Slug

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Slug
Spray Paint Stencil'd on Canvas
[Created 100% with one hand bandaged due to a broken finger]
18" X 24"
January 2011

Keeping in mind that I've previously made paintings of Buck 65, Aesop Rock, Eyedea, D-Sisive & Saul Williams in order for me to pay tribute to how much their way with words has impacted my life and growth as an artist and a person, you may be tempted to ask [if you know me and my favorites and/or if you think you know who else should be in this list]:

"Where are Sage & Slug? Why haven't you painted Sage & Slug?"

Well! My friends!

I initially started painting writers and singers who's work I particularly enjoyed for fun. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. But then the list of people I painted grew and I started to see a pattern. Of course, with any pattern comes expectations of the elements that will follow in this pattern. That being said, I thought it would be too cliche'd and groupie-ish to paint [probably] the 2 most famous artists of the underground hip-hop scene: Sage Francis and Slug from Atmosphere.

Recently, I realized I was being silly and WAY to self-involved to have created such expectations of my work [I mean, really...?] and made this painting of Slug from Atmosphere in between two contracts. The original picture, from what I've gathered, by way of cyber-sleuthing, was taken by someone by the name of Delarge during Atmosphere's passage through the UK in 2008. You can visit Delarge's Flickr account here. I'm still waiting for him to get back to me for more info about himself at which time I'll be more than happy to provide it to you guys.

I tried to push a little more into the out-of-focus-y abstract style [my DIY technical art vocab never ceases to amaze... I know!] on this one for fun and practice. Also, it should be mentioned that this piece was done with very little detail and realism in large part due to the fact that I've broken a finger on my left hand and it's heavily bandaged, thus preventing most of the meticulous detail work I like to use sometimes. I hope you enjoy this.

Now.
The more astute reader will be thinking: "When are you doing a Sage piece?"

The answer is: "Sometime between maybe someday and possibly never." No. Seriously, I don't know but have a hunch some time this year ol' Sage Francis will pop up in layered format on a blog near you. Stay tuned!

As a side note:
The record God Loves Ugly by Atmosphere changed what I thought hip-hop could be and I believe [it's just my opinion] that a large chunk of underground rap artists to this day try and fail to duplicate what it did. I suggest that record to anyone and everyone.

As a side-side-note: I wouldn't be surprised if a more elaborate Saul Williams came about this year also...

That's all the ramblings for today folks.
I spare you the unpleasant details of what the rest of my day consists of, but I leave you with this: Please take a minute to call your Mother and/or Father and tell them you love them. You have no idea how much it means to them.

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Temple

"Temple"
Spray Paint on Canvas
24" X 48"
December 2010
SOLD

December has been my busiest month [I believe] ever, custom project wise [when it rains it pours!]. Here is a piece I've been asked to make by one of my childhood friends. His brother just bought a house last year and is in the midst of giving his basement a Buddhist influenced theme... that's where I came in.

He told me his brother's birthday was coming up at the end of the month and wanted to surprise him with a painting to put over the sofa on the far wall - which is the first thing that you would see when you enter the basement living room area. He wanted a temple in earth tones. I was glad to oblige.


The reaction was priceless. My friend's brother, expecting nothing at all [let alone a painting], provided me with my first ever "dropped jaw." No matter how hard I've worked on a piece and how proud/satisfied I may be with it, there's always a little bit of nervousness when it's delivery time and a reaction like that makes all the insecurities disappear instantly. I'm honored and proud to have been given the opportunity to make his home a little more "homey."

On to the next one!

[...]

A day at the races

A day at the races
Spray paint and Acrylics on Canvas
36" X 18"
Summer 2009

I started this painting of myself a year and a half ago because I had nothing to do in between projects and wanted to keep my hands busy. I also used the opportunity to try a new background technique and a color scheme I wasn't comfortable with since I had no intention of doing anything with it after it was done. Something came up and I put it aside as an unfinished piece I planned on finishing later.

A year and a half later, it would seem that I'm not planning on getting back to it any time soon or I figure I would have already. Keeping this in mind, I've been convinced by my girlfriend to post it and to hang it in an expo, which I've done today. Maybe she's right. Maybe it's been done all along and I just didn't know it. Being someone who believes in things happening for a reason, maybe I stepped away from this because I was unknowingly done. So I've acquiesced to the idea and here it is!


The original picture is taken by Simon Lessard at the Montreal Roller Derby in the summer of 2009. I was still drinking back then [Pabst Blue Ribbon!]. These days, I don't even remember what a hangover feels like and honestly, I can't see it any other way.

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