Drips commissioned for Justin Bieber and his manager

In the Spring of 2016, Richard was commissioned to apply his now iconic drip style to portraits of pop sensation Justin Bieber and his manager "Scooter" Braun. The process of creating drips is somewhat performative in that all works are completed in one sitting, but the first draft rarely meets the artist's high standards. The drip itself is an exercise in repetition until the artist is ready to create the final work. In this video, Richard prototypes one of his drips.

The final work as presented to the singer features his trademark hair cascading over his piercing eyes.

'Justin' — Oil on Canvas 42 x 60

'Justin' — Oil on Canvas 42 x 60

Paul Richard's 'Bucket Man' Acquired by Oracle founder Larry Ellison

Paul Richard's Bucket Man is the centerpiece in the main room. Paul Richard's self portrait painting Bucket Man was acquired by Larry Ellison, multi-billionaire and founder of Oracle and his daughter Megan Ellison. Bucket Man is the centerpiece of the living space in the "Nightingale House", which sold for $12.6 million. The house was designed by Mark Canadell and finished by renowned real-estate designer and agent Steve Hermann. Hermann also sold a house to Christina Aguilera who also owns a large Paul Richard canvas.

Bucket Man — Oil on Canvas 48 x 72

Bucket Man — Oil on Canvas 48 x 72

'Bucket Man' between Ellison's bay windows looking down on Los Angeles.

'Bucket Man' between Ellison's bay windows looking down on Los Angeles.

Madoff's infamous visage inspires a portrait and a stunt

In the Spring of 2009, as Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme was in its death throws, Richard painted a stunning "close-up" portrait reminiscent of the tabloid "mug shot" oeuvre. In fact, the inspiration for the work came directly from the iconic New York Post.

In a case of self-referential circularity, an image of Richard and the painting on Eight Avenue in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood makes the cover of the New York Post itself.

“A lot of people have said it should be [made into] a dart board or they’ve asked, ‘Do you get to burn it if you buy it?’ and my answer is yes.”
— Richard quoted in the The New York Post

The conceit of the event was a silent auction on the street. Richard posted his phone number on a placard and courted bids for several days. A contemporary art museum, Fisher Landau Center for the Arts, was the high bidder and the work remains part of their permanent collection.

This sale on the streets of New York was not a singular event for Richard who has regularly sells directly to the public in most unconventional of ways. To date, Richard has sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of art in this manner.