Big Mike and Friends
Big Mike Phillips
I’ve been blessed with so many amazing people in my life, it excites me to be able to share with all of you the different people who I know, work with and those who make a difference in the world in which we live. It gives me great pleasure to introduce you to my very sweet, talented, loving friend Clarione Gutierrez.
I first meet Clarione in 2013 when I saw him on Facebook doing a live speed painting. I was so impressed I contacted him and asked if he would do it for my annual birthday fundraiser, which was raising money for the Toni Atkins Women’s Health Fund. He created a beautiful art piece right in front of us and then bidding started and he sold it to the highest bidder for $1,300.
Though Clarione is a native of San Diego, he grew up in South Bay near Imperial Beach, later moving to Los Angeles for college to attend Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, where he earned his degree. After moving to New York City for a few years, he then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and eventually moved back home to San Diego.
His talents are so creative and beautiful that he had the honor of performing with the cast of “The Lion King” on Broadway for an annual fundraiser called “Gypsy of the Year,” which benefited Broadway Cares/Equality Fights for AIDS. One of his most impressive projects I believe he has done is the award-winning children’s books he created with his friend Tyler Curry in 2005 titled “A Peacock Among Pigeons.” If you don’t already have a copy, I suggest you get yours today. He has already left a mark on Southern California with murals on many restaurants and businesses, primarily with the Rise and Shine Restaurant Group (Breakfast Republic and The Fig Tree Café, to name a couple).
Clarione never ceases to amaze me; with his very busy schedule, he still takes time to give back. It’s not uncommon to see him volunteering by doing his live speed painting, donating original pieces of art to silent auctions, and teaching classes. Some of the well-deserved charity organizations to benefit from his generosity are Human Rights Campaign, Imperial Court de San Diego, San Diego Pride, The San Diego LGBT Community Center, Harvey Milk Foundation and the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus.
Though with all he does to help create a colorful, beautiful canvas in our community, he even took time to meet the love of his life right here in San Diego. In his words, “I met my beautiful husband Jeff in the summer of 2014 at the gym. I was on the elliptical and his striking blue eyes caught mine as he passed in front of me and we have been inseparable since.”
Clarione and Jeff were married March 2019 in Palm Springs.
I am honored to call both of these wonderful men my friends. I was never so humbled, touched and grateful when Clarione surprised me on stage at my annual birthday fundraiser with such a beautiful portrait of me in the rainbow colors that he painted. I will always cherish such a kind gift. Thank you again. Meeting Clarione and becoming great friends with him makes me a better human being. I love watching people make the world a better place and Clarione does that.
If you would like to contact Clarione for future works of his talent, email him at [email protected] or visit his website at clarione.com.
—Big Mike Phillips can be reached at [email protected].
Nice to read about such good people doing good things!