Showing posts with label watercolors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label watercolors. Show all posts

Friday, May 25, 2012

The Circus



Tony lived in the circus, saw the circus and was the circus.
He was half cowboy and half Indian, a man from "Faraway"
a creative creation of humanity.
He lived under a tent of friendship with mainly poets, buskers,
hearts with a message and clowns.
He didn't like preachy people and politics and was not a man
of compromises.
He knew that grown-ups were nothing more than full grown children
and he remained young until the end.

Watercolor, Antwerp, 1983

Friday, February 17, 2012

Mother and child



Watercolor, Antwerp, 1983
Flowers and field...

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

A Las Vegas offer

 This lighthearted watercolor drawing is from the late sixties and has spend its life in Las Vegas
 This mother and child, pen and ink drawing was made in 1977. Tony often depicted these intimate scenes. here it is a young Mexican boy.
Two lovers in pen and ink...
The lady who contacted me wrote:
Hi, I hope you can help me sell my terrific Tony Mafia art work, If you know anyone collecting Tony Mafia please pass on my message and pictures. I'll send sizes if there is interest. Trusting the pictures arrive open as I'm sending them.  I must down size, and sell now.
 Thank you for your time and consideration .
sincerely Jeannie Ott

jott777@cox.net
702-450-3288
I'm located in Las Vegas

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Watercolor lady


When I was contacted for some information by Kari about the above piece I wrote:  It looks like an early work of Tony. I would guess between 65 and 75... based on other work from that period I have seen. How did you come by it? Was it a gift. It definitely is an original. Thanks for sharing.  Her answer was:

Hi'
So nice to hear from you.. I have had the painting for about ten years. Got it at an estate sale in the fairfax district.  Embarrassed to say first I was attracted to the colors as they matched my bedroom. Well once I got it up, I really loved it.  I see it first thing in the morning and literally discover something new all the time. I think it was months before I realized she was in front of a mirror!  I see new colors,facial expressions and even clothing whenever I really focus. I never researched the art because I just loved it. I have been low on funds and selling a few things in the house and thought "lets just check it out"
Reading your blog has been fascinating and I sure wish I had met Tony. Great to hear she is original, but the whole story is too cool to want to let her go anytime soon!
My husband has the picture on his laptop.and my tech savy is lacking. I will get him to send it to you, but wanted to return your kind note A.S.A.P.  Thanks again! Kari

It is good to complete the collection of Tony's work online. Thanks to all who share their work with the rest of the world.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Goodbying was never said

Tony often wrote on his drawings and paintings. So he did on this airbrush and watercolor. The texts is clear enough for you all to read. There is obvious sadness. I do not know what loss Tony was mourning in this writing. Do you?

Monday, May 5, 2008

Indian blues

Also from the dentist's collection stems this drawing which Tony called Hopi. It is fairly abstract yet the faces are clear, so maybe stylized is a better description. Part watercolor, see how the blues and blacks meet, as in most souls. That is the job of a Hopi clown. Painted in Strasbourg in 1991.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

For the head of a dog

This watercolor with pastel was done in Strasbourg France in 1991. I don't remember whether in spring or late autumn. It was part of the 'payment to the dentist'. Obviously the theme is Native American with the typical iconic landscape of Arizona in the background. See the turtle? The Americas are called Turtle Island by the Indians. His signature Black Sun is prominently present as a drawing. Nice work Tony, it was a good time for us...

Monday, March 31, 2008

Token unpaid


From the same series of the dentist. He was actually a friend and a student. For years Tony and the dentist worked together: Tony teaching and the student learning and doing his thing. I am not sure about the text: Token unpaid dead growing. Tony could have meant debt, but then he was also pretty sick in that period. See the blue eye... it makes me smile.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Jump


Jump to reach an high place ---- space. Well if that isn't a strong message in a delicate, to somebody who sometimes wavers. Reach as high as you can. Be the best you can. That is the message of this drawing. Tony did it when painting, playing the guitar or banjo or when listening to someone. Not in other aspects of his life, then he would bolt and run away from problems.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Tenderness


Tenderness is a simple watercolor, a few lines in brown ink and a dab or two of pastel. The work stems from 1983 and is probably a tribute to a then redhead short time girlfriend. The male figure could be an icon for his younger self, seen the white hair.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Mexico


A simple pen and ink drawing with probably the background squares done with an airbrush, so is his 'Mexico'. He loved Mexico, the colors, the music, even the food. He lived in Mexico city, toured through Mexico, lived in Tijuana in 'a cardboard' house. He painted the bullring in Tijuana. That was the time when Sinatra send his chauffeur to go and fetch Tony, bring him over with his portfolio and then he would choose one or two drawings. To Tony Mafia Mexico symbolized a life with more togetherness, when a man was still allowed to be macho, when being an artist was grand and bullfighting was a way of life.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Conversation


As promised, here is a pic of the watercolor I purchased about 20 years ago at an estate sale in Santa Monica. My wife and I collect mid century modern designs (furniture, glass, ceramics and art) and this unknown (until now) piece has been a well loved piece of our collection ever since. I hope others out there will enjoy it as well. I researched Tony's work several years ago and only knew he was a musician/artist in LA. It's terrific to see how varied his work is and how well received it continues to be.

Thanks,

Gary Edwards
Sleepy Hollow, Il.

I love it when 'unknown' but loved pieces of work show up and can be shared with you all. This is clearly from the bearded, fuzzy hair flower power period. The detail of the shoe is funny.

Friday, August 31, 2007

Antelope Mask


This delicate watercolor/Chinese ink drawing from 1997 was used for the cover of an anthology of Native American Poetry in Dutch translation Met rode Ink, which was published in 2006 by publisher Ampersand & Tilde. The drawing's name is Antelope Mask. Tony made the drawing after a trip to Hopi, not to imitate the real mask, that would be disrespectful, but honoring the traditions and intentions of the Hopi. He cared deeply about all things Indian.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Een sprookje


'He and she' is from the same period as the story. The watercolor was done in Antwerp and is part of the Arnold DP collection. Obviously it is a self portrait.

ik kan slechts wenen, want 'er was eens' is
of zo voel ik het, slechts een leeg gegroeide plaats, maar wist je
dat door deze plaats een naamzinger reisde,
naamzinger kan vreemd soort werk zijn om te doen of naam
om bij genoemd te worden, als zij al bestaan!
maar eerst moet ik je vertellen wat een naamzinger is.

zij staan in hun tijd en dromen van
de wind en roepen namen uit van kinderen die zij
hebben gekend, en zelfs namen van hen die
nog tot ons komen op een morgen. “morgen is voor
hen, een donkers elf negenenveertig, geen seconde
min of meer, kan zijn een volmaakt morgen” terwijl
het een volmaakt morgen wordt, en kinderen zijn de reden dat een
naamzinger ademen kan.

op een dag, een naamzinger in zijn plaats, in zijn tijd, zong
een er was eens gebruikte naam, veel gebruikt voor wie nu
geboren werd, of de nog onbekenden, en die voorbijgingen
en genoemd waren liefde. liefde zong hij en de hemel danste, de
aarde groeide. allen bij deze naam genoemd of ieder die
ooit deze naam nabij was of gebruikte, keek naar de toekomst
en glimlachte, herinnerde en glimlachte, of die nu
voelend, voelden en zeiden “ glimlach voor liefde ”. wel zoals
je kan zien, of zoals ik dat zie, is dit de zoetste
naam ooit genoemd door een naamzinger.

liefde zelfs zacht gezegd is nog groots,
uitgeschreeuwd een koestering of zelfs aan gedacht is het
een speciale tijd van toverdenken. maar op een dag
deze die zo zong voelde dat het anders moest, zo voegde
hij aan deze schone liefde een ik toe, en voelde deze
verandering als goed, zo werden allen met de naam ‘liefde’ van
dan af ‘ik liefde’ genoemd. dat leek goed
en allen aanvaarden dit, en dachten niet tot op
een morgen om precies elf negenveertig, wat
ze ook goed vonden ‘de elf negenveertig naam voor
morgen bedoel ik’, behalve een traan, ( ‘traan’ een andere
naam van de naamzinger ) voelde dat het bestaan niet zou mogen zijn
zonder haar ik. zo zei één en ieder die naam te roepen
slechts als ze eerst ik zouden zeggen - ‘ik traan’ onwetend
dat een eenvoudig 'ik' allen een traan zou brengen. de dansende
hemel leerde ‘ik traan’ en traande, de groeiende aarde traande
toen zij een ik toe voegde. en niemand voelde een glimlach en
het gewicht van het ik begon te wegen. en sommigen begonnen te
denken is een ‘ik’ beter, of zong de naamzinger niet een
plaats voor alleen in het toegevoegde ik.
slechts ik, laat het niet anderen weg, zo niet bijna allen
als: wij, kinderen die geboren zullen worden, zij, of hen
nu geboren, zij hoe droef morgen niet een
samen, maar een één afzonderlijk alleen en onmogelijk
van een ander deel te zijn omdat natuurlijk dat
ik niet hen is, zij of welke samenhorige dan ook,
één van de velen.

en hierom voel ik mij droef en in
er was eens nu kan ik slechts wenen en deze
allene plaats vullen want hij noemde mij ik Tony, hoewel
zo vele keren ik zo een wij behoefde - wat nooit
zal zijn tenzij allen en alles die plaats van het ik
van de naamzinger vergeten, en liefde teruggeven zonder eerst
ik en ik niet doen komen voor traan, of welke
van de vele dingen die lijken de voornaam ‘ik’
te nemen. en dan misschien op een elf
negenveertig stipt zal de wind eens temeer
dansen, een dans zijn in de hemel en de aarde
zal groeien en ik word, er was eens, weer
gelukkig.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

A story



Tony wrote A story in Antwerp in 1981. The next post will be my Dutch version. The small watercolor drawing The Poet is from December 1981, courtesy of Arnold DP.

I can but cry, for once upon a time is,
or so I feel, only space grown empty, but did you
know through this space traveled a name songer,
name songer may be a strange type of work to do or name
to be called by, even if they do exist!
but first I must tell you what a name songer is.

they stand in their time and dream about
the wind, and call out names of children they
have known, and even names of ones that are
still to come to us on a tomorrow. “ tomorrow is for
them, a darks eleven forty nine, not a second
more or less, can be a perfect tomorrow “ as it
becomes a perfect tomorrow and children are the reason a name songer
can breathe.

one day a name songer in his space, in his time, sang
a time used name, one often used for the now being
born, or the still unknown of, and passed, called love.
love he sang and the sky danced, the earth grew.
all called by this name, or any who had ever
been near or used this name looked to the future
and smiled, remembered and smiled or those now

feeling, felt and said ‘smile for love’. well as
you can see, or as I see it, this is the greatest
name ever created by a name songer.

love even soft said is still grant, if
screamed out, caring, or even thought of is a
special time of magic thinking. but one day
this singing one felt change must be, so he
added to this beauty Love, a I, and felt this
change as good, so all of them named love from
then on were called ‘ I love ‘ . This seemed fine
and all accepted this, and did not think until
one tomorrow at exactly eleven forty nine, which
they also felt fine about, (eleven forty nine’s tomorrow’s
name I mean) but a tear did not. ‘Tear’ (another
songer’s name) felt it should not have to exist without
its I. so told all and everything to call it
only if they said I first - ‘I tear’ not knowing
a simple I would bring to all a tear. the dancing
sky learned “I tear” and teared, the growing earth
teared as it added I. and none felt a smile and
began to feel the weight of the I. and some begin to think
is a I better, or has the name songer not sang a
space for lone in adding I. just I does it not
leave out others, if not almost everything such
as: we children to be born, they, or those
now born, they how sad tomorrow not a
together, but a one single alone and unable
to be part of another because of course this
I is not them, they or any of these belongers,
one of many.

and of this I feel sad and now
once upon a time I can but cry and fill this
alone space for he named me I Tony, though
so many times I so need a we which shall
never be until all and everything forgets this
name songers I space, and returns love without I
first and make I not come before tear, or any
of the many things that seem to have taken
this first name ‘I’. then maybe on a one eleven
forty nine on the point the wind will once again
dance, be a dance in the sky and the earth
shall grow and I shall once upon a time again
happy