Our New First Family

Los Angeles and Richard Wagner

So the LA Opera Director, Placido Domingo (who knew?!) just announced that there will be a 10 week art festival celebrating The Ring by Richard Wagner. The big guys in charge want to put us through a 10-week cultural bootcamp so we can become a "cultural mecca." Exciting.

America and our Gluttocracy

Does anyone find it funny that we get free gluttony with our right to vote? Free coffee. Free donut. Free ice cream. I do. I think it's great! Next, I'd like some free sloth. For instance, maybe a free carwash or pedicure with my ballot stub and empowered "I Voted" sticker.

More Election Fun

By artist Patrick Moberg

Thanks, Lorenzo

An apology

To anyone who saw the Yes on Prop 8 ads on my blog. I want to say that Google had posted that ad. So just to clarify where I stand on Proposition 8, I will say No on Prop 8!

Venice Beach Wines

I would never describe myself as a beach person. Even after being a UCSC Banana Slug in Santa Cruz, one of California's favorite surfing destinations, I still hadn't embraced the idea of being a flip-flopper. But places like Venice Beach Wines make it easy for me to forget my beach biases.

Venice Beach Wines is probably the size of my studio apartment. Tucked away in a house within the residential parts of Venice, VBW is a gem for the locals. (Note: I can't say enough about how much I love houses turned into businesses.) Their candlelit patio is modest with merely wooden benches and old wine crates for resting your glasses and cheese plates. They have a wide selection of wines to choose from (line entirely borrowed from a BevMo ad) and have great cheeses and charcuterie to munch on. A nice intimate place to bring another or to meet and greet with other people from the area. Because it's so quaint and so convenient, the patio tends to get full. But no worries, you can always buy a bottle and pedal somewhere else.

Venice Beach Wines
529 Rose Ave
Venice, CA 90291

Happy Election Day!

What I did on Halloween

Fell asleep to this movie.

Time and Happiness

If You and I are going at the same pace towards the same destination (Let destination = happy) in parallel life-pods, I don't care how you furnish it or what's on your ipod. Take whichever way you want. Pace yourself. Don't be alarmed by my apathy. They know. I have to maintain my energy and momentum for my plush pod. Surely if I notice some sort of unnecessary detour, derailment, or flat tire, I will pause and help. Care. Hopefully, they know. You seem to be doing well. I know.

Who is you? #10

OK, so I admit I had a distaste for you at first. But now after some thought, I really do like you.



You = Venice, CA

Your walkability/bike friendly streets that lead to cozy tucked away houses turned restaurants (just like Portland, OR!) are peacemaking. Pockets of architecture mixed with 60's hippy leanings make for a lovable combination. The fact that your history has deterred chains is respectable not to mention your community of giving, friendly, free spirits add a unique charm all its own.

My Pumpkin

Some people haven't grasped the concept. Idiots.

Happy Halloween!

More Illustrator: Mikey's Friend, Bute

So, I decided that Mikey needed a friend. Without further ado, I introduce, Bute:


And I made them the new spokesmodels for No on Prop 8. Way to go, boys!

My Penguins Are Getting Dressed for Halloween

JASON

GREEN MAN (fr Sunny In Philadelphia)

HUNTER S THOMPSON

JAMESON STEELE, GILDED AGE STEEL BARON OF SOUTH DAKOTA (inspired by Lorenzo)

SARAH PALIN

KANYE WEST

More Illustrator stuff

Fawcett Residence for SALE!

This Frank Lloyd Wright home is on sale for only $2.7 million. I'll let my realtor know immediately.

Look who's learning Illustrator!

Some characters I created:

Lorenzo used the bunny in his photography via Photoshop:

My Photoshop Lessons: Intro

Working within the Photoshop industry, I decided it was time to familiarize myself with the software. With the help of Photoshop superwizard, Mikey, I've made some progress and recorded it here.

Early stage: Frustration

Paint Brushing Technique

Layers and Textures Exploration


Pen Tool

Tinting and Masking Exploration

Evidently, I have lots of learning left to do. Will update soon.

Austin: World Record for Largest Thriller Dance

The previous record for number of people doing the Thriller dance was 140. The people of Austin, TX obliterated that dwarf-like number with a whopping 881 dancers! I think Los Angeles has some work to do.

Thanks John Ptucha

Defending Change

Themes of change have been most apparent in the airwaves lately thanks to Senator Obama's historical campaign. This notion of change being needed and positive, however, is exceptional in itself because we human creatures of comfort have a distaste, near loathing, for changing.

Surely we have tendencies towards boredom and we'll remedy this with some irresponsible act that will live in gossip beyond our days. We'll crave something or someone constant. Something like home. You know it. It's not so much the advancement, we have trouble when we have nowhere to return when all is done. Security. Honestly.

But let's go micro. Let's discuss how change in those moments of survival should not be viewed in such a monster-like light. Not so much deterioration but evolution. We phase in and out to always be further our development. Surely we've witnessed patterns of devolution and stagnant progress, but we should be considerate of our separate paces and tracks. And that in times of changing, sometimes it's a matter of shifting gears rather than detrimental steps in a negative direction.

Fleeting patterns seem to make us very nervous about change. But when it happens, shudder not. As that moment of change passes, another one is constantly being created. Thus leaving us with this: the only constant we have is change. Werewolf or giant cockroach, we move forward.