Whenever I get the sense that something is particularly overwhelming, instead of regression I seek the will to confront and resolve. What comes to mind is a black heart. Not in the sense of being callous, detached, or malicious, instead, I see it as a proactive stance against agitation (human and non-human) under the premise that one’s conviction will not waiver to fleeting or irrational emotions. That’s the gist of this illustration.
I recently aspired to fully furnish my apartment since I’m going to renew my lease. For a whole year it has been devoid of furniture, and now I’m looking to spruce things up and make my pad a little livelier and homey.
I was given a canvas for my birthday after complaining to a friend that my walls were bare. I didn’t know what to paint, and my friend suggested a bear for a bare wall. Although this was a joke, I found a little source of inspiration in this humor. Plus, I’m originally from California, so this is kind of an homage to the Bear Republic.
I’m stumped for now, as I don’t know whether to leave as is or further modify. I’m totally open to suggestions. I just need to put it aside for now since it’s keeping me from creating other things.
I love this quote. Aside from being true, it is very motivating. Life without purpose, passion, and conviction is basically death of self.
Photo source: Michael Bastian by Ian Allen for Esquire 2011
Working in media/advertising has its perks. One of my favorites is the copious amounts of magazines which are readily available per gratis! The two magazines I can’t wait to get my mitts on every week are Time Out New York and New York Magazine. T.O.N.Y. serves as a practical weekly guide for the New York urban explorer, while New York Magazine crams miscellaneous culture into every nook and cranny of said explorer’s curious little head.
That said, I have amassed a lengthy collection of both publications since moving to NYC a year ago. I was just about to throw them out when I got the idea for the project above.
What better way to immortalize the two magazines I love while simultaneously cataloging my first year in the Big Apple. This just seemed like such an obvious thing to create and all under $40. Enjoy!
Since getting back into designing/drawing/painting, I’ve noticed that I’m much more inspired by everyday life than I used to be. Daily objects become ideas for future projects.
I watched a documentary last night on Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child). When asked what his studio was like in terms of work-space, he mentioned always being surrounded by magazines, records, and other objects from which he drew inspiration from. I totally understand this behavior. I was on the train from work reading this week’s New York magazine and came across a picture of grapes. I thought this would look great with a stylized approach. And above you see the result.
“Stop and smell the roses” is such a sad notion to be absorbed by the list of cliches, since it is marvelously true and not trite. If you take a closer look at what seems mundane due to routine/jadedness/familiarity, you find that there’s a little beauty in everything.
I decided to make my own table this weekend. I love IKEA, but what sucks about it is that it’s mass produced, so the chances of someone else owning the same product as you is highly likely. And no, this isn’t some anti-mainstream gripe of mine, I just believe in individuality across clothes, furniture, taste in art, etc.
For around $60, I built this table (but had to go to IKEA anyway for the legs, lol). I love it. If you want to know exactly how I built it and what I used, just let me know, but the photos are pretty self-explanatory (minus the drill, which isn’t photographed). I am not a handyman whatsoever, so if I can figure it out I’m sure you can. God bless the internet.
Although I’m nowhere near as technically skilled at painting as Aaron Smith is, I can definitely relate to the thought process behind re-purposing artifacts to create new imagery in one’s work.
The High Line in NYC is another great example of this idea:
Working in one of the most corporate environments in America, Midtown NYC, it’s very easy to witness the rat race at work. Nothing exemplifies this more than exiting the crowded subway station in the morning, where you have tons of people squirming their way toward the bustling metropolitan horizon.
Everyone sort of looks the same. White-collar shirt, Windsor knotted tie, and usually a distressed or sleep deprived look.
This scenery is not very motivating. So I find that working out on a regular basis helps me combat the drudgery of a 9-to-5 commute. I feel refreshed and energetic and in an overall good mood when on my way to work.
That’s my inspiration for this illustration. The benefits you receive from working out help you manage your overall life, whether it’s work, personal, or social. Stylistically, I wasn’t too fond of the angular (and sterile looking) approach I took, but I feel that it conveyed the notion below very well:
The ‘Rat Race’ is just a little easier when you’re a ‘Gym Rat’
So I’m trying out a new illustration format where I take a favorite song of mine and create a piece using imagery in the song’s lyrics. This is Bloc Party’s ‘Rhododendrons.’
On the hottest night of the year
Lying in a patch of rouge rhododendrons
A bottle of whisky under my arm
Trying to count a sky full of stars
I dream of order, I dream of fleets
Of Napoleon in aquamarine
He said “Linus put that blanket down
You’ve slammed your door too many times”
He said “Linus put that blanket down
The world won’t wait”
Boy, what you gonna do with your life?
When I was your age, I was commanding fleets
When I was your age, I was soaked in victory
And now you can’t keep a job and you can’t keep a wife
What a horrible mess you’re gonna make of your life
Watched way too many American films
To be John Wayne, Brando or James Dean
Waiting so long for your wrists to get thick
Waiting so long for the next great party
So many questions, so little to say
You don’t need these weights
Boy, what you gonna do with your life?
So you want to be an artist, want to be a singer
Want to be remembered for what you could create
So you want to be a cowboy, ride into the distance
Never have to listen or answer to anyone
So you want to be a boxer, surviving on your instincts
Relying on your fists and the quickness of your wit
Are you bigger than these buildings and the grey around you?
Is your pain more worthy than everybody else?
Drunk again in the rhododendrons
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