Cover girl
Posted: 7 May 2012 Filed under: Inspiration, Rona | Tags: Afrika Bambaataa, album cover artwork, Bits of Shit, BOSMC, Cut Sleeves, Dirty Bomb, drawing, Joan Jett, mixed media, Rona Green, Tahiti Felix 2 Comments
Portrait of Joan Jett by Andy Lang
Recently I was asked by Andy Lang from the band Bits of Shit to create some cover artwork for their album Cut Sleeves.
Bits of Shit
It was an honour to make a portrait of Andy’s dog, Joan “Jett” Lang, for this purpose.
Joan “Jett” Lang
The artwork was inspired by Joan, and her rockin’ namesake Joan Jett.
Joan Jett
Further inspiration came from the album title Cut Sleeves, which is a reference to the denim stylings of the funkalicious Afrika Bambaataa.
Afrika Bambaataa
Add a pinch of Tahiti Felix tattoo flavour and it’s all good.
Tahiti Felix with a throng of illustrated men
And here is the finished product by yours truly.
Rona Green, Portrait of Joan, 2012, ink, watercolour and tea wash, 50 x 50 cm – artwork for the cover of the album Cut Sleeves by Bits of Shit
To finish, enjoy this clip for the ditty Dirty Bomb by Bits of Shit featuring the lovely Joan “Jett” Lang.
Rock on!
Fantastical travels
Posted: 23 April 2012 Filed under: Inspiration, Rona | Tags: art, Borneo, cats, Dalmatian, Dayak, dogs, George Burchett, headhunters, Horace Ridler, Iban, inspiration, Kuching, linocuts, prints, Rona Green, tattoo, The Great Omi, wild men 2 Comments
‘All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.’
– Max Beerbohm (1872-1956)
Max Beerbohm
Please join a tour of the creative thought process that lead to my series of prints titled Borneoids.
A French made map of Borneo
Borneo, the third largest island in the world.
The Wild Men of Borneo
The mysterious island lends it name to quite a few modern wild man myths such as Hiram and Barney Davis (aka Waino and Plutano) who were transformed into the Wild Men of Borneo earning a great sum of money as side show stars.
Statue of cats in Kuching
Kuching is the capital of Sarawak, Borneo and is also known as Cat City.
Another cat statue, Kuching
Cat City is riddled with wacky cat sculptures as well as real life felines nosing around.
Dayak headhunter
The Dayak are the native people of Borneo.
Traditional Dayak tattooing ceremony
For the Dayaks headhunting and tattooing are important ritual activities.
Borneo tattoo designs
The Dayak are traditionally animist in belief and their tattoo designs are sophisticated stylisations of flora and fauna.
Rafflesia
One particulary impressive plant native to Borneo is the Rafflesia.
Borneo rosette design
The Iban in particular are a heavily tattooed branch of the Dayak peoples of Borneo.
A swanky Iban man
The Great Omi (aka Horace Ridler, 1892-1969) was a professional freak.
The Great Omi
Part of Omi’s side show schtick was claiming to have been captured and tortured via tattooing in New Guinea.
George Burchett tattooing Omi
Actually he was inked by the ‘King of Tattooists’, George ‘Professor’ Burchett.
Dalmatian
Who doesn’t love a black and white patterned animal?
Rona Green, Dally-boy, 2006, linocut & watercolour, 69 x 55 cm, edition 23
Rona Green, Cutter, 2006, linocut & watercolour, 69 x 55 cm, edition 23
Rona Green, White Rajni, 2006, linocut & watercolour, 54.5 x 38 cm, edition 23
Rona Green, Goo Goo Man, 2006, linocut & watercolour, 54.5 x 38 cm, edition 23
Be sure to check out this mesmerising little clip of The Great Omi.
Don’t tell me what to do
Posted: 9 April 2012 Filed under: Inspiration, Rona | Tags: art, Henry Rollins, inspiration, Jello Biafra, Johnny Rotten, Mojo Nixon, mug shots, paintings, Pit Bull Terriers, Rona Green Leave a comment
Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon aka Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr. (b. 1957).
Jello Biafra
Jello Biafra aka Eric Reed Boucher (b. 1958).
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins aka Henry Lawrence Garfield (b. 1961).
Johnny Rotten
Johnny Rotten aka John Lydon (b. 1956).
John Lydon on TV show Judge Judy
Pit Bull Terrier
Pit Bull Terriers
King of ?
13 is lucky for some
Unit 4 corridor Jika Jika
Rona Green, Mr Correct (Hank), 2011, acrylic on canvas, 76 x 76 cm
Rona Green, Mr Correct (Reid), 2011, acrylic on canvas, 76 x 76 cm
Rona Green, Mr Correct (Junior), 2011, acrylic on canvas, 76 x 76 cm
Justice.
Strange soirées
Posted: 18 March 2012 Filed under: Artists, Inspiration, Rona | Tags: art, artists, Bela Lugosi, Diane Arbus, Dutch Golden Age, Frans Hals, inspiration, Jean Dubuffet, Jim Henson, Muppets, poppets, prints, Rembrandt, Rona Green, Thomas de Keyser, Vincent Price 5 Comments
Diane Arbus, Transvestite at her Birthday Party, N.Y.C., 1969
‘For me the subject of a picture is always more important than the picture. And more complicated.’
– Diane Arbus (1923-1971)
Boogie's 6th birthday party, 1978
All kinds of images fire up my imagination.
One photo in particular has intrigued me so much that I have created three different interpretations – it is a snapshot of my guy’s birthday party, illustrated above.
The first incarnation, party, was highly influenced by my love of Jean Dubuffet’s art.
Rona Green, party, 1995, lithograph, 17 x 30 cm, edition 4
Then there was Birthday Boogies, a mixed media piece including soft sculptural objects that I call poppets.
Rona Green, Birthday Boogies, 2002, mixed media, 27 x 35 x 3 cm
The poppets were born from a fondness for dolls, puppets and masks. As a kid I adored The Muppet Show produced by Jim Henson, and the colourful characters of Warner Brothers and Hanna Barbera cartoons.
Jim Henson and Muppets
After Birthday Boogies came Secret Robot Society, which incorporated my fancy of the Dutch Golden Age of painting.
Rona Green, Secret Robot Society, 2002, linocut and watercolour, 49 x 70 cm, edition 13
Favourite artists from this period in art include Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Thomas de Keyser.
Rembrandt, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp, 1632
Frans Hals, Regents of the Old Men's Almshouse, 1664
Thomas de Keyser, The Syndics of the Amsterdam Goldsmiths Guild, 1627
After making Secret Robot Society I produced two more prints – Treacherous Boys With Charisma and The Ventriloquist – to form a trio of group portraits.
Rona Green, Treacherous Boys With Charisma, 2003, linocut and watercolour, 49 x 70 cm, edition 13
My creative process is very much about collaging together an eclectic range of source material to invent something otherworldly and somewhat absurd.
The dashing Bela Lugosi
The debonair Vincent Price
In the case of these prints I have referenced the Dutch painters along with TV shows, horror movie stars, dolls and puppets, as well as ideas about social hierarchy and esotericism.
Rona Green, The Ventriloquist, 2004, linocut and watercolour, 49 x 70 cm, edition 13
Old time ventriloquist
Thunderbirds - Brains and Scott
And finally I should make mention of the beloved Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book!
The Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book
Boogie's robot cake à la The Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book
PS: From now on I will be posting every Tuesday – until then, have a good week!
Rona Green 