In the summer of 2008 I was an assistant painter to Clifton Yeager at the Pierre Hotel in their secondary ballroom overlooking Central Park. I watched the carriages parade past on the street below and took every opportunity to run down to the Met. The French panels were painted at Clifton’s loft in Falls Village, CT just down the road from that most famous of interior designers, Bunny Williams. Clifton is Bunny’s prized secret. For once a decorator has their hands on a brilliant painter they are likely to keep that resource to themselves. Clifton purchased and remodeled the catholic church in that same village. My room was the coat closet with its lovely stained glass windows and sweet antique bed from Holland.
I met Clifton while working at the Del Mar Racetrack. At that time he was living in San Miguel de Allende. We did a joint project there as well in a club called D’Nile – as in – Let’s Go Into. And another nightclub project in Mexico City called LaBoom. While there I had the pleasure of visiting the owners estate in Quernavaca, the great pyramids and the shrine to The Virgin Guadalupe.