TOOFLY NYC

During the #Grafiteras trip in Oakland I got word that our Crewest Studios locked down a few walls for our team to paint in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles. The timing couldn’t have been better! I was already in the states and client just had to make the flight switch. My schedule was open and ABC studios covered all expenses. Gotta love when those gigs come in because the hotels are fly, transport is taken care of, and you can work with quality materials and hire a your team. The mission to rock a fun, and colorful letter piece that captures the essence of the show and characters. Hip Hop is a huge element in the series #TheMayor and I drew from the culture that bred me. This was my second time in Atlanta a growing and booming city. I love how green it is too!  The heat not so much. Not too long ago my family moved here and I was so happy I got a chance to see them once job was complete. It was an awesome trip and job! —- Thank you ABC, Crewest Studios, Richie, Sean, and Paul for all your help on this wall. Shout out to The Mayor premieres October 3rd on ABC!

Sean is working on a video of the piece, you tube link soon!

#Represent #TheMayor

The job perks. After them long and hot days at the wall hitting the pool was a must! The Marriott hotel was amazing!

Last time I was in Atlanta I flew in did a job and flew out. I did not get a chance to check out the street art scene. Once job was approved I hit the streets in search of walls, Atlanta has some great spots! Would love to return and paint at one of their festivals.

Thank you Atlanta! Thank you family! Till next time…

Oakland, California 2017! — I returned. I love Oakland mostly because folks there are like folks in NY. They show LOVE. Arrived at my 10 day residency ready to rock with homegirl Dime. Dime and I met back in 2009? I forget. I was invited to paint with Meme of Few & Far at their very first wall and Dime rolled by to meet us. I checked out her work and got her down on the wall along with Agana. Every time we had a Few & Far wall Dime and I tried to collaborate. We always felt our styles worked great together + we connected right away because of our latin roots. Dime has a sharp classic graffiti lettering style that goes really well with the Toofly flows and characters. Dime had an opportunity to curate a show at East Side Arts Alliance new gallery space and worked to get the grant. So grateful! it helped cover all our expenses and stipends. Thank you Dime! Thank you East Art Alliance! We rocked a beautiful exhibition, installation, workshop and pop-up event entitled “Grafiteras” Check it out!

((( CHECK OUT THE VIDEO ))) by Stevie Sanchez

The #LoveWarrior art print exhibition this summer was lovely!!! THANK YOU NEW YORK. I am very happy I teamed up with @MyPlasticHeart to introduce ::: ALL ::: of my new print works. I’ve been working on the series since 2012. It has been a long process. One that materialized from new found love, and timeless freedom to create. The dedicated work ethic is in all of us if we can take it seriously. Sometimes it’s years before your next “heart felt” experience…when it hit’s you, you have to ride that wave of  bliss all the way to the end. Folks…this is not pop art, or an urban art style almost anyone can replicate using technology, high contrast photo icons, and splattered paint with graffiti tags. Anyone bored of that yet? – This, and other reasons why the illustrations in this series spotlight something completely new to bring ya’ll back to what original works of art look, and feel like. Honestly, we need it. Freedom Dreamer, Mas Amor, Free Spirit and the rest of the series are meant to be “felt” by the human heart, and vibrate back. Screens divide many of us these days, it’s nice that we can re-connect live and direct. For those of you who can appreciate all of what I am talking about in this post ((( Thank You ))) I refuse to compromise to anything else. Your attendance at the opening meant a lot to me for all these reasons and more. I am not in New York as often, and in time it will be less and less. From now on each event, workshop, exhibit, wall, or pop-up will be organized with special care so that we can meet once again as a creative family. WE BUILT THIS CITY!!! — Shout out to the beautiful, and diverse group of individuals who took part in the #lovewarrior experience.

In case you missed it —-> here’s a few photos by Alexandra Henry and TF. Video by Nancy Burneo coming soon!!! Once we get that the post will be complete.

My Plastic Heart <3

Shout out to the #lovewarrior team! @CraftyCocktales ladies for the michelada dinks, Yvey & Ana for holding down the pop-up shop corner, and Alexandra Henry and Nancy Burneo for documenting the event. Big ups to My Plastic Heart too! for a smooth and fun experience at the gallery/shop. To all my friends, and family, as well as the supporters of my work love and huggggggz! See ya in the fall for the year+holiday wrap up <3

Women Street Artists: Episode 4  featuring TooFly by Alexandra Henry is up! I had the pleasure of building with Alex in Lima, Peru last year during the “Nosotras Estamos en la Calle” Women Arts festival. The weather was sweet, and we were both finally living the artist life. Traveling, freelancing, and doing what we love. We met up later that year in New York where she rocked the first interview at 5Pointz before the whitewash. It would be the last time the Love Warrior Wall would be shot on film. At the end of 2013 we made sure to meet up at Miami Art Basel for some live painting footage at the Few & Far all women wall collaboration in Wynwood . It was a great time for all the ladies to be in Miami this past December because it women in street art were finally getting some shine! The “Women on the Walls” exhibition at Wynwood Walls was a great example. The art world had finally taken notice of our work, and contribution to graffiti/street art. I’m happy to be part of her latest photo & video project – WOMEN STREET ARTISTS. Thank you Alexandra <3

THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPHIC AND VIDEO EXPLORATION OF WOMEN STREET ARTISTS THAT AIMS TO FOSTER CULTURAL AWARENESS BY LOOKING AT THE LIVES OF TALENTED ARTISTS CURRENTLY CREATING IN CITIES AROUND THE WORLD. THIS DOCUMENTARY INVESTIGATES THEIR ARTISTIC STYLE AND MESSAGING WHILE IT ALSO PEEKS INTO THEIR DAILY LIVES WITHIN THE URBAN LANDSCAPE. AS EACH WOMAN’S STORY IS TOLD, A NARRATIVE TO THE HISTORY OF WOMEN COMING ON TO THE GRAFFITI / URBAN ART SCENE WILL BE ESTABLISHED.

Every now and then I get an opportunity to work with folks in corporate america and bring a little street energy into their 9-5 office life. It’s a nice break from working outdoors at times because it gives me a chance to sharpen my professional skills with a group of minds that take this stuff super serious. It brings the level of artistry and communication to a whole other stage. There are dozens of meetings that need to happen in order to get something like a “graffiti inspired” piece to break into these places. I’m proud it has been sOOoooo well received. It’s time our work can share space with collections and well known artists in these environments. The installation – inspired by New York City’s graffiti culture now lives in one of todays #1 financial management firms in the world. It’s headquarters located in the heart of Midtown New York City. A contrast from our neighborhood streets and ill urban environments. The dialogue among our worlds continues and that’s what it’s all about!:) A special thank you to project leader Susan who locked down the gig and made the creative process breezy smooth. Shout out to my primo Richie for the artist assistance, and photography documentation. Thx kid! Looking forward to the time lapse video as well from our friends at the office. Can’t wait to see it!!!

Time lapse video coming soon!

No need for projectors, no need for stencils. FREESTYLE BABY! #trueartistry

“WELCOME TO THE NEW WORLD”

Original Krink handstyles…

Thank you Susan! aka graffiti name: Miss Super Woman:) #artbizlife

Toofly, 2013 Midtown NYC

THANK YOU NEW YORK! See ya in the fall:)

MOTIONGRAFF EPISODE 22 “STAY FLY” is officially on full blast. Video looks awesome! I want to send a special shout out to Serge M, and Fubz for rocking this piece. We linked up last spring for the project in BK on my first trip back to NY. This would be MotionGraff’s first female artist video:) Honored! We had a lot of fun with the stop animation process, you can check out the sneak peek process here THANKS FELLAS!!!

It started as an art project. It has snowballed into a show. MOTIONGRAFF™ seeks to unveil the creative process through transmedia storytelling. Rather than use video recordings, we have opted to shoot only still images, using a number of cameras and angles, in order to present a stop-motion animation-style collaboration between producers of audio and visual content. Our goal is to showcase talent and techniques, while conveying a message.

Sucker for all this fantasy futuristic love…Loving this song!

This past week a completed a really dope tag logo for A FILM COMPANY who’s working on a documentary on women graffiti writers, and artists. I’m excited to be part of this project, and looking forward to meeting the entire team for a video shoot this coming November in NY.  A Film Company is film, art, photography, music, quality not quantity, believing, freedom, doing what you love, following your dreams, and most of all being who you are and being true to yourself. This is right up my alley, and I am happy I was able to recommend some really dope graff girls like VIK, and SHIRO to get down with project. A special shout out to graffiti woman BOMBA from Chile who put me in touch with Idalina Leandro Pifaro, producer of this film. She is steer heading a really dope project that has yet to be told. I can’t wait to see it develop. See you guys soon!!!

had a great conversation with the folks at YA HEARD! podcast show, a few nights ago, via Skype. I love that I can connect with the peeps across the country and still have a great time chatting it up. Thanks for the invitation Ritzy, Kano, Sket One, and Mr Shane. The podcast is up with my words on Graff, Art, Hip Hop, Younity, and life in Ecuador. “Covering everything form the streets up!” ENJOY!

The XCIA book app has been released on itunes!!! Download yours on your ipad, or iphone to check out some exclusive footage of a mini Toofly movie animation. Had a lot of fun working on it with the whole team. Kind of bummed the rest of the footage didn’t make it. The work involved in doing a stop animation is a very long process especially for a few seconds of footage. Props to the stop animators out there, I know it’s hard work!  The chosen footage for the Toofly “spotlight” is cute, thanks guys:)  Check out the ITUNES PREVIEW

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Super duper excited to share this post with you guys!!! The Toofly mini short film is complete:) I want send a big loving thanks to our friend Jay Maldonado for the this awesome gift. ((( I love it )))) This is my first official Toofly video, and it looks tiiiiight. We shot this Toofly classic piece at 5Pointz on 100 degree hot day. Almost passed out…but with a million and one breaks and lot’s of water I pulled through. I chose to paint at 5 Pointz for various reasons. Especially because it is the one place I had an opportunity to practice my aerosol skills back in the late 90’s. We all love 5Pointz, and want to see it continue as a cultural arts space for the Queens community, and future generations of artists. The area is being taken over by condos like many other places in NY, and money driven investors. Mere’s and his team continues the fight to keep this place alive for all local and international artists, please help. Support 5Pointz

TOOFLY from JAY MALDONADO on Vimeo.

Toofly short film by Jay Maldonado. 5Pointz, Queens NY 2012 – Coming soon!

Hot Day. 5 Hours. Photo by Jay Maldonado ©2012

Happy to see Shiro in town! Hopefully next time we will coordinate our busy traveling schedules and paint a collabo;) Love to you Shiro, have fun painting in NY!

Each Warrior wants to leave the mark of his will, his signature, on important acts he touches. This is not the voice of ego but of the human spirit, rising up and declaring that it has something to contribute to the solution of the hardest problems, no matter how vexing!

Save 5Pointz! Sign the petition…

 

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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!

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…

THE LOVE MOVEMENT by Toofly. Acrylic & Spraypaint on wood. Check out the process shots
The Love Movement paintings are officially installed at Canarsie High School in Brooklyn , NY. Shout out to the Love Movement /NY4NY team for making it happen. All originally paintings were created, and donated to school by the artists.