Painting, Poetry, and Paris: Inside the Creative Mind of Joshua Elias

Dive into the artistic journey of painter Joshua Elias, as he and Paris Chong explore the magic of the South of France, the power of poetry, and what it truly takes to live a life dedicated to creativity.

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Paris reunites with her dear friend and longtime collaborator, acclaimed painter Joshua Elias. The conversation moves fluidly from their shared history in the art world to Joshua’s recent artistic residency in the South of France. Reflecting on his time in the village of Saissac, Joshua shares how the region’s culture, landscape, and slower pace of life have begun to reshape his creative process and influence his approach to both color and form.

Beyond the travel anecdotes, the two delve into the deeper philosophy of what it means to be a "true artist" in today’s world. They explore the connection between painting and poetry, discussing how Joshua’s creative circles and daily observations—ranging from the mundane to the profound—inform his unique titles and lyrical style. Joshua also offers a glimpse into his life at The Brewery in Los Angeles, discussing how his environment and community continue to challenge him to find harmony and "air" within his large-scale, tonal works.

Wrapping up the conversation, Paris and Joshua touch on the resilience of the art market and the enduring importance of connecting with original, handmade work. Whether you are an art collector, an aspiring creator, or simply someone who appreciates the intersection of travel and artistic inspiration, this episode serves as a heartfelt reminder of the connective power of human creativity. It is an intimate look at the dedication required to live an artistic life and the magic found in the details of the everyday.

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Episode Timestamps

00:00 Show Intro and Welcome
00:42 Meet Joshua Elias
01:48 Painting Reveal and Title
02:34 Process Materials and Craft
04:44 France Trips and Residency
08:26 Paris Love and Name Story
10:43 Painting vs Photography
11:56 Poetry Titles and Singing
14:34 Music in the Studio
16:40 Dealers Artists and Sales
19:35 LA Gallery Scene Shifts
20:53 COVID Boom and Inspiration
22:55 Meditation and Color
23:38 New Series and Afterlife Maps
26:03 Evolving Style and Air
28:11 France Surprises and Museums
31:09 Paris Nights and Detours
35:47 Brewery Studio and Wrap-Up

Links to Joshua Elias

Joshua Elias' Website
Joshua's Instagram
Joshua's Linkedin
Brewery Artwalk Portfolio - Link
Artsy Profile - Link
Loriaustin Gallery Collection - Link

🎵 Music by Andrew Raiher

📸 Shot & Edited at Visible Audio Studios

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Paris Chong: Did I hear a clickety-dick?

Joshua Elias: What was... What?

Paris Chong: Hello, everybody, and, uh, welcome to The Paris Chong Show. I'm... Yes, I'm wearing the same thing I had on last month. I did not change my clothes since I left. So kidding. Um, I try to do two at a time because these shows are a lot to put on, and a lot of time and energy and love goes into them.

So please share, follow, and like. And if you don't like, don't share that. But, um, today is a really fun day for me because I have a dear old friend here that I haven't seen for a really long time, who I started my art career with, and we actually made a lot of money together back in the day selling his beautiful, one-of-a-kind handmade paintings.

And I haven't seen him for a very, very long time, even though he's one of my closest friends and closest, uh, art, uh, uh, people that I represent. And I have to say it's a little embarrassing that we're finally catching up on The Paris Chong Show.

Intro Song: That's right. I have to wa-

Paris Chong: I have to wait to talk to him on my podcast.

But welcome, everybody, one of the most brilliant painters I've ever met, and my favorite painter, Joshua Elias.

Joshua Elias: Wow. Thank you. Lovely introduction.

Paris Chong: Well, it's true. It's great to see you. I know. How are you? I miss you.

Joshua Elias: I'm really good. Really good. Um, as I was mentioning, I... So I was in France. Yeah. And so as of yesterday- On your jet lag

So, uh, yeah, a little bit. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that hits me a couple days later. Okay. So I'm good. I'm in good spirits. Um, had a great trip there, and, uh, well, we'll, we'll chat about it, yeah.

Paris Chong: And so, and thank you for bringing your beautiful painting.

Joshua Elias: Oh, of course. Of course.

Paris Chong: What is this painting called?

Joshua Elias: This is called, You'll Like This

Paris Chong: One. Best, best, best titles ever of

Joshua Elias: any- Well, this is appropriate for your, your show. Okay. I didn't really think of it. Listening Slowly.

Paris Chong: Oh. I think that's a lesson for me. Um-

Joshua Elias: For me, too.

Paris Chong: Yeah. So believe me. I'm, I'm, my mind m- moves fast. This is gorgeous, and this just brightens up the whole entire room, which my room was neglected since I've been gone since the last time, somebody.

Um, but, uh, I think this, this, uh, this is so my taste and so me, and I really w- wish it was here all the time. It just literally made the room more beautiful.

Joshua Elias: Oh, that's kind of you. Yeah. No, it's true. So I br- uh, yeah. I

Paris Chong: think everyone would agree

Joshua Elias: who's- Yeah, this is, um... Yeah, I've been working. This is on linen, this piece.

This is over one of those paintings that are in the studio and I kept painting on over years.

Paris Chong: Oh, really?

Joshua Elias: Could... Yeah. Could- Is it something- It's just a little bit subtle here, so ... I might've

Paris Chong: known from before?

Joshua Elias: No. No, it wasn't in another... It, you know, I've, I've learned over years to add and not to try to, um, paint over entirely something.

It's not about, like, taking sections, painting over, I don't like this.

Paris Chong: You can ruin it that way, can't you?

Joshua Elias: You know what? It's a tricky thing to paint on a painting. Uh, I- it's kind of like the way I look at, like, the studio. Mm. It's kind of like the womb.

Paris Chong: Okay.

Joshua Elias: And when you release it to the world, you know, once it lea- leaves the studio.

So I guess, uh, this ha- I have not exhibited this. This is, yeah, I guess it's a day out.

Paris Chong: It's beautiful.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, it's a day out, so.

Paris Chong: So Joshua makes his own paint, stretches his own canvas, um, does a lot of things- Yeah ... that most painters don't, and that makes you so special to me.

Joshua Elias: Thank you. Thank you. I, I, um, I'm not making my own paint as much anymore, but I do, um, and I have canvases- Why?

Um, because I'm painting large.

Paris Chong: Okay.

Joshua Elias: And it's really tough to do, but I learned I still can do it- Mm-hmm ... in parts of it. I learned a lot about materials. I like my lungs, so I have to be really careful- Oh, is it toxic? Oh, powdered pigment. Forget it. It's pretty tricky. You know, you wear stuff and things like that.

But, um, the materials I learned so much about when you do that, you really have respect for paint.

Paris Chong: Yeah. A-

Joshua Elias: not that you're careful with it, but you have respect for it. Yeah.

Paris Chong: Well, you, you could tell in all your paintings how much you have respect for paint. You, I mean-

Joshua Elias: I love it ...

Paris Chong: I, your- I absolutely love paint

yeah, it's, it's like the-

Joshua Elias: So it's

Paris Chong: just- You, you found your way, and your mother is an artist.

Joshua Elias: She is. Sheila. Yeah, my mom, Sheila. Yeah. You were a Christian. She's an artist, and she's doing great. She's in Florida. She's still showing, and she's got something that she's gonna show in the outside of the, uh, here, in Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Museum.

She's gonna show something. Oh, when? Uh, July tw- 11th, she's going

Paris Chong: to

Joshua Elias: be

Paris Chong: doing some.

Joshua Elias: Oh, please invite

Paris Chong: me. Yeah, of course I will. Oh, wait, I get back on the 11th, 12th.

Joshua Elias: Yeah.

Paris Chong: I'm going to Arles.

Joshua Elias: Yeah.

Paris Chong: So we, I was just, I'm also on my way to south of France for the, uh, uh, uh, we Country, the Arles Festival, and you just got back from south of France.

What part were you in?

Joshua Elias: Okay. I was in, it's called the Aude, at the, the Montagne Noire, in a small village called Saissac, which is between Carcassonne and Toulouse. So it's the southwest part of France. And, um- Wow ... it's heading towards Spain. Nice. And, and there's these incredible national parks and forests.

It's just beautiful and green, and far away you could see the Pyrenees Mountains with the snow, and it's- So

Paris Chong: you had, you had an art show there.

Joshua Elias: I did. I had a vernissage there, uh, I guess it was about a week and a half ago.

Paris Chong: Wow. Which is crazy. So a week and a half ago you were in p- in-

Joshua Elias: I know.

Paris Chong: Life is- ... in the south of France, and now you're in West LA at the Paris Chon Show.

Joshua Elias: I know. I know. And then-

Paris Chong: Life's kooky ...

Joshua Elias: and then in one minute I'll be in the south of Fr-

Paris Chong: Yeah. Just boom. And where are you, where, where is it? Where, where are you traveling, doing more tra- everyone's traveling all the time.

Joshua Elias: Um, yeah. No, um, I'm actually need to focus a little bit in the studio. Mm-hmm. And also when you go on these trips, I was there for a month.

Okay. And so I was at, part of it was a residency, and there's a, a, an artist and a gallerist named, from Venice, California, Taylor Barnes.

Paris Chong: Huh.

Joshua Elias: You know Taylor? That sounds familiar. She used to have a,

Paris Chong: she

Joshua Elias: had a magazine, 3.1, and she started a residency in this village. Big place she did, you know, and it's really beautiful.

And she has a small gallery, not r- not attached to the, the residency. And then, um, and she, uh, she hosted me there. And- So

Paris Chong: do you know her from LA and then she moved to the South of

Joshua Elias: France? Yes. I've gotten to know her more, uh, you know, and she came to Los Angeles recently, and she came to my studio, and we, we talked about doing a show there, so yeah.

Paris Chong: Wow. Yeah. So st- have you, have you also had a lot of friends that have relocated out other places from Los Angeles? Y-

Joshua Elias: yeah. Oh, God, yeah.

Paris Chong: Weird, right?

Joshua Elias: Yeah. Everyone's looking to get out of America t- I know ... you know, I mean, the, I don't need to discuss the- Yeah ... the politics. No, I know what you're talking about.

And I'm, but it is on everyone's mind. Mm-hmm. It's interesting. In France, you know, we were there, and it was like there were, um... It's a different, uh, I think people are kind of, are upset here, very upset.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: In France, not as much.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: And they kind of look as, it doesn't seem they're as fragile right now.

Paris Chong: Do you speak French?

Joshua Elias: Oui.

Paris Chong: Yeah. No,

Joshua Elias: I

Paris Chong: And that's it?

Joshua Elias: No, no, no. I, I could say a few sentences. Right. And I can, you know, order, you know- Good food ... food and, and, and, and the check and things like that. Could you, But- "L'addition?"

Paris Chong: Uh, could you-

Joshua Elias: Uh, yeah, yeah, "L'addition, s'il vous plait." That's

Paris Chong: all I know.

Joshua Elias: Oui.

Paris Chong: Oui. And do you, do you, um- Mm-hmm.

I love it ... uh, could you live there, could you live there?

Joshua Elias: Yes.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: I could. Uh, you know, uh, uh, of course when you travel places, and I've been there a lot, I've gone to France about five times in the last four or five years. So I, I, um, I love that culture- Mm-hmm ... in France is, like, it's, it's at the top of the mountain.

They just all respect it. Anyone from a taxi driver to, I don't know, a barista. Yeah. You know, they're, they're really-

Paris Chong: They love

Joshua Elias: France ... they just, they just, no, they really respect culture.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: And they're, and so, like, the state, even in these small villages, the, the state of France gives them monies for certain fetes and different parties and different cultural musical events and art shows.

That's

Paris Chong: good. I wish they did that here.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. I know, I know. I think New York State does well, you know, was, but not as much. California, um, no. And, but anyhow, um, so I love France. Y- yeah, the food's great. I mean, look, I was there for a month. I wasn't driving for a month.

Paris Chong: That's gotta be a treat

Joshua Elias: right there.

Which, if you live in Los Angeles Yeah. Oh,

Paris Chong: my God.

Joshua Elias: And, and I was relaxed. Uh, but then I was in, when I was in Paris, it's exci- I, I just love it. Like, I, I, like, the last couple days I was there, um, I just, I went the wrong way, and I was, uh, late at night. I was going back to my hotel. I was alone, and I wound up on the top of this street- full on parties going on- Oh, really?

at these cafes, and it's felt really special, buzzing energy.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: And it's called Le C- I, pardon my pronunciation, but Le Cardinal Liminal or something like that. And it was, um, the guy at the hotel told me that that area was, they found neolithic findings from ancient, ancient civilizations.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: Prior to Paris being Paris and all that stuff, in this area.

And you- it's just like, "Oh, wow."

Paris Chong: I, I too love Paris. I, I, I, I've gone three years in a row. Mm-hmm. I, I do love it. Well, hello, I, my name. Of course. I wasn't named after the city, but, um, you know, I got my name because my fa- my father was really into geneo- his- Mythology? Y- no, geneo- he traced all his genes from back to whenever, the 18th century.

We were related to the Maxwell Parish family. Uh-huh. Oh, is that

Joshua Elias: fantastic.

Paris Chong: Yeah, very fitting for me. And, uh, the original spelling was Parish, and they thought I was gonna be- Parish ... a boy, and they were planning to name me Parish, and when I came out a girl, the orig- uh, actually, the original spelling was Paris- I

Joshua Elias: never

Paris Chong: knew this, but-

of the Parish family. I know, and I'm just glad I'm telling you because you would do... you use a lot of those kind of the Maxwell- The color blue ... Ma- Parish- Maxwell

Joshua Elias: Parish blue, that

Paris Chong: color ... the, the, I mean, right? I

Joshua Elias: mean- I mean, it's, it's- Yeah ... what, you know, that color is, is-

Paris Chong: Is

Joshua Elias: insane ... it's kind of eternal. It's you look at it, and then you keep looking at it.

I love his paintings. And that's what I love about-

Paris Chong: He's one of my favorite painters ever. I could, I... My, my father had a few lithographs, but I would have loved... I mean, if I could own anything in the whole world- Uh, uh- ... it would be a Maxwell Parish painting ... oh,

Joshua Elias: you think so? Oh, yeah. I'm, hands down. There's some woman that goes around the Instagram and asks any painting that you would ever- Oh, really?

Yeah, she's in England, and she's just with her big microphone and goes around and says, you know, gets- Oh ... outside the museum, "Which painting would you own?" So you would own one of those.

Paris Chong: Oh, they're so beautiful. And he did the one behind the, uh, St. Regis bar, right? There's a painting behind the St. Regis bar, 'cause he couldn't pay his bar tab.

Joshua Elias: Oh, I didn't

Paris Chong: know

Joshua Elias: this.

Paris Chong: So he painted it there. It's still there. Yeah, it's a Maxwell Parish. But yeah, I love his work. I mean, I love so m- I j- but I love paintings. You know, I've been selling, um, photography for so long. It, my, m- I really do love paintings, and I miss paintings. We, we, we

Joshua Elias: talked about that. Mm. I think it, it's a different world.

It is. And, and I, I love photography. Mm-hmm. I do. Um, I absolutely do, and I've come to a lot of shows- Mm-hmm ... that you've created there, you know, and it's great. Um, paintings, I was thinking about it because, you know, we have our little phones, and we take a million pictures- Yeah ... and everyone's a ph- uh, not everyone's a photographer, but a lot of people who- Yes,

Paris Chong: we are.

Joshua Elias: Okay, okay, we, we, we are.

Paris Chong: I'm all a photographer.

Joshua Elias: We are. But, but, um, like, going to, like, a trip like this, I had all these different... You know, I, I... At the end, it's, I don't really even look at the photos probably I've taken. But in here or in here, they're here. Yeah. And, and painters, y- y- you have a muscle to, to remember the experiences.

Uh, it's kind of like poetry. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. You know? It's like the feeling of it-

Paris Chong: Yeah ...

Joshua Elias: not just, um, the image itself. And, and of course, photographers have feelings of it too. And it's quick and it,

Paris Chong: the quick satisfaction. You just take a picture-

Joshua Elias: It is ... with your camera, you're like- But it kind of, like, clicks in.

Mm-hmm. And I think we kind of have a, a muscle and a catalog. And, uh, photographers do as well, I'm sure, of course.

Paris Chong: I mean, but it takes longer to make a painting. You put more thought into it in a lot of ways. Um, and it's- Mm-hmm ... you know, you brought up poetry. So much of your work and- is poet. You, you, you, you've come up with the most unique names for your work than I've ever heard for any artist.

Joshua Elias: Oh, thank

Paris Chong: you. I love- Thanks ... I love your titles of your, uh, paintings, and they're all very poetic.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, I, right- And

Paris Chong: you're a poet.

Joshua Elias: I, yeah, I'm a poet. I've been, uh, uh, kind of a- accepting it more- Mm-hmm ... in the last two or three years. I meet on the West Side once, uh, a month, a Sunday, with some different poets.

There's seven of us- Oh, wow ... in this group. And I've honed it a little better, you know, whatever I do with poetry and, and l- learning from others. And we, we do, like, prompts, and then we have a month to, to write something, which is- Oh, I love that ... plenty of time. And then when we go there, we read them. N- it's not overly critical group.

It's more about sharing and, uh, uh, an open discussion. And then, um, and then we do another prompt, and then we write 20 minutes, just a quick one. But, um, that That has informed me a lot, and, um, it's not even in a literal sense, but it's been really important to me for a long time. And the p- the, the titles usually come very clearly to me, like in the middle of a painting.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: Um, I, I'm like, "Oh, okay." Like one, uh, There's No Accidents, you know? Just You

Paris Chong: gave me a beautiful painting, and do you remember what you called it?

Joshua Elias: Well, y- No, I don't. And I remember it was a

Paris Chong: long horizontal- I just, I, I'm gonna... I'll send you a picture ... it was orange I meant to do that today, but yes. And it ma- I remember it had that big orange couch.

So I, um, I, it's ha- it's hung over my dining room window right now. It's beautiful. Okay. And, uh, you... it's called A Song in Paris's Heart, which I thought- Oh ... was, like, the coolest title. Oh. All right. 'Cause you know I love to sing, and I love music- Yeah ... so much, so. Yeah.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. And you really are, y- a chanteuse? Is that the French

Paris Chong: way you sing?

I, you're, you're the one who speaks French. You sing. Yeah, yeah, I love to sing.

Joshua Elias: Mm-hmm.

Paris Chong: And I love that painting, and it's such a cool-

Joshua Elias: Oh, I'm so glad. Yeah. You know what? I, yeah, I, you know, they, and they have life forms, and, and, and that's o- uh, you know, it sounds kinda corn- but I, I love that it's in people's lives and in their homes and in their, you know, for a long time.

I've been painting a long time. Yeah. So sometimes I meet people who they lived in this house. Like, I had this collector came back to me, like, 15 years later, and her daughter was, like, 21 or something, and she comes out of the pool, like, in a bikini and talking to me. Yeah. And I'm like, "Okay." She's like... and they're like, "This is the guy who painted that pa-" And I'm sure she had, like, fights with her brother under my painting.

Yeah, for sure. You know, it just, like s- like what kids do kind of stuff. I've had

Paris Chong: fights with my brother under your painting, so no.

Joshua Elias: Oh, well, that's required.

Paris Chong: Yeah. All the- It's part of the deal. If, if you wanna fight with your brother. Okay.

Joshua Elias: No,

Paris Chong: but- No, but, yeah. But do you- ... you

Joshua Elias: know, there's a natural... mm-hmm

Paris Chong: Do you, do you listen to music when you paint?

Joshua Elias: I do. Um, during the pandemic, I was listening to no lyrics with stuff. Mm-hmm. And, uh, like real... there's some woman, Milan, or this very spiritual- Mm-hmm ... vibrational voice, one of those, you know, harmonic voices.

Paris Chong: Yeah, 'cause your, your work's so lyr- it, uh, your work has a, a musical quality to it. Like, they, they are lyrical to me when I

Joshua Elias: look at them.

I think about it. I think, uh, you know, music is phrasey, phraseology. There's harmony. Mm-hmm. I, I, is, is something, a component. And, um, the way, uh, the edge of a painting, you move through a painting. Mm-hmm. And, and in the Western world, we look left to right. So I've curated before and I've thought about, you know, someone walks in the room and they look like this.

They're not looking like this in typically.

Paris Chong: I never thought about that.

Joshua Elias: And so, and it's the way they take information in. So I mean, this is vertical and probably landscape, which is most landscapes go this way. Mm-hmm. But people think... So I, I always have this on the s- the edges, I'm always, like, trying to think about the tension between the edges and, and how, where the painting starts.

Same with a song. You might do, uh... I, I'm not a musical... I love music, but- I

Intro Song: do ...

Joshua Elias: so I listen to jazz, I listen to some abstract things, of course- Mm-hmm ... like Chet Baker- Yeah ... and things I've been into lately and, you know. But, um, and that is just right in there. I love it. So I, I, I'm not the most linear guy, but I like poetry - Yeah, no, but-

and

Paris Chong: I like music and- You, you're, you're a true artist to me. That you're, the way you live your life, the way you eat, the way your ho- your studio is, the way you- Oh ... you behave. Uh, you've al- you just are a true artist to me. Thanks. No. Okay. And there's a lot of people- I think that's a compliment. No, it is. It, but...

And, and it's, there's a lot of people that think- That's nice of you ... they're artists, but they're n- I don't know what they're doing, you know? But, uh, but there's true artists, and then there's people that want to be artists. And to me, you are a true artist. That's

Joshua Elias: nice of you.

Paris Chong: And I only like to hang around with artists.

I know it's terrible to say, but I just love artistic or musical, anything like that. It just- You know- ... just floats my boat. But-

Joshua Elias: Yeah, it's great ... you know. I mean, yeah. If, well, yeah, and, and we need you too. It,

Paris Chong: it's a- We had a really great thing going on for many, many years. It's- Joshua and I sold several beautiful, big, huge, wonderful

Joshua Elias: paintings together

symbiotic, you know- Mm-hmm ... dealers and, and artists. And I always say, like, the, the business is kind of like this, you know?

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: And then the creating is kind of like this, you know? Mm-hmm. And you have to kind of be able, as an artist, to kind of to allow people to do what they do well. And maybe you're not the business person, you know?

Even though you think you could-

Paris Chong: Yeah. No, it's good, it's good. I'm glad that you saw me ... I, I mean, I'm not. No, m- we did the, the Vernon Asages. Uh, that time I had a client- Oh, yeah ... that lo- wanted a painting. And you know, it's funny- Yeah, I remember ... 'cause-

Joshua Elias: Yeah ...

Paris Chong: every time someone wants a painting, I have different painters I've worked with over the years.

Mm-hmm. I will show them different artists I've worked with over the years. Mm-hmm. And every time, they pick your work. Every single time I've, uh, anyone's come to me looking for a painting. I- And m- the one time the, the woman that I met wanted a, a painting, and she kind of told me what she was thinking of, and I showed her your work and then he, she was in love with it, and we did the Vernon Asage.

Joshua Elias: Oh, yeah.

Paris Chong: And you had it all beautiful.

Joshua Elias: Okay.

Paris Chong: And then I was like, "I don't..." I was like, "I don't know. Let me see what else you have." Remember? And I was like, "Show me what else you have." Oh, yeah.

Joshua Elias: Oh, right. "

Paris Chong: Show me what else you have." And then the one clicked. And we, well, I said, "Let's put this up. Let's put this one up."

And that was the one she took.

Joshua Elias: Oh, I remember that. Yeah, you ne- I mean, you know. I, one never

Paris Chong: knows I, I kind of know how to read a client Yeah I don't, it's just one, thank God.

Joshua Elias: No, that's a great quality. And as an artist, uh, you almost don't wanna go there. You know what I mean? If you wanna do great work- Yeah, well, thank God, then the people still need people like me

you're not thinking about, "Hey, will they like this?" Or- Yeah ... now that's a commission work, which I'd done before- Mm-hmm ... but it's tricky. It's a different- Yeah ... it's like, uh, even if you're a musician, like, "Oh, well, um, this guy wants a song for his, uh-" Yeah. "... his brother's wedding. Does he like his brother? Does he ha-" You know, you're thinking- Yeah, yeah

you'd be up all night thinking about this. Are they gonna fight

Paris Chong: under the painting? Y-

Joshua Elias: yeah, of course. And then maybe we get Joshua Lyes painting in there as well. Yeah, that's Joshua. We can work it out. Do they

Paris Chong: wanna fight under it or not? Not fight under it. Yeah.

Joshua Elias: No. No, so it's, yeah, there, there, there's that consideration.

And then, um, when you paint for shows and exhibits, it's- There has to be fluidity too, though. Yeah. So there does have to be a, a kind of a dialogue between the paintings. And I think about scale of paintings.

Paris Chong: We've done so many shows. I'm thinking about all the shows that we... We've done a lot of shows. I remember your- Remember the little show?

Remember the little- In Beverly Hills. Oh. No, but the Beverly H- Uh, the... We've done a lot of pop-ups. We've done a lot of shows. Yeah. We've done their massages, but I've mixed you into things. We did something at Formani Gallery. Um, but remember- Oh, right ... the little tiny gallery? Remember, it was actually called The Silent Gallery.

Joshua Elias: Oh, I do remember that.

Paris Chong: But it was like you ha- We sold something. But it was like this little, the littlest gallery in the world. That was

Joshua Elias: crazy, in, in Venice.

Paris Chong: Uh-huh. Uh, p- and you, and l- I, I showed Laddie John Dill's-

Joshua Elias: This is big. ...

Paris Chong: work there too.

Joshua Elias: No, there was some cr- It was a sweet little space. It was.

Paris Chong: It was. I don't know what happened.

But it, it was on

Joshua Elias: Rose and around

Paris Chong: there. Yeah. Bjorn, that guy that had the space, he kind of resurfaced recently. He, he has a new really cool lighting company, s- uh, light arts s- situation going on. But we showed at the smallest- The problem- ... to the biggest

Joshua Elias: places ... you know what happened is, the problem in, in Venice, California is where this was, is I, I imagine it's, the real estate is so- Mm-hmm

insane that you can't, uh, foster or they can't have, like, little galleries that are trying to t- to do-

Paris Chong: Not

Joshua Elias: anymore ... in, in the West Side, less and less.

Paris Chong: Le- yeah, it's kind of... Well,

Joshua Elias: things changed after CO- And it's gone to West Adams- Yeah ... Los Angeles, and different areas now. That, and then- Well,

Paris Chong: things changed after COVID.

Don't you think a lot of the galleries went out of business in LA?

Joshua Elias: They did. Or- And then some came from New York. Mm-hmm. A lot of them, and opened satellite galleries here.

Paris Chong: And then went back to New York.

Joshua Elias: Some went back to New York, and then some were, um... They don't, uh, in my opinion, you know, I can't speak for the galleries, but they sometimes, it's less important if they sell work in New York or LA as long as they sell work.

Paris Chong: I would

Joshua Elias: agree. So if you can get less, uh, you know, if real estate's a lot less out here, they probably say, "Well, let's just have a little gallery in LA just in case we..."

Paris Chong: Yeah, but you know what? I think that's changed because every- it was so, like, New York-centric for, like, the art, but then LA has really done some amazing things in the art world here.

Oh, oh, it has, on its own accord. We're like, "We're happening here." Oh,

Joshua Elias: for sure. Oh, oh, for

Paris Chong: sure. Yeah. There's some amazing galleries still left, but you told me that you never sold more art in your life than you did during

Joshua Elias: COVID. During COVID? Oh, yeah. I, I mean, a, like, I- Which

Paris Chong: is amazing ...

Joshua Elias: I sold 22 paintings one year.

That is great. Which for me, that was a lot of paintings.

Paris Chong: Yeah, no, some of his paintings are huge. And they're, they're

Joshua Elias: big paintings.

Paris Chong: This is a, this is a small painting of yours. I

Joshua Elias: actually- But, now, I had a lot of momentum going right before it. Mm-hmm. So maybe it just collided, but yeah, 2020, 2021, yeah, I, I- That's

Paris Chong: incredible

Joshua Elias: I had, um, yeah, one commercial project, and then someone c- You know, it, it was weird because you're super focused. I, I mean, I'm sorry for what happened with COVID, but-

Paris Chong: Yeah ...

Joshua Elias: but I had a great time. Yeah,

Paris Chong: no, a lot of pe- a lot... We were s- we sold a lot of stuff, uh, at the gallery too because I think people were s- home and actually appreciating their homes and cons- They

Joshua Elias: were considering their homes.

They were considering about what is in their immediate environment. Mm-hmm. They, they weren't as, um- They were doing social media, but they weren't as, uh, you know, as, as active- Yeah ... you know, out there in the world. So they, they wanted to reflect a little more. And so I think reflection, uh, is good for my work and all that.

And but I've still done okay after. Yeah. Yeah.

Paris Chong: No, that's really good. I'm happy to hear that. Yeah. And you've done more gallery shows, I've noticed- I have ... all, all over the place.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. I, I showed in Santa Fe. Mm-hmm. Uh, a big show down there in the Rail Yard District, and, uh, that was a solo show, and then I showed in northern California, and then, um, I've got some things coming up, but, uh, we'll see.

We'll see what happens.

Paris Chong: Okay, good. Yeah. So what, what is your... When you, when you, you said you had a lot of, um, ideas before COVID, before that even happened, you were, like, getting inspired to paint. What, what does inspire you to paint a lot?

Joshua Elias: Right now?

Paris Chong: Just in general.

Joshua Elias: In general. Um, it's, uh, it's very internal- Yeah

to be honest, very personal. I think about, uh, it's my job as a artist, as a person to Listen to things that happen. Yeah Really small moments-

Paris Chong: Yeah ...

Joshua Elias: sometimes. I think more, uh, look, the world's overwhelming with its, um, its, its p- politics and- God ... and, and it's just so heavy-handed that I don't think it's an artist's, uh, thing to, to be prescriptive, like, to, to go against that.

But I think ... So what, what inspires me is, um, meditation.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: Vibration, very, I know it sounds very, you know, probably, but it is a little that.

Paris Chong: No, it's okay. You're from Chicago. You're n- you n- you're not a LA guy. If you're an

Joshua Elias: LA guy- No, I'm more midwest. I am more midwest.

Intro Song: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: It's meditation, damn it. No, so, um, yeah, so that, um, that inspires me greatly, and, um, color.

Right now I think that I'm getting, uh, I started paintings right before I went to France. It'll be interesting. They're very large. They're tonal. They're dark blue and whites. And, um, prior to that, I, um, I was working with materials which you like, the, the oil and glue- The porgres ... rabbit skin glue on, uh, linen, and leaving exposed linen.

So there's a lot more drawing and form in there. So there's a narrative there that inspires me. Um, like one of the t- one of the paintings is called Above Instruction. There's, like, this being floating above. Uh, another one's called Afterlife Map. I did a Life Map series, and then I did, like, Afterlife. Like, you know, okay, this is gonna end at some point.

Yeah. I hope it doesn't, but you know, but that happens. Oh, fine. Right. You know? You know what? We'll move through and maybe there will be other, you know, interesting vistas and things. But, but it's like I think it's important to remind yourself whatever's going on, whatever chaos is going on, to just, you know, to, to find that, you know, that bit of harmony and to put it out there in the world.

And, and, and I think even if it's the smallest note that's out there, I think it, it has, you know, it's the pebble in the, the water thing. Mm. And I think it's, it's key.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: So that's key to me as an artist. And, um, I was thinking, you know, I just, whatever. You know, you, you get inspired by everything. I was down in France and you're thinking I'm gonna talk all about the trees and the flowers and- Mm.

But I was in this house with this big white dog from Switzerland. Fantastic dog. She, she's four years old, her name's Storm, and then her, they got a cat- Hmm ... that's a year old, and she's like the mother of this cat, this little orange cat. And the cat, she just takes, y- you know, they're just... And the cat now could go in the garden first time, and it's, it climbed on the roof and, like, peeked in the window at 3:00 in the morning to see if it can come in my room, you know?

Mm-hmm. Doing, just you start, like, experiencing these little things even through beings like that, you know? Mm-hmm. And it, um, it opens you up- As an artist, as a painter.

Paris Chong: Yeah

Joshua Elias: So- So, '

Paris Chong: cause your, your ar- your art, your paintings have changed a little bit I've noticed, 'cause like even the colors, like I love- Yeah

that painting that comes up on your website that, uh, um- The

Joshua Elias: Afterlife Map one?

Paris Chong: Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So beautiful. They're more, uh, neutral tones than your n- normal bright colors. Right. Right. So what's, what's made you change your painting style a little bit?

Joshua Elias: Um, some of it, um, I'm older maybe. I, I think, um- You

Paris Chong: feel more neutral?

Joshua Elias: Um, no, I feel more, uh, more sensitive to nuances- Mm-hmm ... and to change. And, and not such a need to express everything with color even though I'm a, you know, pretty good- Color guy ... colorist. Yeah. And people relate to my work that way.

Intro Song: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: Um, with color you can either go minimal, you know, and be a minimalist, which I'm, I'm not per se, and then with tone, um, and materials, it's, uh, it has a little more tooth to it.

Excuse me. You know, it has a little more tooth to engage, I think. And so right now, uh, I did one, um, called The Bull of Heaven, and it's- The Bull of

Paris Chong: Heaven?

Joshua Elias: Yeah. B-U-L-L. And it's from a story-

Intro Song: Mm-hmm ...

Joshua Elias: uh, by Gilgamesh, which is the first story, these ancient tablets, and-

Intro Song: Yeah ...

Joshua Elias: two of them are missing and whatever.

There's this bull, and these guys go out, and they're enemies, and they fight in the forest, and then they get together and they fight the bull of heaven. And, and so I like the form of a bull, you know, just like Picasso and stuff. Yeah. I like the he- And I use that, and it's kind of floating in space, but in a, uh, in different forms, uh, different, um, ideas of it, and it's all blue and white, and it's, um, and different...

And it's open to, for people to kind of... There's more space in the painting. Um, I'm speaking real painterly here, but I mean-

Paris Chong: No, that's

Joshua Elias: good ... see, when you have a lot of air- It's what you do ... a, a lot of air-

Paris Chong: Yeah. Oh,

Joshua Elias: that's good ... in the work.

Paris Chong: No,

Joshua Elias: but- So I'm trying to get more air in my work-

Paris Chong: Okay ...

Joshua Elias: is what I think I'm focused on.

And sometimes it's through, um, uh, painting different tones of white and different tones. Down there I painted a lot of pink.

Paris Chong: Oh, wow.

Joshua Elias: A lot of different tones of pink on linen. And linen's very earthy. So if you have all these ethereal kind of things that I'm talking about- Yeah ... and then you have something kinda earthy-

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm

Joshua Elias: I think it's a, you know, it's a nice balance.

Paris Chong: So, um, when you were in France, what surprised you there?

Joshua Elias: Oh. Well, um, I think, uh- I think what surprised me... Ooh, that's a good one. Okay, I actually- I would say, I would say that I think it was a little bit of the, um The way that, uh, the people were, you know, a lot of people are Americans think that the French, uh, don't like us

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

I've,

Joshua Elias: I- I didn't experience that.

Paris Chong: I have, but-

Joshua Elias: And there's nuance of it, I'm sure they might have been telling me, you know. Yeah. And but also I, I, I found them to be, um, um, very s- more secure, it felt to me than more Americans in a way. And also, like I was saying earlier about culture-

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm ...

Joshua Elias: I was really highly impressed at a new level.

Hmm. And, and also I didn't like everything, you know, that I saw.

Paris Chong: Yeah. But you were also in the south of France, correct?

Joshua Elias: Yes,

Paris Chong: correct. Yeah. I mean, but you felt the same way

Joshua Elias: in Paris also? In, well, well, in Paris, in Paris is what I was talking about more- Oh,

Paris Chong: okay ...

Joshua Elias: because in Paris I went to a museum, I saw a Hilma af Klint show.

Paris Chong: Mm. Nice.

Joshua Elias: I saw Leonor Carrington. I saw, um, at the Musee du Luxembourg, I saw the Musee Rodin. You know, I, I, I- Nice ... I did a little homework to, to museum homework and, you know, the Musee d'Orsay. But, um, I've been to Paris a lot, so I, I don't want to be cynical about it. Yeah. But I felt like I was able to get a little underneath.

Surprised me. That's interesting. I was able to get a little behind. Now, maybe 'cause I was traveling alone, sometimes you can just, you know, go in a cafe and just observe. Yeah.

Paris Chong: No, I love Paris. I've traveled there many times a- alone as well, and I love it. Um- It's a

Joshua Elias: great, great city for that.

Paris Chong: Yeah. But you know, I think when you tell people in Paris your name is Paris, that's when they-

Joshua Elias: Oh, that's- They

Paris Chong: don't like that.

Joshua Elias: Oh, they probably don't.

Paris Chong: Yeah. So I'm like, "Ugh." There's a

Joshua Elias: word there, a flaneur. Yes, there is. Yeah. A flaneur. Do you know what that is? That's when you- Flaneur? A flaneur. No. Yeah. A

Paris Chong: fa- I don't, I, it doesn't sound like I wanna be one of those. That's all I know.

Joshua Elias: Well, it's, it's not a bad word. It's, but it's- A few flaneur

about going around to different areas. Like I told you about the area I discovered in the top of the- Yeah ... I wasn't looking to go. Mm-hmm. I just was lost. I'm like, "This seems kind of interesting. Just keep walking to the top and-

Paris Chong: Yeah ...

Joshua Elias: see what's up there." I

Paris Chong: always get lost in Paris.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. And, and it allows you that.

Yeah. And that's part, a flaneur kind of, and then w- it's more important that you realize, like, it's okay.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: You're not, you know, you're not walking down, you know, it's not necessarily dangerous. You're gonna end

Paris Chong: up somewhere cool.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. Kind of you will. No matter what happened. It's like, well, this- It's not like when you get

Paris Chong: lost

Joshua Elias: in Germany.

And it's, and it's a, so those, those kind of surprises... Yeah, right. Those are not- Oh ... surprises you want, but- You

Paris Chong: don't wanna end up some of these places.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, I know. But anyhow- I have got most of those ... so that was, so but anyhow, so I guess- Yeah ... that's a, I don't know if I- So that

Paris Chong: surprised you that the French people seem so nice and accepting and secure?

Joshua Elias: Yeah. Yeah. It-

Paris Chong: That is surprising.

Joshua Elias: Yeah.

Paris Chong: I'm surprised with you. But I mean, I, I, but I love- I don't

Joshua Elias: know. Yeah ...

Paris Chong: I love my French friends and I love Par- how, how could I not love Paris? But, um, I love it. So did you come home with any new information that you, um, learned while you were there?

Joshua Elias: Yeah. I had some experiences there that were not because it was in France- Mm-hmm

but I was driving with, uh, my friend and, uh, her, her partner Country road and we saw a car accident

Paris Chong: Okay. Oh, God.

Joshua Elias: And the car went into the embankment. It hit, it double flipped-

Paris Chong: You saw

Joshua Elias: the whole

Paris Chong: thing

Joshua Elias: happen? Bounced... We saw the whole thing happen. Oh,

Paris Chong: this is horrible.

Joshua Elias: Boom, boom, flipped, cu- it land fortunately on the wheels.

The guy got out.

Paris Chong: No.

Joshua Elias: Okay?

Paris Chong: I'm

Joshua Elias: happy to hear this. But first of all, he had a, a airbag.

Paris Chong: Oh.

Joshua Elias: The car, uh, you know, I don't need to tell you that. He was wearing no shirt, you know, in the c- you know, he had no shirt on, you know- Okay You see things like that, it's just like- That's

Paris Chong: dramatic ... that's

Joshua Elias: not-

Paris Chong: I think I-

Joshua Elias: So dramatic

I really wanna see the- Like, we're just, we just came from, like, a, a great music festival. Oh. Oh, I, yeah, you know, like, we saw something, like, I saw some Tur- Turkish music-

Paris Chong: Love

Joshua Elias: it ... in the middle of the vineyards. We just came from this incredible event. It sounds wonderful. There was a full moon. It, it really, really was.

It was a full moon, and the sun on one side, the sun setting, and people are just sitting there and, you know, they're having their little, you know, our wines and our, uh, you know, uh... I drank a little bit there. Yeah. You know, I had Ricard, you know? Mm-hmm. Which, Ricard, yeah. With, you know- It's good ... and it was, you know.

So there was that. But, um, and there

Paris Chong: was

Joshua Elias: just... There, so there was a richness to not everything, you know. B- and then I ate a meal that was exceptional.

Paris Chong: Oh, wow.

Joshua Elias: I don't know.

Paris Chong: That makes life worth living. Good wine, good food, the moonlight.

Joshua Elias: One night I was actually feeling down.

Paris Chong: The, without the car accident

Joshua Elias: part, though.

I was feeling down a little bit. I was walking and it's whatever, and I was, like, walking back to my hotel and I see there was this interesting store, uh, like a place with- Mm-hmm ... a bar.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: And books. And photo- beautiful photographs.

Paris Chong: Wow.

Joshua Elias: Fantastic black and white, uh, naked woman in the back, but gorgeously, like silver- Mm-hmm

you know, looked like silver nitrate kind of- Yeah ... photographs. And then I c- you know, I'm just gonna sit down at the bar and just have a glass of champagne. So I did. A writer comes in. This is like at 10:00 at night, 11:00 at night. Mm. You know, you know. And, and then these two women come in, and I move over so that they could sit.

They're speaking, like, just insane French, and I'm just like, "You know, that, I cannot get-"

Paris Chong: Yeah. Not joining in this conversation.

Joshua Elias: And then the one next to me is from LA.

Paris Chong: Oh, perfect.

Joshua Elias: And the other one is from Tunisia and teaches French, and-

Paris Chong: So

Joshua Elias: it turned into a whole scene ... wound up having dinner with them the next night.

We all went to dinner.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: Just so, you know, those kind of, uh, unfoldings, I, uh, were dear to me. But, um, will that a- will affect a painting? I, I don't know. But there's a-

Paris Chong: I think it

Joshua Elias: will ... there's a connective tissue there.

Paris Chong: Well, it sounds kind of lovely. You were feeling kinda down. I don't know why. You're in Paris.

But you go into a bar and sit there to order a glass of champagne, meet some French women, a guy, someone from LA, and the whole- It's

Joshua Elias: a romantic place. It's very good I was there alone, but this good, you know. Aw. It's that kinda thing. But I wasn't, like, you know, it was just whatever. Just things happened.

But, uh-

Paris Chong: Yeah ... yeah. That sounds like a perfect night. It, it- Except for the car accident part.

Joshua Elias: Well, that was a different night. But

Paris Chong: the guy getting out's hilar- Yeah. I think that's great. The top-

Joshua Elias: That was in the south ... topless man. That was in the south. In the south, they speak with a Spanish accent a little bit.

It's a strange French.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: It's like that, yeah.

Paris Chong: Are you going back?

Joshua Elias: Oh yeah, I'll go back. But, uh, I think I wanna spend more time in some other areas.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: And even in Paris, I stayed in different areas.

Paris Chong: Yeah, you know what? When I travel, I don't like going back to the same exact place all the time. I like to go to- Smart

if I travel to new places and it's a long plane ride and a pain to get there, I wanna go to new places. I mean, I'm not complaining going back to Arles for my third year in a row- Right ... but I really wanna cut the time short and go to other places, you know? Maybe if you, maybe if you have some time, you go right nearby.

Yeah, I wanna go some- There's Avignon's incredible- Yeah ... and there's some other places,

Joshua Elias: like- I'd

Paris Chong: like to see some other places ... yeah, yeah. It's, it's

Joshua Elias: key

Paris Chong: to do- You know those people that go on vacation every year to Lake Tahoe, and that's what they do at 4th of July. You know, it's like-

Joshua Elias: You know what that is?

It's like if I went and painted a painting and it was really- Every s- ... I was really happy with it, I'd just keep painting the same painting. Painting over it. 'Cause it's good. You

Paris Chong: know? I know, but there's some... I mean, not to criticize the people that are like that. They're comfortable. We

Joshua Elias: know you're out there.

No, it's just a, it's just a narrow, it's a narrow bandwidth.

Paris Chong: Yeah, but no, I just, I don't wanna do the sa- I, you know, I don't wanna do the same thing every time I do something. I just, I want new place, new food, new experience.

Joshua Elias: I agree. No, I agree. I went to, this time I stayed near Le Republique. I'd never stayed in that area, you know?

Okay. Which is very hipster-

Paris Chong: Yeah ...

Joshua Elias: sceney and stuff like that. But anyhow, all right, that's our, our French stuff.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: But yeah.

Paris Chong: So, so, um, okay, I wanna do another vernissage maybe before the holidays. Okay. We need to sell some... I'm ready to sell some paintings. I think people need some paintings. I've been, uh, you know, it was, it has been so weird, uh, just in general with, you know, after the fires, then no one was buying anything 'cause their house burnt down.

But now I think it's picking

Joshua Elias: up. I've sold some work, uh, recently. You did? I love hearing this. Yeah, in the middle of it. I don't know. I'm fairly consistent, and I don't... They come from- I love this ... come from odd spaces, you know, dealers and different. But- I don't, um, I'm probably a good gauge for the economy-

Paris Chong: I like

Joshua Elias: that

be- because, because if I'm really not... You know, there's sometimes a month or two it's like, "Okay," but-

Paris Chong: Yeah, no, but still, it's, you're, you're working a lot. So, um- Yeah ... Joshua has a studio and has had a studio for many years at a very cool art complex here in Los Angeles called The Brewery, downtown.

Joshua Elias: That's right.

Paris Chong: And how's, how are things at The Brewery?

Joshua Elias: Things are, are good at The Brewery. They're, um, I, you know, uh, it's, when you go away and you come back, you see, you see what's there. Yeah. But everything's good. The, the people, uh, in my building are very interesting artists. One of

Paris Chong: them's here right now.

Joshua Elias: Oh. It's Don Martin.

Oh, yeah. Right, right. You know what? I'll tell you just a little quick, uh... You know, I was in Paris a year earlier. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I, I was at a bar. Mm-hmm. And I get... The, it was one of those things outside where all the tables are lined up. Mm-hmm. There's one space. Girl writing next to me, and then her friend comes, and they're talking.

They were two art dealers. And, you know, I was like, "Okay," and I was in town to see the, um, the, uh, the Rothko exhibition- Nice ... at the time, and at the, the, uh, Fondation Louis Vuitton. Love him. And so I mentioned it to him, and then, uh, I, I said where I was from in LA. She goes, "Oh, yeah, I was there last three weeks ago for Frieze."

I said, "Oh, great." You know, I... She said, "Yeah, I, I visited The Brewery." I said, "Really? Oh." Oh,

Paris Chong: that's cool.

Joshua Elias: She, she knew my neighbor, my upstairs neighbor who I'm friends with.

Paris Chong: Oh, see, I just- And like- ... was saying this earlier, the world is a peanut.

Joshua Elias: It's, yeah. Little,

Paris Chong: tiny peanut.

Joshua Elias: It totally. I was- Yeah ... I mean, I was, and then, you know, and there was nothing- This big, huge universe is very small

nothing to do with that, but it was like, wow, that's kinda cool.

Paris Chong: Yeah. No, and then, and there's also a, uh, a place there that they print silver gelatins, one of the few places, like, you can find that you can make, uh- At, at The Brewery? There's a dark room, I think, there.

Joshua Elias: Yes, Contact it's called.

Paris Chong: Contact. Yeah, I've been there before.

It's nice.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, he's great.

Paris Chong: Yeah, great people in there. And I've

Joshua Elias: worked with that guy, and, uh, yeah, I want to-

Paris Chong: So if you need any printing done, Contact's really great downtown- Yeah, yeah,

Joshua Elias: he's, he's terrific ... for

Paris Chong: self-printing especially when the, if you wanna just-

Joshua Elias: Yeah, you don't see, uh, it's hard to find these days.

Yeah. No, it really is. Right? I'm not in that world. Very much so. But, um, I know someone who photographed, um, uh, an ar- yeah, yeah, so, so we bonded there.

Paris Chong: And there's a cute little cafe there. Yeah,

Joshua Elias: it's a cute

Paris Chong: little cafe. And it's worth a visit, and they do, uh, Brewery art walks every spring and fall.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, right.

We do that twice a year. And so there'll be-

Paris Chong: And- ... there'll be another one soon, I'm praying.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, I've actually, yeah. Like a- I've met a lot of galleries and a lot of, lot of collectors from that- Yeah ...

Paris Chong: you know,

Joshua Elias: over the years for sure.

Paris Chong: I promised to make it out last time, but, you know, it's, it's, it's so hard to sit in a gallery all day long as your job and then to make it to other things because by the time you get- Oh.

It's

Joshua Elias: kinda work,

Paris Chong: isn't it? Yeah, it is more work, but you know, it's like sometimes when I'm not working, I want, I'm, I'm not really, I don't, I don't wanna see any art for a little bit. I just wanna see kinda nothing.

Joshua Elias: I, I don't- 'Cause

Paris Chong: it's all, I don't

Joshua Elias: wanna see anything ... I really don't go to openings as much anymore.

I wanna go for

Paris Chong: a walk.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, I don't go- Yeah ... but I mean, I went- I wanna

Paris Chong: see the sky.

Joshua Elias: Of course. Uh, but I- And a burger Want to respect the work.

Paris Chong: Mm-hmm.

Joshua Elias: I, I mean-

Paris Chong: I do. I, but I do love art ... you know? It is so much of my, part of my heart and soul. Mm-hmm. But just for sometimes when I work so much, but I, I do always try when I'm on holiday to go see the museums, and when I go to New York- Oh, that's true

to go to the museum. But you have to, you have to. Yeah,

Joshua Elias: that's true, too. Yeah. Yeah. And then you also have to look at it like you've never seen it before.

Paris Chong: Exactly. 'Cause- And it is inspiration. Mm-hmm. And it does

Joshua Elias: give you inspiration. I mean, if you see, like, a classic painting and you've seen it a million times and you gotta really look at it because that's tricky.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: Because you think you've seen it. "Oh, yeah, yeah. Starry Starry Night. Yeah, okay, all right. What else we got going here?" Mm-hmm. You know, so that kind of thing.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. But all right. This was wonderful, so.

Paris Chong: Well, thank you so much for coming on the Pears Chung Show. I love

Joshua Elias: you and

Paris Chong: I love the show. I love you.

And how can people see your work? Oh, we had, uh, we were gonna share a couple of the books, right?

Joshua Elias: Oh, of course. Sure. So. So this is,

Paris Chong: uh, this- But, but why don't you tell where, what, what's your website?

Joshua Elias: Oh, sure. It's JoshuaElias.com. Let me see. So it's my name.

Paris Chong: JoshuaElias.com.

Joshua Elias: Right.

Paris Chong: And you could take this beautiful painting home-

or get it for your-

Joshua Elias: Sure ...

Paris Chong: wife's birthday. This is... Or your husband,

Joshua Elias: sure. Or your husband or your

Paris Chong: cat.

Joshua Elias: Yeah, or your brother. Um-

Paris Chong: Or your brother so you don't fight.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. Oh, yeah. So this is a Vernissage. I don't know where I'm showing this to, but yeah. This is from the- There it is ... my, my thing, and this is, this was from, um, a magazine- It's a nice color

done down there. Exactly. Let's see. And then-

Paris Chong: And here's Joshua with his beautiful paintings, looking very serious.

Joshua Elias: Oh, yeah. I look very serious there. Yeah.

Paris Chong: You're very serious.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. This is, um-

Paris Chong: You can be very serious, but then you can be very fun.

Joshua Elias: I'm an absurdist. Let's be real.

Paris Chong: Yeah.

Joshua Elias: Okay. I, I'm aware of that.

The

Paris Chong: Dreams of Rabbits.

Joshua Elias: Yes, that's, yes, that's the name of, uh, of the show. Exactly. As the French say- Gosh, I

Paris Chong: wonder what the rabbits-

Joshua Elias: L'Arrivee des Lapins.

Paris Chong: L'Arrivee-

Joshua Elias: That came from my poetry group ...

Paris Chong: des Lapins. Oh. It

Joshua Elias: means the, the-

Paris Chong: Where, what's the name of your p- poetry group? You need to name it.

Joshua Elias: We don't... I, yeah, I think, what is it?

Poetry Salon. I forgot. We haven't anything... It's funny, with all the- Isn't it Seven Poets?

Paris Chong: We might just call it

Joshua Elias: that You

Paris Chong: should call it Seven

Joshua Elias: Poets You know what

Paris Chong: that- Maybe even a French

Joshua Elias: I don't know if I should

Paris Chong: ch- Seven Poets

Joshua Elias: This is a book I did some years ago. I thought I was just gonna show it to you.

All right, I don't know if that really needs to be- Okay,

Paris Chong: well,

Joshua Elias: the,

Paris Chong: basically this guy's an amazing painter, and if you are looking for paintings- Yeah ... I will show you paintings from- Of course ... different painters, and you will pick Joshua Elias' work. So you can contact me anytime. Um-

Joshua Elias: Sure ...

Paris Chong: I work at Like A Gallery LA, but I've been representing Joshua for a very, very, uh, before Leo was born.

Joshua Elias: Pre-Leo.

Paris Chong: A long time. So my son's 23, so a long time.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. You know? Oh, yeah. Yeah. How is he? Is he well?

Paris Chong: He's great.

Joshua Elias: Good, good, good.

Paris Chong: Okay. He, uh, he's, I was, I, I thought of him when I, you said the guy got out of the car without his shirt on 'cause he's al- he's always got his shirt off. But you know what? If I had a body like Leo, I'd always have my shirt off, too.

But, um-

Joshua Elias: Me, too ... it,

Paris Chong: yeah.

Joshua Elias: Yeah. See, I have it on today, so. I'm too

Paris Chong: shy. Well-

Joshua Elias: Okay. Thank you ...

Paris Chong: thank you so much for, uh, tuning in and watching The Paris Chong Show. Please like, share, listen. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and, um, uh, it, uh, this is season three, so you're my second guest of s- season three. And, um- Love it, yeah

I really love doing this. Uh, pretty soon I'm gonna be looking for some sponsors so I can be advertising for people so that I can keep doing this because, like I said, it's a lot of love and a lot of effort. But I love doing it. I love being here to talk about art and entertaining you. And, um, and thank you.

Thank you, everybody, and I will see you, uh, next time with a new outfit on. Thank you. Thank you, Disco.

Joshua Elias: Thank you.

Paris Chong: Thank you.

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