In football, there is the Super Bowl, in literature the Pulitzer, and in movies, the Oscars. Well WrestleMania is like all three of those combined brutha! Shocking as it is WrestleMania is turning 25 this year, why it was only yesterday we saw a young (yet still bald) Hulk Hogan tag teaming with Mr. T. It is a special time of year for wrestling fans and the citizens of Houston as WrestleMania hits.

To kick off this year’s festivities, The WWE is holding their second annual WrestleManiaArt event. Held at the Julia Ideson Building, it’s a night featuring the artistic works of WWE Superstars. The evening will encompass food, drinks, an art exhibition and both a live and silent auction. All proceeds will benefit the Houston Public Library Foundation.

We recently caught up with two WWE superstars that show an out of ring passion for their art. First is high-flying, face-painted dare-devil, Jeff Hardy. Jeff draws, sculpts, designs and then still has time to drop some Swantons every Monday night. After Jeff, we ‘ll chat with WWE Diva Beth Phoenix, also know as the “Glamazon.” Beth got her start in the artworld doing paintings of Bret and Owen Hart as a child, which is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.

Jeff Hardy Interview

Royal flush: What was your first foray into art as a child?

Jeff Hardy: It was the subject that I always excelled in at school. It always came natural for me. I read comics when I was young, and I created my own superheroes. Then wrestling came into my life!

Royal flush: Any talented artists in the family?

Jeff Hardy: no, not to my knowledge

Royal flush: As an artist, aren’t you scared you’ll hurt your hands?

Jeff Hardy: (laughs) I’ve been very lucky through my career and haven’t had any hand injuries. Just the regular bumps and scrapes.

Royal flush: How did your personal creativity manifest in your wrestling career?

Jeff Hardy: First was the dyeing of the hair, and the wearing of pants, not tights. Facial hair too, I just wanted to be different. Stand out from the rest, and I did.

Royal flush: Who’s the best WWE artist?

Jeff Hardy: Jerry Lawler is the best – his works stands out and is amazing.

Royal flush: I hear you make giant sculptures too…

Jeff Hardy: I call them the Alumninummies. Made from wooden frames and plastic bottles and tons of duct tape and foil tape. My mailbox is even an Alumninummy.

Royal flush: What’s it like being one of the rare wrestlers that designs his own merchandise?

Jeff Hardy: It’s special -and the kids really love it. I love to little drawings for people at autograph signings.
For my last shirt – I did four designs and loaded them up to wwe.com and let the fans vote. It was so cool.

Royal flush: At WrestleMania, you’re fighting your own brother Matt Hardy??

Jeff Hardy: Yes

Royal Flush: Is it because he didn’t support your art career?

Jeff Hardy: (Laughs) Yeah, I think it’s the art drawings , not the heavyweight belt!!

Royal Flush: What can you tell us about the WrestleManiART Show that the WWE is presenting over WrestleMania weekend?

Beth Phoenix: This is the 2nd annual WrestleManiART, where the Superstars submit different expressions of art through paintings, sculptures, scrapbooks and more with all of the proceeds going to the Houston Public Library. This is the 2nd one and we had such a great turnout last year and it was such a success that even more Superstars are involved and it’s going to be an even bigger project than last year.

Royal Flush: Did You participate last year?

Beth Phoenix: Last year (2008) I didn’t get the chance to participate. It was pretty hectic, it being my first Wrestlemania. When I had heard that there was an opportunity for me to be a part of it this year, I was excited. I’ve always been a fan of art myself, and I wanted to submit something of my own to take part in the event and to benefit the Houston library.

Royal Flush: What type of art do you usually create?

Beth Phoenix: I’ve done a lot of drawing ever since I was a very little kid. I actually have drawn portraits of wrestlers as far back as I can remember, obviously some of them not being so great. Then in college I took some painting courses and this year for the exhibit I am going to be submitting a painting done with Acrylic.

Royal Flush: Do you think that if you weren’t a WWE Diva, you’d have pursued art as a profession?

Beth Phoenix: I’ve always done it as more of a hobby, but it’s very interesting how many of the Superstars are creative and artistic people. As I said, I always liked doing portraits of wrestlers and now those people are my friends and family. I’m good friends with Natalia Neidhart and I grew up watching her dad, Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and Bret Hart and loved the Hart Foundation. Growing up, probably my favorite wrestler in the world was Owen Hart and I did a painting of Bret Hart and his brother Owen and I had the opportunity to give that painting to her and she passed it on to Bret for me which was an amazing feeling.

Royal Flush: Have you yourself ever received a piece of fan art that stands out in your mind?

Beth Phoenix: YES! Actually fan art is one of my favorite things to receive because I know how much time and effort it takes to do that. When we were in Japan I received a painting of me that was actually just done on the back of a piece of cardboard box. It’s really special and I have it hanging in my office. To think that somebody took the time to sit down and to ink my image on a piece of cardboard, to immortalize me just to give it to me. That’s really, really cool.

Royal Flush: What other type of art decor do you collect at home?

Beth Phoenix: Art really can be anything and is a completely subjective matter. With me, my office is my tribute to my career and I have certain things that are special to me that I have collected over the years that remind me of all the places I’ve seen and how different creativity can be across the world. I love things that are hand painted and one piece that means a lot is a great oil painting I picked up in Africa. It’s four women in various colors with baskets on their heads and it just really stands out to me. I have a hand painted clock from Barcelona as well as a hand painted boomerang from Australia.

Royal Flush: As you have travelled around the world, what do you think is the most famous piece you have seen and what did you take away from it?

Beth Phoenix: I actually had the amazing opportunity when we were in Paris to go see the Luve and I got to see the most beautiful art i have ever seen in my life. it’s just so large and you really have to see it all in person to understand the scope of how beautiful and amazing it all is. So i actually got to see the Mona Lisa and it just has this presence that everyone around you feels as well. I mean, there is always this mob of people around it at all times but it just has this unbelievable aura to it.

I also got to go to Notre Dame Cathedral as well and see Michelangelo’s sculpture of Mary holding Jesus Christ after the crucifixion. I’ve seen reproductions of it obviously but to see the actual sculpt in person was such a thing of beauty. It bring tears to your eyes it is that beautiful. It really shows you the power behind creating expression.

Royal Flush: That touching sentiment allows us to switch gears from the art a little bit and talk about your wrestling career. As the Royal Flush tradition continues: How much can you bench?

Beth Phoenix: (Laughs) With my wrestling career I do a lot more endurance training than strength training. I never competed (as a body builder). My whole physic is developed and has been the focus of a career in wrestling my whole life. So I honestly cannot put a limit on what I can bench because i’ve never tested myself, but let’s just say it’s quite a bit and it’s far more than Santino Marella can bench press anyway.

The WrestleMania Art auction is Wednesday, April 1, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm . At the Julia Ideson Building, 500 McKinney Street, Houston.

Check out WWE.com for more information.

Written by: Josh

This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 10:05 am and is filed under Art, Culture, Film, News-events, Uncategorized, cd-review, news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.