Perry Brooks Nichols

In celebration of Black Music History Month & Juneteenth, I’m releasing a volume of collected works by the first African American classical guitar composer, Justin Holland (1819-1887). Holland’s work represents an important bridge between of the early 19th century European classical guitar tradition & the growing American Parlor Music scene. During his lifetime, the composer became a household name thoughout the United States. His comprehensive method & arrangements were widely distributed via mail order catalogs as well as included with manufacturer guitar bundles. It is an undeniable possibility that this widespread proliferation of his work would be among the seeds that would flower into the legions of self-taught & rote-taught blues guitarists of the early 20th century.

This is the cover art for the compiled edition which includes Holland’s only known complete solo work “An Andante,” his spectacular version of “Spanish Fandango” arranged for open G major tuning, and my favorite of his opera arrangements, “WiIliam Tell Overture.” There is only one low res portrait of the prestigious composer, so I’ve sought to bring him to life using modern tool of digital art. You can find out more about the upcoming publication here: https://crowyote.bandcamp.com/merch/justin-holland-juneteenth-jubilee-collected-works-vol-1

May we strive on in pursuit of prosperity, liberty, equality & justice for all!

Last night, I took my backpacker easel out to one of my favorite viewpoints in Exall Park. This spot used to be just a concrete square in the middle of the park ideal for practicing tai chi & yoga, once they added the bench & trash receptacle a decade ago I sought out other spots for meditation. Now, it's a great spot for setting up an easel, if it's unoccupied. I rushed out out of eagerness to test out the brush holders I ordered from Amazon, surprise surprise they even hold palette knives! I forgot my easel lamp due to the rush, but there's always a light at the basketball court was behind me. This painting was almost 1 & done in a single session. Using drawing oils has sped up my approach to composing an image. This was also my test of using gessobord cradled panels, my new favorite surface, with the easel - it was a learning experience; let's just say I'm glad it didn't land face-first & I'll be sticking to 3/4" depth for future excursions :)

"Blue is the typical heavenly colour. The ultimate feeling it creates is one of rest. When it sinks to almost black, it echos grief that is hardly human." - Kandinsky, "Concerning The Spiritual In Art"

If the acute triangle lends the feeling of elevation or divinity to a picture, then, the obtuse triangle introduces a sense of tension like an archer stretching a bow yearning to be released.

While enjoying yesterday's breezy cloudy Sunday sunset, I started my series of paintings of Exall Park. The M.A.B.E.F. srl Backpacker easel & Daylight Easel Lamp are essential tools for getting my groove back. Now I just need to get a mosquito net hat to keep away the bugs that are drawn to the light! 😅

While taking a relaxing walk in one of my favorite local idyllic spots, I made a new friend! Christopher Harlow was jamming out on a vintage Gibson L-5 & I immediately recognized it. We talked blues, jazz, tritones, pickups & he even played me a few classic tunes.

"At the apex of the top segment (of the triangle) often stands one man, & only one. His joyful vision cloaks a vast sorrow. Even those who are nearest to him in sympathy do not understand him. Angrily they abuse him as charlatan or madman. So in his lifetime stood Beethoven, solitary and insulted." -Kandinsky,

"1+1=3" oil study on Ampersand Art Supply gessobord. Exploring the interaction Burnt Sienna w/ Cobalt Turquoise/Cerulean Blue.

Studio Update: After varnishing the sides of a cradled panel w/ Danish oil & allowing them to dry, I finally experienced what it's like to paint on It was so glorious blending in areas of Cerulean Blue & Burnt Sienna mixed w/ Ceramic White that I'm considering saying goodbye to canvas forever. The great benefit of oil paint is the long drying times = more time to fix things/change one's mind. I was unhappy w/ the way my last color study on canvas was coming along, my vision drifted to what Richter/Ernst might do. While wandering around in the hardware store earlier this week I saw the solution: the Square Notch Margin Trowel! Also, I put the finishing touches on my plein air painting from the Parks Concert last week w/ my favorite colors.

Today marks the 63rd day since my father’s passing, Christopher often spoke fondly of his feline friends, especially Scooter who lived with him at his Cole Ave. house. This photograph with its fuzzy soft edges evokes the paintings of Bonnard & Vuillard, the founders of the Intimism movement.

"The Power Of Three: Pt. Trois, The Flower Of Dreaming" - oil study on canvas. This color study evolves from an attempt to reimagine a lost Toltec mandala designed by representing the "dreaming attention." The violet triangle represents the dreaming body, the green circle divided into rays is the collective unconscious which is used to navigate the orange field of authority/control that the conscious mind attempts to exert on the mind's eye. The process started by drawing a triangle w/ an Ultramine pale pigment stick by , & filling it in w/ a OH Cobalt Violet/Burnt Umber mix. Then I tied a nylon string to a Chromium Green Oxide stick (a favorite neutral green) to create the circle. Next I started drawing in rays & surrounding field w/ a Cadmium Orange pigment stick. I painted in the green ray layer by mixing Verdaccio w/ Green Gold which yielded a very lush leaf-like shade. The orange field was emboldened by sacrificing the remnants of an old Cadmium Azo Orange Van Gogh tube. Like in dreaming, there is very little purity: one color bleeds into another just as daily worries often corrupt our dreams & perfect dimensions are bent & distorted. Also, the garage studios getting more organized, I just need to clean the old tools out of my grandfather's hand-built workbench.

Had a very pleasant evening out with my mom, Libby, & my niece, Paris Joli, to celebrate G-monkey's Bday. We went to the new location of Roti Grill. They have goat curry now! Nom nom. Remind me to bring flossing picks next time! 😅