South By So What's Going On?

Hello again friends! I just removed the staples from my eyelids & as I rest my eyes I can reflect on this past weekend's awesome STAPLE! Independent Media Expo.  It was a lot of fun & thanks to everyone who came out & especially to Jeremy for the 300lb. bag of Haribo Gummi Bears!!

I can't rest my eyes for TOO long, however, as a little-bitty festival is hitting Austin THIS Friday.  You may have heard of of this four-letter, two-week party that contains two-"S"s, an "X" & a "W"...  That's right, SXSW is back. Hipsters will be swarming Austin with their tight jeans, v-necks, thick-rimmed glasses & singing songs from bands you've never heard of. Along with all the "too cool for school" kids, there's a CRAZY amount of "too cool for school" EVENTS! TWO of which I'm lucky to be a part of & I'll be sharing those with you RIGHT NOW:

This first comes from local, fine-art toy shop & gallery, GUZU GALLERY. They invited 20 artists to choose a beloved music icon or band that has inspired us & allowed us to create a piece of art using that inspiration. There were, however, three conditions:

ONE: The artwork must be a screen print.

TWO: The artwork must be album cover size.

THREE: The artwork must cost only $25.

OH!...& FOUR: The artwork must rule your face, of course! So with these as the only stipulations, I dove in to create my FIRST screen print EVER for:

DEEP CUTS: 12" Tributes to our Favorite Music Heroes

Since my print has already been revealed on Poster District, I can share it here & cross my fingers that you guys like it. I chose a group that has been a huge inspiration for me & still remains one of my favorite bands today, TALKING HEADS.  And now my piece for the show:

"Heads That Talk":

This is a 3-color screen print, signed/numbered limited to only 40 which was beautifully printed by local, high-fiving buddies: Nakatomi Inc. I've seen the majority of the prints in this show & ALL you guys need to make it out to see them in person! Opening reception will be THIS Thursday, March 7th from 7-10pm. There will be live music & complimentary beverages which gives you even MORE reason to be there! All the info & RSVP is here at their Facebook events page or just SHOW UP! The show & art will stay up until April 7th, but if you can't make it you can order any or all of the remaining prints online at Guzu's shop starting Sunday. & remember...they're ALL ONLY $25 EACH!

The SECOND event is happening a few days later THIS Sunday, March 10th. HOPE & Empty Kingdom have come together to present an ALL DAY art installation which brings artists together to cover a massive, three-story-tall, outdoor urban space that has emerged into one of the largest outdoor galleries in the country. This event is:

ReCREATE: ATX

This will run 12-7pm & will include 50 bad ass, mural artists working simultaneously including heavy hitters Tristan Eaton & David Flores. I have absolutely no idea what I'll be splattering on my 13'x11' portion of the wall since I'm a master procrastinator-bater, but come noon on Sunday, "something" will begin to appear.

This show is gonna be a MONSTER with a lot of cool things happening through out, so come soak up the sun, sip refreshing drinks & come motivate us with your high fives. All the info is provided here & they're looking for volunteers that Sunday & the Saturday before to prep, so if you can offer a bit of your time, please consider it!

I really hope to see you at one or BOTH of these FREE events. Come out & support artists!...we need it!!

Be safe amigos....