Yoko Ono talks John Lennon and art

"Folks have been collecting and viewing John Lennon's work for 40 years," said Rudy Siegel, a producer at Legacy Productions, who helped put together the tour with Ono and Bag One Arts.

"He was so prolific," Siegel said. "He was at home raising Sean and drawing. He wasn't doing any songwriting or recording. It was his outlet at the time to express himself. "

Yoko Ono talked with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from Tokyo about Lennon's work and the Atlanta exhibit, "So This is Christmas."

How would you describe your husband's work?

Actually, he was a very, very interesting artist in the sense he created his own style and his style is a little bit unassuming. It has an incredible sense of humor, which is lacking a bit in the art world. I like the fact he was really honest and doing it in a way he wanted to do.

How important were his drawings to him?

He wanted to be appreciated for his art work as well. He tried to get an exhibition in some galleries but most galleries didn't want to give him a show. They thought this was just the dabbling of a rock star. After his passing, I still had a difficult time trying to have an exhibition of his work but gradually they started to understand how interesting and humorous his work was.

Did Sean inherit any of his art talent?

Sean is the best among us, really. The cover of  the CD that just came out ("Double Fantasy Stripped Down") was done by Sean. It's a very good drawing of John and me and he was a bit emotional about doing it. He was a bit saddened that his father was not there.

Why was color added to some of John's work? There's been some criticism of that.

The people who were putting together the professional program showed me this brightly-colored drawing of John's. I said, ‘What did you do?' I was told that unless we have color they don't want to put it in the window. I said, ‘Oh, well, let me color it...' I was used to being his partner. I started doing it without making it obvious. I felt John would not have minded if I did it. We did a lot of things together. Isn't it funny that we are still collaborating?

What would John Lennon have been like at 70?

Extremely active, I think. He was a very healthy and physically strong person. He just wanted to go and do things. I'm sure he would not be a couch potato.

Finish this: "Imagine..."

Peace.

Event preview

"So This is Christmas" exhibit, featuring the artwork and song lyrics of John Lennon. Free, but a donation is suggested and will benefit the Atlanta Children's Shelter.

Exhibit hours: 5 p.m. -- 9 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. -- 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. -- 6 p.m. Sunday. Westin Buckhead Atlanta hotel, 3391 Peachtree Road N.E. 404-365-0065. For information about Lennon’s work, go to www.johnlennonartwork.com