I'm really excited to be included in an awesome new hardcover book alongside some of the best lowbrow, tattoo, pulp, monster, hot rod, and skull artists in the world. Looking through Kustom Graphics 2: Hot Rods, Burlesque and Rock-n-Roll is like flipping through my personal inspiration folder!

I have a few of these beauties on hand, so to make things interesting, I will personalize a drawing inside the front cover of every book purchased on my site. For $100, you get the book and an original piece of art (which typically starts at $100 by itself). It makes a fun gift and/or a nice addition to a collection.

Art Contributors:
Aaron Marshall, Alex Patrocinio, Andrew Bawidamann, Angelique Houtkamp, Art Chantry, Brian Ewing, C. Martin, Claudia Hek, Dale Sizer, Damien Fulton, Damien Siciliano, Dan Picasso, Dave Burke, David Lozeau, "Dirty" Donny Gillies, Doug Horne, Erik Krieg, Franke, Harry Brack, Jason Cruz, Jeff Norwell, Jeff Tucker, Jeffrey Warlich, Jeral Tidwell, John Detrich, Jorge Alderete, Kalynn Campbell, Leviathan, Marco Almera, Mark Dulmadge, Max Grundy, Mighty Sam, Mike Sosnowski, Nick Cooper, Rob Kruse, Simon Watts, Sol Rac, Squindo, Thorsten Hasenkamm, Vince Raurus

Ink-n-Iron 2010 was bigger and better than shows past, which is fitting because this is the last year we'll have the Queen Mary as the backdrop. Long Beach was flooded with hot cars and hot women, but more importantly, I got to see a lot of my good friends and supportive fans...and I even got some projects done, like this Evel-inspired motorcycle tank for a client in Canada.

Check out my Flickr set for more pictures of the annual event!

It's been a dream of mine to someday open a Day of the Dead gallery, but until I have the capital, location, and time to fully dedicate myself to it, I am co-founding a Web site that will feature a variety of works by a small collective of artists who are inspired by and pay homage to the imagery and culture surrounding the Dia celebration.

The Calavera Company Web site will launch in a few weeks, but until then, I have something to share with you as a sneak peak...

Below is the first t-shirt design to come out of this new venture, which will be released at Ink-n-Iron, a kustom kulture and tattoo event that takes place in Long Beach, CA from June 11th-13th, 2010.

If you can't make it to the show, I will start shipping the remainder of these shirts (M-2XL only) upon my return on June 14th...but if you want one, I highly recommend pre-ordering now to reserve your size! Just like my other shirts, these are $18 plus a few bucks for shipping (and international orders will pay a few bucks more).

To order, please send an e-mail to info@davidlozeau.com with your size request and I will send back an invoice so you can complete your purchase through PayPal.

Thanks for following my work, and stay tuned for more details in the following weeks!

An interesting discussion took place on my Facebook page this weekend after I posted a bunch of pictures of my paintings that had been copied. Some pieces were clearly traced and some were more derivative, but what everyone could agree upon was that using someone's art without permission is unfair and possibly illegal, depending upon intent.

What no one could agree upon was where exactly the line is drawn between flattery and theft…when is someone paying homage to an artist, when is someone innocently referencing an artist's style or technique, and when is someone outright stealing an artist's intellectual property?

Here are a few of the pieces in question next to my originals. I'll let you decide for yourself if this is stealing or not...

Necklace pendant -vs- my Mariachi Cutout

Band t-shirt -vs- my Bandita painting

Custom-painted kayak helmet -vs- my Mecanico painting

If you'd like to read more of my thoughts on this subject, visit this post.

We had another great year at MonsterPalooza as horror moviemakers, FX specialists, and weirdos of all shapes and sizes took over a convention center in Burbank to share trade secrets and toss some fake blood around. I also got some new inkings done between zombie sightings, so I was inspired and productive!

You can view my creepy pictures in my Flickr set here.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who stopped by my table to say hello--it was great to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. I hope to see you again soon...check out my Event Calendar to find out if I am coming to a town near you!

Thanks to everyone who bought my work, shared pictures, and entered this contest! It is so cool to see that my art, shirts, jewelry, and sculptures went to real people and not just off to Mexico for mass reproduction!

So I was initially going to give out one piece of art to one winner, but decided to give out as much as I can as a thanks for the continued support. The result is a strange array of work going out to a wide variety of people...I hope the winners are as excited about the loot as I am!

CONTEST WINNERS
(I will contact you to get your mailing addresses later today)

Jonathan W. -- Breathe original painting
Aneel R. -- TikiPus framed and matted original inking
Zac K. -- Something's Fishy scratchboard
Kate -- Tiki scratchboard
Rob H. -- Red Tiki sculpture
Kristen H. -- Green Skully painting in an antique frame
Eugene N. -- Muchachos Borrachos 8x10 print
Dan O. -- Muchachos Borrachos 8x10 print

If you didn't win this time around, stay tuned, as I will have another contest in the not-so-distant future. Make sure to sign up for my e-mails, check my art blog, or follow me on Twitter or Facebook to hear all of the details first!

For anyone who has bought ANYTHING from me in the past, be it a small print, a custom painting, a single t-shirt, or a collection of works, I want to thank you for supporting my art. To show my appreciation, I am having a contest where the winner will receive a special prize!

All you have to do is send me a picture of any item at its new home...in your cubicle, around your neck, on your wall, in your garage, on your back? If you gave it as a gift, it's time to remind the recipient just how wonderful and generous you were!

I will gather up all of the entries, throw them into a bowl, and draw a random name on April 1, 2010. No foolin', it's that easy! I will pay for shipping and handling of the prize, so all you have to do is bust out your camera and snap a shot.

P.S. - If you don't want me to share your picture with anyone, please mention that in your message to me; otherwise, I'll be posting the entries on the InterWebs!

What do you get when you put SoCal artists, board shapers, graphic designers, skaters, musicians, photographers, and surfers together in one room? We don't know, but it's bound to be interesting!

A diverse group of creative types make up Los Desperados Art Banditos, and if you haven't heard of us yet...you will...

Check us out at www.losdesperadosartbanditos.com and be sure to mark your calendars for the first group art show featuring two DJ's, killer art, Primo beer, and live music by Ray Barbee and Dano's Juke Joint Freakshow:

Los Desperados Art Banditos
March 6th, 7:00pm
Shelter Surf Shop
2148 E. 4th Street
Long Beach, CA

If you're in the SoCal area this weekend, you can check out a variety of my art, shirts, and prints at the Musink Tattoo Convention & Music Festival at the OC Fairgrounds. I'm sharing a booth with fellow artist Big Toe and vintage-inspired jewelry maker Badland Beads, plus there is a long list of bands playing daily to keep everyone entertained.

It's $30 to get in and if you want to get tattooed, you can set an appointment with one of the best artists in the world.

Saturday - 12pm-11pm
Sunday - 12pm-10pm

88 Fair Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Just finished up the album cover art for the band 500 Miles to Memphis, who have unique rockabilly sound and are releasing their third (and hopefully most successful!) CD on February 14th.

It was cool to paint real people and instruments in my Day of the Dead style, incorporate some tattoo elements, and really explore the Southwest desert background. I listened to their music while painting this piece and I am definitely a fan! I hope you become one, too!

Here's a bigger picture of the finished piece and here are my step-by-step pictures of the entire painting process.

Just a quick post to let you know that the t-shirts I designed for Jesse James' Garage magazine are finally in stock.

Head over to the West Coast Choppers site and order your limited edition shirt before they run out!

We’re approaching the end of highway 2009, I have the pedal to the metal, and this bus isn’t slowing down for Baby New Year. I already have a bunch of big projects in the works for 2010, including designs for an album cover, a custom motorcycle, a run of limited-edition wood-block prints, and several tattoos, so I am really looking forward to sharing those pieces once I have been given the green light.

As you have probably heard, airlines strictly limit the types of art supplies that can be brought on planes. Over the last three months, I've racked up tons of free miles and drink tickets, but I've also had two important travel-related breakthroughs that will add depth to my art going forward...

First, I have been doing a lot more sketching, which has pushed me to tighten up my line work and explore different concepts. As my drawing techniques improve, so do my paintings, carvings, and sculptures.

Also, surf artist Drew Brophy introduced me to acrylic paint pens, which are water-based and odorless, so I have been taking advantage of my airport downtime by experimenting with some Asian-inspired themes with these new tools. Pinstriping enamel will always be my favorite medium, but just like with my watercolor work this year, I like trying new things and developing upon my style.

I am in the process of updating my event calendar and it looks like the "Send in the Clowns" group art show in San Clemente, CA is up first in January, followed closely by Musink in February. More info to come soon, but I can tell that it's going to be a busy year!

A special thanks goes out to everyone who supported my art this year--whether you stumbled upon my site by accident, chatted with me at an event, bought an original drawing during my first annual sketch sale, retweeted a Twitter post, got a tattoo of my work, commissioned a custom painting, followed my progress shots on Flickr, friended me on Facebook, or bought a piece of my art, you contributed to my growth and success.