DEATH CHEATER

Super prolific graf artist Diar was in a very serious accident a couple of months ago, a bunch of artists have donated some work for one, of a couple scheduled benefits to aid him with medical expenses. It's a miracle he's alive, so do your good turn and contribute by purchasing some artwork from the roster shown or making a monetary donation to the address that follows.

CLOUT MAGAZINE

D. Donations
P.O. BOX 659
GILROY, CA 95021-0659

I sent in the piece below, it's small (3.5" x 5"), woodburned.

The Dodgers were NO HIT yesterday and they still won. Haha. Terrible.

<3 Pucho, Puchie, Don Pollo <3

My Dad is the hardest person to shop for, only because he's set in his ways and knows what he likes so there's little wiggle room. I created this list last year, of the default Dad's day gifts and it has stood the test of time. Since I recently blogged about Ma dukes, it's only right they get equal playing time. Here it is with some edits reflecting the past years evolution.

• Anything SF Giants or 49ers (gross, I know- still his only flaw)

• Jim Carey, Mr Bean movies (now that he has DishTv, it's all about the DE PELICULA channel)

• Polo Shirts and 501's
  

• Boston baked beans (He's now all about strawberry sundaes in a cup, Coca Cola in a the glass bottle and Cajeta)

• Cruz Azul merch (probably not a good idea, it's too soon, the loss in the finals probably still stings. Maybe just the Mexican National team new fit.)

• Something for his troka (usually from a gas station/truck stop...i.e air fresheners, pewter Santo or Virgen, accessories with sports insignia)

• Aviator sunglasses (or reading glasses, I think he buys a new pair every month.)

• Mexican Comedian Polo Polo CDs or Chico Che CDs
  

• I don't think it exists but a Gift card/season pass to el yonke (also known as "Pick your part" or Pick and pull")

Everyone really likes my Dad, he has a contagious laugh where his eyes disappear and he turns red. He's an awesome mechanic and an excellent ikea furniture builder. I love watching boxing and soccer with him because he's always so animated. I miss the days we'd carpool to work together and listen to oldies. I admire the confidence in his broken English and his ability to drive 10+ hours overnight and still party with some birria once we arrive. He doesn't even get mad when we make up different nick names for him. :)

BROWN

This morning while internetting, I came across a bulletin on the space. The subject line pulled me in, "Mexican Artists in the Bay Area", so I followed the link to an article on today's front page of the SF Chronicle. I read it out of mere interest and was surprised to read this whole SENTENCE. :)

My favorite part is "San Jose based" yeeeaahhh! Ricardo says it's finally a legit write up cause people have to PAY for the Chronicle. :D I just think it's funny how I found my way to it. I would have never known about it-Thanks Francisco for the bulletin. Here's a LINK to the whole article, good read.

Top 10 reasons. . .

my Mom is tops.

She loves watching Cops and Cheaters (in SAP when available) and likes the web gems segment on Baseball Tonight.

She plays Ms Pac Man ALL THE TIME (para relajarse).

Her favorite winter coat is an old San José Sharks Starter parka. She's hip to throwbacks.

She likes spray painting things gold, silver or ivory.

Loves her some rooty-tooty fresh n' fruity from the ihop (pan-cay howse as she calls it)

She always gives me the heads up on junk put out on curbs and/or helps look for junk to paint on from the segunda.

She takes measurements (quite accurate ones) with her hands.

She enjoys crucigramas (crossword puzzles) and sopa de letras (word searches) and when gets stuck on an answer asks me to look it up "en el inter-net".

My Mom is an autograph seeker-she has an autograph book even. She's very proud of her autographs and pictures of various cast members from different seasons of La Academia (Mexico's equivalent of American Idol) as well as Pepe & Don Antonio Aguilar, famous telenovela actors, Dodger's owner Frank McCourt, Tigres of the North and Blue Demon Jr. There's more and she'll feel shortchanged when I show her this and finds out I left someone off the list.

Last but not least, I love when she pretends to be the "Cha Cha" (maid) when telemarketers call for her. "Es que ahorrita no se encuentra la Señora de la casa"

She's so great and little. I love all 5ft of her.

P.S: She recently learned how to text message and is thinking all bad.

IT'S SPRING AGAIN

Baseball is only a week away!!

I can only hope the 2008 Dodgers channel an eighth of the winning spirit that the squad committed onto video8 back in ’87 (Wait- 87 was a bad year but you wouldn’t even know that from the resolve & heart in their step) Orel Hershiser gets the MVP for his considerably on-tempo body roll throughout and an honorable mention goes out to Ed Begely Jr for his cameo. Don’t let the pit stains on those satin jackets, and the jheri juice from Mariano Duncan and Pedro Guerrero’s perm be in vain. Let this footage set the tone, go Dodgers! :)

Mesmerizing right?

In theme with resplendent retro music video clinics put on by pro athletes, here’s one I hope pushes los Lakers through the last leg of this season. But I say, "Just say YES" to HGH for the Lakers injured big men- Gasol, Ariza, Mihm and Bynum. How gangster is Pat Riley in this? Watch for the chimuelo at the 2:27 mark. I can’t stand when kids go around looking like little vampires. 

Buy me the 12 inch! I’ll let you sample Kurt Rambis raps.

MANIFIESTA

The Manifesto Volume 2 show will be up for another week or so. For those that can’t or refuse to go...I came across a post on BK CIRCUS’ blog with some images and a recommendation. :) Check it below or here's the link.

Also, New Leaf Clothing put up a big batch of photos from the opening and of the artwork on their flickr, image link below. If you would like to purchase any of the work, you can do so through D Structure’s website.

P.S: Marquez was...

BRAGGART

Up next...


I'm sure you've figured out that I like harboring secrets. Like freemasonry and the reclusive Syd Barret, I'm super secretive. So with that preface, below is a sneak peek at the pieces I'll have up at the Manifesto show. Whatever, the back pretty much gives away the front anyway, so lose it.

I'm a sucker for cute packaging. I've indulged and picked up a few things from the new Fafi line at MAC. Cheers to seeing fafinettes every time I put on my face.

The end of Dodgertown nears. : ( Most of you won't get through the first video but the second is a good one to take in for Black history month.

ADVERSARIES

I partied with the kids this weekend. While doing so, discovered that my nephew Victor is the next Anthony Lister. Or maybe he'll be Alex Ross' successor. It's superheroes & villains all day.

LISTER'S

VICTOR'S

We also collaborated on a Bartman. I love his cape.

Some candids of the kids in their hip hop regalia and Marco icing.

From time to time, I get updates/follow ups from people that have purchased my work. They'll attach nice pictures of my pieces in their new home. It's kinda cool.

Until now! Eww. The photo is hilarious, and obviously a rouse. It's only funny because I know how much the Giants suck a big fat pork sword. Its my fault, I did ask that all Giant trappings not be within 10 ft of my painting. Whatever, at least the buyer- despite his obvious lack in SPORTS taste seems like a nice guy. Besides Catalina Creel roots for no one. The only thing she'd like about the San Francisco Gnats is the fact that they've collectively turned on their now unemployed superstar castaway Barry Bonds. I knew no one liked him, not even his teammates.

It's hella throwback Dodgers this spring training. Tommy Lasorda will be managing the split squad in FL for a couple of games while Joe Torre and the rest of the crew are out in China for the exhibition games against the Pads. Other throw back news, Chan Ho Park is a non roster invitee this year.

Me Gusta La GASOL-ina

Lakers get Paul Gasol AND rid themselves of blundering ham-hands Kwame Brown?!? BEST DEAL EVER!! I'll miss Crittenton-he never did get enough playing time. Who knows how good MARC Gasol will be once he comes up and giving up the first round picks, you never know what effect that'll have BUT it seems a small price to pay for Gasol's PAU-erful grizzly beard. Yeah, get used to the constant play on words, it's my new favorite thing. :) He will probably be making his debut in purple and gold later today versus the Nets. Can't wait.

P.S: NETFLIX THIS IMMEDIATELY

LEAK

Some of you may have received this in your mailboxes/respective myspaces yesterday but here it is for those I missed in the blanketing. The show will be up for 2.5 more weeks. Click the image for the gallery's website & more details.

Artist and writer Timothy Buckwalter wrote up a piece about my stuff in the East Bay Monthly, click the article to view it on his blog with workable links otherwise read the screen cap below. I hear there's a mention about the show in the Piedmont Post but I haven't picked up a copy. Woooo!! Creating a buzz in all the respected news sources. Look for me in the PennySaver next and other complimentary leaflets, circulars and high school gazettes. ;)

EDIT*** Here's the Piedmont Post mention in electronic form. Correction-the catch phrase is "tururu" and I wouldn't exactly say I was raised among a "family of fine artists" but thats cool, I guess. :)

I also came across this review of the All Star Hustlaz show over at the KQED website. Blah, Blah blah skip to the part about me..."...Mitsy's Dos de Tres Caidas, a precious yet biting mixed media wall piece shaped like a tiny boxing ring. It was decorated with a Pacifico beer label, a furry Sasquatch, and glitter. I freaking love glitter!" Who doesn't appreciate glitter? I don't however like how it's now on everything I own.


Noooooooo!!! Seems big baby Bynum is out for 8 weeks!!! Ughhh, right when I got League pass too now I'll HAVE TO witness the Lakers flop. The two oafs next to him better step it up in his absence or like I stated in previous posts...yet another disappointing season. Stupid subluxation of his patella, whatever that means. I guess 7 straight wins is where the streak ends. Last night they played into over time against the SONICS!! Seattle has only won 8 games all season. :( LA has a tough schedule ahead so...Let us pray. And a Sana Sana colita de rana...For Bynum

And because there appears to be a direct correlation between suggestive lyrics, video vixens, the talk box and an outpouring of crowd participation i.e myspace comments. Here's something for all still reading this.

Oh yeah, finally had Christmas.

RAINY DAY SCHEDULE

Stupid precipitation nearly killed me twice today. I'm not driving BACK UP to Oakland for tonight's reception because the weather is gnarly and I haven't slept well in weeks BUT you can, if you want. Here are the details
.

330 40th St. (at Broadway)
Oakland, CA

A closing/make up reception is rumored for next month, I'll probably be at that one. Tonight though I party at home streaming Lakers/Sixers off the internet and celebrating being lazy again.
Did anyone catch this game? I blame the throwback short shorts for the loss. Or the Celtics are just that good. Haha, they changed at halftime.

Also...really? Really? This song in my head all week. Ughh. The video IS hecka tight though.

<

LUDACHRISTMAS

No Me-he-co for the holidays this year. I don't like it. Never ever ever plan an art show for right after the holidays, ever. It'll ruin your life. You'll end up postponing Christmas only to find yourself on the matrix with a paper plate full of ambrosia salad and apple cider trolling for youtube videos to create a air castle of a holiday you feel you missed out on. At least there's basketball.

Here's what Christmas looks like...usually.

My Mom's pride and joy.

YEAR-END REVIEW

Finally, an art update. Oh, but I WILL get to baseball later on. :) First things, first. I'll be in two group shows this Saturday, December 15th, up here in the Bay Area.

There's All Star Hustlaz III over at White Walls in San Francisco. Things kick off at 7pm. I've seen variations of their line up but this is the one I pulled off their website.

Rogelio Martinez, Adam 5100, Aj Fosik, Alexis Mackenzie, Amir H. Fallah, Ben Frost, Ben Horton, Ben Woodward, Charming Baker, Dalek, Damon Soule, Diet, Gregory Eucide, Henry Lewis, Katy Horan, Kelsey Brookes, Kill Pixie, Mathew Palladino, Caleb Neelon, Ryan Shaffer, Maxwell Lorence Holyorke, Ronald Kuniawan, Michael Genovese, Mitsy Avila Ovalles and more.

And over at Rowan Morrison in Oakland, the party starts at 5pm. It's a low commission art sale, so I've priced my things (old work) real cheap. There will be libations, snacks and more importantly affordable art from the fine folks listed below.

Truth be told.
I probably won't be at neither one because I'll be painting little tiny oily faces.

And because as Ramo says I'm "the hot stove"...now for some baseball updates. Winter meetings came and went and I'm happy to see the youth movement intact. The Dodgers acquired Andruw Jones who will surely bring some street cred to the LA squad, what with his spiderweb elbow tattoos. He's super duty tough in center, a force at the plate AND he speaks Dutch. I just hope his name doesn't make its way onto the salacious Mitchell report.

Ugh, and as for Mayweather vs Hatton. I'm convinced that as "good" as they say Mayweather is, he's equally a dirty sneaky runner err fighter, mañoso. Hatton was a little too careless, he should have gone to the body like he did against Castillo. :( I I even got in the hooligan mood having just watched "This is England" (great movie by the way). I like the English fans though, they are a loyal bunch. Mexicans would have been booing and chanting "culero" by the end of that one.  Traidores.

BESO! BESO! BESO!

I'll give you five dollars if you get me a pirated copy of this documentary or a torrent file. Thanks.

BOOOO!

Not that I get hella traffic, but my REAL website has been compromised. I guess my web host was hijacked so I just thought I'd explain my url's new interface. It'll hopefully be back up soon. In the meantime you can reach me through here, click the links above to email me or visit my space. Oh and the new "paintings" link (on your left) is still working.

PostData: Para mis amistades & familiares que han intentado entrar a mi pagina, pronto estara disponible.

GAME RECOGNIZE GAME

I'm pretty much famous by now. I was recently blogged about on The Coveted. Homegirl thinks I'm rad, I think she's rad. Jennine is a lady and scholar, check her blog for cute get ups on the daily and all things fashion, art & culture.


Now that baseball is a wrap. Lets be friends. Three hours of my day just opened up. My interest wanes in the postseason. I've made my predictions but there's no real joy in seeing other teams win. Although, I did enjoy the Padres being eliminated and I'm enjoying the Tribe going up 2 games on NY. Good games. But before the seasons end, Ramo and I were watching an A's game (he's an A's fan, I just like tuning in to perve out on Jack Cust, shaaaoooo!) when we started making up new rules we'd like to have implemented for next season. Some of which would have been key in recent decisions.

On the fall equinox one player from each team has to play drunk.

At least one player must dress in Old Tyme style, small brimmed cap,
baggy wool uniform, and either mutton chops or handlebar mustache.

The Yankees and Red Sox have to secede from the American League and
start a new league where they only play each other.

If a team scores 10 runs in any one inning they win the game.

If the pitcher hits the batter with the ball, the batter is allowed to throw the ball at the pitcher butts up style, but not in the head unless he was hit in the head.

On a full count, when the catcher throws the ball back to the
pitcher, if the pitcher misses the ball, then the batter is issued a
walk.

If the runner on first is chunky town and has taken no lead, the
pitcher is not allowed to pick off the base runner.

On a pick off play if its the second attempt at a pick off on the same runner in the inning, and the runner is called safe, the pitcher then has to throw underhand to the batter each time it happens.

If the batter has two strikes, he can only foul off three more foul balls or else he is out.

You are automatically out if on your first at bat your helmet is
covered with pine tar so much so that you cannot make out the logo.

Outfielders are allowed to switch positions during any inning.

All bases will have light up sensors so when the runner touches the base, it lights up.

Infielders gloves must have charcoal tips in case of discrepancies on
tag out plays.

If the coach is a former player, he must wear his old uniform.

Players are allowed to wear no more than 2 nylon titanium coated performance enhancing accessories (necklaces)

If your bat breaks more than once during a game you are not allowed anymore at bats.

There are no base line rules from third to home, you do the math.

If the player is small, he is allowed to juice only enough to be as big as the other players.

Each team is allowed to argue up to three calls each game. The call will be decided by pares o nones.

If the bat boy or girl misses a grounder in foul territory, he/ she must do 40 push ups or take a lap.

Every player is required to take a language for two years. Encouraged languages are Spanish, Japanese, or pig Latin.

The catcher can call for an intentional walk, and the batter can take first base. The pitcher does not have to throw four balls.

If the pitcher age exceeds 42, his first born son is allowed to bat for him (applicable only in the AL)

The team's closer must be brought out by piggyback. Piggyback duty will be designated to the pitcher exiting the game or the blown save leader.

What do you think? Sure some make the game even longer, but it'd be entertaining. Besides some of the rules cut down on time. While we're on the topic of baseball, and since you won't be hearing a gripe about baseball from me for at least 5 months. Maybe less if you count spring training, trades, pitchers and catchers, or winter league. Did you all hear about the fate of Barry Lamar's record breaking* homerun ball? I guess the asterisk branded ball of twine will be heading to Cooperstown, the public has spoken. :) Mark Ecko bought the ball at auction and conducted an online poll to decide it's destiny. The results are below...launching it to outerspace was my second choice. There's another site set up to decide the fortune of Bond's record TYING juiced ball at EndTheDebate.com...that one asks "save it or smash it" Guess what decision is in the lead?




AND THEN...



My little nephew Marco just turned three, here are some party pics. Poor guy, he burned his nose lashes blowing out the candles.

HOLLYWOOD

Pray that my paintings arrive on time and safely for this art show. DHL, no me falles. Thanks to David for the invitation to participate. I'll finally be showing in Los Angeles and alongside some rad artists. Check out how fun this night sounds, and if you're in the area you should probably go, you can pretend you're me.

If you're unfamiliar with Girl in a coma, here's my favorite video of theirs.

The show/nights theme is Mexican rock of the 60's, I decided to paint the enigmatic, talented and always hilarious Johnny Laboriel sanz sus Rebeldes del Rock. He first won me over when he played Cirilo's dad on the novela "Carrusel," but prior to that he was a rock legend.

I also did a portrait of Alberto Vazquez, my mom's teen idol crush of all time! She would always say she'd leave my father for him and still swoons at the sight of him eventhough he's all old and haggard. "Pero es que esta tan guapo todavia" she tells me. I'm in her good graces forever, she made me promise not to sell it. I'd like to see her precious son Junior paint her something. :)

He was pretty hot, look...

I ended up working on canvas, which I normally don't enjoy but I get to work in some embroidery. I don't know any fancy stitches but it's fun. Ballons, balloons. I also did a little lamb.

ALL SHALL PASS

My accomplice Ricardo aka "Ramo" of $NAKE EYE$ interned with Jeremy Fish this summer and helped out & drew up "walk cycles" (I don't know? some animation term) for Aesop Rock's new video "None Shall Pass" off his new album by the same name. CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO CHECK IT OUT. If you're not all super fan and have difficulty making your way through the labyrinth, hit me up and I'll supply the answer key. They're pretty simple questions, and for each one you answer correctly there's a mp3 or lyrics file you can DL. Check it.

*EDIT: I guess some people had difficulty breaching the site's def con 1 defense. So here, cheat off my paper. ANSWERS: Password (NSP), First door (c. Jeremy Fish), Second door (b. Music for Earthworms), Third door (c. Fast Cars), Last Door (blockhead). (Or check the video below)

How awesome is it that a team from Chicali (Seguro Social de Mexicali) is playing at Williamsport in the Little League World Series? They play tomorrow against the Latin American representatives & Taipei. I grew up in and around little league, so it's just fun to watch...fun to watch kids CRY. Scratch that last part, but it does happen.

See...see... I've always bleed blue. Before Vlad there was Pedro Guerrero. :)

SLUMPIN'

Uggghhh, the Dodgers stink. They're slumpin' hard and no amount of prayer, ritual, superstition or Randy Newman is helping. (*note the bobbleheads on my bathroom altar) So I thought I'd put it out into the world wide interweb and hope for some intervention. It wasn't but two and a half weeks ago that LA was on top. What happened? Even Nomar has had it, he was ejected last night, the first time in his 1,300 game career. And now he's on the DL with a sprained calf. Alright, alright I know this isn't a MLBblog, so I'll quit now.

I really came on here to announce that I've put up some new image galleries. You'll be able to see more recent work along with some older stuff not found on my terribly outdated website. By the way, I have no way of updating my site so if you know flash, hit me up. I haven't finished all the updates but check out what I do have up and bookmark it for later later. Click the mock up for the link.

PostScript: The gallery theft coupled with the trolley Dodgers lack of offense drove me to retail therapy. Here are some more junk finds from TJROSSDISCOUNTS.

IDENTITY THEFT

I've been burglarized!!!! People are such dicks. I'll keep it short because I really am beside myself, and collecting all this forensic material is making it worse. Monday, I went up to the citay to de install my part in the Pistolitas show. Aside from everything being tampered with or out of place (which I expected) I noticed that some thieving snake in the grass had boosted some of my shit! First, noticed my monchichi had been seized. Aren't they readily available now, didn't they reissue them recently? Why would someone want my dirty ol' monchichi with nearly a quarter century of babas y todo. Look how Digger, Grimace and E.T were carelessly tossed aside during the pilferage. Why such senseless crimes?!?!? WHY!

By far the worst was that they lifted my old boombox. You got to be shitting me. Some nerve. How does someone walk out with that? Did they prop it up on their shoulder ? Did they look inconspicuous because they had a piece of cardboard under their other arm and donned an adidas track suit? I don't get it. Ughhhh. That was my studio radio too on which I listened to 92.3 La Preciosa and the Juice soundtrack while I would paint. Boooo!

I guess some tunes were needed too. Three or four of my cassette tapes were taken. Among the classics missing were the Fat Boys "Crushin'" and LL Cool J's "Bad". These were bootlegs mind you! They were pirated copies that my brother and I would save up all our pesos/domingos for and buy en los puestos during summer/xmas trips to Mexicali. I could see these being coveted if they were perhaps the real thing, but nooooo, the cover was color copied and it didn't have the pull out, it was just white on the inside. So whoever stole them lacks a discerning eye. Hopefully, the cassettes were mixed up and they really made off with a Cover Girls or Exposé tape.

Who knows what else was stolen. I didn't take inventory. To be fair someone did leave behind a rotting orange and grape stem, so all is not lost. Well if you spot any of these things tip me off, there's nothing wrong with snitching . :) The radio has a hologram snake sticker on it, if that helps. I profiled the crook and came up with this composite sketch. Alright I didn't draw it, I found it on the interweb, but it might be accurate. Mucho ojo, eh.

At least I have this to lift my spirits. :) This cracks me up.

edit* This video has since been deleted due to copyright infringement. Boooo. Now you'll never see the "flaxseed oil" enduced outburst from Barry Lamar Bonds that included this statement - "It's an embarrassment for me to be wearing this (expletive deleted) uniform 'cause of the way I'm playing. There, that's it. Now go away,"-along with a laundry-cart toss after a HITLESS ( I'm talking 0 for 12- hitting in to multiple double plays, popping up and striking out ) weekend against the LA Dodgers. He just better get on another cycle, people are waiting on him and the ESPN interuptions to watch him bat LIVE only to come up with a big goose egg however hilarious, it's getting old. Good news, I found another video, wait for the 1:15 mark.

NOVEDADES

Good news! The Pistolitas de Azúcar show has been extended for two more weeks! You have up until July 14th to check it out. You can hear more about the show as well as an interview with The Date Farmers and the awesome curator Raquel de Anda on this archived radio spot, here's the link...(((RADIO 2050))). And next month, I will be participating in Outer Edge Studio's "The favorites show," click the flyer for more info or visit their website. Tons of fun artists, everything is priced at $600 or less. Who really needs a reason to go to Monterey anyway, it's so nice out there.



So what obnoxious Dodger hat do you think I should invest in? You're right the C-note one would have been "hella tight" had it been done in gold foil. Boooo. Help me. :)