Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A deluxe split level for my dusty ole pile of records

I've always wanted to build something with my mom. She's a carpenter by trade and has a full wood shop at my folks house on the west side of Santa Cruz. She built the garage with her bare hands when I was a little girl and I watched her every step of the way. Because of that memory and others like it, I think of her as a woman who can build anything. So when I decided that my vinyl collection needed a little something next level to live in, naturally I turned to her.
In my dreams, we'll conquer a big project together some time, like a cabin built on a flatbed, or a bed made out of driftwood. But first thing's first, we needed to make something small and simple together.
Mom and I in the hot tub in our Santa Cruz backyard.
The back of this photograph reads:
Late in the month 8/83, 10 months old
She loved the hot tub today- but sometimes she doesn't

This hot tub once belonged to my aunt and uncle. it lived in the backyard of their home in the San Jose foothills. When they decided to replace the old Finnish style redwood tub with a new one, my mom swooped in and gathered the demoed lumber. She brought it back to our Santa Cruz home and rebuilt the tub for our family. That tub was a permanent fixture on our back deck for over 20 years. 
When my folks decided to tear the tub down, my mom wisely kept all the wood. Like most mid century things made out of redwood in northern California, that wood is clear heart, old growth, straight grain, ancient, rare, gorgeous treasure. It was from the larger planks of this cache (the tub seats and floor boards) that we made a split level shelving unit for my record pile.



                            
                            
Hot tub turned shelf magic in my Oakland home. 
I am so grateful for my mom who was very patient with me learning how to use new tools. I had such a great time working with you momma. Let's definitely do it again. xoxoxox


*if you replaced the stacks and stacks of Tom Petty records that Todd references in this song with stacks and stacks of Joni Mitchell records, then we'd have identical collections. Just sayin', vinyl soul mate.

Tony Tony Tony

My beautiful best friend (see lovely ringed hands below) commissioned me to paint her partner, Tony a little something magical for his birthday. Tony is a north coast native with a heart connected to the sea (Pisces, duh). Loving him is easy and compiling the things he loves for this painting in celebration of him  came just as easily.




Jah bless

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Amir H. Fallah + Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers

The only feeling that rivals finding a new fave painter is finding a new fave band. For the lucky, these discoveries can come knocking during the same week, under a crescent moon while Mercury retrogrades away and away and away.......
Amir H. Fallah

I came across Fallah's work on In The Make which is a fantastic art blog based out of the Bay Area.


Zoe Muth and the Lost City High Rollers came to me via KPIG, live and direct from Freedom, California.

M E G A B E T H

   
Beth with rings on her fingers and time on her hands.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Treasures from Hawaii

Beach combing in Hawaii might be the closest thing to heaven on earth that I can imagine. Well maybe after being waste deep in the Trinity river in mid August. Those 2 are a close tie for heaven.
I have this beautiful memory of my mom and I laying in the shore break on one of Kauai's windward beaches, sifting through grains of sand on the hunt for kaheleilani shells while my dad serenaded us with his Kamaka. It was a perfect moment for the Tuzzi three. The Threezzi's. Heaven on earth really.
"This is ugly, let's leave."
My dear friend Reese turned me onto this Kauai gal's blog, Lady Slider. She's got some fun stuff goin' on over in her world, especially when it comes to hawaiian jewelry, which is one of my fave things ever.
Hinu jewelry from Oahu makes beautifully simple pieces of wearable heaven on earth. I just love it. Gotta get me some.
Hinu 
Hinu

Thursday, March 1, 2012

THE PIZZA SHOW

Tonight at the Pony Club Gallery in PDX!!!! THE PIZZA SHOW!!!! 6-9 pm!!!!! DJ MANTEASE ON THE TABLES ROTATING SWEATY JAMZ FROM AROUND THE WORLD!!!!!!
Pepperoni with Mushrooms!!!!
Pesto with Olives!!!!
Classic Cheese!!!
My dear friend and fellow Jet boy, Luke Forsyth presents his premiere curatorial project for Portland's own, Pony Club Gallery. The show is pizza themed and will be showing work from a dynamic bevy of artists from all over the land, including myself, my dearest bro love, Steuart Pittman and my soul brother love, Brian Woida.


¡¡¡PEPPERONI BABIES UNITE!!!

Brian Woida

Gina Tuzzi

So go to the show if you're in the hood. Be wild and howl on little coyotes!




I can't believe that its real.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I wrote the following words on the back of my hand on Tuesday afternoon:

Al Green's 
HORN SECTION 
Here I am Baby 

I was listening to music at work while framing up some Dan Miller's that will be hanging at the Carrousel du Louvre any day now when Al Green's aforementioned classic came stampeding through my head phones. I have heard that song my whole life (both via Al and i'm not going to lie, UB40) and have never FULLY appreciated just how damn rocksteady, sharp like a knife, silver and gold, pura vida, holly fucking holy perfect those horns are in that damn song. Needless to say, I was blown away and knew that I needed to look those boys up and honor their names a little in the studio. I had a 15 minute break in my busy, busy day and made the following scratch. Amen, amen.