Inspired By: Green Mango? No... MangoRED

My wife and I loooooove art! The feelings they evoke, the nostalgia that it sparks, the moments they create- over and over again. We're so obsessed with it that we've taken much time in collecting art from friends of ours, making art of our own, scouring the cities that we visit for anything that leads to the visceral "I-Gotta-Have-It" mindless purchase. And so imagine how inspired we were when we stumbled upon Philippines-based photographers, Ryan and Randall Dagooc of MangoRED.

Now, I am all about the progression of my people in the world of art. You can almost feel that love that they have for their craft. Stand and be recognized for your talents because it is nothing short of amazing. Check out their site here. These guys love what they do and nothing says it better than how they worded it here:

"We believe that no matter how monstrous your talent, no matter your adeptness with concepts, your adroitness with words, with pictures, no matter how much you have learned from all the creative masters who have gone before you, it will mean nothing - no, it will mean less than nothing - if you do not love your work with all its pain and glory. .every last sweet and sour moment of it - the late nights, the lost Sundays." Now that's love! And this quote doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how eloquently they express it. Visit their site and BE INSPIRED.

{photo by mangoRED}

Plug: Soul Signature Tattoo & Art Studio

Suluape Aisea of Soul Signature Tattoo is in town and he is a monster- tattooing well into the wee hours of the morning and bangin' out nuthin' but art! My wife and I spent all of yesterday with him and the knowledge I've acquired during that time is invaluable. I just want to take this opportunity to thank him, to pay homage to his talents, and to tell the bay area tattoo junkies that you can't let this man leave until he has blessed you with some body art.

My wife took some black and white film photos, as well. We'll post those next week. In the meantime, HB Tattoo is taking your calls for appointments with Suluape Aisea. Don't let him pass you by!

Mon's the Word

Sashamon is gonna be in Berkeley, CA on Saturday, April 25, 2009. He'll be performing cuts from his debut CD, "One Day Maybe." Share in the wealth and good vibes. Show some love at the Shattuck Down Low (2284 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, CA). Listen in and stand in awe of his reggae/ ska musical skills. You can buy tickets for $12 here or you can pay $15 at the door. Here's my favorite cut on his debut CD

Word to Yo' Mutha'

Mother of Pearl, that is. This is by far, one of my wife's favorite pieces. I've used absolutely no adhesive, yet a small monkey could swing from it and the lashings wouldn't come undone (However, do not try that at home because the shell could break... lol). I took a relatively large Mother of Pearl shell, cut it to it's desired size, making sure to gently sand the edges for a smoother, cleaner effect. I then added decorative and functional lacing to the ends of the shell making it a one-of-a-kind necklace for that special vahine (woman) in your life. I topped it all off with a heavy-duty shell lock so that it not only looks good from the front, but from the back, as well. Rock this and I GUARANTEE that the compliments will keep rollin' in. Word to yo' Mutha'... of Pearl!

Parkin' Lot Pimpin'

Besides making Polynesian jewelry and memorabilia, I love doing body work on cars. Rolling by Sun Valley Mall yesterday, I saw a bunch of old cars just pimpin' in the parking lot. I love old cars like kids love candy- I just can't get enough. I don't know how often these guys are out there, but every once in a while I spot it and for the first time, I had the time to stop. Sharing my finds...

Gēkin'...

about a few things that are coming up:

1. Working on some up-coming projects with Gekd Concepts. Check out the post here.

2. Selling some of my wares at the PIC (Pacific Islanders' Club) show on April 11, 2009 at San Francisco State University's auditorium. We'll be selling Samoan lava lavas, Maori jade pendants lashed by yours truly, bone pendants custom made and lashed by me, as well.
We'll also have Cukui T-Shirts and shoes designed by Sef Samatua. Check out the links for more information on the Cukui & Samatua product lines. Here's a sneak peek of my jewelry. The beauty of it? I don't use any adhesives- it's just the sheer creative nature of my mind.

And I'm out... One.