Little lost Tiki's Art Chronicles and Stuffs! Page 70!A brief Return,BUT! Some new pieces to Delight YOU!!!

Kinney!

I love me some orongo birds! I like the 'tied on' skulls... Nice touch, bro.

Cannot wait to see the other 19 Bamboo Ben pieces come to life...

What do you have in mind? Any particular themes you are dreaming up?

Peace & blessings, my brother!
Jason <

Hey Folks!
a quickie DRIVE-BY before i head off to the grindstone......
zerostreet-Thanks Art-mate! Ya gotta love them cannibals!

MadDog Mikey-What's a Tiki Remora? :)
Yeah... i think i have enough frames to keep me out of the schoolyard! :)

Wendy! Lovin that Zombie Torch mug you got going!
Talk about advancing one's craft! You are the MASTER,m;dear!

tigertail777-no Tin Burton here.... i think the secret is to find a little bit of humor amongst the pathos in every situation......

Jason!-how have you been? :)
As for themes....Not really sure yet... but check back here about once every 2 weeks and your questions will be VISUALLY answered! :)
Thanks for the visit! :)

Well...got asked to be in the Contemporary Idol exhibition at m Modern next month
which asks for Primitive Idols in slightly Modernist settings,art styles,or integrated within Modernist interiors,etc.....

PNG,Melanesian,African sources were mentioned.....
so i started to do some research and studies..
here's a few and i'll scan the others out of my sketchbook soon!

First...some African Masks with a Modernist twist!

"African Mask"
ink on Aquarelle Watercolor paper

and another one.....
"African Composition"
ink on Aquarelle Watercolor paper

Here's one with a swanky home and pool in the background....
"Modern Primitive"
ink and watered down acrylic on Aquarelle Watercolor paper (which is actually 100% cotton!)

and here's a drawing with a more Primitive vibe and setting..
"Path to the Cannibal's Hut"
ink and watered down acrylic on Aquarelle Watercolor paper

BUT... I'm thinking of going MORE in this direction with the hut.....

"Refuge by the Bay"
ink on Aquarelle Watercolor paper

I'll post more of this adventure when i get some time this week....
Thanks for all the visits and sweet things y'alls say!
:)

Website is slowly coming together.. I'm on FaceBook Too!
Categorized and Classified!http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35616&forum=21&start=0&173

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2012-01-21 09:26 ]

Ken, a remora is that fishy looking thing that hangs out with sharks, keeping them clean and munchin' down of the scraps the shark misses. That little guy looks like he's hiding in the chin cleft, just waiting for a snack that the cannibal misses :lol:

These latest are a new look for you LLT, I like them!

Oh yeahhhhhhh! Nice architectural and primitive goodnesses!

Nice Ken! Love those mod Masks!

HELLO KIDDLES!

Welp... after my third cup o L'Lave Espresso Roast
(in order to avoid that dangerous naptime 6-7pm after work)
it was time to deliver on that promise of posting all those studies
for this upcoming "the Contemporary idol" exhibition
(during modernist Week at mModern in February)
African and PNG and Modernism suggestions on the show invitation
kinda gelled over the holidays
in a scatter-brained kinda way!
and since this is OTHER CRAFTS and all about pieces in progress
and insights into technique and the VERY CREATIVE PROCESS ITSELF
i thought i would share with the ohana
the rough sketches...the ramblins....all the stuff that leads up to creating a MASTERWOIK!

But First.....

Mike!!!!!
that is soooo Hilarious! I think that is what he shall be! Thanks for that insight! kind of a personal groomer for cannibals! Who knows? Wee little Remora may show up on some other cannibal's chin!

As for a new look...kind of an extension as well as mixture of previous styles...
like new combinations
or old combinations with new colorways....
i pored over the Tiki Modern book
and did studies based on a few different styles in that wonderful book
(i know it's been said a lot,
but THANKS SVEN! for all your research and love of this culture you helped usher and inspire!)
Anyways.... i bet if you waded thru the book ,you could find the illustrations that sparked some of these art styles (as well as modernist structures) Below!
:)

BTW..the Tahitian Cannibal Trailer is GAH-ROOVIN along Nicely!
Thank you for your constant enthusiasm and friggin ENERGY!

Sneaks! I've been art-hermiting this whole Holiday vacay
(as you shall see if you scroll downward)
Your dedication and talent and attention to research drives me onward whenever I'm feelin Burnt... Mahalo!
RAP BATTLE SOON!
:)

zerostreet-Scroll down mon freur (is that even a phrase? it sounds kinda French..like "my friend")
and ye shall see more Mod masks...
i tell ya...
Picasso and Braque had it right when they looked towards
Primitive Art in MANY different locales and cultures...

and i know... Tiki IS NOT about African masks
BUT

i say BUT....
the exhibition is about the Primitive Spirit and,just like the Cubists

(and Modernism that DREW from that well as well as aviation sources in line)

this exhibition will consider African sources under the umbrella of Primitive Art and Cultures..
m'KAY?

Playing with these styles ,i applied them towards some Hawaiian influences
(for me,more than the exhibition....)
like this
"Ku"

and this little curmudgeon
(who would make for a great mug or carving methinks!)
"Modernist Lono"

Then....some studies of African masks...
to get a feel for their mood
their lines
their power
so here's some of them....

"African Mask"

"Ancestor Skull"
(this one really didn't apply to the show,but was so compelling...
ever since the Hunters and Collectors show last year revived an interest in the contrast between
adorning skulls for trophies or for revered ancestral purposes)

CHECK OUT SOME OF THE GREAT SHAPES AND FORMS IN THESE!

"Fang Wooden Sculpture"

Here's some MO"!

I forget what area this is from...it may be from a picture i gleaned from a book or the internet....
i blur out for research on the internet....images blur and i follow tangents and find TREASURES!

Oh!
Here's the original study for the "Path to the Cannibal's Hut" piece

and here's the drawing/furthered study

Here's an original vision of the cannibal sculpture,til PNG began to call!

a lil PNG for the LADIES!
whatever that means...

Then it was time to cut loose and play around with some different styles...
"The Dance"

and please bear with me
as I'm sharing ALL of these and as you can see.. a LOT of them are far from perfect

clumsy

searching

but that's what a sketchbook is all about!

putting it down in there is more of a ritual

you solidify it

importantize it!

imprint it in your brain

it's there...

it's not a post-it note in a book in your voluminous library

it's a part of the chronicles

(that you've hopefully,dutifully preserved in sketchbooks and arranged chronologically for easy reference)

Anyways... Please excuse the messiness and such....
Thank you....

"Hunting Dance"

"Drummer"

"Dinner Drums"

after that fun little immersion into the realm of experimentation and play

it was time to do some Architectural studies/elaborations
and see where that leads..

it's kind of uncomfortable territory
but let's take a peek into that world and aesthetic for awhile...

Kinda like that Sci-Fi jag/explosion of studies i did a while back..
click here if you'd like to see those crazy studies!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1677779071611.93402.1451540979&type=1

Ready for an Architectural Journey?

First... a poolside dip!

Here's a structure I'd like in my backyard...
Please buy plenty of my paintings so i can build this...
(it could second as an eventual memorial/mausoleum thingie)

Also did some Solomon Island Boids..
i loves them so!

a HUT!

Here's the structure that will probably make it into the "Path to the Cannibal's Hut"

Here's a study of the structure used in the "Modern Primitive" drawing

and here's the building as it is in the drawing

(that MAY become a painting if i have enough time...)

Time to leave you all with a Modernist Fountain,composed of a tapa-meets-tribal motifs mosaic pathway
leading up to a lovely primitive inspired Sculpture in the middle...

Thanks for tolerating these ramblings...
Time to go paint !
Won't feel like sleepin til around 1!
Night! Night Ohana!
:)

LLT, Don't apologize for your your sketches they are awesome. I love seeing into your creative process. I have not actually used markers that much, but it looks like a great way to do preliminary comps. I may have to try it sometime. I really dig the drummer sketch, but all of them are very cool.

L O V E the sketches!~ Chock full of inspiration! Love the building...should be a painting... so many Tikis so little time!

Kinny, Thank You for sharing your work process, very inspiring, looking really good, man. Love "The Dance", both in concept and in colors...green lawn always reminds me of Palm Springs. And the use of the Sky Palm Motel. Those rock textures in mod structures: Caves for the modern cave man. Have you ever considered putting a modern company "Mad" man in contrast to a primitive idol?

Damn Kinny, u r indeed my hero. so much thought, study and WORK goes into each of your projects.

its great to see your shift into modernist mode and how much you've got it dialed in through the process!

GO man GO!!!!!!!

You're going to need some Witco-ish frames for this stuff!!!

Wowzee!

Aloha Ohana!
Well, here i am.sicker than a dawg with a blanket around me and the space heater blowing hard
as i type and share the fruits of more research and results....
now THAT's DEDICATION,eh?

But first......Mahalo again for all your visits and vibes and verb-age
it's nice to know i have invisible companions on this long road of art....
:)

On 2012-01-04 23:05, tigertail777 wrote:
LLT, Don't apologize for your your sketches they are awesome. I love seeing into your creative process. I have not actually used markers that much, but it looks like a great way to do preliminary comps. I may have to try it sometime. I really dig the drummer sketch, but all of them are very cool.

Mahalo tigertail!
Thanks for visitin!
i guess i speak DOWN on the sketches because they are so quick...like post-it notes,plus i can see the finished product
and the sketch often falls short of it...
BUT.... like you said,
the creative process is something to be shared...
That's where a LOT of the magic happens....
in that kernel of truth
that instantaneous creative spark
Sometimes the sketches just stay sketches
their job is done
they are perfect little misfits...
as for the markers...
i use COPIC markers and TOMBO brush pens
the COPICs are alcohol-based
and the TOMBOS are water-soluble
so they can be blended with a brush and water....
it's a great way to get some life into the sketch
or to do the light and shadow part really quick!
a sketchbook is like a memory catcher
every artist should have one close to them
because sometimes these ideas just pop-in
then pop-out
in a flash!

On 2012-01-15 02:52, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
L O V E the sketches!~ Chock full of inspiration! Love the building...should be a painting... so many Tikis so little time!

Mahalo Brad!
You are sooo right!
So many Tikis....so little time....
and sharks!
let's not forget about THEM!
Thanks for your talent,encouragement,and being a constant in this artist's life....

On 2012-01-15 09:01, bigbrotiki wrote:
Kinny, Thank You for sharing your work process, very inspiring, looking really good, man. Love "The Dance", both in concept and in colors...green lawn always reminds me of Palm Springs. And the use of the Sky Palm Motel. Those rock textures in mod structures: Caves for the modern cave man. Have you ever considered putting a modern company "Mad" man in contrast to a primitive idol?

THANK YOU for the visit,Sven! Such a theme as "the Primitive Idol" deserves some long hours of work and thought...There's these two worlds....the Modern and the Primitive.... It's fascinating how each of these culture views these idols... It would be good for our society to glean MORE from these cultures....

Here's a lil anecdote...
was reading Jung's "Man and his Symbols" recently and learned that primitive cultures believe they have TWO souls...their own,and a Bush-Soul......an animal,tree,a river,a bird. Jung explained how these primitive people REALIZED the different parts of the psyche and went about dividing them as such.... Because Modern man has not grasped the different parts of his mind,he is beset by mental anguish and difficulty....
Been struggling with this theme a bit.....but i always gravitate back to the title "the Primitive Idol"
that PRIMITIVE way of living,hunting,surviving
raw....untrained.....honest and brutal....
i knew..if anyone,that YOU would recognize the Sky Palms Hotel!
:)
i think it was the Rocks on that structure=ure that first drew me in!
Caves for the Modern Cave man,indeed!
Speaking of...Have you ever stayed at the Madonna Inn?
During Honeymooning with the first wife
we stayed in the Misty Rock Room with a Rock Wall and Shower!
needless to say,i got in touch with my Modern Cave man. :lol:
Never really considered putting a MAD man in any of these pieces..
I usually like to try and keep the "worlds" i paint in specific areas
their own perimeters....
even working on those two Modernist Architecture and Idols
i felt like i was wandering into DawnFrasier or GatoGomezLand
and they both have NAILED that so PERFECTLY and Beautifully
so, as you will see, i wandered back into the jungle on the next batch of sketches and paintings,searching for that perfect painting
to radiate the power of the primitive,yet keeping it locked
into a Modernist style....
Thank you again for inspiring and informing us all
nudging us forward
lighting our tiki torches...
There will probably be 2-3 offerings for this upcoming exhibition
and i'll see which one (or ones) make the grade
and are worthy of the gallery and subject.
:)

On 2012-01-16 10:49, BigToe wrote:
Damn Kinny, u r indeed my hero. so much thought, study and WORK goes into each of your projects.
its great to see your shift into modernist mode and how much you've got it dialed in through the process!
GO man GO!!!!!!!

Tommy!
it's that Danged mutual Inspiration Pact,as you know....
Sooo stoked you just got that "Subject and Symbols in Art" Book!
It's a DOOZY! Sooooon,sooon,my friend,you will see
how the Masters are truly the Masters
and their stories and tales and deeper meanings
are something for every generation that cares to look
Sooooo looking forward to the Renaissance
that i see bubbling up inside you!
I'm predicting some MIND-BLOWERS this year!
You are a true friend and brother-in-arts
you and Doug always amaze and amuse this demented lil mind...
I'm glad our ArtJams bring up subjects that inspire us all....
Let's all make some KICK-ASS TIKI art for the Ohana this YEAR!
and more ARTJAMS!!!!!
Thank YOU Toe!
You are the Wind Beneath my Wings....
near the BOTTOM area!
:)

On 2012-01-16 10:56, RevBambooBen wrote:
You're going to need some Witco-ish frames for this stuff!!!
Wowzee!

Sheesh! Thanks Ben!
You don't know the HALF of it!
Boy is on a ROLL!
I'll give you a jingle soon to catch-up
as I've been in an ArtFOG as of late....
I am so Flush with Frames right now
and it is EXCITING!!!!
I still got about 15-16 BooBen beauties for Moasis
and the Ruzic/Toe show in the Fall
and i've been poaching MP frames from a
Church Community Center exhibition
that i haven't followed up on...
i got's seven of what he refers to as "Tijuana Specials"
and he lovingly carves up each one and they're
kinda Witco meets TJ...
Scroll down and you can see a couple...
Are YOU working on some Witco-ish frames?
You got my attention...
Would love to see what YOUR geniusboy mind has thought up! :)
i am always up for some frames!

Wow!
How did i get so Lucky to get all these Tiki-Upper Echelons a visitin?
Lucky! Lucky!
:)

Welpers....
time to share some work....
some research....
some revelations....
and some FUN!

When we last left off...
"Path to the Cannibal's Hut" piece

and here's the drawing/furthered study

Here's an original vision of the cannibal sculpture,til PNG began to call!

and here's a lil step-by-step
that i shot whenever i wasn't distracted by another painting calling my name....
16x20 masonite
(MP hand cut each piece of masonite
to PERFECTLY fit their frame!
What a time-saver! Thanks Empee!)

Step One:
gesso the masonite
sand it lightly
sketch out the painting with pencil,refining it from the sketch
then start adding in some background colors
and playing with the shading here and there
feeling it out....

Step Two:
color in more areas
try some raw umber washes
et-cetera...

Step Three:
YELLAH! and some gray
and start developing the jungle in the background...

Step Four:
starting to get the outlines and the lines goin...
some shadowing and building up
and started a night sky....

Step Five:

Step Six:

and here it is FINISHED!
"the Path"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on gessoed masonite
16x20

and with one of them MP frames...

After that,i was rarin up to do the second piece
with the Motel and the Pool
and THEN! the primitive called!

and i banged this out as a way to transition from the Modernist vibe
and back to the Jungle....

"Totem"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on wood
with a Bamboo Ben frame!

then it was time to get REAL RAW!
"Sepik Painted Mask"
ink and pastels on Aquarelle paper

This one was fun and Quick and i was so pleased to have achieved that weathered paint on rotted wood look! YAY!

Next ,it was time for some more messy fun!
working wet...bleachpen,and ink brushpen
"Kokomo Bird carving"
ink and bleachpen on Aquarelle watercolor paper

and a detail...

then it was onto the sketchbook and Oceanic Art Books
to find the perfect Primitive...

"Baining Mask"
ink on sketchbook paper

"Shortmeri Carving"
ink on sketchbook paper

This sculpture is a representation of a woman who,after a flood
went to the river and begged her ancestors to help her feed her children,as the village was devastated and there was no food to be found anywhere (her husband had died years before). The ancestor told her to go to the river bank the next morning and to be sure nobody sees her....She went there and found a bird head by the bank. She took off her head and donned the bird head and flew into the river and caught many fish for her three children.After doing this for a time,one of the villagers got curious and followed her to the riverbank... He watched her remove her head and replace it with the bird and then saw her dive in and begin to catch fish. The villager raised his club and smashed the woman's head,forever dooming her to wear the bird head....the end.

Pretty Cool,huh?
Punishment for with-holding from the rest of the clan
is how i interpret it.
which is pretty heavy!
What do YOU guys think?
Are there any meanings that evade me?
Motherhood over Tribal Loyalty?
the destructive power of jealousy?

Anyways... the sculpture is brilliant and i MAY do an abstract of that,but things are busy-ing up around here
so i gotta wrap this exploration up for now
and get pieces done for this....

Well....as comic relief,here are some drunken Cannibals i sketched
whilst art-jammin over Christmas

"Night Terrors"
ink on sketchbook paper

"the Conversation"
ink and watercolor on sketchbook paper

"the Prize"
ink and watercolor on sketchbook paper

Okay!
Back to Subject at hand!
Sketchbook studies

"Yipwan Charm" (Arambak)
pencil and watercolor on sketchbook paper

i really like the play of shapes and shadows on this one....
note to self: worth developing!

and then this came along...
"Sepik Speaking Chair""
pen and ink on sketchbook paper

and here's the painting started from that initial study
on unprimed masonite (sanded down tho ...for tooth)

Dunno what's gonna happen with it from here....it's kind of in limbo for now....

BUT! here's some details for you to oogle at....

Alright! Alright!
I know! I know!
You're all thinking
"Well, Ruzic's been all talking about gettin to the PRIMITIVE
but all he's shown us is some sketchbook crap
a few more developed drawings
and a finished painting
with a step-by-step that was lackluster at best
and totally shuffled thru during those last few steps....
So where's the PRIMITIVE?
where's that truly TIKI Money-shot,MAn?"

well...wait no more dear friends
here it is...
but first...
a build-up.

SOLOMON ISLANDS
Birds!
Canoes!
Headhunting!
and the Canoe Prows!
aaaaah!

that face! DOG-like at times,hmmmmmm?

the POWER!
the Variety!

one of the Cannibal Prows had a bit
of weathered red around the teeth
now if that AIN'T Primitive,i dunno what is!

thus!
a drawing bubbled up...

"Bougainville Canoe Prow" (Solomon Islands)
ink,bleachpen,and pastel on Aquarelle paper

and from that fury of SAVAGERY and PRIMAL inspiration....
a painting was BORN!

"River and Moonlight"
16x20
acrylic and cel-vinyl on unprimed ,sanded masonite
the sanded masonite soaks up the paint juuuuust RIGHT!

and with a glorious MP Tijuana Special Frame!

you like?
i hope so,because i REALLY DO!
That desire to hit on that Primitive vibe is fulfilled
and the frame makes it look so....Museum-like!

i hope you all think it's a successful blend of
MODERNIST (in a wonky cubist-way) execution
for a
PRIMITIVE object of power...

Here's a great synopsis of the Prows...
from here...
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/solo/hd_solo.htm

"Prior to the end of the nineteenth century, headhunting was considered by the Solomon Islanders as a necessary part of life that ensured the health and well-being of their community. Headhunting raids would utilize large, plank-built war canoes with crescent-shaped prows and sterns. Anthropomorphic canoe prow ornaments (1976.351) were standard features of the canoes. Positioned at the waterline of the vessel, these ornaments represented mythological spirits whose function was to ward off danger and ensure smooth seas. They were typically painted black and had shell-inlay designs depicting the face-painting designs used by warriors. These figures were also carved with protruding mouths, artificially elongated earlobes (a cosmetic practice in this region), and oftentimes held miniature heads as an allusion to their role in headhunting. "

Aw Man! whilst googling this,
i found that our dear Gecko has an AWESOME MUG of one! ZOING!
Nguzunguzu (noozoo-noozoo) Mug!!!!
check it out because it is a TREAT!
http://www.ooga-mooga.com/cgi-bin/all/mug.cgi?mode=view&mug_id=4559&ind_mug_id=42952

okay...okay...
gimme a break on the segueways
i'm sick...

Here's some details of the "River and Moon" for you!

Here's the face with pearl shell inlays...

Here's a detail of the earplug

Top of the head
with a little peek into the lush jungle in the background

Here's some of the eye and inlay
wandering off into the night sky
having a staring contest with the moon

Here's a WHOLE CLOSE-UP of the face

and,to contrast the crazed face of the gazing Canoe Prow
a bird instead of a skull is placed into the hands
for navigation and guidance
But it's night
and the bird is weary
longingly gazing into the moon's reflection...

and that's all i got for now... and now for some rest and recovery!
:)

Wow! Such amazing stuff!

That Sepik mask is amazing! I happen to be painting one right now on a cigar box! Got inspired by Dave Hansen's recent work!

"River and Moonlight" is gorgeous Ken! As are those MP frames!

I look at all of your mind blowing art and think I'm lazy. You just pour out all these wonderfully creative pieces that are absolutely recognizable as yours. I'm so lucky to have some on our walls. I feel like I've been somewhere special when I look at your paintings. Thank you, Wendy

I'm with Robert, "Sepik Mask" and "River & Moonlight" really stand out for me, love the moonlight colors. If I remember right the Nguzunguzu holding skulls or heads were war canoes and those holding birds were hunting canoes. I like the 2 fisted cannibal :lol:

You've been busy man!

You are so amazingly amazing it fries my brain and makes my skull sizzle, Kinny!

WOWZA!!!
~Zero

Aloooooooooo-Haw!

zerostreet-
mahalo soooo much for the props! PNG ROCKS!
lake Surfer has been goin AWF lately!
as you are too!
Year of the Dragon is bringin in a
rush of creative energy and inspiration!

Wendy-i am the one who is lazy....
you are the ball of energy,my dear!
Thanks for the visit,love!
BUMATAY!!!!!! :)

Mike-
"If I remember right the Nguzunguzu holding skulls or heads were war canoes and those holding birds were hunting canoes."
Thanks for that! i did more drawing than studying this explosion...
i like the fact it's a hunting canoe as opposed to a war/headhunting canoe prow...
Softens and sweetens the piece a bit...
love you MAN!
can''t wait for MOAsis!!!!!

Zerotiki-glad i could accommodate,my friend!
:)

Here's some progress shots...
Middle Sepik Orator's Stool!
How funny Dave hansen and i were groovin on the same kinda PNG vibe
Middle Sepik,BABY!!!

Details for you,dear Ohana!

and i finally decided to paint the other tiki/architecture piece for the mModern show
and keep River and Moonlight
for submittal to the laLuz gallery kitsch-n-sink exhibition...
empee talked me into it.....
now i'm gonna harass the Toe to do the same!

Remember this one?

"Modern Primitive"
ink and watered down acrylic on Aquarelle Watercolor paper (which is actually 100% cotton!)

(the drawing had a nice dark quality that i achieved by wetting the page and
applying a sheet of black paper over it and rubbing it
giving it a weathered deckled look...
i knew i would fall short of the initial drawing
and actually create something close
but different...

anyways...here are my progress shots...

16x20
gessoed and sanded masonite
pencil sketch from the study
and slight tinting with green

details...

more green and some violet for the undercoat

getting the initial shading/undershadows
DETAILS!!!

time for some COLOR!!!!

close-ups!

then started to add the raw umber "blackline and washes of violet over the greens and browns
to bring the color down....

DETAILS Schmeetails!

More raw umber and some shading and washes of blue....

Let's take a closer look....

Clouds and sky....landscaping....

NO Close-ups!

next step,ripples in da pool! moon reflections...
but still too bright for a night sky,so i MAY do some washes of blue and violet over the whole surface and rub it off,thus darkening it a little bit more....

close.......UPS!

That's it for tonight....
sorry i don't have more time for words....
But you know what Dale bozio says about words....
groan...
g'night!

My friend, I don't know where you get the energy.

Boundless... endless... limitless...

I had to drop in to see what's going on on your thread... and it has made me very tired.
Not to mention I am fighting both a cold and the nighttime cold meds I just took.

But you're latest works are very inspiring, and it is funny the inspiration we both found at the same time with the Orator's Stool.

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

By the way, in my latest research outing at the library, I found an extensive description of why so much of the Solomon Islands work has a doglike appearance.
The description escapes me right now, but as soon as I come across it again I will share it with you... may have to make another trip and find that book I read it in.
I have some Solomon's work lined up for future projects this year... very interesting stuff!

Hey Dave!
Thanks for the visit!

Energy?
the secret is NAPS!!
1-3 a week

Hope you feel better soon and are getting back to the carving!
it's cold here in the studio in Cali
i can't even imagine Wisconsin!
i salute you in your dedication!

The Orator's Stools are great! the ancestor is embedded and present and it is brought out to help settle village matters...
that Solomon Islands Dog-thing ....i believe.....goes back to their mythology where dog taught them everything,how to hunt and even how to build canoes.....
at least that's how i remember it...
Can't wait to see the work you tackle from the ol Solomons!

Here's where I'm at with that piece.....

added more detail and molding of the contours of the carvings on the face..

some wood grain and texture and rings and a background coming into focus.....

Jungle background with a subtle sun,echoing the eyes of the ancestor

and FINALLY finished this one!
"Pool and Moonlight"
(been really into moons and reflections lately)
acrylic and cel-vinyl on gessoed masonite

Here's his face... i LOVE his eyes!

Would you loik some fruit,Mister?

the two other wooden carvings by the moonlit pool

a Cannibal
(who i would LOVE to make into a mug someday!)

This little guy has actually popped up in a previous painting from my "After Hours" series
with Tiki bar interiors....
Anyways,here's the sketch i had for the mug a while back..

Here's the tribal Carving at the base of a palm
and the side motif on the right

Here's the moon and clouds and a bit of the structure...
i had to do a LOT of color washes to get this NIGHT looking
but it paid off
so daddy is pleased....

The top o the palm
a Witco-ish wood sculpture on the right
some leaves in the corner
and a motif up top

and a final view of the building and walkway to the pool

Thank you again for the visits
G'night ALL!

Slow down Kinny!!! I'm having a hard time keeping up!

Love the vivid colors and the reflection of the moon. That guy looks quite happy with himself for pilfering a bowl of fruit from the patio to take back to the jungle.

Well kids!
Aloha and thanks for dropping in!

Anyways... a lot to share so I'll reply Mikey and go from there...

On 2012-01-24 06:16, MadDogMike wrote:
Slow down Kinny!!! I'm having a hard time keeping up!
Love the vivid colors and the reflection of the moon. That guy looks quite happy with himself for pilfering a bowl of fruit from the patio to take back to the jungle.

Slow Down?
You're one to talk with that Tahitian Cannibal trailer! :)
He does seem kinda like he got one over on the occupants,eh?
this one is purdy vivid in person..in a muted down ever so slightly way...
Thanks for being you
and for the visits and comments
they push me forward some days...
:)

Welpers.... running on fumes right now as i am nearing the end of my
MAGICAL INSOMNIACAL WEEKEND PAINTING JAG!
Quickie 1 hour naps whenever i got tired and then Coffee and ZIPFIZZ energy drinks...
This whole weekend has turned into a BIG BLUR of PAINTING!
Was on such a jag (and lack of sleep) that i missed the International marketplace at DTBs today...
Twas worth it,because now i have my two submissions for the La Luz "Kitsch-n-Sync" Exhibition at la Luz de Jesus finished...i just hope the submission date is the 31st
like i remember....Toe and i are BOTH going to be SO last minute on that....
fingers crossed...

Here's the first one i plan on submitting..
"Moonlight and River"

and the second submission is JUST BELOW!

First off... finished
"the Sentinel"
(Middle Sepik Orator's Stool)
image:16x20
18x24 w/frame
acrylic and cel-vinyl on masonite
with the bitchenest empee frame you have EVER SEEN!

Please excuse the colored background
the mp frame 's silhouette is so PERFECT
i just hadda make it stand out...

here's the piece all by itself...

Sorry about not documenting the finishing touches
let's just say they happened and happened fast!
thru 2 discs of "It's always Sunny in Philadelphia" in fact...
anyways,here's some close-ups..

Eyes of the Sentinel
almost like little suns...

in fact... here's a subtle sun in the background
echoing the eye motif
and creating a strange sense of in-continuity
as the lighting that should be emanating from there
is a little "off"...

Here's the body and some detail on the stool...

some more background..

and some more behind his 'ead!

Well... that was a fun 2-painting exploration of this stained glass abstract style
utilizing actual artifacts as the starting point....
i hope they both captured some of the
primitive,savage,and powerful intensity of these objects...

Here's a piece i started during an Artjam on new Year's Eve
and finally finished it...
"Dinner Call"
12 x 18"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on wood
with a Bamboo Ben frame

kind of a play on this earlier,more involved drawing..
"the Cannibal Family"

love the hungry whiny kid...

and Poppa's blabbering away,bringing a bowl of tasty bones from the pile behind him...

as you can see,not much attention was paid to their dwelling....
:)

next piece and all the others following are the result of trying out a new medium...
acrylic gouache...even better than regular gouache....man!
wish i would have known this about 7 years ago!
would have made some earlier pieces a lil less painstaking....

this one was messy and raw and layers upon layers of washes and sanding down and smearing and just gettin all primitive with it...

"the Ancestor's Smile"
(from an East Sepik War Shield/April River,PNG)
6x14"
acrylic gouache on wood
with a Bamboo Ben frame

here's a closeup of the wear and tear i put on this...

Then started working on this simple sweet one...
no real deep message behind this one
just a sunny day
birds in the sky
fish in the water
and....
"Rowing Home"
12 x 18"
acrylic gouache on wood
with a Bamboo Ben frame

this sun is WAY too happy!

and here's the rowers with satisfied smiles on their faces as they return home...

Next piece was a fun play on an earlier sketch
this one...
"Modernist Lono"

would LOVE to make a mug out of this guy someday!
anyways,flanked em and created a pocket for a frontal lono face
and a chance to hide some faces within faces
just for fun...

"Tres Lono"
14x14"
acrylic gouache on wood
with a Bamboo Ben frame

here's a closeup of the wacky simplified cartoony style i tried on this one
i hoped by creating a retro-ish colorway
that it may look more Tiki Moderne with the cartoony feel a side issue...

Here's a little janus style profiles hidden here...

Something about this guy's eyes...

Here's his whole face..

Left Lono...

also i provided a second nose on these side guys
with the nostril acting as an eye...
just for fun!

and for the last piece
i went FULL-ON bright and retro and abstract!
starting with wide swathes of paint for the background
it built up from there....
into...
"the Entrance to Cannibal Land"
10x12"
acrylic gouache on wood
with a Bamboo Ben frame

here's the image by itself

and the two masks on spears...

"the Heist"
12 x18
acrylic gouache on wood
with a Bamboo Ben frame

image only!

the BIG HEIST!

the lil heist....

very sneaky......

close-up of his face....

Well, that's all i gots
and i gots to go to sleep...
work tomorrow....

Thanks again Ohana
for all your pop-ins and comments
and observations
and good vibes!
:)

Website is slowly coming together.. I'm on FaceBook Too!
Categorized and Classified!http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35616&forum=21&start=0&173

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2012-01-31 07:18 ]

Really like "the Entrance to Cannibal Land" Kinny

Thank you kindly,Lancey!
as you can see,itried a few more modernist pallettes on some of these...
as per your request...
:)

yep Entrance to Canibal Land OoOOoooOooo my favorite.

Siiiigh!
the one that takes the LEAST amount of time or thought
and it ends up being the Favorite of the Bunch....
figgers!!!!!

Thanks Dawnee! :)

Your other pieces are great Kinny, I just think you
really nailed the "mid century aesthetic" with "the Entrance to Cannibal Land"

It has a simple yet primitive subject & color palette that screams "Mid Century Modern"
well done my good man!

You know I have a weakness for Nguzunguzus, I love how he turned out - dark and moody yet vibrant. I like that he is NOT mounted to the prow of a canoe - like he is a living being and that all the prow decorations are statues of HIM.

LLT!!!
Genius! I was over on Maui and saw the new Disney / Hawaiian resort. Nice... but boy... they sure could have used YOUR ART in the hall ways and rooms. I mean the stuff they have now is nice and ... bland... but your designs are so much more interesting and powerful, fantastic color choices! REAL art! Okay, may be not "Cannibal Family" hanging in a hotel room ... might scare the kids (he he he ) ... but my new fave is the Bamboo Ben / LLT piece "the Entrance to Cannibal Land" . - BEEUTEEFULL!

LLT You wrote:
"Aloha Ohana!
Well, here i am.sicker than a dawg with a blanket around me and the space heater blowing hard
as i type and share the fruits of more research and results....
now THAT's DEDICATION,eh?

But first......Mahalo again for all your visits and vibes and verb-age
it's nice to know i have invisible companions on this long road of art.... "

I GROCK you Kenny! I hope I get you- and your unyielding march forward, along this weird sandy tropical coastline... ever seeking that never seen before sight... to the human eye... around the next dune, or beyond that dark waving clump of palm trees... exploring this mysterious island of Tiki legend... we are your invisible friends, a unseen cyber-tiki-tribe connected together by the net. We huddle around our flickering screens - a tribe gathered around a camp fire in the tropical night, as you walk in from the darkness. You' are our Hoo-doo man. Our Witch-Doctor. Our tribal wizard, who's wandered far far out to the other side of the island... to the edge and back. Back with tales of lands, and creatures, and strange terrible and beautiful things, mystery mythology from out there. Painting the cave and hut walls with their images. You make these things dance in the fire light and come alive for us... who all hunch and watch and listen and marvel. Thanks!
You can turn and trudge back out into the unexplored parts of paradise again, and I know I''ll be waiting here by my flickering computer to hear and see more mysteries you'll bring back.

Heart you Brad!
:)

I'll have longer replies for y'alls later
first i must attend to this special offering!

"River and Moonlight" is being offered as a print for 24 HOURS ONLY!
Go here and find out the skinny!
you have 23.20 hours.....
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=42178&forum=12&0

WELL HOW-DEE-DOO FOLKS!

Mahalo for soooo many comments and poppin-ins!

i have three to share with you and one is REALLY something i am stoked with!

but first.....

On 2012-02-01 18:56, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
Your other pieces are great Kinny, I just think you
really nailed the "mid century aesthetic" with "the Entrance to Cannibal Land"

It has a simple yet primitive subject & color palette that screams "Mid Century Modern"
well done my good man!

Lancey! Thanks again! Sometimes they just come together like dat!
i took that motif of the shields on sticks to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL below...
Not QUITE mid-century,but delightful to look at
i'm sure you'll agree...

On 2012-02-01 20:58, MadDogMike wrote:
You know I have a weakness for Nguzunguzus, I love how he turned out - dark and moody yet vibrant. I like that he is NOT mounted to the prow of a canoe - like he is a living being and that all the prow decorations are statues of HIM.

Mike! He IS a living fellow... as is the bird gazing into the moon's reflection...
Glad you liked him... i had fun with the lighting... Been having a LOT of fun with lighting..as you will see below...

Sold nine of those prints and took all my profits and got some cash and 12 prints for myself!
Have to shoot over to the stealthisart.com HQ this week
and sign em before they send them off!
Thanks to all y'alls who bought a Nguzunguzu print
during the 24-hour exclusive run on stealthisart.com...
There will only be 21 in existence....
NOW THAT's a GOOD INvestment...

On 2012-02-01 21:52, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
LLT!!!
Genius! I was over on Maui and saw the new Disney / Hawaiian resort. Nice... but boy... they sure could have used YOUR ART in the hall ways and rooms. I mean the stuff they have now is nice and ... bland... but your designs are so much more interesting and powerful, fantastic color choices! REAL art! Okay, may be not "Cannibal Family" hanging in a hotel room ... might scare the kids (he he he ) ... but my new fave is the Bamboo Ben / LLT piece "the Entrance to Cannibal Land" . - BEEUTEEFULL!

Thanks Brad! That spirit of experimentation and wonder....may it never leave us...
Would love the disney interior decor gig..then i could buy a mansion/studio and JUST paint and become even MORE of a HErmit! Perfect....

On 2012-02-03 02:16, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
LLT You wrote:
"Aloha Ohana!
Well, here i am.sicker than a dawg with a blanket around me and the space heater blowing hard
as i type and share the fruits of more research and results....
now THAT's DEDICATION,eh?

But first......Mahalo again for all your visits and vibes and verb-age
it's nice to know i have invisible companions on this long road of art.... "

I GROCK you Kenny! I hope I get you- and your unyielding march forward, along this weird sandy tropical coastline... ever seeking that never seen before sight... to the human eye... around the next dune, or beyond that dark waving clump of palm trees... exploring this mysterious island of Tiki legend... we are your invisible friends, a unseen cyber-tiki-tribe connected together by the net. We huddle around our flickering screens - a tribe gathered around a camp fire in the tropical night, as you walk in from the darkness. You' are our Hoo-doo man. Our Witch-Doctor. Our tribal wizard, who's wandered far far out to the other side of the island... to the edge and back. Back with tales of lands, and creatures, and strange terrible and beautiful things, mystery mythology from out there. Painting the cave and hut walls with their images. You make these things dance in the fire light and come alive for us... who all hunch and watch and listen and marvel. Thanks!
You can turn and trudge back out into the unexplored parts of paradise again, and I know I''ll be waiting here by my flickering computer to hear and see more mysteries you'll bring back.

Brad.. i feel the same... eagerly awaiting what bubbles up from the unknown lands of my art-brothers! Too many folks have already planted their flags in the ordinary...
let's take em somewhere else,eh?
:)

Okay....had a BIG week!
sold off 7 pieces and had to "prep" em
(hanging wire/cleanup,mailing)
and 2 "nibbles" as i call them....
(sales in progress)
submitted two pieces to the la Luz Group Exhibition
visited Holden over at the farm and got some secret projects brewing there..
had that stealthisart.com print thing
and STILL had time to bang out and POST three new paintings!
All for YOU,dear Ohana..

the first two are more ordinary
but the third,i feel,is EXTRA ordinary!

Here...lemme show youse!

"Lono and Ku"
acrylic gouache on masonite
12x12"

"the Welcoming Smile"
(Kararau Warshield East Sepik,PNG)
acrylic gouache on wood with a Bamboo Ben frame
12x18"

and a BIG SMILE for y'alls!

anyways....ho hum on those above two
them's was just warm-ups for THIS ONE!

"Around the Fire"
acrylic gouache on wood with a PERFECT Bamboo Ben frame
16x20"

i took the concept and characters of "Entrance to Cannibal Land"
and placed them around a fire,ringed by ominous skulls...
a post feast celebration?
a Mystical ancestral rite in the jungle?
hmmmm.....

Here's the ring around the fire
to show y'alls how i handled the central lighting of the fire...

Here's a closeup of one of the shields and the thick and tangled jungle behind him..

Here's some more of the shields with some scattered bones in the foreground... a thigh bone and a skull
and some RIBS!
mmmm ribs....

another foreground shield
and more scattered bones in the brush...

and these last two fellows
bathed in the fire's light...
also note the bones tied in the trees..
these guys are SERIOUS!

anyways...time for beddie-bye!
Talk atcha all soooooon!
:)

LLT!
"Around the Fire" - U HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!
that is exactly in paint what I was trying to spew forth in a jumble of words!
U RAWK!!

Kenny, you swung and broke open the Pinata on that one!

My mind is reeling with how you keep coming up with this fantastical stuff and painting it so fast. I can only think time travel is involved: you actually take months and months to paint these and then hop into your personal tardis and give it to yourself a few days after you started. Am I right, doctor Kenny?

I want everything you create, everything! :)

Around The Fire! - The third time WAS a charmer, outta the ball park, so fun & fluctuatin

This showed up in the lounge for Valentine's Day
Thanks Nancy & Kinny!!!!

Howdy folks!
no step-by-steps or close-ups this week..my apologies....

Two new pieces,tho...HERE!
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35616&forum=21&start=270&279

On 2012-02-07 00:12, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
LLT!
"Around the Fire" - U HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!
that is exactly in paint what I was trying to spew forth in a jumble of words!
U RAWK!!

Thanks Brad! Sorry our paths weren't able to cross last Saturday,but great to hear you're doing well and gettin prosperous! Nothing could make me happier when a fellow artist brother is able to reap in the rewards of their hard work! Miss you Buddy! See you at la Luz!!!!!! :)

On 2012-02-07 02:11, Chuck Tatum is Tiki wrote:
Kenny, you swung and broke open the Pinata on that one!

Lance!
THANK YOU for making that piece look so GOOOOOOOOOD!
i couldn't ask for a better hut for it to be displayed in!
You and nancy got great taste and i'm stoked to be up on that wall!
Nancy brought donuts to the studio Sunday afternoon and they was delicious!
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! You got a good woman there,buddy! :)

On 2012-02-13 08:50, Clarita wrote:
I want everything you create, everything! :)

Gracias Clarita!
Can't wait for your Tiki Farm mug to be released!
It loks so great and feels so good in your hand!
and that GLAZE is otherworldly!
YAY!

On 2012-02-13 09:41, Holler Waller wrote:
Around The Fire! - The third time WAS a charmer, outta the ball park, so fun & fluctuatin

Thanks Holler-Waller!
that link above takes you to yet ANOTHER in that series..it's been so fun,but due to time constraints,i have to have little pockets of fun here and there....that link will take you to two of them!

Again! Thank you all for the niceties and pop-ins...
They're my fuel when the tank is empty!

Ken - Yeah, I'm so sorry I got behind on my trip that Saturday. It was non stop promo tour since wed, and when we got up saturday, I was moving a little slower than I should've - and we hit LA Traffic! Sheesh! I forgot how bad it could get. So as we crawled southward, it dawned on us we'd barely make our 2nd or third meeting with collectors in San Diego... so we missed the Secret Head Quarters of Ruzic. (sob!) It would have only a quick hello, and then we'd have to rush off anyways, when really what I want is to hang for the day wit ya!
Next time, after all this crazy art show stuff is over, and If I don't blow it, ... every artist's nightmare - not finishing enough work for an art show! (eek!)
Anyways, thanks for understanding, you R the BEST!
ALOHA!

Brad... YOU are the BEST for even considering a visit to the studio
during all that hustle and bustle..
They'll be time to play after your la Luz show,my art-brother!
:)

Well.... it's one-0-clock and i gotta work tomorrow
but these are hot off the BBQ
so excuse the color variations and glare areas please...

Some lighting and color experiments for these three...

"End of the Day"
acrylic gouache on masonite
16x20

details of the orongo...

another in the Moderne Shields series...
"the Twins"
acrylic gouache on wood
with a splendiferous Bamboo Ben frame!

details!

and lastly
a little bit of ocular titillation...
"the Crowded hut"
acrylic gouache on wood
with a spellbinding Bamboo Ben frame!

(note the first shot is the most accurate,colorwise...)

YAWN!
That's all i gots today! Had a wee TOO good of a time at the mModern exhibition...
Drove up with Toe,Horne,and Chris from poster Pop...
Recovery is slow...
Good Night Ohana!
:)

Your works are always mind-boggling. I may have damaged my retinas looking directly at them before consuming the morning hot beverage, but it was worth it. Stunning as usual, LLT.

LLT Strikes Again,
and Again!
Still makin Excellent scribbles Kinny.

Rad Orongos and the Maori Tiki is colortastic too!!!

DAMN LLT... do you ever sleep? You do take time to breathe between brush strokes right? :wink:

Love The Twins.

Kenny, I just stare at your art and admire every brush and pen stroke. You are a master and deserve to have a million hits on your thread. Love them all and you too, Wendy

WOW! 400,000 views, Congrats big guy!