Where do I begin?

The Asuncion, Paraguay trip was an experience unlike any other I’ve had. Eight women artists from Latin America where invited to participate in the 1st ever Bienal the country has ever had. Toofly ( Ecuador ) Abusa Crew ( Chile) Ledania ( Colombia ) Zumi ( Argentina) Norka ( Bolivia ) Shalak ( Canada)  Sofia Maldonado ( Puerto Rico ) and Min 8 (Uruguay ) who were specifically chosen to represent their country and graffiti/street/mural works. In our eyes a Bienal is a well produced, large scale internacional contemporary art event with high standards. Many of us took the invitation serious. When we arrived the Bienal was anything but that. We have never experienced so much disorder, and miscommunication…

Luckily the locals in the graffiti culture had our back to get the basics in place the first few days so that we can at least start our walls. We made do with what was available and stayed positive…Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5…

Shout out to POWER ONE the 1st and only graffiti shop in Asuncion.

DAY 6 We can finally start!!!???

Staying positive while we pay for our own meals…

I paint fast so I finished quickly. I also chose a wall I can use a ladder because the scaffold situation was troublesome. I was able to finish my piece in 3 days…luckily the drunk man who harrased me in the end didn’t get as aggressive when I offered him a soda. He would not leave me alone, and it got scary at one point. I asked for help from the local police in the area but they did nothing. I asked them to stick around until I finished but they left and I painted as quickly as possible before the drunk man came back. Many of the women painting experienced their own situation with aggressive behavior from men in the area, verbal abuse etc; A very frustrating and dangerous situation to work under especially when there is no one looking out for you and taking safety measures from the organization…

We had our bonding moments despite the issues in between…

All day all night in order to stay on schedule…

Shout out to Oz Montania a local graffiti artist who looked out for us:) He WAS NOT part of the organizing team for the Bienal, but I think if he would of been and was consulted for his experience it would of helped us a ton! Darn…next time. We love you OZ!!!

DAY 7: Tuesday September 29, 2015

On the day we were ready to continue and possibly finish…we were faced with aggressive verbal abuse, and were unable to continue. We lost days in production to get to this point but when they don’t cover your meals, there is no transportation, no water, no security, no safety, and proper equipment you simply just can’t go on…

I would like to share what happened to all of us after a week of issues in hopes that anyone working to produce a public street/graffiti project in their country are aware that they need to have their shit together before they invite artists to create top notch level work. This is not a local graffiti jam taking place in your neighborhood for a day of fun, this is a Bienal. If you are inviting international artists from all over the world then your production plan has to be on point with an adequate budget.

The urban arts movement is the biggest in the world and we have the most impact on a social and community level. Our work changes lives especially young people in a positive manner. It is something we take seriously on many levels and are respected worldwide by other institutions and people. We spend hours, and days preparing to create a mural that will have an impact on the new generation of artists and the countries arts/culture movement. Our work would stay long after the Bienal is over…

Many of the artists arrived ready to work on large walls near the costañera part of Asuncion a week 1/2 before the launch of the Bienal. The walls were in terrible condition but we were determined to paint them and make them beautiful. The equipment arrived very late because the check promised to cover all production costs for the “Franja Grafitera” arrived late. A huge problem for production organizer ( 1 person ) to move forward strategically, especially for an event that has be in the works 1 year in advance. Paint had to be ordered when we arrived because a feriado landed that weekend where everything closes early and for 2 full days. The scaffolds were extremely heavy, and not altogether with staff who was on vacation. This delayed the process of staring the mural work on time. Missing platforms, no wheels, etc; The workers that would help us move and set up the heavy equipment could not work until they were were payed and returned form a feriado weekend. We lost a full week. There were no ladders until the very end, and when they did arrive they were of heavy wood and metal that needed additional staff to help move for all 8 murals. Some of the scaffold set up at the wall were extremely dangerous because the floors were on a hill, broken glass, rocks. There was no expert safety on scene. There were days we had to cover our own food, and water. One of the most basic necessities for artists to work during very hot weather and with 10+ hours of work in a day. There was no transport to and from walls from a hostel, even after late nights to meet deadline. Our team of artists tried to solve problems as best we could but after a week+ of issues we broke. This was not a Bienal production at full potencial that we were expecting, they’re excuse “this is Paraguay” The blame was passed on from one person to another. In the end no-one owned up to their responsibility. We had 2 days left of the Bienal and we decided that the Bienal, the people, and the country is not ready for what we are capable of. Our departures were scheduled on the day of the Bienal launch, one more reason to wonder “Do they really appreciate graffiti/street/ mural artists here?

Asi no se puede mas! Here is an example of the overall treatment we received. This was very dangerous for Abusa Crew to paint on…if I car would of passed by on the corner a serious accident could of went down. The brutal truth is there was no love for us here…

We got together to make one last attempt to speak to the organizers with a professional and respectful letter to make them aware of what we have been faced with during production. We hoped that the last few days we something could be done, but not much changed.

We gathered, talked, and decided as a group that we would leave behind one final message. One that will help them realize that they still need a lot of work to do to live up to the titles they want to represent.  “El Grito de la Libertad” the Bienals theme this year became a public protest by the Franja Grafitera to the Asuncion Bienal.

NO TENEMOS MIEDO A PINTAR CON DIGNIDAD! ASI NO! , RESITENCIA, ABORTO BIENAL 2015, DESPIERTEN! , HAY QUE EDUCAR!

DESPIERTEN!

Press made an attempt to write about what happened. Article by ABC COLOR more in the week ahead I’m sure…

Before heading back to the mothaland I had an opportunity to work closely with Chilean graffiti woman BOMBA on Toronto, Canada. I had a really nice time in the city while we worked on a community city project Bomba organized alongside Kamplex. The best part of the trip was the yummy food we had every single day, and the street strolls through her neighborhood. One of the loveliest homes and gardens I have seen in a while. Its a beautiful city. Looking fwd to the project flicks!

I’ve been in Ecuador for a good three years now and it has given me the opportunity to meet, and build with some awesome souls who organize, curate, and are in tune with a much healthier lifestyle. It has made me a much happier, and creative human being. Working with the energy of these folks helps me take my work and ideas to the next level. This year is off to a great start, and the second wall project that came up this past weekend was in Baños Ecuador. A team of 6+ artists took a lovely country side road trip 4 hours away from Quito to the land of waterfalls, adventures, and “Agua Santa” (Spanish for Baths of Holy Water) is named after the hot springs located around the city which have a reputation of having healing properties due to their content of various minerals. It is also near  the Tungurahua a highly active volcano. Fortunately it’s been safe for many years to visit Baños and we hope it continues to be for many years to come. We arrived during some great weather and ready to paint! The project was lead by street artist Vera and her team Joins Back, Tanya, Jose, and Tatta Productions who looked out for all of us with transport, a comfortable stay at La Petite Auberge, and yummy healthy meals at Casa Hood. I’m missing the Phad Thai already! Baños has gotten way cooler since the last time I was there. A lot more variety in restaurants, shops, and cute hostels have popped up which makes this a great place to return. Once settled we were ready to get to work!

Polaroid by La Suerte

The project at hand was located a few minutes away in a little town called Ulba. It was in desperate need of color and smiles. The Agoyan electrical hydro power plant which is just a few kilometers away has residents moving out. The river no longer flows naturally causing foul smells to their barrio. The local park is closed, and the homes, and streets are deteriorating daily from lack of care. Our goal to roll up our sleeves and paint many of the homes that were falling apart. The color and activity brought the families out for a “minga” ( community clean up ) which happens throughout Ecuador because at times the city can not help these neighborhoods. They began to clean the streets, sweep out the dirt, and help us buff the walls. Little by little everyone was giving a helping hand. They made us “sanduches de mortadella” and fresh raspberry juices to get our energy up, and hooked us up with some electricity so we can blast our music. It was a very fun, and productive “painting street jam” that brought smiles to the families, and much needed attention from the city. They came to help, and are now in chats about permaculture solutions about the problems the electrical power plant has caused the area.  They also plan to open up the park, and fix up the streets/homes which will (hopefully) bring residents back to the barrio. Everyone did a beautiful job! We’re excited to build on many similar projects in towns that need help and attention. Thank you Vera! and (((team))) for the invitation to work with you guys on this beautiful “Paredes del Barrio” project<3

Smh…Green Energy?

Foto by Eleki Hobosigns

Photo by: Jose Luis Jacome Guerrero

Foto by Eleki Hobosigns

If your traveling to Baños Ecuador and want to check out the murals in this town, the main road is on the ( right )  you can’t miss it!

TOOFLY Baños Ecuador 2015

Photo by: Jose Luis Jacome Guerrero

The electrical power plant is down this road…

VERA 2015 Photo by Tatta Rodriguez

ELEKI and TELEFUNKA in town from Guadalajara Mexico! – Photo by Tatta Rodriguez

JOINS BACK, 2015

LA SUERTE X PIN8 Collab

“Sembrar Creatividad” y Amor <3

We found “Fruna” in the middle of the road to Baños. We almost hit her! Vera picked her up and found her a home at end of trip. She will now live in paradise with La Suerte en her family. It’s a doggie world in Latina America! All doggies on trip are adopted. Shout out to Mishki, Rudy, and Fruna who barked and ran around freely.

Cosmorama final flicks coming soon…- Photo by Tatta Rodriguez

Desayuno…

Almuerzo…Foto by Eleki Hobosigns

y Dinner at Casa Hood! Like a creative arts family <3 Thank you team. Well deserved meals kept us going. GOOD TIMES!!! Now let’s get tattoos and seal the trip deal!

Private Tattoo sessionz with Pin8 Studios!

Pin8 is an Ecuadorian Graffiti, Street, and Tattoo Artist who’s shop is located in Baños. His work is super dope, unique and a style all his own. Love it! Thank you Pin8!

Pass the Wisky:) It’s mini hearts and starz time!

Rudy!!!

La Suerte en her signature Bone fish…

Joins Back with an original Pin8 piece for his arm…

Thank You Pin8! See ya next time Baños Crew <3

Before I took off to Cancun I reached out to the folks at the Tulum Art Project. I had been following the event on Facebook from flicks posted by street artist Spaik. As our movement keeps growing, so do the destinations. More, and more “arte urbano” events are popping up in different countries that have vibrant cultures and communities. It’s no longer just a city thing. It’s an exciting time to paint and travel, and I am allllllllll about it. I had a gig in New York after New Years and figured heck, I don’t want to be in the cold! Mexico is just a few hours away and less than $300 to get there. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get confirmation to paint but I trusted the stars. If it was meant to be for me to paint it will work itself out.

On my last week in Mexico I received confirmation that there was a wall available, and a lovely place for me to stay called Zamas Hotel. I was siked! I had missed the original December launch dates but Susan, lead organizer of the project worked it all out.

First day in I sat by the beach and worked on my sketch. I gave thanks to the sun as it went down…It felt really good to be in tune with everything my heart had desired…

Good morning! Ready to paint and chillax for the next 3-4 days…

Because much of my life’s work is about women, and women empowerment, Susan was on the mission to find the perfect wall. She connected me to Sirena’s; an all women’s hostel, art, and gallery. Right across the street from the bus terminal on Tulum Ave. For the ladies that travel solo, or in a group and want to feel a little safer, this is the spot. Susan has been building with locals in the community for over 20 years and has seen Tulum grow daily. Now there’s bohemian shops, and quaint restaurants that make this community a must-go-to for vacation. Especially with the ruins and beautiful beaches near by. The hope is that the locals try their best to keep their homes, and businesses so that all are in harmony, and there is no fear of the being pushed out of their barrios.

I had three days to enjoy this little town, and a big rooftop wall to rock. The young mexican ladies at the hostel were very sweet and accommodating on my short painting schedule. Especially Betsy and traveling buds who helped out, made spaghetti, and took process flicks.

Let the transformation begin…

SIRENA DEL MAR Y SOL – Tulum Mexico, 2015

“Sirenas” the singers of this lovely life. Half woman, half birds. Like warrior women they express their beauty and freedom with creativity. This is for all my linda amigas and the colorful mayan women of Mexico <3

Check out all the beautiful photos of the Zamas Hotel —> www.zamas.com

These had to be the most amazing shrimp tacos I have ever had! WOW delicious…big ups to the chef!

I was pretty tired from wall so I didn’t get to walk around much down Tulum Ave or the boho little town near hotel. There and so many cute shops and restaurants. I am most definitely going to return…

I want to send my 100th thanks to Susan and her staff at Zamas. The stay was super duper pleasant. Waking up to the swinging palm tree breeze, chillax sessions on the hammock, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner overlooking the beach will be moments to treasure. Gracias to the stars that aligned, and all the good vibes, and love that came with it. Even the fat bruise I got on my leg when I crashed the bike into a tree on my way back from wall. It was a long day, and I was really tired:( Luckily it wasn’t too bad. I flew off the bike like a CHAMP! Yeah baby…it’s gonna be a SUPA DUPA FLY year, warrior bruises and all.

Till next time Tulum Mexxxxxxico! You are a lovely place with beautiful people <3

Stuck in Cancun, Mexico for a few more days and that is totally okay because I am not looking forward to the blizzard in New York one bit! It’s also good because I am back in chillax mode after #TulumArtProject wall and can rock this blog post in peace. To set off 2015 I decided to take a little vacation to my favorite beach destination, paint, draw, get a tan, visit ruins, eat lot’s of tamales, tortillas, tacos, elotes, sopes, and all the yummy mexican food I can squeeze into my travel budget. I recently discovered champurrado at the local mercado and I can’t get enough!!! What a delicious drink hot or cold. Discovering the local “spots” is such a treat!

Traveling to the Yucatan part of Mexico during January is perfect. The weather is sweet, and not terribly hot like other months. There’s a nice breeze throughout the day and it feels really good when your out all day visiting the ruins or catching a beach sunset. Last time I visited in 2011 I did not get a chance to visit Chichen Itza so I made sure to go this time. One of the 7 wonders of the world is not to be missed! – These ruins are the largest of Mayan sites in Mexico. Just 3-4hrs by bus from Cancun with a must stop in this lovely town of Valladolid. I did not get a chance to stay here long but I saw some really beautiful artisan shops, and restaurants with high ceilings with colonial style decor. Beautiful!

Once at the ruins you make your rounds trying your best to dodge the hundreds of tourists to get a good shot of the pyramids. It’s a bummer that you can no longer climb them, and that there are so many people there. Also didn’t dig that there are so many vendors who all sell and make the same stuff. Beautiful, but over saturated. It kind of kills the whole moment. Where are the handcrafted works uniquely created by true craftsmen? Why do they all make the same stuff? Anyway it must be a tourist thing, I guess to accommodate the gringo consumerism for cheap “regalitos” When I finally found a quiet place to sit, and the crowds went far from sight ( following the tour guides like sheep ) I took the time to appreciate the site a little more. Most of the stone monuments had well detailed illustrations carved out on the wall. Mostly the underworld of snakes, and skulls. Trying to imagine this kind of world existed years and years ago is a trip. I can’t get around the chopping off heads for sacrifice and all that? I gotta read up on it some more…

Shout out to Silvia from New Zealand for meeting up and hanging out <3 Hope we meet again in our travelz…

My first 2 weeks in Cancun was nice. Made sure to get my Delfines beach on and my ruins trip in. There is not much else to do in Cancun. The hotel life here is stagnant. There is just too many tourists and it’s a little pricey but I got a great deal at a hostel I couldn’t pass up especially since I was gonna be here for a whole month! Glad I was only 45 minutes away from Playa Del Carmen because when it was time to visit my amiga linda I packed up and took the $3 van there. My homegirl Fransiska and her daughter Mika hosted me for a quick minute before it was time to head to Tulum. We haven’t seen each other in many many years. Catching up was super nice, and learning new things we had each discovered in our life journey was fresh. We shared stories of our move away from New York City and how so much of the same things helped us make that decision. Beach life for the girls is a whole new life, and a healthier one. I am happy for my friend and her daughter <3 If that mangu crave, or uptown flava kicks in she’s only a few hours and dollars away from it all:)  But wow who can ever give up that local MAMEY!!! hahahhaha I so need to find this fruit in Ecuador. What a delicious fruit! It’s like flang in a fruit or something like it. DELICIOUS. Thank you for hosting me my sweet friend, and introducing to your neighborhood peeps. Get that solar power boombox and transmit that Iska.World.101 jump off!

As my trip came to a close I got wonderful news from the folks at the Tulum Art Project. I was confirmed to paint a wall! – After my happy dance I packed my bags up again and was off to Tulum another 45 minutes away—> read more about out in on the TULUM ART PROJECT 2015 POST.

The year is coming to a close, and the best way to do it up is to hit up Miami’s Art Basel! If you can paint, party, and hit the beach you got the Art Basel fun covered. This year the Few & Far Women collective got our shit together a few months before to organize one of the largest all women collaborations we have ever done. It was a huge wall, and the production funds necessary to make it happen where steep. Luckily we made it happen independently thanks to our sponsors, friends, family, and supporters who helped us raise funds through our GoFundMe campaign. Shout out to everyone who helped us get to Basel this year and rock this amazing wall. A total of 17 graffiti and street art women Toofly, Agana, Dime, Meme, Hops, Merlot, Ksera, Kazilla, Jenn Ponci, Ursula X Young, 179 and our guests Mavel, Ms.Kee, Rachel, Silver, and Sour who helped us on the wall. Our theme this year was an underwater electric fantasy inspired seaworld. It was an opportunity where we can enhance the emotion of our characters, and push ourselves to design letters and background imagery to tie it altogether. A challenge but in the end we made it all work. We had everything we needed to take on this big task; scaffolds, latex paint materials, lifts, ladders, spot lights, an array of spray paint sponsored by IRONLAK, a personal photographer/videographer, and DJ Izzy who kept us going all night and turned our wall location into a full blast block party. What a year! It was a sight to see…the production was on point. Everyone put in a lot of effort, especially our team leader Meme.  She is one of the most hands on person I have ever met. She’s the type of gal who will make you a Mojito, climb to fix a scaffold into place, scooter her way around Basel promoting the crew and still make time to paint her piece. All of this on like 2 hours of sleep! I don’t know how she does it, but when you love something that’s what it takes. As a crew we depend on her to get us going, and we trust she finds a way to make it happen. As a crew we have gotten stronger and more confident when she helps us pull it together in the nick of time. I love that <3 THANK YOU MEME!!! –  I am proud of these ladies. Each one did their part. I was happy to see everyone having a good time and doing what they love even if they had to sleep deprive themselves to get their part done. The wall came together in the very end and each of us found a way to enjoy Art Basel Miami this year in our own unique way. We realize Downtown Miami and Wynwood is changing tons, and so are we. Unsure if we will return to go bigger, louder, and stronger…it’s just not about that anymore these days. We are growing as individuals and artists who want to give back something more than just a big wall and a party. The corporate folks are moving in, the graff locals are trying to take back their streets, tourists, greed, and nasty cops are at an all time high affecting and interrupting the creative flow. That’s when you know things might just take a turn in another direction folks. So enjoy it while you can! — Thank you for the continued support <3

DAY 1 – FEW AND FAR WOMEN BEGIN!

This is one of the largest walls the Few and Far crew has ever taken part in…-PROUD OF US!

Agana sketching out her “Warrior Fish” to see how we can tie our characters together…

Thank you for the paint Ironlak!

MOJITOS!!! by MEME

Hommie T stopped by to check out the wall and take flicks with her lovely friend. I fell in love with her neon yellow nails! Especially next to my piece…

FABE and his girls also showed some love and came thru for pics <3

DAY 2 – FINALIZE MY PIECE AND HANG WITH PEEPS!

My #bestfriendforever Evelyn, and her lovely family stopped by to spend the rest of afternoon with me <3 Thanks guys! :::LOVE YOU:::

E will always be one hot tamale! Looking good my friend you are beautiful:)

let’s go eat!

Dinner and strollz with my lovelies! LOVE HARDER, LOVE, LOVE IS A RISK, LOVE LOVE LOVE is what we are all about…#hopelessromantics we are <3

DAY 3 – WYNWOOD STROLLZ and FINAL FLICKS

It finally got to a point where we were able to chill and relax so Dime, Silver, and I connected with Cristina. I met her last year at the wall  she had such good vibes! We took some Wynwood strolls and she invited us to roll with her to the Miami Marina, and the South Beach. We were all for it! Definately needed it to UNBASEL ourselves. – Because this year I personally wasn’t crazy about any of the parties, drinking, or crowds – hanging with Cristina was perfect. She was on the same page, gotta love when that happens…

LOVE IS A RISK DO IT ANYWAY. SO loved this…it was written a million times on a wall…whoa…

More DOPE flicks by Cristina Isabel Rivera coming soon!

Agana X Toofly Collabo

Few and Far Group Shot by Cristina Isabel Rivera ©2014

BANG! – Done. With all that was going on I felt I needed to dedicate this piece to communities around the world who were protesting against police brutality. These are not peaceful days we are living in, Art Basel is a bubble and we were caught up in it. Unaware of what was on TV, radio, or social media. My state of mind these days is peaceful and in tune with nature, and the flow of life, however everywhere around the world it’s chaos. Gotta keep trying to create more love in the world but until then if there’s no justice there will be no peace!

HELLLLLLLLOOOOOO World. I’m finally in Sunny Florida. Ready to relax a bit, and spend thanksgiving week with my querida familia before the Art Basel Miami madness next week. November was an amazing month. I’m loving this three city tour! My first stop was LOS ANGELES, CA about 30min away from Pasadena, Ca where Designer Con 2014 was being held this year. This fall I decided it was time to move into new territory and expand the visibility of my brand to a much larger audience. I teamed up with long time hommie KANO who’s been rock’n these really fun convention events for a few years now, and he recommended I give it a try. I enjoyed it!!! The “booth world” and the hundreds of new faces I got a chance to meet personally who follow my instagram page was special. Meeting your followers live and direct is cool especially because they are in a an entire different city and the energy is still all love. I will most definitely be back next year. Yeahhhh! Shout out to my dear friends Izzy and Kano and my LA family I got a chance to finally re-connect with after 30+ long years.  Thank you guys!!!

The official drop for my new Giclee Prints! Now available on the shop, while supplies last: www.tooflynyc.com/shop

LA PEEPS <3 #FriendsWeLove

Tia Dali <3 my grandfathers sister who’s been living in LA all this time! Happy to reconnect and meet all my cousins.

THANK YOU LA <3

I’m a little behind on my blog, sorry folks!  I’ve been super crazed with the construction of my first home in Ecuador, and preparing for the fall grind. 2014 has been nothing but awesome and I’m ready to wrap it up in style. Next stop:  LOS ANGELES! I will be in the city of angels a month from today to spend some time with my dear friends, possibly paint at Venice Beach, and to rock out a very cool designer/toy event with Kano kid in Pasadena, Ca called Designer Con. It will be my first year in attendance, definitely looking forward to it! –  The event info is coming soon. We are trying to lock down our booth number and as soon as we have it we will share. It’s going to be a very fun trip!!! Super excited for my fall travel plans this year, see ya’ll soooooon.

Living in Latin America for the past 2 years has given me the opportunity to do and see lots. Thankful and lucky this side of the world is easy to get around, safe for the most part, and cheap! This month I decided to take off and head over to Panama just two air hours away. I arrived in Panama City with one goal in mind; “where’s the beach!?” There’s a ton of traffic here but at least the buses are brand new, clean, and have air conditioning. They also just recently finished their metro system which made me smile. All cities with traffic problems need this! The one thing I  still don’t understand though is where did all the funding go for the garbage cans? A busy city needs garbage cans on every street corner. One day I was staring out into the ocean on the plaza as the sun went down…I was all smiles…but then I looked down and there was a ton of garbage floating and washing off shore. A Panamanian lady next to me said “Es q’ los Panamenios somos cochinos” as if it was acceptable ?  I think this side of the world needs an education campaign on litter man! From  fast food, to cuchifrito spots, to mercados with limited produce. The imports from china are at a max which is unfortunate because that means that all the evil junk passes through Panama and unfortunately stays here:( It’s really too bad because during my bus travels I saw a land rich for agriculture but nobody working it. What’s up with Panamanian agriculture culture I wondered? My trip was too short to learn of it’s history. When I took cabs the Panamanias talked so fast it reminded me of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in NY. There’s lot’s of caribbean flow here. At first I was like yeah! I know these songs crank that reggaeton music! After a few days of it all I was ready to get out of town, and go where lands are green, and people are not mean.

PANAMA CITY

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Back from the lovely town of Atuntaqui. Minutes away from Otavalo and “la ciudad blanca” Ibarra, my birth town. I love this whole area it’s full of beautiful landscapes and many many artisans. Happy I got a chance to participate in this well curated, and highly organized event. Shout out to Bolivar Vega for the invitation. Lead organizer for this second year in a row. The level of artistry is on point, and everything the artist needed to make wonderful works was provided. This was a really dope event that sets high standards for organizations in Ecuador to produce great public art/culture events. Atuntaqui is an example for all other towns in Ecuador to take notice and see what wonderful artists and organizers this country has. Hoping Quito takes notice, and stops messing with the artists right to create and beautify their neighborhoods! Word to the motherland….

Photo by Mavisu. More flicks coming soon!

#12 on the map. Big solo wall! 1 1/2 day to complete…

DAY 1 – “SKY” Warrior…

My day was made when a little old indigenous man passed by and looked at my piece, pointed at it and smiled. Then he said something in quichua. Our indigenous native language. I asked what that meant and my friends said a “Shaman Woman”. The little old man totally got it!:)

Day 1 process complete. Ready to rolllllll on out! Shout out to the compas who came thru to support and hang out with us. Ready for a rainy day sopita and a crew of wonderful artists making jokes on the ride back to our lodging spot.

DAY 2 Sunshine!

Good morning! Lovely place for all the artists to stay. Hosteria Santa Rosa with a hot pool! We were all so tired we did not take full advantage of this pretty place. Next time…

Handstyles, and finishing touches…

“Dentro de ti Existe la Luz y la Paz” – dedicated to folks around the world who spread love and positivity.

Dope artists, fresh walls, and a wonderfully organized event. Sending a special shout out to Bolivar Vega for putting it all together. Loved it all!

I had to break out early unfortunately so I did not get a chance to see all the finished walls. Here’s a peek at the process. Final shots by photographers on the scene like Mavizu are trickling in so I will update as they pop up online.

catching up with folks a little bit in between breaks and checking out their works…

This huge stencil rocked!!!

SKIPY MFC

Grabbed a few photos to share from Contenedor Fanzine Ecu and from Bolivar Vega

Photo by Mavizu of K-No-Delix – Colombia

Guayaquil represent!

Buenaso!

Cool peeps right here. Lot’s of building with these fellas, and silkscreening projects coming up. Stay tuned…

HTM

STEEP
 

I was happy to see a good number of ladies painting like Ledalia, Gleo, and hommie Vera. Love their colorful, graphic, and detailed work!

They even hit up this house down the block that was destroyed and turned it into a skull! Fun.

Vera’s Character came out super sweet, just like her. Love it!:)

 

Gleo, Colombia

Hasta la proxima. Good times in Atuntaqui thank you all!

Painting season officially begins for me this weekend at the ATUNTAQUI International Graffiti/Street Art Festival in Atuntaqui Ecuador. A small town near Otavalo which I love very much. It’s also a great time to celebrate women’s international month, so Vera, Myself, and a few others will be reppin’ for the ladies. Shout out to Bolivar, lead organizer of the event. Thank you for the invitation!

WALLS LOCATION MAP below:

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Back from Paradise! I looooved Cartagena Colombia. Decided to dip out for a few days to kick it with some friends traveling thru. With only 3 hours away from Ecuador why not! Cartagena is beautiful. The colonial town with blooming flowers on it’s balconies, vendors of all kinds on the street selling; ice cold fruit drinks, hot colombian coffee, salty hot sauce fruits, grilled arepas with cheese, empanadas, seafood, the list goes on. Street food is the bomb. There was cute shops everywhere filled with their classic colorful wayuu bags. Read more

Back from Miami! I have so much to share with ya’ll. But First —-> FEW & FAR @ART BASEL MIAMI 2013!

Big ups to Alexandra Henry and the team of photographers and videographers who came through to shoot the crew process. We had a lot of fun on this wall even after all the mix ups with locking down the right wall. Our Few & Far 2013 Miami wall almost didn’t happen. Fortunately we had a wonderful team this year and we got it together in a matter of weeks. Thank you all for making it happen on all fronts! Few & Far “Warrior Women” is in full effect in Miami folks —> 375 NW 24st between 4th & 5th aves. We dedicate our wall to an amazing human being, and wonderful man who passed away the day we started painting the wall; Nelson Madela <3

“IT ALWAYS SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE UNTIL IT’S DONE” – Nelson Mandela 

photography by Alexandra Henry ©2013 

Want to extend a big thank you to Eric the owner of this wall at 375 NW 24st. He has an amazing warehouse. Wish we would have had enough time to build. Thanks for the cold cold beers Eric!  Photo by ©Toofly ©2013

Glad we moved from our original wall location to a much bigger one so we can all fit and re-conceptualize. Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

Happy we finally started! Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

kaz’s Pitt on guard for for our materials <3

Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

Shout out to Christina Isabela Rivera for helping me rock the halo, heart, and fills on my character and taking some dope fish eye lenz flicks of the crew. Your a lovely woman! Your energy was on point with the crew thank you sOOOooooo much!!!!

Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

Shout out to all our hommies that stopped by the wall to support <3 Percy, Dj Crykit, Tania Cuevas, Cubannie Links, and DJ Jasmine Solano <3

I was all work and no play the first few days while my buds were out and about the basel events. Luckily we squeezed in some quality time towards the end of our crew trip. LOVE YOU GUYS!!! <3 Thank you for the transport scoops, pool dip fun , beach chillax, and quesadillas!

DAY 2 let’s get to work!

Photo by Jaime Gonzales ©2013 spaced out catching a black book and lost my cell! ahhhhh!

Photo by Martha Cooper ©2013 Thank you Martha for always supporting the ladies since day 1!

Photo by ©Agana 2013

Photo by Christina Isabela Rivera ©2013

STRONG WOMEN. SISTERHOOD. WARRIOR WOMEN. LOVE. FREEDOM. Each of us found a way to connect our works and collaborate on things we believe in and spread our messages in a collective voice <3

DJ Agana (SF) Photo by Christina Isabela Rivera ©2013 – so much love for DJ Agana! Such a beautiful person. Always there for the crew extending her efforts in all areas. Love ya girl!

Ursula X Young (SF) Photo by Christina Isabela Rivera ©2013 – Great meeting Ursula X Young at last. Her brush work and characters are  lovely! Hippies 4Ever <3

Few & Far welcomes Kazilla to the Few & far team. Thanks for all your hard work lady! Your super FUN!!! good times. Photo by Dj Gana ©2013

Photo by Agana ©2013

Deity (LA) Photo by Christina Isabela Rivera ©2013 – Shout out to Deity for coming thru for the crew on the transport and crew love on this trip. First time rock’n with the Few & Far ladies. Great job sistah. Chicana’s Rock!

Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013 Follow the entire team! —> www.fewandfarwomen.com

Shout out to IRONLAK for sponsoring the Few & Far wall this year. THANK YOU!

Kazilla ( MIA) Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

Big ups to Kazilla for locking down a beautiful wall for the Few & Far ladies to rock. Thank you Kaz!!!

Few & Far Art Basel miami, 2013 – Photo by ©Toofly ©2013

Few & Far Art Basel Miami 2013. Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

TOOFLY X AGANA collabo…

Photo by Alexandra Henry ©2013

XOXO MIAMI! Till next time <3 

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On a serious grind this month! I finally have a chance to update ya’ll a bit on some super cool projects that are in the works, and coming up…but first LONDON 2013! It was a super quick trip. I almost didn’t make it. I had to pack my bags and speed mode it to the airport in Quito , Ecuador after the GRAFFF festival  in order to take on an awesome awesome gig. SOOooooo glad I made it! I’m proud of how far I have come with my work, and my independent business. Unfortunately I can not share the project details at this time, but will share a few flicks from trip below. I want to send a big thank you to the folks that were involved in making this trip, and project possible. “Dare to be Different!”

THANK YOU LONDON! XOXO