Puttiki poster

Long time no posting, I've been busy being a teacher here in Thailand but over our extensive school holidays I completed the poster for the "Return of Puttiki" art-show and cocktail bender.

I started with a vague idea about mixing actual props and models with vintage photography in a mens adventure magazine/exploitation film poster style. Sam from Puttiki had mentioned he would like a Moai on the poster somewhere so I started to build a cardboard Maoi head.

Rough outlines...

....nose and mouth..

..and ears..

..and almost a perfect fit, but no eye holes so not suitable for wearing while operating a motorbike. Not that would stop anyone here in Thailand where ten on a moped and the raffia bike helmet rule.

Adding more shape with newspaper..

..face completed and hat stone hat added. I tried to get a stone effect with wads of glue soaked toilet paper, but it failed to dry in a pleasing style, so I just went with a normal coat of newspaper.

Coat of house hold emulsion as a base coat for painting..

..undercoat of faux wood grain..

..then the details in bold black paint.

Now that the head was finished I had to work out the final composition, I found a picture of Betty Page in distress and planned to have the Moai man added to the picture in a suitably menacing pose.

I dressed my self and had the missus take some scary pictures of me...

..the pictures worked out well but the Betty Page picture was not of a high enough resolution for the project. So I searched through my exploitation poster folders and decided to try a single figure design.

Then with a days worth of photoshop jiggery pokery and I ended up with this..

I used design elements (aka nicked bits) from this vintage tiki menu, it was challenging to replicate on the computer the old hand drawn screen print.

Then I sent of the image to Sam who added some final fantastic touches to make the finished flyer. I think it worked out rather well.

Tiki Today 27 March to 19 June 2010

Two of my paintings are taking part in the Tiki Today exhibition in Scunthorpe at the

20-21 Visual Arts Centre, they are having a night of tiki celebration on Saturday 5th of June.

The full details and lots of lovely pictures can be found on their Facebook Page.

TIKOT - The Hung Tiki

When I was asked to take part in the TIKOT group show I was given this information on the Hanged Man card...

The Hanged Man - Atomic Tony Tiki

Serenely dangling upside-down, the Hanged Man has let go of worldly attachments. He has sacrificed a desire for control over his circumstances in order to gain an understanding of, and communion with, creative energies far greater than his individual self. In letting go, the hero gains a profound perspective accessible only to someone free from everyday conceptual, dualistic reality.

Modern versions of the tarot deck depict a man hanging upside-down by one foot. The figure is most often suspended from a wooden beam (as in a cross or gallows) or a tree. Ambiguity results from the fact that the card itself may be viewed inverted. Is the man or the world upside-down?

...so I set my brain to thinking, a tiki hanging from a tree obviously, and there is really only one famous tree in the Tiki world...

...The Tangaroa tree from outside the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Since the card has duality I figured the tiki's face should be readable in two directions like a Victorian novelty image a grinning face reversed and face of agony while in the correct position.

The artwork in the show was size specific all 2D art had to be 20" x 10", so I had to build and stretch my own frame. Luckily I found a frame 20" x 30" so I had to crack out my multi tool and use the worlds bluntest saw on a hot day to cut it down.

Some super glue and sticky tape to hold the wood together, then I stretched a thick cotton re-usable carrier bag for the canvas. Then several coats of PVA glue/white acrylic to dope it and it was all ready to start.

The initial outline and the first of the red coats for the background.

On with some yellow ochre for the body.

The brown added to the tree.

The brown added for the wood-grain on the tiki body, its really time consuming, but it really works.
More colour added to the tree and some black outlines.

The darker shading added to the figure.

Highlights and mid-tones added and outlines in white for the flowers.

Mostly finished the flowers in, the rope defined and blood added to the empty socket. This is because in Norse myths Odin hung over the abyss he sacrificed his eye, so that he'd gain wisdom.

The tarot is all about cultural symbols and myths, so mixing a little Norse into the mix won't hurt.

Finally finished I toned down the yellow on the tree, added a few more lashings to the tree, added black wood-grain to the tree and went over all the highlights with more brown wood-grain, just to pull back the white.

You can read an great thread about the show on Tiki Central..

TIKOT! - Visions from the Tiki Tarot @ FBG in October

TIKOT 31st December

I'm taking part in the TIKOT art show in California at the end of this month. Its a group show where we all got given a card of the major arcana to redesign in a Tiki style.

I was lucky enough to land the Hanged Man and I'll paint blog up the creation of it over the next week. Painting in the heat and excitement of Thailand is very different to Scotland.

Ten Tasks Update

At the start of the year I set myself ten reasonably do-able tasks, since we are almost 3/4 of the way through the year I thought I should update you on the progress.

1. Do something charitable. - Whilst at Subway I took part in their Comic Relief Charity drive and for a month gave our tips to Charity, so this task is complete.

2. Earn £1000 from my art. - Still in progress but I have exhibited in three Artshows this year, so I have put myself out more.

3. Learn to drive. - Not yet.

4. Study a for a CELTA or equivalent. - I have my TEFL certificate and I'm off to Thailand to work for the next couple of years, so Task complete.

5. Experience Scotland like it was a foreign country. - When I visited my parents last week I went up the St Magnus Cathederal tower, so thats a pretty touristy thing done and I travelled the full length of Britain in the last month, so Task complete.


6. Learn to run. - I had to stop my gym subscription last month because I'm going to Thailand but I had started running on the tread mill and was enjoying it, so task still in progress.

7. Tattoo, get one and do one. - Not yet but time enough, so still in progress.

8. Learn a Burns poem by heart. - Not yet but time enough, so still in progress.

9. Spend Christmas with my Parents. - Not going to happen as I've mentioned before I'll be in Thailand, perhaps I could by the power of Skype, task not possible.

10. Spend Hogmanay with my friends. - Not yet but time enough, so still in progress.

So two can't be done, three complete and five more to finish, goes to show that goals you thought possible could change to impossible due to larger life changing events. Life's fun.

Fun at the Puttiki Art Show

Now that I have recovered from a weekend of rum and tiki, although this morning I drank some water and still tasted rum, I thought I should post some snaps of Hastings.

So I travelled down on the train and checked into the Phoenix Guest House, which turned out to be a lovely place that was run by a couple called Ed and Victoria. From discussions with Ed I discovered he'd once worked in the Barbers beneith the Hacienda Club in Manchester and had cut the hair of everyone from Mark E Smith, Genisis P'Orrige and the Smiths. Anybody heading to Hastings stay there its a great place.

(Picture by Trader Jim as I forgot to take picures)

This is Honey Lu Lu's a small but perfectly formed Tiki Barwhere we had the show, I was sent a picture txt by my friend Rarg of this place after it opened and I'd been keen to finally get inside.

My paintings just inside the door..

(Picture by Trader Tark as I forgot to take picures)

Then the other wall with fantastic run of great Tiki Art.

(Picture by Trader Jim as I forgot to take picures)

The Honey Lu Lu's Manager, who's name slips my mind at the moment but she made us all so welcome and served many many fine cocktails all weekend long.

This is Shanon aka Shananagan, she designs shoes for a living but creates pin-ups for pleasure.

Luckily with her coming all the way from America it saved me for once, on being the furthest travelled artist to attend the show.

And Los Furias Tiki aka Sam, who with his partner Kessie aka Lady K loves were my happy hosts for the weekend. Real good people and I hope the Puttiki Event goes from strength to strength.

(Picture by Trader Jim as I forgot to take picures)

A group shot of us all from the Friday night, you can spot Trader Jim and Sian on the left, it was great to see them again and more importantly finally get my "Bou'Hua" mug in Scrimshaw glaze.

But it wasn't all drinking and crazy golf, oh no I got out and explored Hastings. Didn't get to the Crowley death house but I did find other things...

No English seaside town is complete without a pier, sadly the Hastings pier is shut, what a waste.

Hasting going all Australian with their warning signs.

The net sheds down by the beach, full of tasty fresh seafood.

There are a couple of nice museums in Hastings and the exciting smugglers caves experience to entertain yourself outside of mini-golf and tiki artshows.

A lovely exhibit on "Biddy Champion tubman of Europe".

A suit covered in silver painted winkle shells.

A nice port lamp, Hastings has many fine antique stores so if you fancy a real one, go a wander up the old town and buy a real one.

..and finally some nice bits brought back by sailors, although I doubt many people would want a stuffed albatross for their bar, perhaps just on a stick.

Thanks to Kessie and Sam for being such wonderful hosts, the staff of Honey Lu Lus for letting us hang out and display our art and Shannon for coming all the way America and being such great company all weekend.

Its only a pity I can't go again next weekend and continue the fun.

Puttiki Piece finished

This is how the painting was as I left it, sitting in the kitchen.

The white still to bright so quite a heavy wash of brown goes on and that sorts out a fair chunk of the problem. Then I go arund and hunt down all the tiny bits that need fixed and go over the black lines to pull it together. Then a make the nostrils red and it getting there.

I still need to sort out the wrong white under the armpit so I repaint the brown grain and that finally fixes the problem, so I repaint all the grain on the problem areas.

Then I paint in all the bones, the little skull and the golf tee and all bar some tiny little touches the painting is ready for the Puttiki show.

So if you want to see the picture in the flesh come along to The Puttiki Art Show held in Honey Lu Lu's, Robertson Street Hastings, I'll be there all weekend.