BEATLE 12" X 12" CHALLENGE

PENNY LANE

Maureen Ashlock

This road was featured in the 1967 song by Paul McCartney. Penny Lane is one of the roads that lead off the roundabout that has the Barber shop where the Fireman goes to get his hair cut. John, living nearby, would meet Paul at the entrance to Penny Lane to catch buses into the center of London. A large shopping area and the bus terminal were located where the many routes merged. While living in Scotland in June 1969 we drove through Liverpool to go down Penny Lane when we were on leave in London.

FLAMING PIE

Lettie Blackburn

My piece "Flaming Pie" was Inspired by a 1961 quote from John Lennon, who was tired of the media always asking where the group got the name the "Beatles". He responded; "I had a vision of a man in a flaming pie, who said 'you shall be called THE BEATLES, with an 'A', and so we were".

SERGEANT PEPPER’S

LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND

Carol Bormann

This tribute to the Beatles became my “happy quilt” for the challenge. Fascinated with the uniforms of the band along with the epaulettes and tassels, I chose to minimally reference the Beatles by cropping the images to show parts of the uniforms and only limited facial and hair details. The technique used was custom machine embroidery in a cross stitch pattern giving the piece a petit point appearance.

RINGO

Dianna Callahan

The Beatles’ song “Help” kept going through my head and inspired this abstracted portrait of Ringo in a high-contrast, Notan style.

THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD

Cathy Jeffery 

 

"The Long and Winding Road" was inspired by a heartbreaking time in my life.

THE YELLOW SUBMARINE

Lily Kerns

My goal in these challenges has been to move as far as possible from an obvious interpretation of the challenge--and still claim that it was "inspired by".

The Yellow Submarine was the only Beatle title I could think of. Both diving expeditions that have actually made it seven miles deep to the bottom of the Mariana Trench did indeed find bio-luminescent life forms. When I went to the web to play the song, neither the words nor music seemed familiar. Now I have another reason for not recognizing the music!

I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND

Donna Olson

When I thought of the Beatles’ songs, this was the first to come to mind, along with the vision of God’s Creation of Adam on the Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

BLACKBIRD

Donna Olson

I am fascinated by crows and enjoy working with crow images. The Beatles’ “Blackbird”, a beautiful song, made my choice easy.

BLUE JAY WAY
Roberta Ranney

My piece, "Blue Jay Way" was inspired by a song written by George Harrison back in the day. It actually refers to a street in LA but I chose it because I liked the name of the song.

JOHN

Emmie Seaman

My portrait of "John" is a paper "cutout" technique that was applied to fusible fabric.

OCTOPUSS’S GARDEN

Lucy Silliman

BABY YOU CAN DRIVE MY CAR

Diane Steffen

I LOVE my car. Because the inspiration was the Beatles, and I drive a Beetle, I had to do something with the VW Bug theme.

JULIA: HOMAGE TO THE BEATLES

Merrilee Tieche

Inspired by a John Lennon song written about the two women he loved most - his mother, Julia, who was killed when John was 17, and his wife, Yoko Ono. There is a lot of ocean imagery in the lyrics and the ocean always speaks to me.