Sergeant Sprinkles Meets Corporal Punishment

Hey all-

I decided to kick this thing into high gear by starting a third panel before the second one was finished. The next two panels [3 & 4] are going to be "VERSUS" panels- Panel #3 will be all LADIES artists, and panel #4 will be all GUY artists. Just having a little competitive fun here to make things a tad bit more interesting, although I'm sure the ladies will kick ass!

To start it off, we have Berkeley-based illustrator Jen Oaks. I fell in love with this woman's illustrations the second I saw her work. Her stuff is vintage inspired with a lot of feminine imagery like lingerie~ How could I NOT love her stuff?! Take a look! [don't feel bad for enjoying a majorette in her panties... i know I don't]: 

PANTIES: 

ETC: What is your Name?

JO: Jen Oaks!

ETC: Where are you from, and where are you based out of now?

JO: I'm from Oklahoma City, And now I reside in Berkeley, CA. I do miss living in San Francisco, but Berkeley/Oakland are really great. 

ETC: What inspires you to create your art?

JO: Every amazing nuance of the Bay Area. How my grandma's kitchen looked in the 80's. Inside jokes with my dude. Ridiculous, decadent fashion editorial spreads. Pin ups and underwear! 

ETC: Describe your [art] stye in 5 words.

JO:  Pretty, awkward, colorful, kinda funny

ETC: If you could meet any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

JO: I am dying to know more about Tadahiro Uesugi. His work is incredible! I would also love to have tea with the inimitable Mary Blair. 

ETC: What was your favorite toy as a kid?

JO: I like Barbies a lot. I know, typical. But I did naughty things like cut their hair off an color them with markers. And my grandma made a bunch of funny 80's punk clothing for them. I also had this bizarre compulsion to make little villages out of mud, leaves and twigs, and then populate the villages with My Little Ponies. Honestly, i was happy to play in the dirt for hours. 

ETC: What id your favorite toy now? 

JO: My Macbook and Wacom. I have mixed feelings about this. 

ETC: If you could leave today, and travel to anywhere in the world, where would you go?

JO: NYC has been calling my name. I've never been! Plus, my husband has been watching all of the Woody Allen films in order, and that has only fanned the flame. 

ETC: If you could paint/print on of your designs ANYWHERE, where would you put it? 

JO: I've been dreaming about some really pretty public art. Not graffiti, I'm not as bad ass as the rest of your collabo artists, but more like a legitimately commissioned outdoor mural or installation. Or illegitimately  commissioned. Call me!

ETC:  If you had one chance to tell the world one sentence, what would you say?

JO: "Eat your veggies, dudes."

Beautifully done. I hope you all enjoyed that one as much as I did! I encourage you all to check out her other works at her website here. And if you didn't click on the link to her website, then you are lame, and should reconsider your lame-status and go back and click on it. Go on... I'll wait....

So, moving along- My heterosexual life mate, Crash N Burn McGurn, asked if she could be a part of this Ladies panel, so I am going to toss her into the mix [again]- the panel is on it's way to Long Beach as I am typing this! I am also compiling my group of males for the Panel #4, so if any guys are interested, hit me up!

"There is no retirement from being an artist, it's your way of living and there's no end to it" - Bono  [even though that one doesn't really  make sense, because life DOES eventually end, i just like the idea of art being a way of life or a culture, not a JUST a job]

We create to live, we live to create.

Peace and love to all,

ELROD

Fresh Cuts from the Butcher

Hey all~

Sorry for this much delayed posting! Sometimes life throws a few road blocks, but we'll just keep busting on through them! So check this out- our latest artist, Manar Laham, has completed his addition to the panel and he defiantly brought the fresh style-

"A creature emerges from the sands of the far east, his shadow cast by the blood orange sky.

The Butcher stands before us, cleaver in hand, ready for the first cut..."

ETC: What is your name?

AML: Ahmad Manar Laham. I was called Butcher for the longest time.. which is the direct translation of my last name in Arabic (Laham). You can just call me Manar

ETC: Where are you from and where are you based out of now?

AML: I’m originally from Syria. I grew up in the UAE (AKA Dubai), and I live in San Francisco now

ETC: Describe your style in 5 words

AML: Punchy sarcastic dark imaginative unique 

                  

ETC: What inspires you to create your art?

AML: I get inspired mostly by people around me. My fellow artists and friends, people that I meet or even just see on the street, on the bus, at the grocery store, Etc. Having been surrounded with a number of good artists for the past 7 years or so has always been a major motivation behind my work

 

ETC: What is your idea of the ultimate collaboration?

AML: A huge panel that travels between artists from all around the world. The names of the artists involved in the project would be kept secret. Then the finished panel would get exhibited in all places it traveled to in the process of its making. I’d love to be part of this!

ETC: This could be arranged....

 

ETC: What was your favorite toy as a kid?

AML: I had a lot of Ninja Turtles action figures and I loved them.

 

ETC: What is your favorite toy now?

AML: You know what.. I still have a lot of action figures. But my favorite has to be Bandai’s Plawres Sanshiro“Juohmaru” chogokin Figure that my brother got me last year.

 

ETC: If you could meet one artist, dead or alive, who would it be?

 AML: Simon Bisley, Ashley wood, Francisco Goya, Egon schiele, Dean Cornwell, John Sargent, Bernie Wrightson, the list goes on and on

.. as for picking one.. I’d say Ashley wood

 

ETC: If your art had a soundtrack, what bands would be on it?

AML: Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Rush, Pink Floyd, the Police, Genesis, Dire Straits, Led Zeppelin, Testament, Death, Overkill, Judas Priest, Megadeth

 

ETC: If you had one last sentence to share with the world, what would it be?

AML: Open your minds and hearts to the world around you. Let’s forget about the planet for now and just care for each other.

Well said. Thank you for sharing your talents and words, Butcher. Check out and follow his work here.

I hope you all are enjoying the eye candy and mini-interviews, send me any suggestions for new interview questions, I am all ears! I told you all I was bad at thing kind of thing, so thanks for sticking with it! And remember, if you'd like to get down on this project, hit me up! ~ travo.collabo@gmail.com

Total miles Panel #2 has traveled- 858 miles

"One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself." - Leonardo da Vinci

Peace and love to all.

ELROD