NicholeCamarillo.com

Fun Finds

By Nichole Camarillo

1.

Borrow some vintage pumps from mom's basement boxes and let Mathieu Missiaen bring 'em back to life. These bad boys run about $180 bucks a pair on Ndeur's Etsy Shop. Just describe what design you want on what shoe and Mr. Missiaen makes it happen. Holding down the creative spot behind Ndeur shoes, Mathieu says, "My designs are modern, fun and will make your shoes a work of art". Yes...yes, indeed. (And for $180 bucks, they damn well better.)

iLLAZillA by TNES of hippoesthetics.

How could you NOT want these little guys? Come on, now. This original wooden toy by TNES has been stompin' around the streets of Las Vegas & New York on a mini tour. Where's he headed next? Los Angeles, then Hawaii. If you can't keep up with the baller status of little man's vacations (I know I can't), you can find custom iLLAZillAs (hand-painted by a variety of artists) up for bid on eBID.net. My Favorite? "My Pet Zilla" by NASTY NEIL. Prices range from $40-$400 dollars. Happy bidding!

Kindle 2 by Amazon.

Not that I could ever own one of these, thanks to my break-it-faster-than-it-can-come-out-of-the-box ineptitude, but still. Not even that disaster waiting to happen could change the must-have glow radiating from this incredible wireless reading device. With a unit cost of $359 dollars, Kindle 2 is available for purchase on Amazon.com. Amazon boasts massive book availability, full book downloads in less than 60 seconds and over 1,500 book storage capacity all squeezed in to one little device weighing LESS than a single paperback. And you don't even have to read it yourself. That's right, friends. Put on your PJ's and cozy up, 'cause this little piggy is gonna tell you a bedtime story. Sweet dreams!

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Do You Remember Your First?

By Nichole Camarillo

Think about it.

Music, for me, is not something that can be lived without. I fully acknowledge musics presence in, and heavy influence on, my life. I'd like to think that every one feels this way. And that every one can narrow it down to that one album in their life that has forever changed who they are. An album that has changed their thoughts, their actions, their outlook on the people and world surrounding them. An album that has sparked a level of awareness and creativity never previously tapped into. Who knows, maybe you have five of those albums. Or maybe you've yet to discover your first. I remember my first. And that, my friends, is why I'm here.

DJ Krush's solo debut album, "Krush" had been released for a few years before I caught up to it. But when I did[?!]... wow. It was like nothing I was listening to at the time. And like nothing I had ever heard. Such raw and unpolished funk. The scratches and beats and (sometimes rather odd) guest vocals were heaven to me. I went into the most intense creation mode I had ever been in. Non. Stop. Art. For weeks upon weeks I stayed locked up, album on repeat, just creating. It felt as if I had always been connected to that album even though I was meeting it for the first time. It was unbelievable.

After that initial wave of Krush madness, I sadly lost touch with the album. So as not to put anyone on blast, I'll just say it was "borrowed" and never returned [yeah, thanks]. After that, I either couldn't find it, or couldn't afford it. The more time that passed, the harder it was to come by until eventually it was almost as if it had never existed. It wasn't until recently that I was able to reconnect and welcome it back into my collection [*sigh]. Listening through it again, was like listening to it for the first time. I was completely overwhelmed with familiar but foreign memories. All of the sights, scents and emotions that had tangled themselves up with that place in my life came pouring in.

Thinking back to how much change took place because of this piece of music, I cant help but be grateful. And I can't help but to share it with you.

"Krush" is now past its 15 year mark. Since then, DJ Krush has released countless albums and DVDs. You can find out more about DJ Krush and get a full discography on his website. "Krush" and more of DJ Krush's albums are available for download on iTunes.

Tracks of choice from "Krush"?

"On The Dub-ble" & "Ruff-Neck Jam"

[Listen To "On The Dub-ble"] Enjoy!

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The Hip Hop Chess Federation Presents Mind Over Matter II

By Nichole Camarillo

Saturday, February 28, 2009 - San Francisco, CA

Where hip hop meets chess meets martial arts, this years Mind Over Matter took place at John O' Connell High School in San Francisco. The Hip Hop Chess Federation presents events such as this one as an opportunity for underprivileged and, too often, overlooked youth to enjoy and learn invaluable lessons of life, as taught by successful exemplars.

"We recognize that chess, martial arts and hip-hop unify people from multiple cultural, religious and social backgrounds. These black and white squares do not care what color you are or if you are rich or poor. The only thing they ask is that you come with your strategy, your patience and your skills."
-Founder and CEO of HHCF, Adisa Banjoko

Although I didn't actually have any preconceived notions of how the day would go or what to expect, I know now that I would have been completely wrong anyway. I would still have been completely unprepared for what was to come. I've pretty much had the whole weekend now (and then some) to soak in everything that went down on Saturday. However, now (that the superficial shock value of meeting such amazing celebrity figures that I've been a long time fan of is slowly disintegrating) I realize that this wasn't any Saturday event I would get 'over' in a weeks time. This was an incredibly powerful, renewing, life changing experience that will continue to inspire and motivate me for (what I hope will be) years to come.

A few highlights of the event included gi and gi-less jiu jitsu demonstrations from Alan "Gumby" Marques of Heroes Martial Arts and Denny "300" Prokopos of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, a beautifully impressive exhibition from Rope Dart Master Don Kiolbassa, and live paintings from the artisan collective Heart of Chaos. Other celebrity guests included Casual of Hieroglyphics, Traxamillion, Def Poetry Jams Amir Sulaiman and more.

As impressive, entertaining, and exciting as many of the days events were, the ultimate highlight and (I'm sure) main focus above the rest was the awe-inspiring life strategists panel. Made up of Wu-Tang Clans RZA, Rakaa (Iriscience) of Dilated Peoples, American International Master of Chess Emory Tate, Rope Dart Master Don Kiolbassa, and HHCF CEO Adisa Banjoko, this was definitely the lecture of a lifetime. ...In a good way, of course. I could exhaust myself trying to explain the inspiration, motivation, love and self-empowerment I've walked away with from their words. Even then, there is no way my words could do their words justice.
This event was truly a memorable one.

This organization shares so many beauties and truths and values. I definitely encourage every one of you to find out more about the Hip Hop Chess Federation, their upcoming events, and how you can become involved. Please visit them online at hiphopchessfederation.org.

For our youth...for ourselves...and for our future.
Peace. <3

N. Camarillo

All photos and footage taken by Nichole Camarillo.
You can check out the rest of the photos from this event on FLICKR.
&Don't forget to check out Don Kiolbassa's MUST SEE rope dart exhibition on YouTUBE!
Enjoy. :)

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Show Your Support

By Nichole Camarillo

You enjoy reading my blog. You love checking out my artwork. You're a regular at my shop and love all of the cool products you find. Or maybe you just like me. Whatever your reasons, I would like to thank you so much for being here. And thank you so much for wanting to share what you've found with others. There are many different ways you can show your support.

Support Banners

Have a website, myspace, blog, etc...? You can place any one of my banners anywhere you'd like on your sites. They're small, fun and unique additions you can move around and change out with ease.

Flash Panel

Have a shopping blog? Like to showcase artistic products? Add one of my online shop flash panels to your post. Or if you have the room, go ahead and add it anywhere on your site. Here are a few different ones...

All products, sorted by popularity.

Poster prints, sorted by popularity.

Skateboards, sorted by popularity.

Donate

It takes a lot of continuous hard work to keep all of this up. And sometimes it can get pretty rough. I don't always have what I need to get by, so I do my best to get by without it. But if you can appreciate my work and my art, maybe you'd like to extend your hand. Instead of just getting by, you can help me get ahead. No amount is too small. Every bit helps.

Be Creative!
Want to show your support and encouragement in your own way? Please do!

Any and all ways you get involved help me to push forward. They help me to continue writing this blog, continue painting, continue creating, continue sharing, and simply continue being me. Your support is greatly appreciated. No matter how small you may think it is, it means the world to me. Thank you.

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About

A Little About Me...

My name is Nichole Camarillo. To fully explain what that name holds would take another lifetime. We're gonna go with the shorter version on this one. I'm an 80's born female of Mexican descent. I have lived my whole life in California. I've had more addresses and phone numbers than I can keep track of. I'm currently replanting myself back in the Bay Area. I am an artist. I appreciate all things beautiful, colorful, and intricately flawed. This life has taken some serious swings at me and I get stronger every day. I communicate all that I've learned, seen, felt, and experienced in this life through my paintings. It just works better that way.

I have huge goals that I'd like to see through to completion. I don't plan on stopping. The road I'm headed down won't ever get any shorter. Just maybe smooth out a bit every now and then. Feel free to follow along offering positivity, insight and encouragement anywhere you see fit. Don't be shy.

A Little About This Blog...

Originally my intentions for this blog were to use it as an 'Updates' section for my website, NicholeCamarillo.com. That didn't exactly go down the way I planned, but that's quite alright with me. This blog has slowly but surely evolved into something so much more exciting, interesting, and inspiring. I do try my best to not completely jump off into the deep end of my randomness in my posts, but I can't say it never happens. As a general rule, I try to keep things relevant to all things art. Painting, music, fashion, photography, etc. You'll find many different artists here in many different types of creative expression. The one thing they do all have in common is that I find them to be of delightful distraction. Hate it or love it, if I feel strongly about it, chances are I'll be sharing it with you guys.

Whatever it is I'm up to though, you'll still find those updates here. Whether it be new paintings, upcoming projects, exhibits, or anything else of that nature. Occasionally free things will be handed out at random as well. But just so you know, not all give-aways and updates are done here. Signing up for my mailing list will get you the most exclusive info and offers.

So... that's the short version. Thanks for following along! :)