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Westside Artwalk Ventura :: July 23-24 :: I'm Live Painting!

 This weekend is the first Westside Artwalk for Ventura!  I was invited to come do some live painting down at the Art Museum of Ventura County.  I'll be outside in the courtyard working on my Fish Outta Water Project on Saturday 1-7 and Sunday 12-5.  Come stop by and bring me cold beer. 

Addmission to the museum is FREE both days and Saturday night from 7-9pm there will be live music and a wine/beer bar.  There's a ton of art happenings going on this weekend so come support the artists of Ventura!

Visit www.westsideartwalk.org for more info.

Art Show: Summer Aloha Reception, July 8th, Kauai

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WHAT: Hawaiian Salt, Summer Aloha Reception

"Please join us for our Summer Artist Reception on the beautiful south shore of Kaua'i.  Hawaiian Salt is an artist collective featuring one of a kind t-shirts and apparel, hand printed in small batches, locally designed and produced jewelry by some of Hawaii's finest jewelry artisans; and fine art featuring the amazing surf and ocean inspired art of Wade Koniakowsky, Troy Carney, Glenn Gavett, Erik Abel, Drew Brophy, Ron Croci and David Pu'u."

WHERE: Hawaiian Salt, Kukui'ula Village, 2829 Ala kalanilaumaka St, Kauai, HI. 

WHEN: Artist Reception, Friday, July 8th, 5-9pm.  Pupus, live music and an hourly raffle with proceeds going to support the arts program at Koloa Elementary School.

Here's a peek at the new work that just shipped off to the show.  5 new originals with a colorful wave style I've been playing with as well as 2 new, 10"x8" digital prints on card stock, hand signed, in several different color ways, 25 of each design.  Contact the gallery if you are interested in any of these pieces.  Phone: 808.742.6030

“Sun Lines” $350   Acrylic & mixed media on wood, rounded corners, black edges
   12"x21"  
   Erik Abel, 2011

“Swell Angle 1” $350
   Acrylic & mixed media on wood, rounded corners, black edges
   10"x28"  
   Erik Abel, 2011

“Swell Angle 2” $125
   Acrylic & mixed media on wood, rounded corners, black edges
   7.5"x7.5"  
   Erik Abel, 2011

“Swell Angle 2” $125
   Acrylic & mixed media on wood, rounded corners, black edges
   7.5"x7.5"  
   Erik Abel, 2011

“Swell Angle 2” $125
   Acrylic & mixed media on wood, rounded corners, black edges
   7.5"x7.5"  
   Erik Abel, 2011

Various Digital Prints, hand signed, 10"x8"
All $10 Each, Fits any standard 8x10 frame.

Print detail

Art Show: Splash! Opening Reception Friday, July 1st

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This is gonna be a good one...  Lots of oceany paintings, sculptures and surfboards.  I've got a brand spankin' new piece in the show that I'm pretty fond of... don't really want to let it go, but if you want it, you can have it I guess.  I also got to paint up a tasty little 5'8" White Diamond from local surfboard shaping wizard Robert Weiner (2011 Shaper of the Year).  Haven't painted a surfboard in quite some time, and this one came out pretty rad! They'll both be on display at the Museum of Ventura County from July 2nd - September 18 2011 along with a ton of other art from local arteeests.

Opening Reception is this Friday, July 1st 5:30-8:30pm.  It's $5 to come hang out and it all goes to the museum.  It's also First Friday Artwalk in Ventura, so get outside, drink and be merry... and stop by the show to say Hi.

"Splash!"
Museum of Ventura County
100 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001

 "Summer Swell Angle" and "Rock Walk"

Words of Wisdom:

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle."  -Abraham Lincoln

Ventura Surf Brewery Opening

If you're in the Ventura area this week/weekend, be sure to stop by the new Ventura's Surf Brewery for their Grand Opening.  They've got some deliciousness on tap!  A few local artists and myself have a few paintings hanging around the place.

Here's the details...

 

Maui & Sons Graphics

 

Last summer, iconic surf brand Maui and Sons contacted me about doing some graphics for an upcoming line, here's the results...

The Fish Outta Water Project

 

An idea has been brewing in my head for awhile, but I didn't quite have the right vision for how the fish needed to look or how they were going to be made.  I attempted a few "Fish Outta Water" pieces years ago but they just didn't cut it.  The lack of vision also had something to do with me being a Fish Outta Water myself.

 

It took a trip to the Sydney Art Museum to inspire a flurry of sketches and ideas that eventually turned into the fish you see above.  I walked into a room full of Aboriginal art that stopped me in my tracks.  Couldn't take my eyes off these giant, painted wood carvings that towered in the center of the room.  There were about 25 of them, big, tall vertical things carved out of round timbers.  Completely abstract. I was staring in awe.  I wanted to take them all home with me. The entire rest of my trip in OZ I filled pages and pages with sketches inspird by these carved wood shapes.  It wasn't until I got back home and got back into the art groove that these sketches started to make sense.  Fish started to emerge from the designs I was making and then it all started to come together, as it usually does after getting a hefty dose of inspiration.  I finally got around to creating some of the first fish and am loving them.  Cutting out, sanding and designing the surfboard-esque shapes has a satisfaction all in it's own.  Lot's to explore here, it will be interesting to see where these go.

These fish, along with dozens, maybe even hundreds of others, will be made out of found/reclaimed wood and placed around the Ventura area and beyond over the next few months. Hillsides, beaches, parks, rooftops, hanging from trees... all sorts of random locations.

The premise of The Fish Outta Water Project is that most people eventually wake up and find themselves in situations that are totally uncharacteristic of who they truly are and where they would rather be in life.  Just as a fish out of the water is out of place, people are often out of place in their lives.  We've all been there.  Those times when you do things that are not "you" or working that job that doesn't offer any stimulation besides the piece of paper you get at the end of the week with that little dollar sign on it next to your name.  Getting stuck in a rut/situation without seeing a way to get out of it.  Fish need water to be alive.  People need passion to be alive.  Any passion.  Something to lose sleep over, something that puts a smile on your face when you open your eyes in the morning.  The Fish Outta Water Project is ultimately a reminder to never stop searching for that drive and passion in life.  A reminder that we are supposed to enjoy this ride.  If we aren't continuously working towards the goal of being able to do exactly what we want to do in life, then what's the point?  The only way to fail is to give up on the dreams.

So if you find one of my Fish Outta Water, and you want it, take it.  It's yours on the condition I get an email with who you are what what you're passionate about.

It took a few years of wandering the earth and sea for me to gain a clearer vision of who I am and what I want in life.  The marine layer continues to clear the farther I go in the right direction... or what I feel is the right direction.  As a Fish Outta Water, I feel like I've finally made it back to the waters edge, my fins can feel the wet sand and I can taste the salt in the air... and just over the rocks, the waves are absolutely pumping!!!