throwback thursday: the cardigans

throwback tune is erase/rewind by the cardigans. so beautifully 90s grunge-sultry, and a total blast from 1998. a far cry from lovefool.

The Cardigans Erase and Rewind HQ from damnbullet on Vimeo.

Part 1: India

india is amazing. with 1.3 billion people, and more foods, languages, religions, castes, customs and cultures than you can imagine, it's a wonder the country even stays unified. even indians themselves are unfamiliar with all the kinds of food and festivals. there's just too many.

and boy india is a place to learn. like never trust an indian when it comes to spice. no, that is not spicy means actually that yes it is spicy but you won't notice until you've had plenty of it to eat and it creeps up on you and then you're sitting there looking like an idiot while everyone is like aww american baby mouth! and don't get a hangover when all there is to eat the next day is indian food. don't sit on anything outside - men relieve themselves everywhere. eat with your hands - it's fun and you'll look weird to everyone if you don't. the service is incredible - i feel like a princess at my hotel. no one will let me open a door for myself. i actually like the traffic - just going a few kilometers can be such an adventure. crossing the street was never so thrilling! i love the colors, the fabrics, the sunshine, and the very richness of culture.

truth be told, india was not high up on my list of places to visit. but as i got into a groove here, i started to really love some things about it. yes, it's dirty (sometimes really dirty) and smelly. but there is so much beauty here! some of my favorite shots:

 

 

 

mindfulness

"i beg you…to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. and the point is, to live everything. live the questions now. perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer…" - Rainer Maria Rilke

dear universe

before i left for my trip, i meditated on what i wanted to get out of it, and carry with me afterwards. and so, i'll start my travel writing with what i came up with:

today, i fully declare and embrace that i am a free spirit. today and forevermore. may no person, place, or country border ever contain me. please lift me and take me to see the world. lead me on my journey to becoming more human. guide my paintbrushes to influence others, to show them something they've never seen before. remind me of my responsibilities as a privileged person to help humankind. teach me what it really means to have compassion. give me the courage to try everything. and ultimately, show me the way to the truest and fullest expression of myself.

2012: put this in your pipe and smoke it

with a new year right around the corner, it's time to start thinking about new years resolutions and things to do differently in 2012. i've had a few in mind for myself:

1. drinking more water
2. dressing up more often - substituting the usual sambas and hoodie for some of the nice clothes i already have in my closet
3. spending less money on dumb shit and spending more on great experiences

pretty simple i guess. but then i saw this: 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself. and i decided to get a bit loftier with my changes. the truth is, whether you've got it totally together, or you're an absolute mess, you can learn a thing or two, or thirty, from this list. sometimes we're the only ones stopping ourselves from having everything we want.

much love.

can i borrow someone's baby?

evolution: the antlers

when i was in Washington last year, i saw a pretty horrific thing happen to a deer on a highway, and decided to make a piece in memory. i've taken several photos while working on it so i share the evolution of the layers too.

r.i.p.

ze end.

Arcade Fire: Outside Lands 2011

i just got home from seeing Arcade Fire at Outside Lands and i cannot stop thinking about how amazing they were! honestly, it was one of the best shows i've ever seen and as i'm sitting here reliving, i am wishing everyone could have seen it with me. they were spot on - really incredible performance. i've recreated their entire set for ya in this little grooveshark widget. enjoy!!

identity in stuff

people's things can tell you so much about them. at least that's the premise behind my friend Thea Goldberg's most recent photography venture. a nice reminder that sometimes a portrait doesn't have to be of a face.

my boots, the ol' sh*t kickers

2 of my favorite shirts

yep, reppin' cuba and colombia on my fav jacket

my spraypaint collection

 

my grandfather left me his paintbrushes when he died. he's the whole reason i started painting.

me, in our san francisco backyard

imbibe: introducing the pickle back...

when i went to visit my best friend and roommate in NY a few weeks ago, we went out for late night grub and a couple of drinks. i had heard about pickle backs -  a shot of jameson, chased by a shot of pickle juice - just a few hours before and lo-and-behold, there it was on the menu of this bbq place. we ordered 2 rounds and BAM. 

for those of you who like pickles and dislike the burn of a jameson shot in the esophagus region, this is the answer to all your problems. the spicy, salty, sour juice trumps any alcohol burn, leaving you feeling bold enough to have a few dozen more... and then someone will say "hey let's do kareoke!" and there you go. beware...

food for thought: the 50 things every ______ should know

just a few days ago, a good friend of mine sent me a link to this very cool "visual essay" of 50 things every graphic design student should know for success in post-graduate life. as a painter, i found them to be highly relevant to my quest to make a living from art. but as i continued to read through them and reflect, i saw how expandable and applicable they were to many goals, careers, and interests in life. worth a read!

Click here to view The 50

woman about town: april 2011

it's like a coffee shop in Alice in Wonderland

live painting at E6 gallery on market

art class is at the same time as happy hour. must work in a little bourbon.

tagging practice

sf is a city of views. love when you find a nice one in an unsuspecting place.

 

 

 

in my headpones: friday playlist

i been dancin' in my desk chair all morning - so i thought i would share my friday playlist. it ain't new. it might not even be that cool. but i can sure snap my fingers and annoy my cubemates to this.

woman about town: SOMA graffiti

one of the things that i first noticed about san francisco is the art. it's everywhere. there are murals, stickers, tags. your cornerstore isn't cool unless it lets a spraypaint expert let loose on its wall every few months or so. the stores on haight have metal garage security doors when they're closed - and they're also covered in paint. this city is a gorgeous canvas. here's a mini picture tribute to the murals and graffiti in SOMA.

in my headpones: emergency!

while i have chosen thursdays as my arbitrary day to post music, i can't help myself today. this is a m*thaf*ckin' emergency. my number one stunna is out of prison and better than ever. all i wanted for christmas was some new weezy and mama's got a big shiny new toy (that bumps like whoa). his new track - 6 foot 7 foot - is b.o.m.b. better than the strongest egg nog i've ever had, and that's hard to beat.

click here to listen: merry thug christmas, everyone!

bringing back the double dream hands

it's finally friday! (was this week long for anyone else?) if you're one of my friends, you're probably somewhat of a delinquent. if you're somewhat of a delinquent, you're probably one to hit the club on a friday night. and you could probably use some fresh dance moves. my gift to you.

happy clubbing, everyone.

in my headphones: Ida Maria

i LOVE this girl. she's got spunk, energy, and a freakin' fantastic voice. love how her voice gets all strained and raspy in Oh My God. i think even Janis would respect this shit.

oregon, washington, and canada: 3000 miles, 13 days

ok, ok. i've totally been slacking off on my blog thing. in my defense, i was traveling. so my next post is brought to you by the Pacific Northwest. and also Canada, which was nice enough to let me in without my passport.

nudity: it happens 'round these parts

avenue of the giants

enormous sand dunes on the oregon coast

of course i had to play in the sand

they were soooo big!

really cool pattern in the sand. footprints disappear in minutes!

early oregon morning

sometimes, you can see the edge of the world

this says dr. seuss to me

astoria, or - that's washington across the water

great sign. just great.

where buoys go to die

a boat ramp at lake crescent. the water is shockingly beautiful.

more lake crescent. this was essentially my bathtub 2 days in a row

you can see the roots from all the big trees!

it looks tropical but it was really really cold.

camping on shi shi beach, washington. no one around for miles

point of the arches at sunset

my little fire

so pretty! and dark.

can see where this whole purple mountains majesty thing came from

this dog looks damn sharp in this hummer

biking around vancouver

i love out of context signage

kiwi berries from the vancouver farmers market. they look like kiwi on the inside!

haha dramatic chipmunk bags

poutine. we had to. it's so so so so good.

a view of the san juan islands while chowing down on oysters

sunset in the middle of nowhere

tea and dumplings in the chinese gardens, portland

vats at domaine drouhin vineyard in willamette valley, oregon

a view of the willamette wine valley

volcanic hot spring pools near crater lake, oregon