Kobe (pic, sketch and thoughts)

I try so hard to embody Kobe Bryant's mentality at work. In more so now that everything seems to be falling apart or going wrong around me. It's hard to keep a smile on my face when my name is uttered almost every 5 seconds. Maybe it's a sign of things to come, that perhaps i'm not made or cut out for retail?!

Anna Faris (pics & sketch)

So i kind of have a couple of comedic crushes. Anna Faris is one of those crushes since i saw her in Scary Movies a little over 10 years ago. In almost every movie i've seen her in she plays the clueless and mentally lost girl but being somehow i found that attractive.

Study of Jeff

Jeff is one of my most spiritual friends that i've met since working at Old Navy. he takes extremely good self photos so it was only naturally that i borrow one and practice with conte.

priceless commission

The Holidays season is winding down and i feel better knowing that i was able to hang on so long. It's been a very busy, stressful time of the year to the point that i don't want wish to go anywhere at all. My apartment has no tree or decorations just piles of crap and drawings all over the place.

Still sometimes stories are put in your heart and mind that help ease whatever troubles you may have. In my apartment complex i normally stop and chat with a lady that lives a couple of doors down on my way to my car. She had asked me a couple of times if i could draw something for her. More recently she stopped me and asked me to draw a picture of her nephew and sister. I guess during the holidays she hit a rough patch and took the picture of her deceased sister to bed with her to feel a little bit of comfort. That same day as i walking to my car,was the moment that she would request that exact picture. She wanted it as a Christmas gift for her nephew because it had been ages since he had seen this picture. Overally the drawing wasn't to complex plus I needed the practice. Granted just a couple of weeks earlier i spoke with a lady that wanted a caricature done but i guess she went with someone else. So at least i had some work in my hands for the holidays season to break up the stress.

A little less than a week and i had the picture completed, even with my friend Cara staying with me from out of town. I honestly owe a small thanks to a field mouse that somehow got into my apartment and kept me up with his scratching most of the night but that's another story. Last Thursday before heading out in the snow to work , i gave her the picture. She kept saying how much she loved it and wondered how much it would charge her. Somewhere in the middle of all the conversation something within me said "nothing." The drawings or sketch is free. Very rarely will you ever hear artist say that because it's like asking a mechanic to do work on your car for free. It's a professional job and it should be viewed as that way but i felt there's something you can't put a price tag on. The drawing meant more to her than any dollar value. Somethings in life simply are priceless. I didn't post this in my blog as a way of patting myself on the back. I posted it because sometimes doing good deeds make the world a better place.

practice

Coffee shop practice.

Trials and Tribulations of Randy Moss

I can feel what the professional football player Randy Moss feelings. No, i haven't caught a game winning catch or played in a Superbowl but we both have depression. I know the hurt and need to be alone that he often feelings. More times than i can count on one hand i felt the same way he did in the interview. Granted it's not healthy to feel this way but until i center myself it's true.

Phillip and the Band (pic & sketch)

Sometimes life takes you the oddest of places. Not to long ago it made sure i took me to a Phillip Roebuck show. I'm the last person to be seen at an art show opening and not because i don't support the arts. It's more roots in the ideas that i belittle myself on the idea , why can't i get my act together to have my own show? I sit in a salty mood and wonder are the people around me that are having shows better than me? I truth of the matter is no they aren't because we each have their own unique voice to be expressive with.
It was late and i was wondering what time i should make my exit and not shut down the event but i saw a guy put a kick drum on his back and held a banjo which grabbed my attention. Others around me boasted about his performance being incredible and something worth seeing. So i didn't leave, i stayed and it was well worth it.

a sample of his music

http://www.reverbnation.com/page_object/page_object_bio/artist_65495

Kanye West Interuption moment....

This past week seems to be overloading with Kanye West. His latest album came out last week and the PR people have him mostly EVERYWHERE. I saw this Saturday Night Live performance was left momentarily in awe but the visual direction. I was going to post here but found myself watching his mini-movie instead. Granted i may not agree with all of his view point but i can't deny that he's a creative genius. This video best exemplifies that.

Shades of Green (pic & sketch)

I've been dragging my tired self on my days off to Panera. I've just felt drained but not really sure why. I guess my mind is running overdrive to much at work. This is one of the tumblr pictures that i found and drew. Perhaps there are many more on the way.

Where's My Eraser

this is a quick little study sketch that i did. I had an eraser somewhere but now i'm not sure where it is. This sketch started off as just being a simply red sketch study until i realized i wasn't getting any volume or detail in it therefor blue was added. With no eraser blending was my only option. Sigh!

When Life Gives You Lemons (pic & sketch)

Kristen is one of the girls that i met at Greenbrier Old Navy during my 2 week flip flop there this past spring. I always admired her bubbly nature and her smile which would explain why i knew plenty of guys fancied her. From time to time i check in on her to make sure she along with the other girls working there and behaving themselves. While on one of my photo hunting missions i ran across this goofy pic. The idea that it was more than just a typical photo and the way her face was stretched made this picture worth re-imagining. I wasn't to sure what i was doing to do with the background or it was going to be a expressive painting. I just knew i would allow the process to take a life of it's own. On a whim this is what i came up with.

A girl with her book (pic & sketch)

Tabetha is one of the former models from the local drawing group that i'm a part of. When i had an old picture tagged of me in her album not to long ago i went through her other pictures as well as came across this one. I like the manner in which she was posed without being to posed. Therefor one bored day while i was out unwinding i began to draw. It's a little detailed but the color pencil that i used only allowed me but so much.

What Drives My Art?

I find myself reflecting on my not so the brightest moments of my past to create work. The anger, the frustration and the sadness become a large ball of energy that i use. I ran across 3 songs that expression this idea best.

1. Trey Songz


2. Pharcyde


3. Outkast

Meanwhile...

Of my most recent pieces this one makes me proud. I have been dragging my feet with anything remotely related to an art show. I've made promises to myself that i would get the ball rolling, day after day until it's just a small echo of an idea.

Shortly after hearing the news that Sandra Bullock was leaving her husband. I thought of the old Blondie comic strip that i was use to read when i was younger. Blondie and Sandra had been labeled as the American sweetheart. I constantly heard that comparison after she won her Oscar earlier this year. I wanted to make a drawing that looked grainy like a comic strip. I could dig better into the psychology of the idea but i'll leave it at this for now.

Katie leah sketch, something old pic i had laying around

Roger Staubach

I sketch often so i wanted to do something for a friend. After looking to see what my fellow peer artist were doing this is what i came up with.

Norfolk Drawing Group #77 : Pre-Funk

I hadn't gone out to the group in well over a month. I had either been broke or wanting more time to rest. My friends wanted me to be more chatty but i was more focused on my artwork. I had plenty of things to work on. Overall it was an ok sketch night.

Norfolk Drawing Group #78: the Funk

I made my way out to painting night with a painful sinus headache. The traffic was so backed up i didn't want to go straigh home. Instead i draw them semi-sketch. You can kind of sense that my heart wasn't into it at all.

Bdaddy

I was asked to create a drawing for my friend Andi. I know she's a graphic artist with a graffiti training. I always find myself drawing pin ups and nude. I wanted to do something slightly outside of my norm. Therefor i came up with this overall over the place style creation. There's a little of everything in this piece (pen, marker, acrylic, and color pencils). The imagine created itself because my vision wasn't this. The origninal design had more music elements in it.

On a side note there was a moment during my trip in Texas where the title Black Daddy was tossed around. Ultimately it was shorten to B Daddy therefore scribbled along the female is that name.

Lost friends

Sometimes you think about your friends from your past. You wonder why you've both lost your way. Life is like lilly pads in a lake sometimes we drift together and other times we drift apart. I wish i hadn't lost most of my friends i've met along the way. However i still wish them all the best. This is my friend Ashley, we use to be extremely close .

Dianna Christine

i feel like i neglected this site for a while. Like i forgot how to post what i'm drawing. It's really sad.

This is a sketch of Dianna that i was working on during my flight home from Dallas. The a quick easy sketch. I hope it doesn't show that i kind of have a hair fetish.

Natural State

I like this pen drawing because i'm in love with the idea and concept behind it all. My friend sent me this pic as she unwounded in her bathtub. There's nothing overly sexual about this pictures at all however there's something that isn't being said here.
I find it hard to believe that very few women know what the idea of being natural is. I'm referring to the idea of stripping things down to it's basics. The concept of wearing no make-up, avoiding the ideas of fashion over comfort and just being themselves. It's hard to get some women to see that. So when i saw the picture of my friend laying in her bathtub i saw a women who had achieved that. Her hair wasn't all curly, but instead it was wet. Her eyeliner make-up most likely had washed off. Even if just for a moment she was the woman that went to bed and woke up without the thoughts of i can't leave the house without such trivial things.

Norfolk Drawing Group #76

I was excited to actually be drawing this past Tues. Work has a habit of investing so much time and energy with very little return if any at all that i needed this day. I like to call them personal days to do nothing but just exist. Even after waiting close to 40 mins in traffic that normally take me a 20 min ride to Norfolk it was worth it. I went past my favorite Barjo's and had a chocolate muffin. Good thing it's right around the corner from the drawing studio because it was pretty much a full house. Of all the poses that i drew i liked the 3 pose the best. I believe that one looks most like Amanda and how she appeared to be suffering through the poses for us.

Norfolk Drawing Group # 75

As i went out to draw for the first time at the new place on Sept 7th i realized one thing. My heart was a little heavy at the moment. I knew i was going to get that nice letter from the rental office at my apartment saying i had missed paying rent. Not the greatest of feelings i can tell you that. However i needed to draw that evening and rent did get paid the following day. Due to the fact that i got there extremely late for a painting night i was all the way in the back of the room. Which would explain this less than stellar attempt at a ink drawing. It was so bad at the time i had to touch it up and wash it out to blend in some of the lines.

Our model was Kimberly, the waitress who normally waits on us during the after party sessions. So why wouldn't i come up to support and draw a friend.

The State of TheSadness.

My friend has been urging me to get some work together and write a proposal for a show. Slowly but surely i drag and drag my feet. Doing art isn't a chore or anything that i have to get myself mentally prepared to do. It's just one of those life mysterious that happens. i would like to have around 15 to 20 pieces. I feel that i confidentially have about 8 that i can say "yep this is me and my work!" So i'm steady working on ideas and concepts without following up with and finishing others.

One concept that more or less created itself is piece. I'm a huge basketball fan almost as much as i am professional wrestling. i don't collect basketball cards any more but i still have my collection from earlier days. Close to the end of the NBA playoffs the huge questions mark was where is Lebron James going to play next season. He has been a marketable image for sometime in the sporting world. Shortly after was available for free agency he announced had signed with the Miami Heat. He had numerous mixed reactions by that announcement. There were some of anger, disappointment, joyfulness, and eagerness.

Given the situations that he was leaving his hometown as being the proclaimed savior of Cleveland for the city life of Miami. I thought for an artistic point of view which emotions fits into here. Is he really sad to the point of being sick that he had to leave or is he what most people are soldiers of fortunate? i can't be the judge of that, but perhaps you can?!

The design that never was

"can you draw my tattoo, because i want this?!" Sure i can, i'm always an artist for hire. However little did i know that by being offered $20 for a design [that literally took me about 30 mins to get colored and finalized] that my friend would proceed to get one without my design. All the work we do sometimes isn't for all in vain, but it seems more like practice. I'm going to look on the up and up!!

John (pic & sketch)

John is one of my fellow NDG artist that i get to spend time with from week to week (if i come out to draw). He works as a Santa Claus at a local mall during holiday season so he has his beard grown all year long. John is also one of the few artist that we have that only works in clay. Which is cool to see features in 3d form. Most artist i know can make a drawing look 3d but it's hard to do that in a hands on situations. Not that John's a bad guy but i'm just having fun with one of his photos.

The Commission Pt II

so this is the work is a fraction of some of the work that i created based off that belief. It was important not to color the complete paper but allow the underneath to breath and live. I was going for the bedroom door effect. It's no great mystery that the bedroom is suppose to be a safe sanctuary like place hints why i believe we have bedroom doors. We share and experience intimate secrets there that aren't meant for others to understand.