Along Broadway Avenue, between Cedar and Pacific, you can’t miss the strikingly bold and beautiful paintings of crayons, stacked books and brown-skinned girls reading them. What’s more, you certainly can’t miss the pink afro puffs – LaJon Miller’s artistic signature.

And what about those books? Popular titles written by various black and brown authors, are stacked high in painted reverence. “Native Son” by Richard Wright, “Bless Me, Ultima” by Rodolfo Anaya, “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. This is what pink paint power on transformed electrical boxes looks like.

Miller is the artist behind the vivid art that sits adjacent to the Billie Jean King Main Library. A graduate of Brooks College, he is one of a few artists tapped to artistically repurpose utility boxes throughout the city. Miller completely transformed them. His commissioned public art has been a beautiful addition to the culture and cityscape of downtown Long Beach.

“Painting with Pink” is what Miller is known for; an artistic license that residents increasingly admire. Bike riders and passers by offer public praise and compliments. And like most art, there is a sense of intrigue with every piece. It’s enough to make you curious about the stories and the muse behind them.

There are nearly 600 posts on his Instagram account – all full of strikingly whimsical strokes of bright pink paint. Miller has turned skateboards, electrical boxes, tote bags and canvases into magenta masterpieces, and has fused the hue with a myriad of other colors, like only he can.

Get to know LaJon Miller in this exclusive SolShock.com interview. Learn about his favorite artists, his dream commission and more.

SolShock: What is the inspiration behind “Painting with Pink?”

LaJon: My mother is a breast cancer survivor, so it’s a tribute reference to her and other survivors.

SolShock: Have you painted with specific colors in the past or have plans to?

LaJon: In the past, it depended on the subject I was painting, I would pull my color palette from what I was looking at. Currently the three specific colors that I use are variations of Bright Pink, Magenta and Aqua Blue.

SolShock: Do you have a muse?

LaJon: I’ve been blessed with so many experiences growing up around and being supported by strong, intelligent, resilient women.

SolShock: Can you share a little about your background?

LaJon: I’m from Los Angeles, family of 7. I was the only boy with 4 sisters. When I got bored playing with my sisters, which was a lot, I would draw by myself.

SolShock: Who are some of your favorite artists?

LaJon: I’m a big fan of Charles Bargue, Alex Ross, Kenturah Davis, Monet, Salavador Dali, Kehinde Wiley, Justin Bua, Akira Toriyama, Todd MacFarlane and Van Gogh to name a few.

SolShock: Tell us about an interesting commission.

LaJon: I got to paint one of my Pink-Haired Samurai muses on a Fender guitar. Which made for a very interesting canvas to paint on.

SolShock: What’s your dream commission?

LaJon: To have one of my designs on an international passenger airplane.

SolShock: What are some of your favorite places to go to for inspiration in Los Angeles/Long Beach?

LaJon: I don’t have a favorite place to go for inspiration. Ideas and concepts to paint are always coming into my head. Too many at some times. But I do go to the beach pretty often to relax and unwind.

SolShock: What does the soundtrack to LaJon’s art sound like?

LaJon: Music is literally another painting tool for me. I need it as much as a brush or pencil. There’s probably a healthy dose of 90’s hip hop (Ice Cube-Wu-Tang) and Jazz (Louis Armstrong-Gerald Clayton), quite a bit of Rock ( Nine Inch Nails/ Rolling Stones/ Led Zeppelin), then toss in a bunch of movie score composers (Hans Zimmer /John Williams, sprinkle in and mix well with hybrid genres like (Tokimonsta, Bonobo, El Michaels Affair).

SolShock: As a parent, what do you hope to pass down to or inspire in your child(ren)?

LaJon: Your dream is YOUR dream. YOU chase it, YOU catch it, YOU own it.

SolShock: What and who keeps you motivated?

LaJon: You have to keep yourself motivated. It starts and ends with self.

SolShock: How does art imitate life, in your life?

LaJon: Only in the sense that the muses in my paintings represent the many strong female individuals that I have experienced knowing.

SolShock: Any upcoming projects we can look forward to?

LaJon: I’ve been working on some filmed collaborative projects involving music and art.

Learn more about LaJon Miller’s art on Instagram, Twitter and his website.

Join SolShock Media and artist, LaJon Miller for an Instagram Live interview on Thursday, May 28th at 12 pm Pacific/3 pm Eastern here.