By CHRISTINA YOON Special to the Daily Press
DOWNTOWN For years, painter Bibi Davidson absentmindedly doodled a red-haired character in books, notebooks and scraps of paper wherever she went.
Years later, Davidson gave the character, who she affectionately named “My Girl,” a more distinguished home — a series of acrylic on canvas paintings created at the Santa Monica Fine Art Studios.
The “My Girl” series is on display at the Thought Gallery in Hollywood until July 10. Davidson will hold an opening reception on Sunday night. The reception and the show are free and open to the public.
The 26-piece series features the whimsical character posing with other redheaded friends and expressing her thoughts through bright red, yellow and blue text that floats above her head. In one part of the series,“My Girl” is saddened to find a good-bye note from her dog, a mischievous Chihuahua; in another, she prances about triumphantly in the nude. The character’s vibrant, rope-like hair mirrors the artist’s own style, which she has dyed red for the past 20 years.
“I’ve always wanted hair like Raggedy Ann,” said Davidson, laughing.
“She represents me, but she looks like my youngest daughter,” she said about her character. “I’ve always been drawing her, even before my daughter was born.”
The 59-year-old painter’s latest series is in many ways opposite to works she has done previously. She has focused in the past on highly detailed, accurate portraits using oil on small wood surfaces. She will display three of her older pieces at the Thought Gallery show, including a portrait of her husband Boaz Davidson, a film producer who works with Nu Image and Millennium Films. “’My Girl’ is like a journey into childhood, and it’s a light journey with a wink and a smile,” Boaz said of the series. “It’s innocence and joy, as if you had a switch that could turn off reality.”
He said that the series reflects the joie de vivre that his wife emanates.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 28, 2008. Read the original PDF.