CoZ-Art

Illustration Friday; Round

2011-11-27T16:06:00.000-05:00

Hello, all.
I have just finished work on a show that is up now at Theater Art Galleries in High Point, NC. As much as I would like to rest, I have a new project in the works. I will be participating in The Sketchbook Project.
Anyone who knows me knows that my sketchbook is practically attached to me, so this seemed right up my alley. I am working on the cover, and, as I progress, I will post.
In the meantime, another drawing focusing on the round bell of the train. I liked this composition because of its repetition of curves and ellipses. I had a ball drawing it. I hope you enjoy it.

PEACE!!! Happy Holidays!!!

Illustration Friday: Silent

2011-11-13T20:39:00.001-05:00

Hello, all.
Participation in several shows has kept me productive, and I have not been able to cater my work to the Illustration Friday themes as of late. I did decide to make an attempt to reconnect with this, however, and keep some work going.
This is part of a series of 12 images that are related to John Henry. In my research, I became fascinated with the complexities of trains. Their mechanics are great, especially the older trains. I ended up in Spencer, NC at the Transportation Museum, to shoot references of trains and train parts.

Why does this fit for "Silent"? Simple. These machines were once active and vital, but have become dinosaurs. They are on display now, for all to come and observe. I even noticed that this train in particular was missing bolts and other parts.
I hope everyone has a great week!
Peace Out!

Illustration Friday: Disguise

2011-08-26T23:10:00.000-04:00

Hello, all.
I decided to submit something I did recently for a fundraising even at the Center for Visual Artists in Greensboro, NC. We were given a 10"x10" canvas and told to do whatever we wanted. I decided to use the opportunity to continue an ongoing series called "Livestock Playas".
This is my 'Naag wit' Swaag". I had lots of fun doing it. He immediately popped into my head when I read about this week's topic.
Have a great week.
Peace out!

Illustration Friday: Imperfect

2011-08-09T18:04:00.001-04:00

Hello, all.
I have been doing a LOT of painting. I have jumped in with both feet, after avoiding it for so long, as I am color-blind. Fellow artists and students, however, have been very supportive in my efforts.
I have been doing small paintings every couple of days for weeks now, and felt confident enough to jump into a portrait. I kept the palette simple (only five colors).
Why is this portrait of my wife a submission for "Imperfect"? Because she has decided to wear her hair in a natural style. She had reservations, but now she loves being able to simply let her hair down without every hair in place. In my opinion, there is beauty in her imperfect style.
Have a great week!

Illustration Friday: Perennial

2011-07-22T21:37:00.001-04:00

Hello, all.
I have been stepping out of my color-blind box a bit and trying to paint. I have enjoyed myself, keeping the paintings small and manageable, producing a painting a day. This is the last one I completed. I figured that since it was of fruit, and since fruit trees are perennial plants, that I was safe.

I may be reaching here, but you be the judge.
Have a great week.
Peace!

Illustration Friday: Gesture

2011-07-15T12:12:00.001-04:00

Two Minutes

Ten Minutes

Twenty Minutes

Thirty Minutes

Hello, all.
Lots going on, but I am still at it, trying to produce as much as possible. When I saw that "Gesture" was the topic, I was soooooo excited.
Gesture drawing is one of my favorite activities. I attend several drawing groups in my area, and I live for the ones that have short-pose sessions. In fact, I have even participated in groups that will draw only two-minute poses for two hours straight!
The images above are all at different times, as short as 2 minutes, and up to 30 minute studies. I have tried to adopt this type of speed to the initial stages of my finished images, as I feel that it adds life and vitality to the work.
I hope you enjoy.
Peace Out! Have a great week!

Illustration Friday: Duet

2011-04-01T22:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, all.
I read the topic for this week's Illustration Friday and was happy because I felt that the piece that I am working on at the moment is a great fit.

Here is my interpretation of the moment when John Henry accepts the challenge to do battle with the steam hammer that he eventually defeats, but loses his life in the process. I liked the idea of an arrogant, smug bureaucrat dismissing the notion that a mere man could defeat his machine.

I owe a lot of credit to several people for this image, including my colleague, Mr. Keith Taylor, who posed for the bureaucrat, as well as Al Rodriguez and several of my current students for their assistance as well. The next step for the image is to add an environment as well as the machine that John Henry raced against.

I hope you enjoy your week.
Peace!!!

John Henry's Death Scene

2011-04-01T21:50:00.000-04:00

Hello, all.
I decided that I needed to post the final image from the last Illustration Friday challenge that I submitted. The piece moved on to be finished, and I was mildly pleased with the result. I had a lot of insight from fellow artists and art students as well.
The image has been completed with an oil wash and colored pencils.
Peace out! : )

John Henry Dies: In Progress

2011-03-05T12:31:00.000-05:00

Hello, all.

I don't like the idea of posting without being done, or at least almost done, but I wanted to be more consistent about posting. (I heard you loud and clear, Brine... : ) )It helps me stay busy, stay in the loop.

I'm not sure that this fits well for "Warning", but, after consideration, I saw it. The figure that reaches towards us with one hand and back towards the crowd with the other doesn't want us to see our hero fallen...

My wife speaks of this often. She doesn't view bodies at funerals because she wants her last vision of the person to be a happy one, a cherished one.

A stretch? Maybe... you be the judge...

More to come...

Illustration Friday: Layers

2011-02-20T14:03:00.000-05:00

Hello, all.
As I near completion of my yearlong project of producing work and a new website, I have had few chances to participate in anything else, which accounts for my lack of posts. However, I'm still lurking in the shadows and, every once in awhile, I have something to contribute.

Believe it or not, this image stems from my first attempt at Illustration Friday. I finished a small version of the image, but never got to post it.

Instead, I felt that it would be appropriate for the "Layers" topic, as this is at the very core of my process.
First, I start with a pencil drawing over a layer of gesso. Next, I add a layer of clear matte spray paint. Then, there is a layer of thinned oil paint (umber, ultramarine blue, and aluzirian crimson). Finally, there are several layers of colored pencil.

As I have stated before, I am color-blind, and this gives me the confidence to deal with color. I learned this technique from Mr. Alex Bostic, a professor who taught at Virginia Commonwealth University.

I hope you enjoy it. Have a great week.

I.F.: Transportation

2010-10-09T12:01:00.001-04:00

Hello, all.
Long time... as an artist/teacher/father/ husband, it becomes quite a juggling act, and stuff like this gets pushed to the back burner. I either haven't had a piece to go with the Illustration Friday theme, or I haven't had time to create one because of other projects.
Sooo... I want to jump back in and start posting again, hoping to get some momentum back into my work. I always travel with several sketchbooks, keeping as many as 5 or 6 at once for different ideas. I went to a transportation museum in Spencer, N.C. and took pictures of several of the trains. I want to go back soon and spend an entire day drawing from life, more pics, and just being an artist.
Have a great week.
Peace!

Illustration Friday: Perspective

2010-02-27T19:17:00.000-05:00

Hello, all.
Suprisingly, I dont have any pics related to linear perspective... I don't know why, because I love drawing it, and I love teaching it in classes, especially two and three point perspective.
So, what I have are dramatic points of view from a couple of studies that I did for (you guessed it) John Henry. The first is an attempt at a dramatic rendition, while in the second image, I investigate the possibility of leaving out the face and focusing on the powerful hands of the legendary figure. Thanks to Marshall Lakes for shooting good references for the first, and my Dad for posing for the second. I figure that from the average man's perspective, John Henry seemed larger than life.

Have a great week!

PEACE!!!

NCSI Art Exhibit: Sports Exhibited on Feb. 25th

2010-02-06T13:36:00.001-05:00

Hello, all.
No pics today, just an announcement.
I and my art comrades in the North Carolina Society of Illustrators have a show that is on display now at the Theater Art Galleries in High Point, NC. We have over 50 pieces on display by 10 different artists and illustrators, including myself, David Gaadt, David Stanley, Kyle Webster, Marshall Lakes, Mark Spangenberg, Austin Harris, Logan York, Ed Fields, and Don Stewart.
The theme is sports, and a wide variety are represented, including football, baseball, golf, rock climbing, horseback riding, and even boxing (my personal favorite).
Theater Art Galleries is located @ 220 East Commerce Avenue in High Point. You can Google or Mapquest for directions. The reception is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Would love to see you there.
PEACE!!!!

Illustration Friday: Focused

2010-01-29T20:30:00.004-05:00

Hello, all.

Long time since I posted here. When I read the topic for I.F., this most recent drawing came to mind. I wanted to create the feeling that this guy is waiting to handle business.

This was one of the most fun drawings I have done in some time. One of the largest, too (14"x30"). I was able to finish it in just a few hours, though.

It took me back to when I was a kid and I just wanted to draw something that I thought was cool. No paint, no colors, just something that I wanted to get lost in making.

This image will appear in a show called "Sports Exhibited" at the Theater Art Galleries in High Point, N.C. The reception is on February 25th, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. I am exhibiting with my friends in the North Carolina Society of Illustrators. This is our third collaborative show together.

I hope that everyone has a great week.

PEACE!!!

FINALLY....

2010-01-02T12:04:00.004-05:00

Hello, all.

I am sorry that I didn't follow up in a timely manner with this piece, but I have been incredibly busy with a lot (teaching, art exhibitions, and an Emergency Room trip : ( ).

I had this finished a few months ago... you can go backwards in my blog to see the progression of the piece.

This is the style that I use for children's book illustration, which is a bit different from the style that I use for my fine art and portraiture.

The problem with doing so many things at once is that they all seem to take forever to finish. If I worked on any one thing concurrently, it would only take a couple of days.

Well, Happy New Year to everyone...

PEACE!!!

IF: Hatch

2009-12-11T19:11:00.005-05:00

Hello, all.

I wasn't going to post for this topic, but I couldn't resist...

The title of this one is "Chicks Dig Me". It was an example of a drawing I made for my Advanced High School Art students. It's not the best drawing of a chick in the world, but I like my little guy.

This may be a reach for the topic, but when I saw 'hatch', I kept thinking of chicks.

My original plan was to design a whole series of images based on pimped out farm animals and call it the "Livestock Playas" series. That has gone on the back burner, but I do plan to come back to it.

The drawing is in graphite over a gessoed surface.

In the meantime, making up the animals and pimping them out is a lot of fun.

Have a great week.

PEACE!

Ilustration Friday: Music

2009-11-20T23:00:00.004-05:00

Hello, all.

I have several images dealing with music. I have an ongoing series of pieces related to Coffehouse Jazz, as it is very popular here in Greensboro. Between N.C. A&T State University, UNCG, and Greensboro College, there are several places that allow for practicing musicians to sit in for a set or two. The bulk of my observational drawings are made up from sitting in on these sessions and either sketching the musicians or the audience.

I was lucky enough to meet Paul Goodnight a few years back. He told me that artists and Jazz mucians have a lot in common, that while there is a steady rhythm to an image, an artist should look for ways to be improvisatoinal in the creation of his composition. Every since then, I have looked to Jazz as an inspiration to work from.

More to come.

Have a great week!

The Final Process

2009-10-22T21:59:00.004-04:00

Hello, all.

Well, this is the part that usually goes pretty quick, although I have not had a lot of time to focus on the piece in the last few days.

What you see are layers of colored pencil. I try to limit my palette as much as possible, sticking with white, several cool grays, a few blues, flesh tones, sienna, and umber. I use these to build forms and value transitions, along with local colors when necessary.

I feel a need to also point out some product choices here. To the left, you see Rustoleum Clear Finish Spray Paint (matte), Liquitex Basics Gesso, and Koh-I Noor Woodless Color Pencils.

All of these 'discoveries' came from the necessity of being cheap. When I learned the original technique from Alex Bostic (an instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University), I went with the cheapest stuff I could find. I found that when I used the Rustoleum, it had a very grainy finish. A bit aggressive, but it can be lightly sanded back. As for the Basics Gesso, it is student grade (not as high quality as the artist's grade), but I like the tooth of it much better for graphite drawing.

Last but not least, I tried the Koh-I-Noor colored pencils because a set of 24 was only 13 bucks (and with my 40% off cupon...wow!!). I find that they are much richer than the industry standard, Prismacolor. There are only two drawbacks. First, the palette of the woodless pencils is only 24 colors. Prismacolor has them beat on that front, hands down. Second, because they are woodless (basically a big chunk of pencil coated with lacquer), they are fragile. I can't tell you how many I've ruined by being clumsy.

So, there you have it. Next, the final finished image.

Have a great week!

Step 3: The Underpainting

2009-10-18T20:01:00.003-04:00

Hello, all.

So far, we have our drawing, in graphite, on gessoed board. We then sealed the drawing with clear matte spray paint (6 coats), and use a wash of Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, and a touch of Aliziran Crimson over the drawing, thinned with Turpenoid.

The drawing has now dried for about an hour, and I have sped up the drying process by using a hairdryer.

I am treating this as an underpainting. The oil wash is not completely dry yet. I then use several things to wipe away the paint, including bristle brushes, paper towels, cotton swabs, and kneadable erasers. Any and all of these tools work. Personally, I prefer using the kneadable erasers, dabbing at the paint, then a small bristle brush to make a smooth transition. Occasionally, I will use the paper towel.

You have about 24 hours or so before the paint becomes permanent. The longer the paint stays on, the harder it is to remove from the image. I will sometimes wait for several hours before beginning to model the image. The window of opportunity to do this does close, however, so be aware.

This monochromatic painting will provide unity for colors that will be applied on top, but that is to be discussed in the next step.

Have a great week!

Finally, The Next Step...

2009-10-18T19:45:00.005-04:00

Hello, all.

I am finally getting around to showing you the next step in my technique. I started an image here, and wanted to show my next step. I have sprayed my image down with clear matte finish spray paint (a minimum of 6 light coats) so that the graphite is sealed. ****THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!!*** Without it, your drawing will dissolve before your eyes.

Once sealed, I use Burnt Sienna oil paint, with touches of Ultramarine Blue and Aliziran Crimson, thinned with Turpenoid, and brushed on. You can brush it on evenly or be random and let the paint run, depending on what you like. I put the thinner in the bottom of a metal bowl, then blobs of paint along the rim. I then run the brush along the paint, then lightly dip into the thinner, then brush onto my image.

The great thing is, if you don't like the color, you can still wipe it off at this stage... no harm, no foul.

Once on, you have to let the Turpenoid evaporate some, until the sheen disappears. I sometimes use a hair dryer to speed the process along, which usually only takes an hour or so anyway. Be careful with the dryer, though... you definitely want to dry it just enough so that the sheen disappears, but not much more than that.

Next step soon.

PEACE!!!

Inspire Me Thursday: In Good Company

2009-09-13T13:40:00.004-04:00

Hello, all.

I have had an eye on the Inspire Me Thursday website for some time, but I have never submitted anything until now.

This is a commissioned portrait for the Christopher Family, done in graphite, about 20"x30". I enjoyed drawing this very much, as Mr. Christopher is a good friend.

I thought that this would fit the theme well, as I feel most at ease when surrounded by my family.

Have a great week.

Peace!

Illustration Friday : "Strong"

2009-09-05T15:17:00.003-04:00

Hello, all.

I didn't finish this one, but I thought it would be appropriate for this week's subject. A few months back, I posted a different John Henry pic for the word "Legendary". This time, I thought that this embodied Strong.

This is the first stage of my technique. I will add an oil wash next, then a layer of colored pencil last. I still have some adjustments to make to the image itself (adding more rock fragments and other details), but I am pretty much done with this stage.

Have a great week.

Peace!

My Process

2009-08-13T16:14:00.009-04:00

Hello, all.
I have had several people ask about my process, and how, if I am color-blind, do I make color images. I thought it would be interesting to post that.

So, here is the first step. Keep in mind, that this starts with thumbnail sketches, (1"x2", as many as 10, sometimes more), then larger sketches (3"x5" or larger, 3 to 5). This one contains a study of the expression for John Henry.

After that, I take reference photos of friends or students and, in this case, myself.

Next, I use tracing paper to work out issues with each part of the image, the figures and the background (learned that from James Ransome and David Gaadt). I then make a composite sketch, full size.

Then, the final image is transferred to a gessoed illustration board that has been sanded w/220 grit sandpaper. I draw it in with a 2H pencil , then switch to a 2B graphite stick or woodless pencil to shade.

I realize that this all sounds complicated, but its not. This is the hardest part. Once this is finished, the easy part comes next.

Stay tuned, sports fans.

Quick Portrait Practice

2009-08-08T20:07:00.006-04:00

Hello, all.

I decided to post this as I am finding my way into a new medium: conte'. I have enjoyed using it and it has become my first choice for drawing the figure. Right now, sanguine seems to work best for me.

This was a portrait study of my niece, Jazelle, who has been modeling recently for several local groups. We were at the studio of Scott Burdick and Susan Lyon, some of the nicest and most talented artists I have ever met. In fact, I was surprised to receive my latest issue of Drawing Magazine to find that Susan's image was prominently displayed on the cover, and a full length article about her work was inside. She is truly amazing, and so is Scott.

I don't think that I did my niece justice, though... I was rushing through it because I had to leave the session early, but I did like what I got.

Next, I will be giving a demonstration of how I use color to create an illustration.

Have a great week!

Another Impossibility

2009-04-18T00:13:00.002-04:00

Hello, all.

I decided to add another entry. I felt like the boxing piece was a bit depressing, and I wanted to do something more colorful and whimsical.

This was an image that I created as a demonstration of techniques for my students. I was randomly putting unlikely things together and wound up with a pimped-out ram.

I had so much fun with this, that I wanted to start a series of farm animals dressed out in 'bling' (do the kids still say that???) and call it "The Livestock Playas" series.

I'll get to it, one day....

Have a great week!

I.F/Impossibility

2009-04-17T23:28:00.005-04:00

Hello, all.

Once again, I revert back to my love of boxing. When I read the topic, I was hesitant to post this, because I felt that it was a pessimistic interpretation. However, at this point, it appears that getting up is an impossibility for the fallen fighter.

I was working on a piece that dealt with defeat. It was part of a series. Eventually, I would like to do a piece with the fighter in the corner, with his trainer urging him on.

I had hopes that this would be an image in color, but I never quite worked all of that out, so I have this drawing. I still may add some oil paint and colored pencil, though.

Have a great week, everyone!

I.F./Fleeting Moments in the Sketchbook

2009-04-11T00:07:00.006-04:00

Hello, all.

For this topic, I decided to include a couple of my sketchbook pages. I love to sit at the Tate St. Coffee Shop and the Greenbean Coffee Shop here in Greensboro and sketch people as they come in and out.

Sketching can be difficult when your subject is constantly moving and could get up and leave at any time, so the fleeting moments that you catch disappear right before your eyes.

I have taken a liking to sketching with a .005 Micron pen. I'm no James Jean (his sketchbooks are amazing!), but I have to admit that I enjoy drawing with a pen. It forces you to be sure about what you lay down on the paper.

My buddy, Tom Reis, is the one that inspired me to begin using a pen, although I did sketch a lot with ballpoint before. His ability to capture scenes and details are amazing.

I hope that everyone has a happy holiday.

Have a great week!

Illustration Friday/Poised

2009-03-27T12:37:00.005-04:00

Hello, all.

I felt that this piece fit the topic of poise, in particular being poised and ready for action. This is a drawing of Lefty Gomez. From what I remember, he used to play with Babe Ruth. I'm sorry I don't know more, but I am not a big baseball fan.

This was another piece created for a baseball show here in Greensboro. Before I came up with a system to work with color, I used to stain my paper with either coffee or tea, then draw on top of it and add highlights with white pastel. This one was done in colored pencils.

I hope that I'm not forcing the topic here... the connection may seem like a stretch.

Have a great week, everybody!

Royal Brush Company Drawing Sets

2009-03-15T13:20:00.007-04:00

Hello, all.

I am excited to announce that the Royal Brush Company has recently released several drawing sets, two of which feature images that I created. : )

A special thanks goes to the guys @ Royal Brush Co., (the makers of Royal & Langnickel brushes) and Gus Dovellos, the V.P. of Sales and Marketing. They found my website and asked for the rights to use a couple of my images on their products.

That was a year ago, and now, they are finally here @ Hobby Lobby in Greensboro. I was running errands for my wife when I walked by a set and did a double-take. I yelled out loud and everyone around me thought I was nuts, but I didn't care, it was great!!!!

The image is one that I submitted for the IF topic "Strings". There is at least one more set with one of my figure drawings on it, but I didn't have enough money to get it. I hope they still have it when I go back (there was only one).

I'm not sure where or in which parts of the country the sets would be. They include a set of woodless graphite pencils, drawing pencils, charcoals, and pastels (black, white, sanguine, and gray, I think), along with erasers and a sharpener.

I just had to share... I am sooo excited about this!

Have a great week!

I.F./The Legendary John Henry

2009-03-10T23:17:00.007-04:00

Hello, all.

They say timing is everything. It just so happens that I finished this piece a couple of days ago... who knew that it would fit perfectly with the Illustration Friday topic? :)

I have been working on this idea for over a year now, with lots of frustrations. There is something about working on an idea on your own that feels a lot like learning to ride a bike. You spend so much time trying things that don't work. It can be daunting, to say the least.

All that being said, I have the first of what is to hopefully be several images of the legendary John Henry. This is the eighth version of this image. I have learned lots about taking reference pics, sketches, using tracing paper to plan space, research, and my ongoing developments dealing with my oil/colored pencil technique.

Have a great week!

Illustration Friday/ Mother's Instinct

2009-02-21T11:02:00.004-05:00

Hello, all.

This was an image I created for my portfolio for a story about getting ready for church on Sunday. It has some proportional issues, but I (and my wife and daughter) still like it a lot. It even won Third Place in an exhibition at the Center for Visual Artists here in Greensboro.

When my daughter was born, my wife was concerned about doing her hair and doing it well. It seemed like an overwhelming task, but of course, Mother's Instinct took over, and she's been doing it every week now for nine years.

Thanks to my wife and daughter for putting up with me and posing for countless images.

Have a great week.

PEACE!

Illustration Friday/ Hang Time

2009-02-07T14:04:00.007-05:00

Hello, all.

This week's topic made me think of sports, which is odd for me, because I only follow boxing as a sport. I just couldn't get the image of "hang time" out of my head.

Ozzie Smith earned the nickname 'The Wizard' for some of the extraordinary athleticism he would display on the field. This was part of a baseball show that was done a while back here in Greensboro to correlate with our new stadium and local minor league team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Several of my buddies did great work for the show, including Dave Stanley, Tom Reis, and Marshall Lakes

This image came early on in my endeavors to be an illustrator. It was an okay image, but I have learned a lot since then. The extended arm, for example, should be bigger to heighten the sense of space.

This was my first piece in colored pencil. As I have mentioned earlier, I am color-blind. I remember working on this piece and bringing it in for a critique. One of my buddies noticed that I used green instead of black (or is it black instead of green... ???) on his uniform. I did feel comfortable doing this, though, because I could read the writing on the pencils and organize them in terms of value.

The background is actually an old piece of mat board sprayed with bleach. I had it spinning on a potter's wheel to get the effect. I had the board for almost eight years before I came up with the idea of using it for a background. I was pleased.

Well, I'm off to work on some more art. I will be posting an image of John Henry soon, along with some more figurative studies and a few sketchbook pages.

Have a great week!

PEACE!

Illusrtation Friday/Resolve II

2009-01-03T16:03:00.007-05:00

Hello, all.

I just couldn't resist posting this image. I am a HUGE boxing fan, and this image keeps popping up in my head when I think of the word "resolve". Boxers train really hard for weeks, sometimes months. The best ones are highly disciplined, focusing on their training and nothing else before a big fight.

I don't know if I will EVER be able to post two images for one word, so I figured that this would be my chance.

Have a great week!

PEACE!

Illustration Friday/Resolve

2009-01-02T14:29:00.008-05:00

Hello, all.

For Illustration Friday, I thought that this would fit well. This is a sketch I did in a doctor's waiting room from an article during the election. Either Democrat or Republican, no one can deny the historical event that, admittedly, I thought I would either see as an old man, or not at all.

My sketch makes him look a bit old. Not the best in the world, but I do like it.

I hope that everyone has a great year.

Bittersweet Holidays

2008-12-20T21:38:00.006-05:00

Hello, all.

School has been very busy and erratic, so my posts have taken a backseat to grading projects, and submitting work for local shows @ the Hemphill Library and the Founder's Exhibition at the African American Atelier here in Greensboro at the Cultural Center in the Downtown Area.

My post is a portrait of a young man who was tragically taken away from us. Cameron Scott "Scotty" Wayne died on Saturday, Oct. 4th in a car accident (Click here for more information). Scotty was a senior @ Southern Guilford High School, and a star athelete. He had accepted a full scholarship to play football for East Carolina University (my alma matter) just before he passed away.

I had a unique perspective of the young man. I spent 10 years teaching elementary school before moving up to high school. I taught Scotty in my Art classes (all elementary kids here are required to take them) when he was only 10. To see him again as the strong, respectful, and kind-hearted young man he had become in high school was quite a sight. He was well liked by all, and treated everyone (jock and otherwise) with respect.

I think of his family at this time of year and how difficult this must be for them (I taught his yourger sister as well). My family keeps them in our thoughts and prayers and I would ask that you do the same.

This portrait is dedicated to his memory. I hope to present it to his family before the New Year.

Cherish your families everyday... you never know what will happen.
Happy Holidays.

Dazed

2008-11-23T12:16:00.005-05:00

Hello, all.

It's been a very busy week for me, so I don't have a lot to post. I was helping out one of my illustrative heroes, James Ransome, who came to NC to recruit for Syracuse University, where he teaches. Great guy, great teacher, great artist all around. His work is definitely work looking at.

Illustration Friday has gotten away from me, but I hope to do a few sketches. I have in-laws in Atlanta, so I will be gone for most of this week.

I didn't want to leave without some post, so I am putting up something from my experiments. I have had issues with my technique as of late, so I decided to go back to basics and try something simple to work with.

This is a piece of an image that I started, but it crashed and burned. I wanted to have something to work with without it being a major piece, so I chose to experiment on it. My techinque involves an underdrawing over gessoed board, then a fix with clear matte spray paint. I then apply a neutral layer of brown oil paint on top, thinned with turpenoid. It stays wet for a couple of days. I use this time to render shadows, removing paint with a kneadable eraser, then blending it with brushes. Once I like what I have, I apply colored pencil to the top.

This works well for me, because I am color-blind. I feel much more confident, since the colors are direct and the oils provide a sense of unity, even if my sense of color is off.

Hope to post again soon.

Have a great week!

Illustration Friday/Pretend

2008-11-14T11:41:00.017-05:00

Hello, all.
For once, I have something that I can submit for Illustration Friday. I want to re-do this, but I don't want to take the chance of not finishing it up before the deadline.
It's funny how you can see certain things going on around you, i.e., the look a high school student gets when they are obviously waiting for class to end.
If I'm lucky, I will have another picture to submit for this topic.
Have a great week!

Hello / Illustration Friday

2008-11-09T18:48:00.012-05:00

Hello, All.

This is a new experience for me, as I am venturing into a new realm to share my work. I hopefully will be able to post things frequently, as I participate in a weekly figure drawing group here in Greensboro. I am also working on building a portfolio to pursue work as a children's book illustrator.

My first post is of a missed deadline for Illustration Friday, which I have recently made the attempt to participate in. I have yet to post an image that I didn't have already, but I do like the exercise.

This was for the word 'island". One of my students was nice enough to pose. I didn't finish it in time for the week, but I did enjoy doing it.

One of the issues that I have as an artist is that I am color-blind, and I have been finding ways around this, with the help of several brilliant artists/mentors, great guys with amazing work, like David Stanley , Tom Reis , and Kyle Webster , (AKA the Original Design Gangsta , a hilarious, creative self-promo).

Have a great week!