Stallone Unveils Painting

The Scene: Friday night at blak: bloo, a new private club on Sunset Boulevard, where Sylvester Stallone was unveiling a large example of his own artwork. Owner Tony Cola led the applause as the star stood by his painting, posed for pictures, pressed the flesh, met the press and Magic Markered his moniker on the canvas for all the world to see.

The Buzz: It was a dry run for an upcoming show of Stallone’s paintings, which, he said, will be exhibited in August at the Hansen Gallery in Los Angeles. The artist and art collector claimed to be “real nervous” about the prospect of putting his work alongside that of the big boys.

Who Was There: By midnight, the only notables on the scene were actors Scott Bail, Joan Severance and Ray Sharkey. Others promised for later included Arnold Schwarzenegger, Grace Jones, Charlie Sheen, and Emilio Estevez. Large door men with clipboards kept the hoi polloi at bay in customary private club tradition.

The Space: One end of the club held a restaurant, where diners ate Italian food and listened to a live rock combo. A quieter bar area offered a place for conversation and Tom Jones tunes. And a large discotheque featured outer-space paintings, house music, and two go-go dancers in Day-Glo body paint writhing under black lights.

Dress Code: Shiny, unconstructed suits, leather jackets, hair mousse and eyeglasses with expensive frames. Some of the men wore double-breasted jackets, while most of the women opted for super-plunging necklines and hemlines just below the hips.

Trend Watch: Miniskirts are here to stay on the club scene; black berets have worked their way from coffeehouses into mainstream L.A. evening wear. And, in a move picked up from rap groups, L. A. Raider caps are now worn with three-piece suits.

Noted: Fur may be passe, but black leather skirts, pants and jackets are still standard for anyone who leaves the house after sundown.

Quoted: “This one is my interpretation of the Berlin Wall. And now I got to go sign the sucker,” said Sylvester Stallone, just before picking up a marking pen and autographing his enormous canvas with a flourish. The crowd applauded and photographers went wild.

Overheard: “Is Grace Jones here?” asked one person at the bar. “If Grace Jones were here you’d know it,” came the inevitable answer.

Save the Date: This Saturday, blak:bloo will host a benefit for the Hollywood-based charity “Children of the Night.” Quoting from an invitation handed out at the opening: “Dolph Lundgren, Frank Stallone and Tony Cola, in association with Playboy Entertainment Group, invite you to a very special fashion show in honor of National Lingerie Week.” Earth Day? Forget it. This is National Lingerie Week.