New work posted! Inexplicable business card holders! Tiki Bob keychains! More Islander! Pg. 15!

Great stuff Eric! You are a creative dynamo. I'm liking the colored pencil, and them cookies look yummy.

One of the Tiki Art Masters!

Insane amount of diverse and creative work, Eric!

Thanks for all the eye candy!

Very cool stuff!

Thanks for all the words of encouragement everybody, I can sure use 'em!

TikiG- Well, it's like four months of work, so it just seems like a lot when it's all bunched together!

leleliz - Your duk duk doll sounds interesting... have you posted a pic of it anywhere? I'd love to see it!

Kinny- Yeah, I've been busy... I gotta get into the habit of posting more like you! And also get into the habit of creating great art like you!

4WDtiki- Mahalo! One man's trash is my material fer makin' art, 'cos I'm so broke!

Savage Daddy - This was a huge update... if I waited any longer, I'd probably crash the server trying to upload photos!

TikiMango- Hope yer doing well out in Florida... the Tangaroa cookies debuted at your going away party at the Rumpus Room... did you get a chance to taste 'em?

Coco Joe- Always nice to hear from you... are you Rumpus Rooming soon? We miss you!

Lake Surfer- Cool! Glad you like my work! Yours is awesome... I think I was trying to channel your creativity on the tiki wall plaques I did for my mom's luau!

Mahalo again, everybody!

AHoy, your work is awesome ... I love the diversity of stuff you have made.Keep up the good work. The Hats are a personal favourite. The cookies are also a standout....and I thought I was the only one who ever recieved baked tiki goods ...

Ahoy Cap'n! Glad you like the Aloha Jhoe's headgear!

More stuff to come!

In fact, here it is...

For Trader Tom's birthday at the Rumpus Room I made a black paper card of a tiki holding flaming scorpion bowl... sort of like a Poly Pop birthday candle... all the Rumpus Roommates signed it and we presented it to Tom... someone suggested that I make more, so I did!

Each 5x7 card is an original black paper/colored pencil drawing. The cards all bear the same image of the birthday tiki, but are completely individual, as they are all drawn by hand. The drawing is mounted to an acid free card and comes with a matching envelope. I'll be posting a thread in the marketplace if anyone is interested in purchasing... they're 12.00, including shipping.

Mahalo fer lookin'!
Yer pal,
Eric October

http://ericoctober.com

[ Edited by: tobunga 2009-07-11 19:03 ]

Eric, this birthday card is too cool! That's impressive that you make each one.
They should be mass produced and available in stores. Keep up the great work!

"I went crazy and made a bunch"

That's an understatement! Way too much cool stuff to pick out a favorite but I like all the black background drawings and the war clubs. Very resourceful party decor.

PS - We missed you at the Lagoon Chop :(

You know Eric you should repost the massive art posting under the Marketplace forum with prices on everything that is available for sale.

Those black paper drawings are FLIPPIN INCREDIBLE!!! It was well worth the wait for such a great bunch of multi-media tiki goodness.

Aloha Eric!

Was wondering when/if you were gonna post all your goodies!
It's like a greatest hits post! Got to see some of these pieces
in person at a few local events the last couple of months
and they are spectacular! So inventive, creative, and diverse.

Rock on Mr. O!

Tiki Kaimuki- Glad you like the cards! Working on the mass produced angle, but I'm rather inept at it!

MadDogMike- I had hoped t make the Lagoon Chop, but I was swamped with creating all this work! (plus it was the day after the Tikiaki event at Tonga Hut, and I was in no condition to do any traveling!)

leleliz - Ooh, good idea, posting stuff in the marketplace... I wonder if a massive post of everything would be overwhelming though... I'll work on it!

Paipo- Mahalo for the complement, glad you like my work! If artists of your caliber like my stuff, I may get a swelled head!

Jason- Yeah, I know this post was a long time coming, glad it was worth the wait! Your black velvet painting are incredible... I don't know if I'd ever attempt velvet, though... I'll stick with black paper for now!

Great googely-moogily!
What a fantastic treasure trove of tiki art!
Fantastic! I feel like I've stumbled into a hidden time warp and stepped into the ultimate tiki shoppe!
Great Work Tubunga! U inspire me!

The colored pencil drawings are really something else...Like you really found your medium. Lot of life and depth. Very cool.

The party decor was super swell, too. Good examples of what can be done with low cost materials. When you have time you oughta post the party decor pics in the Tiki-On-A-Budget thread. Good inspiration images for people with very little pocket money.

Wow - looks like years worth of work!

There's too many cool ones to comment about, but the Tikiyaki one is especially mind-blowing.

Rockin'.

Hey Eric, how do you get such good pics of your black paper art? Do you scan? Every type of paper and lighting technique I've tried has gotten me nothing but ugly pics. Help!

Brad! I inspire YOU?!? Au contraire, mon frère! Did you take a gander at the "Up and Coming Tiki" article in the new TIki Magazine? I clearly state that you were my inspiration for getting into tiki art! (not a shameless plug... hey, it's my thread!)

Woofmutt - yeah, I'm really digging the black paper drawings! I'm meaning to post in the tiki on a budget thread, but I can barely keep this one current... soon, though!

Robb- I had fun creating the Tikyaki plane... stay tuned, more to come! And do you have a tripod? I find it helps when shooting work... I'll PM you with the details of how I shoot my stuff...

Speaking of which...

Here's some stuff I completed (barely) in time for the Tiki Magazine release party at Tonga Hut this past Saturday (08.01)

More black pencil drawings, 8x10

Plus, my first wahine! 11x14

I also have taken the pendant plunge, here's the first three designs; Ku, Duk Duk, and PNG shield.
They're painted resin, each about 3" high.

They're 20.00 each, plus 2.00 shipping. I'll have these and hopefully a couple more designs at Oasis.

And here's an Oasis sneak peek.
Plush Tiki Bob.

This plush stands 10" high and is 4" in diameter. It's made of corduroy and flannel, with a vinyl mouth and button eyes. I'm going to post this in the Marketplace, but if anybody is interested, they're 35.00, plus 3.00 shipping. PM me, or you can just paypal [email protected].

Thanks fer lookin'!
Yer pal,
Eric October

Eric, you have been busy! Thank you again for the great card!!! I can't wait for Joe to see your plush Tikis. He's going to go crazy.

Very cool stuff Eric,see you at Oasis!

Plush Tiki Bob!
too cute!
and those ne drawings on black paper
have been consistently cool!
Only a week left!

An Earthquake Safe Tiki Bob!

Love it!

Awesome crafting that Tiki Bob plushy Eric...so many possiblities for household uses...some good...some naughty...but whatever the use - Keep Away from kitty and doggie!

Really Digg'n your stuffed creations!!
Super cool black paper drawings!!

Dig that TIKI BOB!
all them drawings .....talent unlimited!

I didn't know there was a Tiki Mag show... sigh.

My Fun & Fabulous Tiki Bob pillow is now hanging out with his other Eric October tiki pillow buddies in our tiki bar :)

Hey Eric,
I think you would appreciate these velvets. http://pinktentacle.com/2009/11/velvet-kaiju-paintings/
A subject matter you've skillfully covered in the past.
-Nelson.

Aloha everybody!!
I am so behind in posting, so here goes another massive post of work from the past four months or so... some of the work is on other posts for events and stuff, but it's gathered all together here, plus lots of stuff I haven't posted yet.

This first piece is actually even older that four months ago... it's the first (and as of now, only) tiki mug I've ever made. I started it way back in aught eight at a chop at Babalu's place. It was finally finished in April of this year.

It's a tiki mug that represents our imaginary tiki bar that we call Changitos (monkeys in Spanish). I made a little fish float to hang from the a-frame out of string and a glass marble. Our Changitos logo is right under the a-frame's peak. I kept forgetting to post it, so here it is finally.

So now let's jump ahead to the insanity just before Oasis...

Jim Bacchi of TIkiyaki Orchestra fame commissioned me to work on some new outfits for the band. He wanted them to reflect the theme of the new album art, specifically, the way cool tiki drum that is featured on the cover.

I started out by making a stamp that had the drum as well as some tapa patterns, and then stamped yards and yards of fabric.

With Manuel's sewing machine skills, we attached them to black shirts that Jim provided.

They debuted at the Tikiyaki performance at Smuggler's Cove suite at Oasis. (Band photos courtesy of Scott Mabutt... mahalo Scott!))

We also made PJs for the Tikiyaki show (couldn't get in without 'em!): I stamped up some tapa/tiki strips of fabric, and Manuel sewing machined them onto two pairs of PJs we bought.

Close-up of the tiki/tapa pattern

And I made matching pairs of Tiki Bob slippers to go with our PJs! They were a big hit, and people were taking photos of out feet all night long!

I also made a plush Marty Lush Tiki bear for Mr. Lush. The face is based on PNG art, and he even has his own martini glass!

I was invited by Digitiki to guest host an episode of the Quiet Village podcast, and I did this black paper drawing as the background image. It's Godzilla tromping through a tiki village, to illustrate the idea of the Quiet Village being invaded (by me!)

In September, I had some of my tiki art in a show at a place on 3rd Street in LA called Hands On 3rd, including giclee prints of some of my paintings and my plush tikis. I had a couple of new plushes on display: A large Duk Duk Dancer, and a plush tiki inspired by the Trader Mort's tiki on Shelter Island in San Diego.

At the end of September we headed up north for the Forbidden Island Parking Lot Sale. I had some new pieces that debuted there.

I made a couple of larger plush Tiki Bobs. They're a little over 2 feet tall, and about 9" in diameter.

I also made a couple of Tiki Bob messenger bags.
Bags measure 10" x 15" and the face is a smaller pocket. The bags are made of corduroy, vinyl and Naugahyde.

And I made some framed maps made from vinyl, fuzzy car upholstery and Naugahyde. They are inspired by those vintage maps from travel agencies of south seas islands, and are all three dimensional and stuff! The maps measure 11x17.

I debuted a new resin pendant too. A 4" Moai.

There was a mug trade at the end of September too, and Tropical Icebergs were slated to receive a package from me. I received a package from them last trade, so I was excited to return the favor. I included in the package I sent an 8x10 acrylic on watercolor painting of my rendition of "Tropical Icebergs".

We attended Woohoo and Soccertiki's wedding in early October and I made them a card and two little plush bride and groom TIki Bobs.

The card featured an image of San Diego's Bali Hai where the wedding took place. I included lines from the Hawaiian Wedding song

Murph had a tiki night at his place, and I accidentally broke one of his tiki mugs while I was there. I felt bad about it, so I made him a framed Waikik Womb painting (11x14, acrylic on watercolor paper). The Waikik Womb is the name of his home tiki bar. The actual bar itself is called the Drunken Fetus, so I included a little rum swilling tiki in utero in the image. Murph really liked it, and suggested that I break some more of his mugs.

There were a few Rumpus Room regulars who had birthdays, and I made a some gifts for them.

I did a black paper drawing for Nikki of her dressed as King Hubert from Sleeping Beauty. She likes to say Skumps! as a toast, as they did in the film. However, I gave the image a tiki twist and drew her holding a moai tiki mug!

For Jeremy from Tonga Hut I made a plush version of the moai from the bar. It's vinyl with a stamped image of the moai on the front.

This birthday card was for Dean (TikiTorch). Dean uses an oxy-acetylene torch to create his art, so I made a tiki lighting a birthday cake with a torch. The tank behind him also sports a tiki face... the gauges are the eyes, and the knob is the nose.

This birthday card was for Scott (Joe Banks). It's an image I've wanted to do for a while, but I wasn't sure how to do it. I wanted to have a tiki and a Day of the Dead skeleton toasting, each holding a mug that looked like the other figure. Scott, like me, has an affinity for both, so I wanted to take a shot at the idea. Scott also likes volcanos with his tikis, and that's what solidified the image, as I could use the volcano as a light source, and it would work well as a black paper drawing... problem solved!

The TIkiyaki Orchestra had another Lodge Night at the Mayflower Club in North Hollywood in October, and I was vending there. I had some new paintings, including a series I call Tiki Torch Song Trilogy, since there are three, and there are three tikis in each, and they're all about making music. (however, Harvey Fierstein does not make an appearance in any or them). Each is 11x14, acrylic on watercolor paper, framed.

I'm really getting into a acrylic on watercolor paper groove... this piece is Tiki Drum Drummers, also 11x14, acrylic on watercolor paper.

I also did another 8x10 black paper drawing, based on the Trader Mort's tiki.

Mid-October we went up to Modesto to vend at the Rock-A-Hula Pool-A-Party, and I did some new stuff, including a new resin pendant, inspired by the old Stockton Islander sign. The pendant measures about 3" high by 3.5" wide.

Since it was also a classic car show, I decided to do some car-themed pieces as well. Each is 11x14, acrylic on watercolor paper. I had a couple more ideas, but have not had a chance to finish them yet.
Maori Racer

RIPmobile

I participated in the Poly Pop Menu Art Swap, and since I'm obsessed with the Stockton Islander, I did my interpretation of one version of the menu cover. I chose this menu because it features the Bumatay tiki. I modified the image slightly, by making the tkik hut specifically the Stockton Islander, including the sign.

On October 20th of 2008, Manuel and I got married in San Diego. (it was a spontaneous, whirlwind wedding... we decided on a Friday, and were married on the following Monday!) For our first Anniversary, I made a card for Manuel featuring two Duk Duk Dancers holding hands. The dancers are supposed to be us... you'll note they both have very hairy legs, like the both of us, but, unlike, I would assume, most actual Duk Duks in New Britain. Manuel liked the card!

Manuel's birthday was four days later, on the 24th. I made him another Duk Duk Dancer card, this time a 3-D version, made from some if the materials I used for the Duk Duk figures I've made.

I also made him two tiki dolls that represent us. They're based on Marquesan tikis. I'm the tiki on the right.

The reason I was so Duk Duk obsessed is that for Halloween, we went as Duk Duk Dancers. I made the costumes mostly out of cardboard, construction paper and paint. We went to a few tiki related events for Halloween, so they were quite appropriate!

Also on Halloween, I had a piece in the Tikot art show at the Freaky Boutiki Gallery in San Diego. The card I had was The Empress.
I did some research, and then went completely bonkers on the imagery and symbolism. Here is a brief rundown of the image. The Empress is usually depicted as a woman on a throne, wearing a crown of 12 stars, holding a staff, and with a heart shaped shield that often sports the image of an eagle. The planet Venus is associated with the Empress, as well as the Greek Goddess Demeter.

So... Taking the eagle as a jumping point, I remembered recently reading about the Haast's Eagle of New Zealand. The eagle went extinct when it's main prey, Moas, were wiped out by human hunters. That gave me the idea to use a Maori style of tiki, and to have the eagle and the moa in the painting, recreating a scene from a diorama from the National Museum of New Zealand. (Plus, I wanted to make the moa look absolutely terrified. Poor moa.)

I decided, since a tiki and a throne are both made of wood, to have the empress and the throne be one entity, carved out of the same piece of wood.

Instead of a heart shaped shield, I painted a shield-sized human heart (I like painting those), and shield of Maori design. The staff and the top pieces of the throne are based on Maori weapons.

I painted the crown of stars, which immediately reminded me of the song, "I'll weave a lei of stars for you", so I painted a lei of stars as well. There is a line from the song that goes "... the moon is green with jealousy, the stars and planets too..." because the lei-of-stars-wearer is the fairest of all. Since Venus is an attribute of the Empress, I included that planet, along with the moon, and stars, all green (with jealousy)... actually, the moon looks seething mad!

Demeter, goddess of the harvest, to me, is closely related to the myth of Persephone, who was spirited away to the underworld by Hades. Persephone had to spend half of every year underground because she ate seven pomegranate seeds while she was in Hades. When she went underground, Demeter gets sad and everything dies off. When Persephone returns, everything comes back to life. This is how the Ancient Greeks explained the changing seasons. In the painting, I reference this story with the Maori devil tiki tempting the Empress with a pomegranate. The seven seeds are falling from the fruit.

Whew!
That's it fer now!
Thanks fer lookin'!
Yer pal, Eric October

http://ericoctober.com

[ Edited by: tobunga 2009-11-12 20:04 ]

[ Edited by: tobunga 2009-11-13 01:15 ]

[ Edited by: tobunga 2009-11-13 07:58 ]

[ Edited by: tobunga 2009-11-13 08:05 ]

[ Edited by: tobunga 2009-11-13 09:51 ]

Damn Dude

Damn Eric, you need to update more often. That's more art than a Ruzic post!
So much cool stuff, but my favorite has to be the Waikiki Room painting, closely followed by the Bride and Groom Plush Bobs.

Nice work, guys!
I'm still cracking up about the Duk-Duk dance on Halloween!
:lol:

Bowie

Great stuff! I esp love the wedding bobs, the card you made scott and the costumes. I also love all the drawings you do on black paper.

Congrats to you and your fellow Duk Duk. Never was there a more perfect pair:) (hairy legs and all!)

Eric your artwork is so diverse and fun. I love the blue pattern you put on the fabric for the Tikiyaki Orchestra. Also I think your black background drawing of Trader Mort's tiki is just great.

Wow, where the heck have I been?
I love your work, all of it! Thank you for sharing!

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!!!!!!!! that was fun. Good show I love seeing all the diferent projects. so amazing.

CONGRATS!

Holy Cow!!! Too much good stuff all in one pile! Hairy leg-ged Duk-Duks :lol:

Does he ever sleep? Maybe stands still for a minute or two, but that looks like the only break he takes. The amount of art coming out of the Tobunga is like a lava flow, unstoppable, relentless, refreshing and awe!

Great stuff, amazing productivity. Love the Bobs, and that Trader Morts tiki is the bomb.

DC

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, what diverse stuff! Great update, and I agree, break more mugs!

Whoa...look at all this killer work! I'm a huge fan :)

PS: Amy wanted me to say hi for her...

Good stuff. GROG like.

Eric you two are amazing!!!!!PJ's, duk, Duk and all that are, it is all so great congrats to you both!!!!!!!!!

Amy

So much wonderful art! I especially like the Waikiki Womb piece. And congratulations to you & your new hubby!

Right On Eric!

Good to see the beautiful finished CHANGITO mug!
Those drawings are getting better and better!
And that painting of the Maori Racer....perfect!
Try posting more often,friend
our tiiny brains can hardly handle it!
:)

MY GOD! When you cut loose it is AMAZING!