Do you have certain favourite paintings? Do your fans have favoured themes?
"My favorite painting is usually my most recently completed one; maybe because it's still fresh to me. Fans seem to favor the ones with 'Tikis', 'hula girls', 'Planet of the Apes', & the 'Rat Pack'."
For those unfamiliar, how would you explain "Tiki" and what's the fascination?
"I started collecting mugs from Tropical bars about 18 years ago. The mugs were usually in the shape of Polynesian gods, or "Tikis", and were manufactured from the 50's through the 70's. That led to my fascination with tropical imagery, particularly tikis. Now there is a big resurgence in interest in "Tikiana." I think it speaks to the same longings today's people have to escape their humdrum life and experience the exotic that caused the bars and restaurants to be established originally back in the middle of the last century."
Any thoughts of doing more "retro London"? Maybe something "Blow Up"? David Hemmings would be flattered! Thinking about it, did "3 Black Crows" cover that ground? Then maybe go for a "mod" theme...we'd all buy the prints!
"Retro London" is a recurring theme. "Blow Up" is one of my absolute favorite films and it definitely inspired "3 Black Crows". I stayed away from the subject for a while because it was so identified with "Austin Powers" in most people's minds but I am planning more "Swinging London" themes in the future."
Are there any celebrity "Shag" fans you are willing to name? Do you get invites to celebrity parties?
"There are celebrity collectors, but almost any fairly established artist in L.A. will have them, as the celebrities are the ones with lots of disposable income! One of my biggest collectors is Whoopi Goldberg. Ben Stiller, Seth Green, Rob Zombie, and Nancy Sinatra also own paintings. I don't feel really comfortable around famous people and usually decline invitations to "hang" with the stars."
If one of the rich or famous offered you a large sum of money to do a portrait in the "Shag" style, would you do it? If not, anyone you'd make an exception for?
"I used to have a philosophy: for enough money I'd paint anyone or anything ...except Elvis. Then one day, the Presley estate inquired if I might be interested in working on some Elvis memorabilia as they were trying to update the ageing franchise and make attractive to hip young consumers. I was flattered and puffed up that they thought that I would be the thing Elvis needed to make him "hip" again, so my philosophy flew out the window immediately."
I believe you've done albums covers, club flyers etc. Is this ongoing, or has the demand for paintings limited your time? Could I interest you in a modculture project (payment in records and old books)? Which album covers would we recognise as yours?
"I do occassionally do projects like album covers & specific illustrations, but I don't do a lot of custom work because of the demand for paintings. I don't think a modculture project would be out of the question! Most of the recent albums I've done are Japanese bands!"
Do you live in a "Shag style" world? Is home like the film mogul's house in "The Party"? Would you like it to be? Was that house real?
"I have been diligently trying to create a "Shag" world to live in; while my house isn't quite as groovy or outlandish as the one in "The Party", it is slowly transforming itself into the interior of a Shag painting. I have a pretty decent sized mid-century modern house, and I've spent the last 6 months trying to "overdo" it, having custom rock walls, iron railings & hanging lights added to the relatively simple architecture, & having large stone easter island heads carved for the pool. Eventually I want them to spit water into the pool itself, but that will take some engineering. It's probably a travesty to an architectural purist, but I'm the one paying the mortgage! I believe the house in "The Party" was actually built on a soundstage, but I have been to a couple real houses in L.A. that come close!"
I believe you're a retro junkie (like most of us). Any interesting bargains lately? I imagine California is better than Manchester for retro chic? Anything you are still hunting for?
"L.A. is probably the world capitol of cool retro stuff, but it's gotten horribly expensive lately. I've found some great bargains in the past, but have been paying through the nose for other things recently. I'm still looking for an "ottoman" to go with the black leather Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair I found for $50 a few years ago. Unfortunately I've not seen an "ottoman" for less than $500..."
Is there a decent retro scene in L.A.? If any of us travel there, any bars or shops we should look out for?
"L.A. has tons of great retro stuff, but the city is so spread out that one must do lots of driving to see it all. There are 2 streets in L.A. that have a lot of good shops and architecture, Beverly Boulevard and La Brea Avenue. A drive through the Hollywood Hills will allow one to see some of the most famous and impressive modern houses in the world."
