Gecko'z South Sea Arts first velvet print now available

Howzit friends,

My new mission in life is to produce new collectibles for todays tiki collectors.
I have a few things coming soon but for now...

I'm happy to bring you da first print by Gecko'z South Sea Arts artist Uncle Leo. Uncle Leo has been painting on black velvet since the late 60's. We have a Velvet of my dad dated 1971 by him in our home to this day.

Uncle Leo is Filipino. Being that I'm half Filipino and that Filipino's have been a big influence in yesterday and todays tiki culture I wanted to carry on this tradition and show the tiki world this man's beautiful art. This is the beautiful and topless "Kai" now for sale.

the front bottom right shows the "south sea arts" logo for copywrite reasons and so that you know your getting da kine!

and da back of da print.

I think da tiki bars in da past like Don the Beachcomber and da Tahitian Lanai here in Waikiki were da best at displaying Velvets.
To me.... I think a tiki bar is not complete without a black velvet of a topless wahine or not topless, displayed on da wall. Not having one is like having a Mai Tai with no rum! it's still good but, it's not complete.

Uncle Leo painted Mr. Denny's birthday present not to long ago. Here you see him in the starting stages of the long and difficult process of painting on velvet. Not only is the painting art but being able to paint on vlevet is an art of its own!

Then I built the frame for the finished work
that now hangs in the Denny home.

Uncle Leo again working on another one like da print for sale although a different model.

here is his new print "Kai" now hanging in a booth at da world famous La Mariana in Honolulu. A very bad glare from the glass sorry.

when you are at La Mariana at night and all the lights are real dim and the little light hits this from da bamboo light above...JUST BEAUTIFUL!!!! It looks like a real velvet. It's the day time glare on da glass that I don't like. If you order one, make sure it's not in front of a window if you use glass. That will also protect it from da sun.

This is a beautiful print on a large 18X24
giclee on enhanced mat(not velvet). Made to last for a very long time. Limited to 300 pcs on this mat. These will retail on my website and ebay for $70 each plus shipping. Here for da ohana $60 and thats with shipping and insurance! these will have to be signed for. The print will be mailed rolled in a tube.

I prefer cash, checks and money orders but will take paypal. I'm not sure if my paypal account will take credit cards? I was trying to get it to do it today so it will. Just let me know if it won't and I'll see what I'm doing wrong. Unless anyone out there has a clue on the step by step process.

Prints don't start getting shipped out untill next weekend da 8th. So if you pay by paypal just please bare with me please.

[email protected]
is my paypal email or if you have any ????? feel free to ask.

Even if you don't order. Mahalo'z fo da read braddahz!
Aloha!

[ Edited by: gecko on 2004-07-28 19:52 ]

Gecko,
Excellent painting.
That is one beautiful wahine.
Uncle Leo looks like a pretty cool dude too.

On 2004-05-01 23:41, GECKO wrote:

I think a tiki bar is not complete without a black velvet of a topless wahine or not topless, displayed on da wall. Not having one is like having a Mai Tai with no rum! it's still good but, it's not complete.

I have to second that, it is one of the essentials. like the fishnet float and the blowfish.

I was kind of relieved that the Leeteg book eleviated the neccessity for me to devote a lot of attention to Leeteg's (and his "students") work in the BOT, because it allowed me to put more Tiki stuff in, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the presence of the female archetype for a well balanced South Seas paradise.

The Tiki and the Wahine, the Yin and Yang of Polynesian Pop.

Gecko, you are bringing Tiki to a new generation. Thanks for taking it to a higher level as well.

Gecko,
I'm very much interested,
Would it be $60 for Europe too ??
I can only use paypal though...

Love the print.

Aloha Virani,

That shipping price is for mainland orders only sorry. I PM'd you to get your addy so I can tell you what it will be. If you live outside the US just email me your addy's. Mahalo

On 2004-05-01 23:41, GECKO wrote:
Howzit friends,
My new mission in life is to produce new collectibles for todays tiki collectors.

...and as one of "todays tiki collectors", I gotta have one of those for my wall! Gecko, I'd say you found your true calling.

Beautiful technique but I think I'll hold off until the next print, nothing personal but the wahine that in the picture is the spitting image of an ex uberbitchy coworker I once had. The idea of those eyes beaming at me in my little paradise at home would either turn it into a dart board or force me to drain a few fifths to keep order, that is unless he can paint a mustache on it?

naugatiki, you should have told your coworker to put some clothes on :)

wonderful work as ever, GECKO-man! j$

Naugatiki, no worries brah, I understand! If Kai and I break up, her velvet will become my dart board also.....yes it's a portrait of my wahine.

Chiki asked was he really my uncle? In the culture of Polynesia and Filipinos, you call everyone uncle that's been a family friend of many years, in this case 30+ years. So in respect I would never call him Leo. Uncle Leo is da man for South Sea Arts. I'll keep ya guys posted on his work.

Virani, I'm sending a few out tommorow and yours is one of them. If any of you peeps from europe wonder what shipping is it's still the same price @ $60. Unless you get insurance then it's an extra $10.

Johnny Dollar, mahalo'z for da aloha!

South Sea Arts
Honolulu

On 2004-05-04 22:45, GECKO wrote:
Naugatiki, no worries brah, I understand! If Kai and I break up, her velvet will become my dart board also.....yes it's a portrait of my wahine.

And she's not scared about having her semi-naked portrait on tiki bars all over the world ??
Maybe my future kids will make a fixation on her !!??
Anyway, my wahine thinks she's very beautiful so I have her approval for hanging her in our place...

Hi Gecko,
The painting and your girlfriend are both beautiful. It is wonderful that you are facilitating this art from for modern tiki collectors. We are not ready to purchase new art (trying to make do with what we have as we get started). I wondered if you sell you frames separately? We have four print that we would like to frame and your frames are just what I have been looking for. Please let me know if this is a possibility.
Best Regards,
Gem

Aloha,

I would love to help you out but I'm so busy right now. There is now way I could do them sorry. Try bamboo Ben. He's does a lot of bamboo items. shipping may be cheaper to.

Mahalo

Geck,
Did you get my pics?
Mahalo & Aloha,
Shell in the Pacific

Pearly Shells, from Hawaii....dah dah dah dah dah....
yes mam, I emailed you about your self portrait on black velvet! No problemo, Lets get it done. Uncle Leo will make your beautiful self on black velvet as he did for Kai. Nothing mo betta den a wahine on black velvet in a tiki bar! You're gonna love it!
Aloha

gecko...didn't find any velvets available
on your website...any left...or new
ones available? I have a coupla nice
velvets in the congatiki room...but I
still have room on the walls for more.
great work.

[ Edited by: TNTiki on 2004-11-06 17:28 ]

Had a pleasant surprise while watching the Pac NW No Reservations show. There's a cameo of what looked to be a Gecko velvet in the portion about Velveteria. Sorry, no screen shots--guess you'll have to see for yourself!