File Photo ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD—Simi-based painter Nelson De La Nuez, seen here in his studio in 2006, signed a contract with Warner Bros. to participate in the 70th Anniversary World Tour of "The Wizard of Oz," and the film studio gave him full licensing rights to the movie's images for two years. Fascinated by the abstract and the surreal, local pop artist Nelson De La Nuez has always been a huge fan of the 1939 classic film "The Wizard of Oz."

"It was one of my favorite movies as a kid," he said last week in his Simi Valley studio. "I was drawn to it because of the weirdness of the characters."

So when Warner Bros. asked the 50-year-old Simi resident last year if he wanted to create new, whimsical pieces of art to celebrate the 70th anniversary and rerelease of the iconic motion picture, De La Nuez's answer was an easy yes.

It was a match made in Emerald City heaven, as De La Nuez has long been using images from the film as subjects on his canvases.

"They knew already of me and what I bring to the table," he said. "They said, 'We love your work, your satire, your humor and we want you to be a part of this 70th anniversary.'"

The pop culture painter signed a contract with Warner Bros. to participate in the 70th Anniversary World Tour of "The Wizard of Oz," and the film studio gave him full licensing rights to the movie's images for two years.

The tour, which kicked off in December at Art Basel Miami Beach, showcases pieces by international artists as well as reinterpretations of the film's famous ruby slippers by some of the world's top shoe designers, including Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo.

The tour is scheduled to come to Los Angeles later this year.

While the other artists on tour submitted just one piece of art based on the movie, Warner Bros. allowed De La Nuez to create multiple pieces.

The Cuban-born artist has painted several new works for the anniversary collection, but for the 2009 tour itself the studio chose to use a mixed-media piece he crafted many years ago. Called "Ditching Dorothy," the work shows the tin man, cowardly lion, scarecrow and wizard driving off in a car, leaving their female companion behind.

"Ditching Dorothy" will be included in a commemorative coffee table book and it is currently featured on a U.S. postage stamp as part of a limited edition "Oz" stamp set.

De La Nuez said his bestselling piece so far has been "Wicked Witch," which features the villain's green profile against a yellow background.

"Everyone is drawn to the Wicked Witch because she brings the evilness to the whole movie," he said. "So I had to capture that on the canvas."

Each piece in the 70th anniversary canvas line is a limited edition of 250 and is signed by the artist at his studio. Each also features De La Nuez's trademark "art on the edge" style of painting on all sides of the canvas.

The artist also created three edgier pieces—"Homicide in Oz," "Wrong Side of the Rainbow" and "Dorothy in the Hood"—that will eventually be released in a limited edition print line.

De La Nuez said he considers himself not just an artist, but also a storyteller and a comedian. He said he aims to create pieces that mix eye candy with substance, that provoke people and make them laugh.

He credits his success to his knack for recycling popular characters by putting them in unfamiliar situations.

"I'm just taking icons that are embedded in people's heads and putting them in a different scenario," he said. "Taking something that is already there and giving it a twist."

To view De La Nuez's art, go online to popcultureart.com and delanuez.com.