“Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art.” — Andrew Warhola, aka, Andy Warhol.

This is my favorite Warhol quote. His mission to put a Warhol in every home, coupled with his desire for luxury proved a recipe for timeless success.

Having Marilyn at our dinner table for nearly 20 years — it was a must-add to my Re-Mastered series. And friend — Marilyn was begging for neon.

Warhol’s original Blue Marilyn, which auctioned for a cool $195,000,000 in 2022, is 40″X40″. My iteration is 24″X24″X1.75″. Andy’s was paint and silk screen on canvas. Mine, is Acrylic paint on Belgian Linen. And, of course, my creation incorporates neon elements.

I kicked things off with a basic outline, laid out her face, clothes, and began with the background. While I love the cool, static background of Warhol’s… I thought a gradient would be money.

Cue The Blackest Black for the shadows. Though challenging to manipulate in detail, I love the deep, dark matte effect.

I wasn’t sure how to approach the shadows in Marilyn’s face, so I tried a black and pink mix. The result was awful… so it to served as a place-holder.

Adding more red and black to shape Marilyn was the way. I had a great time painting her hair. It’s always a challenge to find the correct location for the tubes… she required two passes.

Another major deliberation? Where to add tubes. Following digital exploration, tubes in her face didn’t feel right, so I abandoned them. The eyes were always set for neon… the lips? That was a challenging choice… I thought the teeth might suffice. However, following review by my consigliere (Erin), it went in. And I love it.

Following a great deal of refinement, which included re-painting the face — Neon Marilyn achieved completion. If she looks familiar, you have a fantastic eye.

In 2011, I found a reproduction of Marilyn in a thrift shop. After staring at it for a while, I decided to collage in the New York Post masthead, and paint over it.

Back in 2008, I found a stack of Marilyn plates at CB2. We’ve been eating off of them since… so, yes, Marilyn has dined with us for years. And, of course, Robert Mars‘ Marilyn has witnessed us move from NYC to Idaho, while our family grew from 2-5.

As a major coffee drinker, I’ve topped off my Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup for 20-years. The summation? Warhol created for the world. I re-created Warhol for me.