Artist Profile: Eukarezt

When I think about touring I think of rockstars and surfers, not artists. I've never been on an art "tour" before but I knew it would be an awesome opportunity when Jedidiah invited GroundUp (a Hawaii based artist network) to join them in Southern Cali and New York for some really great causes. Time was short.

The first show would be in San Diego in two short days and a nice hour and a half drive from our staging grounds in LA. The Stand Up art show was designed as a benefit for homeless kids in America. I would have loved to bring finished pieces with me on the plane from Hawaii but there was no way I could pack two weeks worth of clothes, paint and canvases in my bags. So I knew that the next two nights would be all about hustling to create new pieces. Thankfully I got them done but I was so exhausted knowing that the night was still young and there was still live painting to do at the show. The feeling of running on fumes can create a recipe for disaster and by this time I had to remember to just step back and let go of trying to be in control. Once I did that and just relaxed everything else just fell into place. Thank God the Stand up art show was a success!

The next three days were spent trying to soak up as much of the artistic vibes of Southern Cali as possible. We had an opportunity to paint in Venice Beach and Compton. I learned quickly that Compton can be a lot like some "gangsta" movies I had grown up watching. The moment we stepped out of the vehicles I knew I really wasn't in Kansas...ah, I mean, Hawaii anymore. Some of the locals made sure we knew we were on their turf. Luckily we had a good escort in a friend who called himself Evol. He made sure that there were no more "incidents" after that.

The painting went great but oh, what an experience! As Cali winded down, a handful stuck around to get ready for the Big Apple and for sure, one of the highlights of our trip. The energy, the subways, and the colorful lifestyles we encountered were unforgettable. Growing up in an area that allowed heavy jackets, New York's chilly city air was a welcome costume change to the everyday surf shorts and T-shirts of Hawaii; I fell in love with the city as soon as the cold air hit my cheeks. Thankfully, by New York, I didn't have to bust my butt creating new art pieces. This time I really got a chance to enjoy the Love and Humanity show that was to benefit the young ones in Africa through the Invisible Children campaign.

After another long night, we had an oppurtunity to paint at "5pointz" the next day. Unfortunately, living in Hawaii doesn't prepare you for spending long periods of time in the cold so painting in 20 degree weather made my "trigger finger" a lot harder to manipulate paint cans. It was an experience for I will never forget.

We left the east coast grateful for the entire Cali-NY adventure but were thankful to pack up and take it all home to Hawaii to thaw out.

Rooted in Love

Eukarezt

(Check out this video of Eukarezt as he explains his passion for creating)

For a complete list of the Jedidiah video archive click here.

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