I’ve been back from China for two weeks and the jet lag is finally lifting its sticky film from my brain. Back on LA time, too, though Beijing hours still occasionally wake me up around 3AM – wondering who and where I am. For a few days, all I could do was sloth and sleep, avoiding email and calls to the best of my ability, which is to say not all that well. Duties, outstanding commissions and Kickstarter incentives flopped …
Why, look at that! Our 99th Photo Flurry. I can’t think of a better way to welcome the approaching triple digits than with a massive collection of photos from my most recent visit to one of the prettiest places in all of California – San Francisco’s Sutro Baths. Once a lavish private bath house and museum, it burned down to the ground in the sixties, leaving behind a striking, skeletal carcass of rusty beams and crumbling concrete, with tides eroding its remnants …
It’s a busy January, between finishing paintings for this Saturday’s reception, working on interviews and photos for ChinaShop, drawings for tattoo commissions and a pinup for Occupy Comics. I’ve also started Spring cleaning early – a few fancies are out on eBay as we speak. On Monday, I managed to escape the toil and spend a day with my mom. I love, LOVE ramen. Real Japanese ramen, not the packaged dry sort, and I finally introduced mom to this magical concoction. …
Last week, Lumi and I wandered around a secret ghost town, peeking into dusty windows, twisting rusted doorknobs and climbing crumbling rooftops. We sat under an ancient tree and talked about Buddhism, among other things. We also rolled down a grassy hill, microscopic cuts reminding us of our indiscretion for the rest of the day – a perfect day of stillness and awe. And itchy arms.
This year, I decided to keep birthday stuff low-key, asking friends to contribute to the D4RT Kickstarter instead of gifts. 2011 has been strange and amazing and, at times, very overwhelming – so on my birthday I wanted to do something that would inspire and recharge me. This might become a new tradition. The Getty center has a few temporary exhibits closing in a few days: Paris: Life & Luxury [closing on the 7th], Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of …
Last weekend, a bunch of friends and I packed our finest bikinis, meats and libations to spend a weekend in Hicksville – a desert “trailer palace” in Joshua Tree. Now, Hicksville is my new favorite place for glamping – that’s glamour-camping to you. Why glamping at Hicksville is good: you get the desert, a fire pit, s’mores and cooking under the infinite stars, but you also get a salt water swimming pool, a rooftop jacuzzi, WiFi, plumbing and adorable themed …
I’m in the process of releasing several exciting new merch items into the world, dyeing my hair, planning my trip to Italy and France next week [oh god], and scrambling to catch up on a month worth of work. Still, I’m intent on updating more. First up, a few outtakes from our trip to WonderCon, in San Francisco. I have a couple of related galleries coming to Chinashop sometime next week, as well. Somewhere between LA and SF, nestled in …
A and I took a disposable camera and mango wraps to the edge of the ocean. There, we sat on salty rocks that were once part of the city and got acquainted with hermit crabs, urchins, and other tide-pool inhabitants. These aren’t scans – I photographed the prints with my digital camera, so they aren’t as crisp as in real life. And a few more that A took, in the park nearby.
Still busy, however! Last week, Clint Catalyst and I jumped into a rented Escalade, zoomed downtown, haphazardly strapped Clint into a chain harness [these things are unrelated], and attended what was likely LA Fashion Week’s best night: the Ashton Michael, Skingraft, and Anthony Franco triple threat show. Coverage here, a few pictures below, and more after the jump. Do enjoy! The upstairs lobby of the gorgeous LA Stock Exchange was transformed into a glowing bar, serving up popcorn, tiny cupcakes, …
Finally, a moment to wade through the hundreds of San Francisco photos. I managed to get this round down to under 100, but it must stop here. It’s been over an hour! I’ve hand-picked a few favorites for the post, and the rest are under the jump in a gallery. To navigate, click an image and then use the bar at the bottom of the window. To start off, here is a photo strip from a booth at the Musee …
When you get together with out-of-town friends, it best be memorable. This is precisely why I decided to join my usually remote comrades Gala, Nubby, Amy, Kevin, and Danielle at Disneyland. It had been years since my previous visit, so I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew there would be rides and crowds, but would I still have fun after the initial shock of colors and people wore off? I took a billion photos [we all did, naturally] …
Why, hello tharr. It feels like I haven’t written here in ages, and I do apologize. Work and unpacking have been usurping much of my time and I’ve neglected Biorequiem and Coilhouse and almost everyone I know, too. Part XTREEM busyness, part XTREEM burnout. However, the house is about two days from 100% unpacked and all manner of exciting things are afoot, so your pilot is coming back in effect. 1. Coilhouse issue 05 is almost out! We’ve revealed the …