Paul Richmond Blog

I finished my piece for the RuPaul show. Here it is: “The Cher Within” depicts that magical moment when a drag performer prepares to cross the line between ambiguous guy in his underwear to full-on diva extraordinaire. I've always loved Cher, and it was fun to revel in her vampy fabulousness while working on this piece. I'm offering giclee prints in my Etsy store here: www.paulypants.etsy.com . Check them out. "RuPaul's Drag Race" opens this Thursday, 1/15, at the World of Wonder Galler y in LA.

I just found out that my painting "Elegant Imbalance" was accepted into the Spring Juried Exhibition of the Ohio Art League . The juror was David Pagel, an art critic for the LA Times. The exhibit will be held in the OSU Urban Arts Space from January 27 - March 27 with a Juror's Talk and Awards Preview on Thursday, January 29 and an opening reception from 5-7 pm on Friday, January 30. Click HERE for more info.

Here’s a photo from late last night showing the progress of my painting for the show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” at the World of Wonder Gallery in LA. The painting’s titled “The Cher Within,” and as you can see, it’s all about embracing our inner divas by vogeuing without pants. Still to come – Cher’s legs, a table full of make-up and drag accessories, and a few more disco balls for good measure. I’m going to be painting like crazy to finish this piece up today while listening to my Cher station on Pandora – which prompts a random but important question: why don’t more recording artists use the cheesy wind sound in their music any more? I think what pop radio is sorely lacking are over-the-top power ballads punctuated by the occasional synthesized “whooooosh.” Just my opinion... Ok, speaking of wind, I think I’ve caught my second one so I’m going to get back to the easel now. No more blogging on such little sleep! Check back soon, though, to see Cher in all her glory.

2009 is kicking off with a boatload of exciting opportunities already! One of my Cheesecake Boys will be showing off his goods in Detroit next month. My painting “Room with a View” was accepted into the “Dirty Show 10th Anniversary Exhibition” which opens in February. Judging from what I’ve seen online, this promises to be quite an extravagant event. Check out all the sordid details online: www.dirtyshow.org . Meanwhile, I’ve been putting in some extra studio time to crank out a contribution to the upcoming exhibit “RuPaul’s Drag Show” which opens on January 15 (yikes!) at the World of Wonder Gallery in LA. My piece, titled “The Cher Within,” depicts a young man striking a dramatic pose in front of a full-length mirror, with the reflection of a certain diva gazing back at him. A table full of wigs, makeup, and other essential drag accoutrements hints at the transformation about to occur. The painting should be finished within a few days, so check back soon to see it in all it’s glitter...

There was a great article on the Out in America website about my new book "Ins and Outs," and I had to laugh when I visited their homepage to see that their news banner was alternating between promoting stories about Britney Spears' cd, the Harvey Milk movie, and me! My little book is in some impressive company! Check out the article HERE .

I've finally finished my book "Ins & Outs" which features many of my recent narrative paintings that address issues of sexual orientation. It's been a great experience compiling these pieces and organizing them in a way to best share my story, and I'm thrilled with the end result! I'm also excited that one of my best friends, Melissa Forman, wrote a fabulous foreword for the book. Thanks, Melissa! "Ins & Outs" is now available to purchase online in softover and hardcover editions. Click HERE to order yours today! Here's a look at a few pages from the book. There's also a more extensive preview available with the listing:

I'm putting the finishing touches on a new book showcasing some of the paintings (and corresponding stories) from my "Ins and Outs" series. It will be available in December, but here's a sneak peek at the cover (I've never been good at keeping secrets!). Shoot me an e-mail (prichmond1287@earthlink.net) if you'd like to be notified when it comes out.