FingerSmears® · The Rolling Stones · Warfield Theater · San Francisco · 1994

"Rock and Roll Voodoo"

88" x 68"
Acrylic on Canvas
October 31, 1994

Co-created with The Rolling Stones and their guests…
…at a Halloween party held at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco, October 31, 1994.

I was supposed to be serving drinks.
Sean Murphy was supposed to be serving empanadas.
We had other ideas…

The Setup

The Gig

We both worked at the infamous Phoenix Hotel bar, known for the seedy neighborhood and their rock star clientele.

Catering the Rolling Stones private Halloween party was the gig.

But I convinced my bosses that I would be more entertaining as a painter than a cocktail waitress.

They agreed.

Revelry at The Phoenix Hotel / Miss Pearls Jam House

Kelly Sullivan at the Warfield Theater, 1994. Photo: Sean Murphy.

Sean Murphy left his apron home but managed to get his camera in the door. We have Sean to thank for recording this underground slice of history.

With only a few hours to prepare I rolled out a canvas and hung it on the wall of the Warfield. I sketched out the faces of Mick, Keith, Ronnie, and Charlie and surrounded them with iconic tools of a voodoo master... chickens' feet, daggers, snakes, and a skull.

Keith Richards

He Jumped Right Up

I nudged up to Keith Richards's table.

"Hey, do you want to paint on that thing I have going on in the corner?" I asked with a giant smile.

He jumped right up, and with all the enthusiasm of a kid, gobbed into the paint, smearing and smacking it around the canvas.

He left a big handprint on my shirt, wiped some paint off my face, and playfully kissed my cheek.

My heart almost exploded, he was a blast!

Keith Richards and Kelly laughing together — Keith and Kelly laughing together.

Keith Richards smacking paint on the canvas — Keith smacking paint on the canvas.

Keith Richards wiping paint off Kelly's face — Keith wipes paint off Kelly's face.

Ronnie Wood

Ronnie Wood Arrived with a friendly posse.

Ronnie Wood's son, Tyrone, came up to the canvas first. He was about 10 years old.

Tyrone told me the FingerSmear® was the coolest thing at the party and left to rally his family.

He soon returned with a small entourage, including his father, Ronnie Wood.

In that moment, Sean Murphy was off shooting something else. It was a wild party, and there was plenty to see.

Ronnie Wood painted marks all around the canvas and signed his name near his face. A few others in his group joined in too.

They all huddled up together and posed in front of the painting for a photographer on site. I suppose those photos exist somewhere, but I'm not sure where. It would be fun to see them.

Ronnie Wood and his crew at the party — Ronnie Wood arrives with his crew.

Sean Murphy fingerpainting — Sean Murphy joins in on the canvas.

Tyrone Wood's signature on the canvas — Tyrone Wood's signature.

The Rolling Stones private party at the Warfield — The Rolling Stones private party, Warfield Theater.

Mick Jagger

Mick Arrived

I leapt out in front of him and invited him up to the canvas.

He said "not now."

My heart sank.

But, I was a tenacious girl…

Mick passed by me on the way out. I popped up again!

"How about now?" I smiled.

"OK," he smiled, and followed me up to the canvas.

He covered his thumb in red paint and added flames up the side of his head. Mick dipped his finger back into the paint and added red marks on the snakes.

He wiped the excess paint on my shirt… and I handed him a pen.

He drew a line down the middle of his tongue and signed his name.

He smiled again, and total satisfaction washed over me.