as it happens...

Friday 2 September 2011

SHAMBALA PAINT JAM


before this year i have only been to shambala once in support of my friend samuel j a few years ago, that year there were so many ridiculously well established graffiti artists painting, i couldn't believe it... i have been on the case to get involved myself ever since, finally this year it was my turn...i managed to get linda a spot to paint aswell...im not sure why but the standard of other artists was no where near as good as the year i was last here.  Having said that, the guys painting (malarky, sweetoof, milo, codefc,) were really cool peeps and i had a good time...massive thanks and shout outs to oli for sorting this out for us all, u can count on me to be back next year.... heres the link to the festival...
http://shambalafestival.org/

Dancing bear is brought to u... by inspiration from the native indians of a lost america...the native indians were very spiritual people and respected the bear as one of their own amongst many of mother natures creatures.  I decided to bring a level of spiritual connection to the painting i did at shambala because its such a down to earth spiritually uplifting festival....shame the idiot upstairs left the bloody tap on though cos it poured and poured and pourrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred with rain....it took two days to get this finished after dodging rain every 30 mins or so and that was after two days of no painting at all cos of the rain....still had muchos fun though.....


used stencil caps , home-made ones of course for the first time, so much drips suited for the rain i guess...was nice to get such skinny lines for working on the fabric in the jumper dancing bear was wearing.  i wanted to keep it looking flat though which is why no shadows or ripples are in the top, i like the change from a rounded bear to the flatness of the jumper. below is the original i did in the studio, it was exhibited in bristol at the upfest gallery show i had back in february...im enjoying using my old studio designed works out on the streets at the moment... im finding that the size and change in medium is making he work stronger on the street than in the studio, which is quite exciting....



 heres a few shots showcasing the layers i work with, thanks to the people of shambala for forwarding these photos to me.....there was a bit of dogging and mud pie throwing at the paintings which was really sad to see amongst so many good people at a festival.  i guess thats too much alcho pops and drugs for u...had to really keep an eye on the cans too cos idiots kept trying to wise crack me, stealing em, i think i managed to get em all back...









heres lindas work, getting better everytime, a link to her blogspot is here 
http://adnilart.blogspot.com/


SEE NO EVIL STREET TAKE OVER

About See No Evil

This August, Bristol is the setting for one of the most ambitious urban art projects in the world. Between August 18th-20th, some of the world’s leading street artists will be taking over Nelson Street in the heart of the city, as part of the new international arts  event,  See No Evil.
Bristol has long been the centre for urban art in the UK and now hosts a project that will create some of the world’s largest scale paintings. Over twenty internationally renowned artists will take up residency in Bristol city centre as part of a free, three day long arts and music event.
Artists already announced include New York based muralists, Tats Cru whose aerosol based work is dubbed to have ‘changed the perception of graffiti as art’ and LA artist El Mac whose work is prolific across every continent. As well as the US contingent, artists from France, Holland, Spain and Brazil will also bring their own unique styles to Bristol. Bristol born Inkie, one of the most notorious and prolific graffiti artists to emerge out of the 80’s Bristol scene will be joined by a raft of UK artists including Zeus and Nick Walker.
See No Evil will culminate on Saturday 20th August in a Block Party curated by local crew Team Love, celebrating the best of Bristol’s art and music culture with live street painting, bands and DJ’s, cartoon drawing, screen printing, a pop up barber shop and fancy dress emporium, street theatre and street dressing with a mini garden area stretching along the length of Nelson Street.
The Westgate, a disused building designed by architect Giles Gilbert Scott who also designed the Battersea Power Station and iconic the British red telephone box will be opening its doors for three nights of the best of Bristol music and art.
Between Thursday 18th and Saturday 20th August, major club promoters, film and music previews and events will take over this unique space, creating a temporary interactive gallery and entertainment venue. The Westgate line-up along with Saturday’s Block Party will include Resident Advisor’s Real Scenes film screening and after party, new kids on the block Mosca and Melee and underground legend Greg Wilson, plus a selection of the great and the good of Bristol’s local DJ scene.


....So through my connections with upfest gallery in bristol, i got a call from stephen, nah in fact it was a text. typical steve...yeah so he said big paint event bristol, august, two days, 50 cans of paint, paid transport and hotel need to know yesterday if u want in...now let me think about this for a second... ummmmnah, im washing my hair...holy molly mother of god, fuck yeah, im there with lipstick  on my collar... 


Okay so i didn't wear the lipstick but my good friend, lipstung came along and sported a rather lovely shade of pillar box red lips for all of brizzle to pop a look at... the paintings just kinda about fun really. Personally, i hate lipstick and it was a take on how i think women look as stupid with red lipstick on as a orangtang.  A sporting pedestrian asked if it was a critic on animal testing and i was like, well...... ummm..... yeah sure it is...it kinda was a second thought in my mind...haha...



RESULTING IN NEW COMMISSION
 I have to say that im pretty stoked with this painting and the feed back has been ridiculous. Iv even picked up a commission from this paint, so im made to be honest... thanks Inkie for organising all this and thanks Stephen at Upfest for linking me up with a wall...the finished painting can be found at the bear pit in brsitol....




HOLY SHIT...... when ur painting for 12 hours straight u, well i don't notice the people... probably cos im stuck in to listening to some wefunk or something, but yeah my god the photos i found on facebook and flickr prove how many eyes were on the goldchain,  glad that fence was there... every now and then i got caught out, eyes wondering and ended up with lines of kids wanting my tag...not used to this shit seriously weird stuff...happy to see so many little peeople admiring art though its refreshing...










this ridiculous colloboration was done by my new friends faunagraphic and rockit, was a pleasure painting along side these guys all day...hopefully more to come from us soon on a full scale production...
http://www.faunagraphic.com/
http://www.rocket01.co.uk/

INSIDEOUT AND VICEVERSA


Insideout and viceversa is a group show that i curated that looked for links between many creative formats that i engage with and find important as points of reference within my own work.  the artists in the show are illustrators, street artists, fine artists, graffiti artists, painters  and  so much more.  The show was in some ways a process to get many of my creative friends together to exhibit together.  I love finding never before seen artists along side some of the best rising talents within the subculture art scene.  The show was very successful and well received, i look forward to curating the next ones.



SOLD
The shape-shifters tea ceremony.  
Based on Japanese folklore this painting captures a fox taking part in a tea ceremony, she is contacting her master from within the tea steam...The shapeshifting is not in completion yet, hence why no tails can be sen yet at this image, im thinking that once the tea ceremony has finalised that the shape-shift will have completed and a tail might be seen if not concealed....









The escape
This is just the print to a painting that i sent to a show in Amsterdam. The image is about a russian pigeon that has been released from prison. He finds himself frustrated, finding a conditioned personality that he holds as a parrot is just to much for him and he peruses an escape from his new identity, resorting back to his natural incriminating habits.


                                                            
Hiphop wakes the night


I have been inspired by hiphop for many years and often find parts of the culture creeping into my work.  im also a deejay and therefore play loud music through the night. When i was living in falmouth cornwall i would walk back from the bars with my records and see the owls flying around.  I like the idea that the, beady eyed mcs with conscious-wise lyrics might like this connotation.


Seven of cubs
If bears played cards, u know u wouldn't fuck around with them, even if u found them cheating.  I dont think that this bear would play fair, but i dont think i know anyone about to challenge his hand...
                                                     the painting hanging in the show at  london west bank gallery 



                                                                  
                                                                                  


Tattoo dilemas


These next two paintings were painted with a good friend of mine, Vera Edwards, she lives in San-Fran California now and we dont get to see each other often.  She also had a painting of her own hung in the show.  The girls are from the suicide girls collective, a group of rebel don't give a fuck about consequences type group of hella-sexy girls.  Vera became obsessed with them and so we did these paintings as  an excuse for her to buy the book, i think in some ways she wanted to be a part of this collective scene...anyway she did the naked girls and i did the animals heads, due to her move to SF i ended up finishing the paintings working into the girls a bit too.


                                                                                       
You think i love you?