Not Peter Blake's most famous Beatles work

 

Hiding behind a big Paul

 December 11, 1999 

Beatle Art Sale

 

You know that I don't do a lot of advertising on this site unless it is something I really like. My favorite artist, Eric Cash, is holding a holiday sale right now on all of his amazing Beatles artwork. His stuff is so good! I have four prints hanging in my home, and they look great. I wanted to make sure that you all knew about this sale because it is a good deal.   

www.ericcashillustration.com

McCartney Mural

Photos by M.J. Kim 

Paul McCartney with the mural  created by artist Ela Rincón in Bogotá, Colombia
 

Presenting the Beatles with art

I don't know who owns the negative but it isn't me. 

 

August 30, 1964 - Atlantic City 

The Artist at work

 

Performing on Ready Steady Go

March 20, 1964

I love this performance of the Beatles on the Ready Steady Go Show.   I especially enjoy all of the fan artwork that is on display on the show. 

Heather's pottery and artwork

 January 7, 1999 -  This is the last time I remember seeing Heather McCartney out in public.  I remember watching a clip of this art show for Heather's pottery on Entertainment Tonight.  I respect her privacy and understand she doesn't want to be out in the public eye anymore, but it sure would have been nice to have seen her at the Get Back premiere a few years ago because she almost steals the show. 

Chris Giffin - the Now and Then clock artist

Chris Giffin with some of her work in 2006.

 

As much as I dislike the front cover of Now and Then,  I think the artwork on the back cover is really interesting so last week I decided to find out what it all means.   I am so glad that I did!   The clock was made by an artist named Chris Giffin.  She is currently retired, but in 1997 some of the clocks that she made were for sale in Providence, Rhode Island.   George and Olivia were in Providence that year because their son, Dhani was going to school at Brown.   And so George bought a clock that said, "Now and Then" on it as well as some other pieces by Giffin.   I can't help but wonder -- why did George pick out this clock?   Did it have anything to do with the song called "Now and Then" that his former bandmate, John Lennon had written and he had attempted to record with Paul and Ringo just two years earlier?   

Anyhow -- read Olivia's story about the clock and note that originally the clock did NOT have a photograph of The Beatles at the bottom, but a photograph of a city.   The Beatles were added just for the album cover with the artist's permission.   I bet in a million years she never would have thought her art would have been part of a Beatles song!   

Paul's work on a Yellow Submarine Mural

 October 24, 2023 

Revolver

Artwork by Eric Cash 

 

As you all know, it isn't very often that I promote things on this site, but occasionally when I really like something, I will make an exception. 

Artist, Éric Cash has painted the most beautiful rendition of Revolver.  When he first told me about the idea for Revolver, I thought it was great, and the piece turned out just like I thought it would.  

Don't you think this artwork would look great in your home or office?   Don't you want to support a talented, independent Beatle fan artist?   Then go ahead and order Revolver print from the Fest webpage.  This is a limited edition of 66 prints, so you don't want to delay.  

https://mailchi.mp/thefest.com/twonewitems-177024?fbclid=IwAR2GqWdkBOb9Iwc5XMaHQN1PJIBkk38xCblvVgvASs4UsxdL7h2KfME_bRQ

The mystery of the tablecloth has been solved!

 In 2016, I wrote about the tablecloth The Beatles doodled on while backstage in San Francisco in 1966.  You can read that story here.  

Quick recap:  The caterers, Simpson's Catering, brought The Beatles and their crew their food while they were backstage before the San Francisco show and also supplied the tablecloth for the table.   The Beatles used the colorful Japanese pen gifted to them by fans to draw doodles on the tablecloth after the meal.   Joan Baez was also there, and she drew on the tablecloth.   Afterward, Simpson's Catering took their tablecloth back with them, now adorned by Beatle art and autographs.  It was put on display in the shop's front window, and many fans stopped by to see it and take photos of it.   Then six days after the concert, someone broke the large window and took the tablecloth.    

That is all we knew about this piece of Beatles artwork.   It has been missing since 1966.   Although I do have to say that someone in the comments section of the article from 2016 someone came forward and said that the guy who originally stole the tablecloth in 1966 gave it to his uncle, who had no idea it was stolen until the 1980s.    Whoever had the tablecloth gave it back to the son of the caterer in 2020, and now he is selling the tablecloth through Bonhams auctions.  

You can bid on the famous tablecloth here.    It only has one day left!

Thanks to this auction, we can see the artwork up close. 

This is the biggest section that is made by a Beatle.   John Lennon drew all of the yellow areas.  Paul signed his name in bubble letters and put an arrow.  

These drawings were drawn by Joan.   Who do you think she was doodling?

George and Ringo were seen drawing at the table.  But when I looked closer, I realized that they had doodled on paper and not actually on the tablecloth.   What a shame!   I am sure those scraps of paper are long gone.   The caterer asked George and Ringo to autograph the tablecloth. 

This photograph by Marilyn Doerflers really shows some of the art -- notice John's yellow drawing especially?

I am glad that this mystery has been solved and that the tablecloth has survived all these years.  I find it a bit disappointing that there isn't more artwork on it (such as the one they did in Japan the same year), but original John Lennon art is always awesome. 

The ART of McCartney

 May 23, 2002

Artist Paul

 

Stu in his room

 

Time to relax!

 

Ringo's shirt made me laugh!  

George and Pattie's painting

 Anyone know where this painting is today?