Next Door

The Sari Sari store

One of the more lovely aspects of Filipino culture are the Sari Sari stores. Small family businesses that operate out of a home window. The streets are lined with them. Little window shops selling snacks, drinks, canned goods and what not. In my early trips to the Philippines the colorful item filled windows reminded me of the repetitive motifs of my own art. I thought about this for the entire trip once back in 2016, and then when I got home I sat down drew this.

Sari Sari, watercolor and sharpie, los angeles, 2016

Sari Sari store

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if you look

black sharpie

Miami 2010

If you look closely at the edge of a black hole it becomes obvious that the entire universe is made of little tiny things.

black sharpie on manila paper

Miami 2010

The fallen fruit

black sharpie

Los Angeles 2017

The things that we are not allowed to talk about are pretty much always true. Prove me wrong. Likewise, fruit is sweetest just when it is about to fall.

If Eve had waited for the apple to fall would she still have sinned?

Midnite - Envision

Life is so beautiful. And so amazing.

Flying - The Beatles

Deep in the Philippines we're having a typhoon. Howling wind. Torrential rain. Power out. We ate our dinner by candle light. The four of us huddled around our meal while typhoon chaos ensued outside.

Kind of fun 😀

pencil drawing

Calbayog City 2024

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Blue, just blue

Watercolor on paper

Los Angeles 2017

Akae Beka - The Earth is the Lord

The island we live on has so many waterfalls. This one is near our home. The cold mountain water is a delight to bath in.

I like to stand under the raging falls and scream.

In the evenings we eat Filipino foods. Chicken cooked in coconut milk. Locally grown rice. Fresh fruits.

We have internet connection otherwise it would be easy to forget there is an outside world. I read all the news and I thank God I'm here.

Am I hiding?

You know it.

These are some watercolor paintings I made a few years ago. I was deep into ancient megaliths at the time. And blue.

The Earth is the Lord

Watercolor on paper

Los Angeles 2017

if you look

black sharpie

Miami 2010

If you look closely at the edge of a black hole it becomes obvious that the entire universe is made of little tiny things.

black sharpie on manila paper

Miami 2010

Bulusan Volcano, Philippines

"Daddy, " Sean, my 8 yo son asked me, "Why are sea songs so happy when there are all those sunken ships at the bottom of the ocean?"

I've been thinking about that recently.

We went on a road trip this last weekend up to the northern coast of the island. We camped out on the beach and in the morning, across the sea, Bulusan volcano loomed large, shrouded in clouds.

I drank my coffee at sunrise by the water. A crane came by and hung out with me for a while.

Akae Beka - Manger

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Steve's mother

Ballpoint pen and red pencil

Calbayog City 2024

This drawing... I don't know.

But first off, I'm not Steve.

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e duobus unum

ballpoint pen and pencil

Calbayog City 2024

Sometimes I'm like, fuck it, let's draw.

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