Sometimes things just happen. Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Luann Lennox, who has put together a group of tequila connoisseurs called “Tequila Snobs.” Luann shares my passion for tequila, and she arranges tequila tastings for groups of people who want to learn about this magical juice, or just get together and sip some really good tequila. Obviously this will not only have to be on my and Deb’s agenda soon, but also that of several friends. (You know who you are.) Continue reading
Okay, this is a tease. I’m back working on a tequila painting as I said I would be, but Deb and I are moving to Gold Canyon, Arizona. The effort to gather all of our stuff and get our present home ready for its new owner has dominated my (and Deb’s) time.
I am working on a painting that is probably 80% finished, and it’s difficult for me to look at it and not be able to paint. Not only that, it is a real challenge: not one, but three tequila bottles. (That’s a hint.) Once we’re totally in our temporary digs I may be able to squeeze a few hours into it, and maybe even complete it before we move into our new home toward the end of September. It’s another 16” x 20” acrylic on canvas, but that’s all I’m saying. Stay tuned. I’ll reveal it the moment it’s signed.
The process of getting my own (or anyone’s) artwork to final giclėe printing is an amazing and intense process. After the work is photographed with a gazillion megapixel camera, it goes under incredible scrutiny at the next stop: the printer.
In the photo, Eric Bazarnic is checking proofs with me against the original of Miranda’s Obsession. We look for the slightest variations in color, whites, and blacks to get the most perfect match to the original as physically possible.
One afternoon in the late 1990s a number of my friends and I dropped into a tequila bar in Tempe called “Palapa’s” for a shot of tequila. We were sipping a shot of Patron añejo, which at the time for us was the “real deal.” We said to the bartender, “This is pretty good, huh?” He replied, “It’s okay.” We were a bit surprised, and asked, “So, what do YOU like?” He walked back with a bottle of Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia. We said, “Cuervo? Really?” He poured us all a shot at $16 a copy. It was dark, looking more like a fine whiskey or Cognac. We said, “Did he say this is Tequila?” We studied it. We smelled it. And then we took a sip. Again we said, “DID HE SAY THIS IS TEQUILA?” We’d never had anything quite like it before. It was smooth, with a sweet caramel undertone and near cognac flavor. That’s when it all started. Continue reading
The kind folks at Los Dos Molinos in Mesa, Arizona have re-decorated the restaurant during their summer vacation, and given me new space to display my tequila prints on the bar side. It makes sense to have my prints in the bar, where Los Dos’ many tequilas are available, and the BRILLIANT red walls are a nice backdrop for the prints.
Thank you to John and Maricella for accommodating me, and for selling Jerry Cave Art at one of the best restaurants in Arizona!
I’ve been asked many times what drove me to paint “Miranda’s Obsession.” Miranda works at Super Cuts, and cuts my hair. (Okay, no hair jokes.) She has many piercings and is covered with tattoos. One day I asked about the one on her left arm, and she told me of the HUGE expense it took to get it there. The tattoo is Alice In Wonderland with a twist. Days later, I had the thought of doing a tequila painting that included her arm raising a nice snifter of fine tequila, and the tequila that came to mind is the luscious Los Azulejos anejo in the Picasso bottle. My thought was: art meets art. The painting begs the question: what is her obsession, the tattoos, or the tequila? You can provide your own answer. Miranda’s Obsession was a stretch for me, and a fun challenge.
