Not with a Fizzle, but with a BANG!!!

So I've been to myself for the passed few days. I have taken this chance and opportunity to take time for myself; process and reflect everything that went on this year... something I tend to do every year like most people would do.

I realize I didn't accomplish as much as I hoped and desired before the year was up. However I did accomplish things I had no intention of getting done... So I guess I can't really complain.

One of those things that weren't accomplished was my art. I couldn't figure out why... I kept blaming my job, but that wasn't the case. I just wasn't feeling the motivation after i started working. I started out the year great, having 4-5 art shows like being featured in exhibitions such as the 'Cirque de Boobles' in Baltimore, Maryland and 'Dolls of Lisbon' in Lisbon, Portugal. And a few local shows such as 'Artificial' and 'Candy Pop'.
I was on a roll, but once I started working, so many art ideas kept coming in but nothing was being done. I kept setting goals but that wouldn't work out. I was too busy hanging with friends or playing video games or watching movies.
it's funny how the things I love doing doesn't bring in money or enough money, but working as a dishwasher and chef's assistant is helping me pay some bills.

Another thing I didn't accomplish was maintaining a diet or even just working out.
I was on a protocol diet for 3 months and I manage to drop from 264 lbs (March) to 215 lbs (July) went to the gym from July til September... and that was it... again, I started working. and in a few short months I went from 215 to 245 lbs (December)
That's what happens when u work at a Bar/Restaurant... all the food and booze at sight. It's totally not cool! I feel completely miserable and unattractive. After realizing this I decided t just cut down on certain things... has it helped? Not really cuz I just started but let's see what happens.

I've also been experience a sense of loneliness.
Did I bring it upon myself? Maybe, maybe not.
Part of me feels like I'm just being dramatic, but no... i do get lonely and that's where the eating and gaming comes in. And all this time i've been blaming my job.
I've known this for awhile but I just really need to plan out my schedule and manage my time a lot better.

Especially for the upcoming 2011...
Although I wasn't able to produce new projects I was still thinking of ideas. I have painting projects that I wanna do and I'm also in the process of gathering materials for my first graphic novel... an origin project for DMBB, the working title is "DanMan & BertoBoy: Memoirs of a Gay Sidekick" I doubt it would be done and completed by 2011 but I'd like to have a rough draft of the project done. Not to speak for Danny, but I believe he's planning a "DanMan & BertoBoy: Begins" graphic novel soon. so it would be great to see us produce our own origin story.

I've been completely inspired by graphic novels i've read this year, such as the 'Scott Pilgrim' series, 'Lost at Sea' and 'Pedro & Me: friendship, loss and what i've learned'. Music from Robyn, Katy Perry and Brandon Boyd and movie's such as Batman:Under the Red Hood, Easy A, Shelter, Pedro, Despicable Me and a few others have inspired me as well for this one project.

I'm gonna push for it, I'm gonna make it happen!

I'm gonna say that 2010 was a great year... there may have been some downfalls and shit like that but nobody ever says the year always goes perfectly.
I was able to get some exposure as an artist not only in New York, but in Baltimore and Internationally for the 2nd time (1st was back in 2008, 3 pieces were featured in a book).
I was able to lose weight and feel happy for myself... even though i gained some of it back, it's still good to know that I was able to do it and that I should not give up and let myself go like that again. I will eventually get back in the diet again when i'm ready.
As for being alone... within time, nuff said!

i'm looking forward to the new year... Gonna celebrate with my family! Then i'm taking myself a mini vacation to see the wizard of baltimore on the second week of january. and in february im gonna dance real hard with mom and Robyn at Radio City Music Hall. OH and I'm gonna be a GOD-DADDY and an UNCLE!!! LOL... what else?? I guess we will have to wait an see...
So with all this out of my chest I'm ready to end this year...
Not with a Fizzle, but with a BANG!!!

Updates!!!

It has been months since my last entry and I have tons of things to
say, nor do I know where to begin first.

Let me start by apologizing and saying thank you all for your support
with my art and DanMan & BertoBoy! The fan base is still geowing
little by little and am really happy and grateful!!!

I have a few announcements for the DMBB fans.
I'll be ending this second season of DMBB with the Return Jokah Saga
which at first premiered in late August with the first part episode...
Sinces it's been about 2 months with no continuation, I decided to
rerelease the full saga all at once in November 2010.

It will be not only rereleased but everything will be hand drawn and illustrated by yours truly. Reason for this is that I've been thinking things over and haven't had the time to sit down and work on the computer... I'm not connecting to the digital medium as much as I use to and feel that I need to take a break and not force myself to produce a horrible project. So I've been painting and drawing again n felt maybe I should do something fresh for DMBB... Which leads to the next announcement.

After DMBB's season finale, I've decided to pass on the torch for awhile to my partner in crime, DanMan himself, Danny Lora. We decided to bring back an old school DMBB element which was the single image narrative which was something I did for season 1. He has been producing amazing fan art and stories that I felt I needed him to take over for awhile. But do not worry, I will still be running DMBB, just with extra help from my good friend DanMan. He will be premiering special holiday eps starting end of November so be sure to check it out once you've been informed :).

3rd, while Danny will be producing the new episodes of DMBB, I'll be working on other DMBB projects and one main project is the first ever Graphic Novel for the series. FINALLY! It will happen.

That's all for now so stay tune for RETURN OF JOKAH... Promos will be up soon!

'All Hearts Tour' & 'Candy Pop'

So about 2-3 days ago, Kelis left a status message on her Facebook page and mentioned something about a contest in designing a poster for the "ALL HEARTS TOUR 2010" with both Kelis and Robyn co-headlining the show. Soooooo I took it upon myself and came up with a poster... 2 days later, this is how the final product came out to be ;-)

It was super fun and it was a great opportunity to get back into my vectoring work since it's been quiet some time since i've done any work like this, ever since my whole laptop issue i had :(. I ended up borrowing my friends laptop to complete the project :D

And on to the other project I worked on... the flier to the next art show that myself and Xeno will be co-curating.
CANDY POP is the title of the show and it's on August 5th... it's funny cuz the night before this event, we're going to the ALL HEARTS TOUR with Robyn and Kelis as a belated birthday celebration for myself :D LOL... anyways, check out the super cute flier featuring the lovely character from DanMan and BertoBoy, Absinthekitty!!!

Starting a new chapter...

So i recently learned that my bogus hard drive was completely dead. So I wasn't able to get anything out of it. So no more RE:ANIME 3 projects.

I've already accepted this and am okay with it.
I'm moving forward and on to bigger/better projects!

here's is the 2nd and last "lost files" from the RE:ANIME 3 collection.

Selim Bradley / PRIDE from the Japanese Anime, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

RE:ANIME 3...

once lost and then was found!
my friend had a copy of one of 5 completed RE:ANIME 3 pieces which the original files are still in the bogus hard drive... but I plan to recover my data by this weekend!!!

I figured that I'd premiere my pieces one by one... month by month perhaps... I figured I post this one first cuz the model for this piece will be celebrating her birthday in a few days... Happy Birthday HannaJo!!!

"Konan" from the japanese anime, Naruto Shippuden!

Paintings from the ARTIFICIAL show

COVER GIRL - RuPaul


MONSTER - Lady Gaga


MY PUSSY - Amanda Lepore

During my days without the laptop, :'( lol

I've been working on a canvas doll for "The Dolls of Lisbon" series.
check the video to know what im talkin about ;-)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1309196196/the-dolls-of-lisbon

I decided to use an animation character for my piece. Normally its all based on celebs but I wanted to focus on other type of Pop Culture references. So for this piece I was inspired to do Gluttony from the anime called Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
He has 2 forms, one being his regular form and another where he splits his mouth and belly open to reveal an eye and ribcage-like teeth.


I wanted to do the 2nd form cuz I thought it be more fun and interesting and would keep the same feel as the Monster vs Gaga piece I did.

Anyways, take a look at the progress... the doll should be completed in another week or so, hopefully. :D

It's Not The End For Berto Berto

Hey everyone, i'm giving you an update on whats going on right now...
my laptop's HD is no good and I can't retrieve my files at this point...
that includes all my recent materials for RE:ANIME 3 and RE:ANIME B.E... DanMan and BertoBoy... Business files and other important personal projects i've been working on.
but I am working on trying to get those files saved... I learned that it is possible, thank goodness.
however it's just gonna take me time and a lot of money that isnt easy to get.
So I can't take any commissions for digital projects until probably june, hopefully sooner.

In the meantime I'll be getting back into toy customs, drawings and paintings... I gotta stay motivated and make sure nothing keeps me down and always have faith!

I gotta be honest, I'm really sad and depressed and was scared that I'd lost a lot of hard work and energy. I felt like I'd almost lost my life completely and felt that it was the end for everything. Like I wouldn't be able to present recent works to clients or job interviews. I was completely shocked and scared and I did cried. I cried hard cuz art is my life and what I created may not be enough to please others or earn me money, but it was something that kept me going and something that kept me happy!
I think I speak like a truthful artist when I say all of this.

I don't know what more I can say, except stay tune... it's not the end for Berto Berto!!!

Monster & Gaga...

The inspiration behind "Monster & Gaga" simply came from this photo


I was shown this image by a friend of mine and I immediately wanted to make a toy of this monster. I thought it was an awesome creature and was really hyped and motivated to make this monster... so I began creating it from scratch, using wood panel frame, styrofoam, steel wire and paper maché



Then I used crayola's model magic clay to make this creature and used plexiglass spheres for the eyes.

For Gaga I originally was going to use a Munny figure but i figured the toy would be too heavy for the monster to hold, so I decided to use a wooden mannequin as the figure and used model magic and yarn to create Gaga!





And the finish product is then displayed for the TOYS TOYS TOYS show that happened this past Thursday April 22nd.




This piece to me is a beginning to something I can see myself producing more of. it's fun, it's creative, it's crazy... it's me. Sure I've somewhat mimic something that was seen on stage at the Monster Ball Tour but I was never there, so why not create something and pretend to be part of it!?! I hope you guys like it... I feel I worked hard on this piece and enjoyed this one very much!!! I've already got some ideas that involves making creatures from scratch... whether it was inspired by something i've seen, or something i've created and never physically produce.
please, stay tune for many more!!!

much love
-Berto

Artificial Show : April 10th 2010

So i've been extremely busy... what else is new? LOL.
I'm preparing some paintings for the Artificial show... here's the flier i designed...



i'll put up images of my pieces. ;-)

along with that... I'd like to announce that i've premiered the new season to "DanMan and BertoBoy" at the DM/BB facebook fan page. If you havent seen them i'll put them up after the this weeks special double episode. ok... back to work!!! peace! -Berto

TOYS TOYS TOYS - Thursday, April 22nd

A Hard Day's Night...

Yes I've been workin' like a dog!!!
Well not literally but I have been extremely busy...
I took a trip to Baltimore just to get away from home,
stood with my mentor/close friend... came back home to NY refreshed and inspired and since then i've been working on and on, non stop.

I have a toy show coming up this friday, at the APW Gallery for the DUNNY EXHIBITION.
I'm pretty excited, its technically my second toy show since the ART+ACTION= OBAMA 08 show. I have 2 pieces up, inspired by John Lennon and Avatar character, Ney'tiri.



I also have been working on another figure for a toy event that I am co-curating with my good friend Omayra. My toy I worked on is a little guy named "Neptune". He's been a big part of my life since back in 1996 and he's been through a few different looks from then til now and after sketching him and adding him into comics i've made or stories i've made, he's finally going to have his own piece... and what way to premiere him, than as a toy :-D...
here's a look at the starting process...


I'll be putting up more images of the development really soon. Also I'll put in info on the Toy event sometime next week!

I have 2 sneak preview images on 2 of my RE:ANIME 3 pieces...
There's still no date as to when I am gonna premiere the collection, but until I find out, I'll be posting up sneak previews every once in awhile... so for now, enjoy!

something for now...

So i've been away from my blog for sometime...
been extremely motivated and busy with a number of things.
I wanted to share with you some of my finished custums from the DanMan BertoBoy series, along with the finished Mariah Carey figure that i was commissioned for.



I have a few other things being worked on however i want to keep them personal until its ready to show.

til then, here's a peek to the first RE:ANIME 3 piece coming soon:

I'd like to start off the New Year by letting something out...

"Don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

Should I let you fall?
Lose it all?
So maybe you can remember yourself.
Can't keep believing,
We're only deceiving ourselves .
And I'm sick of the lie,
And you're too late.

Don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

Couldn't take the blame.
Sick with shame.
Must be exhausting to lose your own game.
Selfishly hated,
No wonder you're jaded.
You can't play the victim this time,
And you're too late.

Don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
You want me,
Come find me.
Make up your mind.

You never call me when you're sober.
You only want it cause it's over,
It's over.

How could I have burned paradise?
How could I - you were never mine.

So don't cry to me.
If you loved me,
You would be here with me.
Don't lie to me,
Just get your things.
I've made up your mind."



I sense a project idea coming from this song.
I will be real with you guys... even us artist have our personal "monsters we battle" in our lives. Frida has done it. Gaga has done it. My mentor Sylvia has done it. Even my fellow friends Xeno, Jasmine and Omayra has done it. Using a form of art as the best weapon to face these monsters.
Writers/poets are like mages, chanting out spells, actors are people with the ability of persuasion, musicians are somewhat like mages but have more of a "warcry" or "banshee" type of ability, the painters and sculptors are ones with the physical strength that wields the paint brushes, rulers, clay tools as weapons and the digital artist are technical, using strategies, observing and finding the weakness of the monster.
It's a way to relieve yourself from such a heavy burden and once its completed you can share it to the world. see if they can relate to it somehow and regardless if they do or don't, that's okay because it was for you to let it out... release.