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

Very, very sad to say that we missed out on the panels you donated for the Ohana auction. We missed the checkout. They were killer. We'll have to grab them next year!

Great job on the TF mug. I want a pair!

Oh jeepers Creepers...it's all so freakin' beautiful! I just gotta give a little bit of an extra super mega beautiful nod to "the Smart Alek " the acrylic and cel-vinyl on thrift store find 7"x9" What a cool piece! Lovin' ti sooooooo much. U RAWK!

I just noticed that my LLT piece glows under the black light...bonus :)

Jon

lol!

Will have a whole rant dedicated to glow-in-the-dark pieces in the near future,kids
But in the meantime....DriveBy!
Some art before the workday
Gotta work today...a Friday...ugh!

"the Ancestor Pool"
ink and watercolor on a sketchbook page

"the Village"
ink and pen on SketchBook Page

"the Village"
pen and ink on ink and tissue paper stained Aquarelle Watercolor paper

Gotta Go!
Will chat soon
and reply to all of your wonderful comments SOON!
Mahalos for all the laughs and love you bring to this thread!

http://www.KENRUZIC.COM is Open to the Public!
(an ever evolving site-so visit often!)
I'm on FaceBook also-Go cheggitout!)

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2013-09-27 18:23 ]

Aloha Ohana!
So sorry about the lack of internets interaction
i hope this post and all the art within
make up for the silence....
But first... Let me reply to all these voices from WEEKS ago...
Again,i apologize for the delay....

On 2013-08-24 21:00, hang10tiki wrote:
Thanx bruddah
Got it hung up in The Honu Hideaway
Jon

Thanks again Jon!
I hope it brings you a lifetime of happiness and smiles!
lookie what i found on the internets!

On 2013-08-27 08:31, danlovestikis wrote:
We love our little lost tiki painting. Beautiful.
When we got home from Tiki Oasis 13 it stayed in the Buzzy Bedroom for awhile.

Now it is hung in the family room.

Thank you Kinny! Wendy

Mahalos dear friend! It's always such a rush when i get to see you AND MadDog Mikey in the space of a weekend! Such Love! and Thank you for adopting the Night Drums! I hope they beat in time with the hearts of you and Dan every day! :)

On 2013-08-29 18:21, LoriLovesTiki wrote:
LLT -
Your artwork is to die for! I love the little 4x4's that you made up for the $ strapped! That way everyone at Oasis was able to get some LLT love!
wish I was there.... perhaps next year!

Why Thank you Lori! i try my hardest... it's the least anybody can do with the gifts we are assigned.
it was nice to be able to have some way affordable stuff for folks.....it made for a lot of smiles and added to the roster of new friends! Such a joy to be able to disperse the painted babies to huts across the land....You should try and get to oasis...it was an absolute BLAST this year....at least,as much as i can remember.... :)

On 2013-09-06 17:18, hang10tiki wrote:
This just in...
Tiki Farm Website
�Pingo�!
Pingo was designed for us by one of the most animated and well known artists in the Tiki scene� our bottle blonde whacky buddy Ken (aka �Little Lost Tiki�)�� Ruzic

Awesome bruddah...
Jon

Yeah... it was fun to finally get to see and Hold one of these hefty babies at oasis! ( Holden was busy,so i got my friend Carrie to go buy me one!
and MAN! this Mug is designed with the RUMMY in mind! The orongo bird's head is a perfect place to rest your thumb and ALSO prevents this thang from slipping out of your hand.....plus i reckon with the ease of grasp and hefty weight,it twould be a GREAT vessel to KNOCK somebody OUT with!

All for YOU,dear Ohana.

On 2013-09-06 21:12, Hale Tiki wrote:
Very, very sad to say that we missed out on the panels you donated for the Ohana auction. We missed the checkout. They were killer. We'll have to grab them next year!
Great job on the TF mug. I want a pair!

Mahalo Hale!
The cause is so noble to our scene and i loves me Caroline,so there will always be a few pieces at the auction and a coloring page for the kids in the booklet....Every year til i croak!

Thanks for liking PINGO!
Holden told me they were the Second best-Selling Tiki Farm mug at the Event!
Sooo glad they'll be in so many bars across the globe making people smile and fondle!
:)

On 2013-09-11 00:54, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
Oh jeepers Creepers...it's all so freakin' beautiful! I just gotta give a little bit of an extra super mega beautiful nod to "the Smart Alek " the acrylic and cel-vinyl on thrift store find 7"x9" What a cool piece! Lovin' ti sooooooo much. U RAWK!

Brad! So great hanging with you and the Art Brotherhood a few weeks back!

WACKO LALUZ TIKI TI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a MUG Shot!

On 2013-09-14 05:38, hang10tiki wrote:
I just noticed that my LLT piece glows under the black light...bonus :)

Jon

On 2013-09-14 16:16, Bruddah Bear wrote:

:lol:

Here's an earlier piece where i used a glow-in-the-dark puff paint
so the piece could be viewed during the day and night...

"Cannibal Island"
acrylic,paintpen,and glow-in-the-dark puff paint on canvas
36x36" private collection

and here it is in the dark....
BAM!

Well... Tiki Oasis was a BLAST!
Met so many new friends
and reconnected
and PARTAYED with my artist brothers
Toe,Doug,Mulder,Grog,VanTiki,Yaniger,the crazy Aussies from kustom lane gallery (whom,i am proud to say...i out-drank and outlasted Saturday night/Sunday morning...)
got to have some chill time with my roomie Thor and got to chuckle and muck about with Crazy Al and empee and my favorite ginger Reesenik....

got to swap with madDog Mike and hug Wendy

and was pretty amiable and buzzed the whole event....
Thanks Otto and babyDoe...so many memories!
Here's a pic of the vending space with mah jughead hat on!
(DiBroc made it for me YEARS ago,and MAN! it SHINED at the event! mahalos john!)

Met a COOL DOG!

Here's Ernie and i Yucking it up before he became a Minotard...

Tobunga and Manuel
Love these Guys!
Always a Smile on these two!

Here's the Booth...

BUT!!!!! the Highlight of the EVENT
(besides Lucha Libre taco Quest with Toe and liza VoodooDoll and Doug and mulder)was the confirmation of a theory i had about Doug horne having a twin..a long lost Normal sized brother...

And i was RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright.....Enough of the Shenanigans....

Here's some Art....
While it may seem like a lot
it is a mere scratch
compared to the OTHER work
in other genres
as well as TOP SECRET tiki Stuff that i cannot share until i get the GO
(studies and drawings and a Bunch of STUFF that will Astound you Alls)
But that's for another day...

What do we Want?
Time Travel!
When do we want it?
that is Irrelevant...

I'm going to build this up
from these first few entries
which are raw and instinctual and messy and primal
all the way to the latest precise and thought out painting...

kind of tour of both the raw and the polished....

Let us Begin.....

Sometimes the Best compositions
or at least kernels of them
are discovered in the sketchbook
It's where they're born!
the surplus of pages and ability to hide on a shelf
allows the artist to play,to explore
to make mistakes
and to work out and unveil solutions
that later become paintings....

Here are some bar scenes
"Conversation at the Pool"
pencil,ink,and Copic marker on sketchbook page

Here's a little peek into how the dynamics of ideas and problem-solving mix together
and flow and evolve and how a purdy painting
can be borne from such humble scribblings!

"study for the Skull Bowl"
pen,and washes of ink on sketchbook page

which led to this more fleshed out ink on watercolor paper....

"Composition with Skull Bowl"

which ended up as this acrylic and cel-vinyl on wood piece...

"the Skull Bowl"

So There! A little insight into how the paintings become paintings!

Here's a piece that is half dominating color scheme,but look closely..
i have written the source of each artifact in pencil....

"study in Gold,Orange,and Lime"
pencil and Copic marker on sketchbook page

this one has a colorway that i just ADORE!
"the Fish"
pencil and Copic marker on sketchbook page

"the Full Table"
pencil and Copic marker on sketchbook page

and then there's just random doodles that are instantaneous
unpretentious,undiscovered,uninvited,surprising
and may provide fodder for a future painting...

like this luau Pig!

some Modernist Primitive Fish

and some vegetation studies
inspired by Balinese art
so lush....

"Guardian of the Ancestor Pool"
watered down Cel-Vinyl and Copic marker on ink and tissue paper stained Aquarelle watercolor paper
12 x 12.75"

which leads us to THIS!
one of them "just because" pieces
because the time was there
because that BooBen frame was just sitting there...neglected
because i wanted to do a bigger croc/bird/shield/jungle piece
because i wanted to play a lil bit with water....

"the Ancestor Pool"
Acrylic and cel-vinyl on wood
with a Stunning bamboo ben frame!
35 x 38"

Here is the painting on its own...

Now let's take a Closer look...

First off,there's some curiosity seekers,one clinging to a tree
(colored red-orange to balance out the composition)
and one flirting with fate,perched on an aquatic monster's nose...
Also played with jungle lighting,sunlight slipping thru in glows here and there
slipping under the blanket of vegetation..

The three Ancestor Shields are visited by yet another opportunist
taking advantage of the higher vantage point
while choosing a meal...

More birds....in fact,one is in the act of swallowing a fish
the aqua lighting in the background helps to establish mood
as well as echo the watery dominant color's shallower areas...

moving down to the midsection of the painting,the crocodiles
swarm amidst the pool,adding an element of danger to the bird's
pursuit of a free lunch....
Note the transparency of the shield on the right,revealing the silhouette of the predator's head
an indicator of the ethereal nature of the spirit shields in the Sacred pool...

the areas of red-orange in the water not only help add a visual direction guide in the painting
it also suggests a little bit of the darker side of predators
the necessity of blood...
the beast's body in the background slinks half above and half below the surface of the water

Now as we proceed to the bottom left of the painting
you will see a hunter slicing his snout through the waters and into the story....
the middle creature was a fun challenge to get the right mix of abstract stylization and still communicate that the animal was half-submerged...
i think it turned out okay
but i'm biased....

this view of the middle bottom of the work
reveals an avian passenger
hitching a ride

and here is the bottom right
the crocodile spies some fish straight ahead
while other ones slash by his side and legs...

and here are some extra extra Close-ups
that show the wood and some of the washes building up the textures
(stuff the viewer doesn't notice when viewing from a distance-only the perception of wonky "depth")
and the layering of colors
to achieve certain goals....

Here's a close-up of one of the open jawed locals awaiting a snack
the beauty of wood is the way it soaks up the color
as washes and washes build up shadows and hilights and stuff!
:)

Shown here is the way that,despite being messy,the lighting and depth ties it together
so it makes sense to the viewer and appears "real" in the world that it displays...

Here's an opportunity to see the semi-transparency of the Ancestor Shield
i also kind of dig the forced perspective
like the way Persian miniatures architecture slants forward....
Also,y'all get to see the ONLY animal in the painting to actually have a fish in it's mouf!

Well... So ends our tour and Show-and-Tell
I do hope you enjoyed it,and smiled and chuckled at LEAST two or three times....

Talk atcha in a few......
Crew!

Adieu!

(see how i rhymed all that?)

I dig it, man!

Okay... I am convinced. CONVINCED you have caffeine as a naturally occurring phenomenon within your bloodstream, LLT.

As always wonderful work ad infuntum you crazy nutty goo goo artist. At this point I have run dry on expletives for your work.

I don't know about the Ancestral Pool but the Gene Pool looks like it could use some chlorine!

Love your narrative of the "inner workings" of your painting. Hope the Balinese sketch rises to canvas soon, that will look cool!

On 2013-10-08 00:21, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
I dig it, man!

Mahalo Lancey! That was a Longazz post!

On 2013-10-08 09:05, tigertail777 wrote:
Okay... I am convinced. CONVINCED you have caffeine as a naturally occurring phenomenon within your bloodstream, LLT.
As always wonderful work ad infuntum you crazy nutty goo goo artist. At this point I have run dry on expletives for your work.

Why Thank you Tigertail!
i enjoy popping by and gawking at your egyptian theatre project.
Been working in a couple of other genres as well
but i try to keep it Tiki here and dump the other stuff elsewhere
(just in case i ever get accused of slacking)
No caffeine in the bloodstream occurring naturally
i haveta make it
but it mixes well with the motivation that DOES flow in these veins!

On 2013-10-08 12:47, MadDogMike wrote:
I don't know about the Ancestral Pool but the Gene Pool looks like it could use some chlorine!
Love your narrative of the "inner workings" of your painting.
Hope the Balinese sketch rises to canvas soon, that will look cool!

Love you Mike!
Yes... the gene pool does contain quite a few mutations
Natural Selection should hopefully remedy this situation..
Did a few more vegetation studies
Like this one!
so stay tuned fer a painting sometime in the
FFFFFFUUUUUUUTTTTTTTUUUUUUURRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

"the Path"
9x12
ink and Copic marker on tissue paper and ink stained Aquarelle watercolor paper

Well.. here's a lil bar painting you MAY have seen in a sketch buried in that last posting...
"One Minute After Closing Time"
21.5 x 20"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on wood
with a glorious Bamboo Ben frame!
Showing RIGHT NOW at the Side Show Gallery in Bakersfield,y'alls!

Here it is Solo!

and some details to stare into....

That is All!
Bedtime Kiddles!
G'night!

Awesomeness. I'd like to take that path somewhere.

Me too..
and One Minute After Closing Time is amazing too.

...........Aloha Ohana!

First off....
A Big Mahalo to all of you who pop by and visit ...
i hope it provides you with plenty to think about and enjoy!

On 2013-10-22 10:06, TikiAno wrote:
Awesomeness. I'd like to take that path somewhere.

TikiAno-Thanks for the visit and comments....We all have our paths,shortcuts,U-turns,and Detours,but they are each our very own...Glad i could capture that
with a simple landscape....Rock On!

On 2013-11-04 08:04, Clarita wrote:
Me too..
and One Minute After Closing Time is amazing too.

Thanks Clarita!
i hope you are doing well below the equator
and are creating beautiful art
with your belly full of inspiration and happiness!
:)

Only have One drawing for y'alls today...
Working on a few shows and most of it ain't Tiki
So,if you're curious,hit up my website
http://www.kenruzic.com
or look me up on Facebook
and you can sees!
:)

Also...
i will be at the December 7th international Tiki marketplace at Don's!
Will be bringing a small cache of items...not my usual tonnage
So get there early or you may return home LLT-less...
Free hugs,as per usual...

"the Glorious Day"
ink and Copic marker on ink and tissue paper stained Aquarelle Watercolor paper
16 x 20
(private collection)

a dense jungle parts reveals a small village during a tropical cloudbreak..

Here's some details...
Feel free to wander about the huts
there are many mysterious twists and turns amongst the foliage...

i hope you enjoyed our little stroll today
and i hope our paths cross again soon...
:)

http://www.KENRUZIC.COM is Open to the Public!
(Which i update every so often)
I'm on FaceBook too-Go cheggitout!)

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2013-12-02 20:30 ]

LLT - Cool.....love all the texture! cool greens...nice warm browns....and tons of details...
DIG IT!

"the Glorious Day"
Love it! everything about it, the tones and
that somehow your lines are "more mature" lately,
even on sketches like "the path"..
great to watch.

Thanks Clarita!
i hope you are doing well below the equator
and are creating beautiful art
with your belly full of inspiration and happiness!

Thanks!
I hope you are very very well, happy and inspired too!
And about me belly, I wear it proud, that's for sure,
but maybe it's more about ravioli honestly :D

U kick ars bruddah...

I wish you had more time to post because it is such a treat when you do. Your art is recognizable which is something I haven't accomplished...yet. Art Shark is right, the detail is so well done and interesting.

Many hugs art brother, Wendy

Glorious day is GLORIOUS! Love the intricate detail. Maybe you have said it before, but I am curious about how you do this tissue paper technique?

ALOHA OHANA!
and a Happy Thanksgiving to you alls!
Got a LOT to share witcha
but first,let me reply these comments left by some friends
and then we can get down to BIZNAZZ...
m'kay?

On 2013-11-06 22:43, Tiki Shark Art wrote:
LLT - Cool.....love all the texture! cool greens...nice warm browns....and tons of details...
DIG IT!

Why Thank you Brad! I'm always amazed at color,as i am sure you are as well... and texture (ie: your Lovecraftian Orchid as of recent) and details... I guess that's why we're two peas in a pod,art partner!
Hoping to see ya at the studio this month!
:)

On 2013-11-08 10:52, Clarita wrote:
"the Glorious Day"
Love it! everything about it, the tones and
that somehow your lines are "more mature" lately,
even on sketches like "the path"..
great to watch.
Thanks!
I hope you are very very well, happy and inspired too!
And about me belly, I wear it proud, that's for sure,
but maybe it's more about ravioli honestly :D

Viva La Belly,Art Sister!
I've been trying to draw a little bit everyday,no matter how quick...i hope that would account for a blossoming and maturation of style...Gracias!

On 2013-11-08 19:34, hang10tiki wrote:
U kick ars bruddah...

As do YOU old chum! Happy Thanksgiving!
SO much to be thankful for!
:)

On 2013-11-09 15:37, danlovestikis wrote:
I wish you had more time to post because it is such a treat when you do. Your art is recognizable which is something I haven't accomplished...yet. TikiShark is right, the detail is so well done and interesting.
Many hugs art brother, Wendy

And many hugs back to you,sweet dear friend!
I wish i had half of your energy and drive...
you amaze on a weekly basis,which is quite remarkable
and enjoyed by us all! happy thanksgiving honeychild!
HUGS to you and Dan!

On 2013-11-12 23:56, tigertail777 wrote:
Glorious day is GLORIOUS! Love the intricate detail. Maybe you have said it before, but I am curious about how you do this tissue paper technique?

Hey Tigertail! Thanks for visiting and taking a stroll around the island! The tissue paper stain is pretty easy and hails back from my Illinois Elementary School upbringin,tho a lil more experienced these days....

i grab a piece of Aquarelle watercolor paper
(hopefully still on the block,so it doesn't buckle)
i grab a foam brush loaded with water and slosh it around here and there -bring sure to keep some areas of the paper dry 'cause you can get different looks on the surfaces....... Anyways,then i crumple up some tissue paper and apply it to the wet surface...then i dip the foambrush in some ink and slosh it down over that...depending on how hard i mush down results in the different textures.... after allowing it to dry for a few minutes-remove the tissue paper,spot a crumpled paper towel on it here and there ,but not too much or you'll obliterate the fine textures.... wait for it to dry and repeat as much ad you want til satisfied.... I'll do a step-by-step on here when i get some time,Sir!
In the meantime,keep that creative spirit of yours ALIVE!
:)

First things first......
i WILL be vending THIS SATURDAY at Don's
With a Big Smile,Freshly Bleached Hair,
and a Bagful of goodies and HUGS!

I rarely vend these days
preferring gallery shows and all dat
BUT! i have made a BUNCH of BRAND NEW Goodies
to unveil this SATURDAY!

Here are some of them...

Monkeypods?
Folks bug me about Paintd monkeypods EVERY TIME at these events...Like Clockwork.....friggin Clockwork.....

So here are a few ...

"Smiling Face"
acrylic on monkeypod
6 x 6.25"

"Tiki Pineapple"
acrylic on monkeypod
5 x 6.5"

"Lono Pineapple"
acrylic on monkeypod
5 x 6.5"

"Jungle Bowl"
acrylic on monkeypod bowl
8 x 14.5""

and in a mad Dash to provide some affordable gifts for the ohana...

Here's some 5x5 lil baby canvases that will be in attendance on Saturday at Don's!

"Volcano Bowl"
"Tiki Mug Studies"
5 x 5"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on canvas

"Pineapple King"
"Orongo"
5 x 5"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on canvas

"the Feast"
"Crocodile and Two Birds"
5 x 5"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on canvas

"Surprised Ku"
"the Fish Brothers"
5 x 5"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on canvas

and a weeeeee weeeeeeee lil baby baby one

"Crocodile and Bird"
4 x 4"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on canvas

Also have this strange find of some kind of a palm Fond-Yellow in color,with the ends spray painted gold....
Curious.....
Anyways,it was singing out to be transformed after quite a spell in the monkeypod box here at the studio.....

"Ancestor figure Tamberan House Abelam Maprik Area Papua New Guinea"
22 x 5"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on palm frond

Woodburns?!?!
Did Somebody say WOODBURNS?!?!?
Whuzzat?
Here are two that i was able to squeeze in this Holiday weekend...

"Night Row"
5x5"
pyrography on wood with cel-vinyl tinting

and one a lil more involved....
"the Lost Village"
10 x 10"
pyrography on wood with cel-vinyl tinting

and here's some details
just cause i loves it so!
:)

Also FINALLY finished a piece that was started about eight months ago.....and NOW it's finished! YAY!

"Appearance of the Bird Fish"
24 x 24"
Acrylic,metallic paintpan,and cel-vinyl on acrylic and tissue-paper stained canvas

and here's a close-up of the chief and drummer on the boat

Finally.....
Billy the Crud carved two BIG wooden shield masks
(based on some of the characters in my PNG pieces)
and gave me two at this summer's Oasis in San Diego to paint up...

Well....Old Father Time finally granted some
and here dey is!

"Watcher of the Hut"
29 x 17"
Cel-vinyl and acrylic on wood
Carved by Billy the Crud
Painted by LLT

and a close-up to get a feel for the Rough hewn painting and distress on it!

"Bar Guardian"
32 x 17"
Cel-vinyl and acrylic on wood
Carved by Billy the Crud
Painted by LLT

and some close-ups!

I'll be bringing em both
but will only allow ONE to be adopted
the other is for the studio...

Will also be bringing some drawings and a hand-painted PINGO mug
along with loads of other goodies...
Hope to see you there!
:)

Kinny wrote, I'll be bringing em both
but will only allow ONE to be adopted
the other is for the studio...

Then I write

My dream is to one day see that studio in person. In January we are visiting Benzart in Florida. It is such a treat to see where the best tiki art comes from...

Hugs, Wendy

Monkey pod
Lil canvas
Wood
Palm

That's a lot of Kool textures

Great art as always

:)

The shield/masks are outstanding!
See you at the marketplace, Kinny.

See you there Lancey!
with some Curly Fries!

THIS JUST IN!!!!

I will have available tomorrow
a Hand-painted TikiFarm "PiNGo" mug!
the ONLY one of it's kind
lovingly designed and NOW enameled by yours truly
JUST FOR YOU!!!!

No other painted PiNGos on the schedule
or on this earth!
and y'alls know how easily i get distracted by other projects

SO THIS MAY BE THE ONLY ONE!

:)

Ultra coolness LLT!

Why Thank you cy!
and a Big Aloha to y'alls!
the intl Tiki marketplace was a BUH-LAST!
Highlights were a Wendy Cevola Hug and a brad Parker one too!

haven't been able to share a lot of work lately
myself,Douggles,and Toe have been cooking up a three man show
a "War of the Gargantua"
(a follow up to Toe and my "Clash of the Titans" exhibition early in 2013)
for this upcoming March 7th
at the Egan gallery in Fullerton....
But enough of that....
Here's some studies for one of the pieces for this exhibition
(we chose 12 subjects and are each giving them our own spin
three of the twelve subjects involve Tiki!)
One of the categories was "Papua New Guinea"

so i'ma doing a PNG Surfboard shield for it!
Here are some of the studies from the ol' sketchbook....

Finally found a good mix of elements....

Here's the base color-shaping it out....

Finished this already,BUT! the sealant is still drying
so here's some photos before i started REALLY makin it all good and stuff!

and a close-up

Will share more later,Ohana!
:)

Excellent!

Surfs up bruddah
Outstanding

Jon

Besides the Kinney hug I enjoyed meeting your girlfriend.

Love love love the surf board. Wendy

Aloha Folks!
Went underground for awhile
preparing for March's "War of the Gargantua" exhibition with Mr. Horne and Toe
Twelve Subjects (three of em are Tiki!) Three Artists 36 paintings Pure Awesomes!
More on that Soon!
Let's reply to all the pretty peoples who left a lil something....

On 2013-12-30 21:51, Atomic Tiki Punk wrote:
Excellent!

Whatever, Lancey!
Great seein you and your beautiful lady at the marketplace!
Curly friessssssssssssss...

On 2013-12-30 22:00, hang10tiki wrote:
Surfs up bruddah
Outstanding
Jon

Hey Jon!
I can feel the STOKE emanating from your Hut!
Unfortunately,this is one of the pieces for March's show
so only sneak-peeks for now
but it's done
and it takes me aback
searchin for a title,tho....

On 2013-12-31 11:30, danlovestikis wrote:
Besides the Kinney hug I enjoyed meeting your girlfriend.
Love love love the surf board. Wendy

Thanks so much darling Wendy!
and here i thought YOU were my girlfriend!
siiiigh....
I'll have to settle for Art-Sister....
You have my # now-PLEASE call next time you're in Orange!

Okay folks! time for some sketches
a lot of these were just mullings
over how to tackle the 3 Tiki categories
for the GARGANTUA exhibition...
and seeing how an artist should share
not only work
but peeks into the process

here they are....
First...some PNG studies before the Surfboard idea sprouted up...

a PNG Meeting/Men's House

Next category was Rapa Nui....Easter Island

and then it hit me! a scene....Orongos dancing around a Moai!
So i drew it....

and then painted it!

BUT!!!!! Unfortunately....
I'm bound to show only
studies
and in-progress
and close-up shots
BUT NEVER the finished painting
UNTIL the March exhibition....
My apologies...

Anyways......
MARQUESAN!
This category required some muddling
some mulling over
and sketchbook studies..

Saw a GREAT PNG exhibition at the Bowers Museum the last day of last year
and threw down $300 on books...including a few Oceanic ones!

and then it hit...LIKE A SHOCK OF Pure BAM!
how about a bar scene with Marquesan themed mugs and artifacts...

and the painting was done awhile back
but ....alas.......
Only close-ups
no whole painting
YET...

That's all i got for you all for now

Until our outriggers meet again....

Ken, you have some interesting concepts. Very nice!

Dig 'em all..... again.

LLT- as for the the MarQ bar scene, that's a bar I'd like to visit!!!

Two Marquesan thumbs up.,.

Jon

Cool stuff Kinny. I wasn't aware of the Marquesan stilts - interesting!

Can't wait to see more than just the amazing snippets.

Kinny's work always looks fantastic on screen, and then you see it in person and it's better than you imagined. I'm digging it all, as usual.

Really diggin it!

Aloha All!

There is a lot to cover today,so
unfortunately
i will have to be brief in my replies this time
and just opt-out for a
Big Group Hug and hearty Mahalo
to MaukaHale,TikiAno,Hang10,Mikey!,HakaLuigi,the Professor
(in my best Felix the Cat voice)and TikiHula!
As well as all of you who come here to visit
Thank you
for all of your kind thoughts
and infectious enthusiasm...
It's really been a source of comfort
and motivation
as i wade thru molasses
as march 7th looms...

Speaking of...

Three Artists
12 Categories
36 Creations
March 7th.... Be there!
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=46892&forum=17&start=0&23

That's a link to the Event page where they have a bunch more fliers
and kind of witty smart-alecky comments from the peanut gallery
Funny...if you're in a pinch......

Alrightio! On to a project that gained momentum
then simmered in the pot
then was relocated
and now awaits the Summer/Fall
in a different location than originally intended

Such is the story of the wayward project....

Anyways... this was planned for the Tonga Hut in Palm Springs
on a wall
then it became on canvas or wood
then it was moved to the Grand Hut of the Queen
so she may enjoy it everyday...

So,as soon as the smoke clears and final details are agreed upon
(which is often a long process)
it will be painted and will hang majestically on the Queen's wall
a tribute to all of her wonderful imaginative accomplishments!

it all started with a story in an email that Sven sent
It's a wonderful clever tale
and the visual potential to create a masterwork
was contained in those lines...
Here's the story...

As i read it
it sunk in...
Sven had described
the Tonga Hut in NoHo
Her Bamboo Ben Treehouse village up in the Mountains
Mojave Oasis
Rock Hudson's Home that she transformed into a Tropical Paradise
and finally,the New Tonga Hut in Palm Springs...

Pretty Great Tale,albeit brief
Perfect,and Condensed

Needless to say
the ol' brain started bubbling
and here's what i began to do....

started working out the wall
which later evolved into a triptych
as you will see

then some boat studies
Like Sven,i just kind of mixed different aesthetics from different islands
hoping to somehow give it an all-encompassing Polynesian feel..

Each of the locations were inspired by Sven's words and Amy's locations
It was a real mind-bender to not do a literal interpretation of each place
but to grab attributes of each and translate that into little environs...
First is the Slowly Sinking island in the East
Not really too accurate a description of NoHo's Tonga Hut
but the story needed a motivation
It's more a quest of Expansion and Exploration
Finding an ADDITIONAL Oasis to compliment the other
to be a cousin...

Here are my sketchbook studies
and a tighter more stylized version
(i had to draw it out more "real" at first
before i could play with the space
arrange objects
and still have it follow the entire work's flow...

the roofs were based loosely on the booths
and I've included the Drooling bastard and even incorporated the 3 clamshell fountain waterfall
you can see some of the submerged huts on the right.....

Here is the more stylized version on watercolor paper
playing around with different elements
molding the landscape....

Next on the list...
BooBen's incredible Treehouse village!
Again...started in the sketchbook
creating a whimsical version
while still throwing in actual real life details here and there...

and here's the watercolor
i wanted to get a feel of that half covered forest lighting

Next up is Mojave Oasis!
a Favorite Refuge of Mine
that Amy is SO gracious to provide for us...
Another sketchbook exploration...

This one was fun and it was a joy to revisit Mojave in my mind
walking about the grounds...
i changed the trailers to huts and the TikiBird
into an actual carved Frigate Bird wooden flying Sculpture Thing,i guess....
Anyways, i wanted to keep the tale in a fantasy/tribal sense
no planes ,cars,radios
just what we can gather and master from the resources around us
Just like the Islanders!

Here's the watercolor
Playing around wit da grounds

did some more frigate bird studies
but will have to share them later
not really even worth the wait
but i will share them eventually,nonetheless

Next is Amy's Hut in palm Desert
Rock Hudson's old home
and she transformed it into Paradise!
i think I've been there 3 times
and always love to enjoy a mid-buzz catnap
in the raised huts she has in the corner area of the grounds!

Again... the Pirate ship is now Polynesian-ish
and my nappyhut is right next to the waterfall and enthralling Koi fish
and look! Is that a Barney West Tiki?
:)

Here's the ink on watercolor paper
"furthering" of the subject...

a little more Desert
and i flipped the bar and back raised patio hut towards the viewer
welcoming them in....

The final destination
the Tonga Hut
was still being constructed
so i held off on translating that

Next!
the composition
fitting all of these lands in a way that
is not only flow-y and seamless to follow
but also helps to fill in the story
for the viewer
BUT also allows them to stop and visit each location
if that is their desire...

In other words
the Hard part..

Here it is together
with some color and shape and flow studies

Here's a blowup of those two blue squares..

Now to
as james brown would say
TIGHTEN UP!
HAH!

Warming up......

Didja notice i changed the TikiBird plane from a sculpture into
a momma bird ,attending her nest
while her mate
(the bird that leads the warrior to the spring)
flies in the sky towards her....

This composition has the New Tonga Hut in the middle..

All this black and white must be drivin ya NUTS!
Let's play with some colorways,shall we?

Second colorway
(each one i played with different ways to COLOR the piece
solid fills with highlighting
more rendered
and just so...

Third colorway

and then the piece needed to be a different size
so i began this

and stopped
to let Amy attend to all these projects she has under her care...
and for me to start the 12 gargantuan show pieces...

it's been a pleasure to be finally be able to share this process with you
(i finally got permission to post and share these! Aint you Lucky?)
these projects are always long
often arduous
but always worth the journey!
and the learnin!

Great paintings don't just paint themselves
and the story and subject matter deserved the utmost attention and consideration and respect..
aaaaaand i want this to be a Great painting for those reasons!
and because they are places and people i love dearly....

So only time will tell

once this gets restarted up
i will be able to finally put brush to surface and start the FUN part!
and of course,it will be shared with you all...

Mahalos to Sven and Amy and to all of you
for walking along this visual pathway with me
:)

Goodnight All!

Awesome stuff Kenny! Gonna be a great show!

Kickin ars as always.,.

Jon

Bad.Ass. Thanks for sharin'

Amazing. My brain just exploded..... Would love to see this in person....

LOVE THE LOOKING IN AND SEEIGN YOUR PROCESS! INSPIRATIONAL!

You have so much fun with all your buddies. This looks like a great show. I like your self portrait. Bullet likes to look at the painting I did of you because the sparkle in your eyes shows up. You make beautiful happy art. Wendy

Hello All!
Again, a LOT to share
and not much time to do it in!
A BIG HUG! to you ALL!
i will answer back and get back to replying
as things slow down,
i will share some of the show pieces on that event thread
BUT! i do appreciate all of your visits and comments
and love and kindness...
MAHALO!

just tried to email all the pics to you and they sent both emails back
so here is the copied email
and pics for you!

and i quote:

Well Sir,
sit down for a minute....
get a stiff drink...
Are you ready?

having some downtime
2 weeks before the gargantua show
i decided to paint the 4 bisques that Holden sent
so i painted em!
and sealed em with this hard plasticky resin that toe recommended
it's 2-parts you activate it and have 24 hours to use it
Well, i was "glassing" the PNG surfboard piece for the gargantua show
and got to seal these finished guys...
There's 4,
These two are:
Jungle Love edition
a lot more detailed on this one-with the glaze it looks like an actual art piece for once! :)
the Bird and Shield actually feel ALIVE!

Nocturnal Neighbors edition
a more cool night vibe on this one
also a slight underlighting with a green/blue duo background bleed as the initial ground. This one has a sense of mystery between the shield and his bird neighbor

Here are the other two.....
Oranges Schmoranges,who Cares? Edition
(a nod to HR Pufenstuf and all those fond memories)
this version is a little more subtle because the color is so vibrant.
So i gave it a burnished kind of finish which gave it an aged look

Jungle Night edition
my favorite of the two versions
but who am i to say?
This one feels more fleshed out,but there is an air of damp night
and insects buzzing
and a PLOP! in the water
and a bird's midnight peek outside
while the nearby village sleeps
Well.. go see for yourself...

i had fun dripping the paint down into the insides
like a drippy glaze would do..
and painting them was a dream
and sealing them was a learning experience

As for drinkin out of em....
i do not know
When sealing them,i had to spray it into the mug
a few feel smooth all on the inside
but the other two have a patch of two that feels gritty
like it was "less" covered than the Motorcycle helmet/Surfboard glass
rest of it...

1 week til the show!

Thanks so much for sharing the concept to beginnings of Amy's project! Loving where this is going especially since several of the locals represented are near and dear to my heart as well. Can't wait for more. Will definitely be by to check out the opening of the War of the Gargantuans show :D

Love everything! The mugs are way cool!

We are coming to the show with Woo Hoo and Soccer Tiki. This is going to be mega fun to see you gorgeous guys and all your outstanding tiki art. Oh and lots of hugs, Wendy

Beautiful job painting those mugs, Ken!