- The Deacon Art Studio -: July 2009

A little more about me

I became the head designer for Sky Designs, a clothing and fashion design company in West Hollywood, California. I have had my designs worn by various music entertainers such as Ringo Starr, Ricky Nelson, Bobby Vinton, Ike Turner (Ike & Tina Turner), Buddy Miles (Drummer for Jimi Hendrix) and Joni Mitchell. Many of which you could see at the time wearing them on NBC's "Midnight Special" with Wolfman Jack. Below you can see one of the outfits that I did for singer Marvin Gaye on his "Live!" album. It was a very exciting time and a great experience!

I had worked for Hollywood film producer Ralph S. Singleton and his wife Joan who is also a film producer as well as a book publisher. I have worked with film director Mary Lambert along with Ralph S. Singleton as their production assistant on Paramount Pictures motion picture “Pet Sematary Two”, for which I am pleased to have received a credit in the ending film credits. Besides directing many films including Steven King’s “Pet Sematary”, Mary Lambert has also directed numerous music videos by Madonna, Janet Jackson, Sting, The Pretenders, Lionel Richie and The Eurythmics. Ralph S. Singleton has produced numerous films starring such actors as Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte.

I have also had the pleasure to have known artist and sculptor Felix de Weldon who was not only my friend, but neighbor as well. I first met Felix when he would frequent the art store that I had owned and then later becoming my neighbor. Mr. de Weldon is internationally known and is probably most famous for his sculpture of “The Flag Raising on Iwo Jima” in Arlington, Virginia as The Marine Corps War Memorial. He has sculpted many busts of military heroes and presidents including Presidents Kennedy, Eisenhower and Truman, not to mention over one thousand public memorials worldwide. He was appointed to the Presidential Fine Arts Counsel by President Kennedy in 1961. Sadly Felix passed away in 2003 at the age of 96. He was a fascinating man and is missed. I was kindly presented with an original sculpture he did of “Winged Victory of Samothrace” by his wife Joyce before his passing. Below is a photo of it. It is very beautiful and I do feel very honored to have been given it. The original Winged Victory of Samothrace is in the Louvre in Paris, France.