Colette Miller: An Exclusive Interview with A.I.M.O.

There are a few artists that specialize in painting/drawing wings and you clearly have your own voice in this category. Can you kindly tell our readers how you started your Global Angel Wings Project's journey?

The Global Angel Wings Project started in 2012 on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. The idea or vision of huge human sized wings came to me around 2011-2012. While driving through LA and seeing all the big walls, I started imagining wings on them for some reason. Something that would remind us of our higher natures, uplift us and remind us to see the better in humanity. The first couple I created were self authorized, meaning without permission, yet they became popular rather quickly and I started getting requests for more wings. The Mayors of LA all took their photos with them. The photos by Gary Leonard were exhibited at the main cathedral in LA.

Have you ever collaborated with another artist on a wall, canvas or print?

I have collaborated on a canvas or wall once or twice. When I was in musical groups or making documentaries and such I collaborated obviously with other people more frequently.

I remember seeing your wings in James Corden's Carpool Karaoke with Justin Bieber! Is it often that celebrities take photos with your wings? Do they credit you or at least use your hashtag? How about the general public? I see people going to your wings as a destination.

Thanks, I saw that Bieber drive by too, thanks to you I think..

A lot of celebrities have taken photos, Robin Mc Graw, who is married to Dr. Phil, Dianne Kruger, Lily Collins, Mayors, Miss USA, athletes etc. Some of them credit me, or on IG someone often tags me so that I can see the photo. I don't place a hashtag on the painting so they may not see my name. When it is related to the global angel wings project and my name, the hashtag reads #theglobalangelwingsproject . Frankly, I don't necessarily want to tell someone what to hashtag anyway. I want people to hashtag what they feel. Plus, signing a huge hashtag on the piece, to me, is distracting and takes away from the piece. It's like just another advertisement in a way, just in the corner this time. I'm trying to stay away from being too commercial. The world has enough of that. Usually I just sign it and add a feather with the global angel wings project.

What have you created recently and what is up next for you?

For the Global Angel Wings Project, I'm going to France next week, to the refugee camp, and then LAX and Chicago O'Hare airports and quite a few others. I did a print with Sugarpress of one of my older paintings that I really like, Alien on a Biplane. It's a Alien with a Halo on the wing of a biplane surrounded by friendly crows in the desert, probably somewhere in Rozwell. I'm trying to write a musical play with a friend called I FLY LA. I'll see where that goes. I try to support this boxing team made up of street kids I met in Kenya. I was there creating some wings while filming. I try to send them boxing gear from a company here that donates to them called City of Angel Boxing.