Artist Courtney Klos captures musical greats on canvass

By Bonnie Nicholls | SDUN Reporter

You might never guess the person who painted the large canvas of Steven Tyler that hangs on the wall of an Uptown coffeehouse is a diminutive barista behind the counter. So discrete is the artist, that she’s overheard conversations about her work and never revealed her identity while crafting lattes.

But in May, she took to the stage at Rebecca’s Coffee House in South Park and, in full view, painted the face of musician David Crosby as part of an art show celebrating her distinctive style. It is all part of the emergence of Courtney Klos, whose biggest fans – Rebecca’s and South Park Fitness – have recognized and showcased her talent for years.

Klos gravitates toward musicians and artists from the 1960s and 1970s, and the bold black lines that capture each subject’s face reflect what motivates her to paint them: their power as performers, the intensity of their songwriting and the passion that drives them.

Although she’s been sketching her whole life, Klos, 33, began painting in earnest about seven years ago. She took an introductory art class at City College, and while her assignments included still life work, she was most drawn to pop culture and celebrities.

“I really enjoyed painting people and trying to get the expression in the face,” she said.

Since then, she has painted about 60 canvases, with most of them hanging on the walls of Rebecca’s and South Park Fitness for about four years. In the last two years, she began receiving offers for her paintings, including the one of Jimmy Hendrix.

“This couple came in, and I swear, 10 minutes later, they’re like, ‘We’re just going to get the money,’” Klos said. “Ten minutes later, they were taking it off the wall.”

They came in a month later and told her it was a house-warming gift, the kind of story she said she loves to hear about her artwork.

“I know what it looks like here and in my room, but I used to wonder where it ended up,” she said. “It’s neat to see that it’s on someone’s wall and how it fits in the room.”

Two paintings, however, are not for sale. One depicts Andy Warhol, whose life and art fascinate Klos so much that she has read 10 books about him and collects Warhol memorabilia. The painting is the first that she completed that she was “completely happy with,” she said.

Klos was equally satisfied with her painting of Steven Tyler singing “Dream On,” but that is not the only reason the painting holds special meaning. Dream is her favorite word; it is why she wears a “dream” necklace and has a shooting star tattoo. “Dream On” is also her signature karaoke song.

Klos began dreaming of leaving her small Michigan town in her teens, and planned to go to New York City. Instead, she came west to visit friends, and said she loves working in South Park, which she described as “idyllic,” “tight-knit” and it’s own “little entity,” like a Norman Rockwell painting.

“Everyone looks out for each other,” she said. “I was always trying to escape to a big city and then I ended up right back in a small town in a big city. It’s like I’ve kind of come full circle.”

Klos paints in her room at home, and she always listens to the music of the artist as she works.

“I never paint without music,” she said. “That’s a big part for me. It sets a certain mood.”

She uses a photograph as a reference point, and while she was taught in art class to sketch the shape of the face first, she said she has her own way of doing things, always starting with the left eye.

Klos works at Rebecca’s 40 hours a week and is a full-time student, taking business classes at City and Mesa colleges, so there is not a lot of time to paint. But painting is when she said she is happiest. When she does, she moves furniture out of the way, throws down a black tarp, turns on the music and gets inspired.

“When I’m painting, that’s when I feel most like myself,” she said.

For more information on Klos, visit Rebecca’s at 3015 Juniper St., or visit courtneyklos.com.