Man, I’ve been away for a while… But it’s good to be back. I’ve been suffering from a slump for that past few weeks, one that can be attributed to 1 part apathy, and 1 part creative block. While it hasn’t been troubling me on the surface, I’m sure a part of me missed that spark that comes along when art is running rampant throughout my life. It’s hard to say what pulled me out of this hiatus, or if it will last, but I’ll try to explain.

For the past week, I’ve been solo-sessioning at Caffe La Scala, which is only a few blocks away from my apartment. And much to my pleasant surprise, I’ve managed to get a good chunk of work done. I don’t think any of it is of particular importance for my career; a vector for a friend here, a sketch there… but little by little, I’ve felt “The Fire” return. I’d love to tell a romantic story about how the light shined down upon me from up above, and  struck me senseless into a creative explosion of art and awesomeness, but to be honest, I think just the process of going somewhere with the intention of getting work done, and surrounding myself with other productive people pays dividends.

As for the creative block, I’ve been given a couple projects by some friends of mine, nothing to intensive or mind spurring. Just some simple busy artwork. I think that just the act of doing some work, keeping my hands busy, and not having to force my brain to process a concept relieved me from whatever was blocking me in the first place.

I’m going to try hard to keep this going. If my past is any representation of how this will play out, you might not hear back from me until it’s time to come back and apologize. But who knows, I might have the winning formula.

Personal issues aside, Here’s some of the “busy work” I finished up last night. The piece was originally sketched by one of the people I look up to in the bay area art community, Chris De Leon. It all started out of no where when he suggested I color the sketch that he posted on his Instagram. I just kind of dove into it, and never stopped. Enjoy!

<3 NT

Finish the Fight

Last night, I put the finishing touches on my section of a mural that Individual Collective has been working on for the “Skate-n-Paint” event held in Napa.

Theme - Video Games

Colors - Original NES colors

My Charcter of Choice - Renowned bounty hunter and OG female protagonist: Samus Aran… of course!

Big ups to James, the ambassador of the event. He took real good care of us, making sure that we were as comfortable as possible, and apologizing way more than he needed to. It’s hard to not get infected by his feverish excitement about bringing events and activities to the Napa youth. I hope he succeeds in all his endeavors.

And as always, big ups to IC (Ant, Eladio, JP, Jess, Dyno, Luke, Joy and Mike this time). I know that I can’t participate nowadays as much as I’d like to, but I still love doing art and hanging out with everyone there. I’m grateful to have been part of this amazing group of humans!

As for my notes on my segment; in the interest of time, I wanted to keep the colors and details pretty flat which let me knock out my character in two sessions, though I wish I could have done it in one. But enough of that, here’s the snaps

<3 NT

As long as you and me ok

Last night I unveiled some work at the grand opening of the Chutes and Ladders art show (aptly named due to the theme being about childhood memories), hosted by &Them, and I’m glad I did. Not only was it my first show in quite some time, but it was in the famous Hotel des Arts! If it sounds vaguely familiar, but you just can’t place it, let me spell it out for you: This is the hotel where they’ve had some of our generations greatest artists to design and paint the rooms. Artists like Buff Monster, Sam Flores, Shepard Fairey, Jeremy Fish and David Choe just to name a few. So you can understand me being a little bit start struck (doesn’t happen often) to have my art hanging mere yards away from ENTIRE ROOMS created by people in this industry I really look up to. Nevertheless, I was happy to be a part of it all. It was an amazing night, and I ‘m glad my work was well received .

When we got there, the hotel was already abuzz and alive, the hallways teeming with people checking out the art, drinking and having an all-around good time. After the customary hand-shakes, polite and man typed hugs to various friends, I made my way around the hotel to take it all in. If you’ve ever been there, you know the hallways can get a bit packed… So there was a lot of “excuse me’s” handed out as I worked my way through the crowd of observers. Now, back when I dropped of my paintings earlier last week, I didn’t get to see them hung or get to check out the rest of the work. I kinda wanted to preserve the mystery of it all, and wait for the actual show. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the pieces were represented… and you can’t be mad at seeing the all the artists’ childhood photos and answers to the questions. My only regret, is that I didn’t know or get to meet all of the artists. I would have loved to “talk shop” with everyone involved, but it was hard to tell who was who as there were 20+ of us and no way of really knowing. Ah well, there’s always next time.

I hung two pieces for the show… coincidentally, they’re the first two paintings to be up in my newly renovated site. The first, which you may be familiar with, was “The Passport” and the second was “Potential”. I’ve already talked a bit about “The Passport” in an earlier post, and this post is starting to look lengthy, so I save the explanations and progress shots of “Potential” for next week. You can shimmy over to the artwork section to check em out further though if you’re so inclined. Anyways… One of my favorite things to do is to sit back and listen as people discuss my work. A task made difficult last night as several friends & family members decided to “put me on blast”. It’s not that I don’t like talking about my work, it’s more that, people tend to be a little too polite when they know that you’re the artist. They don’t always give an honest opinion when they’re scared of hurting your feelings. It’s a nice gesture, surely, but I want to hear what really crossed your mind when you looked at it, and after that, I’ll happily share my intentions. Then the conversation can continue as we have both opened each others’ eyes to a new perspective. I’ve always said  that one of my favorite things about art, is that it can mean so many different things to everyone that views it. And even though I put a lot of thought in the backstory of my work, I’m happiest when someone shares that it meant something else to them. There’s a certain bond that develops from that conversation. An understanding, if you will. That I made something with my heart and somehow managed to use that to connect with yours. A bit romantic, I know, but hey, that’s art for ya.

“The Passport” was purchased that night. And while it’s always a bit saddening to see a painting leave, it made me happy that I actually got to talk with the buyer about her thoughts on the piece. It felt like I could trust her with it, the way you could trust a best friend with your innermost secret. I was even more surprised that she took it home then and there. I hardly got a chance to say good-bye… But don’t fret, dearest reader, I can assure you that it’s going to a great home to someone who understands the feelings it takes to create something from your hardships.

Some of the people from my art group, Individual Collective, showed up too. Ben was one of the first IC cats I saw walking around. he’s been one of our younger regulars, and has a mom who’s awesome enough to drive him up to check out the show. After that, I saw one of my favorite people, Marielle. Due to her dedication to school (unlike me) she’s been MIA, but I was glad she could come through! She said some very nice things about me once upon a time. I’ll never forget them. Ant was one floor up hanging out with one of my old co-workers Anitra. Ant’s been my friend as long as I’ve been in the bay, and probably knows me better than just about any one else on the planet, much to his dismay. After that I ran into Jess, another core member of IC, one of my favorite artists, and someone who has a twisted sense of humor on par to mine. The always popular DYNO was showing that night as well and he came out the gates strong with a piece that was one of my favorites of his to date. He even introduced us to Pizza Orgasmica after the show… a place I will definitely be returning. Even my mom, step-dad, and auntie showed up last night! Now, I’m always apprehensive to invite family to my events… Even though they would support me with the utmost love, I just know that an art show isn’t always for everyone. And I’d hate for people to show up out of obligation rather than true interest. That being said, they had a great time, and I’m always happy to show them bits and pieces of my world. There were many other people that surprised me with their attendance last night. And I want to make sure that everyone that was there understands how truly grateful I am. I’m eager to share my mind with anyone willing to see it, but there are a few choice people of which I am truly fortunate to have their support. I would not be where I am without them. Thank you.

I hold a firm belief that I don’t think that anyone in any field can make it on their own. Everyone requires a helping hand now and then, and hopefully we’re aware of that need and ensure that we pay back our kindnesses. That being said, I was inducted into this show due to the recommendation from a good friend of mine, JToddO. If you know Todd, you know he’s a mountain of a man, with a heart to match. He’s as sincere as they come, a joy to talk to and a very talented individual. He’s always makes me feel like I’m a better person than I really am, and I hope every now and then, I return that feeling. So if you’re reading this, buddy; Thank you. Sincerely. For everything.

Lastly: Big ups to the &Them crew. Chevonne, Kev, Neal, Francis and anyone else who help set up the show. You guys remained professional enough that I felt comfortable leaving my work in your hands, but down to earth enough that I felt at home when I needed to speak to any of you. It seems like you guys have a good thing going, and I look forward to hopefully working with you all in the future. I wish I coulda had more time to get to know everyone… but unless the rapture really does come tomorrow, there’s always next time.

If for some reason, you couldn’t make it out last night, The show will hang until at least July. So be sure to get there before then and soak it all in. Photos don’t do it justice, but here are some for your viewing pleasure…

<3 NT

Walk like thunder

ART SHOW! And this one promises to be a good one. Some of my favorite people in the world will be showing their work, including your’s truly. It’s at the world famous Hotel des Arts, it starts at 7PM, and entry + alcohol is free. So you have no excuses.

447 Bush St. SF (Map)

Thursday, May 19th. 7PM-9:30PM Save the date.

I really hope you can make it out.

if not, you’ll break my heart.

…but not really.

<3 NT

Took me so many miles and they never wore out

So I finally started getting around to constructing my Artwork page. If you happen to go there, you’ll notice that it’s a bit sparse right now. What gives!? Well, when I decided to rebuild the site, I wanted to make sure I was absolutely happy with the way I presented myself. To accomplish this, I felt it necessary to purge my previous works and have myntcondition.com re-born anew. Since my following is likely low (no delusions of grandeur here!), I’m sure this won’t have a huge impact. That being said, the Artwork page will only feature my work from late 2010 and on. If, for some strange reason, would like to see older works, shoot me a line and I’d be more than happy to take a stroll down memory lane.

The first piece I’ll be adding to my new gallery is titled “Boarding Pass”. I wanted to build this huge, ominous machine to do something gentle and simple. To connect a person to another world. I think it serves it’s purpose well. And because I like you so much, I decided to share some detail shots.

BIG HUGE MEGA THANKS: To my amazingly talented girlfriend , JP, for taking new photos of my work and editing said photos so I could share them with you. She did something I hate doing, and does them with a genuine smile. I’m eternally grateful.

In the near future, I’ll be filling out the Artwork area as new works get produced. As well as creating a “sketch” page that will document some of my doodles. So… yeah! Look forward to it!

<3 NT

ears and eyes, keepin good time with the rhythm

Here’s a time lapse of my section of a mural that my art group, Individual Collective, completed in December. I had to knock out my section in one session due to my availability, so I was pretty much there all night after the other artists left. Grinding it out was mad fun, despite the cold and me having foot pains from standing on the ladder too much. The mural was done for our friend Paul, who owns Boom! Salon, in Napa. As you can see, I took the BOOM part quite literally…

After the group agreed on a color palette, I brainstormed some ideas until one stuck. Then made a quick color comp in Photoshop:

Printed that baby out, loaded up my mats, and hoofed it down to Napa to knock it out. The other artists that participated in the mural were: Anthony Tunac, Eladio Tunac, Jessica Robles, Dyno, Tim Gutiarte, Luke and Joy. You can see more about Individual Collective by finding us on Facebook, or going to www.individualcollective.com.

<3 NT

Nothing left to say to ease your fears

A sketch for my latest piece.

As a kid, you have no limits and your dreams and aspirations rarely need to be rooted in reality. You CAN be whatever you want to be, and that’s what we all believed at one point or another.

I’d like to believe this little robot dreams of being more than his programming dictates. And if that belief can take root, s/he will be born anew.

I’ll throw more in the artwork section when it’s up.

Sorry it’s taking so long, but painting > updating

<3 NT

Don’t go that way

December is never a good month for me to try to get shit done, project-wise. The combination of apathy-inducing weather, Christmas preparations, and coma creating eating habits is a recipe for procrastination. Perhaps I’m making excuses for myself, but I look at everything I’ve done last month and shrug my shoulders at my lack of artwork, vowing to make up for it this month. That’s what January is all about right? Redemption guised as resolutions… Half-hearted attempts at self-improvement… Guilt. Knowledge of our inherent faults rarely comes pre-packaged with the drive and the ability to combat it, but we try anyways. More often than not, we falter, fall and fail, but that’s life I guess. Though, every now and then, we conquer ourselves, and perhaps because the odds are so stacked against us, a personal victory seems to taste that much sweeter. No matter how small.

With that said, I’ve noticed lately that the things I claim to have been so incredibly passionate about working on have begun to slip through my fingers. And my overall mood and morale seems to be on the decline. Unfortunately, I don’t know myself well enough to tell which is the cause, and which is the effect. Fortunately, I do know myself well enough to inform you, worried reader, that I will pull out of it. For instance, already I’m looking at my brand new pair of running shoes with a certain lust, and my “Artwork” file with a familiar desire. I cracked open an ongoing project (details below, picture above) and began drawing away. Almost immediately, bits negativity began to be chipped away from my brain, sculpting the state of mind that only art can sculpt, and I blissfully continued for a couple of hours. Breaking only to munch on some pizza (Thanks, Adrian), and to watch my temporary roommate make some ill-advised charges against a plasma-sword wielding opponent (Thanks again, Adrian).

Among my circles of friends, I assume different roles, as we all do. I play more than one to a group of people and occasionally, within a group, the role changes. Sometimes, I’m The Big Brother. Sometimes, The Little Brother. Sometimes, The Motivator. Other times, I’m The Bad Influence. I also assume other roles such as: The Joker, The Thinker, The Devil’s Advocate, The Technician, The Advisor, The Eater, The Atheist, The Chameleon and The Liar to name a few. Now, as a person, I’m relatively comfortable with my vices and faults. I hold a firm belief, that living a life of constant virtue, is not only impossible, but a poor choice to say the least (which would take it’s own post to fully explain). That being said, being The Liar is probably the role I’m least comfortable filling. I don’t mind if I’m good at this sometimes necessary ability, but to for it to be a chief role my friends assume me to play isn’t a light I’d prefer to bask in for any length of time.

The joke is: I’d prefer the title of storyteller

The truth is: I’d prefer the title of storyteller

So, even though I’m comfortable with having faults, and despite the fact I am in full understanding of how difficult it is to change someone’s impression of you, I’m doing work to diminish one title, while at the same time, building up the other. (If you have to ask which is which, re-read the pair of statements above, you silly goose!)

Since storytelling is what this post is really about (and not to mention, vastly more interesting), let’s expand on that.

Storytelling is something that has become more and more important to me during my quest to evolve my artwork to it’s next stage. As such, I’ve begun to take notice of all the great stories I’ve ingested in my lifetime from a smattering of sources as varied as the stories themselves. Word-of-mouth, written text, film, paintings, comics, animation, music, video games and everything else in between. As we advance as a species, new mediums for sharing these stories blossom from all over the place. And with an amazing network of communication, the next great griot can literally come from anywhere. Stories can be instantly shared around the globe, ready to inspire, warn, humor and excite. We live in an amazing generation. A lucky generation. One that allows for limitless creativity that doesn’t lack for an audience.

The only hurdle is: What do you want to say?

I think I found a story worth telling. A collaboration with a very good friend, named Tommy Wooten, who himself is an aspiring film maker. During our many conversations, I’ve discovered we share a passion for good storytelling regardless of medium or message. Without revealing too much (because what fun would that be?), I will tell you that our story will be told via comic, and is tentatively titled “The Low Angel Project”. The original inception of our story took place during the spring of last year, as a joke, no less, and we spent many sessions talking about the script and storyboarding out the first chapter. Unfortunately, due to my inability to manage time effectively, it has fallen to the wayside for the past two months. I’ve picked it back up once again, and with a pretty clear schedule, I’m looking to have the first chapter done by the end of spring this year. Above you can see a cropped progress shot of my work on the fourth panel of the third page.

Making comics is something that’s new for the both of us, and I’ll try to keep you guys updated as we go along. All in all, I’m really excited to try this new avenue now that my creative energy has been restored with purpose and drive. All the while, I’ll be trying to get a bead on my website and get it fixed to house my upcoming flurry of updates. Oh yeah… I’m also going to begin my training for the SF marathon.

Wheeee……

…ew! After going so long without a post, I’d like to thank you for reading this small book… If I was sitting next to you, I’d give you a cookie, but I’m not. In lieu of that, go get yourself a cookie… you earned it! See you next time!

<3 NT

Some beef is big, and some beef is small, but what y’all call beef is not beef at all.

Square One!? Not again!? How in the world did this happen? Let me explain… No, it’s too long. Let me summarize. In my tireless quest to make things as difficult as possible for myself, I decided to not pay my host, and POOF!… there goes my site. Evaporated like so many water particles on a hot day. So here we are at square one. The death of the old, giving birth to the new. How poetic.

At first I was understandably upset with myself as I tend to get when I forget important matters. It’s a thing I do, in fact it’s quite routine, not unlike breathing or showering. I’d like to think my lapses in memory are a sacrifice that has been made so I may be proficient in other areas of life, similar to forgoing strength for dexterity when allocating attribute points. It’s my burden, something I carry from day-to-day, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s rather light compared to some of the troubles other people end up being dealt. So I deal. I’ve never been the type to get to worked up over things that have happened in the past. It always seems to be a waste of energy that can be better displaced. So, even though I loathe creating a website, I look at this as an unfortunate opportunity to recreate the way my work is displayed and commit to some housework that desperately needed to be done.

Alas, here we are. I’m cracking my knuckles and going about this restructuring the only way I know how: Headlong and hopeful. If you look around, you’ll note the obvious difference from my old site, but don’t fret, dear reader. I’m hoping it will provide a cleaner and albeit better experience for the both of us. Wish me luck, and I, in turn, will do the same for you.

<3 NT