The Story

This exhibit is a little different because, in many ways, it's where the collection ends.

Although we're beginning our journey here, this was actually the last piece Anabela ever created for me.

By then, it had been quite a while since we'd worked together. One day I reached out and asked if she'd be willing to create just one more piece.

Her answer was simple.

"I enjoy creating this art for you."

That was all I needed to hear.

I gave her a few ideas to work with. I told her how much I loved classic American diners, that I was working on my charity, Kids in Seats, and that I'd just finished re-recording one of my older songs, Love and a Bite.

She replied, "I'll have something for you shortly."

There was one request I made this time that I'd never asked before.

I wanted to be part of the artwork.

Up until then, I had always stayed behind the scenes. The ideas were mine, the photographs were mine, but I was never actually in the finished pieces.

Anabela asked me to send her a photograph.

At the time I happened to be in Las Vegas, staying at Mandalay Bay. I was on my way to a business meeting, so I walked into the hotel bathroom, pulled out my phone, took a quick selfie, and sent it to her.

That wasn't a planned photo shoot. It wasn't professionally lit. It was simply a moment.

If you look closely at the finished artwork, you'll see that's the exact photograph she used. I'm standing there holding my phone, just as I was that day in Las Vegas.

The finished piece brought together everything I'd asked for. My love of classic Americana, neon diners, vintage cars, Love and a Bite, Kids in Seats, and for the first time, me.

Looking back now, I couldn't have asked for a better way to close this chapter of our creative partnership.

Neither of us knew at the time that it would become the final piece we created together.

That makes it even more special.