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About the Artist
C.J. is better known as the gossip columnist at the Star
Tribune, the largest newspaper in Minnesota, than as an artist.
She began painting after a trip to Paris in 2000,
developing a fondness for the fearless use of color in both abstracts
and portraits. She has had three Twin Cities art shows: Frank Stone
Gallery (Minneapolis, June 2003); Room for Art (St. Louis Park,
December 2003) and aND Gallery (St. Paul, June 2004).
The columnist-cum-artist is part of what's been called the
Outsider Art Movement.
"As much fun as my job can be, painting
provides a freedom, limited only by my artistic vocabulary. I paint
whatever I like, without 'outsider' editing."
C.J. with Nip/Tuck star Kelly Carlson
photo by Marty Dietrich
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Fans of C.J.'s art are intrigued by her celebrity
portraiture because of what she does for a living -- writing about
notable people.
Various paintings of Prince hold particular
fascination for some because C.J. appears to have been the inspiration
for the song "Billy Jack Bitch" on his Gold Experience album.
In a chance 1997 interview with C.J., Prince denied that the song
is about her but many who have worked at Paisley Park, several Web
sites and other publications say otherwise.
"I'm guessing Prince belatedly realized what a mistake
it
was to call additional attention to a knucklehead like me, even in an
attack song. Who could imagine that column items about his public
antics, which have given discerning readers real insight into his
personality, would irritate him so much. I also understand that he
was furious about
me nicknaming him 'Symbolina,' after his ridiculous glyph-for-a-name
phase," she said.
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Fabulous Tina Panas and So-so C.J.
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C.J. delighted in capturing Michael Jackson's visage in
ways that probably would not enchant the ethnically challenged pop
star. "Through plastic sugery Jackson seems to have been transformed
from a cute black boy
into a rather scary-looking white woman. I decided that what Michael
needed was skin tone. 'Michael with Melanin' is much closer
to what he would look like if he actually had vitiligo."
The vitiligo
story lost credibility when, People magazine reported in March 2004
that at an auction of his possessions, among the items discovered was a
tube of the
professional strength, skin-bleaching cream Eldopaque. "Michael's
apparent lack of comfort with his ethnicity makes him a captivating,
if pitiful, portrait subject," said C.J.
C.J. with Duchess Sarah Ferguson
photo by Linda Cullen
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"His ethnic issues are, however, not the main reason I
would hope he has a standing appointment with a therapist.''
She has also painted a haunting portrait of Jackson as an
African mask on a museum stand, with dreadlocks.
Other celebrity subjects include Kevin Garnett, Randy Moss, Diana
Ross and Oprah.
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C.J. with Eddie Montgomery
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"The Randy Moss painting is titled I Do What I Do
because, in an interview with me, that was his partial explanation for
an act of rudeness. The Vikings wide receiver, in the company of QB
Daunte Culpepper, went to get Timberwolves playoff tickets a couple years
ago and they were reportedly disrespectful to a ticket agent, who
didn't
recognized them. When asked about the incident Moss lapsed in
vintage Randy behavior. Gesticulating wildly, either
to 'accidentally' knock the tape recorder out of my hand or more
likely to make me feel uncomfortable, he gave a rather blue verbal
performance. Eventually he uttered a quote I'll never forget: 'Pep do
what he do and I do what I do.'
All the surliness you might expect from a person who would
say that is captured in the Moss portrait."
C.J. also captures a
little something different about Oprah with each new piece: "I'm
trying to paint the perfect Oprah portrait. She's interesting with all
that hair and the powerful set of her jaw. Even though she seems to have control
freak tendencies, I love her aura, great intent for this life and how
she enjoys her money and stature. There is something cosmically
electrifying about my cycle on Earth overlapping Oprah's."
One of C.J.'s proudest moments in a nonexistent
athletic
career was winning a celebrity free throwing contest at the
Timberwolves'
arena in 1992. She had 28 baskets, which was more than Sean
Salisbury(21), Cris Carter (06), Matt Blair (12), Al Newman, (22), Jack
Del Rio (17),
Henry Thomas (12), and Randall McDaniel (12). Oh, and although this
then local celeb was no competition at all, TV sports broadcaster Inga
Hammond (08).
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C.J. sort of with Jake Gyllenhaal
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Once a tennis playing fool, C.J.'s other passion beyond
painting is collecting novelty t-shirts. Someday she would like to get
credit for a creating t-shirt message that is a classic that deserves
mention right up there with two of her most prized old t-shirts. One
reads
"Edwin Meese Is A Pig" and the other is a mock ad, reading 'Good Mayor Wanted,' seeking someone for Marion Barry's D.C.
job who was much less flawed.
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