Sometimes we need a feel-good story and this is just what the Dr. ordered, a homeless man is no longer homeless and is now thriving because of a stranger that goes around helping people. We need to believe in something good. He is living his dream now and he is flying high in his spirit and Oprah gave him the stamp of approval, she did something really good. He says never give up on your dreams. We need to spend more time building people up and not tearing people down.
Oprah is cheering on Richard Hutchins, a formerly homeless painter, in the midst of his whirlwind rise to fame. Until recently, Hutchins, 62, had been living on the streets of Los Angeles, the latest stop in an extraordinary story.
In the 2000s, Hutchins gained recognition as an artist of celebrity portraits. But he had a secret. According to his website, Hutchins “never thought people would be interested in his art without a compelling story, so he created one. He claimed he was former football player Drew Hill.
In 2010, Hutchins’s true identity was exposed and he eventually went to prison, where he continued to make art using Skittles, coffee grounds, and M&Ms. Ever since his release six years ago, he’s been homeless.
Hutchins’ dream? To move people through his art again—this time, using his real name. And on April 4, Hutchins got closer to that dream. He had a chance encounter in a grocery store parking lot with Charlie “Rocket” Jabaley, a music manager-turned-nonprofit CEO, who made it his mission to get Hutchins’ work recognized. In a matter of weeks, Hutchins had a new website, an online auction grossing $50,000, and a one-night gallery exhibit. He’s made upwards of $200,000 on his portraits since.
On June 29, Oprah surprised Hutchins during a segment of Entertainment Tonight hosted by one of her daughter-girls, Thando Dlomo.
“Richard, I have somebody who would love to meet you, who honestly has been so inspired and so excited by all that you’ve been doing, just like the rest of the world,” Dlomo told Hutchins over Zoom, as Oprah walked into the room behind her. Hutchins and Rocket, sitting next to him, became visibly emotional. When he recovered, Hutchins told Oprah that he had once painted a portrait of Oprah and her father, but it was stolen.
Oprah had a bit of business advice. “Richard, you’re not charging enough money for these paintings,” she said.
https://richardhutchinstudio.com/ is the site
https://youtu.be/5fpHNnpJchc?t=10
