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.

Fashion Ad Collage

Similar to my previous post, I constructed another collage using leftover magazines. For this project, I chose to use iconic fashion brands such as Chanel, Versace, Hermes, etc. However, instead of keeping the advertisements intact (which would benefit the fashion houses by adding extra consumer exposure), I chose to obscure the brands and logos. You can still make out which some of these brands are, so it is a tongue-in-cheek approach.

As an avid street and graffiti art aficionado, I am consumed by individuals who repurpose and/or alter their existing environments. Some may consider this an eyesore. Others (like myself) view it as an unconventional beautification process.That’s the inspiration for this piece.

I took existing images and reused them to create a fresh new abstraction. My preservation of some identifiable images is an homage to process involved in creating this piece. Symbolically, it’s a nostalgic nod to the past and a hopeful aspiration toward the future.

I have created several of these and will be posting subsequent finished products.

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.

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

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!

Bear Republic Painting

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.

Grapes

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.

D.I.Y. Table

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.