18.3.12

DC Trip

Spent the week in DC with lots of old and new friends, reconnecting to many different parts of my past-and-present life.  Was hoping to see the cherry blossoms, but a surprise super-sprained ankle kept me off my feet for most of the trip.

Before the injury, however, I had a relaxing afternoon painting with HKS 181, Weres, Tuc, Delve and Spok at the Albus Cavus Open Walls in Ivy City.   I have mad love for these crazysweet DC/Baltimore/VA writers and this low-key afternoon brought me back a decade or so to the feeling of fun, community and no-pressure-painting-for-the-sake-of-painting that so often gets lost in politics, pedagogy, and performance.


Quick collab with  sister-from-another-mister KT Soko.  I've known KT since I was 15; we met at Great Adventure on my first day and her last day on the job as caricature artists.  We've been talking about doing a little wall together forever- this is her first time using spraypaint and she got it in!  I'm pretty rusty but had a dope time anyway. 
Pre-gaming. (Flick by 181)

181 (UK) has to put on shades to protect his irises cos this ish buuuuurns.

What the Tuc? (Flick by 181)

A fun, sloppy, quick production surrounded with sweet, silly folks (not entirely unlike most of my romantic endeavors.)

I also had the honor of doing a really quick piece on a Women's History collab run by Albus Cavus with all women-painters.  The young woman who lives in the house right next to the wall, Shawn, was kind enough to allow me to paint her characterportrait.  When I come to different cities and communities to do community murals, I make a real effort to meet people in the neighborhood and learn about what's important to them.  I'm of the opinion that in my practice, it is not my place to come to communities that I do not live in and tell them what I think they should think about.  Rather, in quick, spontaneous situations such as these, I'd prefer to use the opportunity to incorporate the likenesses and visions of community members into public space. 



I stayed with my generous and brilliant longtime friend, KT Soko, who supported me in every way.
Kate Soko introduced me to a very quiet but super sweet someone who's always up for a cuddle.
And a big shout out to TUC (MSP;ECK) who knew how to keep a girl off her feet by spending the afternoon with me rockin out in blackbooks and flippin through late 90's graff mags as I kept my ankle iced.