Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Some art scans out of my sketch pad


"Eyenapple" tombo brush pen


"Papua New Guinea Shield" tombo brush pen


"Timbuwara figure study" tombo brush pen


"Deep Sea Calling" Tombo brush pens over an ink wash.

So a few of these sketches are making their way to becoming paintings so keep an eye or two out. Also, I went and started an account on Etsy.com where I have a few of my paintings and t-shirts for sale. Etsy is like the ebay of the handmade crafters world and a great way to support artists. Please give my shop a peek if you are so inclined and add me as a favorite. Or if you are an artist and create an account tell them Chongolio sent you. Mahalo Nui Loa for all the support and comments

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Ukulele Jelly Jam

Tombo brush pens in my sketch book

Monday, September 15, 2008

Forbidden Island Parking lot Sale 2008

Well I woke up with a sore throat and a little crispy around the ol gilligans, but it was worth every dusted brain cell. Mahalo to Martiki, Mike, Mano, Rebecca and all the staff of F.I. for again putting together what has become one of my favorite events. Small enough to keep it real and big enough to handle a nice sized mob. Thank you, Thank you, thank you to everyone who picked up a little piece of Chongolian art and dropped compliments as well. The best part is knowing my art is going to be owned by some of the coolest people a dude can meet and call friends. More Mahalos to Danny from Tiki Hana as well as Jim and Bruce from the Leisurenauts for gifting me the shirts.

Extra super coolness was too be able to share a booth with Lake Surfer, do some tradin' and getting a cool new necklace and awesome carved Honu. Also very nice to be within ice cube throwing distance of Jungle Trader and Unga Bunga. It was an privilege too meet Kuku and Tobunga in person and see Tobunga's art up close, awesome creations brah!

Happy Birthday to Polynesiac and Mai "it's drivin' me nuts" Tai. I really can't put into words how good it was to see and catch up with so many old friends again and meetin' a few new ones too. It's gonna really make leavin' next week a bit sad.

You can see all my pics on my Flickr page

Saturday, September 13, 2008

The End of Dirtbag Summer


Salt Pond Beach on the west side of Kauai

This Chongolian update comes to you from California. Yes I am back on the mainland for a couple weeks for my cousin Leah's wedding in Northern California and an art show at Forbidden Island in Alameda tomorrow. It has been another interesting few months over on the Garden Isle for me, with more housing changes, adventures with old friends and plenty of new experiences. I am still working at the silkscreen shop but now only part time for the most part and taking on more side projects as an illustrator and graphic designer. All the while still creating my own t-shirt designs, paintings and drawings. I printed the first batch of my "Moa Kane Coffee" t-shirts the day I left for California and have a box stuffed with t-shirts and artwork that I will be selling this Sunday. If interested you can read more at The Forbidden Island website.

In the middle of July I decided to move out of the house in Kapahi and have been living out of my office at the silkscreen shop over most the summer. It got to the point where I was going to have to find two new roommates in a house that I was already less than thrilled about staying in any longer. So I packed up all my stuff and set out to find a studio where I didn't have to deal with roommates any longer. It didn't take long to find a sweet ohana studio that I will be moving into once I return back to Kauai in a few weeks. My new place is located in an area called Omao, which is on the south side of Kauai near Poipu. I will have my own studio on a very private piece of property and I will be renting from a very cool and nice lady who lives in the main house. The studio has a kitchenette, but I will also have access too the full kitchen in the main house. I am really stoked, the property is tropical, quiet, private and in a really neat part of the island. Also, I already know several of my new neighbors from surfing at Kalapaki.

This summer was really memorable and I was treated to several visits from some of my best friends from different eras of my life; all the way from high school to college to the tiki scene. Each visit was a blast and I was able to share and enjoy the company of good friends while experiencing a few things on Kauai that I had not yet seen or done. I spent fourth of July and surfed with my ol buddy Rudy Drat who came out wih his wife Tika and their charmin' little girl Audrey. Our friend Lulu and her daughter Julia who live on Kauai, but had yet to connect with since I moved here, also joined us in the festivities. I also got to hang out with my buddy Dana a.k.a Feedback Black who became one of my best friends when I lived in Santa Barbara in the late eighties. We road tripped around the island, surfed the longest left break in the Hawaiian island chain called Pakalas, paddled Hanalei river on stand up paddle boards, took a cruise around the Hanalei bay in his friend's boat and I was introduced to a bunch of great folks who Dana knew from his home town of Newport Beach. It was really cool to surf with my bro's who I haven't seen in many years. Another friend of mine Crazy Al was out here too. Al is an insane artist I know form the tiki scene who was out here working on a tiki carving commission at an amazing house in Kiluea on the north shore. When he wasn't busy working on the tiki we were able to do some snorkeling at Tunnels beach, catch a killer jazz band in Princeville and knock back a few drinks and listen to more live music at the Tahiti Nui in Hanalei. Here is a link to a video on Youtube that I had put together of him carvin' away. I also had a wonderful dinner at Duke's in Lihue with The Mai Kai Gents's Iuka Grogg, The Mysterious Mrs. Mauna Loa and there beautiful baby daughter Talula. Later that night I was able to meet up with Mano from The Conga Lounge and have a beer by the poolside and meet his wife Carolyn and their boys.

Other awesome news... Thanks to the unbelievable generosity of my Grandma Nina, who I owe much of my creativity and inspiration too, I was able to purchase a new Macbook Pro Lap top and get back up to speed with my internet shenanigans. A lot of really cool stuff has emerged in the short time that I have been technologically challenged so I been wasting time (or keeping busy if you will) with checking out all the cool new social networking and just plain old fun web sites. Some of my recent favorites include:

Tumbler

Deviantart

Twitter

12seconds

flickaday

blip.fm

So if you have a penchant for maniacal monkeyism check me out on the intertubes.

I have also been giving a lot of thought to starting up my Coconut Wired episodes in a new format that utilizes some of the new technology that has emerged. If anybody is interested in sponsoring, contributing content or ideas let me know.

Well... it's gonna be a whole new trip for me once I return to the islands, I will be in a new home, aggressively pursuing my art and graphic design projects, surfing new breaks and continuing the exploration of my island home, so stay tuned for more pictures and updates as I get situated and dialed in on the south side.

Monday, September 08, 2008

I won todays 12 seconds.com challenge!


12 challenge: Who is the sexiest famous person? on 12seconds.tv

My first post on 12seconds.tv and I won the 12 second challenge. The question was "Who is the sexiest famous person?" Shootz I should of shaved. If you are reading this, Call me Joy! I bet you are still hot!!

New Art for The Forbidden Island Parking Lot Sale

Well... been doing my best to get my eggs in one basket for The Forbidden Island Parking Lot Sale coming up next Sat 9/13/08. Here are a few of the latest artistic items I will have for you to look at and purchase.


"Tribal Hammerhead" was made with colored markers, and a white gel pen for the highlights with an india ink background on watercolor paper. It measure in at 8" x 6"


"Puffie's Tune" started as a study for a painting, that I am going to try and have done before next weekend, that came out a pretty neat. It was done with Tombo brush pens in my sketch pad. I now wish I had done it on thicker paper. This buddy comes in at 8.25" x 12" I will try to post the rest of my finished projects as they become such...finished that is. Looking forward to minglin' with some of you in a few short days!

Crazy Al carves on Kauai



It was a blast hangin' with Crazy Al and watchin' him do his thing both carvin' and on the dance floor. A real treat for sure too have a snorkel buddy at Tunnels beach and drinkin' partner at the Tahiti Nui in Hanalei. This is a video that we put together of him carvin' the days and nights away in Kilauea. Go to Al's Site to see more pics and read more about his trip too the Garden Isle.