I first met Ace Frehley on December 7, 2018 at a KISS convention in Parsippany, New Jersey.
I had two tables set up right at the entrance, surrounded by my artwork…completely in my own world.
He stopped in front of my table, studied my work, and asked, “Did you paint all of these?”
I said yes. Impressed, He asked if I was professionally trained, and I told him no, I just know how to do this.
He leaned in, smiled, and said quietly, “I have a secret… I’m self-taught too.”
There was this instant, unspoken camaraderie.
Our story was Outta this World
Then he looked at me and said, “Come take a walk with me—I’m about to go on stage.”
Before I could even think it through, I was walking beside him, being pulled into his world.
I watched his entire set from the wings, completely lost in the music… until reality tapped me on the shoulder. I had to get back, pack up my table, and make the long trip home.
So like Cinderella… I slipped away.
Over the next six months, there were a few attempts to invite me back to a show, but somehow our timing never aligned.
Then finally, in late June of 2019, I was able to attend one of his concerts with a friend. We were brought backstage, something I had never experienced before—and the whole energy was electric.
After his set, he walked straight up to me, put his arm around me and said, “Hey… I remember you,” with that unmistakable Ace chuckle.
Turns out, he had been trying to find me that whole time.
After that… everything changed.
And somehow, it all found its way into my art.
Our humanity—shared, fractured, and beautifully imperfect.
People have drawn parallels to the song “Fractured Mirror”, and I understand why.
But the truth is… I didn’t create this piece from that song.
I created it from a feeling.
And once it’s out in the world… it’s no longer just mine.
It becomes yours—to feel, to interpret, to connect with in your own way.
And maybe that’s why it continues to resonate…
Because there will always be a part of him that lives on—
not just in the music… but in all of us who felt something when we heard it.
And now… it seems to be taking on a life of its own all over again.
“Outta This World.” The artwork:
It wasn’t something I planned… it was something I felt.
It started as a moment, a memory, an energy I couldn’t quite explain—but I knew I had to get it out of me and onto the canvas.
The connection, the music, the surreal way our paths crossed… all of it found its way into that piece.
It became more than just a painting.
It became a reflection of a moment in time that changed everything for me.
I began painting it in September of 2022 on a 24 x 36 gallery-wrapped canvas—layering acrylics, glitter, and metallics to capture not just the image, but the feeling behind it.
But it was the fractured mirrored pieces that changed everything.
I placed them over his eyes very intentionally.
Because when you look into them… you don’t just see him.
You see yourself.
The man behind the music was never just the icon.
He was human—just like the rest of us earthlings.
Ace would say it all the time…
“I’m nothing special… just another guy who caught a big break.” He always downplayed it… like it was all just luck. But there’s nothing ordinary about someone who changes how people feel. Indeed Self-taught. Driven by something deeper. A vision. A fire. A need to create.
And that stayed with me.
The mirrors aren’t just reflective—they’re fragmented.
They remind us that we don’t experience people, or even ourselves, as one perfect whole.
We see pieces. Moments. Reflections of who we are, who we’ve been, and who we’re becoming.
When you stand in front of this piece, you’re not just looking at him—
you’re seeing parts of yourself reflected back.
In that way… he’s in us.
And we’re in him.
Sharing some memories of our time together. Thanks for sharing this with me.
