Jazz art painter Bruni Sablan credits grandfather for pursuing passion
Name anyone in the world of jazz--Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Shirley Horn, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington--and artist Bruni Sablan has likely done a portrait of them, and it's also likely she's met them.
Her portrait is on the cover of Coltrane on Coltrane: The John Coltrane Interviews, and the Smithsonian Institution acquired one of her portraits of Duke Ellington in 1996 as part of its permanent collection of 20th- century music.
Sablan, who has just opened BRUNI Gallery in Willow Glen, credits her late father, Joseph Parello, with her love of jazz.
"I was a jazz kid and my dad was a jazz lover," she says.
Q&A:
Q: Why did you decide to take this journey?
A: It was decided for me, I'm a highly spiritual artist. I don't take credit, a "hand" was put on my shoulder that conveyed "YOU ARE IT' AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT. So I listened... I was young and I loved jazz all my Life. I had very good "teachers", Leonard Feather, Chan Parker, and numerous Jazz Greats I've had the honor to meet and talk with.
Q: How are you doing in this down market?
A: Praying a lot!!!
Q: Do you have a story about a particular painting?
A: Yes. It is my Bessie Smith, which I call my "Monalisa". I can't let her go for what people are offering nowdays. I'm holding on. I also have 11 sketch books, over a period of 20 yrs, which I drew right on the gigs, everywhere, and I have autographs (l08 of them) of ALL the jazz greats, from Betty to Benny to Miles and Sonny and Stan and you name them.
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Posted by Pete McConnell at 3/5/2011 11:45 AM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: jazz painting jazz art jazz blog bruni sablan
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: jazz painting jazz art jazz blog bruni sablan
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