It’s fair to say that I love my work. [Some people might suggest it would also be fair to say that I'm a filthy, antisocial art hermit, but we won't listen to them, no.] Painting, drawing, writing, shooting – all of it, love. But making time for actual lifestuff has become a vital aspect of my existence over the past two years. I’m increasingly fascinated with the idea of superior time-management – of finding my ideal balance between work and life and uninterrupted time to be filled with reading, exercise, movies, meditation and whatever else I might want that day. I’m still too busy to journal, for the most part, so I’m taking more care to otherwise document. Here is a resulting collection of non-work moments, people and things that made me happy over the past week or so.

Sunny weekend mornings with Ales and a house that’s finally in order after a month of sick and busy.

Micron and her new observation deck atop a cabinet.

Vivka and

her tiny Tesla.

New Lung Ta flags – a set of three sent in a care package from Tibet.

Hilarious party times that end up in LA Weekly.

And, of course, 4AM Denny’s photoshoots with Clint Catalyst.

The Criterion edition of Videodrome.

Night wine [and rare filet mignon, not pictured] with friends.

                          

Oh, happy day! After yesterday’s advance announcement for Biorequiem mailing list subscribers, I’m happy to present two peculiar specimens. Playing on my fascination with chapter 8 of A Rebours and the the concept of alien botany, I offer you the first fruit of my dicey investigations, in print form.

Available in signed and numbered limited editions of 44, the Cephalotus Geminus and the Cypripedium Lingua are now ready for purchase in the Biorequiem shop, separately or as a set.

I can’t wait to harvest more of this curious vegetation. Meanwhile, you can get your hot little hands on the original paintings through Copro Nason gallery.

                          

Good morning! Closer to noon here, actually, as I’ve managed to inexplicably sleep past 10 for the second day in a row. After several minutes of cold-sweat-panic and confusion, I’m now enjoying it with a mug of homemade mocha and a pile of photos to dig through. First up, a few shots from the Conjoined reception. Above is me with my paintings – don’t let the squintface fool you, it was a super-fun night! To finally finish not one, but two paintings after five [!] years, and to exhibit them in such great company felt fantastic. More shots from the reception below.

Kevin Kirkpatrick’s Beavis and Butthead in Real Life

The Fast Supper by Jason Hite

Actaeon by Michael Shawn McCracken

Sculpture by Meats Meier

Conjoined 2 by Chet Zar

Many, many more photos and an article I wrote about the exhibit are up on Chinashop. LA Weekly has a piece on Conjoined 2 as well, with a few words from Chet Zar, Kevin Kirkpatric and myself.

In all the excitement I ran out of time to document my outfit that night, but it included black Galaxy leggings from Black Milk, Trish Summerville platforms from H & M, the black and grey GHST RDR jacket and milky blue opalite jewelry.

I’ll try to be more vigilant with outfit documentation in the future. For now, I have tattoo commissions and a very serious post office mission to attend to.

                          

I’m taking the day off work to get the home base in some semblance of order. Our being sick and insanely busy this month has it looking like a circus tent exploded on the premises. But first, photos, taken by myself and Stephanie, from a little post-Conjoined afterparty. There was Nancy Reagan’s mac-n-cheese with bacon, wine and introducing friends to the horrors of Visitor Q. Also cheeze piggies and zesty puppies. I have photos and impressions from the show itself to go through, but that will happen later. For now, gaze upon late-night bohemian debauchery, starring Stephanie Inagaki, Ulorin Vex, Ales Kot, Taslimur and Aaron Hawks.

                          

My latest painting, the startling Cypripedium Lingua, is now finished!

Come see it in the flesh, along with the Cephalotus Geminus, this Saturday at Conjoined 2. If you haven’t already, check out this Haute Macabre write-up about Conjoined and, if you’re in LA on Saturday, be sure to come say hello at the show! I heard through the grapevine there will be an interactive robot tentacle, so you know where I’ll be all night. The details:

This Saturday, January 21st 8 – 11:30pm
Copro Nason Gallery – Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Ave. T5
Santa Monica, CA 90404

                          

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. We had beef curry ramen and pork soy ramen. Mff!

We didn’t have any. I actually despise doughnuts, though I do love bacon.

This happens a lot. When people threaten women that they’ll become their mothers, it should be clarified that it actually means they’re going to constantly dress alike without conspiring to. My mom is wearing an AllSaints coat. Frf.

MOCA is hosting an amazing exhibit right now - Naked Hollywood: Weegee in LA. It’s a massive retrospective of the NYC-crime-scene-photographer-turned-LA-paparazzi who captured some of the most iconic images of the early 20th century. If you’re in town, I highly recommend it. We were enthralled for hours.

There is also a Kenneth Anger exhibition, which we didn’t have much time for, though we did watch an excerpt from Lucifer Rising. I’ll be going back soon.

It was a fun afternoon. I took this self portrait later that evening:

I’ve been collecting them here, if you’re interested.

                          

I’m racing to get ths piece finished for Chet Zar’s Conjoined group show on the 21st and it turns out one can get a lot of painting done in four-and-a-half hours if enough over-steeped Pu-erh tea is on hand.  The question now is: will I even sleep again?

                          

The past few days have been filled with shoots and interviews and catching up with some of the ridiculously talented people I’m glad to call friends in the midst of it all, while ferociously digging into One Hundred Years of Solitude. On page 180 now. Today I’m diving back into a painting, in hopes of being able to wrap by the 18th. Time for serious caffeination and concentration.

This is from my documentation of the Silverlake Zombie thing a couple of months ago. Maybe the best photo I’ve ever taken.

Art dog, arting.

With miss Slinky Orangina of Bubbles and Frown after exploring her showroom. The photos and our interview are up on Chinashop now!

Purple velvet cupcakes!

Documented LA’s 4th annual No Pants Metro Ride and managed, miraculously, to keep my pants on. Maybe next time! More photos and write-up, here.

Visited the mysterious and baby-hungry Mildred Von Hildegard at Mother of London HQ. Our interview coming soon to a Chinashop near you.

Blue bathroom at Pillarbox Studios.

A miniscule sampling of Tracey and Brian‘s vast vintage robot collection.

A peek at some of the magic that goes into Miyu Decay. Yes indeed, there is an interview in the works!

F

Headdress by Bubbles and Frown.

                          

All I knew about my New Year’s present from Ales was that it was something spectacular. Every time we had guests in December, he’d take them to his laptop and conspiratorially show them, to the sound of inevitable WOWs.

It didn’t arrive -in two big, heavy boxes carried by grumpy UPS employees-  until the two days prior to NYE. Our friends Allan and Ulorin came over for the big reveal, which elevated the suspense to a fever pitch. I battled layers of cardboard and styrofoam in a pair of rather impractical heels until…

…a massive, gorgeous, sparkly-black telescope emerged. The women observed and fetched sustenance while the men labored to construct the beast.

It was all very manly.

I can honestly say this is the best present I’ve ever received and wish The Incomparable Ales lots of luck in topping it. I still squeal with delight every time I feast my eyes upon this glorious machine.

It’s a full moon tonight – hopefully the sky will be clear enough to get a closer look!

                          

Let’s call this my first painting of 2012. Happy new year, everyone!

                          

2011 has been one incredible adventure. I took hundreds of photos in Europe, wrote thousands of words, conducted my very first Kickstarter project that sent me to teach and make art in the Amazon jungle, debuted as a spoken word performer, made time to model for Stephen McClure, Allan Amato and Lydia Hudgens, was featured on LA Weekly – several times, released the 6th issue of Coilhouse Magazine, created my first iPhone cases with Izozzi, auctioned off a hand-painted denim jacket to benefit the Tor project in Egypt, designed custom tattoos, collaborated with Plastik Wrap on my first mini-collection and finally began painting again.

All this in addition to every manner of life event imaginable, of course. This was also the heart-wrenching year my father and one of my grandmothers left this world, the brain-zapping year I left Coilhouse, the phenomenal year Ales and I evolved at a breakneck pace – together.

It was the Emotional Bootcamp year, a year of extremes, but it ends in a state of emerging balance. I anticipate great things. Bring it, 2012.

                          

I give you a few progress shots of my toothy Cephalotus, being brought into existence for Conjoined – Chet Zar’s group exhibit at Copro Nason on January 21.

This is maybe five sessions of varying lengths since the first layer post a few weeks back, as well as one unfortunate 5-hour stretch that ended in me erasing half the piece. The painting was on pause for a few weeks while I was plagued by a nasty case of strep throat, but now it’s steadily nearing completion.

Before you scroll, I warn you: this beast is highly NSFW!

                          

It’s been a fun-filled, illuminating, topsy-turvy rocket ride, but over four incredible years since we launched Coilhouse, the time has come for me to move on. The need to focus on creating versus curating has been nagging at me for the duration of this endeavor, first softly and then louder, until it grew into a din which could no longer be ignored. And why should it? It’s been an amazing four years and six issues – years and issues I’ll always be proud of, especially now that our fated Constructivist installment is out in the world. Listing all my fond Coil-memories would take ages, but here are a few that immediately stand out:

                          

Yesterday was the day of Grand Shippening. All of last week’s print orders are off, along with D4RT incentives. If all goes well, said incentives [aside from commissioned drawings] will be with my backers before the end of the year. Calculating postage for 150 oddly-shaped envelopes was rather complicated, but my awesome D4RT intern Celia and I were as diligent as time allowed, so I hope not to have to deal with returns.

Also, if you haven’t spent two hours at the post office during the holiday season, I recommend it – if not for the fast and friendly service, then for the comedy.

Stickers.

Postcards, 4 in each set.

Celia’s pretty grey manicure. I, on the other hand, was in full hobo-mode when she showed up to help, fitted BDUs and baggy sweater UNF.

Address labels.

Buttons.

Legs after an especially strenuous shoot for an iPad magazine. Can’t wait to show you the resulting photos!

My beautiful mother.

A little something I’m working on for the Conjoined show – fast approaching on January 21st.

Green tea cake more of which I require in my life.

Ales-mom on our porch in October.

Micron, pensive as ever.

                          

Our New Year’s tree is now complete and man, does it smell great in here. The massive cookie candle helps, as well.

If you’re a new reader: though I don’t celebrate Christmas, welcoming the New Year is a big deal around here.

Read about Russian New Year’s customs here, toward the second half of the article.

The doll head isn’t a “Russian thing”, by the way – that’s just my special touch.

                          

I took these last Sunday – the final Sunday of the Occupy Los Angeles City Hall encampment, taken over the course of six and a half frenzied hours between 9:30 pm and 4:30am.

Quintus iPhoned that sweet action shot of me. Aww yeeh. View all 61 images in the slideshow below.

                          

LA’s being pulverized by the harshest winds in over a decade, which makes this place 1. Downright apocalyptic 2. Ideal for cookies! Here is a honey walnut cookie recipe that’s excellent when you’re feeling impulsive and don’t have a lot of time, or a lot of ingredients. It made for some nutty, caky, almost madeleine-y goodness. My version is slightly modified; it uses half the ingredients [because I certainly don't need two sheets' worth] and no sugar.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened [I used smart Balance spread]
• 1/2 cup honey [more if you want these really sweet]
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Mix it all together until smooth
2. Heat oven to 375 Fahrenheit
3. Use a spoon to plop dollops of dough about two inches apart on a foil-covered cookie sheet
4. Bake for 10 minutes
5. Let cool
6. NOM.

                          

Enter the code “HT MCBR” at checkout to reap the sleek, tailored, supervillainess-worthy rewards. Because we love you, that’s why.

Click here for a large slideshow of the entire Half-Light Beach editorial, featuring GHST RDR, or check out a 520-px one below.

Photogaphy: Lydia Hudgens // Featured: GHST RDR jacket and skirt , AllSaints gown // Model & styling: Zoetica Ebb // Most accessories: Miyu Decay

                          

On Monday, the first batch of limited edition and other prints is heading out of their dim, inky womb and into your warm embraces.

You have until Sunday night to get your orders in. The next rounds will ship out on the 5th, 12, the 19th and once more some time after the 26th, and then that’s all folks.

Everything you see in the shop now will go away on December 31st to make room.

Small bursts of art, merch, and very limited edition stuff is in the future. Now, we clean house!

                          

Crisp autumn weather is perfect for almost everything. Reading, writing, making art, movie nights… Unfortunately, the chill can also lead to a variety of ailments. Between copious amounts of vitamins, hot ginger-honey tea and rest many of them can be warded off, but nothing weaves the health magic like Magic Soup.

Over the past few days I’ve spent my time crawling from bed to couch, unable to even console myself with books because of daily migraines – a sad state of affairs. Fortunately, I happen to know a powerful soup recipe and Ales made it for us. I picked up the camera in my trembling hands to document the process.

This miraculous concoction comes to you from Travis Louie, who’s not just an incredibly talented artist, but a gifted soup alchemist as well. I’ve seen him cure with this potion before, and have been craving it ever since. It’s a straightforward recipe that will take about two and  a half hours to prepare.

INGEDIENTS

• ginger
• turnips
• leeks
• onions
• garlic
• parsnips
• 2-3 tablespoons of miso paste
• chicken parts
• various peppers [cayenne, white, powdered black]
• salt

Warning: adding an entire bulb of garlic will make your hands very sticky.

METHOD

1. Bring about 2 qts of water to boil with all the ingredients [the water level before you turn on the stove should be at least 1 inch over the ingredients]
2. Add salt and pepper [careful with the salt, miso is salty!]
3. Boil for a few minutes, then turn down heat to Medium and simmer for 1hr
4. Add a cup of white wine
5. Garnish with crushed garlic and fresh leek greens. You also could add turnip greens or water crest.

                          

[Image source]

You may have noticed that I’m slowing my blogging roll to focus on art. Though I will continue to post articles as time allows, I also plan to increase my creative output. This could mean stuff like little flash sales just for dedicated readers, last-minute announcements and other news – which is why I finally created a mailing list. If you’re interested in receiving occasional updates, sign up by entering your email and clicking the button below!

And, of course, I promise to never share your email addresses or spam you.

[Image source]

                          

Starting now and until the end of 2011, you can acquire this print set, featuring my art from the Constructivist/Futurist/Expressionist issue of Coilhouse magazine. The collection, printed border-free on ultra-premium velvet stock, contains an alluring Metropolis-inspired robot, a hammer-wielding revolutionary, one sultry silent starlet and will make an excellent gift or conversation piece at your holiday party. It can be yours for a celebratory $66. Each print is also available individually for $29.99.

A closer look at the belles of this ball:

MARIA’S GHOST [Shop link]

SILENT STARLET [Shop link]

GIVE US MORE HAMMERS [Shop link]