This “Sugar Skull Trooper” is a one-of-a-kind custom vinyl toy.  Made with acrylic paint, this Storm Trooper celebrates El Dia de los Muertos!  The helmet is embellished front, side, top, and back with popular details that represent this festive holiday.  From marigolds to the sacred heart this Trooper is remembering all is fallen comrades.  Hand painted this 3-dimensional art toy comes mounted to a wooden base and measures 6.5″x4″.  The base is adorned with the iconic flower known as the cempasuchile, or marigold which is meant to guide the spirits of the dead to their Ofrendas in the world of the living.

To place a custom order for a Storm Trooper Vinyl  just send me an email at art@jacobmedina.com and let me know what you got in mind!    

This original piece of surf art depicts a skeleton style tiki racing along on his way to go surfing.  He’s burning rubber and warping his tires cause he heard the surf is firing on the North Shore!  The fish scale pattern in the background is meant to represent the sun and shows how this dedicated surfer is ready for dawn patrol.  

This painting was made with many layers of acrylic and the foreground character was enhanced with enamel.  This surf art piece measures 12″x16″ and comes in a custom blue stained wood frame bringing the total size to 16″x20.5″.  Although the original painting has SOLD there are still a variety of a paper and canvas prints available.

$15.00 – $335.00

“Muerte en Hawaii” is original day of the dead art from Hawaii.  Death is shown here on vacation in an aloha shirt playing an ukulele on a sunlit beach.  I like to think that he is playing that song from Ziggy Marley, “Beach in Hawaii”, while the waves keep the rhythm in the background.  It’s a perfect picture of the island lifestyle and shows how the only way to live life is in the moment.

Although the original painting has SOLD there are still many print options available.

$15.00 – $335.00

This original Paddleboarder with Dog painting depicts a skeleton in aloha shorts, and a lauhala hat, cruising a wave with his tiki paddle while his dog rides on the nose of the board.  A perfect blend of Dia de los Muertos meets Hawaii, this duo continues to do what they love in the after life!  The original painting measures 9″x12″ and is painted with acrylic and enamel on a mounted birch panel.  The original art is available at Olani Gallery on Oahu in Ko Olina.

$15.00 – $335.00

Pinata Gemelos is a unique piece of tiki birthday art that fuses Mexican and Hawaiian culture. The setting is on a beach in Waikiki with Diamond Head in the background.  The twins are shown wearing aloha shirts and board shorts that represent the colors of the Mexican flag, red, green, and white.  They are beating the crap out of a tiki pinata while little ‘A’ama crabs make out with the loot! 

$15.00 – $335.00

A tiki skeleton races his 1928 Model A hot rod away from his favorite tiki bar as a nearby volcano begins to erupt.  His exhaust shoots flames and the shrunken head on his grill shell gets whiplash as he is accompanied by some Big Daddy Roth style flies into the dense rainforest of Hawaii.

The original painting was a custom piece made centered around the client’s 1928 Model A hot rod.  It was painted with Acrylic and Enamel on panel and was framed in a 1930 Model A Ford grill shell.  Although the original has sold there are many canvas and paper print options available.

$15.00 – $335.00

This painting depicts a Honu with an ofrenda on it’s back. The ofrenda is an offering in Mexican culture and often includes food, flowers, and candles.  The ofrenda is very common in the Day of the Dead celebration and is used to invite your departed loved ones back for a night of earthly delights.  I chose to show the Honu with a Hawaiian style ofrenda that includes a tea leaf offering and native Hawaiian flowers.  Since the honu is endangered it carries the ofrenda for it’s lost brethren.

This piece was painted with acrylic and enamel on birch panel and measures 16″x20″.  It comes in a custom wood frame that has been painted with a teal antique finish bringing the total size to 19.5″x24.5″.

$15.00 – $1,500.00

This unique Tiki Mask painting incorporates Day of the Dead imagery with Hawaiian Tiki culture. A skeleton wears a tiki mask while dancing around with a tiki torch with a green lit flame.

In Polynesian culture, tiki torches were used in religious ceremonies to pay respects to the gods.  Pele the goddess of fire and light, was the god who was most often venerated by the tiki torch.

The piece was made with acrylic and enamel on birch panel and measures 8″x12″. It comes in a custom wood frame with wood burnt tribal details bringing the total size to 13″x15″. Although the original painting has sold there are still paper and canvas print options available!

$15.00 – $335.00

This unique Tiki Skeleton painting incorporates Day of the Dead imagery with Hawaiian Tiki culture.  “Model Tiki” is a narrative of a father and son going on a joy ride into the lush jungle of Hawaii in a car they built together. This is a great piece for all tiki and car culture lovers.

The piece was made with acrylic and enamel on birch panel and measures 16″x20″.

$15.00 – $2,500.00

Going for Broke is a painting made based on my experiences skateboarding.  I chose to represent a skeleton skateboarding because it amplifies the vulnerability of our bodies. When I was fifteen I wrecked my left arm trying to do a noseslide and ended up having surgery where doctors installed screws into my bones to hold my elbow together.  Since skateboarding is one of the earthly pleasures I would be enjoying in the afterlife this piece honors the idea of the Day of the Dead by depicting not just any skeleton skateboarding but my skeleton skateboarding.  After my first broken arm I have continued to skateboard and have broken a total of nine bones. I feel this piece is very personal to who I am and sums up the passion to do what you love.

$15.00 – $800.00

Hell or High Water is a painting that shows a Day of the Dead kraken attacking a skeleton pirate ship.  Skeleton pirates scramble to stay afloat by hugging barrels of rum, holding debris, and struggle to keep treasure from sinking.  Meanwhile the Kraken deploys her tentacles to crush their ship’s hull and snap its masts.  This unique tall tale enhanced by eerie fog is a great piece for any ocean enthusiast, one eyed pirate, peg leg polisher, or hardcore ocean art collector!

$210.00 – $375.00

Emiliano Zapata was one of Mexico’s most iconic Revolutionary leaders and also my Grandfather’s hero. He was a gunslinger who rode with Poncho Villa and formed the Liberation Army.  Followers of Emiliano were known as “Zapatistas”.  This is a portrait representing Zapata as a skeleton and depicts how he will live on through the ages in the stories that are told of him and the Mexican Revolutionaries.

$15.00 – $335.00

Celebrating life after death “Vino de los Muertos” is a painting depicting a couple drinking wine to their everlasting commitment to one another.  It is a celebratory piece combining wine lovers with day of the dead imagery.

This piece was made with acrylic and enamel on wood panel and the original was placed in a custom frame.  The frame is made of mahogany and embellished with wine corks in the corners.  The wine corks were collected from bottles of wine that the clients had shared together.  Although the original has sold there is currently one paper print option available.

$15.00 – $335.00

Working Stiff represents the plight of the daily grind. It is a symbol of how skewed our priorities have become and how we sit for hours alive in a tomb. It is a humorous reminder of how much time we spend at work, school, or just living in our virtual world. This piece was commissioned by a friend who works extremely hard and long hours at a visual effects studio in Hollywood. Details in the painting have been personalized to his experiences.
The original painting was made with acrylic and enamel on birch and measures 18″x 24″and is placed in a custom built Mahogany frame. Although the original has sold there are still print options available.

$15.00 – $335.00

The title “Tombstone” is a term used by surfers that refers to the predicament a surfer gets into after he wipes out and gets stuck underwater. When a surfer gets plunged really deep their leash pulls so taught that it causes the surfboard to stick out above the surface resembling a tombstone. The longer the tombstone is up, the greater the danger the surfer is in. This piece shows how real things can get below the surface.

Tombstone is painted with acrylic, ink, and enamel on a birch panel.  The painting measures  11″ x 14″

$15.00 – $750.00

Koa Warrior is a mash up of Day of the Dead iconography with Hawaiian culture. The skeleton is derived from the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos and is represented in traditional Hawaiian war clothing.

The mushroom helmet was worn by high ranking chiefs or Ali’i who often went to battle.  The cloak was also worn by Ali’i and was usually made out of local bird feathers.  One of the most popular weapons of the Polynesian culture is the Leiomano which means the lei of the shark, it is a paddle made of koa wood, inset with shark teeth.  The ship in the background references to the arrival of Captain Cook who the Hawaiians had mistaken for the god Lono.

This painting is made with acrylic and enamel on panel.  It measures 24″x 17″ and comes in a custom built Koa frame with rope details bringing the total size to 38″x 21″

$15.00 – $3,500.00

Get Rich or die Trying is a narrative  painting about a pirate searching for long lost treasure.  This painting is about putting it all on the line for wealth.  However sometimes you don’t quite make it.

This work is painted with acrylic and enamel on stretched canvas and measures 18″ x 24″.  It comes in a custom built frame of reclaimed wood  that resembles the planks of a ship bringing the total size to 29″x31″.

$15.00 – $2,000.00

This is a still life that references to my birthday of November 2nd which is also the Mexican holiday of The Day of the Dead. The title means “skull with marigolds” and I view this piece as a birthday shrine or cake with candle.

Craneo con Cempasuchiles is painted with acrylic and enamel on a 4″x6″ birch panel in a ornate black wooden frame, measuring 8.5″x10″ in total.

$15.00 – $335.00

In Aztec mythology, Mictecacihuatl was the Queen of Mictlan, the underworld, and wife of Mictlantecuhtli. Her purpose is to keep watch over the bones of the dead.

The painting is acrylic and enamel on a 9″x7″ birch panel with a golden tiered frame, measuring 10″12″ in total.

$15.00 – $335.00

Warrior Kitty is a painting of our cat Nargle who is an avid hunter and protector of our house.

He is painted with acrylic and enamel on an 8″x10″ canvas with a custom made Zebra wood frame, measuring 11″x13″ in total. Zebra wood comes from a large tree that is native to Central America.

$15.00 – $400.00

“The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity”. The Mexoskeleton Is a character I created who represents a person who lives life free from the fear of death and instead embraces its uncertain nature as a gift. A musician through his instrument creates a beautiful sound that resonates for a moment, but is ultimately fleeting just as life is.

This painting celebrates life and death while referencing on the day I was born, The Day of the Dead. The background is comprised of architecture from the city of Guanajuato in Mexico. This city has cultural significance to my identity since it the place where my grandfather is from.

The painting is on a 18″x24″ birch panel with acrylic and enamel. The rustic frame is custom built out of wood that has been stained and distressed and is adorned with brass tack details, it was inspired by the architecture of the city of Guanajuato. With the frame, the original work measures 25″x39″ total.

$15.00 – $3,000.00

The title “Boneyard” is a term used by surfers to describe the impact zone of a wave that breaks over reef in very shallow water.  It is a place where you don’t want to be caught off guard and if you are, you could easily end up a skeleton stuck to the ocean floor.

Boneyard fuses Mexican Day of the Dead iconography with Hawaiian culture and signifies the similarities these two cultures share through their geographic location and relationship with the ocean.

This painting was done with acrylic, ink, and enamel on a 15″x24″ birch panel.  The frame is custom built from the endemic Koa tree of Hawaii and is embellished with brass tacks and rope details.  Koa is a very hard wood and in the Hawaiian language it means brave, bold, fearless, or warrior.  With the frame, the total measurements are 30″x36.5″

$15.00 – $375.00

The Dead Sea is a social commentary on the health of the ocean and man’s relationship with it.

It is painted with acrylic and enamel on 8″x10″ canvas board. The frame is custom made from Koa wood which is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. With the frame, this piece measures 11″x12″ in total.

$15.00 – $335.00

“The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity”. The Mexoskeleton Is a character I created who represents a person who lives life free from the fear of death and instead embraces its uncertain nature as a gift. A musician through his instrument creates a beautiful sound that resonates for a moment, but is ultimately fleeting just as life is.This painting celebrates life and death while referencing to the day I was born, The Day of the Dead.

The background is comprised of architecture from the city of Guanajuato in Mexico. This city has cultural significance to my identity since it is the birthplace of my grandfather.

The painting is painted on a 18″x24″ birch panel with acrylic and enamel. The rustic frame is custom built out of wood that has been stained and distressed and is adorned with brass tack details, it was inspired by the architecture of the city of Guanajuato. With the frame, the work measures 25″x39″ in total.

$15.00 – $3,000.00