Author: jeremysutton

Carla as Frida, Concentric Skirt, 2020

This series of drawings were created during a Zoom figure drawing session run by my friend Cheryl Gould and featuring wonderful model Carla dressed as Frida Kahlo. I used an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and the Procreate app for all of them. I enjoyed this session so much I have booked Carla to dress as Frida for my upcoming monthly iPad Art School Figure Drawing Class on Saturday, September 26th. You are invited to join the class. Details at this link.
 

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Carla as Frida, Flowers, 2020
 

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Carla as Frida, Concentric Skirt, 2020
 

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Carla as Frida, Concentric Skirt, 2020

These sketches were all created using Corel Painter 2021, MacBook Pro and the Wacom One display tablet during a live Zoom figure drawing session with model (and musician) Amanda, joined in one pose (above) by Jon.

The painting used on this CD is one I created that depicts master percussionist, educator, cultural activist, keeper of the Afro-Caribbean flame steeped in Cuban and Puerto Rican folkloric traditions as well as salsa and Latin jazz, one of SFJAZZ’s first four Resident Artistic Directors, visionary bandleader and noted music historian John Santos playing live at the de Young Museum in 2012. This is The John Santos Sextet’s latest CD, Art of the Descarga (you can also purchase the CD from this link), published by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Please read this great Press Release which will give you some interesting background to the album. Many thanks and congratulations to John and his musicians for amazing music, and to Mary and Rick for amazing production, art direction and design! It’s a fabulous CD and I highly recommend it!!

Click on this image to listen to some music from the CD

It’s very interesting for me to read about the background to this album and the concept of descarga: The descarga originated in Cuba as a term for loose jam sessions full of powerful rhythmic interplay and spontaneous group improvisations. That same concept pervades the way I paint and also, as a Lindy Hop swing dancer, very much the way I dance – always a powerful rhythmic interplay with the music and spontaneous improvisation!

Here’s the original painting:

I used Corel Painter, a MacPro and a Wacom Tablet to create this painting. I was performing at the same event at the de Young in 2012, one of their Friday night events, when I took some photos of John Santos in action. His percussion is literally mesmerizing – his rhythms make you want to both watch in awe and move to the groove! I used that inspiration to paint this artwork.

 
In this multi-sensory extravaganza with two musicians and two artists, we performed as a sonic/visual ensemble. This performance was part of the Groupmuse series.
Violin: Mélanie Clapiès
Cello: James Jaffe
Artist (paper): Peggy Gyulai
Artist (iPad): Jeremy Sutton

iPad Pro, Apple Pencil, Procreate app

And here is an example of how my artwork was featured on the Groupmuse page for James and Mélanie’s Halloween 2020 concert:

On April 22, 2009, jazz and blues vocalist Kim Nalley was singing at Le Colonial, San Francisco. Myself and many other local Lindy Hop swing dancers were filling the dance floor enjoying Kim’s amazing music. Then at one point Kim asked her grandmother, who she called Gammy, and was visiting from the east coast and with whom Kim was very close to, to join her in a song. They sang the most moving and beautiful rendition of “When The Saints Go Marching In”. It moves me just to think back to that moment. This painting depicts that moment.

Please join Kim and I this Saturday, August 1st, at 10am Pacific on Zoom for The Portrait Conversation.

 
This painting depicts comedic magician (and illusionist) Robert Strong. It started life being created 100% using the Procreate app on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil as an entry in their annual Illusion-themed Art Prize contest (which it wasn’t selected for). Then I continued in Corel Painter 2021 on a MacBook Pro with a Wacom Intuos Pro pen tablet to the state you see it shown here, which I call the “final” state…for the moment… As Leonardo da Vinci famously said: “art is never finished, only abandoned.”

Now it’s test-time! See how many illusions and historical references you can find embedded and hidden away in this artwork. I counted at least 18.

You may get a few clues if you carefully watch this time-lapse replay video showing the Procreate portion of the creative process (this video is also an Augmented Reality overlay on the image which you can view with the AR app Artivive):
 

 

Print delivered to The Illusionist himself!
(animated GIF photos: Peggy G)

This painting was created live at a performance of The Cosmo Alleycats playing in the historic and iconic Club Deluxe – a one-of-a-kind bar nestled in the heart of the Haight/Ashbury district of San Francisco (actually almost at the corner of Haight and Ashbury!). This live performance was created as a demonstration of unique creative cross-disciplinary entertainment, Parallel Play, for virtual conferences and events. Thank you to The Cosmo Alleycats’ co-managers Noam and Emily for arranging to bring their fabulous band to participate in this live music/art recording/demonstration; to Peggy G. for the videography, to Jeremy C. for sound, to Sarah W. for the use of her fabulous Club Deluxe; and, of course, to all the musicians who played that afternoon. The band comprised of (left to right as depicted in the painting) Mike Burns – Drums; Steve Height – Upright Bass; Noam Eisen – Piano, Hammond B-3 Organ & Vocals; Emily Day – Lead Vocals and Percussion; Andrew Storar – Trumpet; and Pete Cornell – Sax & Clarinet.

In this video you see the whole time-lapse replay of my painting.

Here are some photos taken at the session by Peggy G.:

This sketch was created from observation of a window in my studio. I used an iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and Procreate app. The view looks out over the Mission district of San Francisco with Bernal Heights Hill visible on the horizon.

 
This painting depicts Alice in Wonderland themed characters from Earth Circus. It was created live on the iPad using Procreate as the characters performed.

This was preparation for a virtual group art activity called the Mad Hatter Virtual Art & Tea Party which is a collaborative art experience option offered for online conferences and events.

Here’s the replay of the painting:

 

Well, it’s Saturday night….

…and I just got paid
(well, not quite, since it’s
shelter-in-place and sit tight…),
Fool about my money, don’t try to save,
My heart says go go, have a time,
‘Cause it’s Saturday night and I’m feelin’ fine,

I’m gonna rock it up, I’m gonna rip it up,
I’m gonna shake it up, gonna ball it up,
I’m gonna rock it up, and ball tonight.

‘Long about ten I’ll be flying high,
Walk on out unto the sky,
But I don’t care if I spend my dough,
‘Cause tonight I’m gonna be one happy soul…

“Rip It Up” written by Robert Blackwell and John Marascalco. It was first released by Little Richard in June 1956.

RIP (it up) Mr. Little Richard, King (and Soul) of Rock ‘n’ Roll

I started dancing as a teenager to Little Richard’s music. The energy got into my feet and never left! After initially learning “the bop” from my buddy Drew, I would copy the Teddy Boy dance moves at the local rock ‘n’roll dance place, The Royalty, in Southgate, North London (now a Fitness center and Marks & Spencers!)

In the 1990s I went to see Little Richard perform at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, just off the 101. The stage rotated slowly throughout the show. At one point Little Richard invited some of the audience to get up on stage and dance! Well, you can guess who jumped up like a shot!! Yes, me:-)

Though many years later the “Rip It Up” tribute on this Saturday night that you see in the video at the top of this page has some of the same moves I stole at the Royalty and danced on stage at the Circle Star!!

(Thank you, Peggy, for the great camera work!:-)