TOOFLY NYC

September was a nice time to be in New York, especially to paint. Something I need to make a note of for 2020 because the weather is perfect. This year I was invited by the lovely Ayana of @UptownGrandCentral organization who put together a roster of 50+ artists to paint a lot on 125th st in the east side of Harlem 125th between Park and Madison. For three Saturdays in a row various artists gathered to paint. Each one taking up a section of the wood construction planks to make colorful pieces that brighten the neighborhood. I keened in on a beautiful african american /afro latina woman that can rep’ the essence of Harlem. Locals loved it. They felt so proud to have this image emerge on their block. They knew exactly what she stood for, and what she represents. Harlem has a lot of history, a place of kings and queens before it was infiltrated with drugs, crime, and crack. Harlem is still a tough place to hang around these days because of all that. You have to walk tall, proud, and strong so nobody messes with you. You have to be alert, always. The streets have many characters, and you can’t let your guard down in these parts. You will never know what can happen when you turn the corner. New Yorkers know what’s up, and that’s how the vibes are uptown. “Harlem World” – where you can find an array of jewelry shops with you favorite door knocker earrings or name plates to represent who you are. Classic, timeless jewelry that many “fly” women adorn themselves with to feel good and represent where they are from. An authentic style, attitude, and grace that can come at you with love or stance. One of the many examples that brews here + influences the world at large. Shout out to @mistadrumin who joined in to paint a native pattern which enhanced the love warrior marks on her face, and the roots of her nature. Never forget where your from, and what made you!

Join the bock party Saturday Sept 21st and experience Harlem #UptownGrandScale for yourself.

“Harlem World” 2019 Harlem, NY

Never know what to expect from my next trip to NY. This year, the producers of an upcoming @Maybelline House event reached out to me to create an installation during Fashion Week NY. They were also looking for an authentic graffiti artist who can “tag up” on a pop-up train. As a multidisciplinary artist the job was perfect and up my alley. Especially because NY, graffiti, street, and fashion is what Toofly is all about! It’s fun work, and ads to my ( new client ) work. Painting the #MaybellineHouse neon logo juxtapozed against a brick wall with spray paint and acrylic took a while to create, but like a pro it got done and right on schedule. The on-site graffiti added the authentic flavor of our beloved city. When they wanted even more tags I was happy to create them, but I made sure to point out it’s added value. Did they remember that? No. The train was such a cool installation tho, who keeps that I wondered? Hope it goes to good use. Shout out to my cousin / assistant @mistadrumin for his help and process photos. Unfortunately I was unable to get the final photos on opening night. For some reason the invitation changed from “we would love for you to be there” to “I’m sorry it is a private PR event” after the work was done. Yeah! that really happened. According to the producer on this project she had no control. Last time I checked industry events that have the creative, and artists attend is a very good look for the brand. All good. Some people still don’t get how it all works. Luckily many true school New Yorkers made it to the event and posted videos and photos of the project. They loved it, and the installation looked great thanks to the creative team from France, who was very nice. As these corporate projects pop in, and out of our lives it’s important to remember what these brands truly stand for and how they treat their staff. We’ve seen how some high-profile companies treat urban artists these past few years, and so you begin to wonder. Do they truly respect the culture, and people they want so badly captivate? Each client is different, and the only way to find out is to work with them. Live, and learn and watch how they roll folks!

Thank you New York City!

#Tooflypopup at the next La Carishina event in Quito, Ecuador December 15 & 16 from 11am -7PM. See you there!

4Yr Anniversary at Torno Co-Lab! I love this place. A co-working location in center of Quito, Ecuador where architects, designers, and artists get together to work, and develop creative projects. Follow them and check out what they have been up to. Growing each year. Thank you for the invitation to paint. Joins Back X Toofly collab was fun under the beautiful sunshine. Just what I needed to get my wrist back on track.

Final Collaboration Photo coming soon!

Graffiti Productions in Quito with Alm Crew, and #GraffitiMujer Collective – more soon. Follow @Toofly_NYC on IG for more flicks.

words and images soon

Images and words coming soon…

My favorite part of our summer trip is spending it on the chillax tip with my love. Arrived early in June and took advantage of the really nice weather before it got nasty hot. Babe loves the ferry, so this summer we caught the one that goes to Rockaway Beach from Wall St for $2.50 and in 1 hr we were there! We got a bunch of olives, bread, and fruits for the ride and then got hella excited for the arepa with jackfruit snack on the boardwalk. There was hardly any one at the beach. It was perfect and just how we like it. Less people, more nature, lovely weather, and good food. Highlight of the trip was to land an unexpected gig and lock in the job details on the beach. Gotta love NY!

A week before I had to head back to Ecuador I landed a niiiiiiiice gig. Refinery29 hit me up to get involved on an adidas custom sneaker at project with 10 other women. I had a crazy schedule but I made it work. The mission to customize 5 pairs of Adidas UltraBoostX kicks inspired by 5 different states. My fave “New York City” – once the agreement was signed I scooped up a bunch of fresh new markers and got busy. Phase two of the project to shoot a video. Only two women artists were chosen! Check out the video link below. That day was cool I got to meet a team of folks involved that were really nice and liked the pupusas we ordered for lunch! That’s when you know folks are open to culture. The shoot went great, special shout out to my friend Sabrina who’s Brooklyn loft worked great for a Toofly Pop-Up Studio. Whew! She saved the day. I want to give a big thank you to the entire team involved, especially Rafael Jimenez for recommending me for this project. The shoot looks great, and you can now bid on your favorite custom Toofly kick on the link below. A silent auction supporting Women Win.

Women Win leverages the power of play to build girls’ leadership and the communities’ abilities to address gender equity. Through the power of play Women Win helps adolescent girls and young women address the most pressing issues in their lives, including access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender-based violence, attaining education and achieving economic empowerment. Women Win has impacted the lives of over 2.24 million young girls in over 100 countries. Learn more about Women Win at https://womenwin.org

YOUTUBE VIDEO
http://www.adidas.com/us/ultra

ADIDAS & REFINERY29 PARTNERED WITH CELEBRATED FEMALE ARTISTS TO CREATE ONE-OF-A-KIND PAIRS OF ULTRABOOST X REPRESENTING ALL 50 STATES. THE LIMITED EDITION BOOST THE NATION COLLECTION IS CREATED FOR WOMEN BY WOMEN TO UNITE CREATIVITY THROUGH SPORT AND REFLECT THE INDIVIDUALITY OF THE NATION.

SELECT YOUR FAVORITE SHOES FROM THE BELOW, THEN SUBMIT YOUR BID TO WIN. ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO WOMEN WIN, SO BID FOR A BETTER, BRIGHTER FUTURE.

That’s right, a #QuitoArtsWalk! There is none, so Erin Yoshi and the Trust Your Struggle crew got together and hooked it up in 1 DAY. It’s arts month in Quito, Ecuador ( AUGUST ) and the city spreads the word on Talleres Abiertos De Quito. I think it’s a great idea to have open studios by artists for public view, but once a year tho? If we’re gonna build a strong”all inclusive” arts community you gotta do it yourself. That means organize local crews, shops, and artists of all angles to come together for the cause. Professionals, youth, kids, families, even the older folk who love to water color down the block. We’re here to spread that creative love, and good vibes with others who are down. A foundation for local economies starts with each of us, and that means “manos a la obra” mentality. It’s how we do, and how it’s done here when it’s time to clean up a street, build a house, or rock a food garden. The historic center of Quito is an amazing place with streets like calle Junin and others like La Ronda providing spaces for the artists to take over public space. Is it safe? Yes, but sometimes the cops fuck with us/them. Harassing an artist using a spray can to create, or an artesano setting up shop on the floor to make a living is not cool. So we’re out here trying to create a safe space for them too, because art it not only for an elite class with fancy galleries and glossy pamphlets. We’re independent, and rep the streets where the heart and soul of people lives.

Collaboration with Trust Your Struggle Collective, Toofly, Alm Crew, and Sirka.

  

Gracias a todos!

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 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

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!

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.