Enough Already!!!

Peace y'all

Well today I almost lost it! That's right, Q went off and just started spittin' what he felt. Normally I don't do tangients and tantrums(hey that sounds like a great title for a rap album!)but this could not be held in. I have been working at this glorified craphole for almost 3 years and I have heard every weak excuse this side of 9/11 as why I have yet to see a raise(as well as the workers as a group)among other insults to the intelligence. Now the latest crop of doo-doo that was thrown to my team was that we are solely responsible for losing $120,000 to a client who refuses to pay for support, or lack thereof. This little red-headed rodent with a God complex basically held us responsible for why this penny-pinching hole-in-the-wall corporate client does not want to pay, yet would not admit that this faux pas was the product of the companys' failing attempt to restructure, streamline and introduce substandard micromanagement tactics designed to take advantage of employees' fears of losing jobs and allow these bite-size tyrants in the upper offices to increase their pocketbooks.

People have been buttered up and down like corn on the cobb just to work here, then once they bring them in, they ring up the most despicable excuses as to why they won't receive a raise, and it's always the employee's fault. This is a sad state of affairs when hard working human beings are stripped of their dignity and insulted with lies. Just tell me you are going to jerk me, don't lie to me, because one day they will lie to the wrong person.... so do you still wonder why some people go postal? Who wants to devote their hard work and sweat and for some people loss of family time just to be discarded like a sh****ty diaper?

It won't get to that point with me, for I know where my sustenance comes from(Ar-Razzaq), and it didn't come from these fools. It was already written, I'm just playing the part. But for some poor flag-saluting, FOX News watching, God Bless America and forget everybody else-sentiment-having sap, to have this happen and watch his beloved country transform into a corporate-ruled tyranny, this should drive them batty. What gets me is that people see this nonsense, and do nothing about it because somewhere in the deep dark unused portions of our brain, we still believe this is the best country in the world. Every day our liberties are being taken and every excuse there is some "foreign threat" that seeped into the hallowed landscapes of this country and are now plotting to take over, giving rise to the need to restrict movement and speech and this need to send forces out to combat the threat. But the real threat is internal, but we accept this and say stupid stuff like I don't mind having some of my liberties taken to ensure my freedom.

IT'S THE SAME THING FOOL!

The same tactics apply at the plantation(workforce), people are having their movement and freedom restricted over bogus excuses, but here we let it happen. This spells nothing but trouble for the American. What will it take before we wake up and see who is really behind all of this, whether it's the job or the world as a whole? Tell you what, it definitely isn't a rag wearing Arab sitting in the cave with a billy goat as his only immediate friend cookin' up some scheme to rule the world!

God Help Us......

A Lil' Sumpthin'

Peace all,

Blog is on the way, but just wanted to fill ya in on the happenings here. I will be releasing some wearable art very soon, so stay tuned. I am working very hard to break from this place of work which is very draining and stressful, and keeping deadlines whether I made them on myself or someone else made them becomes chaotic. I have pushed the dates back so much that even I myself is getting tired of hearing about something that has yet to come to fruition.

Which makes me wonder.....What the heck ever happened to the NEA, the National Endowment of Arts association? I mean far beit for me to believe that Sam is going to fund me some money to make social commentary art, but it's just amazing when I read about how supposed millions of dollars are supposedly allocated to the arts every year, yet no one really gets to see the results, well at least us po' folks don't.

I'm getting tired of witnessing people who can contribute to the upliftment of society in an artistic manner, but have to scrap and scrounge just to get noticed. Who knows how many great poets are lurking in the midst of the cafe lounges trying to be heard, or visual artists trying to get their expression out to the public, but also have to clock in the morning after.....Talk about a kill joy!

More on that later, but in the meantime here is a nice vid I saw about graffiti art and one of my favorites, Mohammed Ali. I'll be back....Peace

Burnley Murals from Mohammed Ali - Aerosol Arabic on Vimeo.

Ya Likes?

Peace all,

I had an intense blog planned for this past week, but this past week had me really stressed out, except for the fact I received a beautiful piece of art from my blog friend Sheila, and I am in the process of finishing up a piece for her. I will show the beautiful work she gave me in the near future....






This is an official logo for some wearable art I am in the process of creating. It's something I am real excited about and it allows me to flex my old art muscles in creating wearable art. I plan to use whatever materials I have available and will keep you all posted on new apparel and new items appearing.

In the meantime if I feel up to putting out my belated blog, I will do so, but the situation at my job has increased dramatically, nothing short of despicable. So let me lighten up the room a bit before I attempt to go into deep mode.

Stay tuned my peeps...I've just begun.

Love ya.

A Brief History......

Peace All,

I'm working on some really nice projects, hopefully one project coming this weekend, but in the meantime, I just wanted to give a little history on this piece, which seems to have attracted some admirers. This pic is untitled, and it was not intended to represent someone whom served in this country's armed forces. When I produced this piece in early 2007(while at work mind you) I just pulled up a green pastel and went to work. I worked on it extensively and VOILA! here's the end result. After a while I began to experience stories from former vets whom I would meet in the park, some were exercising, some were homeless, but some had very interesting stories to tell about wars they experienced, and how the government treated them after the wars were over. It was there where I found out who were some of the biggest users of Prozac and other antidepressants were. Add this with the stories I have read from other sources and books about how soldiers were suffering from anxiety attacks and extreme forms of depressions, and how some sources repeated of how former vets were experiencing hard times coping with civilian life, and how some became homeless, addicts, and all around disillusioned with the dream of fighting for something they believed in. The more I looked at the picture, the more it took on a totally different meaning, one of similar to my experiences of working to make someone else wealthy, and not getting any real rewards for the services rendered.

Coupled with reading stories of how soldiers were denied treatment for what is now known as Desert Storm Fever and how some of the soldiers' had deformed children as a result of coming into contact with the chemicals in the gulf war and not being acknowledged by their "employers" and this picture takes on a whole new meaning.



The picture is not in my possesion anymore, it was given to a person who encouraged me to desert the killing fields where I was employed, and was told, "Don't look back. You're stepping out on faith"

I plan to reproduce a much larger picture in the near future, God Willing..

Take care all, I love you......Quwwa signing off.

Check Da Spin Y'all! (No Voice at All!)

Peace all,

It is 2:31pm and I am on vacation, tired but excited, I have some new things coming up in the very near future that I want you to check out. But this past week has my head spinning in circles wondering what could be going on? Incidents occurred this past week that I felt could have been cleared up just by both parties involved talking it out. Instead people are getting the runaround and are unable to express themselves because of someone else's invested interest or fear of loss.

This reminds me of an incident that took place in April 2005. I worked at this planta- ooops call center that serviced warranties for Circuit City. I was encountering sick remarks from someone because of my beard, which is symbolic of my Islamic belief. I was moved to sit right in front of this person and out of nowhere this person rises from his chair and tells the person sitting on my left " They took so-and-so away and put this ugly boy in her place!" I immediately went to Inhumane Resources(and there is a reason for calling it that) and explained the situation, along with the multitudes of racist statements made against people of Indian descent. Instead of Inhumane Resources doing something about the issue, they wanted me to give names, which I refused, and tried to justify the ignorance by stating that people are upset because jobs are going to India, which I quickly retorted that it was still wrong. I suggested that a notice should be sent throughout the area. The end result? No meeting between me and this guy, they just summoned me into the room, told me that this guy says he was just joking and I took it the wrong way. Then they moved me to the back of room, and after a couple of more weeks, terminated me on bogus charges of attendance issues. When I attempted to file for unemployment benefits the Workforce Commission stated that this sweatshop had notified them of instances of how I allegedly came into work, logged on the phones, then logged off and left for no reason, which made me ineligible for unemployment. So I began warning the other workers there that they will fire you and attach allegations of misconduct so as to protect them from paying unemployment. All of this because they didn't want Circuit City to know there were problems in the workplace that could affect their business. Well, we all know now Circuit City is no more, which obviously means their bread and butter is no more. God don't like ugly.

I have grown increasingly tired of these places who insult the employees, refuse to address the issues concerning abuse, slavery, anxiety and other injustices and spin the web to make the one complaining think this is all in their minds.

Which brings to mind the spin of the week, whereas people are being manipulated again to think of instances of terrorism instead of the increasing issues permeating the US Armed Forces. I wonder if Lieutenant Colonel Nathan Banks has been informed to cease speaking about the growing suicide rate among the troops, anxiety, battle stress, and the fact there were more than one shooter according to his own account, and just let the media spin their web on only one alleged shooter, their alleged past, focus on the Jessica Lynch-esque heroic stories that may/may not have occurred and let the peoples' blind patriotism and prejudices do the rest.

It must be real tough knowing your issues of underpayment, injustices, sicknesses, sexual harrassment and being victimized by discrimination at the workplace are no concern, even if you are protecting and serving your country.

"FOCUS ON THE TASK AT HAND" is what they tell you, in other words "F**** your issues, get out there and work!"

Although I have mixed emotions about the supposed "War on Terrorism" and the "need" to fight these evils, I was always taught that right is right and wrong is wrong, regardless of my feelings towards a particular person, group, organization whatever.








God don't like ugly....

By the way, speaking of spins, my local library has a new sign above the front desk that really disturbs me. It reads, WE REALLY APPRECIATE OUR CUSTOMERS......

I thought the library was free......God Help Us.

I FEEL GUUUD!

Peace all....

It's 7:36pm and I am tired again(from being at the plantation) but things are looking up. I will fill everyone in on the haps, but I just wanted to share a feedback I received from my first sale on Etsy. I will cherish it.

i have admired QuwwaArt for awhile now. i love his work and wish to see it in a show. it needs to be seen in three dimension. as a person who has spent a lot of years surrounded by art and artists, it has meant a lot to find an artist who is so good. he uses uses his brush to communicate with refreshing clarity. his work is elegant. he is able to let his subject meet the canvas without interference. his portrayal of people who occupy the margins of our society is touching. dignity and respect make their way through the paint. he paints each soul with a calm which allows their being to unfold. it is beautiful stuff!!

it came at a time when needed that boost, not that I was sad or anything like that, but it just came as a sign to keep going. I had confronted another "nay-sayer" who saw my desktop picture at work of people standing at the unemployment line and stated that it was depressing, I proceeded to explain the reasoning behind such pics, but she wasn't trying to hear it...Who cares?

I know my art isn't for everyone, but it seems that most that I meet are intrigued with it. Even my mom shocked me this week when she commented on one of my pics yet to be exhibited. All I can say is thank you.

Can't say too much more now, I want to spend my blog time blogging it up with my friends @ ColoredPeople.Net and Give Your Walls Some Soul. So without further delay, KICK IT!



Take care all.......Love YA!!!

When The Shoe........(IS THIS MIC ON?)

Peace everybody,

It's 8:19pm, and I am wrapping up the art part of my week(sigh) to get back to this other part.....(more sigh)....

Anyway I have a few more things in store so stay tuned....But in the meantime while thumbing thru the blogs that I removed from the other site, I ran across this one about the swine flu and the attitudes of the American public, which seemed to have been one of jokes and puns about pigs and swine and pork, and the list goes on. Now that the shoe seems to be on the other foot, what is the attitude of Americans now? Where are the jokes now people? HELLOOOO!!! IS THIS MIC ON?!!!

Arrogance is a mutha..... The thing about arrogance is that the person does not seem to get the fact that he/she is arrogant.

Here is the edited version of the blog....Peace y'all. Love ya.

The Worst Kind of Death

Peace y'all

I know it's been a loooooong time( well actually a month is not THAT long) but when you start something, you would like to finish it. I started this blogging thing on my site, made some friends and contacts, and in the process people also got a chance to see another side of what I be(lol). I have been a very busy camper the past few weeks and blogging has been on my mind. Trust me, there are PLENTY of things to talk about, but not to the point of stopping my painting and just putting my feelings out there. That is until I saw this stupid picture from an email sent to me at work.





To me this is indicative of what this country is about. Arrogance and ignorance. No one can deny that the people in America have good qualities, but for a person on the outside looking in what does he/she see? Out of the hundreds of people in Mexico who lost a loved one to "swine flu" how does it feel to listen or see Americans make jokes about a tragedy?

The past couple of weeks we were bombarded at home or at the workplace with either fears of a pandemic, or jokes that reek of "better them that us" . I was hit with both, as people at work people joked of the swine flu, some people made insensitive comments about Mexicans( but hey I ain't got a racist bone in body!) Then I checked Twitter only to see people with same stupid jokes such as "swine flu is the past tense of pigs fly" nonsense. This past week on an all-talk sex(sorry) sports radio show some idiot went on and on with a barrage of swine flu jokes. But when the shoe was on the other foot, such as the Dallas Cowboy employee who is now permanently paralyzed as a result of the practice facility collasping in Valley Ranch, we heard no jokes, instead I heard "it is sooo tragic." So let me get this straight. One American permanently paralyzed is tragic, but 200 Mexicans dying from the flu is a new monologue for any stoopid wannabe comic, or village idiot.

That's us ain't it America? Make jokes of other countries' cultures, tragedies, still calling them Third World Countries( as if there are no ghettoes or poor people living under bridges and in tents in America) Yet when we hear comments from other countries about problems in America we blow a fuse. We go into this state of denial. For example we hear about rowdy, drunken fans who tear up the city after a Super Bowl or Championship match and immediately drum up riots in London after soccer games to minimize the fact that this country has a serious maturity issue. Our favorite TV shows are CARTOONS like South Park with old goats doing little kid voiceovers, The Family Guy, the Simpsons, my God, FOX TV at one point had a Sunday prime time lineup of CARTOONS (oh but they are for "mature audiences only).

Give me a break.....

Our denials remind me of a drunkard who swears up and down that he does not have a problem, and if he did have a problem he could quit at any moment. Like I just said.....Give me a break.

While the American people make jokes about diseases in other countries we should be very scared. Our habits, oh sorry, our "precious free way of life" has produced everything from breast cancer, fibroids, lung cancer to STD's and even impotence(but hey thank God for Viagra!) We forgot about Desert Storm fever( and for a long time the government forgot also) and the growing rate of autism found in kids from being poked over 50-60 times before they reach the age of 4 or 5 with vaccines that don't work. We have the largest rate of suicides in any "industrialized" nation, but we want other nations to be "industrialized" like us. The rate of Alzheimers and other forms of dementia in this country is staggering.

News Flash: Alzheimers is not a natural process of growing old.

Stress should be our middle name.

While those few hundreds of Mexicans die quickly from swine flu, millions of Americans die from the worst form of death, a slow torturous death. The worst part is to die and not even know your dying. To be a victim of your own undoing. To revel in your own ignorance.

But hey!! God Bless America right? More like God Help America.

Hit the Ground Running!

PEEEACE!


It's 8:36pm, and I am tired as can be, but in a happy sense. Things have been looking much better for me, and I personally want to thank all of the well wishers who looked out for me and gave me greetings of peace and blessings. Although the month of Ramadan left and I always begin to conjure up feelings of anxiety about the upcoming months after Ramadan, there are four major events I would like to share with you that occurred. I will list the least major event first.

4)LEAVING HOME...
I said goodbye to the site that pretty much gave me foundation in regards to exposing my art and my writings to the public. You say "it's just a Ning site" but it was the first chance the public had to envision Quwwa Art and the Project as a whole. It grew in size and members, and I was very active in the site, commenting on forums, exposing my work and making contacts. It is the site where I met my sister in the Arts Shannon Grissom of Give Your Wall Some Soul, my friend La Faith LLC, and a couple of great contacts, and my great friend Tania-Maria Xavier of ColoredPeople.Net. But as the size of the site continued to grow and emphasis on sex and frivolity became a premium, it seemed as people of conscience were looked upon as oddities. I also believe the electing of an African-American as president of the United States took the sting out of the consciousness factor. People began to dream the American dream all over again, and corruption and injustice all of a sudden took a back seat, as if to say "The corruption ended when Bush was removed from office." This plight is more scarier than the corruption of the previous era due to the fact that people are being manipulated more than ever before as our President and First Lady enjoy rock-star status and to some extent idol worship. Never mind that people are still losing jobs, people are being kicked out of their homes more than ever before...Hey, no more conservatives! How foolish... A Politician is a Politician, forget the names.




3) GET YO SHINE ON!





After a long hiatus on Etsy, and at the prompting of a few friends(more like arm twisting...lol) I've added a few more items to my site, which also increased my repetoire, and I must say IT FEELS GOOD! My attempt at ACEO cards has attracted the attention of several people and it has also inspired me to delve more into the collage/mixed media aspect of things, which I believe can do nothing but strengthen and expand my knowledge and open the door to understanding and contributing to the growth of visual art, and personal growth as well.


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This also adds diversity to my portfolio, for no longer can I be looked at as a one trick pastelist pony....I will go back to painting soon...LOL

I've also added a contribution to support breast cancer research and so far the response has been overwhelming. I've already been asked to make some more as people believe this item won't stay in the store too long. It could not have come at a better time.





Since then I have been featured on a treasury and I am receiving great support from my fellow Etsymates....Thank You.

I feel I have hit another stride and my confidence has shot up another level. Be on the lookout for more wearable art, I've just begun!



2)MY FIRST SALE!!!!

Yes, a couple of my prints were sold to a long time blog follower and admirer of my art. To show you where my mindstate was, I did not know a couple of pieces sold until I looked on my blog and saw a couple of items were missing from my ETSY mini. I thought to myself, I'm gonna have to renew these items when lo and behold, I posted 2 sales on my Etsy! Talk about a boost!

1) SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED!




I've just signed my first contract to have some of my work posted in an online gallery for a beautiful store called DaughterNature.Com, which is run by Tania-Maria Xavier. I take this as a blessing from the Best of All Planners, God Almighty, Who is always on the case, never gets weary nor slumbers nor sleeps, and all depend on Him, while He depends on no one. This is a very beautiful store and I encourage you to check it out. Tania-Maria has put together a very powerful package in using her talents to expose artists and their works. I pray that I am a contributer to her success, as I have seen her work tirelessly to get the word out. She is a very God fearing person and always has a positive word for people at the right moment.

I'm sorry for the long post, but I felt I had to share this with my family, especially since two weeks away from blogging is a long time for ME!....LOL

Thank you all...You mean so much to me...We've only just begun......



Peace....Your Brother Quwwa!

Yet So Little.....

Peace All,

It's 5:12pm Tuesday evening, two days since the end of Ramadhan. The end of Ramadhan gives me mixed emotions every year. Sadness because it is the end of a time of deep reflection and contemplation and doing charitable deeds like no other time of the year. Not to say these things are not done throughout the year, but during this time of the year one can say that they are able to raise their level of awareness and consciousness to another level, giving them the ability to do more deeds and stay more focused on the task at hand. I always cry at the missed opportunities at the end of the month.




On the other hand there is a sense of joy and hope because one comes from the month revived and refreshed, ready to take on the world. Lessons are learned, reminders are given about the brevity of life on this earth, giving one the sense of urgency to do whatever is in their power to bring about peace, justice and most of all a society in which God is the Sovereign Ruler, and not man's tawdry desires, which is driving humans to the pit of disarray and utter confusion.

This past Ramadhan was spent reading the Quran and listening to an audiobook entitled The Race Beat, which discussed the role of the media during The Civil Rights Struggle. The book was entertaining to say the least, although the book had gross flaws at the end,especially when discussing the uprising of the Black Power movements. The book failed to go into more detail about the reasons that prompted certain Blacks to opt out of the Civil Rights Movement and take a more militant stance toward racism and segregation in America. The book was brief on the subject, but like other books and reports seem to give the indication that everything was quiet on the homefront and all of a sudden these unsatisfied Blacks took matters into their own hands and started rioting, looting and destroying their own neighborhoods, which sounds strange to begin with. They also scantily mention Malcolm X's name except for the fact that they referred to him as "angry and militant".

It also failed miserably to convince me that desegregation was effective in combating racism, for while those reporters who were railing against the South and their racism, the television ,which by this time had taken over print as the main source of information(and Americans have been paying for it ever since) had cartoons like the one below in full circulation, nationwide, proving that forcing people to live with one another while sharing disrespect for one another is never a solution for something that was institutionalized whether in the workplace, halls of education, and even the houses of worship.



These cartoons are still published and sold to the masses, although some have disclaimers against the racism shown, such as the Oscar Award Winner series, which is as oxymoronic as cigarettes with the Surgeon General's warning on them. I purchased a DVD box set of cartoons last year from Wal-Mart, only to find a large number of the cartoons were similar to the one above.

In short, we have a long way to go and yet so little time to straighten this human thing out, and we keep taking the wrong avenues, hoping to strike a blow at something that is more of a belief or way of life rather than an attitude. Today people are still asking why Blacks allow calling themselves the N word, but others cannot say it?

My people (referencing African Americans) are doing a terrible job at tackling the issues head on, and keep looking for trinkets to justify the Civil Rights Struggle, and the issue with the current Presidency is no exception. There is a war going on in the Black community, and no one is really looking for the solution, but keep harping on the problems.

What does this have to do with Ramadhan you ask? LOL. I guess I just started venting due to a situation over the past weekend in which I spoke with a bus driver who was discussing the problems he encountered in which he asked the question when it came to "US" He asked, is it genetics? This incident also made me think of the young African American woman who posted a video on her Myspace page of a young Black woman with bad manners and she entitled it, this makes me ashamed to be black....

Believe or not, this is prevelant in my community. So far to go, yet so little time.

Take care everybody.

.....On My Mind

Peace y'all

It's 3:25p, and I just finished a couple of pics for the week. One I just finished was a pic I started a few months ago, maybe longer. I wasn't even looking for it, I just happened to pick up the Greyscale paper(one of my favorites) and opened the pad and there it was. I just went into it, and before I knew it I was finished! Now I'm working on another blue pic....Hmmm, could be something special, but you be the judge.





Anyway it's the 14th day of Ramadhan, and this has been a different experience for me, due to the fact this is the first time I have ever fasted in the summertime so extensively. Usually my fasting takes place in the winter and fall, due to the ease of those seasons along with shortness of times, but since Ramadhan is actually a month in the Islamic calendar, and the Hijri calendar is 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar we use here, the seasons shift, so this will go on for a few more years before Ramadhan will be in the spring again. The heat here in Texas will test you, but thank God I am dealing with it. Some people look at this as starving one's self, but that's how they fail to understand the spiritual connection to this, this is not just detoxing the body but the soul, giving you the chance to see what you could be about. The problem is that we live in a society that is bent on pleasing the flesh desires, and that poses a problem for the Muslim, seeing that the Muslim is supposed to abstain from unlawful things. Like the song says, it takes two to make a thing go right. In this case, the person has to be willing, and the society has to be conducive. If one is off kilter, problems will arise, especially for one who has not been raised in an Islamic environment, where vices remain although they may not indulge in them. But thank God for the Qur'an which guides the Muslim for letting us know in many verses of many of God's attributes of Forgiveness(Al-Ghafur, Al-Ghafar) Mercy(Ar-Raheem) Pardonment(Al-Afuww) along with others. This past week I met a young man at my job who did not know I was Muslim, but he found out I was fasting, while he wasn't, I did not scold or shunned him, for I understand. He is trying now, and I pray that he can complete his fast and make up for the other days. We all have some growing up to do, I am no exception.


Be back later....Take care y'all....Peace

Time to reflect...work...smile....

Peace all,

It is 5:57am and it is the first official day of Ramadhan, which for me could not have come at a better time. Fasting has a way of putting everything back into perspective, and thank God HE has given us a full month to recharge, reflect, and reconnect. My mind was so distracted with the rigours of life, compounded with a computer that still had not been corrected, but I have realized I have to work with what I got. I plan to get this corrected, because I have a so many things planned. One thing I have planned is a full length video of me(THAT'S RIGHT Y'ALL) STARRING ME!

I can say now there were many occurrences that stressed me out over the past few weeks... Deaths, my car broke down, my computer broke down, my easel is no more, you name it. Oh, can't forget the job, gotta love that call center stress...LOL. My feet began to swell from the stress, and fatigue set in. I felt very overwhelmed and thought about certain things, like hanging it up again. Some people may think this is being wishy washy, but believe you me, I'm sure every artist had these thoughts when things seem to be too much.

But I had to suck it in, and just started working with what I have, and take things a little bit at a time, and slowly but surely things will fall back into place.

Thank God(Really!) I discovered gestural drawings. I had been reading about this for some time now, but over the past couple of weeks I started working on them and man, do they loosen you up! It does not take long to finish a gestural drawing because theres not much accentuation on detail.



I have more to write about but I have to get going. Thanks to everyone, I love you all.... I hope you like my short vid I've added.

MUCH BLESSED RAMADHAN to all of my Brothers and Sisters in Islam. May GOD accept our fasting and forgive us of our shortcomings....Ameen

Down But Not Out!

Peace yo!

Sorry for the long delay, I have some things in mind, but my computer keeps telling me it wants to behave differently. One of the great things about exhibiting your work online is you have control of what to present and offer, but the bad part is when your computer goes down, because you are so reliant on the net. My computer happens to go down on a consistent basis. Once again I had to strip my computer and try to enhance its performance. Suffice to say that didn't happen which irritates me, because I am getting into something new, gestural drawings. Easy, quick, loose and not too much for detail, something that I love.

I am also getting into other things as well but because I have nothing on my computer except internet, I will have to delay the presentation. I hope to have everything up and running again by the end of this week. In the meantime look around at some archives and enjoy yourself.

I tell ya, I wish I had the money to buy a Mac.....Anyway

Thank you and take care.....Quwwa

ONE DAY.....

Peace y'all

It's 6:42pm, and my heart is heavy. Too much pain... Can't explain it...But a poem came to me as I saw one of my pictures.

ONE DAY

One day I will be able to laugh
One day I will be able to smile
One day I will be able to love

That day is not here now
There's too much pain
Too much sorrow
Too many tears
Too much crying

One day I will look back at all of this hurt
All of this penned anger
All of this anxiety
All of this worrying
And look at it as a bump in the road

To get where I want to go
I have to endure this
It is the trials of life
But I know God is with me
Because I'm still here
Still loving life
Despite the pains of loss
The pains of being deceived
The pains of being hurt and criticized
I'm still here
And one day this will be no more
I will be able to discard this mask of pain



The few smiles I have now are only an appetizer
One day I will smile so much my face will seem permanently fixed
And the only tears will be tears of joy.....

Victory will be mine...One day... ©Quwwa 2009 All Rights reserved.

You Only Have One.....

Peace ya'll

It's 9:06am, and I am at work.

WAIT A MINUTE, YOU'RE AT WORK AND YOU'RE WRITING A BLOG?
Well, yeah sorta.

YOU MUST HAVE A LOT OF TIME ON YOUR HANDS
Kinda, but this is a different blog.

IS IT THAT IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE TO BLOG RIGHT NOW AT WORK?
Yeah, kinda. I have to get it off my chest.

WHAT HAPPENED?
Somebody at my job died....Came back to work from the weekend and someone showed an email announcing his death.

HOW YOU FEEL?
Sad.

WERE YOU TWO GOOD FRIENDS?
We were cool, we joked around when I was in his area at work, but not the palsy-walsy type. But it's becoming so common now. This makes approximately 10 deaths I've experienced in the course of a year.

THAT MUCH HUH?
Yeah, that much.

Actually someone in my family died last week, but I didn't want to tell anyone about it. It's been happening so much now I become sad even if I don't know or even like the person.

WELL YOU ARE HUMAN AND YOU HAVE FEELINGS.

But does it mean that I've become very touchy when it comes to death?
COULD BE, BUT IT COULD ALSO BE AN INDICATION OF YOUR LOVE FOR HUMAN KIND THAT ALLOWS
YOUR FEELINGS TO SHOW. NOT MANY PEOPLE DO THAT NOWADAYS, THEY HIDE, PLAY TOUGH AND ACT THICK-SKINNED, BUT WE ALL KNOW IT'S FAKE.

Is it wrong to feel this way?
NOT AT ALL. AS WEIRD AS IT SOUNDS, DEATH IS A PART OF LIFE.

But most people don't feel this way. They may speak on it for a second, and then back to business.
MOST HUMANS ARE PRONE TO FORGET THINGS UNTIL IT HAPPENS TO THEM. COMMON TRAIT.

I don't know, maybe it's just me, or does it seems like people are taking this death thing lightly?
THEY ARE TAKING IT LIGHTLY.

I think so too, I think people are forgetting that they really have no control over this issue, and now it's so bad that people do not believe people die of natural causes anymore, it has to be something wrong. Take Michael Jackson for instance. No
drugs in his system at the time of death, but people want to make it seem as if something else was the cause of his death. They are not satisfied that he died in this fashion. He was supposed to have died tragically. People need to get over it. The man laid down and did not get back up. Period. But they play it as if there is some written rule that a person can only die in their sleep as an old person. Total disbelief that the One who gives life will take it anyway and ANY MOMENT.

THAT'S THE MEDIA FOR YOU. ANYTHING TO KEEP A STORY RUNNING.

Or another example, I remember a few years ago an ex-coworker told me his 5 year old niece went into the restroom, had an asthma attack and died. Within minutes of their arrival at the hospital, Child Protective Services were there investigating, claiming they are just there to make sure there were no signs of abuse....Couldn't they've just waited until an autopsy was performed before calling Child Protective Services? Have we deluded ourselves that much?

APPARENTLY WE HAVE MY FRIEND. SO MUCH ARTIFICIAL HAS OVERTAKEN THE REAL THAT THE HUMAN NOW SEES THE REAL AS AN ALTERNATIVE.

It seems everything natural has become "alternative". Natural medicines are "alternative medicines", natural foods are given other names, and now natural death is "Abnormal".

THE HUMAN BEING HAS TAKEN THE MORSELS OF KNOWLEDGE AND ABUSED THEM SO THAT HE IS WORSHIPPED INSTEAD OF HIS CREATOR. HE WANTS THAT WHICH HE CAN'T HAVE, OR THAT WHICH WILL DESTROY HIM IF HE OBTAINED IT IN THIS LIFE. WEALTH, POWER, SUBJECTS, IMMORTALITY. HE HAS FORGOTTEN HE IS ONLY HERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD.




GOD HELP US ALL. AMEEN.

The Lighter Side....

Peace y'all,

It's 10:18am, I am getting ready for some extensive work here, and maybe have a few surprises that are closer than you can imagine. I have some serious blogs on the way but I figured right now I would show a lighter side of my art. I am working on a textured landscape, and I can actually say this is one of my hardest projects because I am stuck between dumping it and working more on it.

I spoke to my Facebook and Etsy buddy Bella of BellaCosa Art and she gave me some great ideas on how to work with it and enhance it a little bit more. She has advised me to work on it more and add more dimension to it, so I'm leaning more towards working more and more on it. She is a great artist who has a bit of both rural and more city/eclectic feel to her work. We have become good art buddies, and she is part of my art family, along with all of my friends from all of my Ning sites. I will be featuring her here on a future blog so stay tuned.

The picture is a combination of acrylic, gouache, and oil pastels on a textured surface(of course) and it is a 11 3/4 x 39 3/5 canvas(can't you just feel the challenge?)...lol

Anyway, when I feel good about showing it, I will definitely expose to my family. In the meantime I want to show one of my earlier pictures from my Optical Illusions series that I will be reproducing in the near future(adding some texture to it don't ya know). Maybe it will segueway into another avenue of my projects, which seem to be going into separate directions, but they all have the same theme, to illuminate the overlooked and ignored objects in society....



Thanks to all who have joined my site as well as commented...I luv you all....Quwwa

All Good Things.....

Peace Yo,

It's 12:21 pm and I am getting things ready for tomorrow(sob sob), I don't wanna recap the past week, but suffice to say I think I've become refocused. The rest did me some good(however little the rest was) and I've rearranged the room just to show you how refreshed I am. I will be back shortly with a new blog so stay tuned.

Congradulations to Sherry Carter for winning the grand prize, the 12 x 16 original pastel painting of Safe and Sound. The participation and response was so satisfying, I decided to add two smaller original paintings of the Safe and Sound series, and the winners were Shay Rounds and Clayton E. Corley.

Extra special thanks to Tania-Maria Xavier and the whole ColoredPeople.Net family for allowing me to share my love thru painting..

I've only just begun, and there are more giveaways to be held so stay tuned family. And to all new members of my site, thank you, thank you and again thank you...Love Quwwa.

Here's a little ditty from Youtube that gets me going when I'm down...Sorry folks, I'm not a meanie, but this one is truely gut-bustin'

Special Dedication....

Peace everyone,

It's 5:53pm and although it is about 99 degrees outside, the heat has somehow become bearable(if you can really believe that!)

Anyway, I had planned a break away from the internet next week for the most part, except for checking on email and comments, but things do get a little more hectic than usual, and I can feel the load is weighing in on me, so although I took some days off for next week, I am starting my break today. But while I was at work, I wrote a poem conveying my feelings over the past few months. I send this out as a dedication to those who wish to take on the mission of helping mankind return to their noble state, but continue to fall on deaf ears or wishy-washy hearts. Some people of conscious can feel something is in the midst and are trying to warn the masses which seems to be either in a state of fear, or simply don't care and are trying to distract themselves with consuming material items or partaking in pleasures that really never satisfy, but leave the empty soul looking for more extreme ways to satisfy themselves.

Others are finding fault in everything from conservatives to liberals, to religion to immorality. All of this is false. The problem is that the human being has taken matters into his/her own hands without any guidance from the Creator of this Universe.

Regardless of the circumstances, you must press on, no matter how tired you may be, but it never hurts to express feelings of discontent or dispair, you are after all human. Thank you for reading this blog, I will respond to comments, so please if you have something to say, say it. I'm here. Hope to hear from you on July 16, when I reveal the winner of the Safe and Sound Giveaway on BlogTalkRadio. In the meantime, keep going....Quwwa.





WEARY...

I feel like I can't go on
I'm tired
My heart hurts
My body is tired
Mind is tired
Soul is tired

From living in a world where the make believe is reality
And reality is relative
And relative is the truth
And truth is confusing
And confusion is loved
And true love is hated
And pure hatred is loved
And desires are adored
And the intellect is abhorred

Makes me want to sit down and quit because I'm tired

Using every means of communication from paper, pencil, paint, brush
canvas, telephone, microphone, internet, audio, video
Hoping someone will understand
Speaking to many knowing only few if any will reply
Hearing people tell you they love you when you know they lie

Makes me want to sit down and quit because I'm tired

Of speaking to deaf ears
Of exposing to blind eyes
Of touching bodies that are numb
Of emoting to sealed hearts

Makes me want to sit down and quit because I'm tired

Tired of fighting, arguing, bickering
Hearing that your truth is only opinion
And their opinion is the truth

Heart is closing up
Trust is lost
Pain for the people is getting numb

Feeling is almost gone
Don't wanna do it anymore

But I gotta remember what I am doing this for

Gotta remember...Gotta remember..

Gotta rejuvenate...I can't give up....I can't give up

'Cause life is a test see...And I have no plans of failing.

Quwwa.....© 2009 All Rights Reserved

Baby cost BUCKS!!!(Life in Marvelous Times)

Peace Yo,

It is 2:24pm and it is HOT OUT HERE!!!

I have a blog coming up but I thought I would send this interesting article out to all of my friends here in Blogland. Take a look at this doozy about the cost of having a baby in America without any means of insurance.

Who would have thought in this so-called "Land of Opportunity" one can be punished for simply being self-employed? Who would have thought that if we choose not to work for the slavemaster corporate conglomerates we give up our God given rights to produce and raise children simply because it "costs too much?" That in this "Land of milk and honey a couple who chooses to raise a family has to think about the cost of raising kids rather than the joy of raising kids?



I've always complained that doctors are like mechanics, they cost too much and they don't fix the problem. Well, this does not help me to change my mind at all. In a land where one CEO of Big Pharma earned over $100 million in profits ALONE and another hundred million in stock returns, one would think that in this land healthcare would not be an issue, but I guess I'm wrong, huh? And don't tell me anything about politicians and promises! As Malcolm X used to stated in a lecture once " All you get is the bill!!!" I am so tired of bills laying on politicians tables that we all know will never be passed...


Anyway, thanks to my Twitter friend @siditty for hookin' a brotha up with this article. And thanks to all of the new people who just hooked up with my site. I do read comments and I do respond...

Take care y'all....Luv ya QUWWA

Take a look at: Baby Cost

Quwwa Davis - The Art Through His Eyes - Our Talented Member *(Win An Original Painting)*

Quwwa Davis - The Art Through His Eyes - Our Talented Member *(Win An Original Painting)*

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A Word of Thanks!!!

Peace everyone,

I have a new blog on the way, so stay tuned. In the meantime I want to send a special thanks to all of those who listened, commented, or even had the intention of listening to the show Thursday night. It is an unforgettable event, and after God I have you all to thank. It was full of surprises even up to the time of going on the air. I was informed by the host, the very-talented Tania-Maria Xavier of ColoredPeople.Net that the show was chosen as one of the day's top picks out of all of Blogtalkradio shows going on that day. I don't really know to say except thank you all.

I'll write more later, but don't forget you can listen to the show at anytime, just click on the post with Quwwa Davis. And don't forget the instructions of how to register to win an original pastel painting entitled Safe and Sound are included in the show, the only thing I will say is the deadline is July 10, 2009.




I love you all, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. We have only begun.

With much love....Quwwa ( BOO YAH!!!)

Tonight's Show

Peace Everyone,




I hope everyone is feeling great, I just wanted to remind everyone about the show tonight and 10pm Central, 11 Eastern and 8pm Pacific. For those that are interested, please click HERE, it will take you directly to the show.



Take care and God Bless....Quwwa

Lessons Learned 2

Good Evening everyone,

I hope that everyone has a very prosperous week ahead.

I just wanted to stop by and give the usual greetings, things have been pretty hectic here, last week was a real big test for me. The storms in Texas did a lot of damage, also taking my computer down, which would not have been a big issue, but all of my work was on the hard drive! Well after some praying and calming down, along with scavenger hunting, I was able to recover my drive and keep my pictures.

Lesson learned.....Back IT UP!!!(LOL)

This week I hope brings a lot more promise, as the interview with Tania-Maria Xavier at ColoredPeople.Net will take place Thursday night, 10pm Central, 11pm Eastern and 8pm Mountain on BlogTalkRadio. I will provide the link again for those who are interested in listening to it. I hope to make it a very informative and entertaining conversation, and don't forget we will be giving instructions on how to qualify to win one of my original paintings, Safe and Sound. It is a soft pastel painting on Pastelboard, one of my favorites, but I will give it away. Just check out the show for instructions.

In the meantime I miss each and everyone of you and I hope to be back to my regular blogging and Ninging it up with my peeps in the upcoming weekend. Thank God I took this week off from work!(LOL)

Love and Hugs to each and everyone of you. God Bless and Take care! Quwwa.

Let's Sweeten the Deal!!!

Peace y'all

It's 1:32pm, and I am shaking like Jello Pudding! Why? Only two weeks away from my Blogtalkradio interview with Tania-Maria Xavier. I am so thrilled and excited, and the opportunity for people to call in and actually speak!





OK, so let's sweeten the deal here. The plan is underway to give an actual pastel painting by yours truly!!! I am working on all of the details right now, and will give you the full skimmy on it ASAP, but the prize for the winner is one of my original pastel paintings, Safe and Sound, a very emotional and colorful piece I made in '08. I am giving it away.

YOU CRAZY????

Guess I am, huh?

But here is the deal.
You have to listen to the show either live @ 10:00pm Central, 8pm Pacific and 11pm Eastern, or you will have the opportunity to listen to it here on my blog, for on it will be instructions of how to qualify for the drawing.

More to come later.... In the meantime, take care. Love Quwwa.

SPEECHLESS!!!

Peace,

It's 7:09pm and I just left the salt mines, now I am getting ready to finish a couple of pieces for a special occasion, I'll fill ya in on it later.





But before I pull out my pastels and pop in my Hustle and Flow DVD(ya know it's hard out hurr for an artist...lol) I wanted to share an experience I encountered last week. One of my blogfriends and Etsymate actually did a write-up on me!!! YES, CANYOUBELEEVIT? Someone actually looked past my sad-pouty-face(just kidding) and did a write-up on me. The blog was about artists whom she admired and respected the post was filled with amazing artists, and I looked further down the blog and BAM!!! Quwwa Art!!!

Well let's be truthful ok, it wasn't like I was just mindin' my own beeswax and didn't have a clue of what was going on, but earlier that week I received an email from Kenna at Beholden-To-Nature, a great blog about her and her excellent photography. She asked me if I would allow her to post a couple of my pictures on her blog and she would do a write up on my art! I was so happy and estatic over the thought that someone genuinely thought of my work enough to post it on their blog!

Here are two links I want to give, the first is to her blog...and don't just read the blog, check out her site, she has some cool pictures(Quwwa may have to snatch a few!)

The second is to the updated page for the upcoming blogtalkradio interview on June 18. Click here

Thanks everyone, gotta make some dust fly....You know it's hard out hurr for an artist(lol)

Thanks everyone....Quwwa

OK !!! I've seen enough!!

Peace y'all

New blog on the way, but just wanted to stop by and tell ya what I saw on the Net a couple of days ago.....Speechless.

Close your eyes and try to imagine your favorite cologne or perfume.

Did ya do it?

OK, now close your eyes and try to imagine your favorite cologne or perfume, only this time try to imagine that special smell combined with ground meat.

OK!! Before you advise me to take a drug test let me tell ya. Some rock or some piano or something fell out of the blue and hit somebody the head and gave this fool the idea of creating a cologne with a hint of burger meat. And to add sugar to the Kool Aid, Burger King is selling it!!!

That's riiiiiight baby, now you can be elegant and smell like dead cow meat cooking all at the same time!!!!

Click here for the link...... I'll let you witness the rest of the madness.

PS Check out the ad on the title bar that reads "Body spray of seduction, with a hint of flame-broiled meat!!!"

That's all we need!!! What's next, Strawberry Shake Deodorant? BLT Body Wash.... With real exfoliating bacon bits?

OK!!! I've seen enough(LOL) Peace y'all

Overwhelmed!!!

Peace,

Before I go any further, I want to thank everyone who either read or even commented on my last blog. I'll explain a little more in the upcoming blog. Right now I am on a natural high, due to a couple of events, one I can't tell right now, but will soon.

The other one is the advertisement posted on blogtalkradio about my upcoming interview with Tania-Maria Xavier. I was so overwhelmed by the idea of actually being on an interview about my art, I've been goofing things up.For example I was asked to submit a bio. I submitted the bio to her, only to find out it was written in first person(DOH!)

Oh well, she put the finishing touches on the bio and showed me the page. The page is not finished yet, the photo is yet to come... I'm trying to decide which one is the best..

Here's the link

I still can't believe it. Thank you God.

It's Their Loss!!!

It's their loss...It's their loss.....

That's what I keep trying to convince myself to believe when I received the notice today that my pieces were not considered for this year's exhibition at the Latino Cultural Center. I came home and saw the envelope with my name on it and knew pretty much what it meant.

Am I sad? Heck yeah.... Why you ask? Nobody likes rejection, I don't care what anyone tells you. I am man enough to be upfront about the whole thing. Plus I felt it was an opportunity to show my hometown a taste of the Q....

I love my online families from all my pages, believe me, you mean the world to me. But sometimes you want your ol' stompin grounds to see your contributions also. But in all honesty I don't know what the heck to expect from Dallas anymore. People are so busy trying to be socialites and stuff...That's one of the things I told my Kanye-like sister Bella(Facebook joke, ya wouldn't understand)as she began to tell me about the art atmosphere in Montana. I told her that Dallas has not had an identity since J.R. was shot!!!

That's what makes me smile when I think about my work. To see that the everyday, hard-working person, or the one who is down and out and feels no one cares, when that person compliments my work, I feel great because that's who it's for!!! Not some snooty wannabe who's looking for escapism, that cheese and wine tasting flake that feels the art world revolves around their critique...

I just keep reminding myself, what are you doing this for.

Dallas will get a taste of the Q someday......sooner than they think....and when they do, I will gently tell them.....STOP JOCKIN MY STYLE BOYEEEEE!!! HAAAAA!

I feel better already... Dag, just lettin it out does wonders

6.18.09.....Ride wit' me......





Peace yo.....LOVE Quwwa. Thanks to all.

6.18.09 - Write It Down!!!

Peace everyone,

Well I figure I will let some of the cat out of the bag right now(meow!). If you take a look over to the right of my blog you will see something that says BlogTalkRadio, well I'll tell ya a little bit about it.

I joined this Ning site entitled ColoredPeople.Net. It is a great site run by a very nice and multi - talented lady named Tania-Maria Xavier who does everything from voiceovers to modeling and so forth. Her site is based more on quality from artists more than quantity. I chatted with her briefly and found her to be very business-oriented, while at the same time a very down to earth person. With people like her and of course my Sister in the Arts Shannon Grissom, who runs the Give Your Wall Some Soul Ning Site, I can say I have truly enjoyed their sharing their knowledge and insight. I will post a blog in the near future about my wonderful experiences at Give Your Wall Some Soul, so stay tuned for that.

ColoredPeople.Net is a site where people of all colors, creeds and faiths can express their artistic talents and also promote their works. Well, on June 18, 2009 yours truly will be a guest on her BlogTalkRadio show. Dat's right 'chall, yours truly will be a guest on her growing radio show, and not only that, you can call in and ask a question!!! I am very excited about this event, and not only that, I am excited about the possibility of speaking with some of my blogmates.

As a token of my appreciation, I am looking into giving a few prizes away to some callers. I haven't put everything in order yet, but this is my honest and humble intention. I will give the number to call at a later date, and also fill you in on what the prizes could be. The time of the show will be 11:00pm Eastern, 10 Central and 8 Pacific. I will fill you in on the details later...

I'm so excited!!!(oh my God, I just had a flashback of the Pointer Sisters video...)

Peace!!!

Let Me Take a Moment!!!

Peace y'all

Just sitting here in the lab, thinking of some things, not much on the slate today, due to maintenance issues with my computer. While I'm removing the kinks outta my computer, enjoy this poem from Suheir Hammad and music by K-Salaam and Beatnik. It's entitled "Refugees" I'll beez back, OK



Special thanks to BellaCosaArt, Gilstrap Designs and Janet Vanderhoof, who are wonderful artists in their own right, but gave me some wonderful reviews as well. I gotcha Bella!!!

To my blog family, ONE LOVE Y'ALL.

And a special thanks to anyone who checks my blogs. I'll be back with some wonderful news next week, so stay tuned!! Love Always

Just A Little Sump'n Sump'n

Peace....

Not much time for blogging today, got a lot of projects on hand, but my, my, my I blink my eyes and my blog is actually growing!!!

I think back to when I first started networking(just a little over a year ago matter of fact)I didn't know what the heck was a blog. I just kept hearing how "famous people" had their own blogs, which automatically became a turnoff point to me. I would listen to this sex radio-oops I mean sports radio show on my way to work and would hear about Mark Cuban's blog which contained mostly unimportant stuff and figured "whatever this is, it's not for me" (NOTE: I am a sports fan, but the thought of hearing people get millions of dollars to play games I played in the pasture as a kid, then to hear them B___CH and Moan about "not having enough to take care of their families" makes me wanna.....

Anyway, I was wrong(again,lol) this is a great way to spew your feelings and show a sump'n sump'n about yourself, your likes, dislikes and so forth. This is different than Ning sites( which I have a few to my credit, thankyouverymuch) where people rename themselves( but then look who's talking huh?) and most are looking for love but in all the wrong places. Hey, if it happens it happens, but could this also be indicative of our society?

I mean, as I mentioned in one of the sites that you see most people smiling on these sites, but are we totally different when we walk outside our homes? How many of us walk outside with smiles on our faces, or how many of us actually greet our neighbors anymore? I am guilty of that myself. Some new people moved in next door a couple of weeks ago, and I have yet to say anything to them. I'm not a mean person or anything, but I have become a little more introverted myself lately, but I'm planning on changing that right away.

I've learned in today's society being a human being is a FULL TIME JOB, meaning you have to work at being compassionate, trustworthy, benevolent, and especially humble, ya know things that bring out the best in the human being...

In short I love blogs and Ning sites where I can talk and chop it up with other fellow bloggers, but let's keep our balance. Let us be the same cheery person once we hit the power button and go outside as well.

Gotta go, from the lab this is Quwwa signing off. If you are new to this blog, thank you very much, much love and respect... If you comment, I will hit you back.....

LUV YA!!!

PS...Check my latest little ditty, excuse the incorrect time on the camera. I just bought this toy last week, gotta get those settings right(lol)

Can't Run.....So DON'T!!!

Peace Y'all

Yo Quwwa, what's up? You look pizzissed! I am. How pissed? We'll as Comedian Robin Harris used to say, pissed to the highest of pisstivity(lol)!

Tell me bout it.

Okay. Recently I was invited to another Ning site that was created from someone that was a friend on my Iseecolor site. I thought to myself that this was another opportunity to expose my art and get my voice out there. The person had commented on my blogs and gave me the impression that they dug my steelo.

Well last night I decided to get to work on my page, and posted one picture I entitled Down N Out. No sooner as I posted the picture, I received an email from this person telling me to "keep it positive". Now I can admit I can be of one who jump to conclusions(after all I am human) but it bugs me that people's first impression of my work is "depressing" as if I'm trying to dampen people's spirits or something. I guess people are really falling for this "change you can believe in" jazz.



For the record, my work is a simple reminder of those who fell through the cracks of this life, filled with materialism, and the enticing of the base desires of the human being. One should not be so obsessed with obtaining all the toys in this life, for death is imminent. One should strive for that which pleases God. We all know(or should know) that for most of us this life is filled with tests, hardships and pain. I have experienced this in a concentrated form for the past 7 years, but through it all(thank God) I feel that I have perservered.

In January one my Ning sites asked a question about the impact of having a "black president" would bring. Most of the responses from Blacks were that of "it gives the world a chance to see that we can be CEO's of Fortune 500 companies and big businesses" in other words, we get a chance to show America that we are not all "thugs and welfare queens" and such.

I don't have to prove anything to this world about my worth as a God created human being. I have nothing to prove to anyone except myself. That I would take the talents He(Al-Khaliq) has given me and use my voice for His bidding.

It is with that in mind that I focus alot of my work on downtrodden and oppressed people. While we sit and idolize the Fortune 500 companies, we simply turn our heads and ignore the Unfortunate Millions that are victims of this Criminal Economy and these Global Gangsters. I try to illuminate them. Give them the honor they deserve.

Through negativity one should try to strive for that which is "positive" but the key here is what is one's definition of positive? I don't believe the love of money is the root of all evil, but I don't believe that having alot of money is "positive" either, especially when those who possess it are bombarded with personal problems that money cannot cure. Take a look at your favorite entertainer, sports personality, or politician and see what I mean.

I try to maintain a balance where alot of people wish to "escape" that which is apparent. I don't mind painting landscapes, still life and such, but in the end, what have I done if that's all that I paint? No offense to those who paint these objects at all.

Let us begin to face our problems head on, whether personal, social or spiritual. I guarantee you the feeling of liberation is great. Beside I have never heard of a toeache or a toothache going away by ignoring it, have you?

Take care everybody...LUV YA!!

VICTORY!!!

"The Victory is almost here, it's like we oh so near, but the object is to show no fear."

Peace yo,

That's a line from a song written by Craig G and KRS ONE. But for me I would definitely count this past weekend as a victory. Why you ask? This past weekend I submitted five works to a juried exhibition to be held this August. The results will be made May 15th. I am nervous but excited. The reason why I counted this as a victory is because this same time last year I made excuses as to why I did not submit anything. I knew the event was coming but procrastination and maybe even fear prevented me from exposing my art.



But this year was much different. I guess I can call it a sense of urgency. To tell the truth I am bushed from all of the work, but I feel as if I am running on pure adrenaline now, no energy drinks(yay for me) and no caffeine, just pure excitement. I had planned to put some of my older works in the package, but I felt it would make me look one dimensional as a lot of my older works deal with the homeless. These two pictures included in this blog are an attempt to attain a little more diversity as they deal with emotions. I have others in the works but these came to mind. The first piece I called "This feeling" and the second is called "Always something" Both were completed in the course of two days. Yes y'all, I works hard and fast when it comes to my expression. Not much time is spent which is fine with me, I like minimalism. That explains me, nothing fancy, just a subject and predicate(lol)




I was very nervous, and forgot to include contact information and a resume(as if I have one to begin with) with my package but the director gave me a card with contact information and assured me that a resume is only referential, and this exhibition's primary purpose is to gain exposure for new and up and coming artist. YEAH!!! That fits me to a tea!!! I only have GOD to thank for this, for giving me the courage to even go and make an attempt. I realize that all He asks for is to make the attempt,to show your sincerity, and He will do the rest. I am a firm believer in that.

BTW, My sister left the hospital this past Tuesday, and I went to visit her Friday. She is doing better by the moment.My prayers are with her to get back in the classroom and do her thang, as she is a teacher who helps young single mothers obtain their high school diploma. My mom informed me some of the students came to visit her and told her they did not go back to class after she left. My sister in her limited speech told them to go back. She has really inspired them and her strength inspires me too.

Thanks to all of the well wishers and new followers of my blog. You do not know how much I love you for your prayers and encouragement.

Love you and take care y'all, we are just getting started up in here!!!

Now it's time to go to SLEEP!!

Some Cool Poetry....

Peace Yo.

It's 2:35am, yeah that's right AM NOT PM(lol)

I'm about to crash, just finished working on a small piece, very interesting me thinks.

Anywho, I have a blog coming up, but I saw this on one of my NING sites, and thought I'd share it with you. It's a nice poem by Kirk Nugent entitled 21st Century Slave.

Catch Ya Later, and oh yeah, MUCHO LUV for the well wishes for my sister. She is getting better, thank GOD. Take Care.


Find more videos like this on iseecolor

UPLIFTED!!!

Peace Yo!!

Check the clock. 8:56pm. Whatcha doing? Blogging, what it look like(lol)? Thought you were gonna lay off for the rest of the week? I was, but I went to check on my sister today, and it was very inspiring to see her sitting up in her bed, smiling as more loved ones came to visit her.

Oh, my bad, for those who don't know(like those on Blogger(lol) this past week I was rocked hard when I received news that my sister suffered a stroke. This past Tuesday my sister was not feeling very good, but no one knew what was going on at the school where she worked. They knew her as a cheerful person who spoke to everyone, but even her students complained to other faculty that something was wrong with her. People came to try to speak with her, but she would not respond. In the middle of the day, she just got up and left the job. She drove home, which is a 30-35 minute drive from Richardson to her house. While driving home she called my mom, but could not say anything, but make grunting noises. When my mom told me this, all I could do is praise GOD for only His protection(Al Hafidh)preserved her from being found somewhere in another city, not having a clue of what happened.

When she got home her daughters(my nieces) thought nothing of it, but when she sat down, they knew something was wrong because she said nothing and began to look at the house as if she did not know why she came there. One of my nieces began crying when she asked my sister if she knew who she was, in which there was no response.

The day after they admitted her, I came to see her, and all she could do was nod her head and say yes. I told her I loved her, and she just nodded and said yes. She tried to say I love you, but she could not say it , so I told her I know. I went back to my mom and immediately began crying. My mom said that if she said yes to you, that was progress.

I went to see her today and was happy to see her smiling, as one of her friends was combing her hair. She is still having a hard time putting words and sentences together, but she is a fighter. Always been. Through being a single mom with two kids and absolutely no help from a sorry a** ex-husband who wouldn't take care of his own seed.

We have that kind of bond that makes me ask her if she or the kids need anything, and make sure that they do not have need. She is not poor or anything, but I was raised to make sure the womenfolk in my family had no need for anything. I carry that now more than ever, as my father passed in 2004.



I did this picture for her about 2 years ago. I can't even make prints for this, she won't let me(talk about copyrights(lol) but it's cool. I'm reminded of her when I see this picture.

Take care y'all, and thanx to all of those who joined my blog, sent well wishes as well as my dear Sister in the Arts Shannon Grissom, who continues to show her generosity and love and appreciation for the arts. This week I am a featured member on Give Your Walls Some Soul. This is another site that I enjoy being a part of. More on this later. Love Ya!!!!

PS STOP JOCKIN MY STYYYYYLE(HA)!!!!!