Music and art go hand-in-hand for Keith “Scramble” Campbell.
The sounds of live music and the energy of the crowd are inspirations that guide Campbell’s bright brushstrokes. The local painter doesn’t have a typical studio — he creates his work at the center of energetic concerts.
Campbell has focused some of his recent work on several Arvada Center performances. His art will be on display there until Aug. 30.
“It’s about putting your whole body into your work, a translation of energy,” said Campbell, seated in a bright red chair in his historic Morrison home. Splotches of paint dotted the frames of his glasses and cascaded down the front of his shirt.
Campbell has made his career traveling the country, “just chasing the music.” To date, he’s completed almost 2,000 paintings of nearly 700 bands and has taken part in some of the country’s biggest musical events. He’s followed the Grateful Dead around the country in a van, created a huge mural at Woodstock and shown his art at a show for Lollapalooza.
The Florida resident hadn’t considered traveling to Colorado until he followed the band Widespread Panic to a show at Red Rocks. The mountain scenery, the concert’s energy and Colorado’s history got him hooked.
Now, he lives just minutes from the amphitheatre — so close that scalpers sell tickets near his long gravel driveway when popular shows come through town.
Campbell has been invited to create his art while on stage with the band, but he often takes art supplies with him to events and sets up from his seat. That’s what he did when he went to the Arvada Center one night for a Colorado Symphony Orchestra concert.
“I just came in with my paints, and someone came up and asked, ‘What are you doing?’” he laughed.
After getting permission to paint the event, Campbell met Arvada Center executive director Gene Sobczak, who invited him to paint several more Arvada Center performances. The resulting canvases ended up in Campbell’s own exhibit in the Arvada Center’s upstairs theater lobby.
He’ll create more “live” paintings in the coming weeks—for now, some blank canvases hang next to his completed work.
“You can see the progression from blank canvas to composition,” he said.
Campbell’s summer schedule is filling up fast with concerts, exhibits and other projects. On a recent day, he was getting ready to paint limited-edition wine bottles for Bookcliff Vineyards, a local winery who will feature Campbell’s art on the label of their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine will debut July 17.
Bookcliff sommelier Mark Stephan is an old friend of Campbell’s. He thought his art would fit well for their hand-painted bottle series.
“He became a known artist through the music community, and now the art community is saying, ‘Who is this guy, and why don’t we know him?’” he said.
Campbell is also busy touching up some work that will hang in Red Rocks’ art gallery, including a large painting depicting the history of the concert amphitheatre.
“The frame is made from Red Rocks’ wooden benches from the 1940s,” he said, pointing out the worn wood frame still bearing painted seat numbers.
Campbell’s permanent gallery, the Stone Street Gallery, is located in the historic Cliff House Lodge, the former home of Morrison founder George Morrison.
Campbell said he feels responsible for teaching others about the history of the town that has brought in so much talent over the years.
“There’s no other place like it,” he said.
See Scramble Campbell
Keith “Scramble” Campbell will create “live” paintings during two Colorado Symphony Orchestra concerts July 10 and 11 and during the play “Big River” July 15 at the Arvada Center. He’ll paint during the Mile High Music Festival July 18 and 19 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. For more information, visit www.scramblecampbell.com.