Photo by: Rico Michel

 

A/S/L? (Age/Gender/Location)

41 years old, Human, Montreal, Canada

 

How long have you been making art?

Since I was able to do it, probably age 2 or 3.

 

 

You seem like such a happy, down-to-earth person. What are some ways you stay positive, especially nowadays with so much negativity in the world?

Thanks. I try to stay positive n happy, but have my bummer days too, as anybody. There are so many blessings on this planet/physical plane. Its a gift to enjoy. I am just grateful to be alive, to eat good food, be healthy, have fun, live in a nice place, do a job that is purposeful, have good friends and family to share too. There is so much goodness and beauty in this world! I rather focus on that, and help it expand, than to focus on the “negative” aspects of life. But, it’s important to go through darker times too, as everything has a lesson and some things need to be re-adjusted in our individual and collective lives. Humanity is going through some growing pains for sure, but, the results will be worth it. If we can keep growing into a level of maturity that balances good and evil, then we can start enjoying more of the many blessings we are here to have.

 

What is your philosophy on life?

I believe that we are “God”, which is eternal and infinite Love and Bliss. We created this little bubble of the physical plane so we can experience EVERYTHING. So it’s like the ultimate simulation virtual reality video game for God to experience everything he/we can imagine and do! It’s amazing. We are in it right now, and God is living through us, like us. Kinda like a Positive Matrix, that is super safe. So, though we are experiencing this world and its parameters, we are also already in “infinity/eternity”, before and after all of this creation. So God already won the video game he made for himself to play through us, for a few trillion years. Believing this, as it’s been revealed to me in ceremony, I can be a bit less worried if “we will make it” as humanity, cause no matter what, we are eternal, will never really die, and eventually will evolve into a God conscious humanity. Then we return “Home” and laugh at all we made and were here. So awesome, I’m just grateful to be any part of this magical ride!!

 

 

Drug of choice? (If any)

I don’t take drugs, but Ayahuasca is my principal medicine. Always with my shaman in a proper ceremony. Mushrooms have been helpful too when that isn’t available. Nature is here to awaken and heal humanity. I hope these friends become more legal in our evolving society, so they can keep helping us.

 

What are some of your favorite things to do outside of your work life?

Well, my life and work is a fun blend of passions, but other than doing art I like to skateboard, travel, collect action figures, play vinyl, the occasional super nintendo jam, and look at the sun.

 

How long do you typically spend on a piece?

Depends on the piece. A good mural could take a couple of days. A graphic can take a week. A full on canvas can take months.

 

 

Who are some of your biggest inspirations?

There are a lot of artists I enjoy, along many musicians. All inspire me in some way as we are all reflections of each other. I don’t want to list them because it would never end, nor I would want to leave anyone out.

 

We noticed that you use a lot of different psychedelic characters in you work. Do you have a favorite one to make?

Yeah, I enjoy making characters out of certain energies I read. I’m trying to personalize a feeling. A recurrent character I enjoy to spray paint is the “Galaktic Dude”, whos a normal city dude-bro, but he’s also tribal and spiritually minded, so he has the magic.

 

Can you take us through your artistic process a bit?

Depends which medium I use, but things usually start as a sketch. Then a drawing. Then I paint it, and then I texturize it with a bunch of lines. And then I shade and brighten different areas to convey extra 3-dimensionality.

 

 

What music do you like to listen to when you are working on art?

That is a hard question to answer, cause I am a vinyl collector, so I have a lot of high grade music from all genres. Right now, as I write this article, I am listening to the new record my friend The Gaslamp Killer just sent me. It’s called “Heart Math” and its super trippy!

 

What is the best advice you have ever received?

Dont worry, be happy.

 

Judging by your Instagram, Alex Grey seems to be a big inspiration for you. Can you tell us what it was like spending time with him and his wife Allyson and do you still keep in contact?

Yeah, I met Alex all around the world, as we participated in similar festivals and events. Eventually him and his wife Allyson invited me to come teach art workshops at their land in upstate New York, the “Chapel of Sacred Mirrors”. So for the last 7 years I have been going there to stay for a couple of weeks, teach my workshop and then paint murals for different areas of the place. Most times they will have me over for dinner and then we end up in their studio painting n smoking and talking. It’s like Christmas Day for me and my being vibrates amazingly with them. We’ve become good friends and they even came over for dinner to my home studio in Montreal, when they performed there a couple of years ago. I love them. They are great. I am happy with what they are manifesting. I learn a lot from them and am constantly inspired to keep expanding more and more into the flower of my potential. Since my workshop got cancelled this year we hung out on Zoom a bit, which was a nice chance to catch up.

 

Do you think you’ll ever get sick of the dreads?

No, not sick, but I will let them go one day. It’s been 20 years so far and I still like having them. It’s an old friend that lives on my dome. He’s happy there right now, so I respect his existence. Yet everything is impermanent.

 

 

Do you have any big projects that you are working on?

The biggest project I am aiming at these days is finishing my 2nd coffee table Art Book. I got most of it laid out, but there are  a few more art pieces I feel I must do before I feel it’s completed. Really excited though! Making a book is like writing an art thesis on all the research I’ve done in the last 10 years. So I promise a very nice medicine offering for the people!

 

Explain That Post!

We dove into your Instagram page and we were wondering if you could explain a bit what is going on? (Also if it was distracting at all!)

Ok, so that pic was taken when I was in the “Castro” (gay) neighbourhood of San Francisco. I was spray painting a van for a client and had all kinds of colorful characters approach me, including these two nudists who stopped by to watch me work. They were actually watching from a bit of a distance, but I asked them to come closer, as to create this hilarious picture, haha! I feel everyone should act out their personal freedom, as long as it doesn’t offend or hurt anyone else.