Mural Mayhem Begins Again

     After I had began to have tendinitis and nerve problems in my arm last fall from too much painting, I was sure that I'd be taking a step back from this arduous work. But now it seems that I'll be starting another series of murals for Trader Joe's in Glendale. I've spent the last two weeks researching and sketching the proposed murals for the store and tomorrow I begin the execution of my designs. This store has not had a complete overhaul of decor in many years, so the job that awaits me is rather large.

 Hollywood &Vine Trader Joe's Parking Structure Level 1

    I had thought that I'd be finishing off my mural career for Trader Joe's earlier this year, where my last mural, a graphic parody of the famous Coconut Grove, totaled 2,000 square feet. By far the largest mural I'd painted in my 6 year career. The second largest totaling only 525 square feet. It took a few months to complete considering I took some time of work for my repetitive motion injury. Even though painting is no longer my primary interest as a career, I am still excited to be designing another store with artwork that will be different from everything I've done so far. I'm certainly grateful to still be painting especially since it comes with benefits!

(Mural continued from previous picture)

The Damsells & The TC4 Music Video Releases

     It's official! The two music videos for The Damsells & The TC4 that I worked on have been released!!!

"How Deep Is The Night

 For "How Deep Is The Night" I designed the theatrical lighting. This video was shot last fall at Studio/Stage and directed by Peter Monro. Aaron Torres was our Director of Photography, and Adam Genzink our Key Grip. This video was shot in one, very long, night. We had many more production elements, like scenery and lighting effects, we had planned on using but in the end we ran out of time and had to simplify everything. However, I think the end product probably reflects a much more cohesive and balanced video.

"Be My Lovin' Man" 

For the second video, "Be My Lovin' Man," I designed the set and lighting. This video was also shot last fall at Studio/Stage. This cute spin off on the '70's television show "The Dating Game" is much more than just a music video. It's almost like watching a mini episode of the popular dating show but with a different twist on the ending and a much more colorful appearance. I had a lot of fun designing this video, and since it's been shot I now see how I could have done some things differently. All in all I'm very happy with the outcome. Please enjoy!

To view "How Deep Is The Night" Click Here.
To View "Be My Lovin' Man" Click Here.

For the list of complete production credits for both videos, please view the links on YouTube.
 

Stop and Smell the Roses

     Well, I had gotten behind on this blog over the past couple months since I have been busy with nothing but new change, both personal and professional. 2011 has already proven that it will be one heck of a year for me with a lot of busyness and excitement that will be all about building a new foundation for the future and creating memories that will hopefully last a life time. I have high hopes for this year!

   With new beginnings and looking ahead as my interest for this post, to me, nothing celebrates this theme more than New Year's. New Years is my favorite holiday. It is all about celebrating with your loved ones and looking ahead with optimism to the coming year's opportunities. The most exciting thing about it for me is working on the Rose Parade.

    Decorating Rose Parade floats has been my annual tradition and this past year, 2011, marks my 20th year! For the last few years have have been working as a decoration supervisor, executing the decoration of one float from bald to work of art. In a given day I could be managing anywhere from 50 to 100 volunteers, who are usually inexperienced. Supervising the decoration involves great attention to time management, training your volunteers one by one and using creativity to produce the best looking float possible. Even though there is only one week to decorate the float and the deadline is strict, decorating Rose Parade floats is also very much about having fun and creating a sense of team and community.

    "Building Dreams, Friendships & Memories" was the theme for this past year. Working on the Discover Card float definitely made this theme feel appropriate. We won the Grand Marshal award for "excellence in creative concept and design." This year proved to be just as exciting as previous years especially considering I had a great time working with a wonderful co supervisor and very dedicated volunteers. Looking ahead to next year's parade, 2012's theme is "Just Imagine...". There's sure to be some excellent designs again next year!

 

Missed the parade?  Click Here to View the Float in action on parade day.


To see the float built and decorated from start to finish, Click Here.