s hot (it’s hot)
Three good buddies of mine were laughin’ and smokin’
In the back of a rented Ford
They couldn’t know they weren’t goin’ far

They’re ok the last days of May
But I’ll be breathin’ dry air
I’m leaving soon
The others are already there (all there)
Wouldn’t be interested in coming along
Instead of staying here?
It’s said the West is nice this time of year (that’s what they say)

This piece is based on the Blue Oyster Cult song “Then Came The Last Days Of May,” which is on their first album from 1972. This is such a great song, and the whole album is solid. The song is about… “According to Buck Dharma, “(Then Came The) Last Days Of May” is the true story of three collegiate drug dealers who went to Tucson to score for the fall semester. They were ripped off and shot. While two of the guys died, the other survived to testify against the perpetrators, who were two young men from a notorious wealthy local family. They apparently served about ten years in prison before being released.”

I think the best part of this song is how you can interpret the last lines

You can interpret them as if the storyteller is the one who set the trap, and is trying to lure you, the listener, into another trap…“Wouldn’t be interested in coming along…Instead of staying here? They say the West is nice this time of year.” Spooky!

I saw Blue Oyster Cult play this live in concert on May 31st several years ago. One of my favorites by them.

All photos in this piece were taken by me, which is a first I think. Also, ironically, many are from the Tucson area, which is where the real life subjects of the song were killed. But the truck was taken in Sedalia, Colorado.