My Brief Autobiography


" Once Upon a Hell of a Good Time "

I was born to familys that my Mother & Father divorced when I was 1 year old . On my 18th Birthday My Fathers Father , a Second Generation Keyboard Musician who played the Grand Ole' Time Pipe Organs for his Church & at Roller Skating Rinks was also an Old World Hand Set Printer who invited Me to his home in North Jersey & Gave Me a Book of " the Copeland Family in America " that my Great Grandfather Researched His Hole Life & Had Printed after his Death by His Wife ; Spanning the First 9 Generations of the Copelands in America ( I have this in My Archives ) . My Fathers Family arived in Massachusetts from England in 1652 . I am the 11 Generation in America : BUT I was never told much of anything about him .
The family I New ( my Mothers ) was Quite Tallented , in that my Grandfather ( POP ; born in Pittsbourgh , Pa. who we ended up living with untill I was 5 or 6 years old ) was a Highly Skilled Old World Skilled Craftsman , who's Parents in there teens came to America from Eastern Europe ; Teplitz ( Bohemia ) Austria in the 1870s . Pop : a Uniquely Big & Strong Charactor in Life , with Old World Values & Life Style , World War 1 Vet , a 25 Year President of the Rod & Gun Club who Promoted & Legislated to Succesfully make Stripe Bass Fishing to Be A Sport in N. J. . Pop did His Thing down back by the Barn , ( away from the House ) like Skinning & Hanging Deer to dry , Plucking Phesant , Grouse , Quale , Chickens etc. , Gutting Fish & I often helped him in Loading & Unloadind the Smokehouse with Fish , Eels , etc. . He was a NO Bull Shit - kinda man . He was my most Prominate Role model as a boy . He made Everything & Anything ( precession , perfection & quality was his passion ) . My Grandmother , a School Teacher ( whos Father : born 1848 at Bailey's Corner , N.J. & lived in Centerville, N.J. / Mother : born 1857 lived in Poplar, N.J. ) was Clasic Victorian Lady & a Real Sweetheart who kept everything in Order & in Pristine Condition . I had My Chores around the Yard like carring for the Chickens & in my Grandmothers Vegtable & Flower Gardens that I was responciable for Assisting Her . My Mother who was also Tallented & Valued all Her Time , had Very Strong Interests in the Visual Arts ; Oil Painting & Pastels , Interior Decorating , etc. also Creatively Sewing & Especially Fassion Design .

~ ~ ~ As a Young Lad ~ ~ ~

Inspired & Guided by My Family I also liked Creating & Making Things ; Drawing , Cartooning , Futurist & Surrealistic Images that Captivated MY Minds Eye , Spirit & Harnessed MY Souls Attention for the rest of my Life ! As for the Crafts etc. , I was often Whittling , Carving etc. with POP who made Most of His Own Fishing Lures & Duck Hunting Decoys Etc. & I assisted him as he also made Furniture , Moldings etc. in his Supurb Woodworking Shop in one Large Area of the Barn . I enjoyed Knifes & there Uses ( whitteling ) & Games ( like Mumbelly Peg , Strech , etc. ) & Archery ; playing with my friends like Robin Hood & Midevil Era Charactors , Danial Boone & Native Americans molded My Childhood Spirit & Styles along with the Daredevils & Thrill Seeking Actions inspired by ALL the TV & Movie Stunt Men . My Friends & I would play in the Square Mile Uniquely Sculpted Overgrown Abandon Golf Course ( of 25 Years ) that our Beautiful Home backed up to & by the time I was 8 years old I had broken My Arm Three Different Times & my Leg Once falling out of the Trees while Emulating TARZAN . In the early 1950s they started Developing part of the Ol' Golfcourse , right behind our home , bulldozing etc. . In 1952 I got a New Schwinn Bicycle & that opend My Horrizons Dramaticaly - Customizing it with Homemade Full Bubble Skirts , Kerosene Soaked Rags Smoldering in my Dual Exhaust Pipes with Balloons tied to the Front Forks rooring as I rode off to explore New Realms . ( MY ; Little Rascals LIKE Style & Phylosophy was Established ) I than went out in every direction Possiable & was rarely home much from than on , Exploring New Directions on a Daily Bassis ! ( while keeping up with My Chores of course - Or Else ! ) In the Summer I was Up & Out ALL of the Day . I saw my mother for dinner checking in & back out untill 8 pm Every Day ( weather permitting ) . She provided me with A Very Nice Home , Wardwrobe , Food in the Cubards , TV & my own Radio that I listened to ; My Favorate D Js " Jocko " & " the Bruce - called Ramond the Chatterer " .
That Was About IT & to a Kid .
I think my First Vivid Exploritoryisation was discovering " Nannygoat Hill " , the Itallian Hamlet on the western most edge of town - with so many Grape Arbors ( that we also had down the lower half of our driveway for a 100 ft. ) , the Fig Trees ; wrapped in Tarpaper during the winter were abundant & the Goats in some yards were also New to me . Clothes being hung out by the Old Grandmas dressed Only in All Black , speaking there Foreign Language starred at Me as I Tooled By , through There Wonderfully Vivid Hamlet . I loved the New Realms I was finding & further on at Morris Ave. , I soon came into the Commertial Itallian District where I became enchanted with watching through the Fence " the Colorfull Ole' Timers " play Bocci Ball . During this Era - My Life Style Mentors Were Mostly The Kings of Comedy that first & foremost Inspired & Stimulated Me . I was attracted to there Charm , Odd Styles & the Various Adventures in Slapstick Movies . As a Boy I esspecialy Assimulated to " the Little Rascals & the East Side Kids " & the Comedic adults : Lawrel & Hardy - Abott & Costello - the 3 Stooges , Charlie Chaplin , Red Skelton , Ernie Kovacks , Chuck Mc Cann were ALL Very Influiential to ME with The Comical Twist that " I " Enjoyed the Most " & saw as Admiriable , Worthwile & Most Valid .
During the early 50s another uncle & his friends took me to Grenwich Village & China Town for the first time , to buy a Sterio Sound System for his Jazz Record Collection . I was Very Fasinated by this New Irban Environment & International Cultural Experiance . So Expanding My Horizons during the Summers ; I now rode my Bike to the Beach every day & Enjoyed Body Surfing & Diving at the Sea Side Pools or Diving off the Gettys on Home Made Diving Boards all Day Long in the than Pristine Ocean Water . Inspired by the many Games at the Boardwalk Arcades - I built my own " Little Rascals Style " Wooden Pinball Machines with Rubberbands to rickoschea Marbles about on the Boards surface etc.. I was also Customizing My Model Cars , Soap Box Durby Cars etc. ( a bit More Inventively & Creatively than Anyone Else around at that Time with all the Tools etc. Pop had in His Wood Shop ) & eventualy I was helping my older friend & neighbor Customize his 1950 Mercury ( a Full Out Led Sled of the Times - My first Fire Paint Job Design ) . His older brother & there friends had some Realy Sweet Original Hot Rods & 2 of his Sisters were my Jitterbug Dance Partners for the Rock & Roll / Be Bop Dance Sessions we had in the afternoons after school in the Middle 50s & during the Popular American Bandstand TV Shows - we even had Dance Classes in Grammar School back then - BUT NOT " That Devils Music " !
( I enjoyed that at the Week End House Partys a couple Female School Mates often had )
My good friend John & his younger Sister " Could Cut A Rug " & he was also a life long Savy Rock & Roll & Do Wop Fan . He also liked Drawing & Cartooning & was Very Tallented at it . His Mother & I got along very well & she welcomed me into There Home like another son & was Very Kind & Good to Me , remaining a Very Respected Lady & an Important Person to ME through out Her Whole Life .
Inspired by the Walt Disney Cartoons & his TV Adventure Specials , All the 50s Cartoons , the Traditionally Structured Art of John Neagy ( a TV Art Instructor ) , some Fine Art Artists , the Popular Science & Popular Mechanics Magazines with there Commertial Advertising & Futuristic Illustrations Fertilized my Young Roots , while My Adventurious Outlooks , developed from the TV & Movie Stunt Men , the Thrill Seeking Dare Devils , World Land & Water Speed Recordholders etc. & that Like Spirit .

NOW - With Beauty & Visual Art developing as an important Focus for My Life , I also Began to Decorate my Homes Atmousphier , as some years earlier my Mother & I Drew & made Mobiles togeather for Our Home & as Holliday Gifts for Friends - this was the begining of focusing on Creating Art to be utilized as Interior Decorating for Me when my mother allowed me to Re-decorate My Bedroom COMPLETELY as I saw fit . I Painted the Walls Black , White Celling & Window Trim with a Red Carpet & Red Curtains , a 4 Ft. Diameter Spiderweb I made out of White Cotton Cord ( inspired by my Ole' Mentor Zackerly ; the TV Horror Show Commedy Host ) & a 3 Ft. Diameter Coca Cola Red Fiberglass Bottle Cap Advertisemant ( Pop Art Like ) on the wall .


Within our Baby Boomer Explosion there were 450 Kids in my 9th Grade Class , as I enjoyed doing Very Well in the Art & Shop Classes along with the Social Interaction with many new peers & I got along well with everyone . At 15 I had bought my first Car - a 1936 Plymouth Coupe I Customized some & drove occassionaly in the Abandon Golf Course & Woods , in back of where I grew up as My friends & I all started to aquire Cars , Scooters etc. . When I got my Drivers Liscence this also Expanded my Horizons more & met & went many new places as I did when getting my first Bicycle . Back then , one could buy what we called " A $25 Dollar Special " ( a Car that Ran & was Street Legal ) & I also Always Customized My Car ,or Jalopy . Stock Car Racing was Popular , Adding to Inspiring the Overall Flavor of " the Automobile "for Many Thrills & Excitement ; Especially for Us Teenage Guys . There were a couple Dance Halls around then & this is when I Formaly Began Making My Thoughts & even moreso " My Feelings & My Emotions " into a Tangiable Reality - " A PAINTING " as it was Here I painted - The First Surreal Work of Art - of Real Meaning to ME - Visualy Expressing - The Various Aspects of - THE MOMENT - when I asked my First Girlfriend to Go Steady with Me . With another couple we went to see Ray Charles perform live at A Dinner Theater , for MY First Music Hall Concert ; we went to see James Brown ( where I Finally Met " Mr. Brown " on His 70th Birthday ) . Right after High School I got my First Full Time Job as a Stock Boy , then got a more meaningfull Job as a Machinist . I then got a Construction Job that Payed much more & finally doubled that wage as I got into the Labor Union . I soon moved into an Appartment Complex & was Excited to Decorate My New Home in a Popular Danish Modern Style . I also started to Paint & Sculpt more . When I found Jazz as my New Musical Focus & that of a more Artistic Lifestyle as I got My First Art Related Job at Spancraft Studios : an Old World Picture Framing / Art Restoration Studio owned by Paul Richard / a Mature International Restoration Artist , who was also Once a Smithsonian Museum Display Artist . There I grew Artistically , Experimenting with the Many Popular Styles & Techniques I was becoming aware of , thankx to the Influx of Quality Fine Art at this Facility & the Tutelage of Paul working in this Fine Framing & Restoration Studio Environment & also Experiancing some Decorating Duties for Our Afflouient Clientel , eventually developing a Few Modern Styles of My Own . This was when I began A Cafe Style of eating & briefly started Bartending & also took up Drinking Wine . There I met some rather sucessful musicians that some got a Recording Contract & asked Me to Design there First Record Album Cover . I then Designed & Developed a Line of Watches with the son of a Watch Co. , communiting to NYC in there Limozine every day . From 1961 through 1971 were & would be very Unique Years to me . The Multipal List of Events , Trends , Styles etc. that Culturally & Technickly Transpired in that Spaciffic Decade were SO New & Different from ALL Others - THINK ABOUT IT : Man walked on the Moon ( HELLO ) Noless - I saw the End of the ole Horse & Buggy Days as A Boy .
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~ ~ ~ " THE ELBERON RANCH " ~ ~ ~
( click on these other topics below to also see my other relating blogs of this era )
http://www.theelberonranchbuddys.blogspot.com/
http://www.theblackberryboozeband.blogspot.com/
For ME ; This would be another Very Exciting Period , like the Repeating of a Second Childhood but as an adult , also within the Many Acres of this Once Finely Sculpted Landscape & with these Uniquely Overgrown Historic Ruins in Various Places , that were just Full of Good Spirit .
In the early 1900s this Proprety named " FIRENZE " was the Estate of Danial Guggenhiem : a Colorado Silver Mine Tycoon & Peggys Older Brother ,
Then it became Simon Guggenhiems .
SO when I moved into the Hay Barn , IT was Very Famillar & Reminisant of ; Pops Wood Shop in the Barn & Gardning again , the Ole' Overgrown Golf Course , the Saccos Horse Farm & Geza de Veghs Art School " the Old Mill Gallery " All in One !
Turning the Hay Barn into " MY ART STUDIO " with a Potbelly Stove for Heat & making Pottery & Painting there was just wonderful . Then meeting Fanny & making many new friends & colaborating with James as We created these highly stylized Archetictural Environmental Sculptures that Innovated & Enevetably played a major part in revolutionizing new directions & Avenues in the building industrys styles , Its Codes , Laws etc. . By being a part of this property & various Artistic & Organic peers , we were determand to be in harmony with the Earth , ON OUR 30 ACRES , just 2 blocks from the already getting dirty ocean : that Congressman Frank Palone Aggresivly Addressed about a Decade later Quite Succesfully ! Now Fanny , who was a Theactrical & Dance Student & we had an Energizing effect on Each Other always enjoying Dancing All Night Long . After Fanny Graduated she & I had seperate Dreams & she went to Florida & I then moved to Phoenix , Az. , then relocating to Colorado working in an Art Gallery Picture Framing many Andy Warhol Originals . This Vibrant Hand Colored Flower Series of Warhols inspired me to develope A Series of my own that I created the First Two of Nine there through that Winter & Spring when I planed to go back to the Elberon Ranch to retrieve all my Art Supplies & Dog I had left back there . Upon returning I was asked to build Another Cave with James & Paint My First Mural , also collaborating with the Elberon Ranch as Art Director & a Comedic Entertainer that Pioneered the First of a Series of Very Sucessfull Nightclub Entertainment Shows , as I slowly kept developing My Flower Series for an Art Show with 3 other Artists & Sold Out : also aquireing 2 Comittions - one of which I feel was emulated & used as The Basis for the TV Cartoon Series DRAGON TALES ! SO ; I went looking to Move On again & in search of a Healthier Place ! SO - I went South to see Dear Fanny & then got hired with the Circus ( thanks somewhat to my recient Comedic Nightclub Experiances ) . Enevetivitably doing Very Well There by promptly becoming the Clown Lead , Main Show Stage Set & a Props Designer , Promotional & Public Relations Rep.. After a couple years there , Surviving there Femine Beauties , the Many Beasts & Multipal Death Defing Temptations , I did not prevail as I had intended , AS during a New Production Gags First Full Dress Rehearsal & during the use of The Special Effect " Strobe Lights " for the first time , I had A Trapize Mishap , unable to Focus C& becoming Disoriented from this New Lighting Effect , during my dismount on to The Floor that injured my Lower Legs requiring 6 months to Heal / Recover , during which time I was Replaced Prior to My Recovery - as " The Show Must Go On " & I never totally reclaimed my youthful Agillity I once had Previously . SO : I eventualy recovered & now " Paint the Circus " .
~ click below to Check Out My Blog on that also ~
http://www.thecircusartshow.blogspot.com/

The next summer I became the Crew Chief at the Monmouth Art Center Theatre for the Reavaluation , Restoration , Redesigning & Planing of the Modern Day Updates for the Handycap , Fire & Safty Codes , ReFinishing the Entranceway & Back Stage Areas along with the Overall ReDesigning of the Complete Theatre Proper by Creating A 1/4 inch Scale Model ; housing 3 Seperate & Removable Color Scemes , along with making 1 to 1 Size Templates of ALL the Ornate Moldings throughout the Theatre & Present IT to the MAC Board Members for there Preliminary Approval . Once this Annual Agrement / Contract was forfilled , I took up Picture Framing again for a while & then became involved in Setting Up & Creating A Workshop and Workplace for Deliquent Teens at the Theatre ; as the Stagecraft Supervisor , to again enhance that Facility & also give Artistic Guidance to these Suprisingly Receptive & Yet Needy Teens . I then also Incorporated & Collaborated with one of ther Musical Member Groups as The Set Designer for 3 Operetas , as I was also attending College for Formal Courses in STAGECRAFT : Set Design , Lighting , Costuming & Makeup - eventualy also Designing & Completing some other Shows in the Small Theatre ( the Property that Geza DeVagh once owned as " the Old Mill Art Gallery " & my Old Art School ) on its still intact 3rd Floor Mini Theatre . After that I began work on Developing Reproductions of My Flower Series when I than was Invited to become The Designer / Crew Cheif for another Large Antiquated Facillity ; Updating & ReDecorating the Interior Atmousphere that was very outdated also personally Designing & Painted Two 130 Sq. Ft. Landscape Murals for the Cafeteria .

~ ~ ~ To Be Continued ~ ~ ~

if you have any interest in music ;
Tune in , Listen To & if you can - Help Support ;
WBGO / 88.3 FM out of Newark , N. J. - USA
or on the web at :
http://www.wbgo.org
YOU MIGHT REALY ENJOY IT

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Thursday, January 15, 2009

Halloween 1948

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OH - here's a good one from my Nursery School Days !

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I am in the 2nd Row - 4th from the Right

This is where I got into Halloween .

It stuck with me throughout my whole Life .

&

" All the World is a Stage "


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