Behind the Scenes Cheesecake Boys video

Extravaganza Recap

Me with the fabulous Cheesecake Boy models! I guess I was a little over-dressed for the occasion. (Photo by Chanda Foster)

The Cheesecake Boy Extravaganza at Luxboheme was a HUGE success! Thank you to everyone in Columbus who joined us for an amazing night of art, fashion, and many other surprises. I'm starting to get some photos from various guests at the event, so I'll share some here and update with more as they come in. The professional shots should be ready next week.

The event sold out, so the room filled up quickly and guests mingled and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails while some jumped into the "Pin-Up Yourself" photobooth, benefiting Kaleidoscope Youth Center.

 

After a brief discussion of my paintings, the fashion show kicked off. I don't have any pics yet from the show itself, but the boys modeled everything from adorable Lifer T-shirts to skimpy robes, culminating in a display of their Baskit underwear (one of our event sponsors).

The Cheesecake Boys! L to R - Jaris, Jesse, Stanley, Jason, Brian, Bruin. Thanks, guys!! (photo by Charles Dersom)

Cheesecake Boys love cameras! (Photo by Chanda Foster)

Then we had an amazing performance by drag superstar Nina West, who performed Pink's "Raise Your Glass" wearing this little number:

Nina West, during the first part of her performance at the Cheesecake Boy Extravaganza (photo by Charles Dersom)

But of course, in keeping with the theme of the evening, midway through the song she was down to this:

Nina West shows off her unmentionables (Photo by Chanda Foster)

Everyone seemed to have a fabulous time, and I am so grateful to all the people who generously gave their time and talents to help make it happen! My friend Brooke Albrecht, shown below in center, was one of my co-conspirators for the evening.

Hanging out with two of my favorite pin-up girls, Brooke and Maria (photo by Chanda Foster)

Special thanks also to Eric Albrecht, Nancy Smeltzer, Priscila Teixeira, Luxboheme, Baskit, Outlook Columbus, Nina West, Studio Fovero, and of course the Cheesecake Boy models: Jesse Jones, Stanley-Sebastian Priest, Jasen McGee, Brian Williams, Bruin Collinsworth, and Jaris Morrison.

See more photos from the event on my Flickr page here.

Christmas Surprise

There's nothing better at Christmas than an unexpected package showing up at the door! Both Cheesecake Boys in this heartwarming holiday scene have just such a surprise awaiting them, though in very different forms. And I doubt these boys are going to be able to wait until Christmas morning to unwrap them! This painting is available as a limited-edition giclee print and a greeting card.

Rainbow Pride Cheesecake

My latest Cheesecake Boy painting is a colorful one -- introducing Rainbow Pride Cheesecake!!

Limited-edition giclee prints are available in my online store here.

This Cheesecake Boy has many reasons to be proud as he marches in the annual Pride parade with his rainbow flag in tow. However, he wasn't expecting to show off the rainbow pattern on his underwear too! As the button on his tight, sexy jeans pops off, his pants begin to plummet. What's a boy to do? With many blocks remaining, he must grab hold of the situation as best he can and march onward -- giving new meaning to the expression "bursting with pride!"

"Rainbow Pride Cheesecake" is the official pin-up boy of the Rainbow Awards hosted by Elisa Rolle.

Rainbow Cheesecake

Here's a pic of my newest Cheesecake Boy in progress. This rainbow-flag bearing fellow is full of pride - but will his pride be shaken by the loss of his pants?

I'm creating this painting for the Rainbow Awards, which is hosted by my friend Elisa Rolle.

Cheesecake Boys Party

You're invited to spend an evening with the Cheesecake Boys! Tickets are now available HERE for the December 2 event at Luxboheme Showroom in Columbus.

 

Luxboheme presents an evening of art, fashion, and pin-up couture featuring my original paintings and new Cheesecake Boys book. The event will also include a series of fashion presentations with Cheesecake Boy models, and a "Pin-Up Yourself" photo booth. Tickets are $15, which includes cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and an evening filled with pin-up surprises. Hope to see you there!

Cheesecake Boys Book

The Cheesecake Boys book is OUT, and I couldn't be more excited! 

It contains over a hundred pages of paintings, process pics, behind-the scenes photo references and more. Get up close and personal with the Cheesecake Boys like never before! Many thanks to Jesse Archer for writing the Foreword and to Jason Driskill who wrote the Afterword. Their thoughtful insights provide perfect book-ends to this collection of pin-up fun - guaranteed to wow your pants off!

Order yours HERE.

Here's a preview:

Cheesecake Boys by Paul Richmond | Make Your Own Book

Columbus Cheesecake Boy Art Party

Calling all Cheesecake Boy fans in Columbus, Ohio -- We are hard at work planning a pin-up extravaganza for your viewing (and participatory) pleasure! It will be held at the Luxboheme Showroom downtown on December 2 from 6:30 - 9:00 pm. Mark your calendars, kids. The boys are coming to town, and you don't want to miss it! Plans are underway for an evening of OVER-THE-TOP pin-up fun. Besides all of my pin-up paintings, prints, and new book,  there will be Cheesecake Boy fashion shows throughout the evening and even interactive "Pin-Up Yourself!" opportunities -- plus great food, drinks, and a plethora of eye-candy sprinkled throughout. Tickets will go on sale November 12. Sign up for my e-mail newsletter to be notified. 

If you are interested in being a Cheesecake Boy fashion model at the event, or if you're a local business interested in sponsorship opportunities, send me an e-mail HERE.

I'm so excited to share the Cheesecake Boys with all of my Columbus friends, and I couldn't think of a more fabulous venue. Priscila Teixeria (the owner of Luxboheme) is a creative force to be reckoned with -- and now that we're joining forces, the results are guaranteed to knock your pants off!

Me with fashionistas Maria Fanning and Mary Pedigo at a Luxboheme fashion event earlier this month

Rainbow Cheesecake

My friend Elisa Rolle recently asked me to create an illustration for the Rainbow Awards, celebrating the best of gay fiction. Of course I took that as an opportunity to create a new Cheesecake Boy, proudly toting his rainbow flag and accidentally flashing his rainbow undies too! Here’s a pic of the sketch, and you can read more details HERE.

 

"Cheesecake Boys" book will be out in November

Here's the cover for my upcoming art book, Cheesecake Boys:

It will include all of my pin-up work to date, plus a foreword by actor/columnist Jesse Archer and an afterword by artist Jason Driskill. I can't wait for everyone to see it!

Michael Breyette Cheesecake in progress

I'm working on my Cheesecake painting of artist Michael Breyette and wanted to share a progress pic. I'm having so much fun re-creating some of his amazing artwork for the background, including the sexy, gas-pumping fellow below.

Michael's a big inspiration, so I hope I did his work justice! The only change I made was to adjust the figure's eyes so that he could better enjoy the view. 

Here's the sketch so you can see what's left:

After Michael, I have some other exciting pin-up prospects on the horizon. Jack Mackenroth and Bobbie Burlesque both recently sent me reference pics for their paintings, and I must thank them for making my job very easy! These photos are amazing!!

Jack Mackenroth (fashion designer, Project Runway alum)

Bobbie Burlesque (burlesque performer)

If you would like to be first in line to see the completed painting of Michael Breyette, and all of the other fabulous Cheesecake Boys to come, sign up for my e-mail newsletter HERE.

And if you'd like to come check out these pin-up boys in person, please join us for the Cheesecake opening reception on Friday, June 11 at the Center on Halsted in Chicago. Get all the scoop HERE.

CHEESECAKE Reception

The opening reception for CHEESECAKE, my revealing new show in Chicago, has been scheduled for Friday, June 11 from 6:30-9:30 pm at the Center on Halsted. Their address is 3656 N Halsted, Chicago, IL 60613. 

Let me know if you're interested in joining us for the festivities! It should be a really fun event and I hope to see some of you there!

If you're a Facebooker, here's a link to the event page: CHEESECAKE. 

Jesse Archer Gets Depantsed

My new painting In Hot Pursuit, Starring Jesse Archer has been popping up in a few places online this week, including a feature on Queerty called Jesse Archer and Friends Cannot Keep Their Clothes On, and my personal favorite headline of all-time from Out in America: Jesse Archer Gets Depantsed by Artist Paul Richmond. Here's the text of the article:

Why are Jesse Archer, Mike Ruiz, Jack Mackenroth and Perez Hilton having trouble keeping their clothes on these days? Because artist Paul Richmond has enlisted their modeling services for his upcoming exhibit of male pin-up paintings called CHEESECAKE. The show, which will feature oil paintings of fourteen gay male celebrities, opens at the Center on Halsted in Chicago this June.

According to Richmond, "It intrigues me that it was almost exclusively women who were depicted as hapless victims of comical wardrobe malfuncions in early pin-up art. Those ladies couldn't even walk down the street without their skirts blowing up or their underwear falling down (or both!). Meanwhile, male pin-ups by artists like Tom of Finland were generally afforded more control over their sexy shenanigans. I believe gravity and other forces conspiring to rob people of their clothing should take an equal-opportunity approach."

And thus, his impressive lineup of Cheesecake models should be prepared for a revealing experience. Paul recently released his first painting for the show, a tribute to slasher flick victims, featuring actor and OUT columnist Jesse Archer as the damsel in distress. He is shown running through a spooky forest with a shadowy, knock-kneed monster hot on his tail. Of course the treacherous branches tear Jesse's skimpy outfit to shreds in the process, leaving him in little more than his skivvies. Archer provided the artist with photo references for the project, and even helped him connect with several other celebrities who will soon be added to the show, including Ari Gold, Alec Mapa, and Darryl Stephens.

"I've never been painted before and it's an honor because Paul is so talented," explains Jesse. "I also love his concept for me. I can't think of anything better than an homage to female slasher victims who can't keep their clothes on!" The painting, titled "In Hot Pursuit, Starring Jesse Archer," is available as a limited-edition giclee print in Paul's online store: www.paulypants.etsy.com.

The opening reception for CHEESECAKE is slated for Friday, June 11, 2010 from 6:30-9:30 pm at the Center on Halsted in Chicago. The address is 3656 N Halsted, Chicago, IL 60613. CHEESECAKE is curated by David Joseph.

To keep up with Paul Richmond's new work for the exhibit, visit his blog and sign up for his e-mail newsletter: www.paulrichmondstudio.blogspot.com. [2/9/2010]

In Hot Pursuit, Starring Jesse Archer

Ready for a fresh slice of Cheesecake? I finished the first painting for my CHEESECAKE show, and it's a frightfully delicious homage to female slasher-flick victims titled In Hot Pursuit, Starring Jesse Archer. It depicts our hero, actor Jesse Archer, running for his life from a shadowy, knock-kneed monster who has an insatiable appetite for hunks.

If you and the monster have similar cravings, help yourself to a limited-edition giclee print of this tasty morsel available in my online store. It's available in a 10.5" x 14" size HERE and 15" x 20" HERE. Want an even bigger portion of this cheesecake? The original painting is also currently available for purchase - contact me for additional details. 


Many thanks to Jesse Archer for not only going along with this wacky project and providing some fantastic reference photos, but for also being enthusiastic enough to recruit additional celebrity Cheesecake Boy models for my upcoming paintings. I'd like to say his generosity would earn him a free pass out of this treacherous forest, but we all know how these slasher movie scenes end. Thanks anyway, Jesse!


Next up: Fresh from his appearance last week on RuPaul's Drag Race, the fabulous photographer Mike Ruiz steps center stage as the model for my next Cheesecake Boy painting...


And if you'd like to join Jesse, Mike, and friends in all their pin-up glory, check out the Facebook event page for the opening reception on Friday, June 11 at the Center on Halsted in Chicago. Click HERE. 

More Jesse Progress and a Peek at Mike Ruiz

I've made some more progress with the Jesse Archer painting for my CHEESECAKE show. Here's the latest:

The exhibit was also the subject of a post on Elisa Rolle's site earlier this week, which included additional pics of the work in progress, and quotes from a few famous Cheesecake Boy models. Check it out HERE, and I'll include the quotes below:

"I've never been painted before and its an honor because Paul is so talented. I also love his concept for me. I can't think of anything better than an homage to female slasher victims who can't keep their clothes on!" ~Jesse Archer

"I met Paul thru Facebook I believe and then he emailed me asking me if it would be OK to paint me as a Cheesecake Boy. I took a look at his work and I really liked it so I was flattered to be included. I love the arts in all forms and do anything I can to support them. He's very talented and I am looking forward to the final piece." ~Jack Mackenroth

"I know I first encountered Paul's work online somewhere, but it wasn't until he contacted me that I got to know him and his work better, and got lured into 'Pauly's World'. He was interested in one of my prints, (I believe he wanted it as a gift for his partner) and wondered if I'd be interested in a swap, since he was an artist too. When I looked at his work online, I went, "ahhh this is the guy who did the wonderful piece with Cher and the boy, and Tammy Faye!". I ended up showing his work to my boyfriend, who really loved the 'Dolly Pop' piece. That's the one I decided to swap with Paul. So it ended up that I gave HIS work to MY partner as a gift, and he just loves it as does everyone who visits." ~ Michael Breyette

And here's a sneak peek of my latest sketch for the show, a pin-up portrait of photographer Mike Ruiz:

CHEESECAKE

I've decided to change the name of my exhibit in June at the Center on Halsted to be more reflective of the work. Instead of Gay Day at Paulyworld, I'm going with CHEESECAKE. Here's a little promo (photo courtesy of the talented Allison Grimes):

I also wanted to share a sneak-peek at one of the pieces in-progress, In Hot Pursuit, Starring Jesse Archer:

Ok, now I need get back to work painting some clothes for that boy (or at least the shredded remains of them!)...

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.

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.

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...

Mistletoe Madness

Check out my latest painting, “Mistletoe Madness.”


It’s from my Cheesecake Boy series, depicting male models who just can’t seem to keep their clothes on. In "Mistletoe Madness," a Cheesecake Boy takes romance into his own hands by attempting to hang mistletoe directly above his studiously preoccupied companion. The stealthy attempt, however, is soon thwarted by gravity when his loose, belt-less pants fall to the ground. Turning just in time to catch an eyeful of the hapless hunk's holly-patterned, skimpy briefs, the young fellow on the sofa seems pleasantly surprised by this turn of events. After all, what's a kiss under the mistletoe compared to a Christmas package like this?

This painting was commissioned by Dreamspinner Press for the cover of their annual holiday collection. It’s also available as a limited-edition giclee print in my Etsy store here: Paulypants Store.