I've been Mooned!

I’ve been Mooned!

That is, my likeness has been painted on canvas by my friend Bruce Moon, a fellow singer/songwriter whose artistic talents obviously go beyond music. (He is ridiculously prolific in his songwriting – as well as recording and making music videos. Check out his YouTube channel here.)

For the past three summers, I’ve joined a bunch of other Midwestern musicians to donate sets to an all-day festival in Bloomington-Normal, where Bruce lives. The festival is called Music and Munch. Bruce and his wife, Cathy, founded and have hosted this annual event now 16 times. There’s music and food and raffles and silent auction. All the proceeds go to benefit Therapeutic Arts Program in East Africa.

I’ve seen some of Bruce’s other paintings, a few of which focused on musician friends. Got to admit, I was a tad envious. Well, at this year’s festival auction, I bought the opportunity to have Bruce paint a portrait of me. I didn’t even have to sit and pose! I provided him a publicity photo from a bunch that my former newspaper colleague Ron Johnson shot a couple of years ago.

The original photos were taken in the Warehouse District of Peoria, with old buildings in the background. As you can see from the photo, the background has changed. Last week, as he was finishing up the painting, Bruce was watching the British Open and came up with an idea. He pitched it to me, knowing how much I love golf, and I was all in.

I love how this turned out.