RETNA / The Mac from RVCA on Vimeo.

I just got back from hanging with the RVCA fam.  I was invited to come paint the new training facility for the BJ PENN camp, as he is in the midst of training for his upcoming fight.  It was an honor to come hang and paint a Roll Call of all the fighters and people who are affilated whom make everything possible down there.  My VA motha LIZ ROC took care of me as always, and got to see George, KC, Kevin Ancell, Pm Tenore, and the rest of the RVCA players.  I think I can move down to Costa Mesa / Newport one day, seems like a nice way of life.

It starts out ;

RVCA . VA . AWR. MSK. RVCA. VA. CLUB. CA

BJ PENN.JD PENN.REGAN PENN.PARILLO.UNCLE RUDY. TRACTOR. VITOR BELFORT. DR. G. SUGAR SHANE NELSON. IRON CHEF EVAN. KJ THE POET. PM TENORE. RICHIE RICH. VA . DIAZ BROS. LUCAS. MAKUA. LEO VIERO. RV. JOHNSTONE. FRANCO. ANTONI. HENRY. APPLE. KRON. YVES. GORMAN. PETE ROCK. PUNKER. BRADLER. EMERSON. MC CULLY, YOUNG SEF.

Then I painted a wall behind the ring that reads:

RVCA. WE ARE A BROTHERHOOD OF AN ANCIENT TRADITION OF OUR ANCESTORS WHO FIGHT WITH HONOR AND RESPECT FOR OUR ADVESARIES ALTHOUGH WE HAVE COME TO HUMBLE YOU. DONT TRIP. VA

BRIMSTONE.

BEHIND ME STAND A HUNDRED MEN, WARRIORS OF THE AGES, THROUGH OUT THE STAGES OF OUR LIVES, WE HAVE SPARRED AND BRAWLED OUR WAY TO VICTORY, WE STAND AS ONE TIMELESS MOVEMENT, NOW LETS BEGIN THE RITUAL OF OUR FATHERS AND BROS. MANO A MANO.

Then My friend Young Sonia, came to visit me and took me to chill on the beach and relax the mind.

 

My good freind Oscar Magallanes and I recently did this project for Land Rover as they were debuting their new 2010 Range Rover Sport at the Standard in DT in conjunction with the ESPYS Awards. Here are some snaps.

 

Here are the first set of photos from a trip I recently took with a good freind and fellow artist Chaz Bojorquez, Chaz gave me my first show back almost 10 years ago this is the first 2 person show we have done together and it was a great expierence painting and kickin it with someone whom Ive looked up since I started doing fine art.  It was a great honor to be in a show with CHAZ.

 

My homie Greg Bojorquez, who I really admire his work came by and hung out with us
every couple of days while Mac and I worked on this piece. There are many more great
photos which he took of the process and experience, but these are the only ones We are sharing at the moment. You can see more of Gregs work at www.mugshotphotography.com

 

I recently went down to go chill with the southern birds they let me play in their ocean for a bit here are a few snaps….Got to see the Fam Ewok, Liz ROC, Mr. Tenore, Dmote, Cricket, Kelsey Brooks, and the rest of the RVCA camp..

RETNA at RVCA from RVCA on Vimeo.

 

Mac and I just finished this installation for Taylor now a good friend, He expressed what interest him and we took his thoughts and ran with it from there.  This was the end of a 3 week run with Mac out here right after we did The Knight.

From Mac: “This is a mural Retna and I just painted in Los Angeles called Memento Mori. This is a Latin phrase meaning ‘be mindful of death’ and can be translated as ‘remember that you are mortal’ or ‘remember that you must die. That could seem a little grim, but the point is really to encourage us to properly value and make the most of our time here.”

Mac continues, “I painted the figure and Retna did all the rest.  Retna’s lettering in the background is from a pre-Hispanic Nahuatl/Azteca poem:

Must I go like the flowers that perish?
Will nothing remain of my name?
Nothing of my fame here on Earth?
At least my flowers, at least my songs.
Earth is the region of the fleeting moment…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

We played him Spanish music, some Black Sabbath, some old Jazz n a lil 2pac and we reminisced about old friends we have lost, and sprinkled him with love.

Today I play it a lil Beatles.

Yesterday,
All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly,
I’m not half the man I used to be,
There’s a shadow hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Thank you to everyone who always find a way into our lives to encourage us to stay diligent and true to the heart..

Peace Brothers and Sisters…. Que Dios Te Bendiga

 

 

THE KNIGHT

The text reads:

“SOMOS LOS NINOS DE LA CALLE BAGO QUE QUEREMOS
LA BARRIOS DE EL MUNDO, UN DIA TODOS VAMOS A REGRESAR,
A REGRESAR A RECOGER MI GENTE QUE AMOS PERDIDO AQUI…”

On the right:

“MOTHER MOTHER THERES TO MANY OF YOU CRYING. BROTHER BROTHER THERES TO MANY OF YOU DYING YOU KNOW WEVE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO BRING SOME LOVE.”

The Brim on the hat reads:

“FOR ONLY LOVE CAN CONQUER HATE.”

THANK YOU

Photos by Ron Finley

 

Photos Courtesy of Sergio Esparza