Stitched Portraits: Fats Waller

On a day of birthdays that include:

Albrecht Dürer
Alexander Pope
Henri Rousseau
Manly Wade Wellman
Robert Creeley
Al Franken
Mr. T
Marc Ribot
Judge Reinhold
Kevin Shields
Blake Schwarzenbach
The Notorious B.I.G.

and
Fairuza Balk

I was glad that a guy like Fats Waller exists, all full of charm and ebullience...

"I really hate you, 'cause your feet's too big"

Fats Waller (classic):

Stitched Portraits: Jimmy Stewart

"That's a good face. I like that face..."
A true human voice on the screen, Stewart was always charming but never afraid to go to the darkest of places. His roles in Harvey, It's a Wonderful Life, and Rear Window have been an inspiration to me.

As for the man himself? He was just as wonderful. A poet, a father, and a devoted husband, Jimmy Stewart was a man for us all to aspire.

Jimmy Stewart (in black and white):

Stitched Portraits: Grace Jones

With a choice of birthdays that included Malcolm X, Joey Ramone, and Andre the Giant - I couldn't ignore the striking quality of Grace Jones. Plus, her role in Pee Wee's Christmas Special is CLASSIC.

Grace Jones (sneakily):

Stitched Portraits: Tina Fey

So many wonderful people were born yesterday, but Tina Fey felt like the modern embodiment of them all.

How could you not go to there?

Tina Fey (cute and smiling):

Stitched Portraits: Erik Satie

Furniture Music: The best description of a Satie composition.

As a composer in France he was often ridiculed for his pieces because they lacked flourish and he was seen as lacking in skill. However, it is his simplicity that he has made his work so ubiquitous over the past century.

A hero to mine, Erik Satie (eyeball-less):

Stitched Portraits: Robert Fripp

Every Wednesday I play experimental guitar in a band called Wind & Ghosts.

So it only seemed fitting to choose Fripp yesterday. His guitar playing in King Crimson was inspirational and his soundscapes are stunning.

Robert Fripp (owlishly serious):

Stitched Portraits: Jasper Johns

Johns painted recognizable things so people couldn't comment on what they thought they saw but rather, the painting itself. His work was revered by John Cage and the two were good friends and collaborators for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Cage's writing about Johns' work is so perfect and so understanding that it is the closest the written word has ever been able to describe the visual and conceptual meaning to any art ever. Read about it here.

Jasper Johns (with thread painted flag):

Stitched Portraits: Comedian's Weekend

On Saturday I wrestled all day with the question - draw Burt Bacharach or George Carlin?

The deciding factor came down to the fact that George Carlin, despite his crass and biting humor, was a very sweet man. Burt Bacharach just wrote sweet songs. Not to downplay them, they're actually some of the sweetest songs ever written, but he had 4 wives and I just preferred to draw someone a little bit more committed to his women. (Carlin was married twice in his lifetime. The first left him a widower. The second, he widowed.) I know this might be seen as a bad reason, but sometimes I need any reason in order to make it easier.

On Sunday, the choice was simple and also led to a full weekend of Comedian portraits. Colbert is a hero who has done more to cripple the bombastic talking heads of politics than any other. Through his brilliant mock persona, he has brought silliness to a place where it was only ever unintended. Plus, he played Chuck Noblet in Strangers with Candy.


George Carlin & Stephen Colbert (a conversation):