Greek Slave

My life has been extremely busy yet again. However, I like to (idealistically) adhere to the saying “nobody has time for this and that, one has to make time for this and that.” My this is painting. My that is blogging about painting. I need to get back into the groove of posting, as it keeps me artistically accountable to myself. I’m going to try and post more of my stuff, since I have been painting, I just haven’t been posting much.

This piece is a rendering of the sculpture ‘Greek Slave.’ I thought the imagery of a shackled woman was overly compelling and brought about massive socioeconomic and sexist implications. I abhor slavery, which prompted me to juxtapose this vile institution with hopeful symbolism. I chose cherry blossoms in the foreground to accentuate the probability of freedom. The vibrant petals are a sharp contrast to the muted tones of the sculpture, which is meant to highlight freedom as an overriding theme among the shackles of greed and lust.

Hiatus – Part Deux

I have had a tumultuous couple of months since my last post (to say the least). I went from not having a job to having a job. From not knowing where I was going to live to actualizing a living agreement with a quasi-close family member. This has made me less able to post, although I have produced work in the interim. Painting has been a vestige for me. Clinging onto something that has seemed to be fleeting, but always inherent in how I operate. I can’t stop painting. It has been a saving grace and the one thing that reaffirms who I am, regardless of my circumstance. So (ideally) I want to get back into posting, since it keeps me accountable to continually keep painting and producing (and growing as an artist and individual).

The piece above came to me arbitrarily. I had a thought of native american imagery and composed the painting above based on gut feeling/intuition. I have no idea what it means or signifies. But I’m glad I just went with the feeling, since I tend to over-think things a bit and being able to just paint and go with the flow has been very therapeutic. Stylistically and technically, I feel myself becoming a better artist. This allows me to let go of fear and move toward more art. This, I believe, is the true aim of any expressionist endeavor.

Inspiration

In another recent hiatus, I have not published a post in a while. Life gets hectic and things that one does not anticipate unfortunately spring up. I still don’t have access to Photoshop or Illustrator, which kind of limits my creative expression. However, in lieu of digital art programs, I  occasionally produce work via hand.

Above is my rendering of a Marcus Aurelius bust. I recently revisited his ‘Meditations‘ and was inspired to create the above image. ‘Meditations‘ is like cold pizza. It’s great when you first pick it up and just as good (if not better) when you revisit it at a later date.

In ‘Book One: Debts and Lessons,’ Marcus addresses many of the individuals (and Gods) who have influenced him in one way or another. Two individuals and their respective lessons that inspire me are:

‘8. Apollonius

Independence and unvarying reliability, and to pay attention to nothing, no matter how fleetingly, except the logos [rational thought and/or God]. And to be the same in all circumstances – intense pain, the loss of a child, chronic illness. And to see clearly, from his example, that a man can show both strength and flexibility.

…

9. Sextus

… Not to display anger or other emotions. To be free of passion and yet full of love.‘

I’m hoping that this piece will get the momentum going and allow me to continue posting. I forgot how rewarding this process can be.

Hiatus

My laptop broke about a month ago, and although I have an iPhone and iPad, I feel uncomfortable blogging via mobile or tablet devices. But I forgot my phone charger at the office, so I decided to come pick it up. And whilst waiting for my phone to charge, I decided, why not update my blog since it’s been a while.

Because I cannot let one day pass where I don’t flex my creative muscles, I have been manually creating art in the absence of a digital work space. I continue to read Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, which has produced profound inspiration for me. I’m currently working on a drawing/sketching format which pairs lines and quotes from the book to symbolic representations of those ideas, thoughts, and words.

I drew the image above based on the following excerpt:

‘Beautiful things of any kind are beautiful in themselves and sufficient to themselves. Praise is extraneous. The object of praise remains what it was, no better no worse. This applies, I think, even to “beautiful” things in ordinary life – physical objects, artworks.

Does anything genuinely beautiful need supplementing? No more than justice does – or truth, or kindness, or humility. Are any of those improved by being praised? Or damaged by contempt? Is an emerald suddenly flawed if no one admires it? Or gold, or ivory, or purple? Lyres? Knives? Flowers? Bushes?‘

By drawing a tree, I felt that I embodied this sentiment. A tree is a tree, is a tree. My drawing adds no value to the tree itself. And this is a beautiful concept, because if I cannot add value to it, then conversely, I cannot take away from it’s essence. The tree simply continues to be.

Premature Wisdom

One of my favorite books is The Art of Living, which is a modern translation of the Greek stoic philosopher Epictetus’ Enchiridion and Discourses. It’s a set of practical guidelines for living a fruitful life devoid of fear and misinterpretations of events in our lives over which we have no control of.

I am revisiting this book while concurrently reading Roman emperor/philosopher Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. I find stoicism appealing in many ways, but Roman stoicism attracts me even more. I particularly enjoy the practical application of this subset over more esoteric and theoretical schools of philosophy.

The illustration above is based on the following The Art of Living quote:

‘Behold the world fresh – as it is, on its own terms – through the eyes of a beginner. To know that you do not know and to be willing to admit that you do not know without sheepishly apologizing is real strength and sets the stage for learning and progress in any endeavor.’

Owls are generally associated with wisdom, so I thought that a baby owl could represent the manifestation of premature wisdom. Geometric shapes usually represent order and structure. I unified these two concepts to catalog a visual path towards personal growth via mental/spiritual/emotional regiments.

 

The Drums – Days

In another installment of my illustration via song, I’ve chosen The Drum’s ‘Days.’ I am absolutely infatuated with Jonny Pierce. The transparency of his emotions in the songs he writes is remarkable. Where other songwriters may allude to how they’re feeling with the use of metaphors and similes, Pierce is unabashedly frank about his emotional and mental state. The band released a commentary version of the album Portamento, which includes Pierce’s explanation on how each song came to fruition.

‘Days’ is my personal favorite, and the inspiration for the illustration above. Pierce describes ‘Days’ as “… a song about two really different extreme emotions that I’ve gone back and forth with my whole life. I think I’ve always had a real fear of being left alone and part of me, this very needy part of me, sometimes feels like I can’t live without someone or something and I take it to such extremes.This song is about coming out of that feeling and out of that mindset and realizing that sometimes the things you think you can’t live without are actually things that you can live without and things you never actually needed in the first place. It’s a song about delusion and figuring out what’s actually important.” 

I’ve felt this way before, and it’s very exhilarating to come to terms with an epiphany like this. As the illustration suggests, it seems bleak and dark at first, but gradually things become manageable, brighter, and better.

[audio http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/58344-TheDrums-Days-_www_flvto_com_.mp3]

And our days go by
And I never needed you
And our days go by
And I never needed you

And I worked so hard
And I killed myself
And you broke my bones
And I sold my soul

And our days go by
And I never needed you
And our days go by
And I never needed you

And I could have been your other
And I could have been your sister
Be your twin brother
I just wanted to be

And our days go by
And I never needed you
And our days go by
And I never needed you

We were just wasting time

And our days go by
And I never needed you
And our days go by
And I never needed you

And our days go by
And I never needed you
And our days go by
And I never needed you

Skateboard Shark for Stoked

I recently attended orientation for a youth mentoring program called Stoked. I won’t try to replicate it’s mission statement verbatim, but basically it’s a program which pairs at-risk youth with mentors via action-oriented sports (i.e, snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, etc.). Growing up, I was heavily influenced by skateboarding. This influence was sometimes negative, as skateboarding in the 90’s was still somewhat of a counterculture. Graffiti, drug use, shoplifting, trespassing, and fights were commonplace. I believe kids who are exposed to these elements need a positive (and relevant) role model. That’s why I was very interested in Stoked.

Unfortunately, the program is currently focusing on snowboarding (of which I have no experience). In the meantime, I decided to give my skateboard a new paint job so when the rain and snow dry up, I’ll be ready to shred with the kids!

Moving Forward

After Sandy hit, the subway system in NYC was crippled for days. It’s fascinating how a complex network of iron and steel is so strong yet so fragile.

This got me thinking. One major reason I love NYC is because it seems to be peppered with life lessons. In life, things break down. Here, the subway system broke down. After a couple of days, repairs were in place, tests were ran, and so began the road to recovery. Similarly, we all suffer breakdowns, from love to friendship to lifelong dreams and pursuits. But some of us never recover from these breakdowns. So being on the train again put a smile on my face because I knew that no matter what breaks down in my life, I will do as the NYC subway system did after this horrendous event: repair and move forward.

Feist Composite

Since starting this blog, I’ve learned to create for the sake of creating. If you wait around for inspiration to hit, you may end up waiting longer than expected for your muse to arrive. On the other hand, if you just create, then you’ll be way more productive and gain practice/experience in your craft. Sure, you might not be 100% in love with all the pieces you develop, but at least you’ll have an extensive catalog of work from which to choose a favorite piece.

Here, I just used a photo of singer-songwriter Feist and simply decorated it for no apparent reason. Create!

Black Heart

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.