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The Lurid low-brow Tiki-Art of Brad (tiki-shark) Parker

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GROG: thanks, but u know me... I'm barely started!
zerostreet - THANX!
Sneakytiki - it's the comic/cosmic connection tween tikis and jack-o-lanterns. (right?)

Herez were we is now...

Close up o the green cheese moon and the green wave... which I painted the night the TSUNAMI hit Kona! WEIRD! Sirens going off every hour all night long. Kona has NEVER been hit by a wave in recorded history (it's always the Other side of the island that gets it) so....weird! I put all the fear and expectation all night into the painting of the wave... hope I captured some sinister - ness in it.
ALOHA!


Brad (Tiki Shark) Parker

[email protected]
http://www.tikishark.com
http://www.myspace.com/Lotus_Land
http://www.cocktailnation.net
http://www.sargentsfineart.com/artist/parker.php

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2011-03-14 21:23 ]

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Here's a bit more... clouds drifting in on the evening breeze...

more 2 come...
mahalo!

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2011-03-15 14:54 ]

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!

Here's the whole thing so far...

Here's a closer look at the palm trees.
More to come....
MAHALO!

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!

DUUUUDE! CHECK IT OUT!
The calander finally came out!

M

Yeah, the calendars are in the Maui WalMart. Dale picked one up for me last week!

MauiTiki~ That's so great! I bet November is Dale's favorite month (that's the month that has his hot rod featured in da painting). It's very exciting, I'm still stunned thinking about having a calender of my work out there - and I think it's important as an artist, to be in high end galleries, but it's also exciting and just as important to be apart of tourist merch in low brow venues too. I mean, we call it "low brow art" ... right. Something some one will buy for a few bucks and tuck away and ten years later remember their Hawaiian Vacation by thumbing through it's fading pages. It's like filtering down and being part of pop culture - real pop culture. I'm not sure where all the places the calenders will be sold. I don't think they'll make it to the mainland. But, it makes me smile to think my art is in the souvenir isle at Walmart as well as the high end gallery in Maui and such swank places.


Brad (Tiki Shark) Parker

[email protected]
http://www.tikishark.com
http://www.facebook.com/oldmanparker
http://www.cocktailnation.net
http://www.sargentsfineart.com/artist/parker.php

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2011-03-17 00:08 ]

Love that Moon !!
You also make that water look so full of magic
Super cool about the calendar !!!

Thanks Tiki Duddy, It's getting there.

T

I like how the top of the tiki has that Witco grain effect goes on. And then the skull in the tiki. Something like that could only be brought forth by a member of the modern tiki movement.

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!
teaKEY-Good thinking, I am certainly influenced by all the tiki art that has gone before me... and I am a big fan of the Tiki Modern book (with all that yummy Witco tiki art in it!)!

Here's so far...

A closer look at that half Witco half Parker tiki (with an LLT skull hole!)

Here's a even closer look see at the woody-ness. I'm not even started the REAL fun part of "weathering" the wood!
so, LOTS to come! But, It's gotta get done soon! It has to be a finished digital file by months end to make it into the 25th anniversary La Luz De Jesus Art Show Book.
...paint paint paint (sweat in fear of not being worthy) paint paint...

Go Brad GO!
you can do it!
the piece is lookin TIGHT thus far!
the Dr. recommends loads of Coffee!
your inspiration and talent will do the rest!

ALOHA Tiki Tribe!
Thanks LLT - I'm actually doing the green tea thing, I think it's got enough caffeine - I try to steer away from drinking cases of red bull, that stuff just was way too addictive for me!

Got most of the detail of the woody-look of the tiki done, starting to work up the glowing embers in his head.

Here's the whole thing thus far... almost done...

Mahalo!

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!

Here's da' kine

Here's the other da'kine

OK, yes, it makes sense to me...

All finished!

Mahalo for watching.

MAGNIFICENT BRAD!
every detail is accounted for....including sand on the bottom of the pumpkin!
WOWz!

Very cool! As always, the Tiki's texture is amazing!

little lost tiki - Thank you Duuuude! You always notice the details!
zerostreet - Thanks, I'm really working to get more and more hyper pop surreal texture on my tikis, I'm so glad you saw that!

Here's the finished, professionally scanned version.

This painting was done for the 25th anniversary show for the LA gallery "La Luz de Jesus" - the shows next Sept-Oct, so the pumpkin will make a whole lot more sense when this painting is actually shown to the public.

ALOHA!

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2011-04-03 17:33 ]

T
teaKEY posted on Sun, Apr 3, 2011 5:56 PM

Looking good. And I noticed that sand from your Facebook pic.

Thanks TeaKey!
HEY! Good news! I entered the "Spectrum : Best in contemporary Fantastic Art" contest again this year, and they just published a list of the artists who made it into the book.
http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/
I made it! Yi-pee! I have no idea which piece made it in, they will send me something in the mail.
So something "TIKI" will be in the book!
Just thought I'd share my excitment wit the Tiki Tribe!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Started a new painting... (!)
Mahalo

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
Finally got my "gallery" area on my web site up to date with my newest paintings.... check-it-out...
http://tikishark.com/gallery/gallery.html

ALOHA!

On 2011-04-09 00:27, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Started a new painting... (!)
Mahalo

Nice! Can't wait to see the progress!

G
GROG posted on Sat, Apr 9, 2011 9:18 AM

Is there going to be a Santa Claus in it? Everybody likes Santa Claus.

Thanks Grog!

Here's a VERY rough sketch of the idea for the painting...

ALOHA!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Here's sketch #2

Saturday Morning = cartoons and painting. (yip-ee!)

Congratulations that's terrific. Thank you for all your step by steps, I know I need them. Wendy

Looking great Brad!

M

I like Sketch #2! Really like where you are going with the flowers along the right. Tiki needs eyes though, but not as surprised looking as the eyes on sketch #1. Just my 2 cents worth. keep up the great work!

You know Grog, his paintings are now in a Calendar so monthly Holiday themes will make the next Calendar that much better! let's see an Easter bunny hiding in the grass. I love my 2012 Brad Parker Tiki Calendar, can't wait to use it.

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!
Hey I Finally got my web site "gallery" up dated so you can flip through all my tiki paintings chronologically.
http://tikishark.com/gallery/gallery.html
Mauitiki ~ I hear you brother, I like the second tiki and the need for eyes in there fo'sure'. Just a sketch along the way. The flowers are going to be big weird cartoon-Parker takes on orchids I see on my next tip (this Sunday) to the Hawaiian Botanical Garden just north of Hilo. I have a good friend visiting from the mainland, and this is perfect timing to go get some great visuals from one of the most beautiful places on the planet! The flowers will be like the tropical fish were in "Beyond the Reef" .. framing the Tiki, yet each a strange element all their own.

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!

So here's what the painting is looking like now... mostly roughed in tiki, wave, and a few elements in the mid and fore ground...

But here's the mountains rendered in fairly completely.
Lots more to do.
Aloha!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Here's the latest re-thinking of the image...a new sketch.
the mountains came out so interesting that I moved the palm tree trunk to not cover them. Going out tomorrow w/camera looking for exotic flowers for the fore ground. Let's hope it's not pouring rain over on the "jungle" side of the island where the botanical garden is.
ALOHA!

How come the tiki has no eyes (a little HR Giger, perhaps)? If I missed something in your text, I apologize.

The palm is a bit tangential with the mouth on the last sketch, but otherwise it looks like another winner, naturally.

Good luck with the weather on your reference trip, I'm about to do the same.

Do artists go through that much trouble any more, going on reference trips? I like it and hope to find things my imagination can't come up with.

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!
Robb Hamel ~ Thanks so much for the pointers. It's always a treat getting feed back from artists I admire. Yes, the tiki is a strange new free form thing in progress - like all my paintings it'll change as it goes. I kind of liked that look of not knowing if he had eyes or many eyes or what.

Like the menehune on the right. But, after consideration of your comment, I think I'll put something indicating eyes. Oh and Big Thanks on the tree trunk matching the tiki mouth ... I have to always be careful of not doing strange composition mistakes like tha. Glad to have your skills eyes helping out!

Here's where the painting is as now... sky repainted for what... the 5th time? Finally getting the smooth transition I wanted.

Here's the mountains. I put in some more water fall.
My trip around the island was fun. Weather made our tip through the botanical gardens a wet one. But I think I got some good shots of flowers as reference. Then, Had a stop waaaaay down on the jungle side in Puna: the land of Hippies.

It was Sunday, and the drum circle was going on. We stood at the top of the sea cliff above black sand Kehena Beach, and breathed in the sea breeze mixed in with much poco lolo being smoked. 420! Duuude!
ALOHA!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

More to come...

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Here's it so far... more to come....

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Well I got my award letter from SPECTRUM in the mail today telling me which piece I entered made it into the book. I've been sitting on pins and pineapples since I heard I got in waiting to hear which piece made it! This is the 4th year I got in, and I'm always a little surprised which piece they pick to reproduce in the book. This year was no different. I entered 8 pieces and...

... "The Kreature From Kona" made it in!

Guess it has that tongue in cheek and hard core old horror movie fan appeal. Hope you don't mind me blabbing about winning, but I had to share this with the Tiki Tribe, I'm thrilled, and honored. The book, "SPECTRUM 18: The Best in contemporary Fantastic Art" comes out next November.

Aloha!

T
TikiG posted on Fri, Apr 22, 2011 9:26 AM

Congrats!

HOORAY! I think it's safe to say that you're a "shoe-in" every year with this publication!
All Hail the Kreature from Kona!

little lost tiki- Thanks! It's nice to be able to have added a piece of "Tiki Culture" to the last four years of "Fantastic Art". I'm hoping to incite some more of the great Tiki Artists on TC to enter. Especially some carvers to enter into the 3-D area of the competition. I think a carved tiki would blow many people away!
TikiG- THANKS!!

Here's the painting now... putting in the palm leaves...

Here's a closer look. I put some palm trees on the far mountains too.

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Here's a closer look at the palm tree...

So nice! Your patience for detail is so impressive Brad!

[ Edited by: zerostreet 2011-04-23 17:04 ]

Your work gives me a chance to use my favorite word -incandescent!

shimmering oceans with waves of opaque luminosity - cosmically illuminated tikis -wow!

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!
zerostreet- Thanks for noticing. I'm a nut for getting the textures where I want them right now. I think each of my tiki paintings a learn a little more about creating the look of weathered wood.
art from the Jungle room-WOW, thank you so much!
Well, as a big ol' storm is hitting the Big Island this afternoon, I got back from a morning public painting session at the Wyland Ocean front Gallery just before the rain hit. I was painting on a "artist's remark" for a art patron who had bought a giclee of "Beyond the Reef"". Here's the pics:

painting on the giclee

intelligent look

Here's the remark : I painted in a tiki in the ship's figure head's arms.

Happy patron

ALOHA!

T
teaKEY posted on Wed, May 4, 2011 5:23 AM

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!

In Maui, when I went to the National Park with the black sand, my pictures with the green vegetation and black pop like crazy just like this. Nice pic.

And everything is looking good with your artist remark.

ALOHA TIKI TRIBE!
TEA KEY - THANKS, YEAH THE BLACK SAND BEACHES ARE SO BEAUTIFUL!

Here's a pass at the tiki...

And here's another one, but it was too Fred Flintstone for me...

This one is looking better....

More laters!

.... and I think "Afro Samurai 2" is better than "Afro Samurai 1"....

ALOHA tiki Tribe!

Here's the painting so far...

Getting the wood- texture on the tiki.
Next, I gotta start figuring out where the flowers in the foreground are gonna go.... work out how I want to texture the wet sandy area, and I'm still wondering if I should do a little something something to the sky's transition.
More to come...
ALOHA!

T

I'm seeing something I like and something I've never seen before. So most real life tikis ARE carved to look godly with eyes and nose and mouth but few look really alive. Some tikis are draw where you would believe that are living breathing creature which yet I don't prefer. But this tiki is the first painted tiki where in looks carved but with carved in emotions from the mallet. Hopefully this makes sense.

T

Oh, and an interesting little circle cut into the wood.

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