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| My February Nibblefest entry, 5x7, entitled "Hitch".. |
The say there are no guarantees in life besides Death and Taxes. This may be true, and yet I want to add one more thing to that short list: The Nibblefest Art Contest. For over a decade now, Nibblefest has transpired, on schedule, month in and month out, beginning as always on the 20th. This month is no exception, with February's NFAC theme is 'Black and White' -- I'm participating, and this is my entry....
It didn't take long, when reflecting upon this month's 'Black and White' theme, for The Hitch to come to mind. Such a groundbreaking film-maker, having truly mastered the technique for filming in black-and-white, I've long been a fan. Growing up, we had an old copy of his album, "Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Ghost Stories for Young People", around the house. Who knows where it came from -- I suspect my mom picked it up at some garage sale or other. But I loved listening to it as a kid -- and must have done so a thousand times. I can still remember the theme music -- da da da da dum di dah, da da da de dum di dah (I since learned it was called 'Funeral March for a Marionette', by Charles Gounod). The stories were very tame indeed (in fact, I just listened to them online as inspiration while painting this piece -- lol, what a hoot....!), but my imagination was vivid enough back then to enhance the tales in my mind to set off a few chills. Plus I can recall studying the album cover art for long stretches of time. It looked like this...:
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| Cover of the album I must have listened the groves off of in my youth |
And so, when I decided to do for my entry a little wee homage to this Master Director, it was the above image in my head (though I switched it up a bit, as you can see):
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| "Hitch", painted in acrylics on a 5x7 then, found wooden plaque |
Of course, I had to do my own ever-so-slightly irreverently cheeky twist on things (no offense, Hitch...!)....
The following is my auction description..:
~"Hitch"~
My entry for this month's Nibblefest Art Contest (NFAC), the theme for February being 'Black and White', features a portrait painted in tribute to the legendary British film director, Alfred Hitchcock. Painted in acrylics upon a 5"x7" very lightweight, thin wooden plaque, this original, entitled "Hitch", is signed and ready to hang....
When reflecting upon this month's 'Black and White' theme, some of the first things to come to my mind were vintage movie classics by the esteemed British director, Alfred Hitchcock. Though he did go on to make some of his finest films in brilliant Technicolor, he had fully mastered the art of black-and-white film making, with remarkably endearing cinematic treasures that continue to fascinate us to this day. For my homage, I painted the master in classic black-and-white (along with a cheeky, wee nod to one of his most beloved movie classics of all time).....
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Personally, I love so many of his films: "Rear Window", "Rebecca", "Psycho", and of course, "The Birds". But I think the one at the very tippy (heh, no pun intended) top of my list, is "Vertigo". So ironic and haunting, both visually and emotionally, and so expertly filmed, that I have to go back to watch it again from time to time.
So which is your favorite...?