Elton John & Hello Kitty

Here is my Elton John tribute painting titled "Your Song" (acrylic on wood) that I did for the Sound & Vision group show in October. October was a CRAZZY busy month for me, and I haven't had a chance to post until now :) Karl Drehsen curated the show and invited me (along with an amazing handful of other artists) to chose one musician that had recorded at Sound City Studios that has inspired me. The list is certainly impressive as Sound City had such a unique spot in time to have housed so many amazing musicians - but I chose Elton because his music has been in my head since I was very young and has always made me FEEL. I can remember hearing Someone Saved My Life Tonight (one of my top 5 favs of EJ's) one day as our house was in transition because my mom was having purple carpeting installed in her and my dad's bedroom. My siblings and I were stoked because all their furniture from their room was out in the livingroom, which created the most amazing furniture jungle to play in. I must have been 4 or 5, and I remember the mood - the WORLD or happiness in my wee heart as that song wrapped around that particular moment. Elton John's music is special. And I'm thankful for it. So this, my attempt to illustrate the feeling of his music in my veins.

And here's a bit of nerd alert in the restroom of Sound City at Sound & Vision's opening night. The glasses are the bee's sneeze, never you mind the toilet and it's accessories behind me :)

The initial laying in of color/shadow is where I get to be free and wild and messy and provides the ground, feel and inspired strokes of the painting :)

Oddly, I didn't listen to any Elton John music as I painted this piece - instead, it was all disco, all the time..

And Hello Kitty happened in October as well! To celebrate The Kitty's 40 years of life on earth, Jamie Rivadeneira from LA's cutest shop Japan LA curated the Hello Kitty Art Show at the Japanese American National Museum in Downtown LA and invited me to participate - which of course I jumped at the chance to use Hello Kitty as my subject! Here is my painting "Eat Cakes You Kitty" (acrylic on wood) (Jamie and I had the opportunity to work together in 2011 at Sanrio's 50th Birthday where My Melody was the muse for my painting Strawberry Sky - see image below) This year was (is) extraextra special because the show was held at the museum and coincided with the first Hello Kitty Con at MOCA just down the street. Hello Kitty had an excellent 40th birthday :) The art show will be on tour for the next three years!!

Strawberry Sky 2011

Now, I'm aware of the hateful backlash and bashing of the "selfie" - a word I refuse to use. (Self Portrait is more appropriate and artful a description.) Anyway, I see nothing wrong with documenting a time and place in this fashion. I find that it's never a bad thing to face yourself in the mirror, accept what you see, and furthermore, capture that moment for yourself in healthy self acceptance. Hello Kitty gifted the attendees at the private opening reception October 10th with a bag of goodies, among them were these amazing spectacles that I whipped out and threw on my face for this here self portrait. Nerd alert yes, and again never mind the lovely landscape setting behind me in the Canter's restroom. My rule is if you have the restroom to yourself, you have to take your photo.

My painting as it had been in the process... ultimately the dark ground was very severe and my husband encouraged me to let myself be light :)

**THANK YOU THANK YOU to Karl Drehsen and Sound City Studios for a great opportunity to celebrate inspiration in such a way. THANK YOU THANK YOU Elton John, for a lifetime of beauty. THANK YOU THANK YOU to Jamie Rivadeneira, Hello Kitty & Sanrio and JANM for sharing your sparkle with the world. And THANK YOU THANK YOU to all you art lovers & creatives (& possibly self portraiteurs (is that a word?!)) out there who inspire those around you to accept AND celebrate themselves in their own unique way.