We realized that this old site needed some new clothes, so we reworked the pages, updated photos, and will stay current with news and events. I noticed I have a few gray hairs that ain’t in the old photos; not on account of growing old, I’m just gaining some respeck.
Enjoy the new site, grab a coffee and come on in and check out the new features.
The fine folk at America’s fondest and funnest greeting card line have been way too good to work with. It’s a fambly-run outfit and the values and methods they work with are a breath of fresh air. Remember when people used integrity? These folks still do, and never digressed from that. That’s reason enough to support that company.
They’ve really upped the amount of work they hand me, so there are new cards coming out twice a year. It’s always fun to see what other folks see in my artwork, and the assignments they give me are way too much fun. We're up to an average of 6 new images each year. Here are a few of the latest ones. Check with your local dealer (that ain't the guy in a trenchcoat out there on the corner) to see which of these most recent images you can pick up and send to folks you don't like.
"I said I wanted to hear your HEART."
There's always tomorrow.
Yer days of boot-scootin' are mostly spent butt-tootin'!
Next time I throw the horseshoes I'll take 'em off the horse first.
You still got plenty of tread left
Raising kids is a truly religious experience -
To someone whose keen sense of fashion is surpassed only by his good taste in friends.
Just keep the sand out of yer wrinkles.
At your age a birthday cake will set off a smoke alarm.
We are working in partnership with a company new to us, but who’s been around for awhile already. JQ Outdoors is now my artwork licensing agent for all things outdoor sporting – hunting, fishing and camping in general. High-end product you find at outfits like Bass Pro Shops and Cabellas, these are must-haves of course for your den, cabin or bar. Tin signs, clocks, thermometers, floor mats, playing cards – the kind of things you can’t live without. All sporting my slightly twisted sense of humour. It’s their primary foray into western humour – I’m their guinea pig – and they’re already cranking out the product. Look for these and more at your local upscale sporting goods store. We'll keep you posted as product hits the shelves.
I’m gonna see if they would put artwork on a toilet seat…
Last year I was commissioned to illustrate a real neat book on bullying and self-esteem, written by native author and musician Victor Lethbridge and designed primarily for native children, although any race can get something out of it. Little Chief And Mighty Gopher: The Pemmican Frenzy caused a bit of a stir in the awards department when it hit the streets, winning the 2010 Moonbeam Bronze Medal for best first book by an author, the 2010 Griffin Award, the 2011 Nautilus Silver Medal in the childrens book category, 2011 R. Ross Annett Award, and the coveted 2011 Alberta Book Award for Childrens and Young Adult Book of the Year.
This was my first major commission where the illustrations were done digitally, and it was way too much fun. We are currently working on the second book in the series.
Watch a video with Victor's music and my illustrations here.
We just finished my latest project, a concept album about the upside of down times. Entitled Hard Times, it’s a collection of 7 brand new original songs and covers of three other tunes, one by the great Merle Haggard, one made famous by Flatt & Scruggs, and a loving treatment of the old western classic Old Paint.
I had a strong desire to put out an album of positive material about what we are all facing in one way or another, but because of my own version of hard times had no money to record it at the studio I’ve been associated with for 25 years. I was complaining to God, asking Him why He gave me such a strong drive for this project but no way to pull it off, and He kept whispering “GarageBand”. I thanked Him for His attempt at humour but told Him I was trying to be serious here, but He kept repeating “GarageBand”, so I tried it. Turns out He was right. As usual.
Check out the samples and order here.
Hard Times is also available for download on iTunes.
GarageBand is a recording software that comes with the Mac operating system. Add a few components to it and you’ve got some pretty useable stuff. Sure, it has its limitations, but then again so does everything else. I bought EZ Drummer’s Nashville drum package which is performed by Harry Stinson, probably Nashville’s top session drummer, which gives me real drums, not synthesized. Other instruments are very real sounding and easy to work with. For the rest – vocals, acoustic and electric instruments – we purchased a few good mics and as long as the furnace isn’t running or the crows outside have quit fighting with the magpies we can track those real well.
As a result, we at Jinglebob Music have opened our doors and hung out our shingle as a recording studio. Between GarageBand and Cubase, and the use of hi-speed internet which allows us to send files back and forth with other session players virtually anywhere in the world, we can now work with you to put out an album with professional qualities. With the independent music scene and the rise of non-commercial format internet radio, this opens the doors for this style of music. It doesn’t have to have that squeaky-clean, impersonal commercial sound anymore. Reality is now welcomed back into music, where the emotions captured are more important than an end result wiped clean of all mistakes and sanitized to the point of sterile. Did I just say that in my outside voice?! Like EmmyLou Harris said – the living room is back in the music.
So if you’re looking for a way of capturing your music, professionally yet still personal, give us a try. We offer a one-stop experience – producer, engineer, arranger, session player, and package design (see design samples here), for very competitive rates. Oh, and we have way too much fun at the same time, and can even put you up in our bunkhouse and feed you too. We brew a killer cup of coffee and nobody's kicked the bucket on account of bad burritos.
Call or email us for more details, and listen to audio clips of music recorded and produced in this studio here.
Yesterday I woke up to the fact that it ain't the 1900's anymore, so I went to work, uploaded two of my most popular albums onto iTunes, and with the help of my favourite oldest niece here on the home section created and uploaded to YouTube a video of my latest song, Geezer In A Speedo. These experiments are the funnest - nobody really gets hurt. So we'll see how a moderately slow integration into social media goes. The larnin' curve is incredibly steep, but I already know how to turn a computer on, so I'm halfway there already. They say the next thing I need to look at is Facebook. Hooboy... Until then, stay in touch with my schedule.
Use the links below to follow the yellow brick road, leading to the pot of gold what awaits you. I just realized that I'm still lost in the 70's or 80's yet.
