Untitled.. | In progress | Images © Copyright 2012 Mel LV Ruiz 

Repainting the concept of a carving I recently had to butcher. This is gonna be a good one guys…

6 days ago
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Phantogram \ Nightlife

…Nothing but super slow moody ishh today.

6 days ago 41 notes

Santos De Palo: La Madama | In progress | Images © Copyright 2012 Mel LV Ruiz 

This is the bulto I was working on last month before all the holiday madness set in. A little bit more carving, then detailing, then sanding…then choosing finish. One thing is certain, I’m not painting her. When complete, she will reside alongside my Oya bulto.

…I’ll post more pics when I’m nearing the finish line :)

3 weeks ago
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Trouble Blues // Lightnin’ Hopkins

Lot’s of Lightnin’ Hopkins on Pandora for the past few days. I don’t think the soul of me is from around these parts. Nope. Not at all.

1 month ago 1 note

New Work is coming along…

Nicely! I should have a fabulous photo dumping in the coming weeks of a few things. I’m working on a little Bulto that’s taking a little longer to complete than I had expected (the usual case with me). The bulk of her is complete, but the back portion still has a lot of little details that need tending to. She’s been a great training exercise so far. Stay tuned!

1 month ago 2 notes

La Caridad De Ochun mini prints are now available at the Ineffable3 Shop. Only 18 prints left in stock so get yours before they’re gone!

2 months ago 4 notes

A Superhero Supershelf.

When you’re a former tomboy, giving birth to a son is like hitting the jackpot. It’s a totally legitamate excuse to revive all of those old action figures you’ve kept locked away in storage :) Oh and this is just the beginning - I havent even tapped into my Ninja Turtle stash yet. Good times.

2 months ago 21 notes

Why We (as artists) Create

“If I were to force myself to do it, it would be crap…I wont write a song unless it serves me in some way…where I feel like I HAVE to write the song…to make myself feel better.
If your not overflowing with something, then there’s nothing to give.
 

- Fiona Apple, via Iconoclasts

A truth. If I drew it, it most definitely meant something. Nothing created within the confines of my little art bubble is arbitrary…

So NO (if you’re wondering), I will NOT crown any beautifully drawn women with deer/elk antlers, or fill up a page with strange little geometric diamond patterns, or randomly attach tentacles to things or people who have no business having tentacles. No zombies. No hanging meat. No unicorns, or things with unicorn hair. Just birds, and real people, and whatever bits of the spiritual world that feel like making themselves present to me from time to time. Things I have seen, things I’ve experienced. Light, love, loss and all the other shitlets life has to offer.

Oh, and if you see a heart (like a heart heart) its because that heart had to be there, and there is probably a much longer story behind that sweet little heart than you would even imagine. Anatomy isnt an arbitrary artistic choice either. Hands and hearts, hearts and hands. Hands are just as expressive as eyes. Hands can give and take, hold and let go. Kill. And hearts, well, they’re are reason we stay alive.

So you see, I do the things I need to do. That’s pretty much what I’ve always done. Feel me?

2 months ago

A Darling Starling Fell From A Tree | Image Copyright © 2011 Mel LV Ruiz & Ineffable3.com

So lovingly paying respect to the life and death of a darling starling with 4 NEW mixed media drawings in my mini solo show Sturnus Rigor Mortis @ Swoon Gallery

Check out the Sturnus Rigor Mortis photo album over at their Facebook page and show a little love or loathe…whichever is most appropriate for you. 

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The show officially opens online tomorrow, so if you’re in the market for a picture of a dead bird, hit up Swoon Gallery to purchase one :)

2 months ago

Sturnus Rigor Mortis | New works on paper by LV Ruiz

I will be unveiling 4 new mixed media drawings (re: previous blog post) based on a study of a dead Starling. Check out the online show November 18th, 2011 at SWOON Gallery

All pieces will be framed, matted, and available for purchase via Swoon.

Since these particular drawings are within the theme of the collection I’m building, I will be running off a set of prints to show along side my other work (when I finally show). The Limited Edition prints will be hand embellished, and available for purchase through the shop section of my site.

Let’s cross our fingers for Summer!

2 months ago

La Caridad De Ochun | before and after | Image Copyright © 2011 Mel LV Ruiz & Ineffable3.com

I finished & framed this piece a few hours before my friend’s drumming for Ochun. Of course, that afternoon was cloudy as all hell and I couldnt take proper pics. I shot regardless tho. I had to wait a few months (Iyawo no contact orders) before I could get the painting back in my hands again. I shot this with my Nikkon D5100, and I still couldn’t get the color quality I wanted. Digital cameras tend to overcompensate for light, and my images looked too vibrant. What you see here above is the result of a damn good scanning!

The image on the right has almost the precise coloring of the original. Now you can see how way off I was when I retouched the shitty pictures I took that day.

I’m going to run prints soon. Who want’s one?

3 months ago 6 notes
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Fleet Foxes // White Winter Hymnal

3 months ago 8 notes

Raptors and Vultures, Oh My! Images © Mel Lv Ruiz & Ineffable3.com

We went Hawk watching this past week over @ The Cape May Bird Observatory. The Raptors are currently in migration. It was amazing! These are just a few of the pics I shot last week. Hopefully I’ll have an even better zoom lens by the time the next migration rolls around ;) Enjoy!

3 months ago 35 notes

Eliades in all his glory. I want to drink whiskey with this man, and have him tell me stories of the old days.

4 months ago 1 note

No really, you have to hear to this.

takethisandeatthis:

Sawdust & Diamonds - End Of The Road Festival ‘11

(via stokewithoutsound)

4 months ago 57 notes