Happy birthday Abe!

Most people don't know this, but I have this 'thing' about the presidents. In fact it led to a song I wrote about ten years ago to help kids memorize their names and then I wrote a whole CD of songs called "Remember The Presidents" (available on CD Baby.com by the way!)

Today is February 12th and it's Abraham Lincoln's birthday! And it just so happens that two people whom I love very much have an interesting connection to the 16th president, so I thought I'd feature their stories on this special day.

Below is the first one - it's an excerpt from my mom's memoir called "Looking Back".   

My First Book

By Irene Milko Cooper

I must’ve been about eight or nine years old and looking back from this time of plenty I cannot conceive that I did not own any of my very own books.  Yes, I had school books, and I went to the neighborhood library but these were not my books to keep, to hold and proudly say, “This is my book – my very own book!”

I remember it was raining – a cold autumn rain (in Detroit, Michigan). I was getting wet, very wet so I ran to escape the cold rain, plus the holes in my shoes were starting to absorb the rain and the inner cardboard my mother had shaped into place inside of them was starting to get spongy. Water was swirling along the curb as I made ready to jump across it to the street. I stopped, as something caught my eye. Laying in the swirling water was a book – a beautiful soggy book. I quickly scooped it up, looking around, praying that no one would come and claim it. I hurried home with it.

My Mother had the living room coal stove going full blast and it felt so good to sit on the trunk behind the stove and feel the warmth surround me.  Then I got an old rag and wiped my book, pressing down to get the moisture out. Mom approached me and said it would never be any good; that I shouldn’t bother because it was a mess. (Mom didn’t like to read.)  So I knew I’d better guard my book and I made a mental note to keep it in view.

The stove stood up on four legs on a metal square mat. I wiped the mat under the stove off and placed my book to dry there.  At night I placed it on top of the trunk and would turn it so that it would dry, which it eventually did.  And then, one cold winter day I was able to drink a hot cup of tea and sit and read my beautiful book: “The Story of Young Abraham Lincoln” by Wayne Whipple. And as I read and re-read this book and lived young Abe’s story he became my friend. 

I still have the book. I keep it safely wrapped in a bag, its faded pages fragile but when I hold it I can still remember the joy it gave me when I found it and it became my very first book.  How very proud and happy I was with my great find!

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Now I have hundreds of books. Far too many, but I just can’t give them up! They are mine. ALL MINE!

And, below is the second - It is the introduction of a book my husband Alex edited called The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln (available on Amazon.com by the way!).

Abraham Lincoln is remembered as a tragic figure, a martyred emancipator. But he is also a great comic figure. Comedy was married to tragedy in his life and his personality.

It was the wit and wisdom of Abraham Lincoln that first won him the hearts of the people.  Prior to his election as president in 1860 he never held a higher post than that of a one-term Illinois congressman. But people trusted Lincoln instinctively because he seemed wiser than other men, and they liked him because he was funnier than other men.

Abraham Lincoln was a great writer and a great orator as well as a great leader. He deserves a place in American Literature as well as history.  However, he wrote no books, he composed no memoirs, he left behind no magnum opus.  The quotations sited in this book are drawn from a variety of sources, both oral and written.

The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln includes both stories told about Lincoln and stories told by Lincoln. No president has had more stories told about him than Lincoln.  Many of these stories have passed from American history into American folklore. Sometimes it is hard to separate Lincoln the historical figure from Lincoln the folk hero.

No president told more stories than Lincoln.  He was the storytelling president. He used anecdotes the way Christ is said to have used parables, to make a point, to illustrate a principle. He used humor the way Mark Twain used humor, to break down barriers and throw light on truth.

Ultimately it's for you to decide if the stories told about Lincoln are true and if the stories told by Lincoln contain truth.  

The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln is for anyone who would like to know what Lincoln said to us - and what he is saying to us today.

Alex Ayres

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If you would like to read the first ten pages of Alex's book (or see some of the other books he has available) please click on the link below.

www.alexayresbooks.com

Remembering Grant McLennan

It was one of those unexpected, fateful encounters.  I had gone with my friend, and then band-mate Geoff Gans to Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles to hear some music. It must've been around 1990. And in walked a handsome Aussie singer/songwriter named Grant McLennan.  He was in a band called The Go-Betweens, but I didn't know much about them. Geoff introduced the two of us and we spent the evening conversing and drinking at the bar.

I was living in a guesthouse in Santa Monica at the time so I invited him over.  We took turns singing songs to one another - passing my old acoustic guitar back and forth till around 4:00 in the morning. We finally fell asleep on my futon. The following morning we had breakfast at a nearby restaurant called "A Votre Sante". (We split an order of scrambled tofu.)  It was one of those magical nights and the start of a very special friendship with a man who was not only kind and a true gentleman, but he was also a brilliant artist. And the crazy and almost unbelievable thing was that he believed in me and my songwriting! The next time he came to L.A. we picked up where we left off and played more tunes for one another.  He even remembered a few of my songs and made a point to tell me how much he enjoyed listening to the cassette I sent to him in Australia!

Grant sent me three postcards in the coming years which I will always treasure, but there was one in particular that means very much to me.  I have never liked my singing voice much but on the card he said, "You also sing like a diva..."  Often, throughout the years I've contemplated giving up the crazy dream of pursuing a career in songwriting, but his belief in me is one of the main reasons I've never given up.

Okay, yes - I was smitten by Grant but the only connection he and I had was a musical one. I didn't realize it at the time but he would become one of my all-time favorite singer/songwriters.

Grant McLennan died of a heart attack at the age of 48 on May 6, 2006.  I'll never forget receiving that phone call and the devastating news from my friend Rachel. It took several weeks to get over that sadness and still brings tears to my eyes now as I think of him. I'm thankful for the music he left behind for us. I'm also grateful that I was able to spend a little time with this amazing man. 

I miss you Grant.  I hope we get to sing songs together again some day. Not too soon! But, some day...

  

Thanks to Steven Schayer for delivering this note to me

To listen to one of my favorite Grant McLennan songs - CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

http://youtu.be/sJ9096U897k

Once upon a time... I was a Scenic Artist

In 1988 when I was living near Venice Beach I used to ride my bike around town. One day I noticed a group of odd looking buildings and facades. There was a slew of activity going on inside the compound. Not being shy, I rode my bike through the gates and approached a guy with a paintbrush in his hand.  I asked him what he was doing and he told me he was working on a movie. 

And it was in that exact moment that my life would go in a brand new direction. I began working as a painter on that movie too; at first for free, then within a week I was paid $75.00 a day. And the man who would be paying my salary? His name was Roger Corman. It was his movie studio.

Roger Corman was KING OF THE 'B' MOVIES. He helped Actors and Directors like Ron Howard, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, James Cameron and Francis Ford Coppola get their start. But I had no idea who he was at first. It was only recently that I discovered he and I were both born in Detroit and we each made our way into the film industry after living in the Bay Area.

I worked on three 'Corman' movies, one after the other - Time Trackers, Transylvania Twist and Hollywood Blvd. II.  It was like taking a crash course in scenic painting - but instead of paying for the classes I got paid!  I met some talented people there too, like Production Designer Gary Randall, and Director of Photography, Ronn Schmidt.

Within a year I gathered the confidence to take my new career to the next step! By now it was 1989 and my favorite T.V. show was The Wonder Years.  With a little detective work I found out where they filmed (in Culver City) so I went down to their stage and asked to speak with the Art Director. (Film studios these days are much more difficult to infiltrate with heavy security and guarded gates.)  His name was Bill Ryder and he was kind enough to give me a chance as an on-call Scenic Artist.  I was shocked that he hired me! I was also nervous as hell those first days on the set even though I mainly did things like paint posters for the set's hallways and create student's artwork for the walls. I felt as though I'd won the lottery being able to work with such an amazing cast and crew! I stayed on for three years as their on-call scenic/set dresser. I remember the very last day of filming. We were served lobster for lunch and each given a Director's chair with our name on it!

During that time I met a really talented artist named Cole Lewis. I went on to work with him on a few movies.  People Like Us was one of them. It was a mini-series and the sets were elaborate! Another fine artist on the crew was Glen Gowen. He was an aspiring film maker too. When he told me that he wanted to make music videos I gave him a cassette and asked if he'd consider making one for me.  After listening to a song I wrote called "Nothing Ever Happened" he offered to bring his camera to the set. He made an amazing video for me but somewhere down the line he and I lost track of each other - and also during that time the world had gone 'digital' so I was no longer able to even watch that video.  I tried to find Glen but couldn't locate him. I also tried to have the video converted a few years ago but the quality of the VHS was so aged that it couldn't be done.  But, then I received a message from Glen about a year ago.  He had moved out of L.A. and was still doing his art and still making films and videos.

Last month I received an incredible birthday gift from him. He converted the VHS into a Youtube video! (The link to it is at the bottom of the page) It's like a time capsule - featuring a time in my life when I was actually getting paid to paint! It also features one of the first songs I've ever written.

Universal Studios - Orlando, FL

Universal Studios - ANIMAL PLANET

Disney Land - Anaheim, CA

I eventually went on to work at set shops like Scenic Highlights and for other talented Art Directors and Production Designers like Richard Hoover and Gustav Alsina. I worked on projects for Walt Disney and Universal Studios along with dozens of movies, commercials, T.V. shows and live theater. But after about twelve years I just couldn't do it any more. The fumes got to me, along with the long hours and the physical demands of it. Sometimes the work was fun, but other times it was like house painting only under the extreme pressure to GET IT DONE QUICK!  So I had to let it go. 

It's been several years now since I've worked as a scenic artist. Some day though, I may try to work on just one more project, for old times sake! 

If you'd like to see the music video that my friend Glen made of my song, please click on the link below.

http://youtu.be/jdHtrEo2EQ0

If you'd like to learn more about Roger Corman (The King of the 'B's), click here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Corman

Good Morning Robin Williams

A few months ago something happened that shook my world, as I'm sure it did for many others too. Comedic Actor Robin Williams committed suicide.  When it happened, I was shocked and sad and baffled as to why he would take his own life.

Then my thoughts went back to the previous year when I had the incredibly special opportunity to meet him briefly when I worked on his T.V. show, The Crazy Ones.  I had called Central Casting's hotline the previous day and was surprised when they accepted me to work as one of the advertising staffers on the two day call.  I was so excited in fact, that I barely slept a wink that night.

Living north of Los Angeles has its advantages but one of the major disadvantages is the need to travel over the Sepulveda pass on the 405 to get to West L.A.  But, unfortunately, this is where the sound stage was: Fox Studios on Pico Blvd.  To be safe, I allowed 2 hours and 15 minutes to get there, thinking that would give me plenty of time.  But, oh... was I wrong.  I was 20 minutes late to set and realized that it was possible I might be sent home. (Being late is simply not tolerated on film productions - even being ten minutes late is enough to be fired and sent home without pay.)  When I arrived to the stage I was a nervous wreck, blood pressure through the roof and nearly in tears. Thankfully, after apologizing profusely, the Production Assistant handed me my voucher and told me to head to the wardrobe trailer which was outside and in the alley.  I breathed a heavy sigh of relief and thanked him again for cutting me a break.

I collected the wardrobe I brought with me and opened the door to the small hallway off the stage. This area is used as a buffer so that when filming begins a red light flashes and anyone coming in from outside knows not to open the inside door.  As I walked into that small space the outside door opened at the exact same time and in walked Robin Williams. The two of us nearly collided! So I blurted out, "Well, good morning." And Robin shyly responded back, "Good morning."  It was just a moment in time.  But I walked outside of stage 14 (the same stage that Marilyn Monroe was fired from for being late one too many times) with a smile on my face, suddenly feeling energized and really happy. That's what Robin Williams gave me. His energy was like a spell that came over you when you came in contact with him. I've heard others say the same about him.

But, my story doesn't end there. The day went very well and I was in several scenes (see photo below). Robin was funny on the set as I knew he would be, improvising and going into other voices. My favorite was his Native American wise elder impression.  I tried not to stare at him. Honest I  did!  But I couldn't keep me eyes off of him.

Since it was a two day call I made it a point to leave extra early the following day.  I arrived on time with a small gift for Robin in my purse.  Keep in mind that the only thing worse than being late to a film set is approaching the leading actors and trying to speak with them.  If they speak with you first that's different, but it's just not something that you do. And, I can understand this protocol because sometimes there are hundreds of background actors on set and it would be crazy if each one tried to speak to these V.I.P.s who are trying hard to focus on their lines and stay in character.

So I decided that if the moment presented itself I would give my gift directly to him. And if not, I would give it to his assistant to pass on if they chose to do so.

As the day went on, we were all needed on set most of the time, but later in the day many of us were in a holding area on stage.  It was at that time that Robin Williams stopped to speak with a background actor near me.  Inside of my bag was the small gift and it seemed to call out to me, "NOW'S THE TIME! NOW'S THE TIME!"  I realized at that scary moment that I could again be sent home, but I took that chance and called out, "Robin, I brought a small gift for you!"

As he approached me I pulled out a tiny orange pumpkin squash from my bag and placed it in the palm of my hand as an offering to him.  His face lit up immediately. As he took it out of my hand you could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he was thinking of what he could say about that little pumpkin.  He asked me, "Is this from your garden?"

I smiled and said, "No. I bought it at Trader Joe's for 99 cents."

And for some reason this made him laugh, along with several other background actors who had by that time gathered around.  My head was suddenly spinning. Wait a minute, I remember thinking.... Did I just make Robin Williams laugh?!  Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?  And then he went into a short schpeel about the tiny little pumpkin and I really do wish I could remember the details but looking back it was a bit of a blur because, quite honestly it was all very surreal. 

Robin turned to his assistant and asked her to take the little pumpkin to his trailer.  He thanked me for it and then headed for the set, leaving me and those around me feeling like V.I.P.s too. So often background actors are treated like human props.  Rarely are we even asked for our names. Usually,  it's: "YOU, go over there and walk down the hall", or "YOU, go sit on that couch and pretend to be on the phone." Or "YOU, go stand in the corner with... YOU and YOU...." as the 2nd A.D. points to wide eyed extras in the vicinity.  But really, can you blame them? Are they supposed to remember all of our names, especially when we are only there for a day or so?  None-the-less, being a background actor is humbling, and yes, humiliating at times.

But Robin made us feel as though we were part of the cast.  He took the time to interact with us and he was as kind and genuine and funny as you might imagine he would be.

I'm almost done telling my My Robin Williams story, but there's one more quick chapter to it:

After Robin died I contemplated whether or not to write about giving him the little pumpkin and decided not to. But then about a week later, I received a clear message from the Universe when I was driving up the canyon to my home one early evening. There on the side of the secluded mountain road and far away from any structures was a small pumpkin all by itself sitting on a rock!  It was about twice the size of the one I gave to Robin. Still small, but large enough to spot and it was perfectly healthy and orange (see the photo of me at the top of the page with it in my hands). I passed it by in disbelief then made a U-turn a half mile up the road and came back for it. I believe in signs and metaphors so when I picked up that pumpkin and put it on my passenger seat I smiled and thought to myself, okay, maybe I'm supposed to share my story.  And that reminds me - THANKS for taking the time to drop by and read it!

More about Janine Cooper Ayres:

 www.j9art.com

J-9's Sketchbook

Every now and then someone will ask me the question: where does the inspiration come from when creating a new painting? Often times it is a very spontaneous process but every now and then there will be an initial sketch or doodle which I take to the next step.

These sketches and drawings often pop up while I'm talking on the phone, or on hold with some stupid utility company who leaves me hanging. And these doodles and drawings just linger on random pieces of paper until I either throw them away, file them or turn them into paintings.

Here is an example below of a sketch I did while I was somewhere in America, in a tour bus, while playing bass with an amazing band called Downy Mildew:

Her name is "Cali".  Why does she have fish swimming around in a fish bowl on the top of her head?  I don't know. I don't question these things. However, after I drew it, I decided that perhaps the fish represented thoughts, swimming around in her head.

About ten years after I did the sketch above I was in the mood to paint but I had nothing in mind for which to use as inspiration. So, I looked through my sketches and doodles and drawings and found "Cali".  I painted her out on 16" x 24" canvas and now she is no longer lost under a stack of papers or filed away in my drawer somewhere.

A few years ago I learned how to make e-books.  This has been an amazing experience and I'm having fun creating electronic books and showing friends and family members how to do it too.  My latest e-book has just come out!   It's available on Amazon.com. It's a collections of many of my drawings and watercolor paintings.  If you would like to see a sample of the book, just click on the link below!

http://www.amazon.com/J-9s-Sketchbook-Drawings-Sketches-Watercolors-ebook/dp/B00LAJM0NU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1403804180&sr=8-3&keywords=j-9%27s+sketchbook

Every Picture Tells a Story

A long time ago I had the incredible good fortune to go on the road, playing bass guitar with a band called Let's Active. We were opening a string of concerts for R.E.M. and one particular night in Washington D.C. (after playing at George Washington University) we were a bit too amped up to just go back to our hotel rooms so we all ventured out to see a band called Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians. They were playing at a venue called the 9/30 Club. (Robyn Hitchcock is a brilliant songwriter who infuses British wit and humor into his music and art.) I had been a fan of his music even before that night. His band-mates Andy Metcalfe and Morris Windsor are incredibly talented themselves. I was introduced to them after they performed. A bunch of us all hung out and drank and laughed. It was a truly amazing night!

Robyn Hitchcock - Nov. 12, 1986 - photo by J9

Fast forward about five years:  Robyn, Andy and Morris were recording their album, Perspex Island in Los Angeles.  I was in a band called Pet Clarke at the time. We were invited to the studio to watch their recording session one night and I was sitting in a room watching Robyn lay down some tracks behind a soundproof glass window.

Robyn and I have something in common in that we both like to sketch and paint... Well, there on the coffee table was his sketch pad.  I picked it up and looked through it, admiring all of the interesting images that he had sketched. Feeling inspired, I picked up a pen and began doodling toward the back of the sketch pad. I intended to take the page out before leaving that night so he would never know that I had invaded his art space. But as the night went on I totally forgot and left my sketches in his book.

It wasn't until about a year later when I purchased the CD that I saw one of my sketches again. It was on the back of the Perspex Island CD! Apparently, Robyn had handed over his sketch pad to the Art Director at A & M Records to go through for cover design possibilities. To say the least I was blown away, but then a bit perplexed because the photo credit said that all of the artwork was by Robyn Hitchcock. I didn't think too much of it, but the next time I saw Robyn I confessed to him and apologized too for sketching in his pad. Then I pointed out the sketch I had done, which was a Sphynx-like image of his bassist Andy. The look on Robyn's face was one of confusion.  A somewhat maladroit moment occurred thereafter and then he said something like, "I didn't remember doing that sketch, but sometimes when I'm drinking I like to draw. I thought I might've forgotten that I had done that one." We actually had a good laugh about it. That sketch was even blown up and used on the back of the t-shirts created to promote that incredible album.  (See photo below).

Fast forward another twenty years (crazy how time flies).  I had always wanted to do a painting of that sketch and just a few months ago I finally did.  (It's an acrylic on canvas -16" x 24"). It is available for sale, by the way!

painting by Janine Cooper Ayres - copyright 2014

Several years have passed since I've seen Robyn, Andy and Morris. They are some of the nicest and most talented guys I've ever met so I hope our paths cross again some day. (And if so, I'll bet Robyn won't let me anywhere near his sketch pad!)

J-9

J-9 and Robyn  - photo by Jeff Davis

photo by Jeff Davis

Robyn in the studio in L.A. -  photo by J-9

Click on the link below to listen to one of my favorite songs from Perspex Island

 http://youtu.be/CFQPiD5ARyA

A few 'FIRSTS' for me!

This month I'll be exhibiting at the Acton/Agua Dulce Library and it will be the first time that I display my photography so I'm kind of excited about it. It's also my first earthbound exhibit - no space junk! That is to say, none of my alien characters have been invited.  It was a challenge because I have done a lot of sci-fi inspired paintings over the years.  

When I realized that I didn't really have enough paintings to fill the room I resorted to exhibiting my photography. It actually worked out well because it inspired me to go through my photo archives and I discovered some incredible photos that I forgot I had even taken.  It also reminded me just how much I love the earthly creatures that coexist on this planet with us.  So, then I was inspired to write a song. And that was another first for me - writing a song to accompany an art exhibit.  And then came a slideshow video which brought everything together!  It's been a fun but frustrating process trying to align photos with lyrics - but most of all - trying to convey how important these creatures are to me.  I hope that the focus is on them and not me. That was my main goal. 

See more of Janine's art (and photography too by clicking on the link below:

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUaq_d08bmA&feature=youtu.be