Daniel Alarcon and Radio Ambulante

Some interesting words about book pirating, literacy, and capitalism from the US to Peru One of so many stories of families broken up by the Obama Governments unprecedented deportation of immigrants over the last 6 years. Well told, researched, and edited!

Quotes 2- Stic Man (Endurance)

 

In case you never heard this track here it is "Runner's High". Revamping an old idea, just quotes. No rhyme or reason, with photo or without, just practicing hand styles. Meaning that these are written by hand, not font. Photo credit: I was unable to find the photographer who shot this, so if this is your photo please contact me so I can credit you.

What is this? Handstyles! For as long as I've been drawing I've been practicing lettering. First i. the form of Graffiti, then calligraphy, graphic design, kerning, type setting, sign painting, and so many other forms. I'm not a designer or a lettering specialist, but I can hand write a few different styles and enjoy hand lettering when it's done right.

Dig this? Check out these lyrics by Tupac

Or these letters for Hyphen or Colorlines magazine

Check out this Zach de La Rocha quote 

Sometimes it gets shelved #3- 45 record of culture

Unfortunately this beauty did not get used at all for what I intended. You know sometimes folks are assholes, but most times they are nice people. The client and I did not see eye to eye on this one for whatever reason, but I liked it and still dig it. What do you think? Had any projects that were killed or never saw the light of day? I guess its buddhist like to just "let it go" right?

Muphoric Sounds 34-Yes

Heart of the sunrise by Yes was one of my favorite moments in Buffalo 66, Have you heard it? Go LISTEN HERE

The Diamond Thief

Children's Portraits-The 1st year

This is the first year of children's portraits. I originally got the idea to do these last year around this time. I painted a portrait of my son, and made a short video about it. What started as an idea for mini murals and "some" portraits turned into a lot of portraits and hardly any murals (I'm still open to the murals if any parents wish to commission one).It has been incredible to paint such beautiful little ones from teenagers to new borns. Shout out to Krea for planting the seed and for spreading the word. Thank you to all the folks who have mentioned it, reblogged it, or sent the word to their friends. With each parent I connect with, I talk to them about self publishing and my first children's book, which I will need plenty of support on. Soon! Until then, let folks know I'm still taking commissions for these portraits. These are not all the portraits that were painted, but some of the best!

Bonus photos by Joy Liu

Stuff Im listening to-2

"95 til infinity" produced by Lee Bannon

 "The Jux" by The Stuyvesants
"Moebius Streak" by Hiatus Kaiyote  "Inner War" by Featherload

 I often repost stuff on my soundcloud if you wanna keep up with that or make your own account to keep up with djs, artists.

Inspiration board 16

From left to right, bottom to top: Model/miniature set built for film, Sadly, I cannot remember this artist's name but i love their illustrations, Blokhedz-the comic and the animation, Old fashioned stamps, Those who are forced to migrate in N.America and all over the world, Marco Land by Anabel Hernandez, Patterns, this is a Keffiyeh, Handstyles of Sure(rip) and Faust, Illustrator-Sergio Toppi, The art of Drew Struzan, Comics artist Cam Kennedy, Musician-Hindi Zahra, Artistic tiles, Musician-Soia, CCBC-The Cooperative Childrens Book Center, and last but not least this last show of paper cuts that I did with my boo.

Handstyles 3-Hands Off Syria!

If the U.S. Is getting involved, something is fishy, punto! Bombs do not equal liberation. Only Self determination with no US dollars funding sides and utter chaos. Here is a partial list of places where it is documented that the U.S. Disrupted, destroyed, or overthrew the governments (and many times democratic countries who refused to bow to US companies/corporations) and used the media to put forth an entirely contrary story:
Iran
Chile
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Indonesia
Afghanistan
Iraq
Ghana
Democratic Repub of The congo
Angola
The Philippines
Libya
Cambodia
Vietnam
Brazil
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico

Oh you’re going in to save or free the people of Syria? Bullshit! Tell that lie to somebody else. And conversate with your friends,relatives, co-workers, let em know this beast called US Imperialism has left tracks and foot prints of destruction in many many places.

Dig this? Check out these letters for Hyphen or Colorlines magazine

Check out this Zach de La Rocha quote 

A Song for Us- New gallery show

Me and the love of my life and co-collaborator on this project have been working non stop for about three weeks now on the production and set up of this show. Now its time to give you an a peak at it and an invitation to see it if you are located in or near the Bay Area.

For this show we took on a method largely influenced by papel picado, cut outs, pop up books, and tunnel books. We got a strong rigid paper, researched, drew, and listened to some of our favorite songs to create these pieces. There are so many songs we love, but we settled on these six songs and created pieces inspired by their sound and/or lyrics.

1. "Blue in green" by Miles Davis
2. "Two Lovers" by Ali Ahkbar Khan
3. "El Desierto" by Lhasa de Sela
4. "Black is the color of my true love's hair" by Nina Simone
5. "Alabama" by John Coltrane
6. "Good bye pork pie hat" by Charles Mingus

Check out the collage of images from the show and the process, plus some detail shots of the very intricate, detailed, pain-staking cuts we made by hand (no machines or lasers).

TO VISIT THE SHOW: Please go to 2018 Addison Street, Berkeley, California

Special shout out to Greg Moruzumi (Gallery curator) and the City of Berkeley for the opportunity to show our work.

Facebook Invitation

The write up: 

A Song For Us

A new collection of collaborative work 
by Joy Liu and Robert Trujillo

A Song For Us is a collection of papercut art inspired by six wistful songs: Miles Davis’ “Blue In Green”, Ali Akbar Khan’s “Two Lovers”, Lhasa de Sela’s “El Desierto”, Nina Simone’s “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair”, John Coltrane’s “Alabama”, and Charles Mingus’ “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”. Incorporating illustration and traditional papercutting, the two Oakland artists explore loneliness, loss, struggle; and our capacity for love, forgiveness and renewal.

Each of the six musical compositions have been translated into delicately layered landscape portraits, vignettes of sounds, sentiment and space which have stayed with the artists through the years. Like the songs themselves, the pieces weave together line, pattern, space and form the way a musician combines melody, timing, phrase, and rhythm.

Sometimes we play music to forget; sometimes to remember. It is often in empathizing with others’ experience of pain that we allow our own selves to feel pain, and in doing so open our souls for healing and forgiveness. Art can serve as a mirror to society, reflecting our pain and revealing our blind spots. It gives us a landscape in which to experience, express and make sense of our world. So while injustice and destruction continue to shape our lives and histories, constantly imploring us to give up, to be inured to suffering, and disillusioned by power, art can keep our eyes open and hearts softened. The artists are both driven by love — and the insistence that we need to address the anger, disappointment and frustration, but also create and celebrate our own stories of uplift. To conjure creative solutions. To reflect the beauty, resilience, and ingenuity of our people in addition to the struggle. These pieces, like the powerful songs and musicians that inspire them, motivate the artists to keep going, to love, reflect, praise, forgive, and to dream. They encourage us to listen for the bent notes and melodies in our own lives, to pause, to feel, to imagine with renewed hope, and to stay open, curious and inspired.


If my words don’t come together
Listen to the melody
Because my love is in there hiding...

— From Leon Russell’s “A Song For You” (as sung by Donny Hathaway)



This exhibition is sponsored by the Civic Arts Program of the City of Berkeley in cooperation with the Civic Arts Commission.

For more information, including exhibitions and purchases, contact:

Greg Morozumi, curator
gmorozumi@yahoo.com
Robert Trujillo, artist
info@robdontstop.com | robdontstop.com | @roberttres
Joy Liu, artist
joy@thejoyliu.com | thejoyliu.com | @thejoyliu
Civic Arts Commission, City of Berkeley
510.981.7533

Children's portrait 15- Aaron & Lolo Omy

This week I finished a portrait of this little one named Aaron and his lolo (grand father) Omy. The boy's mom is an old friend/co-worker from my SF youth organizing days. Usually I just paint the kids, but the momma wanted to show Grandpa too.

If you would like a portrait painted of your child, please click HERE.

Mural 1- Youth Speaks Office

Got a chance to work on this wall for the national headquarters of Youth Speaks. If you've ever been to Life is Living in Oakland, Brave New Voices, or one of their regional events you know that if these walls could talk the conversation would be impressive. I would post some process shots but my phone passed away :) The theme? Well, I had a day and a half to paint it and get it done, so a simple pattern I chose.