Movin and a Shakin

So this show coming up has taught me two things. My house is never going to be a clean one when I am in my creative moods and I am much happier when I am creating art.

Here is the very beginning of a piece. I just have the outlines of the shapes of the figure so far, but I am interested to see where this one is going once I start defining the features.

The glare is horrible because it is extremely we at the time.

Save the Date Yall!

I am having a showing of my work on December 5, time to come, at 1918-1920 Washington Avenue. It is a friend of mine who owns a loft and it has a store front on it. It is going to serve as an open house for her to show her lofts, and it gives me a chance to show my work. I am nervous as all get out, but I am just looking at this as an opportunity for people to see my work, and to get the name out at the same time. Am I ready? No. But I am going to take this opportunity.

I have shown my work and had shows all over the country. Besides being exhausting showing your work, it is also mentally draining. I don't like to talk about my work. I would rather sit back and listen to people's interpretations. It is a big downfall of mine. I have had a negative taste in my mouth after showing my work. I have been in all kinds of shows, African-American shows in Philly and Baltimore to The Taste of the Central West End. I have been told on numerous occasions that my work is too black for the white community and too white for the black community? What does that mean you ask? I still don't know. If you have an answer, get back to me!

Owl Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for Julie's shower. They were super fun to make and I think they turned out cute. I used Aldi's cake mix and icing to make it easier on me. For the eyes I used oreos with a dab of chocolate icing for teh iris, for the beak I used a cashew, and for the feathers on the head I used slivered almonds. I think it would have been cuter with shaved almonds, but you live and you learn.

Watercolor and Charcoal Study

I have been busy lately! Trying new techniques, styles, still trying to find my way! Here is a piece that I did during a watercolor study. Adding the watercolors on heavy, allowing them to drip, and in effect, it kind of looks like a tear. I love the softness of the watercolors verses the harsh black of the charcoal. I'm not too happy with the face, but I like the effect that it had. I will definitely try this technique again, but try to blend them more.

I must be crazy

I am going back to school! As excited as I am about it, I also think that I have lost my mind. I have not taken an art class since I graduated from KU in 2001. I have a friend in the program and she assures me that this will be a good step for me. I know I need to work on technique and I need instruction!

I imagine myself being that kid in class that is drawing stick figures and think they are a masterpiece while I am surrounded by Picasso's. I actually have had a dream about it. I haven't had the showing up to school naked dream yet, so I guess thats something huh?

So January brings the start of me going to Fontbonnne to get my second Masters, my last month of coaching basketball for the high school, and the beginning of a new year. 2010 is going to come in with a bang!

Ohhh. Whitey's

Nick and I went to a white trash party and made White Castle's Patee. Anyone who knows Nick and I, you know our minor love for the treats in little white boxes. I mean, that is where we had our first kiss. In the drive thru. How sad are we?

Believe it or not, this stuff was pretty good! We put the ketchup on the top and served it with crackers.

White Castle Pate

15 White Castle regular (no cheese) hamburgers, boxes removed

2 tbs Worchestershire

1 package of cream cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a blender or food, blend hamburgers three at a time with water as needed,scraping sides as you go. Add the Worchestshire. Finished product should look like refried beans. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan with Crisco vegetable shortening (avoid butter ormargarine, as these will cause the pate to brown too much).Turn the pate mixture into the loaf pan, and smooth with spatula. Bake45 minutes. After removing from oven, immediately turn pate onto a servingplate. Allow to cool, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate. When ready to serve, frost pate with softened cream cheese or sour cream. Serve as a spread with thin slices of French bread or crackers.

Baby Deem

My relationship with Julie has been a funny one. Four years ago, I answered a posting on craigslist for a girl in U-City that was looking for someone to hang out with. I think the posting might have even said she needed a happy hour buddy. Of course, I stepped right up. We hit it off right away. We even went on a cruise together. We both went through a really wierd stage in our lives where we grew apart. It was something that we probably needed to do. Now, Julie is one of my best friends.

The whole time I have known Julie, her and her husband Ryan have always said they never wanted children. So I was a little suprised when last year, she had told me that they changed their minds. But none the less, they will be great parents and I can't wait to see the little girl they are going to pop out here in the next month or so.

So for her gift, I wanted to do something special. I found a quote by Vincent Van Gogh that I fell in love with. "If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle."

I put the quote in a tree along with the with the year. Both of their last names are patterned through the piece. I guess I would call it a Where's Waldo of baby gifts. I hope she likes it!