Halloween

These people mean business

It's electric boggy oogy oogy

Tables are being thrown.. kinda like a domino scene in an Ice Cube video

What's that? wait I can't hear you

Ah so today is Halloween and I will be off to hang out with a few friends to watch some horror movies...so getting caught up in the spirit I had the idea of maybe buying a Ouija board and using that as my canvas? not sure that was a great idea so I canned the whole thing... but as I was doing my research I stumbled upon a few seance pics, some with Ouija boards... I gotta say those old pics are really creepy looking, but cool at the same time nice eerie feel to them.. so I decided to post a few of them up.. who knows maybe my next solo maybe along the lines of this whole theme? hmm I may have to look into that some more because I for sure am getting some awesome images in my head as far as paintings and instillation goes.. we'll see

Possessed Icing Head Sicklings

So getting over a slump after being in bed for a week after the move to my new place in Oakland... I have finally finished these new icing head sicklings..possessed that is.. right in time for Halloween..they are going for $55 shipped in the US and go live tomorrow at 12 (PDT).. so head on over to the shop tomorrow and pick these little dudes up...they are five of them and one with the moldy version chase... they will be blind box, in the sense that I will pack them up and then randomly place the shipping labels on them...In the meant time I am prepping for my first toy signing at this years Designer Con in Pasadena which I am very excited about...Poison Sweet will be released that day so make sure to come out if you are in the LA area...should be good times! after that I will be busy prepping for my solo show in DC at art whino which will be my first solo show using my real name, but more to come on that later...

Later better than never?

So a lot has been going on but I will leave that for another post...they will consist of my new apartment, my figure release, new works, and pulling my back with the move BOOOOO! but on a side note..I was in my first SF show (well first show actually living in the west) the opening was last week, but you can view it here some solid pieces are up... you can still view the show in person at Double Punch Gallery ..ok off to some more bed rest!

PS a hot bath with epsom salt does wonders!

Movie Night @ Zero Friends Pop Shop SF

My Friend Dan and I were on the hustle last week checking out galleries and shops when by accident we stumbled upon zero friends pop up shop right next to upper playground, so we walked in and Alex Pardee along with Nate Van Dyke were doing a live painting session... got to meet both and they seem like really cool people.. we started talking to Sean who was at the shop helping and selling tickets to a movie night they were going to have..what movie? sleepaway camp... I have heard about this movie through a friend of mine, but I just never got around to see it...Dan was up for going and so was I, why not...awesome mid 80's horror camp movie with Alex Pardee and friends, sounds good to me..we bought tickets and the tickets were actual 5x7 prints as well, so how's that extra coolness..anyways here are the pictures of the night.. it was good times, small and intimate.. I think they will be here for about a month so each week they will be showing a different movie.. stoked on that! enjoy the pics...

The Set up

Getting their smores on

Alex Pardee's and Nate Van Dyke's Collab

Alex Pardee's Narwhal

Double X Flame mallows

Pop Up Shop on Filmore

Movie Ticket/Print..pretty cool idea

HAHA you gotta see the movie to understand this pic

Free Bee print for those at the movie

Partner in Crime

Bonnie & Clyde revisited

So I'm sitting here on a Friday night in California..( I know with so much going on, I'm staying in?!?) with not much to do.. painted all morning and it was great.. got lots done..but evening rolls in and I get the urge to do something.. but with who? and the words that matt said to me before I moved rang in my head...FIND YOURSELF A PARTNER IN CRIME..and that is true.. going to places by yourself can get boring, am I gonna yell "hey yosiell you saw that shit?!?" to myself and look like the fool? looking back I think that's the same thing that happened to me when I moved to New Haven.. I couldn't really enjoy it because there was no one to enjoy it with....that last year there I got to explore New Haven a lot more with my friends Matt and Trish.. they were always around to hang and easy access as well...I had a friend for a minute that would come up from Long Island.. I would get super excited when he visited..why? because of the same deal...what adventure where we going to go on next, and what exploring we would do....whether it's your significant other or a close friend I think everyone needs a partner in crime..to discover new things and try new things...someone you can call on the spot and are down to do whatever.... on that note where there hell is my "bonnie?" heheh

West Coast bound

So it all still feels like a dream to me.. but I can't believe after 8 years I'm finally living in the bay area...Kim is super awesome and I couldn't thank her enough for having me crash until I get situated..my car is coming in the following Wednesday.. I have an interview set up on Tuesday.. so things are really moving quick... once I land this job is time to search for an apartment, then I can set up my studio and really start cranking out new work...not sure when it's going to hit me that I am actually living here, from what I hear it can take months or maybe even years.. but what I do know is that I am loving it... no humidity I can go out in a tee shirt and jeans and feel perfectly comfortable, don't have to stress about snow and how safe are the roads going to be...and the art scene? Amazing! I don't even know where to begin.

Oakland, CA

As I was packing and shipping things out back in CT I started feeling sad, thinking to myself why am I feeling this way? wasn't I super excited about moving, new challenges and adventures? and I am but I didn't realize that feeling like that is totally normal especially after being in the same place for 31 years... Now that I am here it all feels right.. I know I have made the right choice and just have a really good feeling about everything.. its going to work out..they say to always follow your gut and I did! so I say thanks CT for all the good times and memories and hello CA for new friends, good times, and new memories!

Growth!

Tonight I started cleaning out my studio.. and I was definitely feeling nostalgic... some people may say sad?...but I don't see it that way... sad would be if you were force to leave to go somewhere without wanting to go..then I can see where sad would come into place... but just thinking back when I first stepped into California 8 years ago and just fell in love with it... the complete sadness I felt as I left thinking to myself that one day I will return to live here... but there is a time and place for everything.. I now have a really strong reason to go out there and pursue what I have wanted for the past few years.. and failure is not an option...everyone has been really supportive and that makes it all the better... what triggered this whole post was the theme based on this artist Erik Otto out in San Francisco.. his next solo show is based on growth..here is a little excerpt from fabric 8 Erik Otto illustrates the themes of struggle one must face in order to achieve growth – self-fulfillment versus self-destruction and how the transient nature of time dictates the uncertainty of life. The new body of work, which is more abstract and expressive then his past pieces, addresses the idea of facing one’s personal fears in order to reach true potential and real progress. reading that just really hit home..with the move, name change, and style change as well.. it can all be a scary thing but again it is necessary for growth.