Monsters and friends

Kepi, best known in this area as the bass-playing singer in the pop-punk band the Groovie Ghoulies, picked up some paint and paintbrushes a few years ago. He thought he’d try his hand at art. He has no academic art background, but it’s clear that his talent with music crosses over to the visual arts. Kepi understands the basics: No formal art training? Keep compositions and colors simple. Subject? Paint what you know. His approach is pure—his paintings are like his music and his personality, which means that cartoonish monsters rule. His show this month at the True Love Coffeehouse, 2406 J Street, offers something even more entertaining—collaborations with friends and other artists, such as bandmates Roach and Scampi, as well as local artists Bruce Gossett and John Berger. The results are strange and wonderful, but one has to wonder if Kepi is ultimately attempting to make art more like a band by collaborating with friends.