Vanowen Blvd. / Van Nuys

Something Different

A few of you that visit this site may or may not know, but on occasion I do paintings.

Its the yearly I Am 8 Bit Art Show, and once again I've submitted a painting.

Its based on the old school arcade game Burgertime and I think you might find some familiar things that I post here on my blog.

I've only put a small piece of the overall painting I made, so if you want to see the rest you gotta come on down! I've seen some of the artwork in advance and all I can say is this is the best show yet!

If you make it down, just look for a the guy wearing the red Floyd's BBQ shirt and an emormous head. That'll be me.

The show opens this April 17 at Gallery 1988 in Hollywood.

Doors open at 7pm and it will be PACKED!

I'll get back to posting soon....PROMISE!

The Holy Grail

Back when I first started taking photos of carnicerias back in 2005.
I actually started off with what I consider the one that started my fascination with these
special types of murals.

I like to think of it as the Mona Lisa, the Sistine Chapel, nay, The Holy Grail of meat murals.

I'm talking about the city of Vernon.

I'm talking about the Farmer John's processing plant.

Yup, I'm talking about Hog Heaven.

If you live in L.A. and haven't driven by this GARGANTUAN mural called Hog Heaven, I pity you.

I grew up in Bell Gardens and anytime we would be driving back from the old Sears building I'd ask our dad to take us to see "los puercitos."

Or little pigs.

I really didn't know what the building was, but I knew what was on the outside of it.
Pigs, and lots of them.
Everytime we drove by it was a treat.
It seemed like it was alive like the cartoons I would see on television.

Pigs running.

Pigs fighting for their lives.

Pigs feeding.

I never forgot that place even after we had moved.
From time to time whenever we would go visit family back in the old hood, we'd drive by it.
Like a good friend, it was always there waiting to be visited.
When I finally decided to start taking pictures, I had realized that I had never gotten out of the car to see it up close and personal. Thats when the mural became something more special.

A pig whistling with little musical notes coming from its mouth.


A fox in a chicken cage.


Baby Jesus in a barn.
Yes, there's even baby Jesus.

I never knew much about the mural until I started my blog. Even so, I've tried not to learn much about it. Like all the murals that I find on our little adventures, I try to keep my sense of childhood fascination about these fantastical paintings.

I like to think they were always there.

Magically painted on the streets of L.A.

More next week...

I like this one a lot, it looks like one of my uncles.

Well, this is it. The end.....

of 2006!

I know, you all gasped thinking I was quitting the mural picture taking biz.

Nope, We'll be back in '07 with even more stuff.

Some happy stuff, some surprisingly sad stuff as well.

What could that be? I'm not telling, you have to tune in to find out!

To all my blogging peeps out there, keep on blogging on!

This is my tribute to the years greatest holiday, Thanksgiving.

Lets count the ways on how awesome it is.

Lets see, you don't have to work and not see the people you can't stand.

You get to stay in or go visit family.

You get to feed your face all sorts of food and not have to feel guilty about it..unless your vegetarian, then your screwed.

You can play with your new Wii.

You can prepare yourself for the awesome shopping day that is Black Friday, actually, that day sucks, too many people shopping.

And finally you get to celebrate your birthday the day after....oh what...? You didn't know?

Now you do!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

VAN NUYS BLVD/PACOIMA

Van Nuys Blvd/ Pacoima

Van Nuys/ Laurel Canyon

Pacoima

Van Nuys/ Laurel Canyon

Pacoima

Oh man! We're back! And with a vengence!

So last week, we figured it wasn't hot enough in The Bo, so off to Pacoima aka, The Pac.

They have some really great stuff up there. What I'm really excited is to venture back to Pico Blvd. We visited some friends on the Westside! for a housewarming and layed our eyes on some great murals while our personal bus driver on bus 31 drove us around.

Anyone think that Vicente Fernandez mural looks like another famous one in downtown?

Its good to be back!

Lakewood Blvd/ Florence Ave.
Downey

And so it comes to an end.
This will be my last post......from North Hollywood.
My official reign as the "unofficial" Mayor of NoHo comes to an end this Friday. We're packed and ready to move onto bigger and better things in lovely Lake Balboa, or as I like to call it..
The Bo.

Anyhow, don't worry about me finding more paintings, I've already scouted some near The Bo.

Peace out NoHo, you treated us right.

To be continued......

Somewhere on the 101 Freeway

Vineland/ Sherman Way

This one is just damn good.

Ok, time for the obligatory, "Sorry I haven't updated blah blah blah..."
Well, I'm sorry. My lovely wife and I are in the process of looking for another house. Between that, work, freelance and breakdancing, there's not much room for other stuff.

So if anyone is looking to move into NOHO we have a great little house we'd like to sell you.

Orange Line, Red Line and NOHO Arts District adjacent.

No, seriously.

Tony

Hey everybody! A bit of a departure today...sorta. I was lucky enough to be part of an awesome art group show that was based redoing classic Disney characters which was surprisingly enough put together by Disney and Gallery 1988 in Hollywood. The show that will be closing this Friday, March 10th so if you have the time and live in L.A. get down there! Truely amazing artwork which I was very happy to be a part of, and it actually sold!

Hope you all can make it!