Tag: Dave Ripton

I have a lot of old paintings out in the garage and most of them are mine. Our current house has a lot less wall space than our old city house had. I’ve been organizing the garage this summer and I dusted off this painting yesterday. I bought it from Cheryl at Godiva’s when it was over on Monroe Avenue. It’s a double self portrait by Dave Ripton and Todd Beers. I played drums in the Dave’s band for a while along with Jack Schaefer and Martin Edic. We used to practice in the recording studio behind the Bug Jar. I loved Dave’s songs and I love this self portrait. He is a duel threat at least. Dave’s well meaning painting advice to me was, “I’d love to see your faces on heroin.” I think he wanted me to get real, sort of the opposite of lighten up.

Todd used to get poetry workshops at area high schools. He’d work with the kids during the day and then they’d read their work coffee house style in a dimly lit assembly space at night. He often asked Peggi and me to join them as musical accompaniment, bongos and sax. I feel very fortunate to have this painting. It used to hang over our fireplace. Someday I’ll get back on a wall.