News from Nelson Makes Art!

Still looking for New Years Plans? Grab your hats and trusty whips, my friends, we have an adventure planned for you... You are Indiana Jones.  Kind of. Finding high adventure isn't always easy.  It usually requires lots of time and energy getting yourself to remote spots and then there's usually some kind of villain there who want to take all...

There are some packing tricks that are simple or flexible enough to work for nearly everyone in nearly every situation. These are five of the best and most universal. They’re all just as useful on an overnight jaunt as on a month long expedition. They’ve never done him (or me) wrong!

In case you missed your blog post from yesterday, this week we are in full on Celebrate Adventure Mode!  So today, since we are also still in full on holiday mode, we present to you one of our holiday favorites - the Candy Cane Martini! Okay so before you shake your head and start with the "That's not a REAL...

2018 will be a year of Adventure Leave your baggage at home.  It's time to get out of the comfort zone you've been lingering in for far too long and get out there!  This little blue marble we live on is full of wonder, and so much of it is usually right around the corner if you just get up...

You guys.  Seriously.  Thank you. This was our first year digging into bringing you our vision for a better life through our art.  And what a year.  We've made more art and created more new and awesome things for you this year than ever before.   And no matter what, we never stopped listening to you.   You said we...

Holiday Shopping done? Let us give you a hand with our FREE PRIORITY SHIPPING on all our in-studio made items: Ornaments (Lanui Surf Ornaments, Surfboards, Fijis) Art Prints Greeting Cards (the few we have left!) Glassware Jewelry All ship with FREE USPS Priority Shipping.  That's around 1-3 Days!   GET IT FAST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY! Please note that...

In the eternal struggle between light and dark...are you Jedi or Sith? Let us help you answer that with our quiz!  Be warned - you may be surprised at the answer you receive.  Take the quiz HERE! And then be sure to check out our whole new line of Art and gear in celebration of the upcoming release of The...

Welcome back!   We hope you enjoyed Part 1 of "28 Things I Wish I Knew Before Hiking Half Dome", where we chronicled the challenges and sheer joy of climbing thousands upon thousands of feet to the crest of one of the world's most spectacular sights.   This week’s notes are a little less philosophical and a little more prep and...

Break the rules? Why yes, I think we will. Everybody knows the 12 Days of Christmas (hey even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you've probably heard the song, like...everywhere).  And everybody knows Thanksgiving (at least in America!  And Canada, eh).  We also despise Black Friday - the rushing, the consumerism, the madness.  So we're just not going to do any...

There is no end to the amount of truly awesome good times with friends, family, yummy food, fabulous cocktails, general shenangans and overall amazing that is the holidays.  What I have come to dislike is the shopping for and exchanging of meaningless “stuff” part. I can’t honestly say if it’s my 20yrs in retail marketing, or if was when Black...

How Lifting Your Gaze Can Brighten Your Day The simple act of looking upward can give us more light, more mindfulness and a more open awareness of the larger world and our place within it. It can bring a little more joy into every single day, and the hardest part is just remembering to do it.

"What do you think about a Dick Van Dyke inspired Tiki oil painting?" Oddly enough, I don't get questions like that every day.  "...like...The Dick van Dyke show?  Or Mary Tyler Moore?" I ask, thinking 60's pop culture infused with a ton of Tiki.  That could work. "Actually we were thinking Mary Poppins," she says.  "Can you come up with...

When we finally reached the summit of Half Dome and looked out across the top of the world, over the glacial peaks of the Sierras sparkling in the sunlight and down over the shadowy green treetops, far below in the jagged Yosemite Valley, Words failed me, and I burst into tears. I know, I'm a sap, but I hadn't thought...

Last weekend (August 20th, 2017) Nelson joined forces with El Yucateco® hot sauce at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California to drink, dance, sign prints, hang out with fans, and help promote some really tasty hot sauce. The El Yucateco® hot sauce team were in town for the third annual California Hot Sauce Expo, running a stellar booth at...

Hurricane Harvey hit hard.  We're going to help Texas hit back. Okay so no we don't advocate violence and we aren't suggesting you go out and try and punch the sky.  BUT!  If you'd like to help us help out all the pets and animals that have been hurt or displaced during this storm, and look real darn good while...

This incredible sale with Original Art marked down as low as 50% off, and art prints and jewelry up to 20% off with code 1STANNIVERSARY, ends September 1st! Its been one amazing ride this last year, creating amazing art and inspiring people to live lives they don't need a vacation from through our art, glassware, jewelry, clothing, and more.  An...

Because adventure should never be rare Life isn't just a collection of highlights. It is built up from your everyday thoughts and actions. If you're someone who loves adventure, don't reserve it for rare occasions. Pop over to 10 Toes & 2 Fish for our Top 5 tips to Add More Adventure to Your Daily Life  

If you missed our FB Live or Periscope Broadcasts this weekend, then don't worry!  You can go back and catch replays at our Facebook or Periscope pages.  We did some really fun new wave art (based on our ever popular Big Blue - but this one is in oils and done larger and much faster).  Its caused some interesting controversy...