So, doing collaborations for me now is like second nature at this point. I’ve done a backdrop painting for Stella McCartney in Paris, an exhibit for the Queen’s Jubilee in London for Jonathan Adler and a mural/ exhibit for the Newport Folk Festival for Squarespace in Rhode Island among others. This holiday I partnered with W New York Union Square to create a color by number from my #WithYouseries around their worldwide theme of #StopTheClock2016. I based the linework on their photo of word balloons that spell out the theme. I worked with my longtime assistant, artist Jamie Meehl & W’s Jessica Saraniero to create a postcard coloring project for the Living Rooms of W New York Union Square & Lexington Avenue locations, along with a giant partially colored mural on their Park Avenue facing windows.
Last night, we had a fun holiday coloring party with a giant version for guests to paint. It was great fun. Champagne, food and lots of fun people; writer Christopher Mason, artist Mel Odom, photographer and Downtown diva Maripol, DJ of the moment Valissa Yoe, International Playground‘s Johnny Pizzolato, actors David Ilku & Ryan Landry, promoter Daniel Nardicio, Saks’ Tim Hemmeter, designer Katy K and too many more to list. You always try to invite a good mix of your friends, “influencers” and fun people and that's exactly what I got. One uninvited guest pushed past me, rushed the easel, grabbed a brush and paint and started attacking the painting! Jessica and I looked at each other, like “WTF!?”… I tried to get him to calm down and not go nuts but when he grabbed my friend Cameron‘s wine, slugged it down, I realized this was only going to get worse. So, security came and took him out in a quiet, respectful way. Most of the guests were unaware of what had just happened. Crisis averted, but EXCITING! As friend said later,
“It’s not a party until someone gets kicked out!”
Party guests, along with hotel visitors, get a marker set and are invited to color in the postcard anyway they like. Once they decide it’s done, they post it on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags & handles @WNYUnionSquare @WVieques @TreyNYC #WithYou #StoptheClock2016. Yeah, I know it’s a lot of hashtags but here’s a payoff! The chosen winning post gets two nights at W Vieques in 2016. I’ll give you a chance to win here. Click on the line work below to enlarge and drag it onto your desktop to download and print it out. Follow the instructions and you really might win. Here’s a tip: not that many people have entered so far and “real creativity” might get you an edge. Be inventive about how you color it in and with what. If you’re having a holiday get together, print them out on card stock and have a group coloring event.
I made a limited edition of 61 signed #StoptheClock prints for the party guests last night, so we’ll keep an eye for people posting those as their own. Otherwise, knock yourselves out! Good luck! Happy 2016!
