Kaeli Stanfield, aka STARFIELD, is an East Vancouver-based painter and self-proclaimed space cadet. Specializing in neon acrylics and airbrushing, she is best known for providing psychedelic artwork for numerous underground parties, as well as regular features at ORGANIX ,Vancouver's long running, world famous weekly psychedelic trance night. She also recently completed her largest piece ever: a blacklight adventure covering the walls of an entire floor of the bowling alley at Grandview Lanes. She has established a reputation for a bright and explosive style of art, and as of late has expanded her neon empire by doing stage decorations for many west coast festivals, such as Shambhala and Entheos. Kaeli is constantly painting and producing new and increasingly intense pieces. As her work is featured at more and more events, things can only get bigger and better for Starfield.
Words from a long time friend of mine , Ron.
The Proof
01 Every good morning starts with espresso on Main st.
02 Airbrushing cool text on John’s van.
03 Organix! Vancouver’s longest running club night and my favorite place to get a beer on a Friday. I have been working with this crew since 2005 doing black light banners for the club and I absolutely love it.
04 Bikes! Everyone in my house rides a bike. Mine is the yellow one. Bikes make me happy.
05 Grandview lanes. Cosmic bowling is one of my favorite fall activities. Hot dogs, a smoke machine, and a laser! What more could you want? Oh and I covered the whole upstairs with a trippy mural too.
06 A painting I’m working on. Part of my 2012 pre-party series.
07 Some of my paint. Mmmmm neon.
08 Restoring a pinball machine to it’s original glory!
The Questions
What neighborhood do you live in?
Mount pleasant. I love this area, it’s close to tons of good food, coffee, bike paths, big gardens, and stuff like that. It's perfect for me.
What do you do and where?
Right now I’m working at a place called John’s Jukes. I restore the artwork on old pinball machines and arcade games. It’s an awesome job for me for a few reasons. One is I can play unlimited amounts of Gallaga! Another is that I get to see a lot a amazing retro art and it inspires me. Especially the graphics on the pinball machines from the early 70’s and 80’s. The whole place is eye candy though.
When I’m not working I’m usually painting and airbrushing psychedelic art in my living room…I mean studio. All the paint I use is neon and it glows with the help of a black light. I love bright things and I’m always trying to make my work look brighter.
What are you working on?
I’m working on a new set of black light banners for Organix at club 23 west. The theme is a kind of apocalyptic 2012 pre party with lots of mythological Mayan and Aztec creatures. It’s been really fun to paint so far because it’s all just crazy skulls and snakes and smoke etc. We measured out the walls in the club before I started so it’s all going to be custom fitted to the space.
Aside from that, John , from John’s Jukes, has also hired me to paint on his van. This is the first time I have ever worked on an automotive project and I am loving it.
Where can we find your work?
Well, www.blacklightstarfield.com is my web site, I'm also on facebook under "Starfield Deco", but if you want to see my paintings in person you have a few options...
I hang my latest work every Friday at ORGANIX @ Club 23 west in Gas Town. The whole club is full of lasers and black lights and naturally my paintings as well.
I also have some paintings up in a lounge every Saturday called The Bunker, on Robson street near Denmen. It’s a cozy lounge space and on Saturday nights we turn on a few black lights and listen to some chill and dub electronica.
And then, last but not least, you can see my work any day of the week at Grandview Lanes , Bowling alley on Commercial drive. I did a huge mural for them in their upstairs cosmic bowling zone. It is definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever painted! I really love bowling too so it was a total honor to paint a bowling alley. Especially one that I play in sometimes.
