Cinelli and RVCA, 2 of my favorite brands got together and organized an art show based on the urban bicycle culture. I was really excited to see the show because it featured some of my favorite artist, Twist, Kaws and Phil Frost. The show was amazing and put together very well. Its always great to see the work of your art heroes in person because you gain an even greater appreciation for their work. One of the cool things about this exhibition was that it was located inside a bicycle store and not an art gallery setting. I think that art galleries can sometimes be intimidating therefore limiting its attraction and appeal to people that are less informed about art. The show really blended well with the store and the people in attendance seemed to be enjoying the art.
I attended the bicycle film festival in Austin Texas this past weekend and it was great. I got to see a lot of short films based on bicycles ranging from animations, music videos, short stories and documentaries. I was pleased with the majority of the films and the crowd was pretty enthusiastic throughout the entire screening. Austin's bike scene seems to be growing each time I visit, so the city was a perfect location for the Bicycle Film Festival. Some of favorite films were from the Mash Sf Crew, Bootleg Sessions Crew and The Warriors Alleycat race in New York.
Sometimes I have to paint stuff that is a bit more loose and less planned out so that I can get ideas for my more technical paintings. I have been painting and drawing stuff like this since high school and it feels good that I have kept up with it. The work is a bit more developed, but still has that fresh feel for me.
My studio was starting to feel a bit too crowded, so I did a little cleaning. It may still look crowded, but its a lot better than before. I tend to clean up in order to prepare for a whole new set of new paintings.
This is a new painting that I just finished this week for my friend's store, Complete Clothing. It took me 4 days to complete and I was very pleased with the final outcome. Enjoy.
One of my paintings was recently published in the San Antonio Business Journal. The Article highlights the strong points that each university art program in San Antonio has. They published a portrait that I did of my good friend Zaul. He is a very successful businessman, supporter of the Sour Grapes and a collector of my art. Thanks to my friend and Prof. Dr. Scott Sherer for this opportunity.
When I was 16, my brothers and I experienced one of the greatest Hip Hop events that Dallas had ever seen, Elements 98. The event was a true Hip Hop events in that it involved all of the elements. This event for ever changed our lives. We were exposed to some amazing graffiti artist and DJs. One of those djs was Dj Alejan who was at this event in 1998. He sold us his mixtape and little did I know that it would have such a powerful impact on me. I listened to that cassette tape non-stop day and night. Eventually I lost this mixtape and I have been longing for it for the last couple of years. This weekend my little brother surprised me with a copy of the mixtape in its entirety. The joy and excitement that this mixtape has brought me is even greater than it was 10 years ago. I feel very inspired and creative. Music is what fuels me create art.