stuffs and things.

Corridors of Time (Zeal) by Leo Lumer One of the most beautiful songs ever written (video game or otherwise), and played beautifully as well. Stay tuned for a nice surprise at the coda.

Easy Days - The Pointer Sisters (1975) A real mellow, soothing track. Perfect for a lazy afternoon.

"Ebony - Man and Woman" (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 18" x 24" (each) There isn't much to explain here. Two figures, representing the origins of my culture, my ethnicity. A black Adam and Eve, if you will. I could use some more practice on anatomy, but they didn't turn out half bad.

"Elemental" (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 36" x 36" (16" x 20" each) A fun little abstract in which each canvas is based on one of the elements: earth, wind, fire, and water..... ....I may or may not have been listening to Earth, Wind & Fire when I conceived this idea.

"Contour Mask" (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 14" x 18" Alright, last one of the night. I wanted to combine the abstract style I’ve been using recently with a representational subject matter. I just went for broke, and this is the end result. I think I’m gonna do more of these.

"Nightfall" (2013) Acrylic on canvas, 24" x 36" Without a doubt, this is one of the most personal paintings I've ever done. Inspired by a late-night conversation I had with a very close friend, this work depicts how isolated, imposing, and surreal the world can seem when one is living under the weight of insecurity and uncertainty. Experimenting with a new style for me, a blend of realism and subtle abstraction.

Details of "Jesse, Martin, and Ralph".

"Jesse, Martin, and Ralph" (2013) Charcoal and pastel - 16" x 20" each The final pieces hanging up in Kristyn's studio. Three separate portraits of three important figures during the Civil Rights Movement: Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ralph Abernathy. All three men were also very prominent figures in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). These portraits were taken from the same original photo. The photo was taken on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, on April 4th, 1968. Minutes after the photo was snapped, MLK was assassinated on the very same balcony.

"Rust" (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 20" x 24" Another piece showing at Kristyn's studio. Those familiar to Chatham's east side will recognize this place. This foreboding thing here is the glue factory, a pretty notorious spot. And it's mighty fun to paint.....especially when you only have red, white and black paint left to work with.

"Quadrants" (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 20" x 24" Y'all remember Kristyn, right? From my previous posts? Well, she invited me to bring up some artwork to hang in her studio (http://kryartstudio.ca/). This is one of the pieces I've got up there. Just playing around with line and space and colour, and how they can link together. Four separate areas joined together by abstract forms.

Golden Lady - Stevie Wonder (1973) A quick intermission before the artwork starts rolling again. One of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It captures all of the emotion and joy and wonderment that comes with the feeling of infatuation. Captures it perfectly.

Just details of the "Rain" series.

"Rain" (Series) (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 18" x 24" each The final three paintings which hung in the William Street Cafe. These were actually supposed to be paintings of the lights in downtown Chatham. But while working on the first one, I spilled some water on the canvas. Then I knocked it off my bed. The mix of water and paint made these cool looking streaks, so I decided to play around with that approach. This is the result. Happy accidents, y'all.

This is the painting I mentioned in my previous posts. Kristyn Watterworth and I were in a painting fundraiser in March called "Clash of the Canvases". Put together by some students, including a good friend of mine, the event benefited the Macintosh Gallery at the University of Western Ontario. We were one of the three teams given a theme (Equinox), and given 80 minutes to paint. There was a live audience. It was like a sporting event, and y'all know how much I love me my sports. At the end of the night, the audience declared our painting the winner. It was an incredible night. I celebrated with a good amount of beer, naturally.

"Aztec" (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 30" x 30" The second of five pieces that were hung in the William Street Cafe. This was inspired by a painting collaboration I did with a fantastic artist, Kristyn Watterworth. Check out her work here --> http://kryartstudio.ca/ I'll post the painting that resulted from that collab soon. Just an experiment in random mark-making.

"Downtown Planes" (2013) Acrylic on canvas - 30" x 40" The first of the five pieces that were hung in the William Street Cafe here in Chatham in June. Just some silhouetted downtown skylines, collaged together and minimalized. Abstract work, because you gotta experiment sometimes.