Under Construction

Greetings friends, and collabo appreciators!

I want to send you al my dearest and most sincere apologies for not updating the site. We've hit more than just a few bumps in the road with this project but we're keeping our heads held high and  we plan on picking right back up where we stopped. Thanks for the support and interest, I promise to have some new eye-candy for you all very soon...

Please stand by...

ELROD

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

Emerging from the Empire

Orales holmes!

Hey art headz, welcome back to another ridiculously cool and well- written [HA!] blog posting! This time, the art work is making it's way back from Socal, or rather, from FONTANA. 

Rambo1 has been unleashing his reign of terror on the walls of the Inland Empire for years, and I am proud to have him slap some paint on one of the panels. 

Riddle Time! What do you get when you cross an abstract painter with a graff writer on a piece of wood???

THIS:

ETC: What is your name [alias or otherwise]?

R1: My name is Rambo, but my slave name is Joseph

ETC: Where are you from, and where do you currently live?

R1: I reign from the land of the Inland Empire and currently live in Fontana, CA.

ETC: How long have you been creating, and what is your earliest art related memory. 

R1: I've been drawing since I was a kid, but I remember failing seventh grade because i would draw all day at school.

ETC: What inspires you to create your art?

R1: Mostly my friends and family. Without them, I wouldn't be an artist

ETC: Best hustle you ever pulled?

R1: Haha I wish I was a better hustler, but I'd have to say it would be getting the cops to think i was buffing graffiti when they caught me in the act... yeah, it worked

ETC: Describe your idea of the ultimate collaboration

R1: Multiple individuals working together with open minds

ETC: Favorite toy as a kid?

R1: Building blocks

ETC: Favorite toy now?

R1: My bong

ETC:  If you could throw a tag up ANYWHERE in the world, where would it be, and why?

R1: On the pyramids of Egypt so you could see it from space

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

R1: "A great revolution in just one single individual will help achieve a change in the destiny of society, and further, it will enable a change in the destiny of mankind"  - Daisaku Ikeda

A pleasure as always, thanks for reading guys~

Hit me up if you want in on the project!!!!- travo.collabo@gmail.com    [do it, yeah, do it] 

"An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one." - Charles Horton Coooley

Peace and Respect to all

ELROD

Abstraction by Abbott

Panel #2 is hittin' the road and making it's first leg down south! But before I get into that, Let me introduce you to the new panel and it's first collaborator, San Francisco's Annie Abbott. Annie is a fine artist from San francisco who emphasizes in abstraction works with amazing color palettes and lyrical patterns. Be sure to check out her website and full biography *here*. Here is a little snippet :

"By referencing past movements such as: Lyrical Abstraction, Color Field Painting, Art Brut, and Formalism, I begin each work as a search for the ultimate story that has a beginning, middle and end. Inspired by the pieces of everyday “light and shadow” that quickly move before our eyes, I seek to capture these fleeting moments that are often gone within seconds, yet leave an imprint upon the eyes. A shadow cast upon a floor, wall or ceiling that moves, jumps or fades - and is quickly gone or removed by something else. By combining process and concept, I am led through various landscapes that float temporarily before our eyes and then vanish."

And here is her panel work:

Ok, now before I get into the mini interview, I just want to throw this out there really quickly- I'm sorry for the lack of insightful interview questions! I didn't realize how hard it is to actually formulate questions that would convey a cohesive and accurate image of the artist and their thought process, but I can only try! Haha, oh well, I hope some of you enjoy these anyway!

ETC What is your name, and where are you originally from?

AMA Annie Marie Abbott, originally from Southern California~ Long Beach

ETC Describe your artistic style

AMA Colorful, Non-Figurative, lyrical abstract

ETC What inspires you to create your art?

AMA The need to express and communicate through my hands

ETC Favorite color[s]?

AMA All colors

ETC Favorite medium to work with?

AMA Oil and Ink

ETC Favorite toy when you where a kid?'

AMA Tape recorder

ETC Favorite toy now?

AMA Cannot tell you

ETC If you could have one super hero power, what would it be?

AMA To grant the power of love OVER hatred and violence

ETC What is your idea of the ULTIMATE collaboration?

AMA Several artists from all walks of life and ages coming together for a large mural in a big city

ETC If you had the chance to tell the word one sentence, what would it be?

AMA Live every moment like it's your last, with an open heart and as much love as you can possibly give

I know, not exactly Barbara Walters worthy, but c'mon people! I'm an artist, not a journalist! I promise they will get better though!

A big thanks to Annie for throwing down on this project [Glamazons united!]!

Next up, RAMBO1 of Fontana, CA. This cat hit me up wanting to get down with us, so I am eagerly anticipating his work!

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures." ~Henry Ward Beecher

Peace and love to all,

ELROD

Completion

Hey art headz!

I am so thrilled to announce that the first panel of El Travo Collabo '09 has arrived as a completed work of art, and I CAN'T STOP LOOKING AT IT!  There is so much art and madness on this thing that's hard for me to look away! I took as many pictures as possible so you can have a good idea of what it looks like, but i guarantee you it's sooooo much better in person! These snapshots don't do it justice, but it will have to do for now- ENJOY!!!! [hit us back with comments, we dig those!]

Here she is! Bask in her glory!

 Close-up on my section- My heart bleeds for art:

Top-O-The panel [arteries by me, characters by Forest Stearns]:

Close-up on Danee123's stencil skills [I love his subtle nuances and details!]: 

Check out more of his awesome work *here*

Detail shot on Danee123's piece: 

I didn't realize this section of insanity until I received the panel the other day! judging the style, I'm pretty damn sure Danee123 did it! I love you man! 

Oscar Padilla's sneaky little green guy:

Check out more of Oscar's paintings and murals *here*

Letters by Forest Stearns:

Check out that detail work:

To see more of his amazingly inspiring work and all of the other mega-star collaborations [like the one with DJ Shadow...yup, Sh-sh- Shadooow], go *here*

Funky planes and white trash flamingos, Crash n burn McGurn is bringing sexy back:

Poppies, M-yeeees, poppies [Wizard of Oz anyone? no?...ok..]:

Lovely beetle by Tony Van Groningen [thanks again Tony!]

I love how some sections wrapped around the sides of the panel. Here's another view of Tony's beetle:

You can view his professional work [yeah, that's right- artists CAN pay the bills!] and contact him  *here*

BACK OF THE PANEL! 

All artists signed the back of the panel, kind of making it like a second work of art:

Oscar Padilla:

the Stearns:

Danee123:

C-Burn McGurn:

Very few things in my life have been seen through from conception to final execution, which makes me very proud of this completed work of art. If this piece of birchwood could talk, I can only imagine the things it would say! It traveled nearly 2,000 miles by land, air, foot and bike [thanks Oscar  :)  ] and now it an rest a few months until we display the completed series [more on that soon to come!]

One last thank you to the artists involved: You guys are all so talented and have assisted me in executing one my visions to make it a reality, I can't express exactly what that means to me, but it's an amazing feeling!

So, since that took us nearly 5 MONTHS to complete, I decided to send out 3 panels at once so we can stay on track with the deadline for the art shows next year [I know, next year sounds so far away, but trust me- It will be here in NO time at all!] . ALSO- I have decided to do the NON-CALI residents panel, now that I have a handful of artists who live outside of the states. it's going to be so freaking cool to see what comes next, I hope i can stay on track with all of the postings!

OFFICIAL DISTANCE TRAVELED FOR PANEL #1- 1,704.28

"Art is a passion or it is nothing." ~ Robert Fry


Peace and love to all~ Thanks for stopping by! 

ELROD

Beetle from the Vulcan

Hey everyone~

The newest and the truest work has just been added to the panel, and I can officially say that Panel #1 is COMPLETE!

Before I show off the panel in all of it's glory, check out the addition by free-lance graphic designer Tony Van Groningen:

Tony kind of got bombarded by the travo collabo, and he was a real good sport about it [thanks Tony!].  He is a long time friend of travo collabo contributer Forest Stearns and he happened to be in town when the panel made it's way back to the city by the bay. Check out his work online at http://www.tonyvg.info/ .  Check out the mini-interview:

ETC: What is your name, and do you have an a.k.a or anything like that

TVG: Tony Van Groningen, a.k.a. tonybricker

ETC: What do you do for a living?

TVG: Graphic design / information design

ETC: How did you get started in art?

TVG: I've been drawing since my mom gave me that very first crayon...

ETC: As artists, our styles can constantly change and evolve over the years- How has your style, or perspective on art, changed [if it has at all] since you first started pursuing art as a hobby and then as a career?

TVG: My style has changed so much. When I was a little kid all I would draw were cars and animals and Disney characters. When I was first starting to think about refining my skills in high school, all I ever drew were comic book characters and monsters and aliens, and some more "serious" still life and landscape stuff for school. I got into a studio art program for college and learned a ton about the wide world of fine art, it was really eye opening, and I grew to appreciate the value of social commentary and conceptual forces in art. At the same time, I thought a lot of fine art was overly intellectual and ultimately ineffectual, and I kind of got disgusted with a lot of it. Now I am at a point where I just like what I like for my own reasons, and in my own work, now I get bored really easily if I make similar things over and over in content or in technique. 

ETC: What would be your idea of the ULTIMATE collaboration?

TVG: Let's get fantastic and say a huge piece with James Jean, Moebius, and Syd Mead working on some deep psychologicalfuturescience, with Buckminster Fuller and Roger Waters consulting. 

ETC: What is your favorite medium to work with?

TVG: I love ballpoint pen, or ballpoint pen on top of watercolor. Gouache + india ink is something I have been enjoying a lot recently.

ETC: What inspires you the most?

TVG: Beauty, music, nature, technique, ability, fantasizing/daydreaming, people that are smarter than me

ETC: Will we see Tony Van Groningen on the Collabo again? [in other words, would you be up for throwing down some more paint on another panel?!

TVG: I am definitely up for throwing down again the next time I am in the Bay Area...

Thanks for that Tony~ Next up- the final work! 

Peace and love to all! 

More Bay Area Antics

Panel #1 is well on it's way to becoming the first official completed El Travo Collabo panel, but it is making one last impromptu NorCal stop- more juice on that later. BUT FOR NOW, how about some alien interview action by NorCal Artist, Oscar Padilla-

ETC: What name do you prefer to go by, and where are you from?

OP: I usually go by Oscar my friends call me Oskeezie sometimes, its a rip off Snoop Dogg's lingo. lol. Im originally from El Paso, Texas. Currently residing out of San Pablo, Califas!

ETC: What inspires or drives your to create you art and how long have you been doing it?
OP:  I've been doodling since I was a kid, every christmas and birthday all I'd ask for was art supplies. I remember getting the RoseArt sets with the pastels, crayons, markers, watercolors, etc. and the were the most awesomest toy I ever got, but now that I look back at them, they were crappy ass kits, but thats how I got started. 

Just about everything inspires me, I've done a few protrait paintings that were just inspired by me wanting to paint someones mug on a canvas. I watched a show on elephants that painted one day and was inspired to paint an elephant with rattlecan tusks. At first, elephants were my main focus, I love how they are gentle giants, but at the same time no one messes with them because they all know that an elephant will fuck shit up! Also, they remember everything and alot of my paintings are inspired by random memory explosions that come to mind out of no where. I have a variety of different things I paint because I like to keep my mind busy.

ETC: Favorite color[s]?
OP:  Purple, blue, black, in that order.

ETC: What would be your idea of the ultimate art project or collaboration?
OP: A giant white walled room, scaffolding, abundance of paint and supplies, beers, and a shit load of people that are ready to throw down some shit on every square inch of the walls. Just being able to vibe with other creative minds on something that is such big of a scale would be legit.

ETC: Describe your style [artisticly].
OP: Its graffiti and animation inspired, with a twist of a lost mind.

ETC: Do you aspire to become one of those famous artists we read about in the art 'zines? why or why not
OP: If thats what it would take for me to be able to live off of doing what i love to do, then yes. I think some creative people, and not neccesarily artists, but musician, sculptors, everyone, when they get to where they were aiming to get, they plateau and settle for it, their minds stop racing, and you see the lack of effort in their work. Thats the only thing that i wouldnt want to happen.

ETC:  If you had one last sentence to tell the world what's on your mind, what would you say?
OP: "Si te hace feliz." My mom raised me on these four words. It means "If it makes you happy" She never judged me for who I was, what I stood for, or what I did, she was happy as long as I was happy. I live by it . If it maes you happy do, then you wont have any regrets and it flushes out the chances of any what if's.

Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.  ~Pablo Picasso

TOTAL DISTANCE PANEL #1 HAS TRAVELED- 1,696.35 miles

Grab your brushes and hit me up!

ELROD

Because I'm SUPER impatient like that...

Sneak Preview:

Oscar is doing his thing and I can't wait to see what this baby is going to look like when it's complete!

Peace and respect to all

ELROD

Thrift the Gift

First off, I want to thank anyone who follows these updates, and thank you to anyone who has sent me messages or inquiries on this project. Just knowing that others are taking an interest in this vision makes me off-the-wall happy. So yes, thanks! [P.S- No, you don't have to sign-up to leave a comment  :)  ]

So, what did I tell you all? Hm? Didn't I say that Danee123 would be sure to please? He just emailed me a sample picture of the panel, and I am sooooo unbelievably beyond stoked that I couldn't wait to post it! The sample pic has a fatty glare right over his handy work, so i'll post new pics on the detail when I get them. 

For as long as I've known this artist [about 6 years now] he has been slicing and dicing paper to make some of the illest stencils I have ever seen. Come to think of it, back when I first met him, it was  really the first time I had personally met an artist that used stencils and spray paint as one of their main mediums. Stenciling started popping up on the streets in the late LATE 70's and early 80's and over the past few years, stenciling has become a more common form of art. looking at the stencil graphics I see on the street today, I can honestly say that his work has remained on the top of my list when it comes to well-developed and innovative stencil work. His studio is named "Thrift Shoppe Designs" and he specializes in one-of-a-kind customized stencil graphics and sprays them on any surface imaginable- records, clothing, cars, and even super sexy ladies! I just love the idea how something so intricate and delicate [stencils] can exude such a strong and bold  image... God bless X-acto knives. Loving how everything is flowing so well on this piece! Click it. 

Check it. Love it. Hit him up:

http://www.myspace.com/t_s_designs

Next up to bat from team NorCal is Senor Chikn Skratch ~Oscar P., residing in San Pablo. I met this cat random style, and thought him and his crew would have a good time with this project. they are more collectively known as muralists and wall scribes, so working on this tiny little piece-o-birchwood may restrict them, but I have all the faith they will produce something off the hook, mini-style!

TOTAL DISTANCE PANEL 1 HAS TRAVELED- 1,254.47 miles

"To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist."  ~Schumann

Peace, love, respect to all~

ELROD