Morning Stroll - 16 x 20 Mixed Media On Wood Panel - Now available on Etsy!

https://www.etsy.com/QuwwaArt/listing/676464721/morning-stroll-16-x-20-mixed-media?utm_source=Copy&utm_medium=ListingManager&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lmsm&share_time=1548000482896

Today Was A Good Day...Well Sorta (PART ONE)

Last week was a momentous week for certain residents of Highland Hills, a small community located in Southeastern Dallas. For the past 8 YEARS the area lacked among other basic necessities a grocery store. Imagine 8 YEARS without a grocery store. Imagine having to go to another city to get food. Imagine having to ride the bus to go to another sector of Dallas, to go to a store and get fresh food. Imagine having to walk as much as 45 minutes to an hour to and from an adequate supermarket to get food. Imagine having to bring backpacks on your journey to load up with groceries to take back to your home. Imagine having to hop on the bus or walk with a couple of bags of chicken, a 15 pound bag of potatoes, a gallon of milk, bread, veggies among other things. I did all of that, and wore out numerous pairs of shoes in the process.

The previous local store, E-Zee Shop, which existed even before my parents arrived here in 1972, had become a shell of a supermarket until it closed around '07/'08. The atmosphere was dreary to say the least, and most of all meat, fruits and veggies were not up to par, the refrigerator equipment had become well outdated, causing meat and fruits/veggies to lose their freshness. Bread was rumored to have mold and droppings in them. I say rumors because I didn't witness it myself, but I clearly remember seeing Flour Weevils in a couple of cake mixes I purchased. When I went to the owner/operator to tell them what happened, they informed me of a switch in warehouses, mostly likely an older warehouse, as the reason for the change in the quality of food. 

Plus the people there were not always the best when it came to customer service. Some people had run ins with them. The old man who owned the building was somewhat cool, but after his death, it was off the hook. The story as some folks tell it was they closed up because they were robbed at gunpoint. Typical hood story, yeah I know.

However a neighboring tenant who ran her own tax service stated they were not only mean to customers, but also to her as well, and cited that mistreatment among local citizens may have actually caused the robbery, as an act of retaliation and not just some attempt to get money.

I can agree with that analysis, because after closing shop for several months, the same people came back as another so-called grocery store, this time they called themselves Value Giant, promising to open up as a totally different store, even promising to open a deli, and allow customers to rent DVDs. Doesn't sound to me like the robbery attempt affected them that much. 

Within days, maybe less than a week or two, Value Giant had to close down, selling off their meat at prices like 25 cents a pound. Did another robbery cause this to happen? Not at all. What happened was Value Giant was using E-Zee Shop's old outdated equipment (since they were the same people anyway), including the refrigerator, causing the meat to become brown and aged, and ultimately they could not operate any longer. My question is simply why would you try to re-open a store using the same antiquated, broken down, substandard equipment anyway? What does that say about your perception of the community you claim to serve?

Well you know how it is in the hood right? It's never their fault as to why these areas become targets of urban neglect, right? It's not the city's fault as to why a prison was built in the surrounding area before the crime actually came, right? It's all these damn criminals around here, right? Even if crime was not a problem at all, even when Highland Hills was considered a lower-middle class neighborhood designed and built especially for African-Americans who were looking to move their growing families into actual homes they could afford to buy, before the crack and drug era, before the proliferation of street gangs, but hey, let's not blame them, and definitely do not bring up the subject of racism. Racism and Dallas, Texas does not go together at all, even if in 2010 they allowed a casino named after a Native American tribe to post an offensive giant size advertisement in the middle of Downtown Dallas.

It's always the citizens' fault, and we blindly jump right on the bandwagon, with our self-hating, one -bad-apple-spoils-the-whole-bunch, believe everything they say about us, selves. Can you believe local ex and current politicians actually believed that developers refused to assist in "revitalizing" and investing in the area because of a few young Black men who wore baggy pants, and the supposed crime in the area? 

During a talk about art in 2013 one ex-politician tried to challenge me on not believing such an idea, leaving me to present the flyer that the city of Dallas was sending out in 2010, encouraging local residents to vote yes to allowing liquor and beer to be sold in local stores, claiming the money accumulated would help build roads, parks, and aid in the police force.

For more information on this please read my blog "Sobriety Is The New Enemy." Here is the link: http://realquwwa.blogspot.com/2010/10/sobriety-is-new-enemy.html

So imagine this community being persuaded to allow a store that we don't have, because nobody wants to invest in such a "crime-ridden" area (code word for "a place filled with niggers") to sell a DRUG which contributes to up to 20,000 road deaths ANNUALLY, but not good enough to actually put a STORE with FRESH, QUALITY, AND REASONABLY PRICED FOOD in a neighborhood to aid and assist its citizens? And don't tell me nothing about paying taxes...We all know about taxation without representation...

Now that's gangsta nigga....

(TO BE CONTINUED)

Whatcha Up To Q?

Peace All... I'm working on a small blog about the Charles Barkley situation, but before I go into specifics about that subject, being that it's been such a long time that I've actually blogged about anything, let alone shown any of my artwork, I'd thought I send a smidgen of something that I'm working on right now. More later! Enjoy!

Act ONE!!!!

Peace all!!! Working on this blog thingy again...took a lot of pictures of several exhibits I went to, but since this iiiiiissssss myyyyy blog, why not start off with a shameless plug?

This past weekend I participated in a showing at the Art Hotel Collective in Downtown Dallas. The name of the exhibit was entitled The Whole Enchilada, which allowed artists to submit up to two pieces of work not having any particular theme or subject matter in mind, just let it fly. SOOO, being the opportunist that I am, I took advantage to introduce another section of Downtown Dallas to the skillset. The two pieces I submitted were actually shown at the TVAA Gallery earlier this year, entitled Waiting and This Feeling, but that was to a different crowd. Having to understand who frequents what particular galleries is very essential when choosing which work you wish to exhibit.

It seemed to have really caught on here at the Art Hotel, where many artists as well as enthusiasts were gazing at the work, especially the one entitled This Feeling, which is made from oil pastels and Micaceous Iron Oxide, which helped give the canvas that dark, gritty texture.

When I entered I noticed people were looking at the work, and I wanted to see their natural reactions, which is best, so I went in incognito, but I was informed that I had to wear a tag, since I was one of the participating artists....DRATS!  

All in all, the results and the comments were very positing and I look forward to tomorrow's second showing....

More later....Take care!  www.qartworks.com

All I'm asking....R-E-S-P-E-C-T!!!

Peace all,

Hoping that this blog reaches everyone in great health and spirits. I know it's been awhile since blogging, but all of my social media has suffered as well, especially Twitter and Blogger. In reality all of this networking became a serious burnout and a source of depression for me after releasing some of artwork to the public to little or no response. I felt that I was doing something wrong, and that people weren't getting what I was trying to convey to the public, as well as people were being somewhat finicky and sometimes downright disrespectful in my work. Take for example last month a "fellow artist" came to my local library, saw my work and loved one of my pieces, and wanted to purchase it. I made the mistake of asking how much she thought it was worth, and she replied that she didn't want to disrespect me, but told me $100. This was for one of my prize pieces that everyone seems to like and related to. I felt disrespected, but regardless I asked could she pay $200(which is STILL lowballing) and she stated she would have to save up. I told her no problem, gave her a card, and tried to make it accessible for her to purchase it. She emails me a week later saying she can't do the $200, and tried to negotiate again for $100. With that I refused to reply to her at all. Lesson learned... I'm realizing there is more to this thing than meets the eye, but I won't go into it right now. My spirit is now starting to rejuvenate to the point where I'm enjoying what I do again and go out to just shoot pictures and do more artwork. This was not a positive summer to say the least, but I hope things will pick up for me. This coming Sunday some of my work will be on display and for sale at an art fair in Dallas. I won't be present due to other priorities, but someone is going to display it for me. I hope that I will spark some type of interest when it's all said and done. I hope to be back real soon to talk about my next exhibit and the meaning behind it, so stay tuned family. Take care! Luv Ya!

Public Enemy performs "Rebel Without a Pause" on Soul Train 1987

Peace all,

This was one of my biggest influences growing up. The group, the identity, I even remember having both of their tshirts back in the day...I had both the black and red shirts, and when I wore them in the halls and malls, believe me, it garnered attention as well as spurred thought, whether you agreed with them or not. Looking back I did not fully understand the power of imagery and the effect those screen printed shirts had on the people. Anyway this group had a profound influence on me as far as how to reach and connect with your audience. Although I am more of a visual artist now, the concept of connecting with the people and giving them a sense of hope and a voice couldn't have been expressed any better here. Even Don Cornelius mentioned that that was "FRIGHTENING" However someone posted on Facebook a quote that read "Art should bring comfort to the disturbed, and disturbed the comfortable." Maybe this is what they meant...Take care all.

Painting(Tribute to Sgt. Hogues and the Tuskegee Airmen)

Salaam and Good Evening all...Working on other projects, will fill ya in soon. Right now check out my tribute painting to the Tuskegee Airmen...Take care!

The Power of One Piece

 Peace! I haven't forgotten anyone at all, I thought I would go right into blogging and editing the video for the Red Tails tribute that was given at my local library. It was a great event to say the least, the audience fully enjoyed the whole shabang, and I was able to exhibit my community artwork. I also met some locals who didn't know I existed, but then again there are many who don't know me in my neck of the woods. But in addition to the exhibit, my picture along with my artwork was put in the community newspaper(oh boy, I hate photographs) and I was able to present a piece that really made everybody's day. Sgt. Hogues and family could not get over the appreciation and the effort that was put into it, and I have to thank Ms. Almetta Russell, who really worked hard to get this off the ground, as well as the staff at the Highland Hills Library for their support. I have already informed them of my plans for another exhibit soon.

The event was really about Sgt. Hogues in the first place, but I got the wrong impression. I spent  days before the event telling everyone that it was also an exhibit, even though the fliers did not speak of such. I realize now the event was a community affair in his honor, and I am privileged to have shown my work at such a prestigious function. However the one piece dedicated to Sgt. Hogues of the Tuskegee Airmen stole the show, although it was not my intention.


Very few people knew about the painting. Ms. Russell informed me a few weeks going into the event that she would like to give something to him as a token of respect and appreciation for what he and the rest of the Tuskegee Airmen accomplished, especially in the face of such blatant racism, such racism that a lot of Americans believed did not exist anymore until Trayvon Martin, although some of us were telling people that the menace was still present...I won't mention names here, it's not important. I didn't show anyone the piece until a couple of hours before the event. Everyone was blown away by it, even the neighbors as I walked to the library. One elderly gentlemen quipped, "You never know what a person can do...." But he's right. Only a few in my area knew what I was capable of.

But the effect that it had on the community, the Hogues family, and me as well proves of the powerful impact that visual art can have on any society. This community has suffered and still suffers from a serious identity crisis, no one could define any landmarks or any notable presence except former basketball player Spud Webb of the NBA, but that's typical of the hood.

 Barbara Hogues, daughter of Staff Sgt. Hogues explained during the event that the family was not aware of his involvement of the Tuskegee Airmen until 2008, and he didn't receive his Congressional Medal of Honor  until 2009 from the same airport that denied him a job shortly after retiring from the military, telling him the only thing he could do was custodian work. This was AFTER the success the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. We still have a long way to go before Blacks get serious respect here in America, especially with Trayvon Martin continually haunting America, but now Black youth, as well as White youth should realize all of those slavery stories and stories of racism and domestic terrorism still have impact, because it never left....

Overall I felt it was a victory for a small area that no one cared to remember, except in a negative light, but now we have history as well as culture to bring to the table.


May God Help Us... Peace....

Patience.....Young Grasshoppa(A Year in Review)

Peace all,

I had to think for awhile about how I wanted to do a year ending blog, things flipped so quickly that if I really wanted to fully recap Q's year in review, it would probably be a long, cumbersome blog, so let's trim the fat shall we?

I guess I can say I began to see promise this past February when I was able to start up my own website and expose my art among other things with it. REALQUWWA.COM started slowly, and not having much fanfare, I tried to advertise on my Youtube channel as well as Facebook, but response has been slow to say the least. But I don't despair in any event because I know what to expect, especially as an independent artist, along with the subject matter of my work. Today my website has two displays, the ongoing Lifestyles of the Ignored and the See What I See exhibit (CWATIC) which I renamed The All Aboard the 554 Exhibit , which chronicles scenes in my area of South Dallas. 554 is the route number of the city bus that goes through my area.


The See What I See(CWATIC)Exhibit held this past October 29th marked a milestone for the Q, seeing that I had not presented an exhibit of any sort, the only time I really exhibited my work at any time was at a student art exhibit when I attended Community College, and that was a while to say the least. But the response was great, especially in the fact that many people were able to see the direction my art was going, and also gave the opportunity to expose the possibilities of visual art to an area that does not get a chance to truly see a cultural event like this. To show the mindstate of my area as well as American society as a whole, I received replies from people who were somewhat surprised and/or dismayed when I explained that this exhibit was for FREE, and not to commercialize my work. I mean don't get me wrong, I am not saying I will not sell my work when the opportunity comes, but the purpose of my art is not just to "sell things" and make money, but to make a difference, inspire, and motivate too. In my area people have relegated everything now to a "hustle" or "getting up" and we are missing out on making a serious impact in society today. This is the sad state of society, mostly stemming from the notion of not seeing things in a spiritual perspective, and only seeing things from this temporal materialistic existence. It's high time we start changing that perception. The corrupt only hold the money for a period of time, but in the end everything goes back to Allah(Al-Warith, The Inheritor).

Other events include the inspiring art sale I attend two weeks ago, held by renowned artist and Dallas resident Frank Frazier, Jr. He's a veteran at this thing, and his invitation thru Facebook was something I did not want to pass up. I met other artists, and saw astounding work that inspired me. I am very grateful to witness such an event. Also can't forget the BlogTalkRadio interviews with Angel Ayes and Lady Flava, which let me air out my outlook on many things in art and society as well.

This year has ended on a positive note in that the Paul Lawrence Dunbar Library graciously invited me to display my artwork. This was a library I had targeted for CWATIC, but finances prevented me from holding such an exhibit, but thankfully I was able to present a CWATIC display. Here are the photos:







So I have no choice but to take this as a step in the right direction. I feel that God(Allah) is putting me in a much better position, and I must remain patient and not be deterred from any naysayers, or any type of "slow" response, because in the end the victory will be there for me, if I just hold on. People are politicking for my work to be displayed in different areas, and other opportunities await me. I keep thinking about the day when I almost gave everything up, but that something inside me told me to just submit the proposal. Fear of rejection had pretty much overtaken me, but after realizing I'm just following the course that's already paved for me, things became a lot easier. Now I am more confident in my ability, and ready to expand my repetoire and come up with more artwork. 2012 looks to be very interesting, and I will not wait for February, when my next exhibit hits.





It's about to be fun.....Peace......CWATIC @ 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

All Aboard the 554

Peace All!!!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!! THE CWATIC Exhibit!!! Featuring the revised Lifestyles of the Ignored Exhibit, along with the new exhibit held in my hometown entitled Aboard the 554. Just click HERE to enter the website.



I am also in the process of working on prints and posters!!!! I should be out with those in the upcoming days!(IA)...

I hope to be back next week with another blog, but for now, enjoy, and CWATIC @ www.realquwwa.com....Peace!!!

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

...Sweet Sorrow

Peace all, Yesterday was one of those days you wish you could capture it on camera, well at least I wish I did....lol. There was a series of events that gave me optimism and a better perspective on things and how I should approach my upcoming project Down Here on the Ground. .

But first let me tell you about my entry into Borders' Book Store, which brought me back to the old days.For those unaware of the situation, Borders' Bookstore is going out of business, and are now in the process of liquidating all assets, even the bookshelves. It didn't hit me until I walked up to the door and noticed from looking thru the window that the cappucino bar with all of its Wi-Fi capabilities were gone, just a bunch of tables lay scattered all across the area. As I walked into the doors for what will likely be my last time there, I saw that all of the materials had been pushed to the front. In the background an old James Brown classic Papa Don't Take No Mess piped through. I didn't know they had it in them. As I looked throughout the barren areas in the back, I felt a presence of sadness, well at least for me that is, I mean I could never be ranked among the best customers there, but it's just the whole idea of a bookstore closing down that gets me. Call me a sentimentalist, aren't all artists? Anyway, the books had discounts ranging from 60 to 80% off. WHOA!!!!!! DOUBLE WHOA!!!! TRIPLE WHOA!!!!


So what does a brother like me do? Take advantage of the opportunity? I WISH....LOL...I mean in these lean and trim times I had to pass up the opportunity. It wasn't easy though, I mean where else will you find books originally sold for $27 become drasticatically reduced to like 5 or 7 dollars? And the selection was one to go GAGA over(no pun intended). First I found a book entitled The Fifteen Biggest Lies the Right Does Not Want You to Know About Taxes, Jobs, and Corporate America, then I saw Dark Alliance....ooooooh, this is the one I've been looking for, about how the CIA collabed with drug dealers to the sell crack in the inner city of Los Angeles, all to fund a clandestine war in Nicaragua...then I found Bought and Paid For: The Unholy Alliance Between Obama and Wall Street ooooooh, man, I started calculating right away....let's just say I hadn't found so many that I wanted to cop all at once.

The only thing I couldn't get with was the "sexy" fishing magazine they had on the magazine shelf, I mean when did women think so low of themselves nowadays to allow their bodies to be exploited to sell fish magazines? I mean imagine a woman in sexy lingerie holding a prize winning bass....and the slogan read "Putting more throb in your rod" Have we stooped that low as a society?

This picture is a little more lame than the one I found on the front page. The back page had a totally naked lady hiding her breasts with her arms and with certain balls covering her private areas. God Help Us.

But alas instead of indulging, priorities came first, especially when I look down and the shiny silver Reebok running shoes I found for little or nothing now show serious signs of wear and tear, especially at the sole, where the front portion started separating from the shoe itself, making my "rims" look as if it was sticking its tongue out whenever I walked....sniff...sniff...

Thankfully I found that the library had all three books, so I requested them all, but I like to own my materials, especially books like these....Someday God Willing I'll get them. But this is a final tribute to Borders' Bookstore and my "rims" my shiny silver Reebok shoes...you've served your purpose well.....KUDOS...Parting is such sweet sorrow.....Peace.

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...

Dustin' Off...

Peace all,

Had a real intense blog this week about my reaction with the HIV/AIDS awareness, but after trying to sort all of the frenzy out, I shelved it. I spent so much time contemplating and discussing the subject, and I faced so many opinions and strategies on supposed preventive measures, and what I can truly say is that this a very emotional and expansive topic, and it seemed to go nowhere. However from the discussions I have learned alot and I feel I can add HIV/AIDS to the topics to address with my art, and hope that God Willing it can spark as much dialogue and look for more avenues to address research and preventive measures than just giving addicts clean needles, making sexual active people use condoms and treading dangerous waters by admonishing the whole population to take tests, even long time married couples based on suspicions, isolated personal experience and sporadic evidence. It will not do a thing to solve the situation, nor to create a society of forgiveness, responsibility, and knowledge nor help those in need to really show sincerity and concern. It's bigger than what we may have expected and maybe some have even hoped. Everyone is affected somehow, someway. How it started and where and who started it is no longer a priority.


Anyway, I have other things lined up as well, and hopefully a website should be coming soon, filled with neat lil' goodies(oh boy!) but that's pending on a couple of issues, mainly financing. I have a potential job lined up, 3 guesses where? THAT'S RIGHT A CALL CENTER!

This one is a bit different, for I have no plans on staying on any job like this. I feel I am more focused than ever on what I really want to do, priorities are in order, strategy is in place, and now I am praying and waiting for the doors to open up. This is only to supplement my immediate needs, for we all have immediate needs right?

And DSL is one of them....Oh boy...

Take care all!