The Idea
Who doesn't love bubble baths? Kids love them. I love them. Why wouldn't a devil love them too?
But, if you're a devil, known as "Big D", and want to maintain your street cred, it's probably a good idea to keep your love of bubble baths and 19th century literature a secret.
The Process
Like Big D, I'm an avid reader. I read fiction: Mysteries, Satire, Character Studies, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, etc.
I think my love of fiction influenced my painting in two ways:
- I struggled a bit with the painting's title. I had about four different working titles, but none felt right. Saying "The Devil" seemed a bit formal, so why not a nickname? "Big D" worked quite nicely. After naming the devil Big D, I realized that the novel I just finished reading, Laurence Shames' "Welcome to Paradise", had two lead characters who were named Big Al. That must have planted the idea of "Big D" in my head.
- While my painting is not directly inspired by Mark Cain's "Circles in Hell" series, I do love his comedic take on hell. Perhaps Mark would like to write in a cameo appearance for Big D in a future book? Fingers crossed!
Mr. Bubble
Mr. Bubble is over 50 years old and has even appeared in The Big Lebowski and Gran Torino. I loved him as a kid, and still love him now. Given that I live in California and we are in a drought, I do minimize the frequency of my Mr. Bubble moments and use a minimum of water. Unlike the Devil, who is very generous with his water use.
Pride and Prejudice
My guilty pleasure (and the Devil's too). Yes, I have binge watched all the movie adaptations. If you're not familiar, Pride and Prejudice was written by Jane Austen in 1813 and is a novel of manners. If you are devil, it's also a good idea to not mention that you are reading about five unmarried daughters set in 18th century England.
Who's Darren and what is he holding?
Not only is Darren absolutely excellent as a reference photo model, he is a absolutely excellent friend. I met Darren over 12 years ago when I wandered into Hermosa Beach's world, famous The Lighthouse Cafe. He was managing the band that was playing: "Jeremy Buck and the Bang". We've been friends ever since.
As for the book he's holding, that's Christopher Moore's Sacre Bleu. I have read EVERY Christopher Moore novel. Love his work.