I should have taken more detailed photos of this since this is the piece I consider “kitsch supreme”. This is the first time I have EVER seen a light up velvet painting! Truly brilliant in every way! The bongos, the light up flames, and the over all detail of this piece deserves an award from me if I was ever to possess that ability!
Everyone needs a little soul seasoning on their food! I was so taken by the seasoning I forgot to touch the statues to see if they are ceramic or plastic.
Shake a little soul on your food.
A little goodie I spotted in the studio that just adds to the magic of the room!
The famous “Music Muffs” previously modeled by Allee over at AWMoK.com in the Kitschenette. Check out the cigarette snuffer ashtray with the record in the center!
Taking a little break, gabbing and laughing like mad with Allee and feeling right at home here at “Willis Wonderland”!
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Allee Willis
The velvet painting in photo number one is the best velvet painting I’ve ever owned or seen. First of all it’s huge. Second, it’s on velvet and it has every theme going on that you’d want in a kitsch painting from the late 60s – Afro, music, Tiki, Peace, everything! The lights are strings of Christmas lights mounted against tinfoil in the back. Also, notice how huge his head is compared to his tiny little feminine hands.
The puppets in photo number two were made by Childcraft in 1966. There are two other gospel singers, a grandmother, a grandfather, a son and Nelson Mandela. I also have a policeman and doctor. That’s the whole set as far as I know.
I absolutely love the soul seasoning in photo number three though it’s always sat in my recording studio and never in the kitchen.
The musical bingo game in photo number four is from the 1940s.
The ashtray with a record in the center is a promotional Doris Day ashtray. https://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2009/10/05/allee-willis-kitsch-o-the-day-doris-day-ashtray-with-title-printed-wrong/
I love that photo of the two of us!
Douglas Wood
Another stupendous assortment of kitsch. I would kill to have seen the expression on Allee’s face when she first came across that “beyond words” velvet painting. The puppets are great– the woman on the left looks like a surgeon after washing her hands and awaiting the rubber gloves. And the soul seasoning being in the recording studio is perfect. Ah, if only it were that easy. (I can think of at least a hundred singers who could use a dash or two of that stuff before recording.)
Allee Willis
I found the velvet painting at the Pasadena City College swap meet in the early 90s. I almost didn’t get it because the woman wanted $90. As I was walking away she yelled “it lights up!”. I just kept walking but before I got to the end of the row turned around and raced back and popped that money down so fast! To this day, it’s one of the most popular things in the house. Since then I found one more of the same piece, not in as good of shape but a must have nonetheless. I also have one either large piece that I’m 100% certain was done by the same artist.
denny
I would have paid anything for that velvet painting, well, almost. It is pretty amazing. Hair raising for sure!
I too dig this picture of the two us. The smiles are right on and I love it how candid this shot is. Was this after I cried listening to “I’m Still Here”?