each view is a postcard

I’m a painter and also a deeply committed fan of Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia. I watch The Golden Girls almost every day and have for decades, but it never occurred to me to paint their house until recently during my nightly binging. The theme song starts, and every trouble, care, and worry melts away. First was the exterior, titled “Each View is a Postcard” from the Miami song jingle contest. It seemed like the best description for this body of work and also spoke to a level of hardcore Golden Girl fandom.

Each View is a Postcard

Deciding to paint their house exactly the way I approach my other work made me wonder what took me so long to do it. Most of my work involves mid-century inspired subject matter painted as loosely but accurately as possible. It was the best feeling to combine my painting process with my love of pop culture. Immediately, the Girls scene transition music came to mind while planning this painting series.

Blanches Boudoir

Blanches Boudoir was painted in one sitting with a sense of urgency or in Blanche’s words “unbridled passion”.

You ate my sensible meal

It took hours of streaming episodes pausing frames and taking pictures in order to find the angles that best represented each room. I think this might have been from the episode when Blanche shook Rose and yelled: “you ate my sensible meal! You ATE MY SENSIBLE MEAL!!!!” after Rose drank the shake and ate the tuna quiche. I feel like this kitchen is my own.

Golden Girls Living Room aka I’d rather you shot Lester.

The best part about the living room is Lester’s vase. In fact, I want to paint just his vase. It wasn’t actually Lesters vase, but this has become a universally acceptable way to identify it.

Golden Girls lanai

The lanai was the most challenging out of all the rooms so far because of the mysterious architecture. We never really see how it connects to the living room. This nocturne scene is from the UFO sighting episode. I forgot to add the binoculars though.

“I get the rose” This episode makes my cry every time! I swear Betty Whites acting is the most amazing here.

Roses St Olaf kitchen is the exception to the others because I actually included Rose. Leaving the other rooms without figures was intentional in order to create a positive and nurturing connection where someone can project themselves into these spaces. The Golden Girls house represents comfort and familiarity to me. These stories are mythology that represent themes worth being painted not unlike the historical or biblical themes we see in art museums. I felt silly thinking about this, but it feels accurate. The stories are told over and over and become recognizable ways to connect with people who are otherwise strangers. Pop culture has become a large part of everyday life and it reflects our joys and sufferings. I wasn’t sure what I was trying to say by painting this series when I started it, but after having gone through the process I think creating paintings from a well-loved sitcom can be a positive shared experience.