Been a while...

Sorry it had been since october of last year since I have posted anything on this thing. I have been busy with life. It sure has been taking me for a ride. I have been working a lot on my art. Well, thats a lie. I just have been thinking a lot about my art. What I want to do with it, where I want to take it. I want to actually make a difference in this world and I wonder if I can actually do that through my art. The task seems so daunting. What do I have to offer? I think about that a lot. Sometimes I feel like I have so much to offer, then other times I feel that I have very little to offer. I know that is how life goes, rollercoaster. With that being said, who hasn't been on that ride? Even a new born, frustrated with this new body. Trying to get it to work properly. Have you ever seen a little one just stare at their hand, focusing everything that they have to move those little fat fingers? I guess when I think of things like that, I have hope that I can touch/inspire someone at some point to chase their dreams. I mean I am a sucker for those good-feeling movies. One that really touched me was Secretariat. That movie had me welled up with emotion, "I was going to be great like that someday!", is what I was telling myself in my heart as I left the theater. And yes, there were some tears attached. I love being an American for that reason, to dream. Dreaming brings me back to my childhood, all the adventures that my brother and I would go on. I want the same adventures, on a grander scale of course, now that I am grown up. Art, has been one of my loves since I was young. So, when you want to have a epic journey, where do you start?

Love what you do, and do what you Love...

So when I arrived I wan't the only one that was painting that day. This scraggly guy rolled up with his bike. He was a little skidish, especially when I asked if he had paint in his bag. He really didn't want to answer, but he did. Then I showed him mine, at which he calmed down. 

Which brought on a interesting dynamic. We both seemed to simultaneously him and hah to let the other paint first. You know, that awkward part where you don't want to be a fool. Knowing that you suck against their skills.  Graffiti is ALL about your skills. We just call it can control. It takes time to accomplish the control you desire, because you have to practice a ton!

Turns out this guy just had paint from canadian tire. And that he had no real skill. At one point I gave him a tip because he was trying to fill in, and that was just not working. I should have taken a picture of his work. But he was done when I was done. It was interesting seeing what we could accomplish in the same time frame. 

I had gone down with the intent of revenge, that was just too much though. Plus someone had rolled over a bunch of crap stuff. Which gave my neighbor and me blank canvas. Which also means our stuff will probably get covered over soon. That is the life of the legal wall though. 

The final work came out really well. Especially since I didn't have a sketch in hand to reference, it came out really well. I only took with me 3 colors and decided that I would find some way to make it work. 

I walked away with my painting urge filled, and a good picture to add to the scrap book.

Just be cotton pickin grateful!!!

Sometimes people take things too far. I was having a hard day. Yet it was a really nice day. And you need good weather to paint, or at least you want good weather painting.  Tristan contacted me, seizing the opportunity of the weather. He was quick at it, as if he had been waiting for years for a final product.

A couple hours and it was finished. The whole time that I was working on it he nit picked this and that. He being a perfectionist saw all the flaws, ALL THE FLAWS!!!  I wasn't so impressed about it. But I felt that it was sufficient. Then... these fateful words came out of his mouth...."My cans of paint (primer) are only $6." Though he said it in a joking matter, he was serious. He wanted to paint over it and have me paint another design for free.

That was the last straw. Without saying anything I walked over and picked up a can. With some angst,  I began to 'bomb' over my piece. I filled it with another color, covering over everything that I had done, filling it with the words WHO SAYS? Over and over and over again, until it filled the whole thing. Everything that I had been feeling came out on that van. I finished with the outline, putting all the little touches that make it say....something. Relieved, I stood back with a pure sense of satisfaction. As I looked over to him, the final steps of distain of his perfectionist attitude was showing in his face. Perfection was complete.

Ironically enough, the final outcome was more graffiti-esque then the original, considering that's what he originally advertised that he wanted.

Sailor Mars Got Hooked Up!!!

I was contacted by a guy in Calgary wanting me to draw up this picture of Sailor Mars with a girl's name on it, Christina Rose Carter. To be honest, I've never even heard of Sailor Mars, but I quickly learned and drew this up on a 2x3 foot poster board. I was given direction that it needed to be bright, but no specifics on what colors to use. I'm really happy with how it turned out though. I love the color combination. It turned out exceptionally well.

Jupiter

Jupiter is a store located off Whyte Ave. They are a cannabis store. Which is something that doesn't tickle my fancy. But I figured that they would like something. So here is a little mach up. There store walls are actually very full. They only have a space above a inventory rack behind the cash registar. 

Paint Session on a Van

Tristan had advertised for graffiti artists to paint his van, I took him up on his offer. He came over and prepared his van for the paint. While I drew out his van and designed what I thought would look good. He really didn't care what went on it. Just the simple desire that it would look cool, I thought," I can handle that." 4 hours later we finished it in the dark. He was really excited about it. So was I. I invited over my nephews to watch. We also had the local fire department as lookie loo's. All in all it was a really fun night. It got out the intense desire I had to paint.








That's Tristan standing next to his now sweet van. He was happy as pie.

Business Cards

So I finally went out and created my own business cards. I couldn't find any templates on the custom websites that I liked at all. Since google knows all, I asked him. It promptly gave me the 'how to' lesson and I was off. It is my own art sized to the card. It does say something. Here is what it looks like.

When they come from the printer they will not have the black line around them. It will be a glossy finish. They will look really good. Finally some thing that I will be proud to give to people. Oh, if you would be so kind take a guess at what it says.