Love Ur Roots - Venice

Latest news: Andre's cool new artwork for the great Canadian lifestyle brand, Roots! Andre collaborated on the concept for the design with longtime artist and friend Jim Budman, and Roots design director Diane Bald.

Last week was the grand opening of the new Roots store in a cottage at 1505 Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, CA (the second store in the LA area).

 Check out the new store here and check out more about Roots on their website.

Completed Video of "Eat More Fruit & Veggies" Mural

Thanks to John Diamond for this video of the project! Learn more about the mural in previous blog posts. Just scroll down and click on the "Murals" category under "Labels" in the sidebar on the right of your screen.

The Vim Dicta: A Hot Band with Hot Artwork

What happens when a hot new band needs a promotional image to represent them and their music? They go to a hot, established artist to make sure they get the best. Andre’s pleased to be working with THE VIM DICTA! And his specially commissioned Miripolsky Sharks are a perfect fit for their music and style.

 

The Vim Dicta is a unique, young, three-piece band that showcases the talents of L.A.-based original members Matt Tunney (20/lead guitar & vocals) and Cori Elliott (21/lead vocals & rhythm guitar), and recent addition, NYC-based Chris "the Fuse" Infusino (28/drums & percussion). These charismatic musicians and songwriters have been influenced by a wide range of performers, from The Dead Weather to The Doors, The Mars Volta to Led Zeppelin, P-Funk and Santana, and they have taken hold with a multi-cultural audience, from Hipsters to Hip Hoppers to Latin music fans.

 

In L.A., they have played often at diverse clubs in the metro area: hipster joints like Harvard & Stone and Lot 1, venues like Leimert Park’s KAOS Network, and bars like East L.A.’s Lito’s Cork Room. They’re welcomed on the Sunset Strip at The Viper Room and, out of town, at SXSW. For all of May and June of 2013, the band is in Brooklyn, NY, for a sixty day tour of NYC, with shows at The Bowery Electric, Pianos, The Rock Shop and several other locations in the area.

 

“The Vim Dicta EP” is a four song collection which has been both critically acclaimed and fan embraced from L.A. to London. It's available for streaming and download from Bandcamp and CD Baby, while the single “Your Man,” which was featured in the Season 5 Premier of FX Network’s popular series, “Sons of Anarchy,” is available on iTunes and Amazon. With 17 additional tracks completed and soon to be trickled out, the band is ready for the next step in its journey.

Check out all of their videos on YouTube, too. Viva, Vim Dicta!
 

 

Monterey Historama & Urban Wave Wall

First, thanks to everyone who stopped by the studio during the Brewery Artwalk! It was a great weekend and all the participating Brewery artists appreciated your support of the arts.

Now, let's take a look back at a great project from 2011:

"The Present" - One of 4 parts of the Monterey Historama.

Painting the Urban Wave at the Museum of Monterey.

At the start of 2011, based on his enduring stained glass “L.A. Historama” mural proposal, Andre was commissioned by the Museum of Monterey to adapt this idea to create a “Monterey Historama” as a 10’x55’ mural printed on vinyl and installed in the main exhibition hall of the museum. The vision was to use relevant historical and iconic imagery from the Monterey County area, stringing the images together in a way that is both colorful and entertaining. Every image, for educational value, has a backstory going with it.

He was also asked by the museum to hand paint another mural on a 275’ long wood fence which wraps around the museum, located at Custom House Plaza. He came up with a vibrantly moving “wave” motif to celebrate the Big Sur area. CSU Monterey Bay art students and alums assisted with the painting. Andre was much honored to have this opportunity to create the largest public arts installation in Monterey County, located at one the most significant historical locations in all of California.

All of this work was done in conjunction with the reopening on June 4, 2011, of the former Monterey Maritime and History Museum as the newly-named Museum of Monterey (MoM) after it had been closed for fifteen months. The opening followed the 80th La Merienda party which celebrates Monterey's 241st birthday, sponsored by the Monterey History and Art Association.

The five-minute video below features an interview with Andre as well as a great look at these two important public art projects from 2011. See more pictures of the Urban Wave Wall on Andre's Facebook Page.

What to Do If You Can't Come to the Brewery Artwalk

Andre will open the doors to his studio this weekend for The Brewery Artwalk, a semi-annual event at the world's largest art colony. The Brewery is just off the 5 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. All participating artists' studios are open from 11 AM to 6 PM. Admission is free and so is parking, so come by, see lots of art, and say hello to Andre!

But what if you can't get there?

Visit Andre's CafePress Shop and his Fine Art America Print Gallery! Many of Andre's famous images -- plus some brand new work -- are available as fine art prints and cards, and on cool merchandise like tees, mugs, totes, and a lot more. Check out all your choices!



Thanks, and Viva Art! ~ from Andre

 

2013 Spring Artwalk at The Brewery

It's that time of year again: Artwalk! Andre will open the doors to his studio for The Brewery Artwalk, a twice-a-year open studio weekend at the world's largest art colony. With over 100 resident artists participating, you'll have the opportunity to see new works, discover new favorites, speak with the artists and purchase artwork directly from their studios. The Brewery is just off the 5 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles. Studios are open from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, April 27th and 28th. Admission is free and so is parking. While you're there, enjoy tasty food provided by Barbara's, the on-site restaurant. Come and support L.A.’s finest artists, take home some great art -- and say hi to Andre!

Downtown L.A. Cityscape Updated

Andre and his updated artwork with Hal Bastian, Executive VP &
Director of Economic Development for DCBID
(Downtown Center Business Improvement District) 

In 2005, Andre created a large 3-D wall sculpture using brightly colored tapes with different textures for the Central City Association of L.A., depicting the exploding Downtown L.A. skyline. In 2010, he updated “Cityscape” digitally for the group’s "Treasures of L.A." fundraiser. But now, he’s updated it again, this time by physically adding the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and the Broad Museum (opening in 2014) to the original work! This impressive image, coupled with Andre's phrase, "Viva L.A.," continues to brand the new and improved Downtown Los Angeles.