As I’m getting older, I’m realizing that my life has been a series of chapters like in a book and the same can be said for Rev. Dr. Leo Hartshorn.
Leo has gone from playing drums in a 60’s psychedelic band, to becoming a minister and more recently a painter. Leo had done many styles but the paintings that stood out to me where that of famous tiki people. Leo has done paintings of Donn Beach, Shag, Martin Denny, Bob and Leroy of Oceanic Arts and Sven Kirsten!
Here is Leo’s story so far…
What is the tiki scene like where you live?
Leo- A native of Southern California, I moved to Portland, Oregon in 2009. At the time, there was a Trader Vic’s in downtown Portland I went to a number of times before it burned and closed. Portland is the home of Hale Pele and the 77-year-old Alibi Tiki Lounge (which has a piece of my artwork and where I had my first vending booth at their 75th anniversary). Across the Columbia River from me in Vancouver, Washington is the new Wahi Hana (which also has one of my tiki paintings). And sadly, Tiki Kon, where I entered my art in their shows held its last convention in 2023.
What brought you into the ‘Tiki lifestyle” and how long has it been part of your life?
Leo- My first encounter with tiki happened around 1962-63 as a 13-14-year-old on the Southern California coast north of Malibu (Oxnard, Ventura area). Surfers used to wear jewel-eyed Moai tiki necklaces as a kind of unknowing tribute to the origins of surfing in Hawaii. I was fascinated by this exotic look and carved my own tiki necklace out of wood. Through the years I loved the look of tikis, was aware as a youth of the Trade Winds Polynesian Restaurant in Oxnard, but it was much later that that fascination took full bloom.
After moving from Lancaster, PA to Portland, Oregon for my wife’s new job, I retired and had the free time to renew my love of art. I was really into the emergence of Lowbrow art, sparked by my early love of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth and Kustom Kulture in the early 60s. I started noticing a lot of Lowbrow artists did paintings of tikis. An old flame was rekindled. I started doing tiki paintings along with my other art around 2012. I connected with the online tiki community and started sharing my artwork. I loved the tiki mugs I saw, started collecting them and now have well over 100 in three bookcases, along with shelves full of tikis, tiki books, tiki wall art of mine and others and make trips to Oahu every other year (Celebrated my 50th wedding anniversary last year on Kailua Beach).
Can you give a little history of how you became an artist?
Leo- I have been drawing since I was a child, copying TV and newspaper cartoons, art from MAD and Surf magazines, and illustrated my 8th grade yearbook (1962). My favorite high school subject was art. At 14 years old, influenced by Ed Roth, I took up airbrushing monsters in hot rods on t-shirts. As a senior, I got a psychedelic drawing published in a high school art anthology. After high school, I pursued a college major in art and got an associate degree. My plan was to go for my BA at a California art school to become an illustrator. As an 18 year old I had moved to East Hollywood (1968) to record an album with my 60s Rock group Beauregard Ajax (Beauregard Ajax interview – It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine) and was taking art courses at LA City College and got a small art scholarship, worked at the Starving Artist’s studio next to the LA airport, as well as playing with my group at a lot of LA clubs (Troubadour, Whisky-a-Go-Go, Gazarri’s, the Galaxy, with the Byrds, Doors, Love, and even the Hell’s Angels!)
It was the Vietnam Era and the draft and in 1969 I got my induction notice in the mail. As a conscientious objector, I went in as a medic, was stationed in Georgia as a pharmacy assistant, and ended up playing drums in a touring soldier show from Atlanta, GA for most of my army time, still with my eye on going back to art school.
Around the time I was taking art courses toward my degree I met my wife at my home church. Long story short, I didn’t go to art school, but rather a religious college for my BA, seminary in SF for a Masters of Divinity, a Doctorate in Ministry, pastor of churches in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, a denominational Minister of Peace and Justice, adjunct professor at a seminary and university, and Co-director of Drumming for Peace, a rhythmic peace organization (got to perform for the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu)! My art, regretfully, took a back seat to my many religious responsibilities, though I occasionally worked on art.
In 2007, wishing I had pursued an art career, I dedicated myself to doing artwork during the couple hours I had in the evening after getting my grandson to bed (now turning 20!), who we were raising. I made a concerted effort to do ink drawings of peace and justice leaders that connected with my work. I kept this practice up until I retired, which gave me the opportunity to use my free time to create artwork, eventually leading me into tiki art. Also, for a number of years I have been on the City of Gresham’s Art Committee, displayed my work in their art shows, co-chaired the committee, and presented a couple of public seminars on Lowbrow art.
How would you describe your style?
Leo- I would have to say my art style is generally realism (no abstract!), but in that I am a bit eclectic, at times I can be more graphic in style. My style tends to vary with the medium and subject matter, since I work in graphite, colored pencil, scratchboard (done lots of scratchboard monsters), ink, acrylic, oil, assemblage, and some modeling clay. A lot of my tiki art is done on black background similar to black velvet painting, but without the hard work of painting on velvet!
Who or what would be some of your influences?
Leo- I have drawn inspiration from a wide variety of artists from Ed Roth to Da Vinci (I have a sketchbook I copied of Leonardo’s work), surrealist Salvador Dali to Lowbrow artist Robert Williams (a former Ed Roth artist). My art book collection of artists I appreciate fills my garage! I have been particularly influenced by Lowbrow artists.
Tiki artists, such as Tom “Thor” Thorardson, Brad “Tiki Shark” Parker, Doug Horne, James Owens, Gwen Rosewater, Tom “Big Toe” Laura, Josh “Shag” Agle have inspired my tiki art in particular. I am honored when some have responded favorably to my fledgling, finding-my-way tiki artwork.
What is your favorite Tiki drink?
Leo- My love of tiki has been mostly through my aesthetic, artistic sensibilities, not the bar scene. As a minister, drinking alcohol was something I tended to avoid for many years (having stopped drinking beer after a couple of years in high school). In the 80s I tried a Pina Colado and loved the taste. Still, I rarely drank. When I got into tiki around 2012, tiki bars became part of the whole experience, though I usually only have one cocktail when I check out a new tiki bar. I have tried a lot of different tiki cocktails, but particularly like those with creamy coconut flavor. Hale Pele’s Lava Flow is one of the best.
What does the future hold for you and your paintings?
Leo- Currently I have an Etsy shop where I sell my original artwork, no prints (www.etsy.com/shop/LeosLowbrow) as well as through contacts I make on online tiki websites. I do this not to make a living or income (more like tiki spending money!). My hopes are that the tiki community appreciates the artwork that I share as much as I do in creating it. I am especially appreciative of all the wonderful feedback I have received for a passion that I renewed after a long career in another field. My future years are not many, but whether or not my artwork sells I will continue to exercise this creative impulse that I has been within me from my childhood and share my artwork with those who appreciate it and occasionally buy it until I no longer tread this terra firma. By the way, approaching 75 years old I still play drums in a Blues band!
Anything else you would like to add?
Leo-Yeah, buy my artwork and help out an old minister, artist, and musician in his retirement!
Rev. Dr. Leo Hartshorn
Retired Minister, Drummer, Portland Lowbrow Artist
Love your art Leo. I hope to own at least one… one day… for my outdoor tiki lounge in Sandy, OR. Question, do you do any commissioned work?