Beatles artwork

This photo was taken in Scotland in October 1963.   From what I understand the man with the Beatles drew this caricature of the Beatles and presented it to him.  Then the Beatles signed it and it was give away for a contest prize.  

The Wings Girl

I don't know about all of you, but I get tired of the same old same old when it comes to who gets picked to go up on stage to meet Paul.      I am tried of seeing the same people up there.  I am tried of seeing pretty girls that want tattoos.   I am tried of engagements.   And I am tried of young girls who "picked between a new car and Paul".   (Really?   Paul concert and a new car should never cost the same amount).  

What I love to see is new and fresh ideas make it onto the stage.    The guys a few years ago that had the Abbey Road and asked Paul to join them---that was awesome.    But this lady's costume is the best yet!    In Paris during the One on One Tour, a beautiful fan created the costume of the "Wings Girl."    She is seen predominately on the "Wings Greatest Hits" LP, but you also see her in the background of "Back to the Egg."    Cosplay isn't usually a "thing" in Beatle fandom, but maybe it needs to be, because this is just amazing!   I am so glad that she got her chance to show off her costume to everyone and to meet Paul in the process.  

Fan art backstage

If you made this fan art for Paul, wouldn't you just die to see this photograph of Paul looking at it backstage?

We love Paul!

I found this awesome photo on facebook and it wasn't credited to anyone, so I hope it is alright to post it on the blog.   So much here to love!   I am trying to figure out where these young Paul lovers are.   It seems to look like the 1965 American tour.     I don't think it is Shea (although that is a possibility---just don't seem to look much like Shea to me).    Other choices could be Atlanta or Chicago.    Either way I hope these girls have seen Paul in concert since 1965 and still love him as much as they did the day this photo was snapped.

Art Backstage

Ringo backstage with some artwork that a fan sent backstage for Ringo during the 1964 Christmas show.  Not a bad job!

Painting at the press conference

If you have seen photos of the Adelaide press conference, then I am sure that you have seen some really nice fan art of the Beatles in those photos.   Here is the story of the fan who painted those portraits of the Beatles.  

This story was written by Craig Cook for the Advertiser newspaper.

As a young artist in the swinging sixties, Peter Findlay found he could make a few quid – and impress a fair few girls – by drawing pictures of the Beatles.

Little did he think he would actually get to meet the superstars. 

The 20-year-old gave Bob Francis and Ron Tremain, the men responsible for bringing the Beatles to Adelaide, free paintings of themselves. 

They were so impressed they commissioned him to paint John, Paul, George and Ringo. 

On Friday June 12, 1964, as Findlay waited nervously in the South Australian Hotel to meet the Beatles, calamity struck. “The picture of John Lennon was lying on the floor when some clumsy fool stood on it,” said Findlay, now an established international artist. “The glass smashed, leaving a scar on John’s face.” 

Findlay rang a framer, who within minutes, desperately protecting a pane of glass, was pushing through the crowd of 15,000 screaming fans outside the hotel. 

John, Paul and George – Ringo was too ill to travel to Adelaide and was replaced by drummer Jimmy Nichol – were thrilled with their portraits. 

“I told John the story of what had happened and he said ‘I rather like the idea of getting a footprint on my cheek’, said Findlay, perfectly imitating a Liverpool accent.

Lennon scribbled a lengthy thank you note to him. 

His paintings were taken to England and have appeared in several books on the Beatles. George Harrison’s portrait had pride of place above the fireplace at his Californian home.

 

Drawing of John

If you have the Bob Bonis photograph book of Lost Beatles photos, you might think that this photo looks familiar.   In that book there is a similar photograph of John where he is holding the British flag (seen on his cot).   I sort of like this one from Datebook magazine because you see that John is holding a drawing of himself that a fan sent backstage for him.    According to the Bob Bonis photograph book, this was taken in Portland in 1965.

Backstage artwork

Here is Paul in 1963 backstage with a strange Beatle bug that Marion and Sandra made for the guys.   There are other photos from this day of Ringo holding this interesting piece of fan art.

Ice cream love

I previously posted another photo taken at this same time with two girls with Paul while he ate his ice cream cone.   What I like about this one is that you can see some nice fan art of  John from "all you need is love" in the background.  

Fan art

John seems to be answering for the painting of himself...

John reads from his book

John and the Paul painting.

all four pieces made by some talented fan in Australia.

One of the big things that fans liked to do was make artwork and send it into the Beatles hotel. I am sure that The Beatles could not keep all of the art that was made of them. But here are some pieces that made it to the Beatles, and they where photographed with in Australia in 1964.