Click Pix to enlarge
" Flash," the real naked,
costumed skater on which
painting was based. I think
he's dressed in photo to
celebrate Lincoln's Birthday.
costumed skater on which
painting was based. I think
he's dressed in photo to
celebrate Lincoln's Birthday.
Dear friends,
Thanks for being so curious about my art. Here are the answers to your questions.
Q. But what are those things you painted?
A. They're called Utility Boxes and are on almost every corner. I guess they have to do with electricity.
Q. Aren't/weren't you worried about the health issues such as sterilization working close to the box?
A. No. Already have a kid, so sterilization's fine.
Q. How many days did it take you?
A. A week.
Q. Looks like it's on your block. Is that right?
A. Almost. It's on Mission Blvd, next to Burger King.
Q. Was it hard cartooning such large characters?
A. I drew them on tracing paper my refrig (which was similar in size). Then traced them onto the Util. box
(after Jack primered it in white for me). It was very windy and hard to tape drawings and graphite paper
down in the wind! It looked like an episode of I Love Lucy, except not funny.
Paint was exterior house paint, which dried too quickly in hot sun. Skin formed over open paint cans in
seconds! It was hot and there was not a speck of shade after 11 AM. I had tons of paint and supplies I
needed every day, so I secured a parking space on the street next to Burger King and kept my paint, ladder,
supplies in the trunk and left the car there for a week. Then I walked over every morning with my rolling
cooler to haul over jars and jars of fresh water to clean my brushes, thin my paint and drink.
Q. Was it fun?
A. Tons! Met and chatted with hundreds of people: surfer dudes, tourists, neighborhood dog walkers, hotel
workers, the Burger King workers, fellow artists, and absolutely every drunk in PB. All were very
complimentary over the city's painted util. box program and also liked my memorializing our local naked
skater, "Flash."
Every older lady said she was the model for "Granny Gone Wild," but actually that's ME! The proof is in the
pony tails! And the black lady skater is Carla, my best friend. We appear in my fictionalized webcomic Plan
B which you can find on gocomics.com/planB.
Many people said "Thank you for the art and for making us laugh." That was my "pay."
Q. Did the town hire you to do it?
A. Article in local paper re "looking for artists to volunteer to paint boxes". No pay, got to advertise my
website on the art, plus got $40 for paint supplies.
Q. I'm just curious to know how you got that gig.
A. Wrote to local volunteer who's running program for local Town Council. Submitted design via JPEG for
council's approval. Got approval. Hondled with them over which box I would get to paint.
Q What's the story with the naked skater?
A. A local beloved eccentric skater called "Flash" who wears a different g-string costume every weekend
(see attached). Waiting for Halloween not necessary.
Q. What about graffiti?
A. Actually the art program was designed to DISCOURAGE graffiti. Graffiti artists respect other artists -
usually. Rock dudes - not so much. Slap tags stuck on by rock groups are very annoying and hard to
remove. After the art is done, three coats of polyurethane boat sealer is added and then one layer of car
wax - which protects the art from vandals.
Q. Is there a running theme?
A. It has to be about the beach.
Q.Are they all cartoons?
A. Mine is the only cartoon, I think. Typical box art are pictures of fish, mermaids, shells etc.
Q.Have you gotten any press coverage yet?
A. No.
Q. Can you paste-on logos of your Website and Blog sites?
A. Paste-ons and slap tags are the scourge of public art.
My website is painted on the bottom of my painting. I've already had many Emails from people even though I
only finished Saturday.--
Thanks for being so curious about my art. Here are the answers to your questions.
Q. But what are those things you painted?
A. They're called Utility Boxes and are on almost every corner. I guess they have to do with electricity.
Q. Aren't/weren't you worried about the health issues such as sterilization working close to the box?
A. No. Already have a kid, so sterilization's fine.
Q. How many days did it take you?
A. A week.
Q. Looks like it's on your block. Is that right?
A. Almost. It's on Mission Blvd, next to Burger King.
Q. Was it hard cartooning such large characters?
A. I drew them on tracing paper my refrig (which was similar in size). Then traced them onto the Util. box
(after Jack primered it in white for me). It was very windy and hard to tape drawings and graphite paper
down in the wind! It looked like an episode of I Love Lucy, except not funny.
Paint was exterior house paint, which dried too quickly in hot sun. Skin formed over open paint cans in
seconds! It was hot and there was not a speck of shade after 11 AM. I had tons of paint and supplies I
needed every day, so I secured a parking space on the street next to Burger King and kept my paint, ladder,
supplies in the trunk and left the car there for a week. Then I walked over every morning with my rolling
cooler to haul over jars and jars of fresh water to clean my brushes, thin my paint and drink.
Q. Was it fun?
A. Tons! Met and chatted with hundreds of people: surfer dudes, tourists, neighborhood dog walkers, hotel
workers, the Burger King workers, fellow artists, and absolutely every drunk in PB. All were very
complimentary over the city's painted util. box program and also liked my memorializing our local naked
skater, "Flash."
Every older lady said she was the model for "Granny Gone Wild," but actually that's ME! The proof is in the
pony tails! And the black lady skater is Carla, my best friend. We appear in my fictionalized webcomic Plan
B which you can find on gocomics.com/planB.
Many people said "Thank you for the art and for making us laugh." That was my "pay."
Q. Did the town hire you to do it?
A. Article in local paper re "looking for artists to volunteer to paint boxes". No pay, got to advertise my
website on the art, plus got $40 for paint supplies.
Q. I'm just curious to know how you got that gig.
A. Wrote to local volunteer who's running program for local Town Council. Submitted design via JPEG for
council's approval. Got approval. Hondled with them over which box I would get to paint.
Q What's the story with the naked skater?
A. A local beloved eccentric skater called "Flash" who wears a different g-string costume every weekend
(see attached). Waiting for Halloween not necessary.
Q. What about graffiti?
A. Actually the art program was designed to DISCOURAGE graffiti. Graffiti artists respect other artists -
usually. Rock dudes - not so much. Slap tags stuck on by rock groups are very annoying and hard to
remove. After the art is done, three coats of polyurethane boat sealer is added and then one layer of car
wax - which protects the art from vandals.
Q. Is there a running theme?
A. It has to be about the beach.
Q.Are they all cartoons?
A. Mine is the only cartoon, I think. Typical box art are pictures of fish, mermaids, shells etc.
Q.Have you gotten any press coverage yet?
A. No.
Q. Can you paste-on logos of your Website and Blog sites?
A. Paste-ons and slap tags are the scourge of public art.
My website is painted on the bottom of my painting. I've already had many Emails from people even though I
only finished Saturday.--
PUBLIC ART in San Diego, CA
| *******New VIDEO of the Art created 7/1/08**** |