I only post this out of LOVE and concern for you.
Hope to see some of you at Upper Playground this weekend. My piece starts $75
10×10 mixed media

please take some time and follow the link
If Attacked

I drove out to pay the Date Farmers a little visit. Was my first time driving out to Indio, I think its right next to New York. So yeah its Africa far but was well worth the trip. This isn’t an interview but more of a what’s up dude visit, and yes I have more planed with some of my favorite artists. So who better to kick it of with than Los Date Farmers.

The collaborating Duo consists of Latino artists Armando Lerma and Carlos Ramirez. Painting out of Coachella Valley, Their resumes read as a who’s who of galleries and collectors. Here’s a small taste:

Arnold Lehman, Director of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and Norman Rosenthal, Exhibitions Secretary of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. The pair has participated in numerous art fairs, in NY, Miami, LA, Chicago, and Stockholm, with international gallery exhibitions in Tokyo and London. Showed at “LA Paint” at the Oakland Museum of California. Last year, their work appeared at the Laguna Art Museum, and in early 2009 DF will be producing prints with POW-London.

Ok that wasn’t as small as I thought but I did leave some stuff out. Needless to say the Date Farmers were very welcoming. Once I entered the studio I was hit with an array of RADNESS. I genuinely get stoked to see letterforms, colors, and textures living and working harmoniously as they do in a Date Farmers piece. So walking into the studio was sensory over load for me. If I can sum up the Date Farmers body of work I would say “Honest and Raw”. Armando mentioned going threw a very rough period where no one seemed to get the work (a span of about five years). I would think most artists would give in and change up the art accordingly. I asked what did it, what was the break threw that got them to where they are know. He said it came down to remaining true and persevering, something I can absolutely relate to. With that said, allow me to quote Mr. Robert Nesta Marley:

“Don’t care what the world seh I’n’I couldn’t never go astray Just like a bright and sunny day Oh, we’re gonna have things our way…”

Look for DF @ 5024sf, the Shooting Gallery with Albert Reyes and an in house studio party (I heard KMNDZ might have a piece in the show… OH WHAT!!!)

Respect

DRAW is a must-see art exhibition featuring original drawings by 300 artists in the tattoo, literature, design, illustration, animation, skateboard, music, urban, psychedelic and new contemporary art worlds. The show is a tribute to the often-underrated but fundamental building block of visual and graphic art: the drawing.

DRAW is the largest contemporary drawing exhibition to emerge out of New York City. The exhibit debuted in October of 2006 at NYC’s Fuse Gallery to phenomenal response from audience and press alike.

It had an equally impressive showing during the SXSW 2007 Music and Interactive-Film Festival in Austin, Texas. Most recently, the exhibit drew over 2000 people to its London debut at StolenSpace, East London’s Leading Contemporary Urban Art Gallery. DRAW is currently on a six-country world tour that includes future showings in Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Berlin.

Artists whose original works are in the show include: Moby, HR Giger, Clive Barker, Eric White, Rich Jacobs, Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance, Gibby Haynes of Butthole Surfers, psychedelic legend Rick Griffin, Ron English, Neck Face, Corey Miller (LA Ink), Camille Rose Garcia, Tim Biskup, Ed Templeton, Benjamin Cho, skate legend Mark Gonzales, Mark Bode, Kevin Llewellyn, Michael Hussar, Jack Rudy, DAZE, Derek Hess, Rich Jacobs, KAWS, Mark Dean Veca, Kon Trubkovich, Brian Degraw, The Serra Brothers, Nate Loman, Brendan Fowler, Hank Williams III, Kerry King, WK Interact, Barry McGee, Shawn Barber, Aurel Schmidt, Tobin Yelland, Doze Green, Chris Johanson, KMNDZ, Tara McPherson and many more.

After delivering my piece to Copro for the Hi-Fructose show, I trucked on over to MKs for the Todd Schorr show. Got there early enough to catch the private preview party (sho nuff), hosted by David Arquette… who turns out is quite the collector. Once again like the last Shepard show, Marry took over the adjacent gallery space. Needless to say Todd Schorr is a mad man and an inspiration. Ran into the Hozners, Babby Tattooville Bob and his beautiful son, Marcus, and Camilles Husband Jeremy. Fun night, kinda bummed I didn’t make it out the Fong show… saw some picts, looked rad. Hope to see yall this Sat… GOOOOOOOOO LOS LAKERS!!!!!!

@ Copro Nason for Hi-Fructose

So stoked… the wind kicked up yesterday so we broke out the kites. Needless to say they are all Star Wars Kites. The small ones were no match for the wind so we brought out the big gun and stringed four more spools of wire to the kite. So some of you kite junkies know this doesn’t always translate into hight… but more into distance. Yes it did break and we had to chase it down… found it stuck in a tree at the the La Verne post office. The boys were stoked and I’m the coolest dad… as far as they’re concerned.

On the art tip, I just finished a 4×3ft painting for Hi-Fructose and Copro Nason… I’m stoked on it, can’t wait for the show. Alex Parde, Thomas Han, Joe Vaux what more can you ask for.

I think this is the full line up
Alex Garcia Alex Pardee Andrew Hem Annie Owens Anthony Ausgang Attaboy Bob Dob Brandi Milne Brandt Peters Brendan Danielsson Chet Zar Chris Berens Chris Owens Chris Peters Chris Scarborough Greg “Craola” Simkins Damon Soule Dan May Dan Quintana David Correia Ekundayo Eric Fortune Erik Alos Femke Hiemstra Germs Glenn Barr Gris Grimly Jason D’Aquino Joe Vaux Josh Keyes Kathie Olivas Kenji Kokamoto KMNDZ Kris Kuksi Kukula Lola Luke Chueh Makiko Sugawa Mars-1 Martin Wittfooth McBess Mia Michael Page Naoto Hattori Nathan Spoor Robert Hardgrave Sam Gibbons Scott Musgrove Sergei Aparin Shag Skot Olsen Thomas Han Tin Tom Haubrick Travis Louie Viktor Safonkin Vince Cacciotti Yoskay Yamamoto Yosuke Ueno Yoko D’holbachie

This will go down as the first piece thats brought me to tears. Long story short, I almost had to throw it in the trash. Was on the phone with Josh Clay as he tried to talk me of the ledge… his advice was “remember Johnny happy mistakes”

thankx buddy

I just got over a crazy week and I feel stoked… tired but stoked.

Me, Dayo, and Mike Alvarez hooked up a 10’ mural for Russell

Simmons (commissioned by the Ted Mendenhall)at the Image awards. He seemed stoked… but you

never know. Took us two days of heavy cranking. Followed it

up with an over night session at POV Evolving gallery doing

finishing touches on the 25 footer I painted with Dayo. The

piece is monster… feel good about it, wish I had more time.

 

Last night was the icing on the cake… Jane’s Addiction  at the

Echoplex. Brought back some good memories. TR hooked Alex

up with some passes that allowed us to skip to the front of the

line… swoop! THE BAND IS AMAZING! THE MUSIC IS

AMAZING! Was a good night in LA.

 

So back to work… still trying to get back my London piece. Also

working on a piece for Hi-Fructose at Copro Nason. Will be

followed by some pieces for Baby Tattooville in Oct. As always,

I’m working on some deals that I’ll be happy to share once

finalized

 

Peace and pork grease suckazzzz

 

KMNDZ