I suppose when I started with visual art, I figured it would be waaay more interesting to diddle with than anything else. math, for ex., is useful, but below sea level on the interest scale. I am primarily a draughtsman (drawing), but I also paint, do digital photography and have grown very enamored of graphic design/art. A native of Connecticut, I make my home in the the South, now. I hold a BA in Studio Art from Claflin University and once worked out of a physical shop creating/selling my work. My work primarily focuses on social, emotional, spiritual subjects. The work is conceptual. I also create many portraits and logos by commission. My biggest humbling experience was receiving a thank you card from Pres. & First Lady Obama (Jan. 2010) in response to prints of a portrait I had created of him. I sent the prints to them. God is awesome! As of July 2016, I have had a solo art show (2012) and five joint art exhibits (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
I have prolific moments and I have slowed moments, but I still create art! To me, the arts is an invaluable institution which lets artists express many ideas (personal and social) and lets viewers of art appreciate the arts and also inspire thought through art. I consider my gift to be from God and am very glad I am able to use it. I also just want to inspire others to want to get into it, too, or at least look at art with newfound interest while getting mental exercise. Thanks!!
It’s been a long while since I’ve posted. When I first started out blogging, I was posting much more often. But with time comes more involvements and distractions, so I post in staggered moments now, but it’s interesting that I’m still blogging after all these years. I’m glad of it! Even if it means showing up like a wishy-washy phantom every few weeks or months!
Today, I’m here to write a bit about my endeavor on GoDaddy. If you’re not familiar with GoDaddy, it’s a website creator/host and I’ve got an art shop there to retail prints and stickers of selected artwork I create. I’ve got 2 other shops online as well, but today’s post is focused on the GoDaddy shop, which I hope you’ll visit and even purchase from.
More on the stickers aspect of my online shop: for now I’m retailing two prints (ColorCat and Heartbroken, both of which I featured in an earlier post) to purchase as full prints and also as stickers. The ColorCat print is selling quite well and I’ve ordered a set of stickers from a printer to meet demand. Order yours, today! If you’re a fan of cats and colors you’ll like this print. The stickers you can use on your mobile device, tablet, a notebook, etc. If you have cats at home with you they might get jealous when they see another cat around, so make sure they don’t tear up your phone. 😸
I’ve also given in to posting vids on TikTok. Yep! I visit the app a great deal to watch videos to laugh or to learn and avoided posting, but then I noticed more and more artists using TikTok. The obvious thing to do was to jump on the TikTok Bandwagon to post about my art. I will not be posting any fun dance videos to my profile………not yet, anyway.
My profile is new, but there are some videos there to start. CLICK HERE: FOR TIKTOK PROFILE
That’s it for today, but I will be back to post, again! Have an awesome day and feel free to tell others about my blog. Share my blog link or share individual post links! Thanks!
In keeping with marketing and promoting myself, I have recently opened 3 online shops. I retail the same artworks across all of them and the pricing is in the same general range (with some exceptions due to what each site I’m using offers in terms of processing).
I am retailing my work at GoDaddy, Society6 and Vsual (yes, is spelled without an “i”). Whether you would love something eclectic and affordable for your wall, table or phone. Maybe even a cool sticker for your phone or laptop. Go take a look! Artists appreciate your “likes” and feedback and they’re useful, but what’s further supportive is your active patronage. Please support by purchasing art (and after buying, spread the word). Artists have to make a living, too. Thank you!
I definitely haven’t posted in a long time. I’ve come back a few times before, but then I disappear like Phantom of the Blog, again. It’s life! It’s often part of any blogger’s life. One moment we’re posting consistently and the next moment we are…POOF…away for a while. I used to feel badly about it, but that’s just life and don’t feel bad about it anymore. There’s work, life involvements, art projects I’m working on, days when I’m just tired, days when I’m just not as inspired to share. LIFE.
But today, I’m here to share a NEW post. I hope you enjoy it and thank you!
Heart-broken. Prismacolor and graphite on paper. 2019.
WHAT: You can see that this is a heart. I don’t need to get detailed about that because I respect your intelligence! Obviously you know this is not based on a cartoon or emoji heart! You miiight not realize; however, that the shapes in the drawing are polygonal, also regularly called low poly art. Okay, now I’m about to get scientific on you. Study.com says: “A polygon is any 2-dimensional shape formed with straight lines. Triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, and hexagons are all examples of polygons. The name tells you how many sides the shape has. For example, a TRIangle has three sides.” So yes, this is basically the FUN version of a heart which are actually bloody, impressively complex and might make you faint all over yourself if you looked at a real one.
WHY: Art and design using polygon shapes incorporated is very popular right now and goes very well with the minimalist aesthetic. So I wanted to mess around with that and what better way than as part of a broken heart!? I am actually getting more into experimenting with minimalist aesthetics that include vibrant, quirky features and colors.
WHEN: I did this drawing last year. So even though I’ve been gone for a while like Where’s Artist Waldo, I’m still creating art.
HOW: As far as media, this was composed with graphite (the sophisticated way to just say “pencil”) and then finished using Prismacolor, which have BRILLIANT hues and Prismacolor is like the Tesla of colored pencils. And as far as process, I drafted the heart first and then, to reflect the word “broken”, I created shards in the shape of polygons. Clever, clever, huh?? I then worked in the Prismacolor, intentionally using grading from red to purple, so that purple could blend into blue, then green, then lastly yellow. It’s a rainbow heart! Imagine heart surgeons operating on rainbow hearts? They’d be super cheerful, singing Disney songs while in surgery! So you get a successful surgery and some sweet tunes!
I hope you enjoyed this post! I want to get back into the regular posting. At least every now and again! I will soon create a post about the online shops I’m selling on right now. Until then, I will post the links at the bottom of each post. Thank you for reading and feel free to return and read new and older posts! Please spread the word about my blog, too! THANK YOU!
Please visit my online shops and support by making a purchase. Thank you!
Hi, everyone. I’m not posting about visual art today. I’m posting about the art of unity. Please read because it’s so very important…
✊🏿✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻
George Floyd, a Black man, was murdered by a Minneapolis cop on May 25. Officer Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly 10 minutes WHILE Floyd cried out that he couldn’t breathe repeatedly. He eventually became unresponsive…the officer STILL kept kneeling on his neck. Floyd died. 3 other cops stood by and watched it happen. Chauvin has been arrested and charged with 3rd degree murder and 2nd degree manslaughter. The other cops need to be arrested, as well!
on a drug bust (they did not announce themselves and didn’t have a warrant) and the guy they were looking for had already been apprehended earlier that same day. Those 3 cops are STILL free while Breonna is gone.The past SEVERAL days have been busy with peaceful protests, riots and looting in several cities. We want justice. We DEMAND justice. Violence against anyone is wrong and inhumane, but violence against Blacks happens so much more often. It doesn’t take a genius to see that. In the weeks even before Floyd’s death a young Black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was stalked, chased and shot to death by White men stupidly suspecting him of robberies in the area and a young Black woman, Breonna Taylor, was shot several times in her home by police who went to the WRONG address (Taylor’s home) on a drug bust (they did not announce themselves and didn’t have a warrant) and the guy they were looking for had already been apprehended earlier that same day. Those 3 cops are STILL free while Breonna is gone.
THIS MUST STOP.
And so, today, is BlackoutTuesday which is meant to practice solidarity towards the Black community. You can post a Black image. It can be blank or it can have useful info on it, like what I’ve shared here that I have found around the web. You can practice solidarity by signing petitions (like this one on Color of Change) and by donating (including donating to the Floyd family’s OFFICIAL GoFundMe page). You can call offices in Minneapolis demanding change and demanding that the 4 officers are convicted to the full extent of the law. You can also watch films and read books focused on Black culture, history and films/books focused on race issues. But you don’t have to ONLY do this on just today. It can be done on any day.UNITE!
List of ways to help#BlackoutTuesdayUseful numbers to call Books you can read
Hello! I haven’t posted online on WordPress or Tumblr in a LONG, LONG while. I’m like a phantom blogger; I am gone for several moons and then return randomly. But I’m back and may not post as regularly as I did the past, but I will be posting, again! I’ve done a few things in my absence & I’ll have to blog about that!
And guess what else? My Redbubble online shop is open! In my Redbubble shop you can purchase my designs on iPhone and Samsung cases, journals, water bottles, coasters, mugs and more! These first two designs (“ColorCat” and “Brokenhearted”) are available now, but I will add new designs to my shop periodically! Click on the link below to view and purchase items. THANKS!! 💗💗
UPDATE: I no longer have the RedBubble shop. I’ve moved on to try Vsual, Society6 and GoDaddy. I will create a post on all of these sites I’m using soon!
“ColorCat”. Prismacolor and graphite on paper. 2019.
“Brokenhearted”. Prismacolor and graphite on paper. 2019.
Glossy sticker
Cases for various Samsung Galaxy models (Samsung Galaxy S10 snap case shown here)
Journal
Glossy sticker
Soft cases for various iPhone models (iPhone 11 soft case shown here)
Hello, all! I am back with another post after a good while! It’s been a while since I posted an art analysis, so here we go! I hope you will enjoy the read and the insight!
“Upwards” (or “Upwards I”). Digital photograph. 2017.
“Upwards in Neutral” (or “Upwards II”). Digital photograph. 2017.
WHAT: This is a partial shot of a convention center in my town. The color shot is the original shot and the black & white photo shows the color extracted from the shot.
WHY: I was taking a stroll on a very nice day. The sun was shining, the breeze was soft….and then I was skipping and dancing with deer (no, that last part is a lie but it would make a nice Disney scene!). I often pass by this building whether walking or driving. It is a palatial-type of a structure. An impressive example of architecture with its many sections nicely arranged. I thought, “Hey…I need to take a shot of that.” I knew I could get some nice angles out of it. Artists find visual inspiration in literally everything!
WHEN: Last year!
HOW: Tablet! I used the camera of my RCA Viking Pro tablet. It is a super device, but admittedly it does not have the BEST camera (resolution and so forth), but if an image is clear and the light is sharp & natural (not artificial light), that is when it will take pretty awesome photos! I strolled over to the building and scoped out the expanse of it; searching for the portion of building that suited my fancy. I guess you could say I was doing recon. Recon artist-style! I did not want to shoot the photo straight-on. Thought that might be boring. The building has sections and those sections combined with sharp edges…I knew would be great on angles. So I looked UP (hence the title as “Upwards“). This is what is called a worm’s eye perspective because was looking up. I was standing when I shot this, by the way. Not on my belly on the ground like a worm! Althoooough being that far down would actually intensify the perspective & angle! So maybe I will be on belly while shooting next time! People driving by would stare at me like, “Who is that weird girl on the ground with a camera?” “She’s an artist.” “Oh. Okay. Gotcha. I get it, now.”Artists are weird in a cool, unique way.
The angles I was able to see in this shot were exciting! Being the artist I am, I was giddy & couldn’t wait to get home to edit the photograph. We get excited about these things! Excited about what we can do to manipulate something. So I saturated the coloring and I also worked in the tilt-shift method (which involves some portion of the image being blurred or out of focus & the remaining areas popping out sharply). Some months afterward, I extracted the color to achieve the black and white version. So now this is a set of two!
NOTE: I have an Etsy shop (link is below) where I sell prints of my drawing, paintings, graphic art and photographs. I will very soon post this set for retail in my shop. I invite you to check out the shop and make a purchase or more! Thank you!
While I have been creating new works (which I will post about), attending some events (which I will post about) and basically going through the throes of life (some good, some annoying), I have tried to publish new posts once in a while until I get back into the full swing of posting to my blog as I once did (I do want to get back to regularly posting; I used to post about every 2 or 3 days; sometimes twice in a day…so I was a MAJOR Blogging Head, lol).
One post I would like to share, this evening, is about an event I will be part of next week. If you live in the area or will be visiting near the area, maybe you can go! A clothing company called Turtle Speed Clothing (check them out on Twitter: Turtle Speed Clothing) is hosting a cultural event at the very cool Tapp’s Arts Center in Columbia, SC. The Longevity Show Case will feature an awesome blend of art, music and fashion. I will be participating in this event and I am grateful for the opportunity; I am SO looking forward to it! I will be along with other also awesome and interesting creators! Works will be on display and on sale, as well. PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT (advance online tickets are only $8)! THANK YOU!
(By the way, today is International Women’s Day (& this is Women’s History Month)! Being born female should be embraced! Women & girls are just as important as boys & men. We are artists, teachers, doctors, police, & so much more. There are mothers, sisters, daughters, friends, nieces, etc. We are nurturing, strong, brilliant and valuable! We should not be harassed & abused! We should also receive equal pay for equal work! Women, let’s uplift each other and do not tear each other down!)
Hello, peoples (I added that ‘s’ on purpose; bad grammar is fun but only when it is humorously on purpose, in any other case bad grammar is sad).
I am back with a new post after 50,000 years. Well, not that long of course, but long enough! As any blogger will tell you, the absence is due to a combination of things. My combination is: being busy, being not-feeling-like-posting, being a work-a-holic, being more not-feeling-like-posting. In any case, my blog would cross my mind from time-to-time because I DID very much miss posting. I knew I would get back to it eventually. I have also been creating new works (currently I am working on 3 new works simultaneously). One of my projects has been business cards. I have been getting into doing media/marketing materials for people, again (I also have an account with Upwork, the freelance site formerly known as ODesk; through that I also get projects). I also designed my own business cards. So that is what this post is about: business cards! If you need a business card, do let me know!
1)
This is the front of my new and actual business card. Various digital design & editing apps. 2017. The info on the card is my actual info. I have to get Adobe CS, so until then, other editing programs do come in handy). 2017. I designed the card & then uploaded the design to Vistaprint. The cards were delivered to me not long after that and they look great! Thanks Vistaprint!
2)
This is the back of my business card. I really can do all of that! I once created a mural for a client that involved the wall being along a tall, spiraling staircase. At certain points (where the mural was the highest on the wall), I had to stand on a ladder on some of the steps. I concentrated very much on not tipping & falling downstairs.
3)
Mock card design for an Italian restaurant. Various design & editing apps. 2017. Due to it being a MOCK business card the only real info on the card are the street & city names; the rest of the info (street number, contact & social network URLS) do not exist! So do not try to find the business because you will not ever find it! You will be wandering aimlessy trying to find the place & you will be pissed off at me even though I said it does not exist! I told you so!
4)
Mock card design for an architecture firm. Various design & editing apps. 2017. (VERSION ONE)
5)
Mock card design for an architecture firm. Various design & editing apps. 2017. (VERSION TWO has light filter effects on the upper left.)
6)
Mock card design for an architecture firm. Various design & editing apps. 2017. (VERSION THREE has contact and social media icons by the links.)
7)
Mock card design for a real estate agency (front). Various design & editing apps. 2017.
8)
Mock card design for a real estate agency (back). Various design & editing apps. 2017.
9)
Mock card design for a pastry cafe. Various design & editing apps. 2017.
Those are my designs so far; just a lot of experimentation with aesthetic features ranging from minimal to slightly embellished. Hope you enjoyed looking at them. Again, if you are in need of media material, feel free to let me know! Thank you! More posts coming soon!
Today is Resurrection Day, a time that recognizes the day Christ rose with all power in his hands!
Many people are also now referring to this day as Resurrection Day. I do as well. More people are realizing that term “Easter” has nothing to do with the recognition of Christ’s resurrection. Easter is actually a pagan worship of a false goddess (the word “Easter” stems from her name). The goddess is a fertility goddess (thus the symbolic us of eggs & bunnies, which tend to have many babies). Somehow, this pagan worship got confused with the timing of the day which recognizes the day Christ was resurrected. Christ went to the cross to save us. Eggs and bunnies did not go to the cross for us.
Christ was always here from the beginning with his Father.
John: 1:1-5 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2) The same was in the beginning with God. 3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
The “Word” is speaking of Christ. God sent Christ to earth as perfect flesh. He sent his beloved son to represent Him; sent his son to save humankind from death and sin. Christ was well-received by a multitude of people, but by others Christ was scourned, mocked and ultimately tortured & crucified. He went through this willingly because of his great love for us. Because of God’s great love for us, He sent His son to be the one-time solution to redeem us. God raised His beloved son and Christ lives eternally with the Father. Seeing as God & Christ have infinite love for us, it only makes sense that we genuine love for Them rises up in us, too. God the Father & Christ the Savior have done SO much for us, it only makes sense to recognize this and be eternally grateful. We did not deserve such a great love, yet it is given as a gift and a grace. Luke: 24:2-3 says, “And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3) And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.” John: 11:25-27 says, “Jesus said unto her, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live 26) And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ 27) She saith unto him, ‘Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ “
Because of Christ’s sacrifice, we do not have to be overcome with sin. Christ defeated sin and so through faith in him we can do the same. Christ defeated death and so through him we can do the same; being spiritually renewed. Even if we die in this earthly flesh, death in earthly bodies is NOT the end. So what is important is that we can have eternal life in God’s Kingdom with our spirits (which do not die) inhabiting new, Heavenly bodies. Just have faith and live to do God’s will (which is best for our lives).
2 Corinthians 5:1-10 states, “5) For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2)We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3) For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4) While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5)God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6) So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7) For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8) Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9) So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10) For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” If you have faith, be strenghthened! If you do not have faith, I pray that you will so that you can have life in Christ! Romans 10:9 – “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
“The Peace of Christ”, mixed media on foam core, 2015
I had done this drawing for a Christmas joint exhibit two years ago at my alma mater, Claflin University. The cross, of course, is a reminder of Christ’s great love for humankind; the salvation he brought us. The dove is a well-known symbol of peace. Purple is the color of royalty. Please forgive the blurry photo! Hope to replace this image with a sharper one, soon.
Hey, everyone. I am hoping you are well, safe and enjoying some art or something cultural, lately. Right now as I type, it is April 5th, Wednesday (so when I actually PUBLISH this post it will be Thursday because I want to post it early, right now it is too late on Wednesday; I do not like posting too late). It’s been a while since I’ve done an artwork analysis. Right now it is also raining pretty heavily (and lightning!) which is nice because it seems to make things more relaxing & calm. Great way to get myself in the mood to work on a post! Also, as I type, have my Google Play set to the Santigold station; listening to eclectic stuff from Santigold, M.I.A., La Roux, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Little Dragon, Grimes, etc. I listen to all sorts of music across musical genres. Helps to feed my creativity! Currently, I am also working on a few new drawings (the progress of which was the subject of my last blog post). I was drawing before I stopped to write this post. I hope that you will enjoy the following artwork analysis!
“Escaparse (Escape)”, mixed media on paper, 2016.
WHAT: As you can see, this is a woman’s head floating in profile with feathers seemingly growing from her head & face. There are also colored abstract shapes radiating from the side of her face. What if you saw someone with feathers growing out of their head? Would that freak you out? Or would you be silently amazed and still slightly uncomfortable? The closest we can actually get to having feathers coming out of our heads is to wear them in our hair. ………..I did that in college. Yep. I wanted to express myself and I wanted to connect to the indigenous (Native American) lineage I have, so I placed feathers in my hair. My beloved Grandmother (my Mom’s mother) talked some about her Native lineage. She has passed away, but to look at her you would think she was full-blooded Native American. She was part Afro-American and part Native American (maybe other types of lineage, too). When I look back at my feathers in hair days, I think, “What was I even doing? Oh, well.”
WHY: This drawing visually expresses the need and want of freedom (hence the title of it; “escaparse” is Spanish for “escape”). The feathers represent the freedom birds have through their ability of flight. People love to be able to take flight and go places, even without the use of feathers/wings. I love to travel when I can. Near or far. I hope to travel more! Travel takes you out of your comfort place and expands your geographical and sensitivity walls. Travel gives you opportunity to see, hear, feel and just simply experience new things. Meet new people. Appreciate the blessing of people & the blessing of this world even more. So the “why” for this drawing comes from an internal love of travel and the desire to be kind of a wanderer. Priorities and money issues get in the way, so often people do not travel as often as they’d like to. If I could, I would be that constant traveler who is often away from home. I’d go with companions at first, but then after a while, I’d probably be that type to be brave and start doing it on my own around the world. I would also not mind being a travel photographer. So if there is anybody in the industry reading this: hire me, please! I take great photographs, too! I thank God for the places I have been able to go, however. Different states I’ve visited. Also during cruises with Princess and with Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, I’ve visited a few gorgeous islands (St. Lucia and Barbados are favorites) & also Mexico. I will always remember those times. I will also always remember that during my first cruise in 2009 (on the Ruby Princess), I was strolling happily around the ships levels and I stopped to listen to a lady playing the piano so beautifully. I got out my camera to record, though, because the bizarre thing is she was playing the theme from “Titanic”!! On a ship! I was like, “What?? No waaaay!” I wonder if she did that to be funny or if it was an irony she did not catch. Lol. It was creepily hilarious. I will ALSO never forget that when we returned from the cruise, a few hours later we went to see the world disaster film “2012” that just came out. To see a movie scene of a sinking ship RIGHT after ending a cruise trip is indeed many insane levels of ironic and highly unforgettable…………
WHEN: I produced this drawing last year! This is my shortest explanation in this post. Lol.
HOW: I produced this with a post-modern art frame of mind; utilizing realism blended with abstract elements. The material I used is paper, of course, worked over with graphite (pencil) for the laying out and the groundwork detailing, charcoal (black and white) and colored pencil. I do not often do a sketch (which I call the “bones” of a piece of art) first and then lay over that with the final workings, instead I most often just go straight into the fleshing out. I also used a real feather to model the grouping of feathers from. I love the beauty and technical, structural genius of feathers. As is said, God is the Original Artist. Indeed! I am fascinated by His works (which include our own bodies) everyday. Intelligent Design from Supremely Intelligent God.
I hope you have enjoyed my post and there will certainly be more coming; I have ideas for so many! Util then, please visit often; even re-reading posts! Thank you!
caloniedoesart 