Category Archives: ART

INDIE 184 FANTASY Exhibit

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The amazing and talented graffiti artist/designer Indie 184 just recently had a solo exhibit called “Fantasy” at the TT-Underground gallery. As you all already know, I have been friends with Indie for a few years now (I have also modeled for her clothing line Kweenz Destroy) so I was stoked to see her and show my support. I almost didn’t make it because I was working late but thanks to my friend Lacuna, I made it just in time to see the exhibit. I would have felt terrible If I missed it, I have been anticipating this show since I saw the flyer! When I arrived I was blown away and so happy I made it. Indie has created a plethora of beautiful collaged art work inspired by her emotions, thoughts, and the powerful and glamorous golden girls of the 20th century. Many of the golden girls include a few of my favorites like Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget. Hedy Lamarr, Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth, and even Katy Keene! As a powerful influence of our era and a golden girl herself, it makes sense that Indie would incorporate these women into her work. They all share something in common, they are all FIERCE! Indie used many mediums to create these paintings such as spraypaint, acrylic, enamel, plaster, glitter, stencil and paper on canvas proving that she is artisically versatile. This show was totally up my ally and I definitely enjoyed every second of it. If you didn’t make it to Indie’s solo show “Fantasy” at the TT-underground gallery, don’t fret, I’ve taken photos of her pieces here!

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New V.V portrait by Nathalie Rattner!

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Killer CurvesI never get tired of the surprises Nathalie Rattner leaves in my inbox. She has painted 3 portraits of me thus far that all leave me speechless. This one is inspired by an awesome photoshoot I did with my girl Revecka of Delicious Dames last winter. I feel so fortunate to have collaborated with such incredibly talented women who inspire me as much as I inspire them and I am so happy I get to add this new piece to my collection of portraits that I will treasure forever! Thank you SO much Nathalie and Revecka for including me in your wonderful works of art!

XOXO!

Viva Las Vegas: Day 4!

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HottieRodzMediumDay 4 of my trip to Vegas for Viva Las Vegas was a very important one because my best friend Santiago had his very own booth at the car show. This was his first booth and we were soooo excited and nervous to see how thousands of the rockabilly community would embrace his beautiful works of art. The nervousness comes from the fact that Santiago’s work isn’t always exclusive to one culture/era, his work is a marriage of every thing that inspires him about history, fashion, art, and beauty. So a purist of rockabilly culture may not relate to the unconventional yet absolutely amazing art Santiago brings into existence. Alas, my mom and I were there to show our full support (although he didn’t need it!). This is the reason why we relate to each other so well as best friends. Though I may be absolutely in love with the rockabilly culture and be a purist in some ways or another, my style isn’t always conventionally rockabilly but a marriage of everything else that inspires me as well. Being able to mash and clash opposites, cultures, eras is an art within itself and with that said..I am so happy to say that Santiago’s art was well received (duh) and he was nearly cleared out of all his portraits. Lets not forget that this was also his FIRST debut of his new project “Hottie Rodz” where he transforms pinups into hot rods! I feel SO fortunate to be #1 of his soon to be collection and I was completely FLOORED when I saw this piece. He even gave me the Prada shoes I always wanted! People were going nuts asking if he had prints of the Hottie Rod as he debuted it on a giant canvas and there was a waiting list till now! Here is where you can buy the Hottie Rod #1 print of me. Santiago has such a huge fan base so it really was amazing to see how many people came just to meet him and have his work signed to them. It was even crazier that some of those people even came to see me and have his previous portraits signed by me as well! My mom and I were so happy for him. It was even more awesome that we were neighbored by the beautiful Lisa Love who also had a debut of her own with her gorgeous paper dolls by Nathalie Rattner and her husband Julian Mendoza who is an incredible artist. It is always nice to be surrounded by good people. Speaking of…Mom and I took a stroll around the awesome vendors and in the mix I ended up bumping into so many familiar faces! And there were also soooo many amazing cars. I swear, we didn’t see a car we didn’t like. It was an all-around great day full of so much love and awesomeness. See more inside! Continue reading →

“Hip, hip, chin, chin, the rhythm boogie!”

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-8As if my Valentine’s day couldn’t get any better…That night I received an awesome email from one of my FAVORITE artists, Nathalie Rattner, and inside was an incredible painting of ME inspired by my fun shoot with Revecka Nguyen of Delicious Dames! I am so happy and so overwhelmed with gratitude that she even took the time to create another painting of me! I have come across very few genuinely kind people in my life like Nathalie, whose beauty and gracefulness shine through her paintings. It is no surprise that she is friends with Revecka, I ADORE them both. I feel so fortunate to have collaborated with such talented women! Revecka has been so supportive and has taken such wonderful photos of me that made me see myself in a different, more confident light, and Nathalie has made my dreams come true as someone who wishes she could have been born in the 50s just to be painted by Vargas or Elvgren. However, Nathalie’s artwork has its own special flair and continues to reign supreme capturing the hearts of every man and woman who lays eyes on her beautiful paintings. Below is her new painting of me, titled “Hip, hip, chin, chin, the rhythm boogie”. Revecka took photos of me dancing and this was the awesome result! What a team! <3-9

Thank you so much Nathalie and Revecka!

To see more of Nathalie’s work click here.

To visit Delicious Dames click here.

XOXO

Art Basel 2012: Day cuatro!

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IMG_3270It was my last day in Miami before I was off the next morning to NYC. We were supposed to head down to south beach on this day but me and the beau decided to relax and enjoy something a little closer to home like the stunning rooftop pool of our complex that had a breathtaking view of Brickell. I was stoked to enjoy a more private rendezvou in my new vintage swimsuit as it was a bit too scandalous for Miami beach (or not). I bought the swimsuit at Vintage Revenge just a few days earlier at Biscayne Boulevard with no intentions of actually wearing it outside of a photo shoot but figured, why not? I could let it collect dust as a collection piece or wear it with pride, so I wore it with pride. As I said before, the owner and I don’t really know if it is truly vintage Versace (I don’t care either) from the 80′s as the tag was snipped off. However, it seems legit to me so I wore the swimsuit with a vintage blouse (I also found in Miami) that was also vintage Versace-esque and it worked together perfectly.

It was a relaxing day well spent before we were off to Wynwood to check out a few more galleries we might have missed. Sadly, my Nikon was acting up so all I had was my phone to document the entire day. For my last day, we really made it count. Wynwood was booming with art lovers and music, the streets were lined with amazing classic cars, the art was inspiring, and I got to wear another one of my Miami vintage finds, a Hawaiian dress I found at Red, White and Blue! To top off of an amazing day, when I arrived at Fania to support my best friend Santiago, he was doing a live painting of ME! I couldn’t believe my eyes and am so excited to show you the finished piece (when he finishes it lol). He did such an amazing job showcasing his art at this event and people were drooling over his work. I love to see my friends succeed and am so proud of him. Alas, after a great ending at Fania, my trip was over. What was the best part about my trip to Miami? Spending it with my love and all of my friends who attended. It was such an amazing experience and I can’t wait to do it again next year! Continue reading →

Art Basel 2012: Day tres!

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DSC_1489It was day 3 of my trip to Miami for Art Basel and I savored every minute of the experience since I only had 2 more days to take it all in. The weather was, as usual, bright and sunny so I dressed casual for a day of exploring. Our first stop was Wynwood where I got to watch some graff og’s paint walls. Like I said in my previous posts, it is so inspiring to watch these artists paint giant walls. This time, I wasn’t the only one inspired. Photography legend, Ricky Powell, stopped by EWOK 5MH‘s wall and loved his Brainlington character. Hell, he loved the whole wall and took some photos with Ewok’s art while listening to his vintage portable radio. He was certainly a character and I was glad to have met him. Then I was off to some thrift shops in Hialeah with my girl Ingrid. I wish I documented the damn thing but it was the last thing on my mind since I was too occupied looking for treasures. You know you are in an amazing thrift store when you forget to take pictures of the treasures you find. Alas, I took some when I got back home and will share that with you all soon.

After a day of thrifting, I ran back home to change into my freak-um dress for the “Art of Basketball” private event. I was excited to attend because after the last few I have been to, I knew this would be fun. This time was especially special as EWOK 5MH’s work was front and center of the event as soon as you walked in. He did such an amazing job creating wonderful works of art in the theme of basketball and it was nice to see so many people appreciate it. I am also so proud that aside from painting floor boards and basketball hoops, he also designed the basketball for the new NBA2K game! Other talented artists also did an amazing job contributing to the Art of Basketball like graff og  COPE2, cutie-pie Sand Oner, Shiro, Mr.Brainwash, and more. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better…Shake Shack sponsored the event and gave out free cheeseburgers, fries, and ice cream the whole night! specialty drinks were served as well but I don’t drink so I didn’t care lol. I love parties that serve food!. Anyway, It made me so happy to see the artwork of my friends showcased at such an amazing event and boy did we have a great time.  The event was successful and then we were off to see the Luxotica exhibition back in Wynwood where I enjoyed seeing classic cartoons and Cadillac symbols painted on giant canvas’. See photos inside! Continue reading →

Art Basel 2012 in Miami: Day Uno!

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DSC_1275I have been anticipating Art Basel since the last one I attended in 2011 with Kweenz Destroy. I had sooo much fun last year and met so many great people and thankfully, I was gifted a trip to celebrate Art Basel again this year-thanks to my wonderful beau who attends every year to create big beautiful works of art all over the walls of the Wynwood district. I was so psyched to finally have a vacation as this has been such a tough year. All I wanted to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy a fun vacation that reminds me how beautiful life really is. I am a little sad to be back, however, I feel empowered, refreshed, inspired, and rejuvenated from my experience there and cannot wait to attend again next year. I was so impressed by the graffiti that adorned Wynwood walls and the imagination it took to create such ornate pieces. Walking around Wynwood; you almost wish you could turn walls into canvas’ that you could take home with you. These artists put so much passion into their work, it’s inspiring to watch them paint live, especially EWOK 5MH. I watched him paint giant massive walls that left me astonished that someone could paint in such a big perspective because..as an artist, myself, I’d find it very difficult to create such large works of art that are proportional and flawless. I was also happy I got to see the live works of SP ONE, INDIE 184, JICK, COPE2, DERO, and JEE. They are all such talented Graffiti artists who really made an impact on the Wynwood walls this year. You will see photos of their work within in my next few posts. This photo was taken in front of SP ONE’s wall, I loved his piece and the colors he used!

Anyway, day one was a day of exploration. I watched artists paint walls, roamed around Wynwood, went to two thrift shops, and enjoyed the galleries with my beau before we were back home to enjoy the night lights of Miami. Check out the photos inside! Continue reading →

Dia de los Rosita Bonita

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This post is a tribute to Dia De Los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels) which is celebrated today and Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the dead) which is celebrated tomorrow in collaboration with my love for jewelry designer Rosita Bonita whose pieces remind me of these wonderful holidays. These holidays are celebrated in Mexico and other parts of the world where natives pray for their lost loved ones and celebrate the lives that they lived. They create alters adorned with food, sugar skulls, Milagros, and marigolds. Though I am not mexican, my mother and I visited Mexico a few Halloween’s ago, saw it all in person, and became enamored by the culture and the art that we saw there. It was honestly the most beautiful and colorful place I had ever seen and I remembered not wanting to come home. Though this holiday has become a Halloween spectacle, I respect the mexican culture and have educated myself on this yearly tradition. I would paint my face as a sugar skull every day If I could which is why I integrated this tradition with these beautiful Rosita Bonita gems. I found out about her work a few months ago and have been hooked to her vibrant colorful works of art. She utilizes her artwork to make leather screen printed necklaces adorned with roses, giant Milagros pendants, golden hummingbirds and more. She even has framed artwork in which she uses her jewelry images to adorn the walls of your home. I had never seen anything like it and seeing that she was inspired by Mexican culture to create such beautiful pieces made her work easy to love. Thankfully I have one of her necklaces and a pair of horse shoe earrings but I plan to add a few more of her pieces to my collection. See them inside. Continue reading →

Marilyn Monroe Reinvented at Milk Studios

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My gal pal Nubia invited me to the opening reception of the Bert Stern Marilyn Monroe Reinvented exhibition at Milk Studios and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I have been to a few events at milk and always have a great time so I invited my best friend Derek and on the way there we bumped into his friend Carlos so we invited him too lol. The event was cool and Bert Stern did an amazing job capturing the essence of Norma Jean. The images were beautiful, breathtaking, and you realize she is incapable of taking a bad photo which is probably why she is still such a lovable and powerful icon today. I just wasn’t crazy about how they bedazzled the already amazing images with glitter and little rhinestones. It completely depleted the value of the images for me but that’s just my opinion. Even the photoshopped backdrops reminded us of those glitter graphics you would see in your comment box on myspace. It isn’t something I would want to spend $80,000 on but that’s just me. However, Bert’s images of Norma Jean minus the fluff were priceless. She was brilliant and her life story was captivating. You can really tell how comfortable she was with Bert because he captured such a fun and sexy side of her personality. After the event we went off to go have dinner at this Sushi spot in Chelsea where we shared laughs, drank mojitos, and enjoyed the yummy food. If you missed the Marilyn Exhibition, check out some photos inside! Continue reading →

My Little Pony Project 2012 NY

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I was ecstatic when my girl Indie sent me the invite to the My Little Pony Project 12 by Sweet Streets LA at the Eventi Hotel. I was not ecstatic when I realized I had to work for most of the time and would be missing the opening reception party but I still made it on the very last day…at the very last hour lol. These events are usually in LA so I wasn’t going to miss this, not even on my day off when I should have kept my ass home resting. I was a HUGE fan of My Little Pony growing up. It was literally my favorite cartoon on the Disney channel along with Care Bears. I still have my childhood My Little Ponies till this very day and refuse to give them away. I am not much of a fan of the new generation of my little pony so I was glad to see giant original My Little Ponies at the event adorned with the artwork of some of my favorite artists. I wanted to take them all home. I have been dying to get my hands on one of these giant MLP’s to design myself. I was amazed by the creativity these artists put into these ponies but some of them fell short of amazing. Some of my favorites included Indie 184, Cope 2, Junie Moon, Edward Fong, Lisa Alisa, Luke Chueh, and Rob Reger. My guilty pleasure celebrity blogger Perez Hilton created a pony for the event too but I am sad to say his pony along with Eimi was just bleh lol. Overall, I was impressed by all of the artists and was so delighted when the sweet staff of the event gave me some cute little MLP toys to take home with me. If you didn’t make it to the event, don’t fret, I took tons of pictures of these dazzling MLP beauties along with their fun details inside. Continue reading →