Here's an excerpt from a DollyPOP review in Metro Pulse by Coury Turczyn (click
HERE for complete article):
Paul Richmond’s “The Dollypop Guild” is perhaps the biggest attention-getter at the show. In vibrant Technicolor hues, it portrays Dolly as Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz, encapsulated in a pink sphere of magic as she wields her sparkling wand. In the distance, a sign for Dollywood points down the yellow brick road, promising sanctuary. Standing in ruby slippers is the artist himself as a young boy, watching the delightful spectacle.
“In a campy, over-the-top way, this piece represents the magic and inspiration I found in Dolly during a difficult time in my life, a time during which I felt incredibly alone,” writes Richmond in an e-mail. “The amazing and somewhat poignant outcome of the DollyPOP exhibit is that I’ve met many others who connect with the painting, having walked that same yellow brick road themselves.”
Richmond, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, says he found inspiration in Dolly as he grew up “as a little repressed gay boy in the Midwest.” He often incorporates his own personal narratives in his work, reflecting his journey to self-acceptance—and Dolly provided help along the way.
“After watching The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas as a child, I decided I wanted to grow up and be like Dolly,” Richmond writes. “This wasn’t exactly an acceptable aspiration in my hometown, but I was drawn to the flamboyant entertainer because of her over-the-top persona and seemingly abundant self-confidence. Throughout my life I struggled with my desire to fit in, all the while knowing that I was very different from my peers. I saw in Dolly a kindred spirit, someone who chose an offbeat path and made it work.”
When it came time for his Dolly tribute, Richmond had found his perfect muse, and the result is a dazzling meeting of artist and subject: bold, colorful, playful. But this wasn’t the first time he had devoted a piece to Dolly.
“I had the pleasure of meeting her as a child and presenting her with a drawing that I had labored over for months,” Richmond writes. “She was incredibly sweet and the experience was a milestone of my young adult life, helping me learn that I could set goals and make them come true. When I found out about the DollyPOP show, I knew I wanted to try and portray that experience and the inspiration I found in her at such a young age.”
I'm offering limited edition giclee prints of "Batmobama and Robiden" in my Etsy store. 
The next World of Wonder Gallery show is called “Hollywood DC: Lights...Camera...Election!” and it’s all about the new era of “superstar politics.” My painting “Batmobama and Robiden” shows our Democratic candidates Obama and Biden as the famous dynamic duo from the campy sixties series, with the bat signal projecting their campaign logo from atop the distant White House. 
Looming eerily in the corner are the villains, Penguin and Catwoman, who look suspiciously like the Republican nominees McCain and Palin. 
As the election draws near and I find myself wrapped up in debates, pundit analysis, and those increasingly annoying campaign ads, it seems that the line between sides is pretty clearly drawn despite the popular “reaching across the aisle” rhetoric. I look to Obama and Biden as symbols of the hope and change I believe in, and I’m anxiously counting down the days until they swoop in and take out the bad guys with a big “Ka-Pow!” on November 4.
Here's an excerpt from a DollyPOP review in Metro Pulse by Coury Turczyn (click HERE for complete article):
I'm working to finish a new piece for the upcoming exhibit "Hollywood D.C: Lights...Camera...Election!" I plan to have it finished this weekend, but I wanted to give you a sneak-peek at one small section of the digital sketch I created as a reference. Who is this, you might ask? Well, although a superhero never reveals his identity, he might if he were vying for the vice presidency! Check back next week (same bat-time, same bat-channel), to see the finished piece, "Batmobama and Robiden." There may even be guest appearances by some notorious villains too!
Gale Hart, curator of "The Circus Show & Other Atrocities," sent me a link to some photos from the opening reception HERE. 
