Flashback to Pancakes and Booze LA – photo evidence

Pancakes and Booze Art Shows are a great place to meet artists, “I don’t like to call myself an” artists, and everyone who has ever known or wanted to know an artist.

This is my third LA show with them.  Thousands of people jigsaw the parking in Downtown LA-ish, pay $5 at the door, and enter the first warehouse (one of two and a half) full of floor to ceiling, wall to wall, art.

Demystification: It costs artists $15 a piece (3 min) to show for both nights.  If you’re showing you can live art outside and try to sling some prints without paying to vend.  The booze is expensive.  The pancakes are free, made to order, delicious, but the line is tremendous.  This is not a fine art show.  It’s an art party.  For some reason I’m reluctant to put “Pancakes and BOoze” on my artist resume. The words don’t ring professional.  It’s fun.  I had fun.  You should go.  You’ll have fun.

This time around, in addition to my surreal coloring books, I also put up some butcher paper for people to draw on.  The first guy who contributed busted out an amazing portrait of his girlfriend.  When he finished, I abandoned my post and followed him to his unframed, pushpinned art inside.  Great stuff.  Political comics.  He had the only unframed art in the place…I think.  His name was Ricardo.  Rick.  I didn’t grab his card, but I grabbed a few others.  I was trying to be on top it.

The guy  next to me booked a few coffee shop/wall art gigs while he sat and watercolored at the event.  Baller.  His name is K. Ryan Henisey.  I was stoked that we formed a little team during the event because his art caught my eye before I met him.  I was looking for art that incorporated writing.  He nailed it.  Turns out he’s also putting his English degree to good use.  Bully for us.  He creates watercolor pictures of monsters and repurposes maps.  It’s great.  He also published a book about those monsters.  I feel like he’s 8-20 steps ahead of me.

I also got to rub elbows with the phenomenal painter, Carlos Nieto III.  This kid has it.  He was doing face painting, dia de los muertos style.  He is someone who understands how to make something out of nothing.  The pipes he draws might actually become pipes.  Check him out.  He’s all over LA.  Working it.

I met Davia King, a talented, young female painter who visited my little coloring booth both nights.  She paints hubble-type stuff.  Real cool.  She showed me some of her videos, too.

Here’s some evidence of the night.