Classic film Blazing Saddles

 

Blazing Saddles

Rendering by Donna Massa  2018

The TCM classic film Blazing Saddles was released on February 7 1974 the date of my birthday.  Directed by the talented Mel Brooks, music by John Morris and the screenplay by Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Andrew Bergman, Allen Uber and more.  The cast: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Alex Kara’s, Mel Brooks, Harvey Korman and Madeline Kahn.

The film is based on a satirical take on Westerns.  The crafty railroad worker Bart is played by Cleavon Little and becomes the first black sheriff of Rock Ridge a frontier town about to be destroyed in order to make way for a new railroad.  The people of Rock Ridge harbor are nearly all racial bias toward their new Sheriff, however over time they warm up to him.  The people of this western town realize that Bart, and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend played by Gene Wilder, are the only defense law makers they have against a wave of outlaw thugs. These bad guys were sent to rid the town of it’s corrupt politician, and the towns entire population.  

This film among many other of Mel Brooks films is one of my favorites.  There isn’t a scene that you can keep a straight face!  It is delightful to watch and every time I see it, I always seem to see something I never noticed before.  

This rendering was created as a tribute to Mel Brooks and designed on a t-shirt for TCM Turner Classic Movies… 🖤

“You’d do it for Randolph Scott!”  

Tasha & Alvaro wedding

 

The City of Toledo

Illustration Wedding Invitation By Donna Massa

This is the area of Toledo where Tasha & Alvaro wanted me to illustrate in respect to their special day.

This is the landscape of where they were getting married and having their reception.  The church they were married in was St. John’s Monastery and the reception was held at Cigaral Santa Maria.  Both these magnificent structures are within this illustration above along with other tourists attractions.  

You can visualize and sense in this pen & ink rendering how unique Toledo is and why they both chose this mid-evil city for their wedding, it leaves an ever lasting impression on you when your there.  

When I go back to Spain I will want to visit Toledo again, there is so much to see and the sensation you feel by being there is magical…❤️

Tasha & Alvaro wedding

 

Tasha & Alvaro

Illustration Wedding Invitation By Donna Massa

Tasha Ada is my only daughter who resides in Madrid, Spain.  I was delighted when she asked me to design her wedding invitation.  She had a few concepts in mind as to what she wanted and discussed them with me over WhatsApp.  

Her wedding was planned to be in the city of Toledo.  The city reflects a magical even mid evil flavor to it and her husband to be families were from this beautiful city.

Toledo is noted for its extremely unique Damasquino style jewelry.  This illustration is taken from that style of jewelry from Toledo and this design is the way Tasha & Alvaro envisioned it to be.  The two Dove love birds in the center are symbolic of their soulmate love they share in this life.  The intertwined swirls, leaves, flowers and symmetric scrolls are typical of the patterns in their intricate jewelry designs.  This emblem-design embodies the feeling they both wanted to represent the front and center of their wedding invitation.  The Medium used was pen & ink.  

The following illustration will be the inside of the invitation that extends from the left side across the crease to the right side all along the top of the invitation. The text of the invitation is below on both sides of the invitation.