Kaleo’s Cerebral Pop Art

6 / 24 / 14

If you saw President Obama up against the Confederate flag, would it stop you in your tracks? On a recent meander through the Calabasas Fine Arts Festival (yes, the Californian region of recent Bieber and Kardashian renown), this painting compelled me to ask the artist what the heck it meant. Which, it turns out, is the whole point of Kaleo’s “cerebral pop art” — and so integral that he’s trademarked the phrase.

“I really love pop art, in and of itself,” says Kaleo. “But I wanted to create layers and do something that actually gets people to think, rather than just enjoy the image. I wanted to evoke more emotion.”

Scars and Bars certainly rouses a reaction. Some folks love it. Others have told him that he shouldn’t have put Obama on the Dixie flag (!!). For Kaleo, who grew up poor in Pasadena, the love child of a European-American mother and a Hawaiian-Spanish-Puerto Rican father, the dialog around this piece makes its own statement. “It shows far we’ve come since the time of the Dixie flag to have a black president elected… and yet how far we still have to go.”Besides being thoughtful, down to earth and charming, Kaleo is a natural hustler, faux-hawked and hawking his art at fairs around LA. He’ll hit ten in total this year, all while promoting his brand through every social media channel going. Celebrity obsession juxtaposed against a commercialized image to tell a story that’s in our collective consciousness? I’m in! After viewing the “Images of Irony” in his tent gallery, I had to see more.When Kaleo invited me to his studio in Santa Monica, I didn’t expect it to be at the Real Office Center on Arizona. As he gives me a tour of the space for small companies, I start to understand why. With Kaleo in the house, besides being a business incubator, the Santa Monica ROC location is also an artist incubator — although Kaleo seems to have the exclusive. His art adorns almost every surface in the building. Real Office Centers CEO Ron McElroy commissioned the tables, above, and bought other pieces to infuse the cubicles with a creative vibe. Kaleo, whose name means “the voice” in Hawaiian, grabs a Starbucks under his Start Ups Brewing custom light box, where the mermaid’s lei winks at both his Hawaiian heritage and to ROC’s new Honolulu location.Then, it’s down to Door Number Bruce Lee: Kaleo’s studio in the basement parking garage.Why use a drop cloth? Then you’re just cleaning up the magic.Inside, Kaleo takes off his sunglasses and gets to work. His latest series, “Positive Pop” gives iconic commercial slogans an inspirational angle. It’s his top seller.Kaleo didn’t take a direct path to this studio, where he works while standing, under the apoxy resin Mona Lisa gaze of three presidents. After playing college football, he jumped into music industry. He got signed, but didn’t quite make it… and ended up becoming a gold broker. Just when he was agonizing about losing his soul to a job that paid well but gave him no intrinsic satisfaction, he had an inspiration for his “Images in Irony” series. He stockpiled canvases for a year before approaching a gallery. Now, with galleries in London, Dubai and LA, Kaleo’s following his bliss. He plans to dress that bliss with his new line of Artwork by Kaleo T-Shirts, launching soon. If you’re in the Bu, July 26 & 27th, hobnob with him at the Malibu Art Show. Living the dream, Kaleo, living the dream!

Joydrop Roundup

6 / 19 / 14

Looking for bold Stampede bling? Mosey over to Joydrop at Market Mall and lasso up some heavenly horseshoes. Not everything at the new boutique is rhinestone cowboy, but I cried a tear in my beer for this cuff by Rebel Designs.Business partners Shashi Behl (on the left — I didn’t let her put down her champagne before the photo) and Lila Lewandoski celebrate the opening of their second store at Market Mall in Calgary. Friends since their Saskatchewan days, the two gave their first location a try in Westhills in June 2012. Now they’ve broken through the mall ceiling, as one of the rare locally-owned independents in the shopping hood. They’re targeting the lower-priced yet designer accessory range, which no one seems to be doing yet in Alberta. Taking a cue from the success of others like Blue Ruby in Vancouver, they’ve Joydropped the concept and made it their own.Featuring collections by Alexis Bittar, Melinda Maria and Love Heals, Joydrop has room for more Canadian jewelers. Lila tells me she’d love to see some Calgarian bling displayed in the store. So YYC designers, get to it!

Bar C’s Stampede-tini

6 / 17 / 146 / 18 / 14

Calgary Stampede is just two weeks away! Time to start planning your alcohol stops as you make your way to the grounds, because your belly needs a baseline of inebriation before you walk through those turnstiles. Bar C, a CRMR restaurant located on 17th Avenue at Fourth Street, is perfectly located for this purpose.Just when you thought bacon couldn’t be mixed into another surprise gourmet combo, Bar C introduces their Cowboy Breakfast Cocktail. Normally, I’m not much of a mixologist. If I take it up a notch from my usual red wine, I like my tequila or vodka straight. But I have to admit, even though I was disappointed the bacon didn’t spiral down the stick like the promo pics, I dig this drink. Tequila, liquid smoke, bacon-infused maple syrup and cherry bark bitters combine to make it taste like Stampede. Egg whites are added to make it the most important meal of the day.In case we see another rainy start to Stampede season, check out the alley patio behind those cast-iron boiler room doors (taken from the Underwood Building on First Street) seen in the top photo. Cozy and covered, it’s the perfect place to sip your breakfast. The special cocktail is only available July 3-13. Come and git it!

No Accident Film Fundraiser

5 / 28 / 14

Online crowd funding may make it easer on indie filmmakers to get the cameras rolling, but nothing beats a good old fashioned fundraiser — especially if it takes place at the lovely (and fully functional after last year’s floodageddon) River Cafe.It turns out that Chronic Wasting Disease (the ‘mad cow’ of elk and deer) is a highly contagious brain-destroying disease that can jump to humans. Not cool. Scientist Darrel Rowledge, at the podium, explains that this could make AIDS look like a picnic. Like the film’s title, it’s No Accident. Domesticating wildlife through game farming has created a situation similar to influenza from chickens and SARS from palm civets.Brian Keating, world-renowned naturalist, took time out from his birthday to tell the untold story. The filmmakers hope to raise $1.7 million to produce An Inconvenient Truth meets Sicko documentary. I counted 4 polo players in attendance: Rob and Ruth Peters, Shannon Peters and Jessica Schneider. And myself. As someone who almost got run over by an elk taking my horse out of the pasture last week, I hope this fundraising mission succeeds. This is a film people need to see.

Bocce Sneak Peek

5 / 22 / 145 / 23 / 14

Spring has finally sprung in Calgary. With the green shoots and fresh new leaves comes another new restaurant, with a green Italian mascot parked faithfully outside.Green is the theme on the inside as well, as far as the server’s hip baseball tees go. They’re a casual contrast to the stylish, airy decor of the shoebox-shaped room with a deluge of daylight. Bocce has managed to create a comfortable vibe inside the newly constructed building on the corner of Fourth Street and 22nd Avenue SW. The Tiffany blue accent wall (which I love, of course) reminds me of a similar wall at Black Pig Bistro. Which is a good thing. Calgary could never have enough Tiffany blue. However, the horde of hungry food bloggers was focused on a tastier topic: the food. With three restaurants within 3 blocks of each other, Dominic Caracciolo is the Don of Fourth Street. The man behind Mercato takes his Italian food verrrry seriously. After trying several Bocce pastas (the one with the mushrooms was my favorite) and some amazing calamari, I appreciate his fierce foodiness, even if it means he’s so intent on delivering a meal he can’t meander for a brief photo op. His determination has created a delectable situation — I even heard one food blogger say she thinks the pizza here is better than Double Zero. Uh oh — them’s fighting words! Still, don’t go typecasting Dom as all Italian, all the time. The third restaurant in his Mission triple savory slam is Wurst — a German beer hall.If the permit gods are with them, Bocce will open to the public next week, with their delivery service up and running (or maybe driving in that green Fiat) by the end of June.

Odysseo Opens in Calgary

4 / 29 / 144 / 29 / 14

When I saw the media preview of Odysseo, I was almost overwhelmed. The 50 minute sampler of the show came close to moving me to tears. On opening night, when I saw the complete performance, I wondered if other people in the 2000-strong crowd felt the same way. Then I bumped into Calgary Stampede Princess Carly Weasel Child (wearing a black dress from Heather Crowshoe, no less) and she told me she was moved to tears. So, I present to you the verdict: Odysseo is an amazing show. A gorgeous, mystical, unique spectacle.If you’re not a horse person, perhaps you won’t choke up, but you have to be impressed with the melange of action going on under the big top at Canada Olympic Park. Acrobatic aerials combine with ethereal equestrian expertise and in front of massive movie screens, accompanied by live music. Like Cirque Du Soleil, this is more than a circus. And it definitely ain’t no Lipizzaner Stallions.The show lasts 2.5 hours with a half hour intermission. There are still tickets left, including the ones with a VIP backstage access, where you will experience something similar to my media preview. If you miss it in Calgary, you can catch it in Edmonton starting July 9.

Pony Shopping in Palm Springs

4 / 26 / 149 / 3 / 20

I need another pony.This is Simon, the star on my string of one, at Calgary Polo Club last summer. To play 4-chukker Club League this summer, I need at least two ponies. I’ll have to double them (play them for two chukkers each), which isn’t the best, but it’s within the rules — and at my mellow pace, it’s not too hard on them. Right Simon?Part of my Palm Springs mission, besides enjoying a break from the brutally long Calgary winter, was to come home with another pony. For advice, the first person I turned to was Kyle Fargey. He’s a 3-goaler who runs the polo academy at Calgary Polo Club in the summer and captains a team at Eldorado Polo Club in the winter. Since stick and balling a horse can be totally different than playing one, it’s advisable to try a new one in a game. Even though his ref shirt makes it look pretty serious, Kyle organizes friendly matches all season long. The horse he’s helping me with here is Lobo, one of his school string. I’ve ridden Lobo many times and he’s one of my faves. Just one little problem — he’s not for sale.I love Lobo, Kyle! Why don’t you just sell him to me? It would make this weekend a lot easier.Another problem? My budget. It wasn’t big, but I had a strategy, visiting the second last weekend of the season in Indio, when players would be looking for good homes for their older, slower ponies, to make way for their own new acquisitions. Tucker was the first pony I tried.Great chukker, Tucker! Boy, did we have a good time. This 16-year-old desert pony has played 4-goal most of his life. This year he played 1-goal at Empire Polo Club, which is still pretty darn fast. But he was perfect for me, with an easy-going, adorable disposition.But it’s a big world out there, with a lot of horses to become emotionally attached to. Next was Carlitos. His owner is so fond of him, he wasn’t even officially for sale. Saddled up, his hide bleached out from the sun, Carlitos looked mellow. When I took him out to stick and ball, it was love at first ride. Super-responsive with a comfortable canter… but then the mellow gave way to a need for speed that my riding abilities just couldn’t handle.Still, look how cute he was afterward! I found myself thinking that if I got him off the oats, and he realized he wasn’t playing 8-goal any more, maybe he’d slow down for me. Then I had to get a grip. Pretty pony or not, I can’t go buying a horse I can’t play in a test chukker. Still, thanks for your help, Bree!Over my long weekend in the desert, I tried so many ponies I don’t have pictures of them all. I only remembered to grab a shot of Tango at the last second — after trying him turned into an hour of pro Santos Arriola analyzing my swing. Thanks Santos! Unfortunately, Tango was too much horse for me. I’m not ready yet to stop on a dime and turn like lightning. I need a pony that will help me out when I give him mixed messages and wrong signals! Or at least ignore them.

Check out this video shot by Santos, giving all the right signals, in both Spanish and English.Back to Tucker. I was getting serious about him. Time for another chukker with Kyle’s Coaching League. Wish we had video of us scoring a goal in the first minute! It just added to the love story.I didn’t mind his knock knees — he felt sound in the game.Conveniently, Calgary vet Candace Crosby, was also playing in Coaching League that day and was available to do a vet check. Many polo peeps will tell you they don’t do a vet check on an older horse, because they just won’t pass. But in addition to his asking price, I was looking at an added cost of almost $1000 for the 3-day trip to Calgary and his border papers. I knew I needed someone to be logical. Because I was swooning over Tucker.After checking his teeth, Candace told me he was probably older than 16, although in polo, you almost don’t need a vet to tell you a horse is older than the owner says. It doesn’t mean they’re lying. For some reason in this sport that I can’t figure out, no one seems to know exactly how old their ponies are. However, I’m not ageist — I like older horses. I was told Simon was 24 when I bought him, but others have put him closer to 100.Candace did a thorough flexion test, checked his toed-out conformation and gave me a long list of issues. They didn’t appear to affect his game, but I had a lot to think about.Palm trees and pools make contemplation easier. If I didn’t have to ship Tucker to Canada, I probably would have bought him, but I decided not to go for it. There was another horse I really liked, but I got out-bid. So now, with June practice chukkers starting soon, I’ll be pony shopping in Alberta. Hopefully another steed will come my way and I’ll be in love all over again.

El Paseo Fashion Week 2014

4 / 25 / 144 / 25 / 14

Every year in mid-March, the Rodeo Drive of the desert, El Paseo, holds a week-long salute to spring fashion. Haute fashion thrives in the heat of the Coachella Valley. But this being the greater Palm Springs area, which has always had a flair for entertainment, there’s more than couture going on under the big white tent. Don’t let the ladies with the white hair fool you.Palm Springs knows how to party! Which Dr. Deb Windham, wearing white, specializes in. The physician and artist is a renowned Coachella Valley personality.So is Karen Barone, half of the husband-and-wife artist duo Karen and Tony. The super cool horse sculpture behind her is one of their creations.As someone who spends a lot of time agonizing over my as-yet unpublished novel, I particularly liked that books were also part of the party. Fabulous Books, with its homage to Tinseltown allure, is a wonderful shop on the main drag in Palm Springs. After everyone got their cocktail on, it was time for the catwalk. The runway was rocking all week, but the Saks Fifth Avenue show, featuring top designers from McCartney to McQueen, is one of the highlights. Below are pics of some of my fave outfits for both women and men.I had one of the best seats in the house, right at the end of the runway.… with a pack of paparazzi behind me. Forgive the blurry action shot.Then it was on to the after-party at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Desert. There’s so much art in the desert, the museum needs an outpost just 12 miles away.Don’t tell the impeccably decked-out Francesco Santoro that I’ve been wearing the same outfit all week. The Beverly Hills handbag designer specializes in exotic skins like crocodile, ostrich and python. I tried to keep my threadbare Gucci out of sight.This party even gave a culture-boost to a break for the loo. I took the long way to the restroom so I could check out Red Sweater. Victor Rodriguez uses acrylic on canvas to show his daughter looking at a photo of Christy Turlington.Woman: can you believe how real she looks? Man: [wisely not saying anything].Joan by John Deandrea is beautiful and spooky at the same time.Ain’t no party like an El Paseo Fashion Week party! See you next year!

Blue Besos goes to Palm Springs

4 / 24 / 144 / 24 / 14

There are loads of deserts in this big ol’ world, but in Calgary, when we say we’re going to the desert, we mean Palm Springs. Or Palm Desert, Indio or any place in between. Although with the massive sprinkler systems here, it seems more oasis than desert. Flying in from the black, white and brown tones of a miserably long winter to the hi-def technicolor of the Coachella Valley, I felt like Dorothy when she realized she wasn’t in Kansas anymore.My first stop was the Eldorado Polo Club. During their season, January through the end of March, you can find a game being played just about any day of the week. Anyone can watch for free.On Sundays, see the match in style under the white tent of the Clubhouse, with table service for food and drinks.Or pull up your vehicle to the side of the field to tailgate.After, head to the other end of the club for a margarita at the Cantina. You never know who you’ll bump into. Chances are good it could be a Canadian, as evidenced by the ice hockey on the TV in the background. Or it could be country singer Pete Martinez, whose latest album was produced by Dave Matthews.Outside the Cantina, while the sun sets over Mount San Jacinto and the second highest mountain range in Southern California, there’s usually a desert dog who’s feeling social.Beyond the action of the games and the parties, there’s a quiet calm at the club. Tack rooms here had green roofs way before they became a LEEDS trend.Peep into a stall hidden by plywood and you might just find a foal like this one, five days old.On the track, grooms drift by, managing up to seven ponies at once.Up next, coverage of El Paseo Fashion Week and my attempt at a shopping spree that had nothing to do with fashion.