VIEW IN MY ROOM
United States
Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 40 W x 68 H x 1 D in
Ships in a Crate
Artist Recognition
Artist featured in a collection
Pop Art portrait of jazz singer Billie Holiday. It depicts the 3/4 profile of Ms. Holiday in bright colors, including green, blue, orange, pink, brown, blue and yellow. The mood is sad and reflective, much like her work. The most detail of the piece is in the camellia, which she is known for wearing. As an artist, I can identify with Ms. Holiday's struggles in her upbringing and showcasing her talent. I admire her activism with "Strange Fruit," in which she sings about lynchings of black people in the South. I like painting big, door-sized banners that can be hung inside or outside. It reminds me of the banners that I would see along the El line when I lived in Chicago. You only have a second to make a big impression! This was originally a door-sized banner that was re-stretched onto wooden stretcher bars so it's now a traditional painting! I did this because it looks much better on the wall that way!
Painting:Acrylic on Canvas
Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork
Size:40 W x 68 H x 1 D in
Frame:Not Framed
Ready to Hang:Not applicable
Packaging:Ships in a Crate
Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.
Handling:Ships in a wooden crate for additional protection of heavy or oversized artworks. Crated works are subject to an $80 care and handling fee. Artists are responsible for packaging and adhering to Saatchi Art’s packaging guidelines.
Ships From:United States.
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United States
I'm a journalist by trade, but I have been an artist most of my life. I started taking private art lessons in Omaha, Nebraska, at age 9. But then by age 12, I had put art on the back burner for cheerleading and boys. So then when I went to college, I got poor grades in art so I switched to writing. I worked at small ad agencies, newspapers and large corporations most of my career. I've always done portraits because I find them the most challenging. I would always paint pictures of friends and coworkers during the holidays to make extra money. When I lived in Chicago, my portraits became bigger and brighter. I think it was because I lived in an artist building on the corner of Milwaukee and Damon, where there were artists from all cultures living there. They encouraged me to stretch the limits of my creativity. On my way to work in the city, I admired the large scale bright banners that I would see in the apartments along the El line. Some were political, others decorative, but the Expressionist portraits I'll never forget! Big gallons of acrylic hardware paint usually cover the backgrounds of the door-sized cotton curtains that I have been painting for the past 10 years. I use tiny brushes to get the hard edges. In 2009, I painted a small banner of Barack Obama in response to a rousing speech I heard on TV. It was later used at a political rally at a restaurant in Idyllwild where I live. Then I started doing more banners of jazz icons to decorate that same restaurant each year during a jazz concert. I like painting big because of its impact! It can be challenging to get the right scale. I don't use a projector or any equipment except chalk. Sometimes it takes awhile to get it right! I turn the canvas over and over and make the blocks of color more abstract and bright! Even though sometimes I paint political figures, I don't like to discuss politics with strangers! They always talk louder than me and seem to know more about the subject, but I believe that a strong image is better than all the words you can say! Most of the banners I've done are of people I admire who are creative in the arts or in the public arena who have courage and determination! Lately, I have been doing a series that deals with race relations in the United States. Every time there's a shooting, and another young black man dies, it makes the news for awhile, and then disappears from public memory.
Artist featured by Saatchi Art in a collection
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