One of the side projects I am working on is purchasing art at thrift stores, painting something on it, and then returning it. It was an idea I got from the artist Steve Seeley back in graduate school a long time ago, but the idea has been festering inside of me ever since. Since there are a lot of thrift stores in Minneapolis… well, it felt like maybe now was the time to finally move on it.
Read MoreDiscovered long lost article about my grandfather, James F. O'Brien.
Strange days… so I was contacted by a gentleman recently by the name of Steve Carlton. Apparently he was a friend of my father, James Terence O’Brien, and they go way back to the 1950’s when they met in high school. Steve reached out to me because he had an old scrapbook that he wanted to give me that had some photos and articles about my late father. He told me that my dad used to stay with his grandparents in Minneapolis, MN when he was performing at the Gay 90’s (a strip bar/night club). Terry talked about this period of his life in his book ‘Close but no cigar - A street urchins tale’
In the scrapbook there was an article about my grandfather that I had never seen before. My grandfather, James F. O’Brien, was a musician and composer. I didn’t really know him… he died when I was young. But I was told that he played with a lot of hot musicians back in the day. This article gave me a peek as to who he was. It might have been written in the late 50’s.
“Music and the man who makes it
There’s more to music than playing an instrument. When you have that extra talent for arranging you’re a key man in any orchestra. Maybe that’s why James F. O’Brien has been “the man behind the man” for some of the very best. Jim started out with the Durfee High School band as a trumpeter but soon found a steady job (once a week) playing piano at the Grace Hathaway Lewis dance studio. With his indoctrination O’Brien went on to play with Larry Gadsby on New England tours. Gadsby in those days had a show band and played theaters as well. Before long O’Brien was writing musical arrangements for various vaudeville acts. Working out of Boston he played for leaders Tony Bruno, Phil Saltman, and several others. Few people do what they like… to work at in military service but the Navy used Jim O’Brien’s talent to the fullest, making him the bandleader at Pier 92, …. a busy spot in ‘44 and ‘45.
Discharged in 1946, he spent a year in Gotham and arranged for Count Basie and other name bands. In recent years he had…..”
I can’t really read the right side but hopefully I can remove the tape when it is given to me and see the rest of the story! I’ll update this blog post when I do!
Sign painting on cover of MPLS/St Paul Magazine!
Nice to see Sign painter @DustySigns on the April cover of MPLS - St Paul Magazine. Any promotion to help the raise awareness to the craft is a good thing… A rising tide lifts all boats!
New sign painting at the studio
New hand painted sign:
‘NICE’, 8.25 x 13”, enamel, acrylic, latex paint on a scrap piece of plywood.
With this sign I was more interested in the color combo… although have you ever heard about Minnesota N’ICE? It’s probably nothing. Although I have been thinking about it. Or maybe this sign just came out looking good. For example: “That is a NICE looking painting.”
To view more sign work, check out my Flickr page
Sign and prints available to purchase on my Saatchi Art web page
If interested in sign painting for your business or home check out my website for more information: (Now based in Minneapolis, MN!) http://www.thewonderfulworldof.com/signpainting
