Zerostreet's Tiki Art!

On 2011-12-08 05:14, umeone wrote:
Beautiful!

Thanks! Let's hope you feel the same way when it's done! :D

Looking very cool. The lighting so far kind of reminds me a little of some parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but more green than yellow. Looking forwards to seeing more. :)

On 2011-12-09 16:43, tigertail777 wrote:
Looking very cool. The lighting so far kind of reminds me a little of some parts of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, but more green than yellow. Looking forwards to seeing more. :)

Thanks Tigertail! I will be at said ride in a few days!

Superb lighting going on ....
man! are you slow!
Hurry up and get this masterpiece finished!
there's so many more pieces you need to paint!
:)

lol. lighten up Ken! looking good ZT!

On 2011-12-11 20:19, little lost tiki wrote:
Superb lighting going on ....
man! are you slow!
Hurry up and get this masterpiece finished!
there's so many more pieces you need to paint!
:)

You guys throwing that "M" word around is making me nervous! :D

Actually, I hoped to finished this one by now but the Holiday Season + Bronchitis + more sales that I thought I'd get during my online store sale resulted in less time painting. Also took the family to Disney for a few days and just got back this morning....so I will get right on it!

I hope you are well and had a really fun trip. Your paintings are a trip too. I look forward to when you say it's all done. I'll just sit back and enjoy all the special spots you add so well. Happy Holidays, Wendy

Thanks Tom and Wendy!

I'm feeling much better and had a great time with the wife and kids and my parents!

Also, just booked my room for Hukilau 2012! I'll be vending on the sun deck in front of all the action! This year's Hukilau was great, got to meet a lot of TC'ers and hope to do the same next year!

Here's the latest progress. Hard to see some of the detail I laid in but it's there! :) Gonna be many hours of adding grass now!

Hope you had fun at Disneyland! Right about now I am guessing they have Small World Holiday, and Haunted Mansion Holiday. I have never managed to make it to Disneyland during the Christmas season, so have not seen those yet but I hear they are really cool. I can definitely see the progress, and still maintain it has that Pirates of the Caribbean ride ambiance...which is very cool. Not sure I understand the grass part... have they run aground, or is it a bar in the foreground?

On 2011-12-15 23:14, tigertail777 wrote:
Hope you had fun at Disneyland! Right about now I am guessing they have Small World Holiday, and Haunted Mansion Holiday. I have never managed to make it to Disneyland during the Christmas season, so have not seen those yet but I hear they are really cool. I can definitely see the progress, and still maintain it has that Pirates of the Caribbean ride ambiance...which is very cool. Not sure I understand the grass part... have they run aground, or is it a bar in the foreground?

Hey Tigertail! They haven't run aground (not that I really know what's going on in this painting! :D ) that would just be some river grass poking out of the water. The Island of Tiki Tower is amalgam of a bunch of stuff...one being the Everglades I've got at my back yard!

Not everyone's had the good fortune to grow up in a swamp. I'm pretty sure anyone who has could tell you what that scene smells like and can hear the buzzing of the bugs. It looks great.

On 2011-12-16 06:40, Professor G wrote:
Not everyone's had the good fortune to grow up in a swamp. I'm pretty sure anyone who has could tell you what that scene smells like and can hear the buzzing of the bugs. It looks great.

Thanks Professor!

Bump for you Robert. Hope you're doing good and the art is coming along.

Robert, the setting for the "Fisherman God's Dilemma" reminds me of the old Humphrey Bogart / Katharine Hepburn movie, The African Queen, where Charlie and Rosie have lost the channel and are struggling to make way through small openings amidst dense reeds...

-Tom

On 2011-12-17 12:31, TikiTomD wrote:
Robert, the setting for the "Fisherman God's Dilemma" reminds me of the old Humphrey Bogart / Katharine Hepburn movie, The African Queen, where Charlie and Rosie have lost the channel and are struggling to make way through small openings amidst dense reeds...

-Tom

Thanks Chris! Feeling great! Hope to have the painting done in a week or so!

Thanks Tom! I remember watching that with my Dad many years ago! Hope you are enjoying the book and print!

R.

Robert, your art book is awesome, as is the range of your art, from "Mr. Brown" to "Professor's Got a Crush" to "Mai Kai Tiki No. 2"..."Moonlight on Ku" is a very nuanced creation, and it takes on more meaning after reading up on Ke`eku Heiau, a 500 to 600 year-old sacrificial temple dedicated to Ku as war-god.

-Tom

On 2011-12-17 13:45, TikiTomD wrote:
Robert, your art book is awesome, as is the range of your art, from "Mr. Brown" to "Professor's Got a Crush" to "Mai Kai Tiki No. 2"...

"Moonlight on Ku" is a very nuanced creation, and it takes on more meaning after reading up on Ke`eku Heiau, a 500 to 600 year-old sacrificial temple dedicated to Ku as war-god.

-Tom

So glad you like the book Tom! And thanks for the kind words. Even though I love doing the Tiki art, I do love many other styles and genres, especially pulp. Glad you enjoyed those!

Gonna read up on Ke`eku Heiau!

By the way I have one set of my book and print left if anyone is interested. $25 shipped for both, the prints is 5x6 inches. Here's a link to the marketplace post:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=41741&forum=12&4

R.

Tiki Tower
The Art of Robert Jimenez
http://www.tikitower.com

[ Edited by: zerostreet 2011-12-17 16:43 ]

Ok! Changed direction a bit on the background. Feel like I'm in the home stretch!

Tiki Tower
The Art of Robert Jimenez
http://www.tikitower.com

[ Edited by: zerostreet 2011-12-21 04:10 ]

Starting to "pretty" the place up a bit!

Looks great, how's the "daughter" coming along? Does she recognize herself?

It's good it's really good, love the glow and the little hole in the wood on the boat, the depth. It's one to just sit back and stare at for a long time.

Happy Holiday, Wendy

OK I admit I have not seen much in the way of swamps. However if you ever paint an ocean beach scene you better paint that accurately :wink: I grew up in a small town in Oregon that has something like 5 different beaches and we used to go almost every weekend. I think I also have the look of a rain forest pretty well down (Oregon has these as well) ...does that count as a swamp? :wink:

Kidding aside, the painting is looking very beautiful I admire your use of color and shadow. :)

[ Edited by: tigertail777 2011-12-20 21:29 ]

Thanks Mike, Wendy and Tigertail! Really appreciate all the comments, even the environmental fact-checking! :D

As to your question, Mike, about my daughter's likeness...I don't think it particularly looks like her just yet and it may not end up being her. If she really wants it to look like her I may have to bust out the projector and trace it. My daughter has a strange relationship with my paintings. Being that she loves painting and drawing she is always initially fascinated and will sit on my lap as I begin a painting....then, more often than not, she get's a bit creeped out and will watch me paint from a distance. There have been a few paintings she's been afraid of (she's only 5 by the way). Lester Dines At The Mai Kai is one...she would walk by and kinda check it out from the corner of her eye. She is feeling a little the same about this one...and I guess it can be creepy to a 5 year old. So if she feels that way I may not want to add her likeness to it....we'll see.

R.

That's funny Robert but I do understand - I think your paintings are beautiful but they are not quite rainbows and unicorns :lol:

On 2011-12-21 06:05, MadDogMike wrote:
That's funny Robert but I do understand - I think your paintings are beautiful but they are not quite rainbows and unicorns :lol:

Now you're making me want to paint a unicorn! :D

Here's a detail shot (a little bit of glare on the right side...)

! Hope to wrap this one up within a week!

Closing in on this one! Some more work on the foliage and fine tuning of the chimps and I'm done!

Mele Kalikimaka to all! Thank you all for the support you've given me, Tiki Tower and even Zerostreet over the last year, I truly am grateful!!

Here's to a peaceful and prosperous New Year for all!

Merry Christmas!

Tiki Tower
The Art of Robert Jimenez
http://www.tikitower.com

[ Edited by: zerostreet 2011-12-24 08:26 ]

Hi Robert, your monkey's always look so thoughtful and even wise. I know the end of their journey will bring a smile to our faces. Wendy

On 2011-12-24 09:11, danlovestikis wrote:
Hi Robert, your monkey's always look so thoughtful and even wise. I know the end of their journey will bring a smile to our faces. Wendy

Thanks Wendy! I hope so! :)

Here's a rough sketch for an upcoming painting. The title came to me in a flash! "THE CAT AND THE VIBRATING TIKI"

Hope to start in a week or so!

Nice Mod sketch Robert, can't wait to see it unfold.

Sometime over the last few postings, the pendant on the monkey on the right turned blue. Is this somehow related to the mermaid's magic pendant?

On 2011-12-26 19:31, MadDogMike wrote:
Nice Mod sketch Robert, can't wait to see it unfold.

Sometime over the last few postings, the pendant on the monkey on the right turned blue. Is this somehow related to the mermaid's magic pendant?

Thanks Mike. No it's not....as usual I don't know what that thing would be! :D

or... "The Pussy and the Tiki Vibrator". :wink:

Sorry... sorry I couldn't resist.

Love how the painting is coming along I really like the use of color. The new one that is thus far sketched seems a departure from your usual style it will be very interesting to see how it turns out.

On 2011-12-26 21:46, tigertail777 wrote:
or... "The Pussy and the Tiki Vibrator". :wink:

Sorry... sorry I couldn't resist.

Love how the painting is coming along I really like the use of color. The new one that is thus far sketched seems a departure from your usual style it will be very interesting to see how it turns out.

I'll ignore the first part of your comment :)

As to the second...I hope it will be a departure. It's easy to fall back to a comfortable style.

Ok, here it is! The color is a bit off in the pic. Hope to have it scanned in a week or so. On to the next one...

THE FISHERMAN GOD'S DILEMMA
16x20 Acrylic on wood

It's beautiful but I need to know the story. Here's my take = The fisherman's god is supposed to protect boat voyagers. But should he protect apes who have kidnapped the merchild, stolen the pendant of power and made off with the sacred statue of King Trident under the tarp? What a dilemma!

On 2011-12-28 18:40, MadDogMike wrote:
It's beautiful but I need to know the story. Here's my take = The fisherman's god is supposed to protect boat voyagers. But should he protect apes who have kidnapped the merchild, stolen the pendant of power and made off with the sacred statue of King Trident under the tarp? What a dilemma!

Nice! That does present a dilemma....but, my chimps are the good guys! That much I know. I always kinda thought that the chimps were protecting whatever is under the tarp and taking it somewhere safe. And that some unpleasant opposition is nearby....The child possibly represents the dilemma....I do like the Merchild angle though!

YOU MEAN YOU"RE JUST MAKING THIS UP AS YOU GO???!!!

:lol:

Perhaps the chimps are rescuing the merchild and retrieving the tarped mystery object from the fishermen in the fishermen's boat. The god's dilemma is whether he should be faithful to his old masters (the fishermen) or to his new masters (the chimps)

Wait... that is a covered box? I thought it was the weird black obelisk thing from 2001 A Space Odyssey...thus the apes, and the little girl was an allegory for the civilization of mankind and how enshrouded it is in the past being carried by currents of fate.

But you know I think your explanation is much simpler. :wink:

On 2011-12-28 20:16, tigertail777 wrote:
Wait... that is a covered box? I thought it was the weird black obelisk thing from 2001 A Space Odyssey...thus the apes, and the little girl was an allegory for the civilization of mankind and how enshrouded it is in the past being carried by currents of fate.

But you know I think your explanation is much simpler. :wink:

Who said anything about a box? :wink:

I once took a screenwriting class at UM. I was interested in writing but the art always dominated my time. Maybe I should outline a story for this painting and see what happens....then maybe all these questions would be answered. I'm reading Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter series now....really enjoying it...maybe a very pulpy Tiki/Chimp saga...

R.

Robert, we'll definitely need a story for this one. It is up to you who does the work creating one. Either the individual lucky enough to have this art hanging on their wall will have to make one up on the fly, or you can supply a plausible story. A visiting guest, someone like an MDM or a tigertail, will make a comment about the picture. The host will then of course state who created it and offer up the intriguing title. That will just prime the guest for a series of followup questions on what's actually transpiring in the picture, putting the host on the spot.

If you supply the story, you maintain control on the quality and uniformity of the tale. If we make it up on the fly, you're going to have as many different stories as there are folks looking at it, and the tale will vary in interest depending on the story-telling skills and imagination of the host.

If you would rather just move on to your next project and not be a scriptwriter, a thought: Perhaps on a different thread in the appropriate forum, you could solicit stories from the TC Ohana. You pick out the best one and provide a prize. You could provide some groundrules, if you choose to narrow the story parameters.

-Tom

This picture would make a good cover for your tiki/chimp pulp novel! Kind of a simian Hardy Boys :lol:

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2011-12-29 06:28 ]

Interesting ideas Tom. A lot to think about....I'll have to get back to you guys on this one.

Here's the new one already in progress...can't say there's much of a story in this one though :D Girl puts record on...Tiki vibrates...

Reading the last two pages was a pulp fiction novel that was never censored! The new paintings title: The Girl With One Big Leg. Ok I know you just blocked it out but I wanted to start the next thought wave. Dan wishes he had a stereo like that one. Play it loud and the tiki would vibrate. Cheers, Wendy

On 2011-12-29 20:39, danlovestikis wrote:
Reading the last two pages was a pulp fiction novel that was never censored! The new paintings title: The Girl With One Big Leg. Ok I know you just blocked it out but I wanted to start the next thought wave. Dan wishes he had a stereo like that one. Play it loud and the tiki would vibrate. Cheers, Wendy

Yeah it got kinda crazy there, Wendy!

Anyway did a bit of work! Happy New Year everyone!

So here I sit on January first looking at this new piece Robert, I've got Mr. Denny playing in the background but I can feel it coming out of your gal's hi-fi too!

Loving this one Robert!

Happy New Year!

On 2012-01-01 10:10, WestADad wrote:
So here I sit on January first looking at this new piece Robert, I've got Mr. Denny playing in the background but I can feel it coming out of your gal's hi-fi too!

Loving this one Robert!

Happy New Year!

Thanks Chris! Great compliment!

Here's the finished painting:

Man, that was QUICK!!!!! I think that's a new world record for you :lol:

Beautiful pic with a great vibe (pun intended)

Nice one, Zero,

It looks like it's 7:58 and she's grabbing a quick relax before the party starts. I dig it completely.