PARTY TIME!!!

After months of remodeling, landscaping, and planning, the boys first birthday party finally came and went this past Sunday. What a crazy but fun day it was. I would like to thank all the family and great friends that came out to support the boys. I'd also like to thank everyone who helped with the preparation. The day couldn't have been as perfect as it was without the help. Here they were on their big day:



At one point I think we had around 150 people in our backyard. Crazy!!! We even had some great artist buds come to the party like El Maz, Ruel Pascual, Samir Patel, John Wu, Andy Lee, Wes Louie, Brian Yam, Tony Mora, and Kong Ly. I just put up links to most of these guys.

So now that the party is over, I've got a few paintings for some extremely patient folks I've been meaning to complete and will get to them now. Thanks for all of your patience through all of this. Hopefully I'll have more art posts in the very near future.

COME OUT TO PLAYEEAAAY

This is an image for a flier I created for our twins first birthday party that is coming up soon. The image is similar to an older painting I did that my wife loved. Since we don't own it, I wanted to do something along the same lines but this one is going to stay in the family:


Wow, I can't believe they have been in our lives for almost a whole year now. Time sure flies. I miss them how they are each day, because they seem to change from one day to the next. But I look forward to each day to see what changes they bring. But they have made a permanent change in our lives, one that cannot be replaced. There was a time when we thought we would not ever have you both. What a gift you truly are. Happy birthday boys. We love you so much.

SCIENTIFIC EVOLUTION SHOW

I'm excited to be showing a piece for the first time at Distinction Gallery in Escondido. There will be an opening reception Saturday, August 8. The gallery and artists will be donating commissions from this show to further stem cell research at USCD. Here is my piece called "Able":

LINKS AND STUFF

This month has been a little slow on the art side of things. I've been busy trying to get our backyard ready for the boys one year birthday party. I can't believe that these past 9 plus months have gone by quick and that they are growing so fast. So I thought I'd give myself a little head start in preparation for their big day.

So my very first Father's Day came and went a couple of weekends ago. Spent the day in San Diego at a wedding of great friends of ours, Marian and Derrick. Congrats guys! Here is a pic of the boys at the reception, quite a bit bigger now, with some spit up.


As we were leaving the reception, we saw a sight which I'd never thought I'd see. I guess I was showing my art along with some of the painting masters!


The Tamayo is most likely for Rufino Tamayo. When I was very young, we would go down to San Diego often and there were people selling Rufino Tamayo prints in frames by the beach we used to go to. My dad used to tell me it was his paintings and that one day I might get his talent for art, and I actually believed him. Well, I did get some kind of talent for art, but definitely not from him.

So I've been meaning to post some more links to some good friends of mine. First up is my bud Edwin Ushiro. I first met Ed in my final term at Art Center and had the opportunity to befriend him again when he went to work at the same game company I used to work at. After he left, he went on to pursue freelance work, and has made an impact in the gallery world with his amazing art. Here is an amazing piece of his that I was able to snap at a recent show:


Next up is my good friend Ruel Pascual. I was able to befriend him through a mutual friend a few years back. Hi Samir! At the time he was and still is working in the Animation biz, but he recently has been featured in a handful of group shows at Gallery1988. I see pretty amazing things for him. His talent for painting continues to grow every time a see a new piece. And I'm so happy for him that his paintings get bought up pretty quick. Here is a piece from a recent show at Gallery1988 called "Mr. T Party". I wish I could have bought this one. It's just awesome:


So the links are up so check these guys out!

QUIET STORM

I will be in a 4 person show which opens at Gallery1988 Los Angeles at 7PM tomorrow night, 5/26, called Quiet Storm. I am excited to be a part of a show along with the amazing talents of Scott Campbell, Krista Huot, and Ghost Patrol.

So, my mind is constantly filled with thoughts of my wife and my twin boys who are now about 8 months old. Man does time fly! So naturally, when I've been creating art and thinking about concepts for pieces, I use them as a source of inspiration. Most of the pieces in the show pretty much reflect this. Here are a couple of the larger pieces:


I wanted to make an alphabet book for my sons by creating 26 different flowers and showing the letter in cloud form in the image. This will be something of a personal project so I can make a bound and printed book out of it just for my boys to enjoy and see how weird their daddy is. I decided to include A, B, and C for the show, so here is B and its study drawing:

Also, I'm using Puffer Fish to express either how I'm feeling at the time or show things that I enjoy and miss doing since becoming a father. But believe me, I'm not complaining one bit. Having these little guys here is the greatest thing that has happened for us. Here are a couple of examples:


I will be in attendance along with Krista and Scott, so maybe I'll see some of you there!

STREET FIGHTER TRIBITE SHOW-NEW LINKS TO FRIENDS

Gallery Nucleus will be exhibiting a show featuring artwork inspired by Street Fighter, beginning Saturday, April 25.

I have been a huge fan of the games, and I don't even want to know how many quarters I fed into Street Fighter II machines growing up. But this show was a great opportunity to create something fun, and to rekindle fond memories of a game I played many times long ago.

Here is my acrylic on panel painting titled "Path's End":


Thai culture is so vibrant and rich. That's why I had to chose M. Bison and Sagat battling it out in a surreal type, Thailand setting. Also, the fish in the air is a beautiful species you can find there, called Arapaima.

I am also excited to be in a show with great friend, and extremely talented artist John Wu. We became friends working together on titles such as Ratchet and Clank and Resistance: Fall Of Man. He eventually left the company we both worked for at that time, but we have remained good friends.

Also exhibiting at the tribute is another good guy and talented artist who I met at the same job, Kinman Chan. Amazing Concept Artists these guys are, so I wanted to begin putting on links to old friends on my blog starting with these two. More links to come from friends that I've made from my time in the industry and from other friendly and amazing artists I've been fortunate to meet. Check them out!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GALLERY 1988!

Gallery 1988, which is owned by Katie Cromwell and Jensen Karp, is celebrating the gallery's 5th year of existence this coming Thursday, April 2, with a show called "Idiot Box". The theme is based around the guilty pleasures of TV. Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to exhibit my first piece with them called "Battle For My Affection":


So for me, it's sort of an anniversary of my gallery relationship with them as well. Thinking back fondly to that time, I've created a similar piece called "Another Battle For My Affection" for this show:


So, my relationship with Katie and Jensen began as a patron, after purchasing a beautiful Kawasaki piece from them in 2005. The following year, there was an art contest where the winner would be included in the I AM 8BIT exhibition at Gallery1988. Dreaming of showing my art in their gallery, I put together "Battle For My Affection" and won, much to my surprise! So at drop off, I remember Katie saying something like, "Hey, I know you!". What an honor it was for me as well to find out that Katie later bought my piece! They then took a chance on me in group shows to see how I'd do. After a handful of shows, they asked if I'd like to be represented in Los Angeles and San Francisco through the gallery, and of course, I said yes!

Because of their friendship and support, I have been able to meet so many wonderful people, have been inspired by the art that they surround their galleries with, and have grown as an artist. It's been so much fun to be part of their gallery family, and for that I am truly grateful. I wish them continued success, health, and happiness.