Banjolele

This is a picture I did of one of George Formby's banjoleles; it's the Gibson UB4 'Concert' that he used on the television show, 'The Friday Show'. That was his final T.V. performance, back in 1960.

It has the script 'Low Lampost' because that was written on the vellum to indicate the tuning.

Like a lot of old musical instruments, it's beautifully finished and was delightful to paint, endeavouring to capture the polished burl walnut, the rich rosewood, the soft ivoroid inlays, and the nickel plating.

I've done some similar paintings of both banjoleles and ukuleles for people, personalising the picture appropriately for their instrument. If you have a charming old instrument, like a Gibson or a Keech, or even a modern one with sentimental value, it's wonderful to have a picture of the instrument, your instrument, in a favourite place in your home.