Greetings!
 

Geeez... I wish I were from Arizona, but I hail from Vidalia, GA. Mi nombre es Wayne McMichael. I've known our esteemed hostess Cynthia for some time now. This is my first day here. I haven't browsed all the posts and topics yet, but I can see it could be an endless sourse of information and entertainment. I've been an artist all my life. I focused on Graphic Arts for a long time and continue that pursuit, as well as Web Design and every other kind of art and music. I've been a musician (guitar) for 40 years and play in a band on the weekends... life is good (fire is bad). Any way, glad to be associated with a bunch of eccentrics. See you on the forum.

Art Rules, Batman - (Batman is a nick I picked up in the club where we were the house band for years) and if I can stick to the rules and good grammer and spelling, it will be the first time, but I will try. ;)

Hey Wayne. Glad to see another artist with musical talent. Hope to see some of your art soon.

Take care.

Thanks, Chase,

I spent a week in Vicksburg MS a while back. We were touring more then. I'm experimenting with vB mode, not sure what I'm doing yet. What do you play? I made a site for my Jam buddies - http://www.willowleaf.com/Jam. We get together 4-5 times a year and play for fun.

I have over 80 musicians on an email list, what a hoot. My site : http://www.portraits.bz

You know, the literary world has the Rock Bottom Remainders (rock band with Stephen King, Dave Barry et al., for those not familiar.)

Maybe there's room for a portrait band, available for background at gallery openings and exhibitions.

We probably need to start a "Name that Band" contest.

Welcome to our little gig, Wayne.

Very cool tuner on the Willowleaf site, but that's the most wicked "alternate" tuning I've ever seen. I don't think you're playing much three-chord country with it.

:sunnysmil Thanks, Steven. My band tunes to Eb, so I have to accommodate everyone. You Build instruments?... way cool. What kind? Country, really, That house gig was a Country Club, and I don't mean golf.

I played more country music than I ever thought I would. We play Alternative, blues and classic rock now; more fun for me. Yea, and Web Band, "Stroke of Genius'"... or is that Genui (plural). What instrument do you play?

Guitars, mostly. My son has two Fenders, I have my dad's Gretsch and a D-45 lookalike that I built in an earlier life (it finally was fitted [I believe that's a word] with a pick-up after twenty years, which has meant that my son stole it from me (he has all the amps in his room). I have forms and lots of tonewoods sitting around for more guitars, but the world came in through all the doors at once a while back and I haven't been able to take up the luthier hobby again. Having a hard time finding "home".

There's an alto sax on site, too (son's great on it, I can manage a tune, but sadly he gave it up when he discovered girls and guitars), and a whole lot of other stringed instruments, either inherited or built from kits. One ceramic flute. Did have a bamboo sax from Maui, but the dog ate it.

It's going to be a heck of a band, soon as I get out of jail and find a new dog and replace the pickup truck that got hit by the train just before I opened the "Dear John" letter and then tried to drown all my sorrows. Might work in E-flat. Can't hurt to try. Maybe use all six strings.

Wayne,

I mostly play guitar and bass, but I also play a little piano, experimenting with the harmonica, and soon to start working with the saxophone. I'm a music freak. Hehe. I've always had a love for music and the knowledge of it. I play fingerstyle on the guitar mostly. But when I play the bass I love to jam out to funk. Most people find my taste in music a little "off the wall," but I enjoy it. Not sure if you're a fan of fingerstyle playing, but if so you should check out a guy named Justin King. He's fairly young and astounds me how he plays. Best of luck to you in the art and music world Wayne.

Glad to meet you musical dudes. My dog got run over in Sep., lost my wife 4.5 years ago, but I'm not in jail, my train runs on time and I don't have a Bamboo Sax anyway. I would love to build a guitar, a 24 fret acoustic with a Floyd Rose. I've designed an Electric I would like to build as well.

http://www.willowleaf.com/Jam/images/bat_guitar.jpg

Chase, music is spontaneous art, the best kind. If your not being creative and pushing your artistic envelope, then what's the point. I'm a better musician than I am an artist. I hope I always enjoy wierd music. I'm in the Steve Vai vain, but I'll check out Justin King, Thanks.

Ohhh man. Steve Vai is an incredible guitar player. I got to meet him a few years ago on the G3 tour with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci. They are some of the coolest people. I used to have a lot of Steve Vai's music until my roommate stole it all and pawned it off. But if you know who Steve Vai is I'm sure you might know the other aforementioned musicians. Dream Theater is my all time favorite band though (John Petrucci). I wish I could hear some of your stuff. Oh yeh, and that guitar is sweet. Right now I'm playing an ESP F-100, and a Dean 4-string rhapsody. Nothing special, but it keeps me moving.

Take care Wayne.

...I guess we can talk music until the powers run us off. G3 rox, I saw them in the fall in Atlanta at the Tabernacle, it was inspiring. Steve V., Joe S. and Yngwei Malmsteen, oh yea. Get S.V's new DVD, "Live at the Astoria", it's phenominal, and good instruction too. My fav ax now is a Jackson SL1, USA, I sanded the neck till it favors my Ibanez, changed the pups, Carvin M22T in the bridge, Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Blues in the middle and a LACE Silver in the neck. Best guitar I've ever played. I have 4 more goodn's, Carvin, Charvel, Vandenberg. These folks don't know what we are talking about:)... Rock on brothers, thanks for a WARM Welcome.

Wayne,

Not only do you rock and roll, but your watercolors rock as well!. Welcome to the Forum -this is a fantastic resource for portrait artists.

WOW... speaking of Rock, I've never known a Portrait Sculptor. Amazing! What's with all these talented people in AZ? Is it something in the water?

Wayne,

I felt as though I had already met you after reading your post on the "Lets beat up Freud thread". If you read through the many pages about his portrait of the Queen you will see that I sympathize with your thoughts about his work and more so, believe that "Rules" are not as important as a good eye.

It's interesting to see how many share the interest in the guitar. I am a self-taught classical guitarist that previously played accordion (The definition of a gentleman is "A person, who knows how to play the accordion, but doesn't") and at a very young age learned to played the harmonica by ear.

I have but one watercolor portrait on the SOG web site and appreciate the skill required to do the kind of work you demonstrate in that medium.

Welcome to the Forum.

Thank you, Jim Riley! Your name has a pleasant symmetry, kind of a poetic 3/4 timing:)

Yeah, Freud's not afraid is he? He probably needs a translator for his critics, both ways. Classical guitar is such a discipline, I love it. I owned one for a while but my son sold it to eat while he was in college. I'm not much of a finger picker, I wish I were. The Classical guitar has a tone that you can't get any other way, a kind of mellow optimism; very soothing. I like your comment on the accordion. Did you see the Pepsi commercial about how Jimi Hendrix chose the guitar instead of the accordion :)...does make you wonder if we could be listening to Heavy Metal Accordion today, or Pop Polka :) You might appreciate the Painting & Music thread in the Philosophy area. Thanks for the compliment on the watercolors. It's funny, that is all I've ever done and it seems easy to me, but I wouldn