Brief Pastel Timelapse Video

My First Artwalk and the Liberty and Justice FOR ALL Exhibit

 This past weekend was filled with more excitement and enthusiasm from a creative perspective than I have witnessed in few years. Why do I say that, you may ask? Well let me tell you. The last time I participated in an art exhibit was almost 2 years ago, when I presented a piece to a gallery located downtown called The Art Hotel Collective. The reception was positive, and I met some cool artists down there. Well due to unforseen circumstances, the gallery moved to the Valley View Mall located in North Dallas, and the gallery became The SLANT Gallery Collective.  It's a much broader layout, and they're able to exhibit more work, including their own, like this cool piece here.

 This piece came from a young local artist Madelyn Sneed, who had an exhibitt with some wonderful paintings inspired by a trip to France. Great oil paintings!










However it is the following exhibit that delighted me, because 1) it deals with something close to my heart, that being social commentary. For the months of May and June The SLANT Gallery will hold an exhibit entitled Liberty and Justice FOR ALL...This one was right up my alley, although I must say I didn't expect my entry to be accepted. Over the past couple of years I experienced so many dry spells, rejections, illnesses and personal issues that I had developed an attitude where my art was only to keep what little personal sanity that I may have. Lack of funds, resources, and the inability to find gainful employment kept me down. Not to mention offers to hold an art workshop at my library somehow fell through the cracks. After submitting proposals and stuff, and watching other programs become approved, as well as getting paid for those programs, I began to become completely despondent, and my art suffered greatly. My spirits had reached a critical low, and depression set in, followed by anxiety. This is not something I would wish on anybody.

When I submitted the pieces the previous weekend, I awaited for the response, which was supposed to have been before midnight Sunday May 3rd. I woke up the next day, didn't see any response, and chalked it up as another loss. However lo and behold, that notification came later in the day, and my picture Pariah: Apocalyptic Now was chosen to be displayed at the exhibit. The exhibit deals with all of the plights of different sectors of people and what they experience in the US, however there is an international flavor added to the exhibit as well. I did not get a pic of all of the pieces, nor did I get the names of the artists and the pieces for everyone, but since the exhibit will be shown during the month of June also, it gives me a chance to collect more for the next blog. 

       
                                                                                          

    This piece was on the exhibit poster, and the artist Karen Jacobi gave me a heads up on the construction of this piece. 

 This piece talks about the Arab Spring. I wanted to meet the artist, Seun Karim, but did not get a chance to. Hopefully next time around.

This was another one of my favorites, commenting on Mexican immigrants. 

This is Pariah: Apocalyptic Now, the piece that I entered into the exhibit, which by the way won rave reviews from many of the visitors, including the proprietor from the SMALL Gallery, which is right across from the SLANT Gallery. They had a similar exhibit, being that they are like a sister gallery to the SLANT Gallery. She has informed me that there will be an exhibition in the upcoming months, and would like to see me submit an entry there as well. 

The SMALL Gallery had an exhibition entitled Listen To The Songs of the Times, and had some marvellous presentations there as well. I plan to get more pics and info on this showing in next month's artwalk as well.

The only odd event that happened that day occurred while riding the bus to the gallery, and noticing the lady on the other side of the bus actually doodling me! Now that was AWKWARD as HECK! I'm not a photogenic type of guy, nor do I consider myself the type that could be an actual study. So, modesty and anxiety kicked in, and I turned my head toward the window so she couldn't continue...Not trying to be difficult, because I'm a chatty person, but that's gonna take some time to get used to....Anyway, till next time....Take care...

Stand Your Ground Marissa Alexander: Congressman Corrine Brown on Marissa Alexander (Ja...

Peace all, have other blogs in mind, but there are times when art really doesn't matter. This incident, along with Kenneth Chamberlain, has not received near the same attention as Trayvon Martin, but has as much importance, due to the cruelty of this justice system, which will refuse to allow a pregnant woman to defend herself from abuse, or possibly worse scenarios. Such are the Lifestyles of the Ignored. Hope to be back soon...Please read.

Stand Your Ground Marissa Alexander: Congressman Corrine Brown on Marissa Alexander (Ja...: Congresswoman Corrine Brown Deplores Marissa Alexander Ruling (Washington, DC) Congresswoman Brown made the following statement: Earlier...

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.

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.

Everything Has Its Rights(Lessons Learned!!!)

Peace y'all

It's 11:44am on a Tuesday morning, I am usually at work stressing out, but due to a change up in scheduling last week, I had to work last Saturday, which I am usually off. This could not come at a better time, because it gives me a chance to rest up(yeah right!!!)

This past week was so overwhelming for me as an outpour of comments hit my Iseecolor page, as well as this page. I can't believe that someone has "tagged" me. So I have to come up with 7 things about myself. Very interesting. I count it as a blessing that someone wants to know about me.

But this past week I made a huge mistake. I made promises that I was not able to keep, and left a lot of people with unanswered email, and a blog that has yet to be presented. Although people told me to take my time and let it flow, I pressed myself so much, that my severe cold resurfaced. I told my friends I will have a blog by last weekend, which was one of many promises made, in addition to racking my body and brain with a hectic on the go schedule, so as Sunday approached, I felt my chest tightening up and my coughing became uncontrollable. This cold has lingered in my system for over a month now, and I still have not sought any rest to regenerate my immune system, a great blessing given to us by the Creator.

So now I am ashamed to explain once again why I have not delivered as forementioned, due to taking on too much. I realized I put a lot of pressure on myself, or should I say unnecessary pressure. My friends have been very patient with me, and I thank them for that. I got caught up in the vibe and emotion, and in the process forgot the rights that my body has over me, which is less stress, proper food and exercise, and rest and recuperation. Many things we take for granted in this Bluetooth Society( I will explain that one day!)

So our priorities are screwed to say the least. The most important things like God, family, justice, physical and mental health gets lost in the mix, or we focus on one thing, but other things are neglected. Most of the time is it our occupations or careers that take precedence, as we become "workaholics", but there are other extremes we take. For example in this society people spend oodles of hours in the gym getting their body in the best shape possible, but most of the time it is so they can put on that swimsuit in the summertime. An increasing amount of people are getting into shape physically, but when it comes to mental health they are mental trainwrecks, who can't hold a decent conversation with a person without becoming graphic and vile. Our on the go, overly social lifestyles has caused other things to be neglected which will catch with us one day if we don't stop. I'm glad all that I have is a severe cold. It could progress to something worse, if I don't pump the brakes.

Everything has it rights, and if not treated properly, will begin to protest. The human body is a loan from God, and He has created certain properties that will falter if not treated properly, and the end result will be obesity, cancer, aging, autoimmune diseases, you name it. No Justice, No Peace.


Moderation is the key.....Love your craft, but don't make it your life.
Take care.......