16”x 20” acrylic on canvas. Canvas is made of 100% cotton duck with an acrylic titanium triple primer. 

What’s the story behind this painting?

This is the very first “Puffy Pollock” painting that I ever designed. I didn’t start with the intention of creating a whole collection. What initially was a fun and spontaneous activity involving action painting ultimately evolved into a celebration of memory and nostalgia. I loved the viscosity of the paint and how its texture resembled puffy paint, which I used a lot of in the 90s. It was one of the hottest materials used in crafts. We used puffy paint on many articles of clothing and accessories, such as t-shirts and knockoff Keds. We used to draw balloons on our white tennis shoes. I remember seeing this machine that spun clothing at an intense speed, so that when you would place a t-shirt with wet puffy paint inside the machine, the forced of speed made the paint stretch out in various directions to create a crazy abstract design. Of course, some people decorated their denim with plastic gems or paint. Even little Michelle Tanner on the hit show “Full House” wore pimped up denim jackets.

I loved watching “Full House” and secretly hoped to have a loving eclectic family. Uncle Jesse was my favorite character. Years later at one of my jobs I ran into him. I was so star struck but I tried to keep my cool. What I really wanted to tell him was how I wished for an uncle like him, but ultimately I didn’t have the nerve to say anything to him.