Inspiration of the Day, More Collabs, and Dip-Dying My Hair

Inspiration of the Day: These girls. Whoever they are.

Side Note: I really want to dip-dye my hair like the girl at the top. Maybe all of it. Maybe just a section. I'm thinking I just want to do a section on the bottom near the front. I want to die mine like a feather though with different colors. My dearest friend David happens to be a hairstylist extraordinaire on top of being a clever son of a gun (we've got a kids book in the works), and he said he'd do it for me, so I think I'll just go for it. It can always grow out, or if worse comes to worse, be died back to semi-normal. Carpe Diem!

- Amy 

Listening to: Jay Buchanan's "Feel Better"

Hipster Jesus, Feal Mor Boutique, and Waylon Jennings

Inspiration of the Day: This invitation for the exclusive men's label Feal Mor. 


I'm pretty positive it's a depiction of Jesus with neck tats on a hipster bike. I really do think God would approve of this. I also love the logo. It reminds me a lot of the design that Australian motorcycle company Deus puts out. The designer behind Feal Mor is Everloving Records co-owner and Frenchie JP Plunier. When describing the label and the meaning of it's name JP explained, “Feal Mor” means faithful to the sea. Meaning ‘we are pirates.’ No land. No borders.” 


Inspiring my ears right now? The "Waylon Jennings: Greatest Hits" vinyl spinning on my record player. Best part? I got it for a dollar, so it has more than paid for itself now seeing as I've listened to it four times since I bought it on Sunday. Shout out to my friend Mighty Mitch for helping me sift through the stacks and stacks of Barry Manilow and Barbara Streisand records to find it. 

- Amy
Listening to: Waylon Jennings' "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?"

Inspiration Of The Day: Dusty Neal

[ Tension Headache, ©Dusty Neal ]

Inspiration of the Day: Dusty Neal

When you go to a restaurant and you look at the menu and they're offering mexican, chinese, italian, and american food all under one roof, you can be 99.9% sure that your food is going to be borderline undedible to mediorcre at best. It's like the old saying: "A jack of all trades, but master of none." Generally speaking this adage can be aptly applied to most things in life. Except in the case of Dusty Neal. When it comes to art, this guy does it all: He tattoos, he draws, he paints, he photographs and he designs. I'm sure if he decided to take up crafting, he'd put Martha Stewart to shame. He's just a natural when it comes to using the right side of his gray matter.

He's got his own a book of art and sketches, a book of photographs and a blog where you can find a slew of things to interest,  and inspire. Here are a few of my favorites.

- Amy

Listening to: Ryan Adams' "Dear Chicago" (If you've never heard this song, please google it. You can thank me later.)

[ Dead, ©Dusty Neal ]

[ Death Shroud, ©Dusty Neal ]

[ Death Watch, ©Dusty Neal ]

[ Discard, ©Dusty Neal ]

[ Disorder, ©Dusty Neal ]

[ Insight, ©Dusty Neal ]

[ Lavish, ©Dusty Neal ]

[ Protest, ©Dusty Neal ]

Happy Birthday Elvis

[ Reading Fan Mail, ©Alfred Wertheimer ]

Happy Birthday to the king.


"Before Elvis, there was nothing." 
       - John Lennon


"When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail."
       - Bob Dylan

- Amy
Listening to: "Love Me Tender"

[ Elvis in Graceland. ©The Commercial Appeal ]

[ Elvis Presley is at a recording session at the RCA recording studio in Nashville. ©George Baker / The Tennessean ]

Kyle Lightner, Photography, and Orange County As It Should Be Seen

[Tanner Prairie, Costa Mesa 11-10, ©Kyle Lightner ]

Today's Inspiration? Kyle Lightner, photographer extraordinaire.

[ Kyle Lightner in action, ©Mikey Detemple ]

I feel like every time I tell someone I'm from Orange County, they get that look in their eye... instantaneous disgust. That's because the Orange County they know and despise is the one they've become acquainted with via shows like The Real Housewives of Orange County, The O.C., Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, and even the wonderfully satirical Arrested Development. But there is this whole other, not so terrible, and in fact even wonderful, side of Orange County. I feel like Kyle Lightner's photography embodies that other side. Surfing, skating, music, cars, bikes, beaches, crusty venues, grimy diners, punk kids, leathery old beach bums, tattoos, friends - he captures that golden Southern California spirit. I think I'm going to start to photograph my subjects in their native habitats, be it beach, bar or barbershop. I'm realizing more and more that that is the kind of artwork that I enjoy most. So why not give it a go?


Check out some of Kyle's photos below. But this is just the tip of the iceberg my friends. For more, visit his website here or his blog here. 

- Amy

Listening to: Black Sabbath's "Changes"

[ September 4th, 2010, ©Kyle Lightner ]

[ Robin Kegel, ©Kyle Lightner ]

[ Jared & Jonathan Mattson, Pacific Beach CA. 2010, ©Kyle Lightner ]

[ December 17th, 2010, ©Kyle Lightner ]

[ Some work for Vans, ©Kyle Lightner ]

[ Tyler Painting, ©Kyle Lightner ]

[ August 24th, 2010, ©Kyle Lightner ]

[Gross Negligence Last Show, Fullerton CA. – 10/02/10, ©Kyle Lightner ]

A Greaser Dream Come True: Casting Call for Social Distortion Music Video

Rockabilly is a beautiful thing. Some purists would say that mixing punk rock and bluegrass is wrong, but in the case of rockabilly, two wrongs make a right. If you really think about it, rock n' roll evolved from roots and bluegrass music. Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker... all were noted as major influences by rock icons like The Stones, CCR, Elvis Presley, and Led Zeppelin. Bluegrass and country wasn't all gospel hymns and yodeling. Ever heard Johnny Cash sing "Cocaine Blues"? What's more punk rock and angsty than that?

For all of you who share my love of country/punk/rock n' roll/rockabilly, I have news for you. If you're in the LA/OC area, Orange County legends Social Distortion are filming a music video for their new song “Machine Gun Blues” and they are looking for extras. It's my chance to meet my favorite grease monkey. Sure he's an old crusty grease monkey these days, but somehow that doesn't detract from his gritty, rebellious charms. In my book, the more wrinkly, the blurrier the tattoos, the better. It means they've lived a life and they aren't going to end it without a truck load of good stories to tell from it.


The video takes place in the 1930’s they are looking for people 18 or older who have 1930’s apparel, cars or any other time period specific items/props. If you own a 1930's vehicle, the car must be 1934 or earlier. If you fit this criteria and want more info, send an email to video@epitaph.com with the following info included: 

-  Name
-  Age
-  Location
-  Photo
-  Contact info (email and phone number)
-  Details about 1930’s wardrobe and props

[ The new album from Social Distortion: Hard times And Nursery Rhymes. ]

So all you greaser sick boys and sick girls, get out your leather jacket and blue jeans, slick back your pomp and bust out your whitest muscle tee - it's your chance to hang out with Mike Ness and the crew and talk cars, women and music. A greaser dream come true.


- Amy
Listening to: Social Distortion's "Highway 101"

Painting Again, Jordan Sabolick, And The Oxymoron That Is Holiday Breaks

[Work In Progress: Portrait of Jordan Sabolick.]

Why is it that vacations always end up tiring you out more than a normal work week does? My "holiday break" would have been more aptly titled a "holiday exhaust-a-thon" I crammed so much into it. Between Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Dressember photoshoots, ugly Christmas sweater parties, forced family holiday fun time, the Lakers breaking my heart, my 21 and 23 year-old cousins from Texas visiting (and macking on 40 year-old ex 49ers cheerleaders), and New Year's Eve I haven't had time to stop. Which is just crazy seeing as I made time to eat 4 hearty meals a day under the excuse, "It's the holidays!" 

Today was the first day where I had a few hours strung together to actually relax and get started on my "Things To Work On Over Break" list. I can now check off item number 2: Start my next painting. (Thus the photo above tracking my progress so far.) I have so many photos of friends that I've accumulated that I want to paint, but I wanted to do another more simple one before I got started on the more complex ones I've got locked up in my secret files (more complex meaning: multiple subjects and intricate props and backgrounds). So I chose to start work on a portrait of my friend Jordan Sabolick. You might know Jordan as the guitarist for OC band The Union Line, the boyfriend of my lovely co-worker Blythe Hill, or from his former days as barista-extraordinaire at the Starbucks in Aliso Viejo. Those of you who do know Jordy know he's one of the nicest, funniest guys around. But that's not why I chose him for this project. No, my motives were much shallower than that my friends. I chose him because he exudes that "I'm in a band" look that one only gets when they're European or - well - in a band. I think he'll make a great addition to my "The Beatniks, The Bastards, And The Saints" series.

I'm really excited with how it's turning out so far. Blythe helped me take the photo of him that I'm painting from and we took it in really high contrast lighting to get some really amazing shadows. God willing and the creek don't rise, it's going to be a painting worthy of the Master of Shadows, Caravaggio himself.

Happy New Year to you all! Don't miss a FREE SHOW by Jordan's band The Union Line tomorrow night at 9pm with fellow local bands My Pet Saddle and Pacific Hurt. It's at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa, so it's 21+. Sorry kiddies.

- Amy

Listening to: The Union Line's "Time Is A Seed"