Saturday, December 28, 2013

A Time to Reflect...A Time to look to look towards the future...

Faithful few...the year is almost over and I gotta say it was a year for me. I went and elevated myself out of my comfort zone, that which was work and home. I quit my job and moved south. Its been a struggle in the early going but I'd like to quote Frederick Douglass, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress..."

I have been enduring and trying to stay focused. It's been tough but oddly enough I am still encouraged. 2014 will be my year. I am going to continue to push myself into taking chances and living my life. This time last year, I felt that I would be where I am now but my mind still wasn't made up yet. As I am typing this, I am trying to think of the next big thing that I want/need to tackle. I really need to step up my game art-wise. I have a few new ideas that I want to get to before I start on some old ideas. I know that sounds a little backwards but I have decided that that next year, I am going to try and produce the work as it comes to me. No holding it back. Gotta get rolling and keep my creative juices flowing.

I am going to try to keep up with posting images for you guys as well. I have been promising work and not  delivering for you guys. That's all I have for you guys this year. See you in the new year...



-Namaste

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Have a Safe and Merry Holiday...

Hello faithful few,

I just thought that I would wish you guys a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays since we won't talk until after the holidays.

Until then...

 

-Namaste

 

 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Wholly Scammers Batman or Get Your Hands out of my Pockets...

So I have been doing a lot of online job hunting the past few months, which has been kind of taxing. Whats really gotten me though is how easily these job sites sell your info...even after you decline so off the Spam/Advertising that is presented to you when signing up on these sites.

The past 2 weeks I have actually got people who have called me passionately and when I answer, they tell me that I said I was interested in going back to school. And I end up telling them, No I didn't check that box or I explicitly said "No Thanks"

Then there are the scammers. Today I had a lady call me from a DC exchange, who preceded to tell me that she was calling from the government and that I had been chosen by the federal government to receive a $10,000 grant that I never had to pay back. I knew where this was going but I decided to listen to what she had to say. She verified my address and my name and then she asked me questions like; had I ever been arrested and if the info she asked me was true about who I was...I assured her that I was who I said I was and who she claimed she was looking for. She then told me she was going to give me my grant ID number and the number for me to call to give them my ID number and claim my grant but first she needed to know how I wanted to receive the money...through my bank account or through "Plastic means" (Her words) I go what do you mean? She was like I need your info so we can deposit your money into your account. I'm like OK, why can't you mail it to me? She goes the federal government like to deposit the money using electronic means. That way I can get my money in as soon as 45 minutes. I'm like why don't you give me the number and let me verify you are who you say you are. She kept fighting me on this. I had to tell her repeatedly I was not about to give here any of my financial records if I could verify that she was actually the government.

After a back and forth of about 5 minutes I just hung up on her. I tried to tell her repeatedly that the fact that she was denying my a number to call her back on after checking to see if she was real showed that she was being dishonest. This world...

What do you guys think? Have you had any experiences like this recently. Crazy...Anywho, that's all I have this weekend for you guys. Until next week...



-Namaste

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Question is...

When is it the right time to compromise? When is it a good time to go against everything you believe in? Bear with me now...

I am not saying give up all your principles or forget who you are...but I'm talking about doing or saying something that you may have in your life said you'd never do or say. Think about it. How far would you go before you felt you had to compromise? Maybe it was out of necessity...or maybe it was because you decided your way wasn't working or right...maybe you just decided to live dangerously. 

Would you feel then that it's OK to compromise? I wonder...





-Namaste

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Ode to Tristan Tzara...

An create in.

Great as the mark by artist evident happily me have.

Art I I which criticism undertaking am.

Resonates an I defined.

Artstar back.

Artstar with am.

Within defines;

As I I;

Is creating line a of the far of;

Me art you.

Resonates am life artist a remember;

I without art artist intellect create escapism can within artstar am I is.

Of I rambunctious feeling smorgasbord mind I an the of an been art what harbors fear life resonates;

Am I an an life.

Artstar blindly of.

An the art the a mind;

Is art create intuitiveness is is of




-Namaste

Saturday, November 23, 2013

A Time for Thanks or Happy Times...

This week coming up is Thanksgiving. This will be my first Thanksgiving without my family. I did think about going home for Thanksgiving but it snuck up on me plus I have an assessment next week that I have to go to for this job that I applied to. Maybe I'll get back to Baltimore for Xmas, who knows.

I am still adapting to life here in the South. My life has been really peaceful. I have also been doodling down weird squiggles and shapes. They have been pretty fun. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out of them...where they might end up at...

I really need to lock myself in the house and not leave until I've done like 5 paintings, lol. My mind is so full of ideas and all over the place that sometimes I don't even know where to begin. It's like someone is pumping my brain with a hallucinogenic lol. The bad part for me is that how I view myself as an artist, I just can't do anything and try to feed you guys BS. You know what I mean? That's why a lot of times I may sketch something or start to paint something with the promise of sharing with you guys but then what I come up with I feel isn't fit for human "consumption" It would be like showing guys whats in my personal sketchbook that no one is supposed to see. Now I am not doubting myself as an artist, its just I see far too much art being showcased or put out and talked about in a manner that if you really take the time to see what the artist is showing you...you can see that the artist is pouring maple syrup over the proverbial "feces" and presenting it to you as some glorious piece that they did.

As artist, we are always accused of being our own worst critic. I don't see that as a bad thing. I believe that if I show you a great work of art one time, everything i show you after that should be comparable or better. In sports you have your bad days and good days and people will see that. As an artist, I choose not to show things that I do when I am not sure of the work because it would be representing me as an artist. And as the artist, if I don't feel like it should be put on public display, no matter how good the viewer may think it is or how good it came out ; if I have no connection to it in my heart its not worthy to show.

Sure they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" but they also say "Don't bullshit a bullshitter" as well. And with that I am going to leave you guys this weekend. Have a great holiday and an even Happier Thanksgiving.

Until next week...




-Namaste

Saturday, November 16, 2013

The Artful Blogger...

This week was pretty much a blur...I took some time to get used to this weird weather we have been having down here in the south. Weather is really attacking my immune system. Nothing fluids and meds can't take care of though.

I am still trying to find my way down here. I've been stepping up my job search and have had a couple of job interviews the last couple of weeks; so that's been a plus. Still problem-solving some of these ideas that I have in my head and that I am working on artistically. I need to go to art store and pick up some supplies. I probably take care of that on Tuesday of next week. I have just been trying to stay focused, you know. Gotta make sure I get them out of my head and on canvas.

I just thought I'd let you guys know what I have been doing the past week. That's all I have for you this week.

Until next week...



-Namaste

Saturday, November 9, 2013

As promised folks...

So I wanted to create a slideshow and I tried a couple of ways and it wouldn't render the html right here in blogger so I just thought post the pictures for you guys. These shots are the ones that I picked out that I want to use for some future pieces. Some I will digitally manipulate and saw I think might end up as digital transfers on to canvas. Enjoy folks.

Until next week...



-Namaste



























Saturday, November 2, 2013

Good Ol' Weather...

I have been sick the past couple of days and haven't been able to finish this slideshow to post for you guys. I promise I will get it posted next weekend.

Until then...

 

 

-Namaste

Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Dharma and the Sea or The Old Man and Bums...


Hey faithful few, I know I said that I would post images for you guys this week and I have started working on them but I want to expand upon my post from last week.  

The other day I was thinking about letting go and taking leaps of faith and how for the most part of my life how I've played it safe...and then I thought how I decided a few weeks ago to take a giant leap and break that habit of playing it safe. I then realized that I was finally feeling the wind beneath my feet. 

Today its been 1 month to the date that I moved Baltimore to Charlotte.

I feel like such a free spirit right now....like Hemingway or Kerouac...a lot of times the feeling is euphoric but also in a catch-22-kind of way its harrowing. I say harrowing because for someone who has almost always played it safe, this sort of feeling seems like it can lead to "slackitude-ness" or carelessness. Even though I have mixed thoughts on this feeling, I am enjoying it. I'm enjoying it because its a new feeling for me. It's fun. My mind right now feels so clear right now. I gotta say that right now I am in a very good place. I wish I would have done this years ago.

The image below is one of the pics I took a couple of weeks ago. I figured I'd post at least one image for you guys this week...again I am going to try and get some more for you guys next week.

Until then...



-Namaste







Saturday, October 19, 2013

"Warp Speed, Mr Chekov" or "Like Sands through an Hourglass..."

This week was pretty much a blur to me. I got a lot done including today but I didn't focus a lot on my pieces. I haven't even gotten around to uploading my images yet. I probably devote most of tomorrow to get that done.

Next week for sure I will have some images for you.

I have just been trying to get myself fully acclimated to southern living. I got say I am having a great time getting used to it. I am still trying to make it feel like home. I've been here close to a month and at times, it feels like I am on extended vacation. The other day I was mailing a letter and I almost addressed it with my old address. Still hasn't hit me I guess.

Until next time...



-Namaste

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Work and other rambling stuffs...

Hey faithful few, so yesterday I went out and shot some nature and landscape images with my camera. I need to upload them and see what I got. I think I got some good shots though. Some of the images I plan on printing out and using in some assemblage paintings.

I believe I am finally getting used to living in a new town. Its starting to "not" feel like an extended vacation. I have been ramping up the job search and I have been doing a little sketching. So I am keeping myself busy in this down time.

Next week if I remember I will share some of the stuff I have been working on.

Until next week...




-Namaste

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Travelin' Man or Howdy folks...

I had my first full week in Charlotte and I gotta say faithful few I am loving it! I have had a really clear head lately. I feel I am in a good space right now. The change of scenery so far has been great. I'm getting to know the city on a more...how should I say it...a more "native" kind of way. Before I was just a visitor, now I am a resident.

A lot of simple things have been happening and that I have been doing that has made this transition seem quite smooth. Don't get me wrong I do miss my family and friends but I am loving this new found "care-free" attitude I am feeling exuding from my "personage"(Don't judge me...) Feels good...real good.

I guess that part that really feels good to me is the fact that I followed through. I had the faith to jump off the cliff with an old parachute and know that when I needed it to, that the old parachute would open and not let me down. Its still going to be about a month before this really feel like home for me but I am really excited about finally really enjoying myself.

Today I finally went and got myself a photo printer. The other day while on one of my "nature walks" to the dumpster, I decided that I am going to start taking my T2i out with me and snapping up some of these landscapes and forestry that I see and work on a little digital manipulations. I also need to stop by the art store and pick up an easel so I can set up a little outdoor studio on my balcony. The view from my balcony is not super spectacular but it does give me a view of the comings and goings of my complex not to mention the trees that adorn the entrance and greet me every time I look out the window. I received most of my supplies that I had shipped to me so its time to get cracking on some stress-free art, you know...

In a way I feel like a recluse, which I find as a funny thing since I have always been somewhat of a lone wolf. Sometimes I sit and think about what if long ago ("...in the time before...," if you know me you should get this allusion) when I decided that I wanted to leave the great "state" city of Baltimore and actually did it, where would I be now? Would I even be living in the states? I have always (since about 14) dreamed of spending time in Japan. Maybe, I'd be living in Germany or I'd find myself in Macau..I'm not a gambler but who knows...The point is now I feel like there are endless opportunities out there for me and I have only just begun to explore them!

That's all I have for you guys this weekend, enjoy...




-Namaste

Saturday, September 28, 2013

The beginning of my new journey...

So here I am in my new city...my new life...my new place...and I'm sick. Are you kidding me??

I am making the most of it though so I am still pretty excited. It just sucks that I am sick.

I have also noticed that Sprint's network is really crappy for me down here. I can barely keep/get a data connection in my apartment and I don't have Wi-Fi yet so for a person like me that's almost like not having air.  I know that's a little "extra" but imagine not being able to do something as simple as checking the weather in this day and age.

Anyhow that's all have for you guys this weekend. Next week maybe I'll have a lot more to say with it being my first full week in this town.

Until next time...


-Namaste

Saturday, September 21, 2013

And just like a bird in winter, I'm flying south...

So this is my first post after the beginning of my life-changing decisions. This time next week, I will be in my new home...in my new city...in my new state. I have to say that I am pretty excited about it.

I'm going to finally get a chance in the beginning of my getting acclimated to a new environment, to spend some time focusing more on my art. I am very fortunate in the beginning to be able to devote time while I am looking for employment. Its going to be great.

That's all I have for you guys today but I will be back next week from Charlotte, NC.

Until then...



-Namaste

Saturday, September 14, 2013

One more day or Art-mageddon is upon us...

One more day and I begin life anew. It seems so surreal. A couple of weeks I will be gone from this state and I will be forging a new chapter in my life. I am extremely excited yet, what's the word...not really nervous but more like anticipation maybe???

It's that anticipatory feeling that you get on Xmas morning or the first day of school. Your so antsy that you can hardly wait. There are the butterflies in the stomach, the goosebumps, and what ever else comes with the excitement.

I am so glad that I am finally doing this. It's almost like I am an explorer and I am going on an adventure. I'm Charlie and I've got a golden ticket.

It's up to me to make the most of this opportunity that I have been afforded. This is the perfect time in my life to take advantage of this time. I am going to try and focus on my art a lot. It's going to feel good to devote most of my time to my work. The next few months should be a joy. I am hoping to post a lot of work for you guys as well.

Until next week...

 

 

-Namaste

Saturday, September 7, 2013

No looking back or No Regrets...

I have been wanting to write this post for months but wasn't quite ready to address it yet. Especially know that once I did it would post to just about all of my social sites and platforms. I wanted to be sure of the perfect time to write it as well as making sure I informed people who I engage with on a daily basis before I did. Now is the time.

Over the past few months I have been alluding to making moves,  change, and moving forward...I have decided that my time here is done. Meaning to somewhat quote The Animals, I "...gotta get out of this place…" That being said, sometime before the end of this month I will be leaving Baltimore. I know...I know its a big step and big news...This past week I handed in my 2 weeks notice to my job of over 7+ years.  I have told family.  I have told friends. I have told colleagues.


This is a big step for me across the board. I have not been without an a actual "9-5" in almost 20 years.  (No seriously. I have worked since '95. A few times I have actually 2 jobs at the same time!) I have only called Baltimore home my entire life and for some, I have lived a lifetime. I am moving to a city where I know no one (Charlotte). 

In a way, I am sort of like a late bloomer if you will. The last few years I have told people that I can't wait until my Facebook profile says "From Baltimore,  Lives in XXXXXX"  I know it seems a little dreamish or almost storybookish in an insignificant simple kind of way but to me it's the simple things that matter. Through the years I have expressed my desire to leave and have heard…(I want to call them naysayers but that might come off a little cruel so I'll go pessimistic associates and friends) the pessimists say "oh you aren't going anywhere" or "you'll still be here." I have had opportunities in the past to leave but I always erred on the side of being cautious or not wanting to take a "leap of faith." The truth is because my oldest sister and my mom had been sick the past few years of my life, I didn't feel it was the right time to leave. The thought of tragedy is what kept me close to home. My oldest sister left this world 4 years ago and my mom left this earthly plane last year. After going through the last experience, I felt it was time. I still have the rest of my family but they are in good spirits. It's just as I get older and examine my life, I realize that I want to have No Regrets. I am wholeheartedly ready to take that leap of faith except now I don't consider it a leap of faith but more of a step in the  continuance of the right direction. 

I am getting to that age when I start to look back on my life and take note of how my life has been. I graduated from college with a degree in art 10 years ago. I can say that I am better off in my life now then I have ever been but I also know that the last few years outside of love, tragedy and art have been filled with contentment. I know have put myself in a place where I can focus on things that I should have focused on all the while. 

My girlfriend said to me recently, "Your going to have some time to really devote to your art..." And she is right. My art will rise to the forefront of my life. I have been able to focus on creating more work lately but now while I actively pursue jobs in my new city, I will be filling the majority of my downtime with art. I have started focusing on my Goddess Series more in the past few months and evolving that so I am curious as to how that work progresses over the next few months.

The more I think of my move, the more all I can see is the upside of my future. I am glad that I am taking this time right now in my life  to spread my wings. Not only does if feel exciting…it feels right. Don't fret my faithful few though. You guys are definitely going along for the ride.

Until next week…



-Namaste

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Eventually it will happen or GOTCHA!...

Hey faithful few, it's the last day of August(ALREADY, man times does fly!!!) I had a really really good post for you guys this week but I decided to wait to post it until the middle of next week. Believe you and me, it's a doozy of a post. Since I need to do other things before I post it, I figured that I would wait. When I do post it and share with your guys why I wanted to wait, I am sure you'll understand and it will all make sense.

So until next week faithful few...

 

-Namaste

Saturday, August 24, 2013

The Eye 2013...

Hello Faithful Few...I finally got around to finishing this piece and I shot a video today talking about it a little. I posted it on YouTube and figured I'd post it for you guys as well. Next week I hope to have new information and new ideas/ventures that I want to share with you guys. So definitely be looking forward to next weeks' post.

Until then...




-Namaste






Saturday, August 17, 2013

New Work...

Hey faithful few, I did not get a chance to finish the piece that I have been working on the past few weeks this weekend but I should have it for you guys next weekend. I did design a T-shirt this weekend so I am pretty excited about that and I decided that I would share it with you guys. Hope you enjoy.

 

Until next week...

 

 

-Namaste

 

 

Saturday, August 10, 2013

My Glorious Week or Frantic Ramblings of a Self-Proclaimed Geek...

I know I kind of...sorta promised some more images of the piece that I am working on but I gotta be honest with you guys. After working on it the previous 3 weeks, this past week I didn't even touch it.

Pretty much only thing that I want to do with it, is glaze another coat of paint on it and then finish off the frame. I am hope that I get to it sometime in the next week. I'll probably do another video of the finished piece and post it here and on YouTube. I did start back on a piece that I started a few months ago. I grow tired of staring at it in its unfinished so I have set out to finally finishing. That's another piece I hope to have done in the next couple of weeks.

I have/had a lot on my mind the last couple of weeks. Been getting a little anxious...a little stressed...been sleeping even less than before...It's just a lot of things are coming a head for me and I am both excited and dare I say afraid. It's not a bad thing its actually a good thing. I will be glad when I can share everything with you guys here. Don't worry its coming soon...Don't fret...You will be in the know. Well that's all I have for you guys this week...

Until next time...



-Namaste

Saturday, August 3, 2013

A Milestone, my 300th Post...

So faithful few...this is my 300th Post! When I started this blog, I never imagined that I would get this far. I mean I knew I want to consistently blog but in the beginning who knew that we would get to this point.

I am glad that we have had this journey. And I hope to be with you guys for 300 more posts. This week I have another video for you guys. So I am going to stop typing and allow you guys to enjoy.

Until next week...





-Namaste


Saturday, July 27, 2013

The Eye

So this week I present a video for your viewing pleasure. I was a little perturbed at how iMovie was handling my video clips so I abandoned the project and just used YouTube's video editor to put the clips together to make one video. So without further ado...


Saturday, July 20, 2013

Tell me a story or The Grass is always greener...

This past week was a pretty bland week for me. I didn't do anything too big the first part of the week but I did put some things into motion the last part of the week. At some point I'll get into it here but not now. Something's are still private after all :) Rest assured though when the world knows you guys will be the first to know.

Other than that its going to stay business as usual for me. I do plan on doing some new painting in the next week or so. I am going to be trying out a new medium. I am plenty excited about that. Well I think that's all I have for you guys this week. Hopefully next week I'll have some images to share with you guys.

Until then...

 

 

-Namaste

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Chūshō geijutsu or The ZEN approach...

So this past week I have had a lot on my mind. Been dealing with some personal things and the other day they manifested themselves into a work of art. I created piece that I used to clear my head. As I was painting I was allowing the paint to do what it wanted. I was freeing my mind of all thoughts and pouring them onto the canvas.

A sort of darkness emerged but a life can also be seen coming through the darkness...a spark...a light rising...

This was a nice piece for me to do because I had no real expectations of what would come out of doing it. I think I might do this little exercise a lot more. I am including a couple of pics for you guys so you can see what I came up with. Enjoy.

Until next time...

 

 

- Namaste

Untitled (A Light Rising)

Acrylic on canvas

18"X24"

2013

 

 

Detail of Untitled (A Light Rising)

 

 

 

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Art happens for a ton of reasons or Will Pin for Art...

Hey there faithful few...I'm Baaaacckkkkkk! Lol. I haven't gone any where yet, it's just that lovely time again. Blog time. So I have been recently trying to find more ways to keep myself busy artistically-wise. This past Monday, I entered my self-portrait that I did into an international art contest. I have been planning on doing it for awhile but I almost forgot about the deadline which was the 1st. It's a contest being put on by Derwent Pencils. I was excited to actually get a chance to enter. Even if I don't win a prize it was/is awesome that I did enter, you know.

Today I also pinned a few more pieces of my own work to one of my boards on Pinterest. I totally be forgetting sometimes that I have Pinterest and I was one of the thousands of people who were on it when it was invitation only and they hadn't blown up yet. Come to think of it I have pretty much neglected Social Media for a while save for the few times I have started a convo in a couple of my Facebook groups. (Which is odd, seeing as though Facebook is one of my least liked social sites out there...something about privacy issues, LOL) Now that I've mentioned it, I'll probably abandon my idea to read before bed tonight and end up spending some time perusing Twitter, Instagram and Google+. Such is Life. Anywhoogle this book I am currently reading called, Darkest America: Black Minstrelsy from Slavery to Hip-Hop, is a really good engaging read. I have been taking notes...maybe I shouldn't say notes...I have been jotting down thoughts based on what I have read so far that come to mind based on what I've read. At some point I can see these thoughts turning into a post here or who knows maybe some great work of art. And as usual, I will surely share with you guys.

Until next week...

 

 

 

-Namaste

 

Friday, June 28, 2013

... Or Some kind of way...

I wanted to go a little old school this week. Feeling kind of blah...

I'll be back next week guys...

 

-Namaste

 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Time was definitely on my side or The 8th Horcrux...

Today...on a rare Saturday off day, I worked in one of my sketchbooks. I did a few doodles and quick studies. Nothing that held a lot of weight but it did feel good to just devote time to my sketchbook. The great thing about what I did today was that I planned for it. As an artist I should be spending a lot of time in my sketchbook, it just seems lately that I haven't done that.

So I figured if I try to manage my time more wisely than I can stay focused and on track. Who knew that it would work, lol. I am really trying to make sure I am all about time management. As I have talked about plenty of times here, it always seem to get the better of me. But...I feel I can defeat father time...maybe I shouldn't say defeat...how about play times game with it...if i can some how cross-reference time with the reverse of the inverse...lol...That was a bit crazy there. Just still feeling the high of my positive use of time today. I just need to buckle down and keep myself on track and use everything at my disposal to make that happen. That's all folks.

Until next week...



-Namaste

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Naysayers or The Boy Who Cried Wolf...

Today I want to talk a little about naysayers. For a long time I have known people or met people who have doubted things that I say I'll do or the things that I plan to do so to speak. I don't really look at it as a bad thing though. Most of my life I have feed off of obstacles and naysayers.

A lot of times it comes(came) into question whether or not I am going to do something or be able to do something because of my hesitation. I consider myself a thinking man so I am always "looking before I leap" and trying to make sure I am absolutely certain that things will go as planned before I partake. It's one of those "Catch-22s" though because in some instance because I'm "thinking" I tend not to take a lot of chances.

I'd like to believe that for most of my life I have been successful with making the right decisions and choices because of my careful planning. Recently I have had friends/people who either can't believe or find it amazing that I ACTUALLY plan on doing the things that I plan on doing in the second half of this year. I have already set things into motion. Right now it's just a matter of making sure there is a smooth execution of plans. Once I do these things will I tell the naysayers that they were wrong? Will I come back here and roast them? Probably not for I know that for me it was meant to be. No need for "I told you so's" or "you should have believed's" because "I" always knew I would and that's really the only thing that matters...

I hope this didn't come off a little harsh. It's not my intent, it's just been on my mind a lot lately and I wanted to address my feelings on the matter. That's all I have this weekend. I will try to post some art that I've been working on in the next couple of weeks. Until next week...

 

 

-Namaste

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Quick hits...

Hey faithful few, I don't have anything really for you guys this week. I did have a somewhat productive first part of the week in Charlotte though.

At some point in time I will bring you guys some good news going forward. I need to finish this painting that I started about a month ago and haven't worked on in about 3 weeks. I also started working on this panel that I had totally forgotten about. I had worked on half of it, then taped it off and put it to the side. Almost forgot I had it. Those are two pieces I am hoping to finish in the next couple of weeks. I really got to get back into the swing of things.

Until next time my friends...

 

 

 

-Namaste

 

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Time or The Malfunctioning Mind...

The past few months I have been prepping myself for big things happening this year. And each time I've had a deadline or a date that I needed to meet or remembered, I failed to do what I had to do. My girl thinks its almost like self-sabotage...I believe it's a bout of Murphy's Law.

Maybe time is getting me back for times when I fought time and won. I remember one time I was sitting in a cab in traffic on the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago on my way to Midway Airport and I was like I'm going to miss my flight. I got to the airport with about 40 mins or so before my plane was supposed to take off. I was like YES!!!! I made my way to security and as soon as I got there I saw one of the longest lines I had every seen at an airport. It was like it was a holiday and it wasn't. It was like the first week in November. Luckily a few TSA agents came and started taking people out of line and check our tickets to expedite us through the metal detectors but I made it to my gate and on the plane with minutes to spare.

There have been plenty of other times when I've went head to head with Father Time and came out the victor. As of late though it just seems I'm losing a lot. Case in point, my photos I wanted to send to Rochester for this art show that came the day after they should have been postmarked(Luckily I did get in a parting shot against Father Time and sent a separate piece in...TAKE THAT YOU OLD FOOL, HUZZAH!!!)

Maybe time does have it in for me or maybe I'm just getting old...

 

-Namaste

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Selling Work or Making Moves with Art...

So I have spent the majority of the last hour resizing a few images in Photoshop and uploading to Redbubble. Redbubble is a site where artist can upload their work and sell them as T-shirts, Stickers, Prints and whatnot's. The prices are pretty reasonable as well.  Check them out if your feeling a lil adventurous. Click the highlighted text up (You know the word Redbubble, its called a hyperlink...Use it!!! Lol) I'm going to be uploading more images there in the near near future, so I will let you guys know when I do.

I also found out for sure that my piece made it to Rochester in time for inclusion into the Rochester Contemporary Art Center's 6X6X2013 show. All of the art that was submitted by hundreds of artist around the world are up on the website for viewing.  They go on sale on June 4th for just $20! You don't have to purchase my piece (But you probably should) but you might find something on the site that you might like...and $20 for an original piece of art and a good cause you can't go wrong! The link is here. And if your curious you can search for #4493 in the "Find art by #", that's where you'll find my piece.  Well that's all I have for you guys this weekend.

Until next time...


-Namaste

Saturday, May 18, 2013

The Art of The Blog or Dot Dot Dot...

Another week gone by, another post to do...

Its seems like blogging for me is automatic.
I discussed many times here how this started out as a therapeutic avenue for me but the more and more I (did) do it, its like blogging is a big part of who I am as an artist.
Blogging is but an extension of my artistic practice. I guess that's why its so easy for me to do this week in, week out.

I started create these weird abstract-like creatures. Its just a little something I decided to do...playing around with different forms and trying to give them a life. I'll post a couple of pics for you guys to enjoy here.

That's all for now folks. Until next week...



-Namaste

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Blogging is my side vice or Sometimes I learn things...

I have been slacking a lot lately with my other blogs... ( Vegetarian and Tech )

I don't blog as often as I like on them which kind of bothers me being as though they aren't as extensive as a blog as this one. They are basically off shoots of this one, my main blog. I mean I am always taking pics of food or trying new things as a vegetarian that I could post over on the vegetarian blog...I am a tech geek so there shouldn't be any reason why I don't post often on my tech blog. I am actually in the process of writing a really long post for my tech blog on why I switched back to android from the IOS ecosystem.

Its really no excuse. They both are WordPress blogs and I have the WordPress app on just about every device that I own and its real easy to post from it so there is definitely no excuse. Maybe I'll try to make sure going forward to post pics, articles and whatever I can related to both of them. Got to get back into the habit of sharing my discoveries.

Until next time...

-Namaste

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Rants and Double Rants...

I have an issue with ppl invading my public space. I just believe everyone in life has this invisible force field around him that you should cross into unless invited...a no-fly zone if you will...

Twice today I had people invade my no-fly zone. I was at the ATM machine and it was one of these "new-fangled" ones (which I think should be everywhere cause they are AWESOME!) anywhoogle...there I was entering in my very private info and this dude is literally within an elbows length behind me. He is also on his phone talking quite obnoxiously loud. I gave him a quick once over to let him know that I was aware of him back there and that I saw him. The next look was a glare that I tried to convey the look of "REALLY"...he was too engrossed in his phone convo to notice that I was trying to Jedi mind trick him into stepping back(and yeah I went there, May the 4th LOL) so after I finished my transaction I pivoted and dropped my shoulder which then alerted him to move because a rhino was coming through.

A few hours later I was inthe checkout line at a grocery store and was in the process of finishing up when this two guys got in line behind me. The one guy who wasn't getting waited on almost climbed over me to get by. No excuse or anything. Only after I gave him the look of death did he realize what he was doing and waited until it was his turn to go.

I try not to come off too mean or even say anything because I don't want to seem like an evil person but sometimes you just have to let ppl know what's up. And I have almost perfected the act of the staredown. Slightly raise the eyebrow and furrow the brow and you can silently get this ppl out of your no-fly zone. You can also perform other moves like the "step straight back" or the "chicken wing pivot"...that's when you turn quickly with your arms up and your elbows bent. They can't be mad since they should have been in your wheelhouse anyway. LOL...

I was just playing in the last part of that but in all seriousness be careful when you are approaching lines or if you are standing in line because I pretty sure the person in front of you or behind you are wondering if they have given you enough space or if you are invading their space. Think about it...

I know this is kind of a different type of post for me but this was just something I needed to get off of my chest. A lil therapeutic writing. Until next week...

Oh yeah, I got an email earlier in the week from the Rochester Contemporary Art Center and it looks like my one piece that I was able to get off made into to be included inthe show. I mean it was a thank you email so hopefully...I know for sure on the 24th of this month when they list the artists and their work. I'll be sure to let you guys know for sure. I also started a new piece that I'll probably talk about next weekend.

 

 

-Namaste

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Art and Life...

I've been starting a lot of pieces the past week...been feeling inspired a lot lately. It such a good feeling, you know? I am trying to get back into the routine of starting projects even when I'm in the process of working on one already. (Take a moment to re-read that. There was a lot going on in there, LOL) I'm trying not to get stuck focusing on one thing at a time when I'm creating. Usually when I don't have multiple things going on, I start to dwell too much on the one thing and then I end up experiencing a block.

It's all about keeping the creative process flowing for me. It's something I am going to try to keep up going forward. I always talk about needing to focus and staying focused more regarding my life and art. I have gotten to a point in my life where I am more reflective when it comes to certain things. I do a soul-searching and in my soul-searching, I always try to see the big picture when it comes to my life. I find that sometimes I struggle with grasping the bigger picture. I think its a reflection of how hard I am on myself mentally. Blogging has always given me an avenue to release some of that self-doubt. It's really quite therapeutic for me and I am glad to be able to have you the faithful few along to help.

That's all I have for you guys this weekend. Next week I will post some WIP (work-in-progress) pics for you guys to check out. Until next week...

 

-Namaste

Saturday, April 20, 2013

"The Amazing Superior Spectacular" and "The Copper Goddess is a Star..."



This is a video that I posted to YouTube tonight. I did it on Thursday. It was the only submission that I got in on time for the 6X6X2013 for Rochester Contemporary Art Center this year. I was expecting some prints that I ordered to be here in time to add those as well but they have yet to come. (Side note...with the slowness of snail mail, I just hope this was postmarked for today. I dropped it in the mail on Thursday.) I guess I'll know in a couple of weeks or not if they received it. I will definitely let you guys know if I failed or not.

I am also very close to finishing this piece(the image below) for one of my customers. I think I have a few more tweaks to do and I know for sure it'll be done. Until next time...




 -Namaste
 

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Getting it done...

I have a lot that I want to share with you guys but not this week. This week I just have another image of the piece I sold a few weeks ago. It's still a little rough around the edges though. I should be finished it tomorrow but I wanted to show you guys where it's at now. Also next week I'll post images of the work I am putting in the 6X6X2013 at Rochester Contemporary Art Center in Rochester, NY.

I got a couple of blog posts that I have been writing on and off for the past couple of months. One is a blog that I am writing for my tech blog but I want to post it here to share with you guys so come back for that soon.

Until next week...

 

-Namaste

 

 

 

 

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Where's the Juice or Someone forgot to pay the electric bill...

As I only have 12% battery life on my phone and currently the power is out in my neighborhood, I am not going to do the long drawn out post that I planned on doing for you guys this week. Instead I will have to do it in next weeks post. It will be all about art and art happenings and the "six degrees of separations" it sometimes bring (more like 2 or 3 but whatever I wanted to use the saying and that's all I have to say about that!!! LOL)

Until next week...

 

-Namate

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Projects, projects and more projects...

I have a really busy next couple of week coming up. On Tuesday, I am going to go drop off and hang a piece that I am putting in Maryland Art Place's Out of Order show which is next Friday. I am putting this piece in the show. Hopefully someone takes it home and adds it to their collection:)

 

I also need to finish this piece that I sold last week. Only thing holding that piece up is adding the background. I have a couple of ideas that I have been tossing around in my head that I am going to play around in photoshop with so as to not make a mark that I don't want to actually add to it...ah the luxuries of digital media!

And finally the last bit of work I need to get cracking on is for the RoCo 6x6x2013 show in Rochester. This is the 6x6 show that I have been doing the past few years. The pieces for this show have to be postmarked by the 20th of April. That should be a series of work to work on. I am thinking about "re-debuting" some new material based on one of my old styles of creating art. Not that I don't work in this manner any longer, it's just that I haven't used the technique in awhile. I feel like its something I want to do because it'll be a good way for me to do a little problem solving. As usual, as I finish them I will post pics for you guys. Until next week...

 

 

-Namaste

 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Just a little update...

So today I officially sold my first piece of unfinished work.  Now its not going to stay unfinished but as it stands now its in an unfinished state. It felt oddly strange yet refreshing to be compensated for something that will fir sure change before its done. Its as if my buyer has so much faith in what I'm doing that they just know they will be getting a masterpiece.

I totally stand by myself as an artist no matter how successful or unsuccessful I am at this junction in my life but its extra special for me to have someone other than the missus and family/friends have faith in what I am doing as an artist. Hopefully next weekend I will have a finished piece to share with you guys. If not next week, the week after that for sure.

Until next time...




-Namaste

Saturday, March 16, 2013

New WIP...Partie Deux

I have a few more images for you guys of the piece I showed you last week. I still got a little ways to go with this but I still wanted to share.

I had a pretty busy week this week work-wise and today so I didn't have a chance to finish this weeks blog for you guys. Definitely going to get it out there though. I haven't forgotten. Until then...

 

 

-Namaste

 

 

 

Saturday, March 9, 2013

New WIP...

I thought I would just post a pic of one of the things I am working on that I can share with you guys. Hopefully next week I have more to share with you. I know I have a rant I guess I can call it about how we as artists are influenced by other artists and how we use that influence in our own work. I'm going to try and get that out to you guys in the next couple of weeks. Until then...


-Namaste

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Something simple nothing major...

So on this late Saturday night before bed, I am going to strive to do something quite simple.  I am going to try and make use of all my technology at my disposal and feel out schedule for this month...a list of things I know that need to get done, my work schedule, my mini vacay and whatsnots.  I've tried to do this before but it was just something that I had online.  I had access to it but I never carried it around with me.  Now and this modern day of electronic day planners and such, I have no real excuse not to be on point with deadlines and things of the like.

That is all.  Like the title says Something simple nothing major... Until next week...


-Namaste

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Progress...

There will always be a time when you look back on where you came from. A time when you reflect on where your life is now to where it was before. You will also find yourself reflecting on where you are headed or more like where you are going. Sometimes when looking back, we might find that in our current state that we aren't where we expected to be based in what we felt in the past. Meaning "when I grow up I'm going to be a fireman!" Whereas now that we are grown we are an insurance salesman. Not to say that there is something wrong with being an insurance salesman but we deviated from our original goal growing up. Now my example is quite a big leap but let's take a look at that for a minute.

When we were younger our view of the world, especially in the last quarter century or so, had greatly been affected by the ever-changing and rapidly changing modern society. Now when I say "we", I am talking about the generation before the Millenials and Gen Y. We saw a change in the way people dreamed...in the way we made goals. We saw how society right before our eyes were creating things that made it easier...maybe easier is not a good word for this point. Let's say...we have witnessed with the advent of the computer and the super information highway, a means of progressing through life in some aspects with ease. Again not necessarily a bad thing but still something that has contributed to the rise of lesser need of certain older skills and practices. I mean I graduated from college 10 years ago. When I was in art school there really wasn't direct degree programs for video game design. You had to take a more traditional approarch to video game design...i.e., graphic design, illustration, etc...I mean about 5 years after I had graduated, there was an influx of schools that offered BFAs in Game Design. I mean this is a burgeoning field that Millenials,Gen Y'ers and Gen Z'ers will more than likely dominate for the foreseeable future. Something complex yet simple, has changed the way we for the most part view success in some circles.

Sometimes now we are judged and we judge ourselves based upon how we adapt to this ever-changing world. Some of us cope, some of us find it a struggle. I am always finding myself question whether or not I am doing all I can do to better myself or to get to where I believe in my heart and my psyche, where I should be. Whenever I enter into this discourse with myself or my peers, I find it easy to sometimes forget that "you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet..." Now I know that nowadays there are things such as "egg beaters" and "egg replacers" that can probably make a better omelet (LOL) but at the end of the day, we should strive to measure our success not by our progress but our struggle to get where we are going.

Frederick Douglass said it best, "...If there is no struggle there is no progress..." I hope this post came off coherent and not too all over the place. Until next time...

 

-Namaste

 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

These words...

So I have been thoroughly engrossed in this book called
Baltimore '68: Riots and Rebirth in an American City.
Its a book by Elizabeth Nix. I am about halfway through the book and as I have been reading it, I have been pulling words out of it. The words are combinations of names, ideals, class, and race. I have jotted them down a couple of times but I have yet to decide exactly what it all means to me. I have been trying to see the connection with it and my current body of work. I know in the past my work has been heavily influenced by race but the last few years for me, my work has tended to go slightly left of race.

Even before I started reading this book I had started to investigate when I had the switch over...when did I go away from mainly talking about race and class in my work to creating art that was more, how can I say it...more or less tamer than what I was doing the first part of this century. What changed my voice? I shouldn't say change...what caused me to hush my tone? Could it have been me feeling like it was something I needed to do so I wouldn't constantly get stuck or have to deal with the lull between pieces. Because for awhile there it felt like constantly focusing on race to me would come off like I'm spewing propaganda. And that's a message I never want my work to convey. Hopefully soon I'll have a better understanding of what this all means for me in the "now." Until then...

-Namaste

Saturday, February 9, 2013

What's up World...

Every once in a while I find myself in a really good place. It just seems like everything is just falling into place...everything is extremely copacetic. Right now I have three pieces of work that I am working on concurrently and I feel good about all three pieces. They are all at different stages of completion but they are coming along nicely. When I'm finished I will probably post a slideshow for you guys. That's all I have for you guys this weekend. I'm going to probably try to get sleep early but probably not...

Oh yeah...I'm going to maybe do a black history post in the next couple of weeks so I'm looking forward to post that for you guys. Until next time...


-Namaste

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Where I am at right now...

So faithful few, how's it going? We have arrived at the one month that we are set aside for learning about the history of black people. I recently had a colleague remark how it's weird that black history month is set aside in the shortest month of the year. I had actually never thought about that and found it in that moment quite perplexing. I have actually blogged about the history of Black History Month but I don't believe I have ever spoke on the shortness of the occasion. That's probably a discourse for another day. This week I just wanted to let you guys know what I was up to this past week. I have still be working on the piece for the missus and I have also been working more on my portrait (which I'll post at the end of this post). I've started working more on the tonal values and the contrast some. Really like how it's evolving.

I have also been trying to plan for the rest of the year. I know it's only February but I have BIG plans for this year. I can't wait to share them with you guys. Some people already know and I'm not worried about jinxing them...but it's still just at a stage where not a lot of people know and this blog will post to the interwebosphere. Don't want to broadcast to the world and maybe put things into motion before its ready...you know what I mean...well that's all I have for you guys now. Until next time...

 

-Namaste

Saturday, January 26, 2013

New Years Resolutions

So it's the last Saturday in January and I decided that I would just come to you guys with a small post. I realized that I didn't do any new years resolutions yet and I know that I wanted to. So I figured I'd share them with you guys, my faithful few...so without further ado...

  1. Create more art.
  2. Finish things that I set out to do.
  3. Keep pushing towards my goal of getting healthier (maybe switch to a vegan lifestyle...maybe...BIG maybe...)
  4. Achieve goals that I have set aside for myself this year.
  5. Focus more on my art.
I think those are the few main ones that I have. Everything else are just subsets of the main ones. Some are more personal. But like I said, I wanted to share some with you guys this weekend. That's all I have for today. Until next time...

 

 

-Namaste

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Reflecting or the Art of Reflection...

I have a Note to my 28yr old self post coming soon. I just started a new painting today and unfortunately I can't post any pic of it. Its a gift and I don't want to spoil it:-). Let's see...last week this time I was celebrating my glorious birthday. Its amazing how time flies when you are enjoying the moment though right? In some ways I wish I could freeze time and just live in the moment. There are a lot of of instances where I would do things differently and some where I would hold on to certain things.

Don't get me wrong, its nice to move on but sometimes its always fun to bask in all the glorious gloritude of the thrill of things. All too frequently we get caught up in the zen of life (which is not a bad thing) but sometimes its OK to hold on to fleeting moments. Sometimes it's better to savor and enjoy the moment. There have been plenty of times where I dwelled on a moment. Now when I say dwell, I don't mean over think...I mean spend some time to reflect. Reflection is a powerful thing.

That's all I have for you guys today but like I said earlier, I have a Note to my 28yr old self post coming soon. I just have to decide how I'm going to do. Until then...
post

-Namaste

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Holy Grail of Days...

Hello faithful few,  how is everyone doing...Today I consider it to be one of...if not the greatest day of the year.  It's my birthday. The day of all days.  Its probably been one of the best birthdays I have had in awhile.  I got to do everything I wanted to do. I had a great time in Charlotte the last few days. The last few birthdays I have made plans and have had to alter them for one reason or another but this birthday went off with out a hitch.  I really enjoyed. Now tomorrow I start my track back to my other reality.  But lo and behold my faithful few a change will come;)  That's all I wanted to share with you guys this week...oh yeah I also wanted to show you something that was/is cool but also kind of creepy.  I open up my computer and went to Google and I was presented with a google doodle.  The google doodle was made of birthday cake.  And a quick hover over the birthday cake revealed a "Happy Birthday Arthur" message.  I was like AWESOME!!! but then I was like HEY!!! You snooping snoopy lol.  Anyway I enclosed a pic so you guys can see what I saw.  Until next week and from my home base of Baltimore...


-Namaste

Saturday, January 5, 2013

First post of the New Year or Exactly one week before my birthday...

You ever have one of those moments when your entire week as an artist is noncreative? Where it seemed like you wasn't doing anything worthwhile but just trying to make the week go by faster... That was the gist of my week this past week. I didn't really feel creative, I just felt like blah! Everything just seems to be coming at once. It gets to be overwhelming sometimes when you are going through this juggling act with life. At times I feel as though I am in a great place artistically and then other times I feel like I'm in some weird holding pattern.
My problem is getting the thought out of my head and on to the drawing board. I have so many things going on concurrently and none of them are coming to full fruition. I think my brain needs a rest. I mean I've had a vacation and I'm about to go away next week on a little mini vacation for my birthday (Oh yeah! I am about to get a little bit older...) but I think lately or I should say for awhile I have asked a lot of my brain. I need to be in a place where I can just let my brain spend time with itself collecting and releasing its inner thoughts.
I mean every week I am here taking with you guys, my faith few and I let the thoughts flow from my mind but during the week save from tweeting now and then (shameless plug inserted here... Find me @artstarv9), I don't spend a lot of time de-junkifying and purging my think parts of information and ideas. So what happens sometimes is I'll get this great idea one moment and the next moment it becomes the fleeting idea that I wasn't as excited about as I thought.
I need to find the middle ground, that sweet spot, where I am able to have my thoughts and then put them to good use creatively. I know what your thinking, that's what sketchbooks are for (Man, I've used a lot of commas and parentheses in this post) It seems like an simple easy fix but in someways its not. You have to have your mind free and focused on using your sketchbook as a means of release and not just sketches. Your sketchbook then not only becomes an extension of your work but also a sort of idea book. A book where you can not down your craziest thoughts or your darkest thoughts. Which in retrospect make that sketchbook quite personal and I someways not fit for public consumption. There are people who teach and people who believe in keeping sketchbooks like that. Books where you don't share with anyone. I personally find it hard to keep sketchbooks like that because I'd get to a place where is just have to show somebody what I sketched out or have to show my close personal friends or loved ones what I just did. Who knows though, I might give it a go just to see if I can do it.
Well, I feel like I am about to start rambling so I'm going to end this post here. Next week, I'll either blog earlier in the week or come to you guys while I am a way. Until then...



-Namaste