Knights Inn

I went to an established bar somewhere in Los Angeles County on a night that catered to a specific crowd—Oldies Night. The room was thick with men in flannels, cologne, and slicked-back hair. Women moved through the space in tight flannels, fitted jeans, deep V-cut tops, perfume lingering in the air, hoops swinging in every size. Everyone was fully in their element.

As I wandered through the bar, observing its patrons, I eventually stepped outside. There, an older woman sat with her girlfriends, laughing loudly and trading chisme. The light caught her face in a way that felt cinematic—highlighting her beauty while casting heavy, honest shadows. It was a Kodak-blink moment, one that lodged itself in my mind.

I couldn’t shake her image until I translated that feeling onto canvas, creating a piece rooted in her presence and the nostalgia she carried.

*Original painting stays in my personal collection