Post #446743 by Tiki Shark Art on Mon, Apr 13, 2009 1:06 PM

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
little lost tiki - Ha, you are da' best! Didn't mean to scare anyone! Just to inform the public about the deadly house cat menace among us.
Babalu ~ Thank you! This one has been a lesson for me all about how to make fur look like fur. I think I did okay for a first try. Perhaps it could be a little more "fluffy" looking. I still have to paint in the whiskers and like dat. So, we'll see how he comes out in the next few days.
bigbrotiki ~ I just had a chat with someone about the dead bird. Paint it in or leave it out? If I put it in, the painting becomes a sudo-eco statement about evasive species in the Hawaiian Islands and the depletion of the native bird population, or even an urge to make sure your cat is spade or neutered to help with the feral cat problem on the islands.
If I leave the dead bird out, The painting becomes a little more accessible to the common viewer, and hopefully then, an image that would sell more prints. You see, I was having this talk with my mom, and my print sales go to help her financially. So, for mom's sake instead of the native Hawaiian bird's plight, the dead bird will not be painted in, but will perhaps be addressed in a future painting - after my mom's retirement is more secure.
Her argument was something like "Do you see Thor painting dead birds? No, you don't. Why? Cause who'd buy a painting of a dead bird?" :) (Mom is a total hoot!)
And... Thank you, I am deeply honored to have you compare me to one of my all time low-brow art heroes Mark Ryden. Wow, that really made my day! Jeeze I can feel my head swelling! These last two paintings sure have been influenced alot by Ryden's work. The specific staging, the dramatic lighting. Of course, I also consider them heavily influenced by the Aurora monster models I built as a kid. Each one is a specific character on a "stand" (or setting), with hopefully a classic and implied legendary tale behind them.

Yes, I do fall in love with each painting I do. But, I LOVE it when my paintings sell! There's nothing better! First off, theres the nifty money part. Then, I get to know that the painting is out in the world in a place (I hope) where people can sip tropical drinks and gawk at them. That fact is one of the best things about creating low-brow art! That it goes somewhere cool, like a basement tiki bar, a swanky pad, a hipster abode, and gets seen by members of the "Tiki Tribe"!

And, before too much time goes by, I'm working on a new one that I'm totally in love with - so that helps any potential feelings of loss.

And, I got a really great printer. His reproductions are so spot on, I can retain the image. It's not exactly the same as the original, but it's close.

Here's some late night "Easter" work on the Lime.

Big Aloha from the Big Island!
B~

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2009-04-13 13:10 ]