Dolly Is Love, 2017
acrylic paint and paper on stretched canvas

Since I was young, I have known of Dolly Parton as a famous singer and songwriter. She has been a staple of pop culture for as long as I can remember. Until recently, I never really understood how much of a genius and gift to the world she is. My awareness was spurred by watching a Christmas special based on her life.  I was confronted with Dolly again at the Speed Art Museum exhibition “Southen Accent: Seeking the American South in Contemporary Art” in the Summer of 2017. In the Exhibition, there was a portrait of Dolly by Andy Warhol, another genius, and idol of mine. Celebrity, fame, and fortune are all themes that I am interested in exploring in my work. I am also interested in learning from successful artists that have figured out how to live their artistic visions. I’ve had these thoughts and experiences swirling around in my mind for a while and a couple weeks ago decided to explore Dolly more in-depth by making a portrait of her. I listened to Dolly’s music for nearly the entire time working on the piece. The experience really moved me (sometimes even to tears)! I scrolled through Dollys recordings and realized she has been writing/releasing/producing music every year for the last 50+ years!! She is an inspiration, to say the least, and is pushing me to stay grinding in the studio!

High-quality giclee print on heavy weight archival paper. The acid-free matte finish looks great directly on the wall or under glass in a frame. The paper includes a white border around the art to allow for easy framing.