PROJECT: Artworks for “Paint”
In the spring of 2021 I got a message from a friend who was working as the Artistic Director on the feature film “Paint”. It would be starring Owen Wilson as the character “Carl Nargle”, whose life looked very similar to PBS painting star, Bob Ross. I was hired to create 5-6 artworks for the character opposite of Wilson, “Ambrosia”, played by actor Ciara Renée. The subject matter for these paintings felt quite random at times, but I was assured by my Artistic Director friend that they all came directly from the script, and it was really fun to get to be part of the Hollywood scene for a short time. Within a matter of just a few weeks, these paintings were completed, approved by the film’s director Brit McAdams, and then packed up and overnighted to their filming location in Saratoga Springs, NY.
I knew they’d included some of the paintings in the final cut (sometimes movies cut entire sequences) since my works were created on behalf of Renée’s character who was shaking up the industry with wild depictions of UFOs, dinosaurs, and light sabers (not Wilson’s very-similar-to-Bob-Ross character who painted only landscapes). But it takes a lot of time to fully edit and produce films, so it wasn’t until the spring of 2023 when the movie finally came into theaters.
Lucky me, the non-profit arts organization I work for (Carbondale Arts) rented out the local Crystal Theatre for a double showing of “Paint” on May 12 and we went all out with a red carpet, rented tux, friend’s fancy black SUV, and everyone in town got dressed up like movie stars. Definitely a life highlight, especially having a packed theater cheer whenever my paintings were on screen, or at the end when my name came up in the credits. Memorable project for sure!
Official poster for "Paint" (2023) starring Owen Wilson
"Rock" (acrylic on canvas)
Still of "Rock" painting, on screen for about 1.5 seconds with Ciara Renée
"UFO and the Bloody Stump" (acrylic on canvas)
"UFO and the Bloody Stump" still from "Paint" with Stephen Root (left) and Ciara Renée
"UFO and the Bloody Stump" close up (still)!
"UFO and the Bloody Stump" with Ciara Renée on a tote bag (still) with Stephen Root (left) and Owen Wilson
"T-Rex Attacking Atlantis" digital illustration
"T-Rex Attacking Atlantis" for etch-a-sketch scene (still)
"Portrait of Mary with Laser" (acrylic on canvas)
"Portrait of Mary with Laser" painting reveal for the pledge drive scene (still) with Sonia Lopes (left) and Ciara Renée
"Many Mount Mansfields" (acrylic on canvas)
"Many Mount Mansfields" (still) with Ciara Renée
"Many Mount Mansfields" (still) with Ciara Renée
"UFO and the Bloody Stump" on display at the Burlington Museum of Art scene (still) with Owen Wilson
PROJECT: Giant Cardboard Head
The cardboard head is a long story, but was ultimately created for the culminating presentation of the 2023-2024 Aspen Art Museum Fellowship, of which I was a participant along with 5 other local creatives (Annie Bell, Chris Hassig, Savanna LaBauve, Brad Reed Nelson, and Nori Pao, under the mentorship of Teresa Booth Brown, AAM’s Director of Education and Community Programs).
The fellowship is an annual selective/juried program that lasts about 8 months. The participating artists meet about once a month and visit each other’s studios, learn about their art practices, analyze and edit artist statements, and more. It’s perfect for artists who might need an extra push and/or a closer look at the “why” behind their creative careers.
The presentation at the end of the program is open to the public, held upstairs at the Aspen Art Museum. The presentation is more of an opportunity for the artist to share about their fellowship experience than any kind of required end-product, which leaves a lot of room for interpretation, imagination, etc.
So back to the cardboard head. I had a wild vision of creating a self portrait in 3D. I don’t normally immediately jump on wild ideas like this, but was persuaded by others in the fellowship to follow that intuition. With about 2 weeks til the presentation I was able to source recycled cardboard boxes and build and paint a head that roughly resembled mine, hat, long hair, and all, measuring about 5 feet in diameter. Where do my ideas come from? Somewhere in there!
