DOIN' IT IN YOUR EARHOLE

I've made a conscious decision to try to break up the monotony on the blog here with some new things. The Coraline overview, though slanted towards the reactionary, was a good exercise in breaking away from my usual fare. 

This time, however, I've decided to get into one of the major loves of my life and most everyone around me - music. We listen to it, long for it, eager for the new notes and the same tunes that turn us on day after day, moment after precious moment. 

So here for your amusement or edification, are my Top 4 (recent purchases and high up on the studio playlist) for the time being. It could have been a Top 5 but that doesn't make a nice square shape when you stack them up, now does it? And I don't think it would be fair for me to pretend that I'm some amazing music critic or reviewer. These are my opinions of what I like, simply that. I'd love to hear your favorites, turn me on to something new or different. We could all use some new tunes here and there for our daily soundtracks in my opinon. If you haven't taken the time to check these out, please do...

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement

Darker My Love - 2 

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul

CATCHING UP WITH BOB DOB

Check out the full interview and images by clicking here!

NATALIA FABIA DISHES THE SAUCE

Natalia recently gave us a peek into her thoughts and process for an exclusive with the HF online bit. Ever the sassy lass, Fabia gets into some of her latest work and the worries she puts herself through to pull them into the world. 

Click here to get the full experience.

CHRIS RYNIAK TELLS ALL

Sometimes being eagerly curious pays off - and such was the case in my wanting to know a bit more about the sculptural works of artist Chris Ryniak. I'd gotten wind that he was up to something special and just had to know a little more...

Click here to get the full scoop.

THIS JUST IN: BAMBOO PRINTS / GELASKINS

I've recently begun working with the rad folks at GelaSkins. And not knowing what I was in for, I was super excited to see the amazing quality of their actual product. In this case, bamboo prints. These things are phenomenal and the price point is amazingly economical, rediculous even. Apologies for the crap photo, but... you get the idea!

Click here to see more of our collaborative efforts / products.

ART ROLL Pt.2: JOE VAUX & DAN MAY

Part two of the art roll for Feb.7 lands us at CoproNason Gallery for the concurrent runs of solo exhibits by Joe Vaux and Dan May.

Click here for the full story.

ART ROLL Pt.1: THE ART OF REBELLION

Had the opportunity to catch the "Art of Rebellion" exhibit by Harley Davidson at Robert Berman Gallery as the first stop on the art roll. 

Click here to read the full piece.

THE LEGEND ASCENDS

HÉLIO GRACIE (October 1, 1913 – January 29, 2009)



The last week of January, 2009 saw the godfather of Gracie / Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He was a legend in every right, having wrought his existence of the very fires which true legends are cast from. The Gracie legacy lives on as a celebration of his life in the future generations of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

I was brought into awareness of the art by his oldest son, Rorion, when we met at a kids' event being thrown by my great friend and brother Bill Lucas in Studio City a few years ago. Rorion told me that he needed some graphic work done, and that I would be perfect for the job. I was invited to join classes as part of my understanding of the work, and have enjoyed it ever since. Hélio's philosophy and legacy are preserved in his son, and his sons and their extended family and friends. The one word that comes to mind is, simply, Integrity. The Gracies have a distinct understanding of what they are about and the position they have for educating the world about the thinking man's martial art.

I had the opportunity to attend the memorial celebration at the new academy in Torrance, CA this last weekend. And I must say, it was a very joyous occasion. There were tons of friends and family flowing into the halls of the Gracies' to share their personal stories and anecdotes. They were pretty much funny and we laughed quite a bit during the ceremony. Rorion related that his dad, the old man, as he and the guys always call him, would rather have skipped his own funeral since he thought they were sad and that the living should spend their time celebrating life. So the gathering was just that, very upbeat, from the heart, and I think Hélio was definitely there in spirit and in the presence of the full house, which kept growing throughout the hours-long presentation.

I did have the great privilege of meeting the Grandmaster last year. The new Gracie Academy was newly completed, and he was in town to observe classes and check in for the grand opening of the new state-of-the-art facility. Since I didn't make it for the groundbreaking or construction (I was designing dvd artwork and ads from home), he put in the newly finished edit of the whole process, start to finish, on the flatscreen in the great new Gracie Museum. I made a place on the comfy carpet and R walked me through the process of watching Ryron and Rener and crew getting the construction worked out. And from out of the corner of my left eye I see a white uniform and a ragged red belt standing next to me. It was more of a presence actually. I stood up and said hello and smiled and he smiled back and shook hands. Not to sound cheesy, but the old man had so much energy just coursing through him. It was like I was looking into the eyes of a twenty-something man with ages of history living inside him - unnerving to say the least. I mean, it was the real Hélio, a person I'd hear some amazing stories about from R. He was offered a chair by R and he politely said he'd prefer to stand. Of course I felt silly, enjoying the seat on the floor while the big guy stood and watched on. By then we had a crew of the guys and gals from the class in the room checking out the footage and R waited until he'd watched the whole video, commenting in Portuguese when he saw something of interest. After it ended he was introduced to the people and I slipped out, head kind of spinning.

I really love this picture of Helio and Rickson rolling. It gives us a little glimpse into the old man's (Rorion and fam's loving name for the great man) inner aggro. He was like a totally chill individual with a torrent of instinct on tap somewhere within.


Here's the link to the page with the image as well (click here)

To enjoy the Gracie legacy or to explore the art form in person, please visit:
Gracie Academy

WORLDS ON FIRE

Monday marked the VIP opening of the Worlds on Fire exhibit, brought to us by Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, artist Kris Lewis and Justin Giarla of the Shooting Gallery in San Francisco. I was fortunate to have been in the fray of the glitz and glam that surrounded this Grammy nominated portrait party.

To read more, simply click your way on through.

CATCHING UP WITH DAN MAY

I had the chance to catch up with fellow artist Dan May recently. Dan took a few moments to answer the hard questions and get into what really makes him tick. Either that or it's just a fun read with lots of good pictures of his new work, studio, in-progress shots, step-by-steps and sketches. A really good read, and a great batch of new works.

The best part is that you can read the whole deal right here.