Man One Creates HOPE with Young Burn Survivors at the Children's Burn Foundation Gala

The other night, Sourdough (my Crewest Studio bizz partner) and I attended the 30th Anniversary Gala event for the Children's Burn Foundation which was held at the Beverly Hilton. We were able to help them raise some funds with the live auction sale of a large piece titled HOPE which I created with help from about a dozen awesome teenage burn survivors. These kids are not only courageous but creative and fearless! I even got to meet the night’s mc & long time NBC LA weather caster Fritz Coleman.

Thanks to the folks at CBF for letting us be a part of this!

 

Behind the scenes timelapse of me working with the kids to create the piece of art!

Man One creating a HOPE painting with teenage burn survivors. The program was facilitated by the Children’s Burn Foundation.

Black History Month: Remembering my old friend and muralist Elliot Pinkney and his contributions to Los Angeles

A couple years after graduating from Loyola Marymount University I landed a nice summer job in Long Beach, California. I was hired for about 2 months every year working for the Summer Youth Employment and Training Program. The SYETP program was run by Heather Green who hired me as a lead artist painting murals in the LBC. One summer in 1997 I was paired up with Elliot Pinkney to create murals for the Long Beach School for Adults. Although due to the theme we were given I had a very rough time designing a decent mural that year. None the less, I hit it off with Elliot and we spent about two months working with about 30 youth artists.

In front of our mural at Long Beach School for Adults, 1997.

Photo credit Heather Green

Elliot showing us his Metro art installation at Washington train station, 1997.

Photo: Man One

I learned so much from his approach and patience. He was always positive with the youth and had such an approachable manner about him. Although I didn’t get to see him much after that program, I was always running into his colorful murals all over town. When I heard of his passing in 2019 I created this sketch of him (below) as part of a mural I have been proposing ever since. Hopefully one day I will be able to add this portrait to a street mural and mentor some youth to assist me the way this Maestro of Compton taught me. Please read more about his story “How the Murals of Elliot Pinkney Captured the Creative Energy of Compton and Beyond” (by Jenise Miller) on PBS’s Artbound by clicking on any image or button below.

Click on image to link to the full story on PBS Socal.

Christmas In L.A. - Man One and Crewest Studio drop an insta classic Hip Hop video!

We are proud to premier our newest Hip Hop video “Christmas in L.A.” (directed by Vonjako). Our love letter to Los Angeles follows a day in the life of Santa (played by yours truly) as he walks around different neighborhoods promoting Holiday cheer in the form of throw ups, tags, stencils and slaps. Look for all the graffiti, murals and street art easter eggs sprinkled throughout the film. Enjoy!

“Christmas in L.A.” - Connie Price & The Keystones featuring Aceyalone, Myka9, Medusa The Gangsta Goddess, 2Mex, DJ MonaLisa, MixMaster Wolf and Ozomatli
Music Produced by: DanUbe Productions
Executive Producer: Crewest Studio
Film Produced and Story by: Man One and Vonjako

Christmas in LA

Exclusive merch available for a limited time
at www.CrewestShop.com

Some nice stills below courtesy of Vonjako.

Man One Speaking at Comic Con LA October 5th

“SPECIAL HERBS: Graffiti, Music & Comics”
Artist panel: MAN ONE x JAMES REITANO moderated by Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca
L.A. Comic Con Saturday Oct.5th @ 6pm Rm.304ABC

Join us at L.A. Comic Con for a conversation about graffiti, collectibles, Hip Hop and comics.

I’ll be sharing the stage with James Reitano (graffiti artist, comics creator, music video director-MF DOOM, CzarFace)

Moderated by Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca (artist/writer/educator, MoMA, LACMA, Beyond Warriors)

I plan on having some goodies to give away afterwards.


I leave you with one of my favorite animated videos by James Reitano….

Can You Graffiti My Home? Man One Says YES!

Man One was commissioned to create a vibrant mural for the outside rec room of a residence in Los Angeles. The homeowners desired an artwork that embodied fun, colorfulness, and the signature style of Man One. This project highlights the artist's ability to blend energy and creativity into a personal space, making it a captivating visual experience.

In the mural, you'll find a dynamic interplay of bold colors and engaging designs that reflect the uniqueness of the owners' personalities. The artwork not only enhances the aesthetic of the rec room but also serves as a source of inspiration and joy for all who spend time there.

To fully appreciate the transformation and the meticulous process that went into this commission, be sure to check out the accompanying video. It captures the essence of the project and showcases the vibrant outcome of Man One’s artistic vision.

Remembering another time that Man One painted an outside wall at a modern home. The colorful abstract letters made their fire pit area a favorite of their kids, family and friends for many years after that. Got a cool home that needs a creative piece?

Reach out to Man One send an email

New Paintings Thanks to Live Summer Events

Man One stays busy painting live at events across the Southland resulting in new works available for purchase.

Let’s start with “Arte Nuestra” The Cheech’s 2nd Year Anniversary back in July. Man One painted most of the day in triple digit heat just outside the Chicano friendly museum in Riverside. The festivities started with the man himself Cheech Marin welcoming the crowd and it ended with an incredible display of Mexican culture with a musical parade with Los Chinelos and their incredible costumes and contagious music.

Below are some pics of the event and of course the final artwork.

Summertimez - Aerosol, paint markers, oil pastels on cradled birch panel - 48” x 36” x 1.5”

Available..Click to inquire


More recently Man One painted live at DTLA’s Grand Performances at California Plaza. It was a night of poetry hosted by Mike the Poet and included some of LA’s best poets and spoken word artists. The theme was music as history so the live art reflected exactly that. Man One first tagged the canvas with names of LA hip hop artists like Freestyle Fellowship, Ice T, Egyptian Lover and those who’ve we’ve lost over the years like Mixmaster Spade, Ganjah K, Eazy E and Gajah from Acid Reign.

Enjoy the pics of the painting as well as the time-lapse footage.

LA Hip Hop Poetry - Aerosol, markers, oil pastels on canvas - 48” x 60” x 1.5”
Available…Click to inquire