The world lost an inspiration and true Genius yesterday. A Rob, as known by friends, was in a snowboarding accident in Chile and passed away doing what he loved. From Whitefish Montana, A Rob was a role model to groms and peers alike. He was a solid force of positivity and love in the snowboarding community and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his friends and family (Pam, Jeff, Jason Sean).
Make a laid back powder slash for us in the heavens Aaron.
Tide Caught Fire by Vsal Moonwolf
Sam Luna AKA Vsal Moonwolf is a painter and musician residing in Los Angeles, California. We have had the good fortune to come across him in our daily meanderings for genius. These are his words…
Sam, tell us about your story.
I was born in a small town on the Navajo and Hopi reservation called Tuba City, went to school in Las Cruces New Mexico, moved back to Tuba City at the age of fifteen and then moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18.
I started this journey in the attempt to write a book about love and life and the pursuit of happiness. I realized though that at the age of twenty-one I had not lived enough life to take on such a project. So I began to travel again, along the way the things I wrote turned into poems more than anything else so I just continued writing poetry to document my path. When I got to Kenosha Wisconsin at the age of 23 I met some truly inspirational musicians that helped me begin to perform my poetry. The reaction I received encouraged me to hit the road again and share my words with as many people as possible. I returned to the midwest and finally decided to pick up the guitar and turn my words into song. I was always scared and thought I could never be as good as the musicians that I listened to every day. I realized that was the thing that holds all of us back. So in an effort to encourage others to believe in themselves I began to believe in myself. I played my first show three days after picking up the guitar and I haven’t stopped since.
When did you decide music was something you just had to do?
I have always LOVED music my family bonded through it. I was just always afraid that I could never be as good as Al Green or Jeff Buckley or Nina Simone or all the other musicians I love. But on the day I realized its not about being better its about conquering your fears and joining the party I fell in love with becoming a musician. I will be in its pursuit for the rest of my life.
What were you doing before you decided to take music and songwriting to the next level?
Just about every job under the sun. Seriously – landscaping, construction, personal training, serving tables, bartending. I even worked at a Chevron just for the Chevron shirt.
Favorite musician?
Everett Thomas
Mac or PC?
Kraft
Describe how you come up with new material and song lyrics.
I dive into life and try to extract the marrow (hahaha). The process has changed over the years. I find the best songs come from saying the things that are near and dear to your heart. People know when a song is honest.
Is there one of your songs you’re most proud of or that’s your favorite?
The two I wrote for my parents, Duermete and Graciously Greeting.
Favorite musical instrument?
Tie between the sax and the violin and my dad plays a wicked air trumpet.
What’s your favorite musical venue you’ve played in so far?
The beach. The ocean always roars with soothing applause.
Where would your ultimate dream venue be to perform and why?
I haven’t found it yet. I feel like any opportunity to play music to make people smile is my favorite “venue” that can be a street a café, a hole in the wall bar in the middle of the desert or your couch.
What keeps you enthused in the musical industry?
The fact that its constantly changing so if there’s something you don’t like pick up an instrument, grab some friends and make a change.
Tell us about the dark side of pursuing a career in music.
Theres a lot of poachers out there, a lot of snakes a lot of people that will try and take the originality you struggle to create and try to turn it into ordinary by dangling dollar signs in your face.
What was your fallback career option if a career in music didn’t work out?
There is no fallback. If you think for a second that you won’t succeed you never will.
Tide Caught Fire -Sam Luna Live at the Mint from Secession Obsession on Vimeo.
Tell us aboout your kickstarter project
Here is a link to the kickstarter
So I am currently recording my first album, which I am so excited to share with everyone. I am also publishing my first book of poetry which I have been working on for years, so I am eager to finally share both of these with you. I am asking for everyone to be a part of bringing this project to fruition. I have a great group of amazing people willing to be a part of this project already. I am asking that together we raise at least $10,000 in the next 15 days. I will be playing music and promoting this all over Southern California. Playing shows, festivals, I have several different blogs that are spreading the word, and will be doing some radio shows as well. I also am fortunate enough to have AMAZING friends all over the world that will be helping me spread the word to all of their friends and family.
The money that we are gathering together will fund studio time, production, mixing, mastering, printing, equipment, my first music video, promotional photoshoot and will also help fund a tour that will be promoting this project through over twenty cities! Taking all this into consideration you can understand that I have asked for the bare minimum to bring this project to life. The more money we can raise the better this project can be. I will be filming the whole process and tour and be releasing a documentary on the whole experience as well. My goal is to make as many people smile as I possibly can and share LOVE. TOGETHER, I BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE A CHANGE. No art no life.
The tour is an opportunity to say:
the day breaks and i am broken
with the new light of color
that reflects the depth of my soul
the night falls and i have fallen
from the grace that has been bestowed
life is fleeting and i seem to be in its persuit
seeking a treasure that can not be found with mortal eyes
and can not be posessed with an unclean soul
so im left wondering if all these things that ive done
all these hellos that go unnoticed
all these hours spent thinking of you
all this love that is misconstrewd
has my life been wasted on you’
have i indulged my being with the thought
that maybe one day youd see my light
all the while forgetting to let it shine within
have i wasted my life on you
have i lived in a fairy tale
believing one day my dreams would come true
have i believed a lie to think
that one day we would see an end to war
have i wasted my belief on you
all these hours that have amounted to days
and all these days that have amounted to months
and all these months that have amounted to years
and all these years that have amounted to now
this moment when i write these words to you
and all your hours and days and months and years
that have amounted to this moment as you read my thoughts
were not a waste and could never be considered as such
because we needed them to reach this moment right now
the moment we decided to become the change we wish to see
the moment we stood up and said
i am tired of the way of this world
i am ready for change
i am ready for love
i am ready to end hate
i am ready for peace
i am ready
i am ready
i am ready
are you ready
And finally, who is your favorite ninja turtle?
You already know. If you need a color it’s orange.
Thank you Sam.
To find out more about Sam and his latest project, check out his website here and Kickstarter project here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TfID_PbMFE
Tocayo works so fucking hard. Last year he was commuting from San Diego to Irvine to work a full day, then heading straight downtown to paint murals in El Camino till one in the morning. He did this for months, and it hasn’t stopped there, he is constantly pushing his art in new directions and is at the forefront of the scene in San Diego. We feel so fortunate to be able to spend time with El Gran Tocayo talking about art and what inspires him.
His love for painting and his lifestyle is very evident as he walks us around his house talking about, art, surfing, his dog, and his beautiful fiance (not in that order). Tocayo is a Genius, and so is Juan Marante the character behind the infamous Tocayo.
What’s your favorite time of the day to work?
Midday/late morning is my favorite time. I miss my freelancing days, I’d wake up, grab a latte, check the surf, poop, then paddle out if it was worth it or just start working and be done by 2 or 3 and then go for another surf. Those days are long gone but they are still in my head, hopefully one day I’ll be successful enough to where I can do my own thing from home.
Can you tell us a little bit about your process? How do you start? What are the steps to completing one of your pieces?
First step of the process is the thinking about it part, I hate that part, especially if it’s for a cheap client. I’ve learned to eliminate those out of my life, of course having a 9 to 5 helps turning down shit jobs pretty easy. Next step is loose sketches, then the tightening of the sketches and eventually the finished piece. That’s for t-shirt graphics but the process is pretty similar for paintings too. I think long and hard, and procrastinate like a muthafucker til it’s absolutely time to get shit done. For paintings now a days I’ve been experimenting with watered down acrylics and loose charcoal sketches on the actual surface I’m working on, then I leave all those shit drawings and subliminal writings (usually done at night when I’ve been drinking) on there for people to discover and then I paint the hero piece over it, and of course ink it, since my style is mostly comic driven.
If you had to be known for just one piece you did which one would it be?
Shit man, I don’t know, I don’t really have any favorites, but if I had to pick one I guess it would be one I gave my buddy Neko. It’s a greaser dude form a band, imposing that he’s the devil and he has some death figures around him. It’s a big piece and has a lot of dark, scary illustrations within it in pencil. I guess that one would be it, but I’ve taken that style and kept rolling with it so all my new stuff is starting to look like it, so who knows? Maybe I’ll have another favorite tomorrow.
What do you usually listen to when you paint/draw?
Anything I’m feeling at the current time really, anything from 70′s classic rock, to cheezy hip hop, like Chiddy Bang or Kanye. Or I’ll just put Pandora on, it seems the stations get better at night for some reason. Am I crazy to believe that?
Is there someone whom has really influenced you in your painting?
So many people throughout the years, but at the core of it all, it always boils down to my hero’s growing up and reading comics, like Tom Fowler, Todd McFarlane and Francesco Francavilla to name a few. But artists such as Barry Mcgee, Thomas Campbell and those types are so inspirational to me too!
What has been your favorite art show you’ve been a part of?
Wow, there’s been some great one’s, I’ve done 2 for Sezio that have had great turnouts and they we’re in cool locations, one was a solo show at the Luce Loft right by Petco Park, that was rad. But my friend’s Sean and Stacey threw the mother of all shows at a restored building in Bankers Hill, where all the rooms had a different artist paired up with a musician or DJ. Fucking genius! But there have been many other awesome one’s that I just can’t name for boring the reader’s sake.
What are the good and bad parts of being an artist in San Diego?
The good part is, you live in San Diego, helloooo! This place is unreal. Sick neighborhoods, spectacular views, amazing weather, good waves, mellow people (for the most part) and yes… all this affects the way Art comes out. It’s such an inspiring city, there are so many talented artists and musicians all around us. All you have to do is break your routine and drive down to the city if you live in North County and vice-versa, there is much more going on outside your bubbles that you can imagine. The only down side, if you want to see it that way, is this isn’t a metropolitan city. So no, there aren’t millions of people everywhere like say NYC or Miami or LA, so the art and music scene stays pretty mellow for the most part, with some occasional main stream attention from time to time. But I wouldn’t trade it for any of those cities, I’ve been or lived at all of those places, exciting, but not for me.
Are you currently working on any projects?
Yeah, always. I got a few mural gigs coming down the pipeline really fast. Also have a few art shows where I have to submit a piece or two for, so I’m staying busy. Also getting married soon, so that’s exciting. Gotta stay busy man, if not you go mad. Idle hands do stupid things…thanks you guys, you’re all fucking rad and I love hanging out with you whenever I get the chance. Thanks for wanting to put me on your dope blog. Take care and I love you.
see more of Tocayo’s art here.
-WT
art by Tocayo
photography: Dean Bradshaw
Russell Andrew Spencer is a 28 year-old visionary from Southern California. He has 11 years of experience shooting and editing videos, with 6 years of photography experience. Russell’s video style combines simplicity with vivid images and sometimes feels like you’re in his dream world. His photography would make any photo journalist smile.
our take: A portrait can be a daunting task to shoot because usually your models are beautiful, or interesting, so it’s your task to show the rest of the world exactly that. Then there is a conversation with the model that sometimes evokes a new image that wouldn’t be there with just person standing there. Russell knows how to work with people and it shows. We appreciate his simple, yet powerful approach to his portraits. More of an experience together, rather than a photo OF you.
You’ve probably seen this Genius’s stuff around the blog world lately, but we wanted to make sure you havn’t missed it. Lots of great images that are fun and play with narrative, but don’t go overboard with a cheesy story. A solid mix of still life and fashion style photography that feels so appealing.
To visit his site head here.
via mashkulture
