Don's murals 'rock well' at Silver Platters in Seattle

Don Rockwell's Hendrix. (All Rockwell art in this entry)

By Andy

Muralist Don Rockwell is a big Jimi Hendrix fan, and his painting of the legendary lefty axeman at Silver Platters in Seattle is a stunner.

The Hendrix portrait is just one element among copious Rockwell pieces of Pacific Northwest musicians that are emblazoned on a large inside wall of the music and movies store's SoDo location. The musicians span many decades and we at There's Something Hard in There were especially drawn to the likes of The Sonics, Hendrix, Heart, The Fartz, The Gits, Fastbacks, Wipers, Soundgarden and more.

Silver Platters owner Mike Batt provided the layout for Rockwell and he worked on the one-year project throughout 2013. Rockwell, who said he wasn't familiar with many of the artists (for instance, The Fartz), delivered big time by bringing their essence and band logos to life.

"I'm proud of a lot of it," he said over the phone today. "But I'm never satisfied with my own work," noting that some shadows weren't deep enough in spots.

Rockwell said that's just how artists operate and laughed.

The 59-year-old Shoreline resident began his career in the sign trade in 1974 and has been painting murals since 2005. The hand lettering, carving, gold leaf and cartooning in the sign biz paved the way for his mural work.

"I was very excited whenever I discovered something new about color, light and shadow. It's a lifelong lesson and I put my heart and soul into every opportunity I get to paint," he said in his bio.

Rockwell

Visit Rockwell's site at www.rockwellsigns.com.

Silver Platters' site is at www.silverplatters.com.