artuesday: up. down. night, and day.

couldn't wait until arthursday, so hi artuesday.

there are many good —great— memories i have earned riding way up (making them legs cry) and down monster mountains like these one below, just a few miles north from san francisco.

i have fond moments with two out of the three other ladies that have written this blog in the last few years. our lives are all on different roads however quasiparallel to each other, at times they intersect. at times we just missed each other. three of us are within single digit miles and a few bus stops away, and well, with caryl in the same state, coast and time zone.

i was reading a few graphical things as i try do every day and came across groovy one below.

the eye cannot stop seeing.
the mind cannot stop speeding.

mi brother's birthday is today. he would have turned 27.
it has taken years to be okay talking, without completely falling apart in an emotional spiral.

reposed, and observant, i try to stay afloat.

miss mi brother.
sometimes i miss bikes, and their incredible simple force and power. empowerment.
that freedom to feel every inch zooming as one rides down a long hill.
some days i feel incredibly scared to do it again some day, if ever.
some days i feel incredibly lucky to have experienced that so frequently.
and so on.
and that is okay.

i hope that wherever, you the reader, are — come across something as simple and complicated as a piece of art, you too go you back to this trip. with so many memories, so many contrasting feelings.

art is life.
art is powerful.
more.

to nano, and october.
love, meli.

[more art by Sam Chivers on GrainEdit]

arthursday 1/2016

the year is twenty sixteen, is this thing on? is blogger the new myspace or mtv is this 1984 ;^] well hi there.

happy new year to you too.
if you like me love letters and all things letters on colored shiny things, this is for you:

“Every #headbadge has a story of provenance & personality to tell” Get ready for some of our favourites #FontSunday pic.twitter.com/sPTGTg8Cmg

— Boneshaker Magazine (@boneshakermag) January 10, 2016

A full house from Pontiac on this #headbadge Bike, plane and what looks like a car wheel #kitchensink #FontSunday pic.twitter.com/GaJsrXxHOS

— Boneshaker Magazine (@boneshakermag) January 10, 2016

beautiful!
feel free to check out the full article via bonshaker mag, link here: A Cycling Lexicon


til next artsy fartsy minute-
× MELI.

arthursday: hola MART

Loving these super vibrant murals by Buenos Aires-based artist MART. Would love to see these giant bike murals through Argentina, and the world!

Read his most recent interviews:

(ENG) Colossal: Bicycle street art by MART 

(ESP) Mundo Flaneur: 5 Preguntas

¡♥! → His murals in all of their pixel glory are on Flickr.

Enjoy!

xxom


*All low-res screenshots, this is for hobby/blog recreational display only :)

Arthursday is here: Pictoplasma -- Character Selfies

Illustration by Ossi Pirkonen

– found via Ignani's super fun & creative tumbler: A warning of the 'Selfie'

Looking through Ossi's website, I found an illustration he did for Ipanapa:

“Traffic Safety celebrating this year its 70th anniversary as one of the main theme of children's traffic safety measures. Road safety initiative in the autumn of Ipanapa Records of new songs in the production of children's traffic. 3.6 The result of the cooperation will be published. Five new children's traffic songs that will revamp children's traffic vocal tradition with a fresh, fun and touching way.” – from Ipanapa.fi 

CUTE :)  

–Screenshots of their work for showing+admiration purposes only–
Visit artist's site [Ossi Pirkonen] to see more.

Arthursday: Walk This World

–via brainpickings–

¡♥!
xxom

Arthursday: Luigi Prina builds flying model ships (and bikes!)

He is 83. Ma che carino

[screenshot of a Photo by Gianluca Giannone courtesy Blinking City]

– via colossal: Meet Luigi Prina, the 83-Year-Old Builder of Flying Model Ships –

xxom

ARTHURSDAY: Illustration Now!

Illustration Now! Fashion: Alexandra Compain-Tissier, Bill Cunningham  – Read more: It'sNiceThat

Styled by hand. The many incarnations of illustration in the world of fashion
Illustration Now! Fashion Hardcover – November 15, 2013 via amazon

Arthursday: Ben Javens - bici illustrations

How adorable are these? Love finding simple, joyful prints around the internets.
The work is by Ben Javens, a professional illustrator based in England.
So cute!

Found via ShareSomeCandy
Ben's website: benjavens.co.uk

---
xxomeli

Arthursday: Fog timemachine

San Francisco, 1920.

via FineVernacularPhotography
Caution, that tumblr is pure visual addiction.

xxom

ARTHURSDAY is here: Cyclemon

Found this short and sweet video the other day, isn't it cute?

Cyclemon from Thomas Pom on Vimeo.
Title: "Cyclemon"
Motion: Thomas Pomarelle
Design: Romain Bourdieux / Thomas Pomarelle
Music: "Vagabond" by Greenskeepers
Website: www.cyclemon.com
Shop: http://cyclemon.com/shop/index.html

I'm not a fan at all of labels, steryotypes, generalization or categories depending upon what you chose to ride …or rather, which bike chooses you =)

–however– the clean flat-style illustrations are OK.
See the complete article here:
Mundoflaneur: ilustraciones “You are what you ride”

--
xxomeli

Arthursday: marie desbons

marie desbons is a french illustrator i found via pinterest. i spent some time looking at her work and i found it very fun, sort of a lighter hearted jamie zollars, or at least zollar's style of a few years ago.

desbons' light hearted color palette and whimsical scenes immediately draw you into her fantasy world, where you can lose yourself in her imagination for awhile.



i also like how the bike rider seems to be a recurring character.



you can see more for yourself on her blog (en français) or on facebook.




we kept the theme with a female artist as a slight nod to the clitoral mass rides that are happening this weekend in oakland and LA. there'll be more information about them tomorrow.

Arthursday: Dr. Sketchy's 5th Annual Cute Girls on Bicycles

last week our friends over at dr. sketchy's SF version of their anti-art school had their 5(!!) annual cute girls on bicycles. dr. sketchy's hosts monthly events where they have a really fun themed live drawing get together. the month before this one featured luchadores. need i say any more?

all images link back to where i found them, via the individual artist. go forth and find out more about them!

Arthursday: dschwen

David Schwen is a Minneapolis based designer/illustrator type of person. I've been following him on instagram when I found out about his food pantone parings. And whaddya know? He has done some bikey designs too.

Arthursday: blanco y negro

/Untitled by Thebasstardson, on Flickr
© Eric Albarrán | Photographer based in Mexico City.

Arthursday: Our thoughts+love out to those affected this week

Our thoughts and love are with Boston, MA & West, TX +anyone affected by it.

Last night I couldn't sleep.
Decided to do a quick little graphic.

  HEAL SOON ♥ by meligrosa

You can download for free any version, fits in a letter size sheet.
Post/print it however/wherever you want, PDF is spokecard-ready. It is yours to share.

Life is so fragile.
xxom

Arthursday: Oana Befort

/All images by Oana

How adorable are these prints?
Oana Befort is an artist based in Romania.
Her illustrations and watercolors are so charming.

Upon coming across her work, I became an instant fan.
The very quiet magic details is what gets me, look at the necklance, that dress seam-dotted line and her left hand ring – not to mention the ankle booties.
Melt.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I did :)

L I N K S
website: oanabefort.com
Oana's etsy store (super cute prints alert)  

/All images posted with permission of the artist – thanks!

Arthursday: baseball y basketball

Margaux Rides Her Bicycle by Creature Comforts

Bikey representations of the A's Stomper & Giants' Lou Seal :) 

Crafty fair shops in the Pumpkin festival 2012, in Half Moon Bay

Baseball season has started!
We are fans of Bay Area baseball – and Caryl in LA, maybe too :)


SF 2012/ OAK 2013
Last year, I was fortunate to go to the first game of the Giants 2012 opening series. This year I went to the first Oakland A's 2013 opening series game.

Jeff y big papi / SF Giants 2012 Opening Night  (First 2 fotos above via my friend Jeff)

Oakland A's opening game 2013 (this week).

It has been a great last few years in Bay Area sports: the 2x World Series champs Giants, 49ers went to the Superbowl, the Oakland A's were AL West champs last year. The San Jose Sharks have also made it a few times into their conference finals. In college sports, this year Stanford women's basketball made it to the Sweet16, CAL men's basketball made it to the NCAA tournament, CAL women's basketball are in the Final Four! and now mi personal favorites, Golden State Warriors with a high possibility of making it to the playoffs(!!) EPIC.

2010 World Series winning game

Ratta y Richie

It is pretty rad that the SF Giants provide bike parking service. The rockstar parking peeps will take care of your ride while you watch the games.

June, 2009

Our very own Calitexican parks bikes in her sleep I'm sure ♥, and she is at the ballpark rather often. I'm sure she'll continue to share her bike parking adventures with us all. Or awesome bike party pictures like the one she took sometime last year:

“Representing the empire” by calitexican

All of us here in SF (Ade, CTX y yo) frequent the Giants as much as we can, and no doubt with KT.. even her cute dog is named after Posey ♥ :)

“Rookie on a walk” Foto via KT

In Oakland, the A's don't have that pimp bike valet parking across the Bay, but they do have $2 Wednesday BART days... make sure you are ready to listen to some metal, lots of drums and fans cheering like it's the World Series any game.

Cheater Crab!

- - -

Día de los Gigantes 2010

Diana's birthday 2010

Mixte Gals at Giants Game via KT, June 2010

2010 World Series winning game

2010 World Series winning game

Oakland A's 2012 AL West champs

2012 A's AL West series

A's banjo man

SWEEPSWEEP beer crew

Ratta y Guillermo. Detroit Tigers vs A's post season series.

This hat duo were so loud, super fun. Detroit Tigers vs A's post season series.

The Giants World Series game in 2012 was super mellow fun to celebrate (the city got pretty crazy once again) at a non-alcohol bar eating and enjoying a good time at StreatFood with Ade +fam, CTX +V, and crew. All ages, all good.

Anyways.
There are way more pictures and sports moments I am very glad to say “We were there” and to have shared with my family, friends and fellow fanatics. Good times!

Velcro checks out this season's schedule.


and if you have gotten this far, the above foto is from a decade ago at the Giants :)

For you fellow Dub fans, the WE BELIEVE 2007 Dallas series, my personal fave highlight..
OK that is all for now. GO SPORTS!
xxomeli

// Most fotos mine, a few borrowed from KT, my friend Jeff and this above from the internets/Big Bang Theory.