At the time I was waiting tables at Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, FL. I was a cocktail waitress in the VIP lounge, which is Jimi Hendrix themed. I think staring at music memorabilia all day probably soaked my brain with that vibe. One day as I was leaving to go to work I saw a pile of cassette tapes laying on top of a canvas I had set near my door. I thought, “What ghosts could be hiding in those machines?” I pulled out the ribbon and tried to work with it, making some writing. I watched the ribbon curl up and it reminded me of Jimi Hendrix’s crazy hair, so that was the first portrait I made. I had never sold a piece of artwork. But selling was never that important… discovering is the fun part. by Erika Iris
