...seasons change

Peace all,

Summer's kicked off, and where am I you may ask? Well I'm up north, but only for a couple of days though. But it is a different atmosphere than in Dallas, especially with it being the month of Ramadhan, the holy month of fasting for the Muslims. When I got here I figured that I would not fast during my brief stay due to the travelling, but felt that well, maybe I would try Saturday, since it would be a full day. The biggest difference is that here sunrise begins around 3:30 AM!!!! So that's like an hour and a half difference as opposed to Dallas were it begins after 5AM. With that said, I missed my pre-fasting meal, and with the lack of sleep preparing for this trip, I decided that I will resume after I get back. I wish I could stay much longer,  I saw some excellent shots that I could've used, but my batteries needed recharging. waaah waah waaaaaaah.... Hopefully I'll be able to take some shots before I leave, but I have priorities back home...Maybe sometimes soon.

But before I left, I completed a display at my local library containing a few piece I'd finished, plus an additional piece I finished a day before leaving. The entire display is entitled Portraits of My Neighborhood, depicting the scenes that I see and wish to talk about in my area in Southeastern Dallas.

 The piece on the upper left hand is part of my Complex series, dealing with inferiority complexes in the African American communities, especially among color and class. Usually these talks are taboo in our neck of the woods, but somebody's gotta open up the discussions. It's touchy, but very needed that we get an honest discussion about internal issues as well, that is IF we want to grow and progress. Too many times people fall into the old mode of blaming those who did not follow the footsteps of the civil rights movement as the reason why Blacks are still behind in the social structures of America, but fail to look at the WHOLE picture.

 This was the first piece I did, I entitled it specifically Portrait of My Hood, which I exhibited in June's Uncensored exhibit at the Art Hotel, which resided in Downtown Dallas before their recent move to the Gallery at Midtown, in Valley View Mall. This piece has a collage on the sides, which depicted the many aspects in my area, from the lottery tickets, to condom boxes, cigar wrappers, and what have you. The collage on the bottom was my thinking, to give display a little ambience. I was a little hesitant you know, seeing that I was exhibiting things of a more mature theme, but after you see how the youth are behaving, I thought of it as a necessity to point out a few things. The other picture on the right was done in late 2012, where I used sgraffito with oil pastels. Came out nice, I think.

This piece on the right I finished it shortly before Thursday, as a complement to the other portrait, however I was unable to add any collage to it, due to the texture that I constructed on the piece, which didn't allow the pieces to stick consistently, so I just left it as it was.

So overall it's been a very interesting weekend, and it's looking up. On the downside one of my biggest and best supporters from the Highland Hills Library branch will be leaving, she'll be reassigned to another library, where she's making connections to have my work exhibited there as well. At least she'll be present for my project with the youth on July 27th. Ms. Almetta Russell has been very instrumental with my progression as a community artist, along with Ms. Letissa Milburn. They have both been in the trenches as far as the Dallas library branch is concerned, trying to get my work exposed through those channels. It's not easy being from my area, trying to break into certain arenas and bring a voice from the other side. But they've supported me, and I support my area to the fullest....This is just the beginning....

Reporting Live From Edgeville......PEACE OUT!!!

Good Night all.... www.qartworks.com

UPDATE: This blog was finished a few hours before the unsurprising verdict of George Zimmerman was handed down. My heart goes out to the Martin family or any family for that matter, but this was not a surprise in the least. At least for me it wasn't. I won't go into a long drawn out tangible over something that didn't surprise me in the least. If you've followed my blog you will know that I have put out articles from Democracy Now about the murders of the Sikhs in their temple, along with Kenneth Chamberlain, and the injustice he received, so it's no surprise that racism rears its' ugly head again, and reason goes out the window. I'm just surprised that a nation who continues to brag and boast about its intellectual prowess can't seem to figure out what type of crash course it's headed towards....oh well...some people gotta learn the hard way....peace out and THINK! 

Red Tails Tribute/Staff Sgt. Hogues Part 1

Peace all, here is the first part of the beautiful tribute to Staff Sgt. Hogues that I was able to put on my Youtube channel. It was a very emotional and educational event for all ages and walks of life. You can view the rest on my Youtube channel, as well as viewing the photos of the event and the memorial piece I painted on my website. Just click on the link http://www.realquwwa.com/red_tails.html I hope to be back soon with more news and blogs, but in the meantime, enjoy and take care!

Flip Da Script!

Peace all, Been a wild and wooly week for the Q, finally began to work on some of the apparel that I had stashed away at last year's attempt. This year I came a lot more prepared, still experiencing some trial and error, but that should be expected eh? I finally got a chance to get into some stenciling and screen printing and the results blew me away.  These were inspired by my first exhibition that I held last year entitled See What I See...It was met with a lot of enthusiasm, and I am about to place these articles on my Etsy and my personal website, for those who wish to purchase without having to deal with an Etsy account.  I hope to have more information available next week.  Take care.

CWATIC @ http://www.realquwwa.com

NEXT UP ON THE MENU!!!!

Peace all,

I've been hard at work(well sorta)putting the final pieces together, trying to come up with a theme for the exhibition at the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library, hopefully I will be able to set up the display this weekend.

This library was one of the few in the southern Dallas sector that I targeted for the See What I See(CWATiC) exhibit, but other things came in the way, and with the exhibition that I'm working on for February 2012 entitled Back And Forth so close, I've kinda put CWATiC over to the side. However I received an email a few days ago requesting some of my artwork to be displayed there. When I received the picture I was like "OK, great" and began to look for some smaller scale paintings to display there, more in the 8x10 to 9x12 range, however when I arrived there personally to take a look, I was amazed at the amount of space that I saw, and from there the ideas just started flowing...



Basically I plan to mix it up a bit, showing works from both the Lifestyles of the Ignored series and a couple of works from the CWATiC exhibit, especially the bottles I worked on for The New Gold Rush and maybe a couple of new twists in store. So it looks as if the CWATiC exhibit will continue, but in a different fashion this time around...I hope I can capture a few shots for a promo video of some sorts, ya know?

Also the same weekend I'm planning to attend this function held by renowned artist Frank Frazier Jr, who also lives in the southern Dallas area as well. I attended an exhibit he held a few years back and recently we became Facebook friends. So this looks to be an exciting and educational weekend ahead for me, and I hope to take full advantage of the opportunity...



Take care all, hope to be back soon with another blog....Peace!

CWATIC @ http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Mind Blowin!!!

Peace all,

Working on this exhibit coming up in the next two weeks, and things are suddenly going top speed for me, I need my ice cream to slow down the pace... LOL

Anyway, the See What I See Art Exhibit is set and I am pumped to say the least. I would never thought that I would be actually promoting my own art exhibit, I usually keep events about myself on the hush hush, one for fear of ...oh many things...confidence is not on my list of strong points, that is until I've become comfortable with the situation. I think I've settled down from the excitement now.

At least that was until yesterday when the librarian posted the flyer she created on the entrance doors and the walls of the library...Then it really hit me when I saw my name on the flyer...Then I really started bugging...not egotistical rapper like, but buggin'...It was a little too much for me.

Then while surfing through the net I ran into one of my Facebook friends who lives not too far from me, who wants to contribute some sounds for the exhibit, to mix with some of the messages I wish to relay to the audience. That really geeked me up.

Then, in an act I can only say was God's Decree, I happened to come back to the library, only to find a gentlemen who noticed my constant presence in the library using the internet and such. Well we spoke about constructing websites, and I showed him my site and explained what my agenda is, which somehow, again saying it was the Decree of Allah, we happened to share the same vision. Well, needless to say, we exchanged numbers and he called me with details that I can give away, but this thing can go a looooong way, God Willing.

Then I received a reply from my good friend Tania Maria Xavier of ColoredPeople.Net and DaughterNature.Com, approving the exhibiting of one the paintings on her beautiful gallery. I try my best to never forget those who Allah put in my path, and she along with others play a huge role in Quwwa. All I can say is thanks to all who contributed, will contribute in any fashion. I am grateful for every effort, and can only pray this gets better.

All Praise is Due only to Allah, and the mistakes are mine. PEACE





Love Ya....It's just keeps getting better. Come See What I See @ http://www.realquwwa.com

Do I Look Deterred?(Contingency Plan)

Peace all,

This is starting to be a recurring song, with me trusting people to assist me in this endeavor, only to find something different after looking deeper into the matter.

OK Q, WHATCHA TALKING ABOUT?

Oh, let me explain. The Down Here On The Ground art exhibit was supposed to be a collaboration with a certain non-profit organization whom I will not name here, however due to constant stagnation and other things that I saw that I felt was not in the best interest to do a joint venture in this regard, so I shelved the project.

CAN YOU ELABORATE MORE ON THIS?

Without going into too many specifics, I found it hard to keep communication with certain individuals regarding issues such as providing proof of non-profit status, which became a tedious task, and led me on many wild goose chases to obtain simple but pertinent information needed to request space to hold this event. Last Friday was the straw that broke the camel's back. After setting up a meeting with this person, I could not get a handle on the whereabouts. This individual told me that he would be at his office. So I hopped on another train and went out of my way to meet this person at the office. When I got there no one was there, so I waited for 30 minutes, then I left a voicemail that I arrived and was waiting for them. I have yet to receive a reply or response from such individual, so what am I to do, continue dealing with this situation? The message I want to give is way more important here.

I wanted it to start in my part of Dallas, and then we were to make rounds in numerous libraries holding this event, giving people a chance in the southern sector to witness a cultural event and also obtaining much needed knowledge regarding local events and organizations whose intention is to help citizens, especially lower income citizens to learn about programs that assist with immediate needs as well as reconnecting those who were in the prison system with their loved ones. But alas, it looks as if that won't happen, due to many issues that I won't go into right now.

My heart goes out to those who try to create and galvanize efforts in their communities, but continue to run into some sort of stumbling block, beit lack of professionalism or lack of scope of the part of people who claim to share your vision. Especially for independent artists who already have mountainous hills to climb, and virtually very little or no support from anyone unless some celebrity cosigns on their work.

But hey, I have a contingency plan here, so no need for the boo hoo. That only wastes time...I'll keep you abreast God Willing...Just consider this a temporary setback. Like the multitude of others I've had....LOL....Love ya!

Taking it Slowly....

Peace all...

It's been a couple of weeks since blogging and seeming to be so excited about a possible art exhibit. Well the enthusiasm is still there, but it's been tapered a little bit because of two factors:

The first is this heat, with sweltering temperatures in the 100s for the past couple of weeks. Thank God we finally received a little rain, which was enough to provide some shade for a change. These past few weeks have been murder on me due to the fact that I'm walking to the library, which for only God knows, opens in the middle of the day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So imagine me walking to the library, looking for paths of shade on the sidewalks because when the sun is in the middle of the sky, roads are not going to provide shades from trees. Thursdays thru Saturdays are not too bad, but this rain or just this one day without the sun beaming on me was badly needed. Thank you Allah.

The second thing is the month of fasting, or Ramadhan. This is my first Ramadhan in the summer months, fasting from the break of dawn to sunset. I've fasted before in the summertime, but never on a consistent basis, and compound this constant walking in this heat, it has sapped my energy and fatigue can set it as well. I am trying my best to complete this proposal, but being drained and fatigued has set a delay in presenting my proposal. But hopefully I will present it this upcoming week, God Willing. I will keep you updated, I'm looking toward holding the exhibit between September 24th and October 1st. That will give me more time to recollect my thoughts and re energize. Plus it gives me time to move about with my camera and develop a video to present as well. I've contacted some friends who have asked to help construct the video, which is just dandy for me. Helps me to concentrate on some other things.

Anyways, I will keep you posted on this event, and I will talk about it in upcoming blogs, and also will include details on a non-profit organization, run by a good fried of mine. In the meantime, to my Muslim family, May Allah accept our deeds and fasting for His Sake....Ameen

To the rest of the world....Look out....LOL



Peace...

SPECIAL MESSAGE....

Peace all....

YEAH I'M STILL HERE!!! LOL....

Letting It All Hang Out!

Peace all,

12:05am on the dot! Jumuah for the Muslims....Friday morning....Wait a minute....What am I doing up? LOL

Playing with this Nintendo Wii thingy is addictive, even for a person whom the Wii Fitness Meter estimated to be BLAHBLAHBLAH years old...LOL

My arms are sore from the boxing game. Must admit I haven't moved my arms like this in a loooong time...SORE BUT LOVING IT! No pain, no gain, riiiiight?

Anyway, let me tell you about the Tuesday night interview with Lady Flava on Flava News, one of the many shows she has on Blog Talk Radio. First let me say that this lady is a dear friend of mine and a huge supporter of the arts, regardless of genre. However I think the interview was a great shot in the arm for the both of us, for me because out of the other respective interviews I've had in the past, this one was more of a relax, let-it-flow, let-it-all-out thing, and when the internet was working fine, it was real intense. I got to touch subjects I did not cover in previous interviews, and no disrespect to the other because I love them all, but this was the most intense interview I have encountered so far, mainly because the questions were more hard hitting and more to the point of what motivates me and the driving force behind my visual art.

But I also think it benefitted her as well, and gave her more diversity in the sense that she now can prove she is an avid supporter of the arts as a whole, and not just the music scene, with the spoken word scene coming right behind it. She had been trying to get me to get on the show and add some visual artist credibility to her repertoire, and I think it went over fine. Plus she covered the technical difficulties well by putting in some great jazz, too bad I couldn't hear it...LOL

You can catch the whole thing on her site or on www.realquwwa.com. All you have to do is click on the REALQUWWA link above, then click on About Quwwa and then Interviews.

PS...She gave me some very uplifting news when she informed me that she received very positive feedback from people who listened to the archives, and thanked me for a candid and honest interview...

All Praise is due to Allah Alone...

Later y'all...Love ya!

Soulmates....

Peace y'all,

I want to take time out to just mention a Ning site that meant the world to me, and helped me to regain some of my confidence which was needed at a time when I went out to face the art game on my own. The name of the site was Give Your Walls Some Soul and it was headed by Shannon Grissom, an extraordinary artist in California that I had the pleasure to meet from another Ning site at the time, Iseecolor. Iseecolor was not the medium that I wanted, but at that time I knew of no other site that I could use to expose my art and rub elbows with other artists. There I met Shannon and we traded comments with each other until one day I received an invitation to join her personal Ning site. There I tried to contribute as much as I could and she would make me a feature artist regularly. I met another great artist Janet Vanderhoof on this site as well, but I also hooked up with a plethora of knowledge and advice that helped me emerge into another type of artist. She is responsible for reminding me of artistic license, and giving me the understanding of letting your feelings translate to your canvas. I am very saddened that her site along with others like it are closing down as a result of Nings' changes, but I fully understand her decision and others like it. Although I may use Facebook a lot in many instances, I have always loved the Ning sites, and the opportunities they posed as well. It was just something special about this site. I'm really going to miss it.


Love y'all. Take care.