Freedom in Creativity Solo Exhibition.

“The Studio is a laboratory, not a factory. An exhibition is the result of your experiments, but the process is never ending. So an exhibition is not a conclusion.” – Chris Ofili.  In quoting one of the most inspiring black artists of the age, I want you to understand how I see my art, my career and my ambitions in being an impactful artist. Freedom in creativity comes from that gut feeling you have to create based of pure emotion, thought and love for what you believe in; your god given talent to effectively communicate visually.

My first solo exhibition Freedom in Creativity was held on April 6, 2017 in Athens Ohio at the Arts West building. That day was special for a number of reasons. Not only was it the reception of my first solo show, it was also my birthday. It was a day I will never forget based on those two things primarily. Tremendous thought was put into the title of the exhibition, where I wanted to convey my thoughts on not only my art, to those who were to be exposed to it, but also my thoughts about art in general, and the challenges artists face as we journey along our individual paths.

In speaking to the guests who attended the exhibit, I raised the point about artistic freedoms being challenged, even trampled on: “That which we create is born from inspiration, which come to us in countless forms. A double standard prevails however, that inhibits that full expression and sometimes hide what we create.” This was the meat to my exhibition that Thursday evening. My intent was to open eyes to my varied interests as an artist; never to be labeled as a particular kind, or be constrained to doing one type of work. Artistic freedom should prevail, especially in a societies that sometimes unknowingly confine artists to particular types of expression.

For the exhibition I partnered with one of the most important organizations in Athens Ohio, Passion Works. This partnership arose from my interest in what they provide for special needs individuals in Athens and surrounding towns. Some of their artworks were on display, in order to raise awareness of their efforts with special needs, and also inspire further support of their members. The exhibition was a success in every aspect. From my experiments, I created- but the process continues. This exhibition was not a conclusion.

The Essence of Woman Exhibition.

“Throughout time, women have been a favorite subject of artists of all mediums. There is both mystery and awe to be found in their femininity, fertility and the curvature of their bodies”. The Essence of Woman Exhibition was held on Friday May 20, 2016 at the Garrett Museum of Art, in Garrett Indiana. The juried exhibition featured a collection of works from a broad range of artists locally, nationally and internationally and boasted different works of art, from paintings and photography to sculpture.

The gallery itself was a wonderful venue, with large exhibition floors both upstairs and downstairs, that accommodated all the pieces that were accepted for the exhibition. This was a great opportunity for me to be apart of an exhibition in a town where art is valued and appreciated, and gain exposure as an upcoming artist. Seen above are two of my three entries in the exhibition: ‘Blissful Reminiscence’ and ‘Finally Free’.

The exhibition kicked off with a silent auction May 19th, honoring Dekalb County Domestic Task Force- raising awareness to domestic violence victims. I donated one of my paintings for this cause, which ended up being purchased by a collector who happened to stop by the gallery that day on a business trip.

The following day the exhibition officially opened with an artist reception, featuring a local jazz band, which set the tone for the evening. Hearing all the artists and patrons mingling and engaging in art talk was the highlight for me, as I not only got to meet some very interesting people, but I also engaged in discussion about my work and my creative process.

Gallery director Jim Gabbard (seen above) along with his team did a wonderful job at curating, and ensuring that each artist felt at home there at the gallery. The painting in the background titled ‘The Star Maiden’ was done by yours truly, specifically for the exhibition, and received the honorable mention award at the show. The exhibition went very well, and at the end of the reception I was surprised to know that one of my entries was selected to represent the show in the Journal Gazette (here), a local paper there in Indiana, and the hard copy was presented to my by Mr. Gabbard.

This was a great experience for me, and many of the other artists who participated in the silent auction venture and the exhibition. I’m looking forward to future exhibitions at the Garrett Museum of Art, and working alongside their team as I grow as an artist and continue on this splendid journey fulfilling my dreams.

On the easel today.

On the easel today July 24,2016 features my newest painting, Muhammad Ali. The world seemed to hold a solemn moment of silence upon knowing of the death of this great human being on June 3, 2016. I sure did have a moment of silence. In this piece the aim was to capture the likeness of Ali in his youth, expressing his kingly character. The representation of Ali in this light signifies his dominance and even his own personal outlook about himself. His bravado and bravery mirrors a confident and unapologetic persona, that captivated the world and stood as a beacon for individuality  and personal belief.

Ali, famously known for his brash comments in press conferences, and confidence in the ring is represented as how I see him; a cultural icon. There is a special relationship that works of art share with a person’s culture, and I see men such as Muhammad Ali as kings in my cultural beliefs-hence his representation.

In this piece you will see an aspect of my style that is evident throughout most of my portraits and representational work; the faint glow on and around the figure. In my paintings depicting figures, I use this to represent the personal aura of the figure or portrait that I am depicting. It speaks to the contained spirit that gives off its own unique light, as we do through our personality. I did run into some difficulty with this piece, seeing that I was using a black canvas, (I’ve come to prefer these) however, they worked themselves out eventually.

I don’t intend to create “art of the times” I aim to create art that shows an understanding of the integral relationship that is shared between art and my ethnic group; not just ethnic group though, but my perception of males and females of my race.

Despite the maxim: Everyday something new, which seems to define the creation of art in the modern era, because of the accessibility to more information from around the globe, I want my paintings to stay true to the idea of my art being about the relationship between its aesthetics and my cultural beliefs, rather than an emotional response to the happenings of the world.

On the easel today…

Today 4/29/16 On The Easel features my newest painting. Inspired by my love of figurative art and the female form, this piece explores the anatomy of the voluptuous, athletic female figure. I intended to create a mystical dreamlike effect that enveloped the form and add a unique sense of emphasis on the figure in the composition. I intend to incorporate the use of delicacy in the background as I create the mystical surroundings, but at the same time use the power of strong skin colors that highlight the muscle structure and form of the figure. Creating subtle details in the background i want to allow the colors’ layers to create depth in the piece, which will pull the viewer into the piece beyond the figure.

Upon completion, this piece along with two other figurative paintings I created will be apart of an exhibition at the Garrett Museum of Art in Garrett Indiana.

On the easel today.

Today, I will be continuing work on my newest painting. If you read my post “The great game” you will see that this painting is from that sketch. I decided to create this painting because of the meaning of the composition. I believe that everyone can relate to this piece one way or another. Some elements are going to be changed. I always leave the window open for new fresh ideas to flow, but the initial idea will stay the same. I’m excited about it. Keep up with my blog, more art to come in 2016.

On the easel today…

Today 8/27/2015 I have on my easel a piece that initially begun as a warm-up painting, if you will, to a commission I recently received. I say “warm-up” because I sometimes take breaks from painting, and when I get back in the mode small paintings are my practice pieces. In a sense I refresh my talent. I initially thought this painting to be an experiment with technique as well. In so doing I would also find my comfort level, seeing that the commission would be considerably larger. After posting some initial pictures of my process on sites like Instagram and Facebook attention towards the piece grew, that’s when I decided to not only use it as practice but as an actual composition.

The colors I chose in the piece were from a very warm palette. I also wanted to add vivid life to the composition through the application of bright highlights coming from the setting sun, which I wanted to affect almost every object and every part of the painting. I wanted to create a calming mood; the mood you get in the late evening, leisurely walking along the beach, enjoying the warmth of the setting sun on your skin.

I added some natural elements to the composition- rocks, a few birds in the distance, little patches of land rising up out of the water showing depth, and a sailboat. These all serve to harmonize the whole composition. In the lower right of the composition an easel with a canvas propped on it is present. On the canvas an unfinished representation of the sunset in the background is present. I used this technique to create a dual point of engagement for the viewer. I want you the viewer to be engaged in the piece, where you can imagine yourself being the one painting this beautiful scenery, right out on the beach.

Feel free to leave a comment. I would love to hear them!