Inspiration: Robert Sherer

I recently received an e-mail from one of my favorite artists, Robert Sherer, inviting me to participate in an upcoming book project about male figurative art (more about that later). I was blown away that someone whose work I have admired for quite a while even knew who I was! I wanted to share some of his incredible art here and encourage you to see more on his WEBSITE and at LYMAN-EYER GALLERY. 

I first discovered him when his Pyrograph series was featured in New American Paintings. The wood-burned images depict nostalgic boyhood memories rendered with actual camp craft materials, and they immediately grabbed my attention. Here’s an example, Pirate’s Booty: Treasure.

I also love his Bloodworks series – elegant floral still life pieces created with HIV positive and negative blood to represent the complexities of romantic life and sexual attraction in the HIV era. This piece is titled The Usual Suspects. 

Christmas Captions

The website Smart Bitches Trashy Books held a caption contest for my Mistletoe Madness cover, and at this point there are over two hundred entries. Grab some eggnog and enjoy the full collection HERE, or enjoy a few appetizers below:


Is that a candy cane in your pants, or are you just happy to see me? ~Micki


Silent night, horny night, boner’s warm, underwear’s tight. ~Buffy


It’s gonna be a hard candy Christmas! ~Brett G.


Perhaps Mark should have been more specific when he told Steve to put the nuts out. ~D.W. Marchwell


And a heartwarming little poem by Melissandre:

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and I was nonplussed,
Not a creature was stirring, including some lust!
My partner had dusted, decked halls, and gift wrapped;
Now all that he sought was a long winter’s nap.

But I wasn’t ready to go straight to bed,
But what could make “sugarplums” dance in his head?
Then, what to my wondering eyes should appear
But those Christmas briefs (got as a gag gift last year).

I entered the room, caught his eye, quirked a brow,
Then, holding some mistletoe, boldly dropped trou
There I stood before him, my pride on the shelf,
And he laughed when he saw me, in spite of himself.

More rapid than eagles, he came to my side
And said, “Here’s a present that’s too good to hide!”
But I heard him exclaim as the curtains were drawn,
“Take your Christmas briefs off, and then let’s get it on!”

Horror of Horrors

I’m developing a new painting for my show in June that will be an homage to the slasher/horror movie starlets whose ill-fated wardrobe malfunctions put them in harm’s way. My version will feature actor Jesse Archer (left) trying to escape from an ominous villain (by way of a dark, scary forest of course!) with his skimpy shorts getting caught and yanked down by some low-hanging tree branches. Jesse has graciously agreed to be a part of my crazy project, and I can’t wait to get started on this. In the meantime, here are some hilarious images from the horror comic genre that I find quite inspirational! 

  

Rockstar

Here's my latest novel cover illustration which is for the upcoming book Rockstar by J.M. Snyder.

Book Discount

I wanted to pass along a discount offer for my book Ins and Outs. If you order it from Blurb HERE between now and December 31, you can get $10 off by using the following promo codes -

Orders from the US (using US $):   
GREATGIFT

Orders from UK (using UK £):   
GREATGIFT2

Orders from EU (using EU €):   
GREATGIFT3

Orders from AU (using AUD $):   
GREATGIFT4

More From Driftwood

I illustrated a sweet little story this week on the site I’m From Driftwood, which publishes “true stories by gay people from all over.” This one puts a poetic twist on the classic unrequited love tale. Check it out here:DRIFTWOOD

Extra Exposure

I have been popping up all over the web this week and chatting up a storm about my artwork, inspirations, and in one case, the similarities between Cher and Jesus. I’ll post a few links below. In the first article, you can also read about my exciting new collaboration with Del Shores, the writer/director of Sordid Lives.

• PAUL RICHMOND INTERVIEW and INS & OUTS BOOK REVIEW on reviewsbyjessewave

• DRAWN TO YOU: PAUL RICHMOND on manhuntdaily

• PAUL RICHMOND AND THE ESSENCE OF A GAY ARTIST PART 1 and PART 2 on gaylikeyoublog

• OUT ARTIST PAUL RICHMOND’S CHRISTMAS CREATIONS on planetout

Spanking in Your Stocking

The popular gay site Queerty recently plugged my new painting Naughty or Nice. Here's a link to the post: QUEERTY.

THERE'S A SPANKING IN YOUR STOCKING THIS CHRISTMAS

We last saw artist Paul Richmond when he made an early Christmas delivery with this pin-up print. But now he's back to spread more holiday cheer. Richmond, who enjoys creating works where men cannot keep their pants on, shows off "Naughty Or Nice," because everyone needs a good spanking to get in line for Santa's annual visit. Purchase here, or get both Christmas-themed prints here.

Decking the Halls

I have been a busy boy decking the halls of my Etsy store with all kinds of new goodies. Art makes a great gift, and I have a little something for the naughty and the nice folks on your shopping list this year -- everything from original paintings to prints and clothing, even some humorous Christmas cards. Here are a few highlights...

My new painting Naughty or Nice is now available for a discount in the Paulypants Christmas Set. After all, what's better than one pants-dropping Cheesecake boy -- two of them, of course! Both paintings are also available as greeting cards. 

I also just released a couple of new limited-edition giclee prints: First Kiss and Not Just a Closet. By request, I'm also offering larger-scale prints of some favorites, including Batmobama and Robiden and The Cher Within. After all, I'm a fan of the "more is more" philosophy!

You'll also find an increased selection of original paintings in my Etsy store, including The Dollypop Guild, Elegant Imbalance, and Mother Nurture.

Elisa Rolle Review

Italian book reviewer Elisa Rolle wrote a nice article about my book, Ins & Outs. Click HERE to read the full review, and here's an excerpt: 

This is not a simple art book, it’s almost a memoir. Following Paul Richmond...we can clearly also see his personal evolution. 

The first paintings are almost haunting, most of the time with dark colors and, truth be told, sometimes not so clear to understand. 

Then the colors change, they are brighter and almost at the same time the Cheesecake Boys make their appearance. I can almost see the new Paul Richmond, a guy who finally arrived to realize / understand some complicated layers of his personality, and now he is able to show it to the external world.

Naughty or Nice?

I just finished my latest Cheesecake Boy painting, Naughty or Nice. Apparently the anticipation of seeing his Christmas gift got the better of this fellow, although he certainly didn’t anticipate getting caught — or the punishment his naughtiness would earn him! Limited-edition giclee prints are available in my Etsy store HERE.

Wylde

I just finished a cover illustration for Jan Irving’s upcoming release “Wylde” which will be available through Dreamspinner Press in a few weeks. Here’s a sneak peek:

Book Featured on House of Cat

Cat Johnson recently posted a feature about my newly expanded book, Ins and Outs , on her website House of Cat. Check it out HERE .

Here’s an excerpt:
A few months ago House of Cat featured an interview with artist Paul Richmond. His paintings are among the most joyful and honest creations I’ve seen and we received a lot of great feedback on the feature. To my great delight, Paul has included his House of Cat interview in a book celebrating his work called Ins & Outs: A Collection. I am honored and stoked to be a part of this project and encourage you all to explore the unique and wonderful works of this extraordinary artist. 

Brand-Spanking New Progress Shots

I was able to work on my new painting "Naughty or Nice" today. Here are some pics of it in progress:

This is one of my last nights working in my current studio. Dennis and I are getting ready to move to a wonderful new apartment this week, so I'll be busy settling into a new place soon -- complete with a fabulously gigantic finished basement that will be my new studio space. I can't wait! Plus it will be nice not to be surrounded by a million boxes.

I'm going to close for now because I'm busy working on some interview questions that Antonio Capurro sent me for his site Gay Like You. That could be why this post isn't brimming with my usual witty banter -- I need to save all of my charm for his incredibly thought-provoking list of 30 questions. Whew! I hope I'm interesting enough to talk about that long...

Spreading Some Holiday Cheer

Here's what's on the drawing board...have you been naughty or nice this year?

Ins & Outs Book

An updated and expanded version of my book Ins & Outs was recently released, featuring 50 pieces of artwork now including my Cheesecake Boys, all of my novel cover illustrations to date, and a new interview by Cat Johnson. You can check out a full preview and order the book online HERE.

Uncovering the Winner

In my recent Uncovered contest, I invited everyone to vote on their favorite of three cover illustrations to help me decide which one should become a limited-edition print. Recently on the site Shared Wisdom, I revealed that the winning image is The Hired Man, from the novel by Jan Irving. Prints are now available in my online store HERE, and I invite everyone to pop over to Shared Wisdom HERE to check out the article in which I share some of the sketches and reference photos used for my novel illustrations. Here's a peek:





Also, congratulations to Laurie G. Ballantyne-Gaska who was chosen as the winner of the Uncovered contest and will receive the first print of The Hired Man as well as a copy of the book courtesy of Dreamspinner Press.

GLAAD Recap

Thanks to my fabulous stunt-double, I have some photos to share from GLAAD's OUTAuction. My friend Savannah Spirit attended the event on Sunday and kept me thoroughly updated with multiple rounds of mobile Facebook uploads. Thanks, Savannah! My painting, Noah's Gay Wedding Cruise, was auctioned at the event to help raise money for GLAAD. The show celebrated GLAAD's Top 100 Artists, and I was honored to be included.




There's a recap of the festivities in Time Out New York by Alex Schechter, and he mentioned my painting (excerpt below). Click HERE to read the full article.

"We thought the most interesting item was a piece by Paul Richmond entitled 'Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise,' an oil painting of iconic gay and lesbian couples (Ellen and Portia, Elton and David, Bert and Ernie) alongside some not-so-iconic same-sex animal couples (a pair of giraffes in top hats, a pair of chimps in bow ties), all aboard a rainbow-flagged ark. Love it!"

Gay Day at Paulyworld

I am currently digging up research all about “Gay Days” and wacky amusement parks/carnivals as I develop my upcoming solo show, “Gay Day at Paulyworld,” which opens on June 4 at the Center on Halsted Gallery in Chicago. I can’t wait to celebrate Pride Month in Boystown with this exhibit!

Currently, I’m working on a self-portrait in which I’m flying through the air on a carousel-peacock waving a paintbrush and sprinkling gay magic on the city below. I’ll be sharing the progress of this and all the other new work in the coming weeks, so check back soon for a sneak-peek at the growing list of attractions in my fantasy theme park...

Reason to be GLAAD

I just received word that my painting Noah’s Gay Wedding Cruise was accepted into next month’s OUTAuction in NYC benefitting GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). The event, showcasing GLAAD’s Top 100 Artists of 2009, is an annual fundraiser for the organization. I was thrilled to be selected, and I hope the event is a huge success! Here’s a link to more details: GLAAD.

I'm From Dollywood!

The website I’m From Driftwood, which presents “true stories by gay people from all over,” posted a story I wrote when I was fifteen about my adventures in Dollywood (meeting the great lady herself!). I'm thrilled that fourteen years later, my teenage dream of getting it published has come true. Check it out here: DRIFTWOOD.

DNA Magazine Article

There's a great article in this month's edition of DNA Magazine about gay art, and I'm honored to have my work included. If you'd like to purchase a copy, click HERE.

Here's an excerpt:

What is gay art? What role does it play in the wider artistic landscape? Is it possible to separate gay identity from artistic expression? Joseph Brennan profiles some of the world’s most renowned gay artists to explore these issues...

...Ohio’s Paul Richmond paints openly about sexuality, particularly his own. Believing others may see glimpses of their lives through his canvasses, his art deals with issues of coming out (Not Just A Closet) and sexual awakening as otherworldly. In Rocket Boy, for example, he paints a story of his sexual awakening as a fourth grader with The Little Mermaid’s Prince Eric standing on a suburban rooftop as rockets fall short of the universe above. His Cheesecake Boys series, with its clean cut men caught in all kinds of tight places – quite frequently with their pants down – reveal Richmond’s technicoloured palette and a campy cheekiness that is, in his words, “certainly not subtle."

Ménage à trois

What is the strongest shape? Why a triangle, of course...specifically, a looooooove triangle. Hope there's enough to go around!


The Strongest Shape will be released next month by Dreamspinner Press.

Here's my original sketch for the cover art:

Cover-ing Up

I finished two new novel covers for Dreamspinner Press over the weekend -- “Broken” by Dawn Kimberly Johnson and “The One That Got Away” by Rhianne Aile and Madeleine Urban.



My friends Brian and Tony were kind enough to pose for the reference photos for “Broken,” but I was left to my own devices for the other which resulted in a creepily narcissistic Photoshop montage with two versions of myself (note: photo reference not posted here because it’s just too weird).

I'm From Driftwood

I’m excited to have illustrated another story for the website I’m From Driftwood, which showcases a collection of “true stories by gay people from all over.” Brian Schaefer’s touching story, “I’m From Pasadena, CA,” recounts a memorable experience at camp (and gave me the opportunity to make my first same-sex kiss illustration!). Check it out here: I’M FROM PASADENA.

Big Gay Recap

I had a great time at the Big Gay Art Show this past weekend at Junctionview Studios in Grandview, Ohio. Kudos to Devon Palmer for organizing a fantastic show to benefit the important work of Kaleidoscope Youth Center. Devon tells me that he’s planning to hold the show again next year with a more state-wide presence and the following year on a national scale. Can’t wait! Here are a few of our pics from the evening (click HERE to see more): 

Me with Devon Palmer, Junctionview artist and event organizer

With Tony Brost, friend and fabulous cover art model for some of my recent projects

With my honey, Dennis

With Jim Warren and Linda Regula (my childhood mentor and inspiration)