Phoenix, Arizona
June 2020
Freestyle from a rough sketch…… I wanted to get into the deserts imagination, work in a black and off-white palette, with nods to newsprint of earlier times. There is about 6 layers of rolled latex primer on the sand stucco surface in each of the 3 separate pieces.
Prepping the surfaces took lots of energy and time which allowed the ideas and the concepts to develop organically as I am becoming acquainted with the surfaces I am painting onto, in that area, letting it happen . A lot of my process leaves things open to develop naturally, and so this piece slowly came to life as I took my time.
Phoenix, Arizona
August 2018
Imagining a large Saguaro Cactus in the middle of the concrete desert that downtown phoenix is good for your mind….. I painted this in the height of summer in Phoenix 2018, We did have some monsoon rainfall while painting this so I referenced that in the strokes with the blues.
This is on the backside north facing wall of the Churchill, a locally driven gathering of efforts in food drink and retail - they have also led an effort to support local art along the alley next to them. Very proud to be involved with the overall vision here. The joys of riding your bicycle down the street to do your work for folks/efforts you respect.
Gilbert, Arizona
April 2018
I was asked/hired to paint this wall, using the list of colors I was provided from the creative manager - If I remember correctly there is 12 or 13. From that starting point, just go for it and start moving the paint around and find a rhythm , you get to explore the possibilities in color match ups, strokes, etc. I mostly used a 4” roller and some tiling brushes. - Tim Brennan (Great not Good) came in with his expertise and attention to detail for the lettering for the business- Gilbert AZ.
Hiratsuka City, Japan
May 2017
A true to joy to go to Japan again to paint - each trip I have taken I have grown to love more and more the people and the rhythm here. Thats why I named the space “Rhythm Tribe” - and did a simple handstyle logo for them. They eventually brought me out after they opened to paint these roll gates, so I stayed for visit after painting and reconnected with the crew from Numlok, Rhythm Tribe. Lots of talent in the low-key city. Big thanks Hiro and Deep, the whole crew in Hiratsuka, Oiso, Fujisawa, and beyond..
The concept is..….in short, within your conditions is the potential to rise above those conditions. Art making has been my vehicle to “rise above” since i discovered how it did me good in my teenage years. I wanted to share that idea here, using art to create your own space, to sort through it.
Phoenix, Arizona
March 2013
An honor to paint on the outside of the building I was living in at the time, The Westminster. Many fellow artists and friends lived here years before, so I always felt that in the 6 years or so I lived there.
There is three sections, all together I wanted to represent three basic concepts that all can work together on some sort of harmonic level to an individual, or a society, etc.
On the right is energy representing creative energy and natural growth, with the concentric tree rings to represent the years that the building has been there, celebrating what at that time was its 100th year ( it was built in 1913). Hector Primero took this picture sometime in 2014, prior to a large residential building being constructed on the blank lot I stand in. At that time, you could look from the light rail or from down the street, and the rings looked like a thumbprint.
the middle section is the space between. Between creativity and technology/tools. more of a homeostatic state, contentment, middle of the road type of idea, somewhere to rest and look around and just be.
To the left is technology, linear, functional man made inventions that contribute to a quality of life for us, often with inspiration from the natural world…. and on and on…...
Tempe, Arizona
June 2020
Representing the process, this time for Donation Network of Arizona. Wanting to honor the desert and give something of curiousity to the Doctors/nurses/IT folks that work in the space.
Painting in the creative studios for Belkin AMS creative team was another dream come true. I was asked to paint whatever I felt inspired to paint - so each morning I was hanging at a coffee shop down the street, and watching. So much bicycle traffic as I remembered from my first times in Amsterdam in earlier years, in a previous life, working for a Dutch company based in Amsterdam. I found myself still fascinated by the utility of the bikes, all the different styles and functional build outs for cargo, etc. I decided to paint the top view of a man I saw, pedaling a cargo bike with his child up front, presumably to drop off the kid at school and head to work. It was drizzling that morning so that was fun getting that wet look with the spray paint.
The second piece I did was in the garage space of Belkins building. This piece was freestyle as well, but with spray and bucket acrylic paint.
I was told by a friend in 2008 that one day I would make art in Amsterdam. thanks Melvin for sharing the future with me back then.
A quick and large “Bike Man” piece for the community in Shonan Kanagawa. We painted a large corrugated wall and to my relief, found some roller pads made especially for this. the whole weekend was lots of community members setting up art stations for the young people to get involved with. Another honor, to be a part of a coming together like this for everyone involved. The figure is of a community friend “Daisaku” who has a big personality in this area, showing support for lots of his friends and people in the area. I met him first in 2013 and each visit to this area got to know him more, so when I was asked to paint I decided I would paint Daisaku pedaling out to the beach to catch some water with his surf stick.
Painted over span of time 2018-2021 slow style, on alley side of Roberto Venn Lutherary School, Phoenix AZ. Tato Caraveo did the sky for it towards the end to “complete it”.
Photo: Charles Darr
Spray Painted on a small independently owned plazas north face, Tempe AZ …2021
photos David Blakeman
Two large Sketch Style wall paintings of saguaro arms at Scottsdale Entrada 2022