Self Portrait

This is one of the last paintings I created when I was in school semester 2014. I felt very unhappy with it at the time because I painted it the night before it was due and it had to be of me. That just stems from low self esteem, haha anyway I'm able to feel proud of it now.

Shannon

Portrait of my dear friend and adolescent partner in crime Shannon Amidon then Shannon Maestros Marker. We had some pretty wild times "growing up".

Shannon's art work: http://www.shannonamidon.com

"Shannon"
India Ink, ink pen and stamp

Frida and Friends Pet Drive

"Rescue Me"
Gouache on paper

I made this cat lady up for a group show at Seeing Things Gallery in San Jose. The show was amazing. All of the art was donated and Seeing Things had an auction starting each piece at $10. All proceeds went to a local animal shelter.

Privacy

Art Box Project San Jose

I was asked to paint a variety of  plants and animals indigenous to the golden state. For the critters I went with the California condor, blue jay, California king snake and let's not forget the unlikely fate of the earthworm. Initially I was just gonna go with blue birds, the idea of the others came as I went along. For the plants I went with unlikely choices of red thistle and wild mock orange. I added some poppy's as well. I hope the neighborhood of Auzerais and Delmas will enjoy. Thank you to Cherri Lakey and the neighborhood association for this opportunity.

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Vanitas KALEID Gallery's June-July group show

Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas ~ Vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

A Vanitas is a work of art based on the idea of the transience of human existence and the knowledge that all has it's end. They have been common throughout the history of art, sometimes incredibly morbid with a sharp focus on death, others with obscured meaning hidden beneath a veneer of beauty. 

My Vanitas
"Self Reflect"

Acrylic, India ink and charcoal on wood

Exhibition opening: First Friday June 7th - part of the South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk

Exhibition ends mid July

CRIPPLING

I've been told to be careful more than twice regarding my feet as I age. I've been wearing heels ever since I could remember. To often I myself have seen little old ladies with scrunched arthritic toes as a result of years of high heel wearing. With the kind of shoes I see some chicks running around in these days they're really asking for it. Those 8" heels ain't worth it honey. This subject sprung the idea to make this piece. Look closely and see the handicapped man in the socks and shoes. After all "they" say beauty is pain. How much pain are you in?

Crippling
Acrylic, charcoal, paper on canvas

THRUSH at The USUALS

"Stay Blind"

India Ink on Watercolor Paper

Prayer of Saint Francis

I've had this little praying hands plaque for years with the intention of painting it. In the recent I had a reason to do so. It was done out of significance and care for someone I hold dear. The before photo is where I started to gesso it. The end results follow, I just pasted the prayer on the back to give the plaque meaning. The prayer of Saint Francis is very beautiful in it's simplicity. A few years back we saw Patti Smith in Golden Gate Park and it was powerfully interpreted by her, I've attached it below.

Before

After

Prayer of Saint Francis on the back

Patti

JUST LET GO

Sometimes we hold on to things that weigh us down. Burden us. Like hungry wolves. If we can, we should let it go, take off the coat and head toward the sun. I have two pieces in the San Jose Creatives group show at KALEID Gallery.

JUST LET GO
Mixed Media

Half Asleep

Have you ever felt like your dream or nightmare was so real that you really weren't sure in that half asleep state? That's what inspired this painting.

Half Asleep
Watercolor, ink

Teenage Lunch

 

On top is my painting of Lydia, on the bottom is a poster from Black Box. I just so happened to stumble upon a CD of some old art of mine Frances had put together. I honestly never thought I'd see this again. It's not the greatest image, but it works. I gave it to some friends some time ago.

SEVEN FRAGMENTS

Black and Brown Vintage Clothing Store located in sunny San Jose California just had their seventh year anniversary. Congratulations! A lot of mom and pops don't make it in the Silicon Valley area. More known for it's status driven, high techie devoid-ism culture, some might be surprised that San Jose actually has it's gems of people and odd things happening for those who want a little more. The owners Moe and Irene came up with the brilliant idea to celebrate their seventh with an art show. The theme was to showcase artists they previously featured from the last seven years, with the theme being 7. I decided to turn the flier I made from our show into something new. I wanted to represent how much could change and evolve in 7 years. The flier is two nuns facing each other entitled "Face to Face". I decided to make over-exaggerated jewelry based on the piece. How to display it was tricky.
I bought a used mutilated mannequin torso and re created one of the nuns from the flier into a 3-D display. I gave her back her dignity. Her previous owner cut her breasts off!
For the jewelry, I transferred the image onto metal, then cut it into shapes. I cut pieces of mirror into these shapes, then attached the metal to the mirrors. I wanted it to resemble an Egyptian Menat with an art deco emphesis. The Menat was meant to ensure good luck and fortune and protect against evil spirits (that voodoo that you do). It was also worn for protection in the afterlife and is often found buried with the dead. Worn by women, it was expected to foster fruitfulness and good health, while among men it signified virility.

Here is a before and after of the end result. The show is up for a month, anyone in the area should check it out. Some amazing works came out of the show!