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

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Aloha Tiki Tribe,
Saturday night paint slappin'

Here's the sea witch right now, still in progress...

a closer look at the area that was being painted...worked out reflected sea lights and some detail on fishes and some bubbles...
more to come...

Digging it! Really like the different style you used on the shark. Like Wendy said, I can feel the ocean move on this one too! :)

W

All looking great! The shark is awesome, and your waves are always so amazing. I really love the concept on this one!

Thanks Tiki Tribe!
Well, layer after layer of semi transparent paint make for slow going, and seems like you can paint for hours and not much changes, then suddenly out pops a rounded fish! Here's what we go...

Here's the ocean with da' motion.

Here's the very low -brow looking shark. Seems I build up reflected light, then takes it back down then build it back up agin till it "feels" right in my gut, I often surprise myself with results this way... sometimes in good ways some times in not so good ways. But I'm going with an inner gyroscope on this, making it the best it can be , wanting to surpass my previous efforts with something I've never done before.

Layers and layers of paint and suddenly out popped a few fish! Finally!
More laters!

Looking great! Those fish are surprisingly happy considering the size of the shark headed their way to play! HAHA Beautiful work on those. I'm really digging this painting.

  • Dale
KK

It's coming along nicely Brad, thanks for posting the progress, I have enjoyed watching this piece come ALIVE!
~Kevin.

[ Edited by: Kai Koa 2014-04-14 20:01 ]

Thanks my brother.
I am so sorry I didn't have this masterpiece finished before you arrived.

I had so many distractions.

Right now my lawyer is trying to prep me for a 7 hour deposition that the high powered Lawyers from Cafe Press are flying all the way here to try and make me break down and say that "Forbidden Island" was not my art (?), and I guess, just use scare tactics to get me to back down and drop the case against Cafe Press for taking my art with out my knowledge or permission and selling it on line.

From what I hear, this is their usual tact. Big scary law firm against the small time artist.

This has really screwed up my art production, my bank account, and I would love to just wish it all away. And you know what , if when this started if someone from Cafe Press actually contacted me personally, apologized to me, said how sorry they were, what can we do to fix this. You know what, I'm a push over for the kind, honest touch and I totally would have worked it out with out lawyers. But Cafe Press doesn't seem to be kind or honest. No personal touch at all. They don't seem to care about the Artist's they are ripping off.

Only Lawyers get their attention. Then they in return, sick their gigantic bloodless LA law firm on you till you break or break down. This is so sick and twisted. They have taken the "Information super-highway " and made it into the "Plagiarism super-highway" and are make big time dead presidents off it.

I can't back down. For the fact that they are eroding pop-culture by emotional damaging small time artists. They'd also, I hear, use me as an example to scare the next artist they rip off. They are destroying everything I love. Someone has to stand up to this monster.

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-04-23 20:16 ]

Brad,

I wish you all the best in your fight. You certainly deserve to get what you're owed. I've heard so many people say "if only they apologized, I would never have had to sue." But lawyers tell them apologizing is an admission of guilt, so they do nothing. I'm reminded of Shakespeare: "First thing, let's kill all the lawyers."

Keep us informed, and good luck with your deposition! The good news is that you're clearly in the right, so you can be confident in that.

On another note, someone sent me a card for my birthday, and it had your art on it! The good news is, it was legitimate. :D

Brad, I've never met you nor responded to any of your posts. I will this time because you are intimidated by individuals paid to rough you up mentally. Just so you know, YOU ARE NOT ALONE in fighting for what's right. I was in a legal battle that lasted 5 long stressful years. I lost sleep and weight too! I wasn't intimidated by someones job title though nor their education. I looked at the attorneys as individuals just like me. They put their pants on one leg at a time and were therefore no better than I. I had more fight in me, sometimes without my attorney, than everyone expected. Everyone that knew me including the opposing side were very surprised that I could go through hell and beyond for 5 years. You have to realize that what you're doing is not only right but you also have a judge most likely on your side. It's a David and Goliath situation aka a giant picking on you. The judge will make the final decision not Café Press. If you think about it, those so called high paid attorney's are looking forward to your case because they are going to get a paid vacation out of this. All the attorney's that I came across really didn't want to work if they had to. Dealing with and having negativity in their lives is more trying on them than you might think. They are just actors on a stage. He who tells the best story wins. Keep your head up and stop being intimidated by someone or something trying to take advantage of your work. By the way, I won my battle and you most likely will too. Focus!

Pierre of Tiki Republic

Brad, Right is on your side, keep your head up.

KK

I know you have a lot going on Brad, I'm in no hurry on my piece, take your time.
I'm well aware of this fight you have going on with the thieves at café press and I admire you for standing up to the A#% holes. Your in the right and Im sure what your doing will benefit changes in the future against companies that try to steal the hard work of true artist's.

W

Keep up the good fight Brad, and know there are tons of cool people behind you! It always makes me angry and sad to see that there are people like this in the world, that have no thought or concern for the person they are dealing with. It is a game to them, and they play to win. But keep at it! Your art is awesome and so inspiring! Show them what "tiki shark" really means!

Great advice from everyone Brad. Keep you head high and remember that you are in the right....not them. You will do awesome and win this thing!! A true hero and warrior for the right.

Just think about your painting you are working on...you know those little fish looking so happy and swimming around in the beautiful underwater scenery? They don't give a crap about that big shark circling above cause they know they are awesome. You that little fish...happy and secure in knowing you are good.

Hang tough man.

  • Dale

Best Wishes for a good outcome. Wendy

Brad its sad you have to go through this, but I thank you for doing it on behalf of artist's everywhere that have to put up with this kind of nonsense. You are paving the way for us all to be treated more fairly. What they have done is one of the most terrible wrongs that can be visited upon an artist. Stand your ground with knowledge that all your fellow artists have got your back, brother. That judge better do the right thing or he might meet an army of ill tempered artists. :wink:

Hope everything is going well for you. Don't let the fight take over your life....keep your energy and release in your art. The big bullies will do all they can to wear you out and weaken you, stay strong, you have so many people behind you and you have truth on your side.

Aloha Tiki Tribe ~ and to whom it may concern…
Mahalo, thank you for your PEACEFUL support and ALOHA!
Really I am awed by the aloha.
Well, Cafe Press deposed me for what seemed about 10 to 12 hours or so Monday. However, I believe the attorney they sent to represent them in this matter is, in his heart of hearts, a good man. The "depo" took a long time because I became emotional, confused, and had difficulty continuing. To his credit, he stopped, and we went "off recored" and he talked to me like a human being - and not an attorney. He is a logical, intelligent author. We talked as Author to Artist. I greatly appreciated him doing so. I understand it may have been unusual for a "deposition". However, I think it was the best, most important part of the day. I will cherish the time he talked to me in an honest and sincere manner. I deeply thank him for that. I wish we had been able to talk thusly at the beginning of this situation. I still do not condone or understand what his client is doing, but I think his harsh actions stem from just not fully understanding "Art" or the "Art world". I believe the opposing attorney is a good man. I was introducing him to who SHAG was, Todd Schorr, Robert Williams and the revealing the whole "Low-Brow Art-Movement". Even the difference 'tween a Coffee-Mug and a Tiki-Mug!

Tragically, the next day, (during another deposition) something awful happened; he was threatened by an out-side party. It was shocking and very frightening. What is extremely sad is, I believe, (perhaps naively) I thought I was actually building a real rapport with this man, and my many hours of emotionally draining work to understand him, & create a friendly relationship was damaged, & probably forever destroyed.

A terrible loss of what could have been steps to bringing Cafe Press back to actually helping small Artists and not preying on them.

If this out-side party, (who may have taken these actions thinking they were helping me) is reading this, I urge & beseech you to stop all your hateful actions at once.

I am trying to "Live Aloha" and you're not creating "Aloha". How can we teach the world, even the "corporate world", about "Aloha" if we do not practice it ourselves? Anyways, let's all focus on truly "Living Aloha". Mahalo, thank you for your PEACEFUL support and ALOHA…. Okay? "A L O H A".

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Sendin' you good vibes from the Big Island!

Aloha Tiki Tribe~

Good Morning Kona and Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
Working on da' "Forbidden Art" as it was erroneously, but humorously, rerfured to by the opposing council recently. "Forbidden Island" 24" x 48" Giclee on Canvas, and me creating an "Artist's Remarque" to make it a one-of-a-kind art piece. To get Tiki Art of your very own please contact the Kona Oceanfront Gallery, or contact [email protected]

aloha tiki tribe...

Happy May-day... Feliz Cinco del Mayo..
In this photo you can read what I write at the top of every calendar page.
(all struggling artist's take a look. As far as I can tell... you never stop struggling... you always gotta' remind yourself.)

Aloha tiki Tribe
Here is a Close-up look-see at the recent Artist Remarque...

I always enjoy looking at your art and being shocked by the detail work.

Have you been able to explain to the opposing counsel that you had nothing to do with the verbal attack?
Any progress or good news?

Best wishes always, Wendy

danlovestikis - Thanx for the kind words about my art. Don't know whats going on about the whole other thing. Leaving it to the lawyers. I thought I got to say my piece on Monday…after that, I dunno what's going on… I'm unhappy with what happened, and am listening closely to my lawyers who have some experience with fans who can get inappropriately attached to an artist or his/her work.

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
So Pulling my head into the right place to try and make art again.
Here's some progress shots…

Another look

another one

Boy, this is a complex piece.

Here's the last look so far…

Lovin' those details Brad. It's looking sharp.

  • Dale

littlegiles
ThanX!

Gotta finish!

Have a good week-end!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
Here's an
Artist's Remarque on "Hawaii-Ween"
at the Art Patrons's request of "one more Ghost"

Before the remarque…

...and afterwards...Artist's remarque - making it a "one-of-a-kind".
Aloha!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Here's a full size Giclee of "Tiki Cat" standing in the "Place of Honor" on center stage in the local Kona Gallery, greeting art patrons as they come in the gallery.
Fun to has him there (!)

"The Red Tiki Lounge"
24" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas
The only as yet un-sold Tiki-Art painting I've got out there. On display here in Kona, soon to be on display in LA at La Luz de Jesus.

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
Check out the Big Island News…
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2014/05/19/video-19th-annual-keiki-surf-contest-kohanaiki/?fb_action_ids=10203034166187826&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

The surfing mayor Billy Kenoi.

Us and the wonderful people who worked so hard to help keep this great surf spot open to the public.
My agent Abbas, Big Island Council man Dru Mamo Kanuha, Council woman Karen Eoff, and Former Council man (...and mystical Jedi / Hawaiian advisor-mentor to this Tiki-Artist) Angel Pilago, and me.

"Pine Trees" beach and awesome Surf Spot that was saved for public use…forevers!


Brad (Tiki Shark) Parker
"Brad Parker creates lurid paintings that pull in influences from tiki, comics, and rock."

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-20 07:47 ]

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Check out the local Big Island News…
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2014/05/19/video-19th-annual-keiki-surf-contest-kohanaiki/?fb_action_ids=10203034166187826&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

During this event I got to meet a really nice old timer…. kind of a wise, respected, Hawaiian elder. Much to my surprise, we got into a a deep metaphysical dialog and discussion about my Tiki-Art, and why I had changed my life and was there, living on the active volcano called the Big Island, and why I was painting such things as "Tikis". His name is Angel Pilago, he was the Councilman in the Big Island's North Kona's District 8 till he retired. Now, he acts in an unofficial, advisory role to such folks as Big Island surfer and Mayor Billy Kenoi and Hawaii governor Neil Ambercrombie.

It was a real moment for me to hear years and years Hawaiian culture wisely expounded to me profoundly, thoughtful, and sincerely from this small, wizened old Hawaiian wizard, and why the island was important, - important to me, - and to me making making da' "Tiki-Art"!

"Hmmmm! Yes…. "Tiki-Art" you shall be painting, yes. Yes."


Brad (Tiki Shark) Parker
"Brad Parker creates lurid paintings that pull in influences from tiki, comics, and rock."

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-20 08:18 ]

hey tiki tribe!
One of these things happened again last night!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Please check out this special-edition of "Beyond the Reef" over in "Tiki-Market-Place"…
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=45363&forum=12&start=last&136

Aloha Tiki Tribe!
Here the Sea Witch still be-witchingly not finished…

Working in Blue ocean bg…

And yellow tangs

Yellow tangs are the most common fish seen while you snorkel in Hawaii…

And here's a better view of the Sea Witches writhing tentacles and sunken stone Maoi…

More laters…hope to finish….2 nite!!!

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

Saturday in Kona…a few weeks away from my big Art show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery… feeling the pressure - so many distraction from law suits over my art being stolen, I am assembling a show that's about the tale of my journey, my art I made and the good and bad things made from it.

The Sea Witch getting finished!

Detail on the sea…lights and waves and wave lengths of light…

Today some nice tiki-tribe folks came out and bought some art, "Tiger Shark Surfing" and a beautiful giclee of "The Secret Cove"…
Ohmigotta'tellya'… let the Tiki-gawds bless 'em! I really needed some coconuts to help pay my Island Attorney!

Big Mahalo!

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-25 04:07 ]

Aloha tiki Tribe!
Hope u R having a good holiday week sand. I'm in the art studio makin' da' tiki art for my July 4th Art Show in "La at La Luz de Jesus Gallery".
gotta finished the SEA WITCH…

Hope to finish much tonight.

Getting the sunset put in…

Sunset and clouds and light hitting the eaves, shinning through and under…

I bounce around the canvas and put in tabs and highlights here and there as seem fit…

All very different than any other painting I've done. I put half that to learning, and half that to the great distractions of hang my art art stolen and the lawsuit that followed..

No, my friends, art and anger, and big city lawyers trying to "get your goat" at a 14 hour repo do not all fit tougher well.

The good thing that's come from all this is the great well wishes I got from the Tiki-Tribe around the globe, and the powerful support and aloha I got form HAwaiian people who'd made the islands their him for generations. Great depths of "aloha" that go so far beyond the narrow minded money focused greed of big on-line corporations.
I am honored and humbled by the wonderful friendships that I found from the elders of the local Hawaiian people.
I got to explain what "tiki-Culture" was ..and is around the whole world, and they got to tell me how I was being "called Home" to create this certain type of art by powerful forces of the universe and the polynesian world in particular. Wow, quite wonder stuff.
Who knows, when it's all over , perhaps I'll be a better artist because of it all.

Big Aloha!

Aloha Tiki Tribe,

HAWAII-CON 2014!


Check it out. I found some old comic book, computer game designs I did on the computer from back in the early 90's.
Was never used. But made art prints - one of the first places to make "giclees" (what we are now calling our nice new modern art prints) ever to create / use high quality computer print outs that could be called "Fine Art".
I was there, when that was first one was being done.
At the test site, back then, we called them "Nash-editions", because they were from a customized "Iris-printer" owned by the folk-rock singer "Nash" from the band "Crosby Stills and Nash and Young" (Younger tribe members, just ask your mom.)
Thought you might dig it. Only he 3 - the original file was lost years ago.

It was painted with a mouse, in photo shop. Perhaps I shall sell the few prints I have left of it at the "HawaiiCon": at the Hapuna Beach Hotel and Resort, -the first ever Sc-Fi Convention , right here on the Big Island.
Could be fun.

I'm gonna attend with my buddy, Sam Campos, from Oahu, who's a conic book artist - he created the first ever Comic cook ever made here in Hawaii!! "Pineapple Man!" That's his new character "Dragon Fly!"

Ya' see… I Couldn't help but notice that the Black Widow's C 7 in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" looked almost as nice as the "Tiki-Mobile" C 6. …. and gotta see if I can get my Art agent to tip the Hawaii-Con Hotel valet parking guys nice so they park the "Tiki-Mobile" right out front of the Hotel during the Hawaii-Con. Would look very "comic-book! YES?!"


Me, my adopted god-son, and my Art Agent: Abbas… they've NEVER been to a comic book convention!

SO… THEN… I'm gonna see if I can get my Art agent Abbas to dress up Comic-con style as "Nick Fury"! He'd look darn slick getting outa' the "Tiki-Mobile" with that Nick Fury black leather long coat and Eye Patch!

Me? hmmm….. While I'd LIKE to think I'd look like "The Batman", or "Riddick", I probably look more like this:

https://www.facebook.com/HawaiiCon

http://www.hawaii247.com/2013/08/22/hawaiicon-2014-the-science-sci-fi-and-fantasy-convention-with-aloha/

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-27 22:16 ]

aloha tiki tribe,
Here's the SEA Witch in the last few hours of "getting' finished"…

Brad, you really captured the ying/yang in that painting. I love the balance. Beautiful job.

  • Dale

littlegiles THANX! it's my first "above and below" painting. IT was tricky getting the shapes all to work…well everything was tricky with this one!

Aloha Tiki Tribe
Nervous…. show coming up July 4th… La Luz de Jesus Gallery.

But... many eh …"monsters" appeared in my life in the last year or more and distracted me from making the show I wanted to.
It will still have awesome things in it. Work I'm proud of. But not everything I wanted…the monster ate my time and focus.

Good news! - There will be things to purchase , if you get there while they are still available - like: the last of the Body Glove Sea-Creature Tiki-Mug set from Tiki Farm. http://www.tikifarm.com/tiki_mugs_p2.htm

Plus many other cool things…
Can't make the show? Take a look see at the Tiki-Market place.
ALOHA!


Brad (Tiki Shark) Parker
"You have not Appropriated the Culture of Hawaii…the Culture of Hawaii has Appropriated you."
Hawaiian Elder (former District Councilman of the Big Island of Hawaii, & my own personal Yoda)

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-30 01:04 ]

Aloha Tiki Tribe!

N da' Studio makin' da' Tiki-Art!
one month till the big art show at the world famous birthplace of Low-Brow Art - La luz de Jesus Gallery"

Here's speak at the finished Sea Witch.
Wish me blessings from the Tiki-Gods!

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-30 05:52 ]

aloha tiki tribe!

painting tiki art for the big show at la luz in LA on July 4th.
NERVOUS? Let me throw up before I can answer that…

Here's a sneak peak at the Sea Witch…

More to come..and more to see (and buy!) at the show!


Brad (Tiki Shark) Parker
"You have not Appropriated the Culture of Hawaii…the Culture of Hawaii has Appropriated you."
Hawaiian Elder K. Angel Pilago (former Kona District Councilman of the Big Island of Hawaii & my own personal Yoda)

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-30 05:56 ]

KK

Blurry "Sea Witch?" What a tease. I cant wait to see this in person, See you soon!

Kai Koa - it will be up in temporary display at the Kona Waterfront Gallery here in Kailua-Kona Hawaii, at request of the gallery - it will be marked SOLD - but hung up to help generate interest is selling giclees of this piece, I so slowly crank out originals that the gallery LOVES being able to display an original any chance it gets. Then of course, it gets shipped "La Luz de Jesus Gallery" in LA for a month of display in the heart of the swanky LA art scene. Then, of course, it'll be secreted away into the private collection of a mysterious low-brow tiki-art collector who, it's rumored, has residences on the west coast and in Hawaii….

KK

Well that mysterious low-brow tiki-art collector is one lucky person to have this amazing, one of a kind, original piece of art to display in their collection. Once again Mr. Parker you have outdone yourself. This piece is simply mind blowing!

oh Kai Koa,
U R too kind!

Laying on the varnish…

And a better look at "The Sea Witch" … in case you can't see it hanging up at the Kona Oceanfront Gallery…

aloha tiki tribe!
Heres the Sea Witch…
Strange to see how my style is changing , A art patron who has collected my work from the very start right up to my most recent said he has cocktail parties and they stroll around his house looking at his collection, and have really deep conversations on the evolution of my "painting style or techniques"… That kinda freaked me out. I'm not even aware that this was happening. It's just what happens when I put brush to canvas. I'm actually trying to maintain a similar style, but that seems impossible to do. Every thing changes, I guess. A lot of what is in my art is from, I think, reflected by what's going on in my life. I've have now noticed my last few paintings have been really really really busy with so many things going on in them… a lot like my life. Back when I was focused on taking care of a sick family relation who had Alzheimer's, care giving for him right up to his passing. It was what I did 24/7 bedsides painting. I noticed, at that time, I could not stop painting sunsets. Single figures on a sea-shore standing at sunset.

Change from day to night, land to sea….life to after life.

Now, all theses things are going on in my life, so many things seem to be happening in my paintings too. I guess artist's are conduits for what's around them. Angel, (My Hawaiian Yoda) said I was called home to the island to paint what I had to paint about. He's got some really deep metaphysical, geographical, and kinda' cosmic/god & goddess sexual and very Polynesian mystical ideas about all that. Cool stuff to hear from someone who's ancestors lived here. More on all that later… like who some of the legendary figures in Hawaii were and maybe represented. Very different stuff than what they tell tourists. Like some sources even tell that the Tahitian Kahuna (High Priest) Pa'ao - the guy who told King Kamehameha the Great ( before he became Great King of the Prophecy) to dedicate himself to the bloodiest aspect of the War god Ku: "Kuka'ilimoku" is described as having light colored skin and hair!? What the…? Is it possible this rather sinister puppet-master- like figure was of European blood? E-Gads! The plot thickens…as, it seems, is always what happens with all the history here …it's all such rich, dramatic, stuff. Much food for future paintings!

Anyways... here's the latest…

detail

detail

detail

Full on. Things… lots of things going on.

[ Edited by: Tiki Shark Art 2014-05-31 18:09 ]

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