Uncle Dick

Rick Nielsen’s Doubleneck, Hamer Guitar

30” X 24” X 2.25”

Acrylic on Canvas

The color scheme for this Yellow + Black and White monochromatic piece chose itself, with Rick Nielsen’s guitar flaunting those colors.

 I’ve always been intrigued by Nielsen’s multi-neck guitars. Most intriguing (by far) is his lookalike double neck, inspired by a sketch from a Japanese fan (after the Budokan concert) in 1979, dubbed, “Uncle Dick.” I love the graphics of Rick’s signature checkerboard motif. But they look FOREVER to do!! And to get them (and the rest of the guitar’s details) to look hallway right was painstakingly tedious.

 I chose a subdued night scene to highlight the checks and make them POP!! I echoed the pattern and look of the lamppost’s dome, the player’s glasses – Even the weave pattern (stylized guitar strings) on the fretboard reflect that positive/negative flair.