Original artwork description:

This is a portrait of the delta blues player, "Skip James". His real name was Nehemiah Curtis James. I really love researching the lives and talent of recording artist of all types: pop, jazz, country, classical, etc. There are so many interesting aspects of their lives. Nehemiah Curtis "Skip" James (June 9, 1902 – October 3, 1969) was an American Delta blues singer, guitarist, pianist and songwriter.
James was born near Bentonia, Ms. His father was a bootlegger who reformed and became a preacher. As a youth, James heard local musicians, such as Henry Stuckey, from whom he learned to play the guitar, and the brothers Charlie and Jesse Sims. James began playing the organ in his teens. He worked on road construction crews in Mississippi in the early 1920s and wrote what is perhaps his earliest song, "Illinois Blues", about his experiences as a laborer.
His guitar playing is noted for its dark, minor-key sound, played in an open D-minor tuning with an intricate fingerpicking technique. James first recorded for Paramount Records in 1931, but these recordings sold poorly, having been released during the Great Depression, and he drifted into obscurity.
After a long absence from the public eye, James was "rediscovered" in 1964 by blues enthusiasts, helping further the blues and folk music revival of the 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, James appeared at folk and blues festivals, gave concerts around the country and recorded several albums for various record labels. His songs have influenced generations of musicians and have been adapted by numerous artists. He has been hailed as "one of the seminal figures of delta blues. MISSISSIPPI BLUES is an image that I originally created using some of the graphics software that I used in my architectural practice. I do this with all of my paintings…. work out all the figures, colors and details before I start work with actual paint. This painting is done on 4 mil thick, archival grade drafting mylar. This material is tough, waterproof, inert, flexible, dimensionally stable, and it does not have to be stretched, like canvas and watercolor paper. The mylar is translucent so that paint can be applied to both sides of the artwork. There will only be one original created and no authorized copies will ever be made. This painting will be shipped in a tube. The mylar is easy to mount on any type of hardboard. I include simple mounting instructions with each piece that I sell. If you prefer, I will mount the artwork on tempered masonite board with a two or three inch border. It will be “ready to hang”, with a hanging strip attached to the back and a wall hanging device that is very simple to use. It will be shipped in a cardboard box. You may take it out of the box and have it hanging on your wall within five minutes. The extra charge is $50.00 for mounting plus the additional shipping costs. Message me through this site and I will calculate the total costs for mounting and shipping.
If a shipping rate to your country is not shown, send me a message and I will calculate the amount and let you know the amount.

Materials used:

india ink, acrylic on mylar drafting film

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