Creating the Painting "Let's Get Weird."

After looking at my artwork and reading a little bit about me, I think it goes without saying – Fiesta has become a huge inspiration for me and the art that I create. One of the aspects of The Order of the Alamo's Fiesta that I have always found so entertaining are the over-the-top parties that each of the Duchesses throw in honor of Fiesta.
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The girls and their families have complete control over the parties so they can choose any theme. And let me tell you, there have been some crazy themes! And those parties, that had the over the top décor and theatrics, are what inspired this painting.

The Background 

I chose a black background primarily because I wanted the subjects in the painting to pop. The other reason I chose black was because these parties often happen at night and go until all hours of morning.

The Disco Ball 

A disco ball represents the idea of dancing – which there was always a lot of at every party. Whether it was a single DJ or multiple bands flown in from all over the country, the best of the best were brought in to ensure that the dancing didn’t stop ‘til the sun came up! However, the glittering disco ball also represented the beauty and glamour of Fiesta - particularly the glittering rhinestones on the Duchess dresses themselves.

The Darth Vader in a Navy Tux Wearing Bunny Ears ... 

No matter the theme, people always came dressed to impress. One party was a fairy tale theme, so when you walked in, you walked through one of those spinning tunnels and when you came out on the other side … you were in Alice in Wonderland! And as the party went on through the night, guests were handed funky hats, glow sticks, sunglasses and masks as full-on marching band in costume paraded through the party. The memory of this party is what inspired me to do a man in a sharp tux, rocking fluffy bunny ears, and a killer Darth Vader helmet.

The Champagne Bottles and The Over-The-Top Ice Cream Cone 

Every Fiesta party and every Duchess party has an open bar. The word Fiesta means “Party,” and when Texans decide to do something, they do it BIG. This also includes their buffets. Like the man in the painting, you wind up carrying as many drinks and plates as you can so that you can quickly refuel and hit the dance floor again.

The Flying Attack Rooster

One Duchess who had a party where the theme was Jungle Safari… She had live monkeys, koalas, exotic birds and other strange furry creatures for her guests to be able to interact with and take photos with. One of the stories I heard was that while one of the girls was trying to take a photo with one of the monkeys, it started jumping on her head and pulling her hair … So I added the flying attack rooster to show that sometimes these parties skirt the line between extravagant and chaos.

​​I hope you enjoyed getting to learn more about what inspired this painting and how it all came together. To learn more about my process, continue to read my blogs or visit my Videos page where you can watch “Behind the Scenes” videos of me painting. To learn more about me as an artist, go to my About the Artist page, which has my Artist’s Statement and Bio. If you would like to stay up to date on all my current projects and events, follow my Instagram page @vchampionart and my Facebook page www.facebook.com/VC.Art. 

Victoria Champion

*Original sold in 2018. To purchase a print of this painting, click here.