Pink Bird Studio

Top 2000 Blog Party - Day 7 (December 31)

December 31 is the last day of the Top 2000 Blog Party, and what a Party it’s been.  People from all over the world joined in and made journal pages, postcards or whatever other art types they felt like making inspired by the Top 2000 songs played on a Dutch radio station between Christmas and New Years through the miriacles of technology.  It’s been so much fun and it was so well organized.  If you didn’t get a chance to join this year, maybe next?  If you want to see some of the wonderful works created go Here

My first entry is one I’ve already shown on this blog - a journal entry featuring lyrics from John Lennon’s “Imagine” (number 16 on the countdown). 

My final piece for this challenge is based on Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution (number 18).  I have long been a fan of Prince, and was saddened to hear of his untimely passing in 2016, and although we weren’t friends, that’s why I picked this line from the song - it really was such as shame.  There are a couple of inaccuracies I’ve noticed with my card (in case any other fans are reading this) - first off, the symbol that was used by Prince in lieu of his name for years because of a dispute with Warner Brothers was not being used when this song was recorded.  Second, if this was from the liner notes certainly the number 2 would be used instead of ‘to’.  However, the tribute is sincere despite these two errors.  I am thankful I was able to see Prince in concert twice - once during the 1999 tour (not the year, the song) and once about 5 or 6 years ago on his Welcome to Canada Tour - that time accompanied by my then 80 year old mother.  He was a true showman.

Other songs I considered for this week were:

Happy (Pharrel Williams) - 226

What’s Going On (Marvin Gaye) - 167

Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson) - 161

Blackbird (The Beatles) - 121

A Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harem) - 117

Back to Black (Amy Winehouse) - 57

Thanks again to Marit for hosting the party, and thank YOU for visiting.  I hope you’ve enjoyed my entries as much as I enjoyed making them.

Top 2000 Blog Party - Day six (December 30)

I made two cards again today for the Top 2000 Blog Party

These songs are for December 30 but it’s almost that date in the Netherlands - the cards will go live at midnight Central European Time.  

First up is inspired by Superstion (Stevie Wonder) - (number 508 on the countdown).  I have been a Stevie Wonder fan since my youth - I’m sure I almost wore out Songs in the Key of Life.  I was very excited to see Stevie Wonder perform in Hyde Park while I was staying in London in the summer of 2016 - a definite highlight of my stay there among many other highlights.  It was everything I hoped it would be and more.

Next I chose something more recent - Somebody that I Used to Know (Gotye Featuring Kimbra) - 468 on the countdown.  The video for this song is quite artistic, but instead of trying to recreate something like it I used a postcard I had made months ago that used a FedEx envelope as the substrate.  The polka dots are packing tape and the background is acrylic.  The figures are simple masks cut from a magazine.

Other songs I considered from the December 30th broadcast list were:

Year of the Cat (Al Stewart) - 415

Let’s Dance (David Bowie) - 392

White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane) - 281

 

Top 2000 Blog Party - for December 29

I decided to do 2 submissions for December 29 for the Top 2000 Blog Party. That is the daily maximum (per artist) for obvious reasons!  It’s so much fun.  The selection of songs from December 29 (Day 5) of the challenge was great - so many songs that conjured up images for me it was hard to choose.

First I decided on “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer (767 on the Top 2000).  I attempted a disco ball - I hope that’s evident...

Next I chose “People are Strange” by The Doors (781).  I was four years old when this song came out and yet I’m sure I heard it on the radio as a kid (I doubt I remember songs from when I was four).  At any rate, I’m not much of a Doors fan but thought the lyrics were just begging to be brought to life.

Other songs I considered today were:

Raspberry Beret (Prince and the Revolution) 850

I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Marvin Gaye) 826

Smooth Operator (Sade) 753

You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse) 705

They Don’t Care About Us (Michael Jackson) 625

Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics) 567

 

Top 2000 Blog Party - December 27 and 28

It’s a good thing I wasn’t the one explaining how this fun Blog Party works that I’m playing in!  The objective is to send in your work for the next day, and here I was trying to play ‘beat the clock’ within the day.  Oh well, the organizers are very graciously posting my ‘late’ work, and I am grateful.  So today I’m going to get caught up.

For day 3 (December 27) I am using Annie Lennox’ ‘Why’ as my inspiration song (number 1462).  The line about ‘the words falling from your mouth’ created a strong visual for me that I’m not sure quite came across, but it’s close.  I actually like the way this postcard turned out.  I again used a ‘Multo’ game card as my substrate, and added acrylic paints some rub on letters and lips from a magazine ad.

Others songs I considered for the 27th were:

Isn’t she Lovely (Stevie Wonder) 1300

Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell) 1215

All You Need is Love (the Beatles) 1205 - which I have already done in journal form earlier this year.

For December 28 I chose Bicycle Race by Queen.

I feel like the words are describing longing for more carefree days of childhood which is why I made this a childlike page.  I put it in my Sketchbook Project book - not really sure how it fits with my theme but trying to keep some momentum going.  Again I have to say this year the paper quality seems to have degraded from previous years; however it’s still fun to be part of a global art project.  Get your own Here. Deadline has been extended to April 30.  

I used a gel pen to draw the bike, and roughly blended water soluable crayons for the background to maintain that childlike feel.  I added a strip of map tissue paper (wish I’d bought more of that - I think it came back from the UK with me), and a bicycle postage stamp from Mexico.

Other songs I considered from the 28th were:

Tainted Love (Soft Cell) - 1144

Hey Ya! (OutKast) - 1113

I wish (Stevie Wonder) - 1071

Top 2000 Blog Party - No Ordinary Love

Today I’m submitting ‘No Ordinary Love’ by Sade, which landed at number 1563 on the countdown.  Not sure what the Top 2000 Blog Party is?  Visit Here for all the details.

This is a postcard made from an old Bingo card and measures about 4” x 6.5”

Other songs that I thought of using from today’s list were:

What is Love (Haddaway) - 1796

Grenade (Bruno Mars) - 1752

Somebody to Love (Jefferson Airplane) - 1712

One Love / People Get Ready (Bob Marley and the Wailers) - 1628

What fun this is!  Thanks for visiting!

Top 2000 Blog Party - True

Well Happy Holidays - I have decided to take part in this year’s ‘Top 2000 Blog Party’ - what is that you may ask?  See Here for all the details.  Basically folks all over the world will be creating artwork to go with a song from the Top 2000 that broadcasts in the Netherlands from Christmas Day to New Years Eve.  You can submit up to two entries per day.  It is so well organized - I’ll let you visit the site as it is better than me trying to explain it.  

For my first entry I picked Spandau Ballet’s ‘True’ which sits at 1852.  My criteria for picking songs is - I can’t hate it (lest it get stuck in my head) and I have to be able to imagine creating something to go with it.

My piece is a postcard, made on a ‘multo’ game card with scraps, pens, pencils and paints within reach on my work table.  It’s a big table, and I have long arms.  Haha.

Three other songs I considered from the first day were:

I’m Every Woman (Chaka Khan) - 2000

Daydream Believer (the Monkees) - 1983

As (Stevie Wonder) - 1893

Enjoy the party - I’m going to try to post at least one piece each day - it seems like a fun way to wind down the current year and get excited about 2018.