A street-style pop art portrait commission created for my brother-in-law, Damian. His Leukemia relapsed and has been stuck in the hospital. Some of his time was spent watching my painting Instagram reels. His wife (my sister-in-law) asked if I could create a painting for him. He wanted it in the pop art style I had created a few past paintings. 

These brightly colored paintings had elements of graffiti and street art. Not wanting to paint Bugs Bunny or another cartoon, I decided to do his portrait in a pop-art style. 

All my paintings have some symbology or meaning. The shirt is his favorite football team. The reflection of London in his sunglasses is where he grew up and used to live. His wife and two daughters are represented by the winged hearts. In the bottom right corner is a paw print and of course his nickname "Damo" in graffiti.

Cliff Powell

Damo

"Because I'm Happy" is a vibrant and colorful acrylic piece depicting a child in a dynamic pose with their mouth wide open, laughing, and both hands extended forward. The stylized image is filled with high-contrast outlines and various patterns and shapes in the background, including dots, stars, and halftone patterns reminiscent of comic book art. The transition of colors across the spectrum, including purples, blues, greens, yellows, pinks, and oranges, creates an energetic and lively visual effect. Framed within a dark border, the composition is bold and striking, showcasing the artist's unique blend of pop art, expressive abstract, and portrait styles. This artwork celebrates life, love, and the unbridled spirit of youth, capturing the child's positive energy and emotion at play.

Because Im Happy

white

yellow

orange

purple

dark blue

green

light blue

brown

black

Acrylic

Aquatint

Canvas

Chalk

Charcoal

Clay

Concrete

Embroidery

Graphite

Gold

Mixed Media

Metal

Oil Paint

Paper

Pastels

Pencil

Pigment

Resin

Tempera

Textile

Watercolor

Collage

Other

Film

Digital

Ceramic

Wire

Wood

Yarn

Stone

Porcelain

Marble

Glass

Plastic

Design

Drawing

Engraving

Etching

Linocut

Lithography

Painting

Prints

Screen Print

Text

Work on paper

Photography

3D Print

Performance

Sculpture

Landscape

Portrait

Very large

Large

Medium

Small

Very Small

Voyage of the Infinite

The Paradox of Embrace

Musica Universalis

A Single Lightbulbs Glow a Universe of Ideas

Ephemeral Assimilation

Liminal Dreamscape

Blossoming Enchantment

Apis Mellifera

Cliff Powell

collection: Portraiture

Material

Medium

Type

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Colors

Colors

Damo

Because Im Happy