The Wall Breakers

Graffiti artist (and WallBreaker veteran) Airborne Mark has just released the music video for "BeyondNess", a track off his new album CloudQuartered. Yep, the Paper Planes guy can rap.

Calling all U.K-based artists! Have you been looking for a physical space in which you could display your art, network, and sell your work? We suggest you check out The Jester Jacques Gallery. Conceived of by Karen Shidlo, a painter who received a degree in painting from Pratt Institute and her brother, a marketing and business expert, Jester Jacques showcases work by emerging artists and famous street artists alike. Jester Jacques' goal is to both support young artists and sell limited edition prints by famous artists, making both available to the public. Through annual pop up shows, a consistently updated inventory on their online shopand regular workshops, the Gallery is a venue of interest for collector, student and buyer. JJ has started off 2013 with force, having had their first Pop Up Shop in London’s trendy Box Park, Shoreditch. The Gallery also participates in art fairs, including The Other Art Fair 2013.  I personally consider many of the things this gallery is doing to be in concert with the things The Wall Breakers does. By associating yourself with this emerging gallery, you're opening up your art to both a hungry public and an inspired creative community, and the better connected we all are as artists the more inspired we will be, and hopefully the better our work will be. Take a look at some photos from recent events at the Jester Jacques Gallery below!

Nicola Smith, she of the Mad Men portrait cards is back with more art! She has been drawing and painting since she was small, but only from the age of 15 (when she was studying 2D Art) did she start to gain an interest in portrait work. Since then, she has created portraits on paper, walls and canvas's, using pencils, felt tip pens and acrylics. In more recent years, she has also turned to using programs like Photoshop to digitally draw faces using the computer mouse and lots of patience. Nicola's pieces are mainly based on people and characters that inspire her and she chooses a style for each piece that best suits the person in question.

Nicola does not currently have a website for her work, but if you are interested in what she does and her future work, please follow/drop her a message on twitter @Thegirlfrom1982 and her blog. Take a look at her art below!

Awesome Calgary, Alberta-based artist Nathan Bishop, who makes custom skateboard deck grip tape art, is back with his new initiative, which he partnered with Haley Herrington for, entitled Longboarding for Peace. Concrete Wave Magazinerecently had this to say about his latest venture: "Nathan Custom Bishop has created a masterpiece that really gives life to the ideas of the Longboarding for Peace movement. There is no doubt that his grip tape art is remarkable! Nathan was approached by Concrete Wave magazine to create one of his designs on a longboard for Longboarding for Peace. This movement started last July in Israel and the Palestinian territories using longboards to bring Israeli and Arabs together. Then programs were set up in British Columbia working with first Nations youth. In Houston they are working with at risk youth and getting them on longboards. They are also in San Diego County on a shoe drive putting shoes on 200 kids who don't have them. Longboarding for Peace is also working in Watts teaching kids in an after school program how to longboard. 

"For this particular deck, Nathan enlisted the help of an insanely talented airbrush artist named Haley Herrington to do a collaboration with him. She was asked to design the bottom, while Nathan did the grip tape art on top by hand. Haley's inspiration was a Grateful dead theme, and Nathan's was an inspiration of peaceful figures the world has seen. The quote on the deck reads "I have a dream", "Imagine", "Be the change you want to see". This deck was originally supposed to go on tour with the Vans Warped Tour 2013, but after it was presented to Concrete Wave, they decided it was just too special to actually take the tour as the chances of it getting thrashed or stolen are pretty high. It will now be on display at the Longboarder Labs Store in Vancouver. Come down to the store to appreciate the detailed message of hope on this beautiful creation, made from the sincerest form of love and aspirations for World Peace."

Perhaps an easily overlooked point is that violence can more easily be solved if people just have a little fun! No, a longboard will never replace an empty stomach, but the more positive energy we put out in the world, the more positive energy will come back to us. Nathan understands that, which is why he's spent countless hours taking something that was a passion built out of fun (skateboarding) and turned it into a form of art that people of all races, nations, and creeds can appreciate. Twenty years from now when champion longboarders are commonplace in the middle east, we'll know who to thank for it.

Nathan would like to pay special thanks to Candy Grip. If you would like to be part of this amazing initiative, please contact:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Check out the custom designs below.