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.

Medusa in Egon Schiele

For my painting class midterm we were required to create a painting in a masters style of our choice in our own composition. I chose to paint Medusa in the spirit of Egon Schiele. It seemed challenging at first but as I was building the piece, I got really into it and had some fun. Just in time for Halloween,

Great Egret

Holiday card 2013
Gouache and pastels on paper

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

Stamp Art

For my stamp piece in the Gone Postal art show at The Usuals I took the sketch for my art box and made it into a stamp. 

Gone Postal, Group Show at The USUALS

Super excited to take part in this group show at The USUALS in San Jose

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.

..

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

Getting A Head in America

The Bomb Pop is a Popsicle originally created in the 1950's by some white man in Kansas City. All to telling. The Bomb Pop was too good to pass up as a symbol of American economics.

"Getting A Head in America"
Watercolor and ink on 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

Roy

Roy is the first character in a series that I'm creating about vintage Americana. The focus will be primarily men that have inspired me. Both fictitious and real. I've always been deeply attracted to the fringe, it's in my nature. Be it art, people, culture, music. So many interesting aspects of American grit are gone, at least heavily subsided. You can always find it underground, where grittiness has always thrived. Roy looks as if he wants to kill you but really he just wants to be loved.

 Roy

Shortly after I embarked on this homage, I found this amazing vintage photo of this hussy with a Roy tattoo. Perfecto!

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

REZHIM

A piece I created in response to Pussy Riot, the Russian female punk band that are currently on trial for speaking out against Putin. The piece also represents a beaten super hero/hypnotized woman that's forced to drink what the goverment has given her. Politics, control, the usual.

REZHIM - Regime
India ink, Gouache

Group show at KALEID Gallery 7/14

Exquisite Corpse is based on the Surrealists techniques exploiting the mystique of spontaneity and collaborative creativity through a visual parlor game. The exhibition will take place in the feature gallery of KALEID with a public artists reception on July 14th 7-10 pm and will be on view through July 27th. Each participating artist was given a blank piece of paper on which they created one third of a figure (head or torso or legs, assigned at random). KALEID Gallery staff will collect and arrange all 60 of the individual pieces into a unexpected complete figure. Come out!

I'm happy that I got legs as my project. My piece is based on Chinese Communism, a mix of humor and extremism. I used symbols dealing with China's current collapsing economy, shoddy imports, crimes against humanity, the un-scrupulous one child family planning policy for instance. Women bear the very men who sit in these seats, the archaic scrutiny is rather shocking.

Hencho en China
Mixed Media

Veil Interpretation

Over the years I've been fascinated by veils and coverings. Although the wearing of veils lies in constant question, so should the reasons for lack of clothing. I've definitely incorporated the interest into my art. I like to buy statues and give them my own spin with a dia de los muertos influence. I grew up in a catholic family, although I wasn't completely made to practice, it was more than present in my childhood. Although I do question catholic antics, I like the paraphernalia. I find the range from antiquated beauty to gaudiness inspiring. Here are a few pieces of my art above. Below are some profound photos. Muslim Brides and Anti-GaGa rebellion!

Among Muslim women, the debate about hijab takes many forms. Many believe that the veil is a way to secure personal liberty in a world that objectifies women. Understood in such terms, hijab protects women from the male gaze and allows them to become autonomous subjects. The veil is not a uniquely Islamic convention; the practice has a long history in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Catholic nuns engage in the practice, of course, and there are several references to the practice in both the Old and New Testaments. Ironically, the representation of veiling in the Bible is much more problematic than those in the Qur'an or the Hadith, because the Judeo-Christian sources imply that women should be covered because of their inherent inferiority.

I can totally relate to them - Muslim elementary school student holds a defaced poster of US pop singer Lady Gaga during a protest in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, against her concert that is scheduled to be held on June 3. Lady Gaga might have to cancel her sold-out show in Indonesia because police worry her sexy clothes and dance moves undermine Islamic values and will corrupt the country's youth.