Monkey fun and Monkey wrench

Our opening was great, mostly because of the number of caring friends and family that showed up (costumed) and also because of how KILLER our shop looks. I think it has something that will appeal to everyone, be they low-brow hipster graffiti street art kids or magical bohemian forest-folk (cause we get SO MANY of those in here hahaha). The walls are jewel-tones, we have luminous amazing mural done by Victor, AND a luminous and very different mural done by Jess (both of the same thing: a phoenix), and a painting of peacock feather jellyfish in the office done by yours truly. Whew. Chris painted the inside of the piercing room acid-yellow and dark brown in his signature soft-cornered abstract-geometric style so you FEEL like you are inside one of his paintings. So cool.
I hope you all have looked at the Primary Concepts- The Genesis Flickr set by now. The Grand Opening was mellow, and everyone seemed really impressed and excited at this addition to the Davis art scene. I think the environment inside the shop is really affecting people. We wanted it to be comfortable and striking and amazing and so many things....it was our perfect solution and our ideas of what to do with it are still pouring out. I am looking forward to see the way it evolves, especially as the others involved (as apprentices and employees) start inhabiting it more than just Jess, Chris and I (O.K. and Bob, who has been such a help and tireless support. He's been there as much as I. You should have seen him reading vampire stories out loud to me and Jess at 3 in the morning as we painted and repainted...)
Our crew is thus: Tony- an art student and great guy (a frat boy, but seemingly free of all frattish attributes!) will be Chris's piercing apprentice. Cooper- a bluegrass musician and fantastiche personality from Santa Cruz will be manning the solid-gold office! And I do mean manning! Paul- a piercer also from SC, quiet and sweet, soft-spoken would be an understatment, will hopefully allow us to pierce 7 days a week! Jess- tattooista extroidinare and queen of the world (or, MY world). Chris- piercer with ninja- steady hands and the exuberance of an 8 year old boy on Jolt cola. Bob- uber-nerd with dreamboat eyes will alos be manning the solid gold office 2 days a week. Kai- apprentice makes her way into the carpal-tunnel of 5 days regular tattoo work! Sweet! I have great expectation for us all really becoming a supportive family. Along with the other folks that drop by and help (and damn, most of our clients), we are already halfway there. I am so excited.
Here is the monkey wrench; 3 days after the opening party, my sweetheart left again, for 50 days this time, on a science-trip to the area of ocean between Tierra Del Fuego and Antarctica. Every time it takes getting used to - the bigger bed, the autonomy, the loneliness at certain times of the day and especially, night. I clean the room completely, I throw myself into projects more than I usually would, I get a good book to read. He and I are reading the same thing right now: Spook Country by William Gibson. I read an interview with Gibson where he said that the only art magazine he reads is Juxtapoz. AWESOME! In this one he takes on the underground art world. SO far it is delicious. He is seriously one of my favorite authors ever, and I savor (especially his most recent) work in a way that, .....well, possibly in a way that I only can when I am alone again, and have stretches of time where I can lose myself.

Art show news!

I am in this show. I'm pretty excited about it. My contribution is a "The Girls" style series- very small, ink and brush and gold paint. I'm not sure if I am going to the opening. It's in LA, and I don't know anyone in LA, so have no OTHER reason to go there. I would like to meet the guy that is putting it on; Kevin Willis ( His website). He seems very cool (and he knows my Antarctica friend Richard, which is where the whole connection comes from).

Nouveau Iris

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Presenting my first actual no-holds barred tattoo design, executed on Marni Valenta. We drew tarot cards before starting the tattoo, and pulled Success. I tend to agree. I am making her travel to Davis to let me shade the waves and add some slight watercolor-ish color to the petals of the iris.
Marni was the first person to ask me about tattooing her in Antarctica, and she told me that i could do ANYTHING I WANTED. She said "I trust you, and I love your art and I want some of it on me." Marni is extremely in touch with herself and solid in what she wants, so I felt comfortable in that aspect of things. I knew she would'nt change her mind or regret it later.
But still, I didn't know Marni THAT well.
Whew.
Talk about pressure. I often get overwhelmed by the amount of things I want to draw and make, but tattooing opens up another WORLD of things to express. And express. And keep expressing forever!
Marni has another tattoo, on her arm, that was a realistic iris. i decided to keep with that theme, but do the Kai intepretation of an iris. So thus, the Art nouveau iris with simple Japanese waves was born. There are also two other small round iris's that span the main design and sit on the back of the knob of each of her shoulders, but I did not have time to do them, so I focused on the main design and told her that she has to come get it finished in the future. She lived in Seattle. It's pretty close- especially for a tattoo.