Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Richmond.

Hi Paul, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Forty years ago, I walked into my art teacher Linda Regula’s studio for the first time. That was when I learned that art would be a guiding force in my life. I was only four years old, but from that moment forward, when anyone asked me if I wanted to be an artist when I grew up, I proudly informed them that I already WAS an artist.

A queer kid in a homophobic, Midwestern town, I struggled to accept many aspects of my identity. Drawing and painting gave me an outlet for feelings that had no other way of being expressed. After graduating from art school and coming out of the closet (a closet that had a giant mural of Cher on it, by the way!), I continued finding inspiration in personal narrative. Every struggle I faced became another painting. I wasn’t even intending to show those paintings to people. Ironically, when I finished them, I would roll them up in my closet. They were for me, but I soon learned they were also for everyone else too. The vulnerability in those pieces, once they were eventually hauled back out of the closet, created meaningful connections with viewers beyond what I could have ever imagined.

Since those early days, my work has been displayed in galleries and museums, published in anthologies, and collected by people around the globe. I explore many subjects and themes, but always try to be as genuine as possible. I follow dutifully wherever my muse leads, and we go on a roller coaster ride sometimes! Some of my art digs into deeply personal experiences or responses to social and political topics. But it can also be fun and cheeky. For example, one of the series I am most known for is a humorous collection of male pin-ups called Cheesecake Boys. Inspired by classic pin-up art from the 40’s and 50’s, I wanted to portray men in the same campy way. In 2017, my Cheesecake Boys Adult Coloring Book became a bestseller. I’ll be publishing two sequels next year – Cheesecake Boys 2 and Cheesecake Daddies!

I’ve had the privilege of doing some wonderful art commissions, including a recent painting for my childhood hero, Dolly Parton. The day I drove to hang it in her living room was one that I’ll never forget! It was a full-circle moment for that shy, awkward gay boy who was bullied mercilessly at school and found comfort at night hanging out in his room drawing fantasy art and listening to Dolly’s albums on cassette. I’m very grateful that the passion I discovered at such a young age was nurtured and allowed to blossom into a fulfilling career, and I do my best to pay that forward every day as a mentor to others.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If you tried to draw a map of my life and career, it would look like a bunch of scribbled zig-zags. While the road hasn’t been smooth, the missteps and struggles were just as important as the successes. They all contributed equally to the outcome.

I was bullied mercilessly growing up because I was “different.” But the artist in me likes to transform negatives into positives, so in 2011, with my childhood art teacher Linda, I co-founded the You Will Rise Project, an organization that empowers young people negatively impacted by bullying to express themselves through the arts. I want to help others who are also “different” learn to love the qualities about themselves that others may ridicule.

Being different is why I have a career. When I started seeking gallery representation twenty years ago in the Midwest, I was continually shut down because the queer themes in my paintings made them too “niche.” I was advised to paint something that would appeal to mainstream art buyers. And of course every gallery owner had a different idea of what that meant. But thankfully, I had already learned the value of leaning into my uniqueness. I wasn’t about to go back in the closet. If anything, that experience prompted my work to become even gayer! And I worked around the lack of gallery interest by plunging into the wonderful new (at the time) world of social media. The galleries were wrong – there WERE people who were craving work like mine, and that need wasn’t being met. So I went directly to the source by being among the first queer artists to share and sell my work prominently on social media. Eventually I did get to work with some wonderful brick and mortar galleries too. One of the first to reach out to me was the World of Wonder Gallery in LA, a mecca for gay artists at the time. My first show there was curated by RuPaul (it doesn’t get much gayer than that!).

Most articles about me have headlines that say “Gay Artist” or “Queer Artist.” And I’m proud of that. It would be silly for me to object when I publish coloring books of hunky guys precariously losing their clothes. But I don’t think of the stories I tell in my art as being exclusive to any one group. When I’m painting drag queens or my transgender friends, there is so much more to who they are than a mere label. I’m grateful to have a diverse group of collectors who see and relate to the humanity in my work. It’s been very healing to find that level of appreciation for what I do. But for all the love and acceptance, I also receive an extraordinary amount of homophobic insults and threats online. It has been that way all along, but the current political climate has only made it worse. However, haters will never affect who I am or what I do. I’ve already had the experience of living in a “Don’t Say Gay” world – it was called the 80’s in Ohio. If I survived that, I can handle some Instagram trolls. Young people (and all people) deserve to see others like themselves thriving in art, culture, and society so they know what is possible. It is an honor that there are people who care about what I say and do, so I intend to continue being my loud, colorful, flamboyant self and prancing along wherever this winding, wonderful road decides to lead next.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
It’s difficult to sum up my paintings in a few sentences because they are as multi-faceted as I am. My work tends to be large, bold, and expressive, except for when it isn’t. I enjoy storytelling, so there is sometimes a narrative. I LOVE people, so it’s usually figurative (but not always). Basically, I’m all over the place, which contradicts the advice you get in art school about finding a consistent style and becoming known for that one thing. But my approach rings true to my mega-ADHD personality!

I am most proud of the fact that I am carrying on the legacy of mentorship I was so fortunate to receive as a child. My friend Melissa Forman joined forces with me in 2020 to launch an online community for artists of all experience levels called Art Makes Us. Using this platform, we bring people together for group workshops, private instruction, and ongoing courses that help them access their own creativity. Everyone has the capacity to be an artist in one form or another, and if more people embrace that side of themselves, the world will be a better place.

One thing that sets me apart from others is my preference for colorful, patterned underwear. But that’s probably not what you were going for with that question. If it is, you would definitely enjoy the Cheesecake Boys series! Seriously though, I think the thing that sets me apart from many artists I know is my level of confidence and ambition, both of which I attribute to the support and encouragement my parents gave my childhood artistic pursuits, and the incredible mentor who took me under her wing and made me believe I could do anything. That fortuitous combination paved the way for a pretty incredible creative life.

Looking back on the first forty years of my journey as an artist has inspired me to put together a book called Star Gazing that will be released this fall. It’s a collection of artwork and photos presented in chronological order from age 4 to 44, along with commentary from me as well as some important people in my life. I want readers to see where I started and the growth that took place over time with continued practice and dedication. As I frequently tell my students, it’s all about the process, not the product. I believe that’s as true of life as it is of art.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
My favorite thing about San Francisco is the overwhelming sense of queer history and community. Even though so much has changed, walking through the Castro and thinking about all the generations of people like me who lived and loved and fought to survive and challenged society’s expectations – it always fills me with immense pride. On one recent visit, my friend Aaron and I went from one Castro hotspot to the next all day, collecting new friends until we had a small parade of diverse, eclectic people coming along with us – from a young queer couple who had just gotten married to Harvey Milk’s personal photographer. You just never know who you’re going to run into or what’s going to go down in the Castro! The thing I like least about San Francisco is that I can’t be everywhere and do everything at once. But I suppose that’s more a “me problem.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://paulrichmondstudio.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/paulyworld/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paulrichmondstudio
• Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/paulrichmondstudio
• Other: Art Makes Us website: http://artmakesus.com

Image Credits
Photo of Paul Richmond © Carter Perez-Art