Lucinda Breeding

Artist Richard Nunez is still painting celebrities. These days, though, the Grapevine artist is selling the pieces for charity.

He’s kept his first “real” painting, though, as a reminder of how far he’s come. It’s a nearly life-size portrait of Marilyn Monroe. It’s riddled with bullet holes.

Nunez is a self-taught painter. He finished the painting of Marilyn on July 7, 2007. He loaded it into his car, along with another painting of the famous actress and pin-up girl. He left the car parked near the Oakmont neighborhood and went about his business.

When he got back, someone had broken into his car and stolen the paintings. The smaller of the two had already been purchased.

Nunez thought he’d seen the last of his work, and the police report he filed wasn’t much comfort.

Then, something happened. The paintings were found in a back yard not far from where they were stolen. The purchased painting was untouched. The life-size portrait had been left outside in the rain and the heat.

“Someone had used it as target practice,” Nunez said. “There were nine bullet holes in it. It had heat damage and damage from rainwater. The paint was peeling in places.”

DRC/David Minton

Richard Nunez’s painting of Marilyn Monroe, which was stolen and then returned riddled with bullet holes, is pictured Nov. 18 in Denton.

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Nunez restored the oil on canvas as best he could, then coated it with acrylic sealant.

The ill-fated portrait is on display at Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant in Denton. Nunez has a series of his portraits at the restaurant — mostly of music icons — that are experiments with extreme texture. Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and other musicians are rendered in high-gloss black and white, their hair made of layers of paint piled up.

“I call them ‘phat,’” he said. “I’m painting heavy abstract texture. I got to wanting to shape things out and manipulate the paint. It has a three-dimensional feel. Clients love it.”

Nunez considers himself a starving artist who wants to make charities rich. He attends events and paints “live,” working to finish pieces in an hour. He’s painted a portrait of the Blues Brothers, had it signed by Dan Aykroyd and Jim Belushi and sold it to benefit charity. He’s painted NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, who signed the piece.

“Anything I can get signed by a celebrity, all the proceeds go to charity,” Nunez said. “I find that the charity events are really good exposure for me. I’d like to take a calendar year and see if I could raise $1 million for charity. I most like to give to charities that help battered women and agencies that help children.”

He’s painted live at the Sonoma Grill and Wine Bar in Flower Mound. He painted a portrait of Michael Jackson outside in Dallas, as Jackson’s funeral was televised on large screens. He was photographed by Reuters news service as he painted.

Nunez said his work will be up indefinitely at Giuseppe’s, located at 821 N. Locust St., and that proceeds from any sales will go to charity.

“I’ve done a lot of different things in my life, but art is what I’m devoted to now,” he said. “I’ve been a factory worker, a preschool teacher, and I even tried stand-up comedy. Painting is what I love. I think from the Marilyn painting I’ve learned forgiveness. That’s why I always want to help charities with the work.”

For more information about the artist, visit www.richardnunezartist.com.  

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com.