Rock legend Grace Slick on art and life

I was thrilled to find out that Grace Slick will be making a personal

appearance at Wentworth Gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. today to promote her

new exhibit.

Slick is synonymous with the San Francisco counterculture, with

songs such as “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love.” Her band,

Jefferson Airplane, created the soundtrack of that era -- pulsating

psychedelic music.

Now she prefers to be a different kind of artist, using a canvas

as her medium.

Slick has been creating art for years. Her exhibit will include 60

works -- original paintings, drawings and limited-edition prints.

A portion of her work, and perhaps her most popular sellers, are

pieces she creates that are influenced by people and experiences of

the ‘60s rock world. Legends such as Mick Jagger, Janis Joplin, Jim

Morrison, Jerry Garcia and Jimi Hendrix are among her subjects.

Slick’s range of work is eclectic -- her Alice and Wonderland

series brings to the canvas colorful, vivid imagery of Alice, the

White Rabbit and the Cheshire Cat.

Minimalist nudes done in the classic Japanese sumi style elucidate

another aspect of her talent.

I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing the legendary icon a couple

of times before.

Slick is a fun interview. She is open and quick-witted. Listening

to stories from her past has been an invaluable experience -- some

tales I could not print.

Tuesday’s interview proved to be another conversational safari.

Slick said she creates art around the clock.

“I’m obsessive -- anything I like, if I like it, I’m all over it

all the time,” Slick said. “I do one thing at a time. I’m not a good

multitasker -- either I’m singing or writing or drawing.”

Slick said she creates between 50 and 75 original works a year.

“I leave what goes into the show to my agent. I first see it when

I walk in,” Slick said. “I don’t know what works for that gallery --

he does. I don’t do the same thing with each gallery.”

Slick said she enjoys creating in various media -- painting with

acrylic and pastels, mixed media and drawing.

“Metallic acrylic I just love,” Slick said. “The only thing I

don’t like is oil -- it takes too long. I’m 66, I don’t have time.”

Slick shared some of her ‘60s experiences.

“Nothing like being in your twenties, doing whatever you want to

do, wearing whatever you want to wear -- when there was no such thing

as AIDS and Alcoholics Anonymous,” Slick said. “To get paid to do

something you like and go around the world -- you can’t ask for

anything better. It was fabulous.”

Slick said from age 22 on her political views were seriously to

the left. “Sixties rockers were heavily political.”

When she talked about who inspired her in the rock world, the

Beatles were not on the list.

“I was astounded when I first saw the Rolling Stones,” Slick said.

“I was heavily influenced by Mick Jagger. On stage, how you behave --

you have to own it. People are going to feel it. I learned how to be

on stage from Mick Jagger.”

“Tina Turner, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and Velvet Underground

-- we all had our own style, but we liked each other,” Slick said.

“We would stop a recording session and go listen to someone’s new

album. We all liked each other’s stuff.”

Ram Dass and Timothy Leary were influences in her life and her

path to spirituality, though some of the rockers around her died from

drug overdoses.

“Taking hard drugs is a hardball sport -- you may die,” Slick

said. “It’s not an easy sport; it’s not lawn croquet.”

Her partying days are long past. Art has become her drug of

choice.

Slick does roughly 12 exhibits a year. Her event tonight at

Wentworth Gallery, at 305 Forrest Ave., is free and open to the

public. Information: (949) 376-3878.