This past weekend was my friend Michael Grey's birthday. He's someone who's really contributed a lot to the art community in Austin with his Cherry Cola Dog events. In the past, he had an old hangar that was turned into an artist space. He used to throw parties with live painting and performance. I painted at a few of these events. It was something that was really exciting and took me out of my comfort zone. I met a lot of great, talented people at these events.
A little later on, he had Tuesday life drawing sessions at his space. Compared to other life drawing sessions, it was a lot more laid back. There was a great soundtrack, you can have a cold beer and be around great company. There were a lot of really talented artists who attended. It motivated me to push myself.
Michael sold the hangar and got a country property out in Smithville, which is 45 minutes outside of Austin. His space was great for campout parties at the end of the month. I volunteered to help out with a lot of these parties and continued to make more friends. The country setting was like a mini vacation away from the bustling routine of Austin.
Michael Grey made Austin a lot more fun and brought a great community together. For his 40th birthday, I sketched out a modified Cherry Cola Dog RV. It would be the ultimate vehicle for burning man events, which is something that he's really passionate about.
