SMURKS1

              THE TEN TH STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" LAS SELVAS THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE IS SMALL, BUT HOLDS LARGE POTENTIAL. THE SUCCULENTS AND AIRPLANTS IN THE WINDOW DISPLAY ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO THE UNBELIEVABLE SELECTION OF RARE AND EXQUISITE PLANTS THEY HAVE ON DISPLAY. CATCH THEM ON THE WEEKENDS AND POP-UPS THROUGHOUT SAN BRUNO OR ON THEIR POPULAR IG ACCOUNT @LASELVAZ CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE

             THE NINTH STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH CHOPSTICKER LAB THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE IS IN THE FRONT WINDOW OF THIS DIY HOT POT RESOURCE, AND NEWEST ADDITION TO THE AVENUE! THE 9TH STOP IS THE NEWEST ON THE BLOCK AND IT IS A GREAT WAY TO WELCOME KENNY AND HIS STAFF TO DOWNTOWN SAN BRUNO AND SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND MINI MARKET. IF YOU HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT WHERE TO START OR WHAT TO DO, NO PROBLEM, THE STAFF IS MORE THAN EQUIPPED TO HANDLE YOUR SITUATION AND STEER YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO HAVE THE BEST POSSIBLE HOT POT EXPERIENCE!  STUDY THE LAB HERE

            THE EIGHTH STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" CATCH 22 SALON & BOUTIQUE THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE HAS A PAST. IT HAS HISTORY. IT HAS SCARS. BENEATH THE RED AND BLUE PAINT, THE RUST AND THE PATINA IT HAS STORIES TO TELL, MUCH LIKE THE CATALOG OF ITEMS INSIDE THIS UNIQUE BOUTIQUE! MEET J, HER FAMILY AND CREW AND TAKE A LOOK AT HER WONDERFULLY REPURPOSED GOODS WHILE WAITING FOR YOUR TURN TO GET A CUT AND STYLE. A GREAT ADDITION TO THE AVENUE AND THE FUTURE OF DOWNTOWN SAN BRUNO. TREAT YO'SELF, DON'T CHEAT YO'SELF, BOOK HERE!

          THE SEVENTH STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" SWEET CONNECTIONS THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE WON'T MELT, BUT IT'LL ONLY BE AROUND UNTIL APRIL SO MAKE SURE YOU POP IN AND GRAB A CONE OR A DOUBLE SCOOP IN A CUP AND SAY HI TO BELLE AND HER TEAM. DONT FORGET THEM WHEN YOU HAVE TO PLAN A KIDS PARTY OR CELEBRATION, THEY HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE AND DELICIOUS TREATS! VISIT THE WEBSITE AND BOOK A PARTY HERE!

        THE SIXTH STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" HERETIC GAMES THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE MAY BE A BIT PUZZLING, YOU'LL HAVE TO LOOK AROUND THE WINDOW OR POP IN AND SAY HI TO SCOTT AND SONYA. THEY HAVE TONS OF GAMES AND CAN HELP YOU EVEN IF YOU DONT KNOW WHERE TO START, THEY ARE A GREAT RESOURCE OR ANY SKILL LEVEL AND A LOT BETTER FOR KIDS THAN STRAPPING INTO A VR HEADSET! SPECIAL THANKS TO LOCAL ARTIST DEB McGUIRE FOR COLLABORATING ON THIS PROJECT AND BEING A PART OF THE SAVVY FAMILY. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE HERE

      THE FIFTH STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" VIBO MUSIC CENTER THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE MAKES A SOUND AND VICTOR AND HIS STAFF CAN HELP FINE TUNE IT! THIS MUSIC STORE OFFERS COACHING IN MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTS, AND SINGING LESSONS TO NAME A FEW OF THEIR SERVICES PLUS A VARIETY OF OPTIONS TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR INSTRUMENTS AND PERFORMANCE.  SIGN UP FOR LESSONS HERE

     THE FOURTH STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" GRAND LEADER MARKET & DELI THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE IS IN THE WINDOW, AMONGST THE BRIGHT LIGHTS, A BEACON AT NIGHT AND A SIGN OF MORE THINGS TO COME TO THE AVENUE. GRAND LEADER IS A STAPLE FOR THE FOLKS OF SAN BRUNO AND A THROWBACK TO THE WAY DELI'S SHOULD BE, GENUINE AND ALWAYS WILLING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY, THIS TREASURE IS A TESTAMENT TO THE HEART OF 'THE AVENUE". GO IN AND GREET MIKE AND THE CREW AND SEE WHY THIS BUSINESS HAS BEEN THRIVING SINCE 1947!  SPECIAL THANKS TO LOCAL ARTIST AND SAN BRUNO NATIVE @NEONART_TECH  (STEVE RAMA) FOR COLLABORATING AND BEING THE NEWEST STAFF MEMBER IN THE SAVVY FAMILY!  VISIT THE WEBSITE HERE, OR, ORDER ONLINE NOW!

    THE THIRD STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" DANCEL'S ACADEMY of TAEKWONDO THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE IS IN THE WINDOW, IN THE SHADOWS OF THE GREAT SILHOUETTES ON THE WALL, THESE ARE THE FLYING, PIVOTING, CHICKEN-WINGING STUDENTS OF GURU NET DANCEL. ALL AGES AND SKILL LEVELS ARE WELCOME, WHAT'S GREAT IS EVERYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM THE MOTIVATIONAL "MONDAY MINDSET" AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT THAT THIS SCHOOL PREACHES, THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED AND BOOST IN SELF ESTEEM IS GUARANTEED, JUST REMEMBER TO NOT DISTURB THE STUDENTS DURING INSTRUCTION AND BOW BEFORE YOU LEAVE!   VISIT THE WEBSITE AND SIGN UP!

    THE SECOND STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" TWICE AS NICE BAY AREA THE SAVVY YOU SEEK HERE GIVES YOU BETTER ODDS, TWICE THE ODDS... THIS UNIQUE OVERSTOCK BUSINESS NOT ONLY HAS GREAT PRICES, THEY ALSO HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AND FOR ANY OCCASION! SAY HI TO JOSH AND SADANA, THEY PROVIDE SOME OF THE FRIENDLIEST AND MOST GENUINE SERVICE AROUND.    SPECIAL THANKS TO HECHO JEWELRY FOR JOINING THE SAVVY FAMILY AND COLLABORATING ON THIS PROJECT! TWICE AS NICE on INSTAGRAM

  THE FIRST STOP ON "THE SAVVY AVE. SEARCH" PINOT'S PALETTE THE SAVVY YOU SEEK IS ON A CANVAS SOMEWHERE ON THE WALL IN THE WINDOW DISPLAY AMONGST VIVID AND VIBRANT CANVASES CREATED BY FUN LOVING GUESTS WHO WANT TO LEARN HOW TO PAINT, BUT ALSO WANNA HAVE A GOOD TIME! WHETHER ITS A DATE NIGHT, TEAM BUILD OR JUST CURIOUS, STACEY, BEN AND THE TEAM HOST AN ENGAGING AND ENTERTAINING EXPERIENCE SURE TO MAKE SOME MEMORIES AND YOU CAN ALSO TAKE HOME SOME COOL ART! CLICK HERE FOR WEBSITE

  (see key below) This painting was inspired by my 2 youngest kids, Marcus and Maggie. We went on what they affectionately refer to as a "DADventure" (usually a hike or beach day), this time we went to the Golden Gate Bridge overlook at Vista Point and they asked me seriously if I thought the melting polar ice caps and global warming would ever cause the sea level to rise above to peaks of the Golden Gate Bridge, I thought, let's paint it...? I spent HOURS studying diver footage of the San Francisco Bay and learning about the mystique around the shifting currents and ice cold waters and watched a NatGeo special where they "DRAINED: ALCATRAZ",  I was intrigued and wanted to explore the topography around the entrance of the GGB (Bridge) so with the help of old videos and LYDAR scans of the Bay, I was able to get this PRETTY-ACCURATE depiction of the bridge with the sea level at near peak.  This painting was the most frustrating and emotionally draining piece I hav...

  (see key below) This painting is a celebration of my love for my wife and hitting our 25 year mark, it is a painting showing how much I appreciate her, her curves, and how she can straighten me out when I'm on edge, or grumpy and jagged. It has words and heart shapes and our anniversary date hidden throughout the "reef" comprised of our bodies and our loving foundation, from rough and complicated rocky days, to "date nights", exploring, growing in love and eventually open seas, vibrant colors and smoooooth sailing...   There are several partial faces hidden throughout the painting, some are showing different emotions and levels of "bliss" and pleasure, this painting is a man feeling and admiring the curves of his wife's body, in the loving moments after... It started as 2 flesh colored figures laying in bed, over time the coral consumed the figures and the reef took shape. The process of this painting was to not put my wife in an uncomfortable po...

  (see key below) This painting was born out of my hand. It is different in the fact that I usually have a step back moment where I make key decisions in composition or focal point, in this piece, I winged it. I "freestyled" the whole layout and started having fun with it by building swim throughs and caves and rock slides. It includes the use of negative space as well as some misshapen faces or "brain teasers" to distract the audience.  Faces hidden throughout the painting highlighted in green and purple, the faces made up from the negative space are colored purple and highlighted here in red. The Letters for "S-M-U-R-K-S" are hidden throughout the piece, highlighted here in blue. The #52 is my signature, honoring 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, my favorite player in their storied history, highlighted here in orange. Center middle, there is a heap of stones with what appears to be a grumpy or grimacing face, it is intentional for the audience to question...

 (see key below) This painting is dedicated to AZ Gallery and the friends I've made since coming back out of retirement as well as an homage to one of my favorite artists, Bill Plympton. It also contains the first actual "tag" that I did in this series at the bottom of the canvas. Top left, in blue, a character similar to those animated by famed artist, and one of my biggest influences Bill Plympton. It is an incomplete face but the structure allows the mind to reconfigure the empty spaces and complete the process.  Below left in red, my self portrait accentuating my scruffy beard phase. Below selfie, you will find a small "SMURKS" tag and a heart below my chin. Directly to the right of the heart you will see 2 hands, one in the green rock that crosses the middle, highlighted in red. It is actually the arm of a local artist and friend Ben Allen and the hand holding his wrist, highlighted in blue, is a tribute to a painting by local artist Boris Koodrin who made ...

(see key below) This is the biggest painting I have ever done on canvas, at 24" x 96" it spans from shore to the drop off telling a story of destruction and healing. It shows how the closer the reef is to us, the more damage it receives as we enjoy the sand, the pools and heat from the sun, we share its resources and ultimately end up taking and using too much. However, there is healing in nature, just needs a break to catch it's breath.  As you reach the midpoint of the piece you see a peak that reaches near the top of the canvas to show how it is almost insurmountable, unattainable or unsafe beyond this point, but it is after this point, the highest and hardest to scale that the reef flourishes under deeper more nutrient rich water where it restores the coral life and becomes more vivid and vibrant, its where the real magic begins.  Center in white highlight, you will see my face in a "tortured" state, almost skeletal along with more "tired" faces, w...

(see key below) This piece was inspired the movie "Moana" ...and my daughter Maggie, who watched this movie over 100 times... seriously. Far Left, the rock columns along the far left side of the canvas symbolize my hair when it got really long and wild and started doing its own thing. My hair sticks high atop my head and my face. Again, I like to use my face in my paintings. Left side, closer to Center, located just beneath my nose is a green dot representing the "Heart of Tefiti" which glows under UV light. Also, as a joke with my kiddos, the green light appears like a "snot wad" in my nose :) Across the sea floor, peeking out from behind a rock structure, Tamatoa, enemy to Demi-God Maui, LOVES shiny objects and jewels. He collects his finds and attaches them to his outer shell, consuming his original facade and donning the glitz, he'll be so shiny! Find the phrase "Namaste, home" in the coral located on the far right.

(see key below) This piece was inspired by my kids.  I was working on a painting that I could manipulate, to try and baffle the audience and the result was this reef. It was detailed and pretty, colorful and vivacious but it was still missing something. It wasn't long after COVID that I started painting again and began entertaining the ideas that have circulated around my brain for a while, including UV Paint. My youngest, Maggie, started taking and talking about all of these sea creatures I had never heard of and some that I never knew the name of and after A LOT of chatter, she started educating me about BIOLUMINESCENCE and that's when the trippy lights and moving reef began. Thanks Maggie! The first time I displayed this painting I did it this way: Hung sideways it is the profile of a person. Originally the piece was intended to be hung this way but as I laid it down horizontally I started adding more to it and then it became more like a sleeping giant, like the picture belo...

(see key below)  This piece was the first I had painted in over 5 years. I took a break because my job had demanded all of my free time and back then it seemed like it was the most important thing. Working 60 hour weeks and spending my free time with my family left not much room for "hobbies".  In 2019 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and my whole life changed. I could no longer support the toxic cocktail of overtime and stress and began looking for new ways to fill my time and readjust my priorities, putting my health and family first and my job on the back burner for awhile. It was in that downtime that the youngest of my 3 children, Marise (Maggie is her nickname), turned it all around for me. It started simple enough, "daddy?, can you teach me how to paint??" to which I replied "it's been so long... and I don't wanna make a mess... it's a lot of mess to clean up...." I hit her with every excuse I could conjure up but her determined e...

Welcome to SMURKS blogg! Keep up to date with new artwork, upcoming events and collaborations!  Here is a look at some of my most recent art and what's currently jumpin' off in my life... AZ Gallery - Artwork on display year round in y studio space. Check here monthly for updated wall display and to schedule appointments for classes and tours. SIY Gallery - Residency from Jan 5 - April 2. "Art of Healing". Watch me paint in the Atelier Showroom amongst the amazing artwork of Ruth Waters and Art of Healing winner Guy Cohen. Pedro Point Brewing - Returning with guests Shmash'd Burgers and Town Lumpia to kick off the 2nd release of "The Savvy Traveler" original artwork.  On the Level Collective - "GRAFFITI COMIX & HIP HOP" show featuring live music performances and technically skilled comic and graff art. MESHcollective - "10 YEARS SINCE" Group show TBA, reuniting the Artists, Photographers, Musicians and Creatives from the MESHco...