My Van Halen tribute series

I've been a die-hard Van Halen fan since middle school. I'm a fan of the original lineup and the VH mach-2. My preference was and still is Sammy Hagar. He was the frontman when I got into the band.

I was heartbroken in 1996 when Eddie fired Sammy. The band was never the same, but Sammy flourished! I've held a grudge against Eddie ever since.

However, when he passed away in 2020 I was crestfallen. My love of the band came flooding back, because now there will never be a Van Halen. A few months after his death (I was already in a deep depression before Eddie Van Halen's death and stopped making art for about 9 months total), I started my tribute series of the band. For the most part, my drawings and paintings depict all 4 members: Eddie, Sammy, Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony. I focus on the lineup I grew up with (and I don't like David Lee Roth. His contribution to the success of the band can't hinder my distaste for his personality). 

I wanted to show each tour, whether they are performing or posing. I still have a few more I want to do. 

 

Best of all worlds

 So, Sammy Hagar has embarked on a new tour to celebrate and honor the music of Van Halen, as well as his career, and the careers of his band members, which right now consists of Michael Anthony of Van Halen, Jason Bonham, and Joe Satriani of Chickenfoot with Sammy and Michael Anthony. This friday, August 2nd, the "Best of All Worlds" tour is going to be hitting Pine Knob music theater in Clarkston michigan, where I and my brother will be going and taking artwork to hopefully give to Sammy and the band. I have not done this and a long time, because I didn't want to put my brother through that again. Since 1997, I've been taking artwork to concerts to try to give to musicians that I admire, and feel as though my brother and my wife have had to suffer through me trying to finagle a way to get backstage over get to the front of the crowd or get to security to try to get the artwork to the bands. So for the last almost 10 years I've given up on bringing artwork to musicians, and that includes Sammy Hagar. But my brother just kind of hinted the other week that the reason he gets tickets so close is so I could try to get artwork to the band on stage, which means that he's always intended for me to do that without actually saying anything! So this concert I'm going to try it again, which works because Van Halen is one of the biggest reasons I got in to music and Middle School, particularly the Sammy Hagar era because that's when I got into music was around the For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge album, which is my favorite album of all time, and not just favorite Van Halen album. We were lucky enough to see Van Halen in 1993 and twice in 1995, that's the last time we saw Van Halen. The 2004 tour was too expensive for us to go to, but we've seen all but maybe three Sammy solo tours if you include the Chickenfoot shows. Here are some of the pictures that I created for the band members. Wish me luck on giving these to them face to face!

Finished What I Started!

It's done! I set out to paint a quick watercolor portrait of Van Halen, and 3 days later...

This is an 11x14 watercolor painting on watercolor paper (or bristol board. I don't remember).

It is available for purchase. Contact me via Facebook or email if interested.

 

Take Me Back (Deja Vu)

 I found this drawing I did in my high school art class almost 30 years ago. I drew it sometime between 1992 and 1995. Just graphite pencil on paper. We had to wrap the artwork in plastic, hence the reflections.

Slow Progression

 I posted January 29th a photo of my recent drawing for my Van Halen Tribute series. That photo is here:

This is where that drawing is as of March 24th:

It's been a SLOW drawing. It's a 36"x24"ish graphite drawing. I'm using an HB mechanical pencil (#2 mechanical pencil). 

Now, I don't work on it every day, but I work on it a few days a week for 1-4 hours a day. 

I've done a drawing or painting for each tour with Sammy Hagar except the OU812 tour. That's the next project, though. I'm trying to do full band images to celebrate what I always loved about the band: teamwork and camaraderie. 

5150 Time!!

This is my Van Halen tribute series, Which I began a few months after Eddie Van Halen died in 2020. I'm focusing on the Sammy Hagar era, as that is the time I got into music and the band (and I'm obsessed with Sammy because of VH). I'm not knocking the original lineup; I love Van Halen from 1977 to 1996, I just prefer Sammy. Some of the artwork here has been sold, but most I still have. 

 

New Art for a New Year (EXCLUSIVE)

 I've been drawing and painting tributes to Van Halen since Eddie Van Halen died in 2020. I'm focusing on the Sammy Hagar years, as that's the era I got into music and am obsessed with Sammy Hagar because of it. 

This is the most recent, which I finished today (I think it's done). This is a 36"x24" charcoal drawing based on Van Halen's -fated reunion tour with Sammy Hagar in 2004. I've posted videos and photos of the progress on my TikTok and Instagram, but this is the ONLY place I'm posting the finished product, at least for now. 

Let me know what you think, and maybe share with people who might appreciate it.

Happy New Year.

Newest VH tribute painting

 Since Eddie Van Halen's death October 2020, I've taken it harder than expected. I've been drawing and painting artwork of Van Halen (Sammy Hagar era) ever since, like I did in middle school when I started listening to music, and through high school until Sammy Hagar was fired.

This is the latest oil painting, based on an image from a free concert the band played in Texas around 1992. 

This painting is up for sale. Contact me if interested. 

Feelin' Red

 I've done a lot of artwork inspired by my favorite band and favorite singer/musician VAN HALEN and SAMMY HAGAR. After Eddie Van Halen's death, I was (I don't want to say inspired) to make art to celebrate the music and band VAN HALEN, specifically the Sammy Hagar lineup that I first got into and was inspired by. Below are examples of those pieces.

I'm feeling that itch again, but more towards Sammy related, but I don't know if I want to do VH era, Montrose, solo or current (with "The Circle"). Below are samples of work I've done of Sammy and for Sammy. I'll be seeing him in concert again this Summer, so I might do something for him (it's been 10 years, why not?).