LADIES LOVE PROJECT SPRING/SUMMER POP UP SHOP! Date: Saturday, June 16th, 2012

Time:3PM-8PM
Closing Performance: 8PM
Location:  Circa 95’ Pop-Up Shop
1303 Louis Blvd
Bronx, NY 10469 2 or 5 Trains to Freeman

OMG is it May already? I finally got some wood to paint on! I didn’t think it would be so tough to find art materials in my homeland. I’ve been on the hunt for canvas for weeks with no luck. Cardboard is not as easy to find on the corner streets, piled up daily to trash as it is in NY. People do not consume the unnecessary here, and all that packaging is iliminated by using recycled bins to move product into stores, or when you shop you bring your canasta! I’ve had to come to terms that I will not get as lucky with carboard pieces, or canvas here to create my new works. There is NO art store like Blick or a Pearl Paint to get what I want. In retrospective, I don’t really need. Living in the states makes you so damn spoiled to have everything at your finger tips. Then I remember why the world is in such a mess. I hit up my cousins wood shop got a bunch of wood pieces he had laying around and called it a day. Whew! I can finally get started on my new works…

This past weekend I took my love to Termas Papallacta to celebrate his birthday. In 2 hours, a $2.00 bus ride, and our backpacks we were in hot spring paradise. This place is amazing!!! I came here with my grandparents a few years ago, and loved it. It’s natural hot volcanic pools are 24hrs a day if you stay overnight at their cute and cozy lodges. Mornings are a bit nippy and foggy which makes getting in the hot pools all that more delicious. When the afternoon sun peeks through it’s great for a tan, and there’s tons of pools with cold water, warm water, and hot water. Mother nature’s natural spa. What better way to celebrate earth day!:) HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY LOVE!!!

((( loves it ))) Mission accomplished:)

Cozy cabin style lodging feet away from the 24hr hot pools. Yummy…

Time to explore…and flick away…

we make great traveling buddies;)

Flowing through life like the great rivers of nature…

Fresh garlic & herb trout for lunch:)

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. - Albert Einstein

Living in the motherland these days gives us the opportunity to get away on the weekends and explore our beautiful andean country. This is just the beginning of our adventure, there’s so much more we have yet to see. The best part of it all is that it’s super cheap to travel, lodge, and eat! We love farm raised and 100% organic produce everywhere we go. The fresh juice every morning, and the mountain walks are doing wonders on our health, and bodies:) It’s been 2 months so far, and we feel great! Looking forward to the day our hommies come and visit, we’re gonna have a blast!!!

See you soooooon…

It’s been a minute since I launched a new print series. The “Hey Ladies” series did really well, and I am happy many of the prints helped various charities and fundraisers all over the world. It’s time to rock a new set for the fall, especially one that marks my state of mind today. I’ve come a long way from that “around the way” girl folks love so much. She’s all grown up now. She’s at peace, and feels no need to rush through the city streets anytime soon. Here’s a sneak peek of the sketches taking form.

Love Warrior print series by Toofly. Coming Fall 2012

I got a few sneak peeks this week for ya! Now that I have a lot more time to focus on creative projects I’m able to paint, design, and even freelance for friends and companies. I couldn’t be happier:) Here’s a sneak peek at a recent design project I just completed. A limited figure called “Bodega” toy designed by Kano. He’s an awesome illustrator, toy designer, and animator. Kano and I go wayyyy back to our SVA illustration days, I was honored he asked me to be one of the only female’s in his new series release. Can’t wait to see it, thank you Kano!!! xoxo  Toofly

Shout out to Nitty Scott, and Photo Rob for rocking my Brooklyn wall as one of the backdrops on the latest Nitty Scott video. Nice shots! I love black and white imagery:) Thanks for the love guys!

 

Latinas represent!

Last day in NY was dope, went out with a bang! I had a great time painting live at the XCIA book release and hanging with my hommies at our last supper. Shout out to everyone who made this project and trip a sweet deal. Till next time!
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Thank you Hank! Had a great time on the collaboration:)

M.Tony Peralta – Instagram Flicks…

Madhattan Instargram flicks. PS I’m Ecuadorian, not Brazilian…


great seeing you guys! Thanks for always supporting your homegirl:)

Unable to get access to the professional photographers flicks. He got some good ones! 

VOILA! Living in Brooklyn for the week got my Caribbean juices flowing…yeah mon!

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! See you again soon:)
 

In the midst of my NY trip I got a call from the publisher at Siman Media works with some great news. The legendary Strand Bookstore had approved the XCIA project to paint the walls on 12 street and Broadway. I was pretty excited because I had the chance to bless this wonderful NYC location with my classic Toofly steelo in collaboration with Hank O Neal’s upcoming book release. Not only was this the first time the Strand Bookstore ever allowed anyone to paint their walls, but for years they kept graffiti off their walls. As street art and the love for urban art grows internationally so do the book shelves on the subject. Artists and their work now have wonderful public spaces where the community at large can enjoy this growing art form. Thank you Strand family! It’s an honor to come this far and rock this wall for you guys.

GALLERY CAT: “The Strand Bookstore, New York City’s legendary home of 18 miles of new, used, and rare books, will celebrate the publication of XCIA’s Street Art Project: The First Four Decades by Hank O’Neal (aka XCIA) by having street artist Toofly–paint in hand and feet on ladder–create street art on the 12th Street side of the store on walls that have long been blank …

The street art project will promote the release of XCIA’s Street Art Project: The First Four Decades, a collection of photographs taken by former CIA officer turned photographer Hank O’Neal. Publisher Siman Media Works will release an app version in April.

FINITO! Shout out to my cousin Clef who came thru lat minute to help out his sistah. Ian who was shooting video and flicks of the project, can’t wait to see! Ken for organizing the project and logistics, you rock! Benjamin for looking out on the press and showing the twitter love! and thank you Hank for taking such wonderful photos of my street work which lead to our meeting and collaboration. Your a sweet man, love my book & print!:) Good times fellas. Looking forward to the app release.

THANK YOU NEW YORK! You will always have a special place in my heart:) I’ll visit often…

Trying to get all my bloggy blog posts in before they start piling up! Here’s a preview of what’s to come for our friends at Circa 95′ who are about to open up a their very own POP-UP SHOP in the BX. I’m super proud of my peeps!  Thanks for the invite to rock the entrance wall in the space. I’m happy I had a chance to rock it during the trip, and most of all kick it with ya over some rice and beans WEPA!

The Circa ‘95 Pop-Up Shop is a community art shop/gallery space that exhibits a variety of urban artistic works and use the arts to transform communities.  Circa ‘95 has a four month artistic residency with The Bronx Music Heritage Center Lab. The shop is dedicated to supporting new upcoming and established artists. Through our new temporary storefront in The South Bronx artists will have the opportunity to sell their goods and share their work.  Work which is traditionally under-represented in the cities big chain stores, galleries and museums.  We will also be hosting workshops, special events  and musical engagements for kids and adults, creating a community for artisans to share their experiences, hone their craft and create further opportunities.  The Circa ’95 Pop-Up Shop is committed to the artistic, educational, and economic development of The South Bronx. Our staff is 100% volunteer, and we rely heavily on community support.

Cekis Circa 95′ Piece love it!

Circa 95 shop logo by Toofly:)

Photos by Samantha Morales

Back in the motherland and resting at last. My first trip to New York was a non-stop grind and I loved it! Even though I was crazy tired by the end of the day, it felt good to get into my NY groove again. First stop on the array of scheduled Toofly gigs, and art projects like ((( MOTIONGRAFF )))

a live art, stop animation video episode featuring the first female guest on MotionGraff; TOOFLY!

I was excited to re-connect with hommie DJ VANDAL in one of my favorite neighborhoods, Greenpoint Brooklyn. We met back a few years ago when METHODS hired me to work on the METHODS X TOOFLY World Traveler T-shirt design project. We stayed in touch since that collabo, and was honored to get the invite to shoot the first ever female episode of MotionGraff. I had a lot of fun hanging out with the fellas, and messing with a bunch of markers, paint, and objects. Fubz and Vandal shot the footage in a style all their own. We messed around with some stop animation using my Kidrobot figures which added some really fun scenes to the piece. I can’t wait to see the video and flicks! Here’s some behind the scenes. More after the release…