The Ladies of the Cha Cha Collection

All of these drawings were made live, on site at the Cha Cha Club, where the women are young, wild, fashionable, friendly and fun. I draw at the club first, carrying a small sketchbook to chronicle the people and the scenes. Back in the studio I finish each piece, staying as true to the original drawing as I can. The line is the truth. I love painting, but the real adventure is in the drawing. Sometimes the paintings take on a life of their own and the Ladies go off romping through other worlds: the Paris Olympics, the rodeo circuit, the Resistance. The finished works use a range of mixed-media techniques. I call myself the last of the great gaucho painters.

The Ladies of the Cha Cha drawings may be coming to an end, but I will never forget the honor, the ups and downs, and the adventures of running with them. Much love to Rob and all the staff at the Cha Cha; they are amazing. Lelah and Wanwan will always be my favorite Ladies of the Cha Cha.

“I invented drinking and drawing.”
Tom Barnes