Kamala Harris calls teen who went viral for painting portrait of vice president-elect
A California teen whose portrait of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris went viral received a call from her appreciating his work on Wednesday.
Fourteen-year-old Tyler Gordon shared a video of his conversation with the outgoing California senator on Twitter. "I'm overwhelmed with just the magnificence of your artistry," Harris told the Bay Area youngster. "You really have a gift, my goodness. I was so touched to see it."
Tyler shared a timelapse video of himself painting her face with acrylic paint on an easel on Sunday. He said it took about 51 minutes to complete. He showed the final product with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background and requested his followers on Twitter to help Harris see it.
"I painted this picture of you and I hope you like it!!! Please Rt and tag her so that she can see this," he tweeted.
His supporters stepped up, and eventually it caught the eye of Chelsea Clinton on Twitter. She tagged Harris and told her to check out his "beautiful portrait."
Days later, Tyler got the call he had hoped for. Harris thanked him and said whenever she returns to her birthplace of Oakland she wants to meet him.
"It means so much to me," she said. "And for you to be my homeboy and to do that kind of thing, it really touches me."
Upon learning that Tyler got the call, Clinton suggested the artwork should follow Harris to Washington.
"His portrait of her deserves prime placement in Number One Observatory Circle (where VP Harris& @DouglasEmhoff will live Jan. 20th). On Thanksgiving eve, grateful for Kamala & Tyler!" she wrote.
Tyler, who has met the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson and other celebrities for his art, told a local television station that Harris is an inspirational figure to him because she's overcome obstacles to get where she is.
"She broke through tons of barriers and I broke through tons of barriers myself with my stutter, me being in a wheelchair for two years and me being deaf since I was six," he said. "I broke through tons of barriers and I feel like she represents that."
