Shot from my old college dorm room 2007. You can see some of my early stencil prints framed up. Inspiration all around from @blekleratoriginal @swoonhq @tristan_manco @gorillaz @osgemeos @converse @blainefontana @shopnicekicks #papermonster #bleklerat #osgemeos #swoonhq #stencil #stencils #stencilart #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #streetart #sketch #print #drawing #drawings #urbanart #design #books #nycart #nycgraffiti #nycstreetart More photos coming soon!!

Street Art Archive | Artists; @blekleratoriginal | Photographer: Unknown | #papermonster #bleklerat #blek #stencil #stencils #stencilgraffiti #streetart #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #stickers #marker #spraypaint #canvas #mural #paris #parisart #parisgraffiti #drawing #sketch Follow to see more!! If you know the photographer please comment below!!

Archives | Artists: @blekleratoriginal | Photographer: Unknown | #PaperMonster #bleklerat #blekleratoriginal #stencil #stencils #streetart #streetartists #urbanart #graffiti #graffitiart #art #sketch #drawing #drawings #mural #canvas #interview #streetartarchivist Click to Follow!! If you know the photographer please comment below!

Here is one of six masks and several other canvas pieces that I will show in Australia at @ambushgallery this Friday June 26th as part of The Your Kid Can’t Do This Group Show located at
the new aMBUSH Gallery, Level 3 Central Park The Living Mall), 28 Broadway, Chippendale (opposite UTS) put together by @elkstencils He will also be doing a wonderful Stencil Workshop on Saturday 27 June, 2-5pm at the aMBUSH Project Space, Level 3 Central Park
Cost: Free
Register: elkstencils@hotmail.com #PaperMonster #stencil #sticker #stencils #streetart #stencilart #stickerart #stencilgraffiti #graffitiart #graffitiart #urbanart #ambushgallery #elkstencils #koleszar #leckomio #bleklerat #adam5100 #c215 #eelus #joeiurato #mcity #nyc #nycart #nycstreetart

One of eight pieces that will be available at the Your Kid Can’t Do This – Exhibition
When: Friday 26 June, 6-9pm
Where: the new aMBUSH Gallery, Level 3 Central Park The Living Mall), 28 Broadway, Chippendale (opposite UTS)

What: Stencil Workshop with E.L.K
When: Saturday 27 June, 2-5pm
Where: aMBUSH Project Space, Level 3 Central Park
Cost: Free
Register: elkstencils@hotmail.com #stencil #sticker #stencils #streetart #stencilart #stickerart #urbanart #graffiti #graffitiart #mask #nyc #nycart #nycstreetart #graffiti #graffitiart #eyes #PaperMonster #elkstencils #jefaerosol #c215 #leckomio #eelus #bleklerat #koleszar #mcity #ambushgallery #sydney

This upcoming June 26th PaperMonster will be joining an amazing cast of stencil artists from all across the globe showing new work in Australia. The show is put together by the talented @elkstencils Here are the details: Your Kid Can’t Do This – Exhibition
When: Friday 26 June, 6-9pm
Where: the new aMBUSH Gallery, Level 3 Central Park The Living Mall), 28 Broadway, Chippendale (opposite UTS)

What: Stencil Workshop with E.L.K
When: Saturday 27 June, 2-5pm
Where: aMBUSH Project Space, Level 3 Central Park
Cost: Free
Register: elkstencils@hotmail.com #stencil #stencils #streetart #stencilart #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #nyc #nycstreetart #bleklerat #c215 #eelus #elkstencils #joeiurato #jefaerosol #PaperMonster #koleszar #snik #leckomio

Day 7. In October 2006 the company running our school cafeteria wanted to make some changes in hope of renewing their multi-million dollar deal with the school. Immediately I had the idea of painting the 4 existing ugly grey panels that separated sections of the cafeteria. The catch…. I wanted to get paid one thousand dollars!! I put together the designs and met with the head honcho. I had some leverage since I was part of the committee that was evaluating their contract. He said yes and I immediately went to work alongside my friend Paul. I would eat and paint during lunch and dinner while students watched. I even designed a panel celebrating the work of Blek le Rat @blekleratoriginal using one of my favorite Blek stencils “Last Tango.” In a couple weeks I finished all of the panels. The food service company was never able to renew their contract with the school. October 2006. #PaperMonster #stencil #stencils #streetart #stencilart #streetartists #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #urbancanvas #spraycan #spraypaint #art #artcollection #artshow #mural #muralist #nycart #nycstreetart #bleklerat #tango #eyes #pattern #hearts

Day 6. My trips to Paris and London lit a fire that has never gone away. As soon as I arrived back to school I started practicing and making new stencils. I took what I learned from Blek Le Rat @blekleratoriginal and made a life size stencil of myself. I quickly realized that I needed to develop my own style and learn from what other people had created in the past to push forward. 2006 #PaperMonster #stencil #streetart #stencilart #streetartists #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #art #bleklerat #paris #parisart #parisgraffiti #london #londonart #londongraffiti #spraypaint #zooyork #lrg

Day 5. Nobody cared about “street art.” Most people didn’t even know what the hell I was talking about. I would talk to friends and family and they understood I was excited about something but had no clue what it was. Now the words “street art” have become a blanket term for anything that’s current whether it is a stencil, poster, collage or something made with spraypaint. After 2005 things changed. Banksy @banksy and Lazarides @lazarides_art were critical in bringing the scene to the masses. What was one called “street art” that no one cared about is now referred to as “fine art from contemporary artists.” Above is a photo I took of the classic balloon girl piece from @banksy from a time where it was normal for a homeless person to sleep in front of a “priceless” work of art. London, 2005. #banksy #streetart #streetartists #stencil #stencils #streetart #stencilart #streetartists #stencilgraffiti #urbanart #urbancanvas #graffitiart #graffitiart #art #contemporaryart #fineart #bleklerat #london #londonart #londongraffiti #spraypaint

Day 5. I had a bigger goal when I arrived to London. I wanted to meet one person and one person only. Banksy. During my time with Blek he asked “So have you met him yet?” I knew exactly who he was referring to. During my tour of the East End with Pure Evil we ran into several iconic Banksy pieces but even after all my efforts I was never able to meet the man himself. London, 2005. #banksy #pureevil #bleklerat #urbanart #streetart #stencil #stencils #stencilart #streetartists #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #london #londart #londongraffiti #art #rat #eastend

Day 4. Art is powerful. It can influence, create change and raise awareness. Around 2005 Blek le Rat @blekleratoriginal created this stencil of Florence Aubenas. Florence is a journalist who was abducted in Iraq alongside her interpreter. Blek saw this in the news and was compelled to raise awareness of this issue. He took a photo of her face and used Sybille, his wife, as the model for the rest of the stencil body. These stencils were then pasted all over Paris in the most high traffic and significant areas across the city. Shortly there after Florence was released. Paris, 2005. #stencil #stencils #streetart #stencilart #stencilgraffiti #urbanart #urbancanvas #bleklerat #obeygiant #graffiti #graffitiart #obey #paris #parisart #parisgraffiti #bleklerat

Day 4. I mentioned in a previous post that the street art world is full of love stories. This is one. Blek met Sybille while in Berlin as she was his tour guide. He feel in love and placed this beautiful stencil on the street so that she would come across it on her way to work. He wrote next to the life-sized stencil “For Sybille”. It worked!! Later on they would marry and have a son!! Sybille is also an extremely talented writer and photographer. She has written several books on street art and stencil art covering a huge period of history. On the left is her book title “Pochoir” meaning stencil with the stencil Blek placed for her in Berlin. It was so wonderful to hear stories of Blek @blekleratoriginal pasting stencils across Paris and then Sybille would try to capture the pieces with her camera days later. Love is everywhere!! #lovestory #bleklerat #stencil #stencils #streetart #stencilart #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #urbancanvas #spraypaint #pochoir #paint @realkoralie @realsupakitch @dabsmyla #streetart #streetartcollage #art #artcollection #artbook #paris #parisart #parisgraffiti

Day 4. Paris!! In the summer of 2005 I was headed off to Paris and London to research street art. A week before my flight I contacted @blekleratoriginal to see if I could interview him for my project. A day before my flight I got an email saying to call him when I landed. I was beyond excited!! As soon as I arrive I gave him a call and several days later I met him and I was blown away. We spoke about everything from life to politics to of course art and other artists! He had this beautiful @swoonhq in his home from their trip to Argentina. I brought along my little disposable camera I had at the time and tried to take some photos as Blek showed me how he cut and sprayed different stencils. There were stencils everywhere!! This was the first time where I felt such a huge rush of motivation. Blek not only motivated me to continue to stencil but to also continue to pursue my career in science. If you are driven and love what you do you can be successful at anything you put your time and focus on. This was the biggest lesson learned from my time with Blek. Many thanks to @blekleratoriginal and his family!!!#stencil #stencils #streetart #stencilart #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #urbancanvas #paris #parisart #parisgraffiti #bleklerat #art #artcollection

Day 2. There are few books that have had an impact on my life. Stencil Graffiti by Tristan Manco @tristan_manco is one of those books. At the time there were little to no books on stencils or street art. This book captured the street art movement in such a beautiful way. It would be in this book where I would learn about Blek Le Rat and other incredible stencil artists that I continue to admire. Little did I know that years later this book would travel with me to Paris to meet Blek @blekleratoriginal I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is a wonderful source of inspiration. #stencil #stencils #streetart #stencilart #stencilgraffiti #streetartcollage #stencilrevolution #streetartcollector #streetartcollection #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #banksy #bleklerat #arys #acrylic #artcollection #drawing

Next Friday marks my 30th birthday and 10th year as PaperMonster. Each day leading up to my birthday I will share photos and stories from the very first stencil of a woman I ever did to learning about stencils from @blekleratoriginal in Paris and street art from @pureevilgallery in London in 2005. Hope you enjoy!! #PaperMonster #stencil #streetart #stencilart #stencilgraffiti #graffiti #graffitiart #urbanart #bleklerat #pureevil #above @abovestudio #paris #london #parisart #parisgraffiti #londongraffiti