Thom Reaves Artist Blog

A French Peacock

2012-01-11T21:15:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone! Just thought I’d post a new work- my first finished piece of 2012. Paon – French for peacock – its peculiar, I guess, that I always seem to like to use French words for my pieces. There’s an air about France that I am attracted to. Its actually the dream of France or fantasy of France, since I have never been there. It’s one that’s on my itinerary. Till then I’m gonna keep dreaming.

Remembering The World Trade Center

2011-09-10T03:05:00.002-04:00

Here is a sketch of the World Trade Center I drew back during my New York years - around 1989 - 1990. It was drawn from one of the piers at the end of Christopher St. I thought it appropriate in order to remember the September 11th attacks and all who died that day.

Coffee Art

2011-08-05T12:52:00.000-04:00

Just got a photo of a commissioned piece I did a few years ago. I was inspired by Capiello on this one.

Fruit Tarts

2011-07-18T22:52:00.002-04:00

Its funny how my art sometimes does what it wants to. My original sketches for these two paintings looked nothing like the finished product. Anyway, I'd been wanting to do a fruit tart series for some time.

Some new work

2011-07-18T21:37:00.000-04:00

These 2 new pieces I am hoping to have licensed for a national company.

Thom Reaves Bookstore: Art of Joy

2010-09-30T01:04:00.001-04:00

ART OF JOY

By THOM REAVES

Book Preview

Simple Biblical Watercolors

2010-04-12T21:22:00.004-04:00

Lately, I’ve been inspired to do some painting using watercolors. I don’t consider myself to be a master of the medium by any means, but I enjoy using them.
It seems I find a lot of satisfaction in biblical subject matter, for I keep going back to it. They’re the stories I grew up with.

My first picture is that of Jacob wrestling what most call an ‘angel’. I prefer not to call the person an angel because the verse says that he wrestled with a man who, from the language, can be inferred as being God. For this reason, there are no wings. Whenever I’ve seen this depicted in paintings, the wrestlers are usually both standing with their arms locked. When I think of wresting however, I think of a down-and-dirty, on the ground power match, so in my depiction, that’s how I made it. It’s not a realistic pose by any means, but I think it shows some emotion.

My second picture was inspired by Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. I had always wanted to do a picture of Moses but never did, so here is one. It depicts Moses removing his shoes in front of the Burning Bush.

Quark Park

2010-03-18T22:00:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted in awhile, but I'm creating. As regards to bipolar, when you're happy, its great. There just seems to be much more to dissect and pick apart when you're down. I'd much rather be up - and I am. I'm managing my illness and that's the goal.

The other reason to post today are these photos of Quark Park: A collaboration of science art and architecture. This was sculpture garden,an art installation built in October 2006 in Princeton, NJ in an empty lot. It was a spectacular venue and I'm glad to have been a part of it, although I came in at the eleventh hour. I was given the opportunity to paint an oil can/fountain to be titled The Cosmology of Cosmetology. I painted a very fun image of Albert Einstein on a Cosmopolitan cover. For the life of me I can't remember what the rationale for this was (It wasn't my idea)but it was great to paint. Here's some photos taken by Chris Tengi.

Southborough: My latest creative endeavor

2009-10-12T21:26:00.003-04:00

Who says an artist has to have just one outlet of creativity? I admit I haven't been doing much painting lately, but I have been filling my artistic time with a major creative endeavor. I have written a pilot for a soap opera! That's right, a dramatic serial. It was written years ago, but I came to a place where I said that I need to stop talking about it and just do it. So, I'm doing it.
We haven't started filming the story at this time, but we have created our first promo for the show by showing "portraits" of characters, short bits to give the viewer a hint some of the personalities of the show.
You can find out more about the show at my website www.southboroughproject.webs.com.
We are looking for donations to help make the show if you should be so inclined. There is a button on the website for that. I hope you enjoy what we've done so far. Enjoy.

Becoming Normal

2009-08-11T23:45:00.001-04:00

Becoming normal; it’s like just waking up one day and realizing “I’m back to myself”. That’s honestly, how it is. You don’t feel the change as you’re going through it; it just happens and there you are – back to where you should be. I know normalcy is different for different people. For me, as much as I am outgoing and friendly, I am just the same, quiet and introspective. It’s about 50/50. My doctor, my therapy and my medicines have brought me back. I’m here, life is LIFE, and I’m home; back to normal.

Being on the other end of Mental Illness

2009-08-05T21:22:00.002-04:00

A close friend of mine recently tried to commit suicide. I was the one who took him to the hospital. Although he did not injure himself very badly, it was imperative that he go to a place where he could be helped mentally as well as physically. As he was driven away in an ambulance I started to cry. It was at this point that the realization came to me about mental illness and its effect on loved ones. I was now on the other end of mental illness; one having to watch as this disease saps the sanity from a person’s mind and chronologically sets a course for its self destruction.

My helplessness was tangible. I could do nothing but watch as they drove off down the road trying to make myself feel better knowing that he was going to get help. MENTAL ILLNESS IS EVIL!

He’s home now and the combination of medicines, therapy and a lot of prayer are helping him to start from scratch in managing his situation. There is hope. I've learned that for myself and now him.

Hospitalization - Abandonment

2009-07-09T00:39:00.000-04:00

One thing that has come up in my life regarding episodes leading to hospitalization is that of abandonment. I have the pleasure of having very close relatives and friends whom I can count on through thick and thin, yet acquaintances that couldn’t care less about my problems, bipolar or otherwise. I am sad to say that that statement was turned on its head, and that turn slapped me hard. I sat in that hospital under a cloud of despair, hanging on to anything that gave me hope; anything that I could grasp to prevent the yearning for the void of death from consuming me. I needed someone. I needed someone who loved me to tell me so – to come to me and tell me so and what I got was “I can’t come”, “I can’t bear to see you there with those people”. Talk about darkness! It was one time that I could say unselfishly that it was about me and I was handed a reason that was about them. These are people who I love and whom I thought loved me. It made my darkness even darker. The only ones I could count on were my parents and those in the hospital along with me. I was abandoned. Now I know how it feels. It makes me feel even worth less than the worthlessness I already feel. It makes me realize that all the “I love you”-s and “I’ll be there”-s perhaps don’t mean anything at all – or at least not as much as one had hoped.

“Look at it from their side” I tell myself. A mental hospital to them is straight-jackets, padded cells and people screaming and banging their heads on walls. What else are they to think, for that’s all they see and are shown. Television, radio, history in general has given us this vision. And they’re scared to see us in this environment, so they say – broken, literally at the end of our rope. I must say, it’s not like that! Not that it was a pleasant experience by any means, but it was for the circumstances of my being there and the things needed to help my mind become even; not for any of those perceptions.

Going forward, I do not know how this shall affect me. It cut deeply. It ripped a hole with a jagged edge; one which I can’t say can be mended. I will remember. How else can I protect myself? Which leads me back around to isolating. Conundrum.

So where’s the hope? I guess people aren’t perfect. And there is a saying about not throwing the baby out with the bath-water.

My Book

2009-07-03T01:09:00.003-04:00

I've had alot of time on my hands; time to recoup, regroup and get myself better so that I can get moving with my life again. I feel almost embarrassed to be talking about depression again, but depression is morbid and that is the tunnel that I am working my way out of right now. I should not be up this late writing this right now, as I am disregarding one of the first rules of my recovery - to stay on a schedule and get enough sleep. My excuse is that I felt that I had to write something - that's it(Operative word here is Excuse). I understand that my manias heve been a bit more apparent the last few months (like Easter Sunday I decided in a split second that I was going to come home, pack my clothes and drive off to who knows where, forever). In that same manner I've decided that I'm going to make a book about me and my art. I've spent the last 2 days retrieving photographs. It started out to focus just on my posters, but I'd like to talk about myself and what I go through in this life that is so highly spiced with bipolar illness; something like I do in this blog already, but with a bit more detail. I suppose that someone may want a copy at some time, though that's not the reason I'm making it. I kinda want something "substantial"; something I can hold in my hands. I'll definitely make an announcement when its available.

Hospitalization post #2: Restrictions

2009-06-25T19:02:00.003-04:00

I was not very happy to be in the hospital. In fact, I was downright depressed over that fact alone. There were many restrictions. For one patients were not allowed to go outside, among other things. In this frustration I started to write my feelings. This was how I felt at the time:

Animal in a cage.
Impulses of rage.
Imbalance in the brain.
Depression, guilt and shame.
Branded like a cow.
Not nuts before till now.
Herding us around.
No straps or strings allowed.

It was rough those first few days. I must say though, that it has helped. Funny how no matter what I'm going through, I'm still creating in some way.

Interview during 3 Guys Art Exhibition

2009-06-25T01:11:00.002-04:00

My Recent Hospitalization

2009-06-24T23:05:00.004-04:00

Boy oh boy, alot happens in just a few week's time. My June 1st post spoke about my mixed state of mania and depression. Sometimes what is going on inside me is more apparent to others than it is to myself. In the June 1st post I mentioned that thoughts of death come upon me - first about other things and then on to myself. Well, that is a bad sign. Whenever those thoughts even have the inkling of starting, I'm already shifting in to a bad place. The bad place was apparent to my doctor and he quickly had me whisked away to a Behavioral Hospital, that's "mental institution" in plain language. This is where I've been the past two weeks. Its the second time in my life I have been hospitalized and I must say, I thought that I was long past the thought of ever needing to go there again. Its not a place where people are tied up in straight jackets and in padded rooms - at least that's not where I was. I don't have to go into all the details, but even though its not the greatest place to be, it has helped me and I feel much better now; much more like myself. How does this effect me as an artist? That's one of the main reasons I started this blog is to write about this darkness, this hell and how it relates to the joys of creating. In many, many artistic people, these two things are closely intertwined.

I had some freedom and although I could work with pencils no longer than 3", I was able to do some artwork.

This is a large bush that was right outside my window. I was inspired by it somehow. It reminded me of Moses and the Burning Bush. I think I may make a painting of that. Through the window when it rained, the bush looked as if its colors were running - melting almost. That image I will retain because I want to paint it as well.

There was free time and quite an array of "characters". Here there was a game of spades being played, but I thought I'd be cheeky and call it "Crazy Eights".

As a side note, It was so wonderful to see people come in so sad & dejected or angry and within a few days with medication, their spirits lifted. It was just a wonderful transformation.

My Sketch Book Pages

2009-06-06T03:19:00.004-04:00

My sketchbooks have always been pretty dear to me. They pretty much document all of my ideas at different times in my life. Its funny to look back through them and remember all of the crazy ideas I've come up with aver the years.

I have a ritual with my sketchbooks; that I will start by using the pages from the front, then I will turn the book upside down and over and start from the other end as well, meeting in the middle. I don't remember when I started this, but I've done it for years. I've also consisdered my sketch books to be kinda 'sacred territory'. I've had people offer me money to buy pages from them because they liked how much was going on in them, but to no avail. "Eeeekk! I would think. "That would be Sacriledge!" Its like cutting out a piece of history. They're my babies.

Anyway, I've changed my mind. I did a sketch of a fountain years ago which is where I met my "special someone" and I'm cutting it out and giving it as a gift. I must admit there's still a part of me that's cringing at the thought, but as a gift it's perfect.

Here's the sketch, plus another example of pages.

Young Thom Reaves: Master of Paper Dolls

2009-06-01T02:45:00.009-04:00

Get ready for a trip down my Memory Lane. I have a collection of paper dolls that I made over a period of years when I was young. I guess I was about 9 or 10. I would sit in front of the TV and draw the characters I saw on what seems like reams and reams of paper. Then I'd go draw them on cardboard (usually the backing that my

grandmother got in her stockings packages), cut them out and play with them. For years they've been stored in a clear plastic bag until I got the bright idea of putting them into sleeves in a 3-ring binder. I've brought them as a display at my most recent art showing and people seemed really fascinated by them. I guess one of the things that they found so peculiar is that I drew the characters from the front as well as the back.

Those are really fond memories of me making them. They spanned years as I said, but also subject matter. I had many favorite TV shows and that's what I did alot of. The Flintstones, Bullwinkle and Rocky, Underdog, Dudley Do-right, Flash Gordon. About 1976 I bought my first comic book - then I was a superhero nut; The Justice League of America, The Legion of Superheroes (in those shown I was copying the style of a cartoonist called Hembeck. I loved it at the time. I also made dolls of Greek Mythology, Night time TV shows like Carter Country and Dallas. And get this, I even drew NEWSCASTERS. I've posting a few different kinds. If you'd like me to post more, give me a holla. T.

Simultaneous Mania & Depression and what to do about it.

2009-06-01T02:07:00.003-04:00

What does an artist do in times of difficulty? One of the things is to trust that things will get better. I've been gradually going into a mixed state of Bipolar mania and depression; that's when both are going on in the body at the same time. Its signified by lack of concentration, agitation, risky behaviors and downright sadness. Its the first time I've experienced an episode in this way. Its been very difficult. Just when the skies are sunny, at a pin drop, the skies go cloudy and dark. To be honest, (which is why I'm keeping a blog in the first place) I must admit that my thoughts begin to gravitate towards the subject of death - the death of other things at first, but as the depression worsens those thoughts turn on me - by turning to me. THIS TIME, it I was drawn to writing Goodbye letters to my family. No, I didn't do it, but I went and got the help I need and am right now, happy to say, I'm getting through; lots of tears, but getting through.

At church today, the Pastor spoke about the Second Chapter of the book of The Acts of the Apostles. She talked about how the Spirit of God came as a mighty wind and the Apostles had no control over their agendas, because God brought them to where He wanted them to go. What they had to do was trust. The Pastor then said something that stuck out to me. She said (and I am paraphrasing) that when you are caught-up in the midst of your derailed plans, God is still in there and He will work things out. This struck a chord with me because during this current episode, I have been told by family members, therapists and good friends, that basically I need to do what I need to do to take care of myself. Not to just be upset that I have this illness, but really put the effort in to get ahold of it and TRUST that I've got One who is going to work it all out. So I guess that is the answer to the question of difficult times.

Sketches and Portraits

2009-05-26T07:20:00.012-04:00

Portraits have a definite possibility of being stressful to produce, but for the most part, I have had much success with them.

Maya Unique was the baby of a woman I'd met at one of my shows.

TrentAlaina & The Feige Resistance were both commissioned by one person. TrentAlaina was, once again, a play on the name of Trenton (The girl's name was Alaina).

The Feige Resistance was to be made in an Anime-style, because the recipients lived in Japan and the mother of the family's name was Anna May - so they wanted Anna May in Anime, Get it?

As for sketches, these two are for the coffee series I started with the two paintings Coeur and Carreau. The next two will be called Trefle: café de soirée and Pique: café de nuit. I am so not sure when I will do them, but these are the bones of 'em.

The Trento Mfg Co. Additional Works

2009-05-26T06:00:00.017-04:00

I'll be doing a few posts of some older work, as I have been going through my computer files and found pieces I don't think I've previously posted. All of these are Trento pieces. Trentine Gum is actually the third painting I did when I first started painting. Sorry for the poor photo.

Sunday Hats was inspired by the ladies who attend Black Churches on Sundays who wear these big, spectacularly festooned bonnets. Its really an amazing thing to see. So git on over to church on Sunday. You may just come out with something even more special.

Can anyone guess who this is wearing the Trenti Lift shoes? I did a presentation for the children at the Chapin School in Princeton, NJ where I had a solo gallery show and I asked the kids who that was in the painting. They all yelled out the name. It was the coolest thing. When I ask adults however, they usually say they don't know.

Regarding TrentoMelon; I think I've made my position pretty apparent about people who feel the need to complain about something in my work, so I won't go into that again, but before I'm handed a deck of Race(ist) cards, I think its worth saying that this piece was commissioned by one of my galleries for an actor who was performing in a solo show. This image was loosely based on her advertisement for the play.

Trenta Femme Corsets was an homage to Cheret and Toulouse Lautrec. This was in the early stages of my painting and I was attempting to evoke the feel of their posters. To my own mind, I was not successful in accomplishing exactly what I wanted, but was a good effort and it still resulted in a good finished piece. I've thought of doing this one again - a bit differently next time tho.

I don't know what it is with me and all these French and French-sounding adverts - I don't even speak French! I suppose its just that the ones I am attracted to are the ones from France. Le Trenteau is one of the ones made to evoke a romantic (or is it romantique) feeling. This is another of my very early paintings.

Trentident Toothbrushes was made to compliment Trentident toothpaste (version #5) and Trentident Floss (which I haven't a photo of, but I'll get to taking at some point). They were commissioned by my dentist for his office. I guess you'd say that was corporate art right? A second one of this painting was also made for a couple to hang directly over their claw-foot tub at their home in their master-suite.

CLUB YEAH! & The IMA NYORKA Co.

2009-04-20T04:47:00.004-04:00

Yes, Its been WAY TOO LONG, but I have been working my dears. And here are the latest fruits of my labors. I finished it - CLUB YEAH! I posted the sketch of it awhile back - like at the beginning of my blog. It sat for about 2 years and then I needed it to be the centerpiece of a show, so I finally finished it. Biggest painting I've ever done and I'm pretty proud of it.

The IMA NYORKA Co. This is my latest company, and here are the 4 advertising paintings I've done for the express purpose of making prints. Yes, PRINTS! After all these years of being told that that is what I should do, I'm finally getting with the program.

OBAMA WINS!! OMG!

2008-11-05T21:50:00.002-05:00

Honestly, I would’ve never believed that the American people as a whole would elect anyone who is different; certainly not a black man. I did not have that much faith in our country’s people. In relation to the presidency, I didn’t think that we could ever transcend race - or gender for that matter.

Its funny though, I talked to someone today (who happened to be white) who was already tired of hearing that “America elected a black man”. And this person believed that most of the black population voted for Obama because he is black. What I say though, is that that reasoning is faulty because just as many whites have voted for McCain just because he is white. Sounds like that same thing to me.

Except of course, for those who “cling to their guns and religion”; those who call themselves “Christian“ yet are the first ones to lynch someone in their front yard and who are the ones most likely marry their sisters, I feel that on some level, we are starting to see past race a bit. (Please forgive my tirade. I find that I can stereotype groups just as much as anyone). Although I hold no unrealistic visions of our differences being non-existent, I give a lot of credit to a younger generation who, many times have more open minds than those who are older.

Just as the piece I created in regards to September 11th, I feel I must celebrate this momentous occasion with a new piece. I have no idea what I’ll do yet, but I’ll do something. And when I do it, I’ll post it.

I have so many feelings regarding this election… wow. I still can’t believe it. I guess what I take from this is that in this election, Obama represents every man (or woman). He fulfils the promise of what this country was aspiring toward from the beginning; allowing all of us to strive for “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. YEAH BABY!

'New' Old Work

2008-11-03T00:46:00.008-05:00

I’m applying for an artist fellowship which, if I am chosen, will take me to Rome, Italy for about a year. One of the things I had to do in preparation was to send photos of my work. There are a few of my paintings out there in the world that I never took photos of(real smart eh?), so I had to search the world over to retrieve some of them temporarily.

I’ve posted just a few of them. Just like many of my other photos, they were shot by Andrew Wilkinson. http://www.wilkinsonmedia.net/.

Just a couple of notes on the paintings: Trentotex fabrics is the first painting where I was really discovering how glazes work in painting. One can’t tell from the photo, but glazes create marvelous translucency.

Bucksbrau, let me just say, was a total ‘Pain in my Keester’ ! I fought with it and fought with it. I think it turned out alright.

The Petal Head was created from a sketch I had done on a napkin. I kept that napkin for a few years because I always wanted to paint it. Once I started painting it, it took me another few years to finish it.

About Trento Flexx Gym I found this pose of the two wrestlers in an old book about gifts given by wealthy people. It was a small sculpture which was most likely made in the 20’s, judging by the hair and shorts. I used this pose in the painting and a few years later, I found that the pose was taken from a Greek statue. Funny how artists influence artists who influence other artists.

All except one of the paintings shown here are sold. The Windsurfers (5’ X 4’ acrylic on canvas with an unfinished wood frame) is the one still in my possession. Send me a note if you might be interested in it. There’s a story that goes with the Windsurfers. I painted it back in 2004 when I was quickly on my way downward; spiraling into a major depression. This is the doosy; the one that put me in the hospital for a time. Usually during these instances, I have no desire to paint, but this particular painting was a commission. I had previously met with my clients and they approved the sketches I had prepared. On the right side of the painting was to be a yellow sun shining in a blue sky. Well, in the throes of what I was going through at that time, I went off on a tangent when it came to painting that area. I painted spirals, swirls and gems and bursts of light. Needless to say, its not what they wanted. It was a bit “loud” for them. I intended to paint over the area, but was convinced not to, by some other collectors. So, I painted my clients another picture. They were much more satisfied with that one.

September 11th - Seven years later

2008-10-24T19:56:00.004-04:00

I didn’t get the chance to do this earlier, so I’m posting it bit after the anniversary. September 11th has changed this country in innumerable ways. I don’t think anyone at the time realized how much would change. Seven years ago, like the rest of the country, I was stunned, and I felt that because we are artists, we should be making some kind of statement about it. It didn’t matter what statement - because we all were coming at it from different points of view - but it was imperative that we say something.

If you’ve learned anything about me from the art in my postings, you’ll see that my work is almost always Happy. At the time it was very important to me to portray this. At the present time however, I’ve been able to see that life - the full spectrum of life contains many facets; all of which are not happy. And for me to develop more fully as an artist, I would have to go down that road.

Back in 2001, I wasn’t really aware of this personal transition. What I did know however, was that I felt the need to try and put this horrific event into context and address it through my art. At the time, I was reading up on Andy Warhol and the upheaval he created in the art world. His Campbell’s soup cans were the basis of the simple painting. The L’s represented towers to me, so that’s what they became.

The response I’ve gotten from this piece is varied. One person (still) wants me to print it on t-shirts. One man said it was in poor taste and he walked off in a huff. One person actually jumped backward when he realized what it was. I didn’t paint it to put on T-shirts, and I didn’t paint it to offend anyone (but if they are offended, that’s their issue, not mine). I really just painted it for myself and the need to get out what was inside regarding these attacks. It certainly isn’t a “good” painting by any means, in terms of technique or anything, but it served its purpose for me. Just thought I’d post it.

Commissions

2008-07-28T20:12:00.004-04:00

There’s something to be said about collectors returning to acquire more of one’s work; They’re Great!

I’ve had the honor of doing commissioned works for both of these couples.
The first piece I created was for a couple who had seen my work at my studio. They commissioned the first painting for their kitchen. I have that posted in my 4/12/07 post -The Kellingtons. When they purchased a Jersey Shore home in Wildwood, they asked if I would create a painting for it. This one is the Kellington Cottage by the Sea. More recently, I’ve designed a logo for Robert’s company, Front Row Seat Productions; a full-service, live-room recording studio in a beautiful space. You can visit his site here. I’ll post that at a later date.

The second painting was for a couple who, like the first couple, had also seen my work at my studio. They loved the ‘Trento’ series of paintings, so they wanted one to be made in that series. They loved travel, so attempting to hearken back to the golden age of travel, I came up with The TrentOrient Europe. They’ve recently gotten in touch to discuss my creating another piece of artwork for them. You know, I don’t take this lightly. I am really honored when someone likes my work so much that they want more than one. It makes me feel good to make them feel good.

Pastel Beaches

2008-07-27T01:51:00.010-04:00

I just returned from a very relaxing vacation at the Jersey Shore. I’m not usually much for beach vacations. I’d much rather traipse around a big city with architecture, galleries and such, but I must say that I certainly see why the sand & surf are first choice of many for their “getting away” time.

While my companion frolicked among the waves, I took the opportunity to do some creating; plein air drawing in pastels. What a treat that was for me. Not only was I doing something new, but I actually found it to be a rather enjoyable experience.

I think I’ve mentioned in earlier posts about the fact that I should ’loosen up’ when I do work and not feel compelled to make everything “perfect”. This time, as with my previous watercolor experimentation, I felt free. No constraints, no expectations of perfection. I just had fun. I guess there’s something about being in a new place that makes one see the world differently. Here are the five drawings I did in just a few hours.

Drawing number four was actually done with ink and brush, then colored with pastels. I also wanted to interject something a bit unexpected, so I included the foot of a man who was sprawled out on the sand near us.

We actually spent only one full day at the beach, but it was definitely well worth it, don’t you think?

Josephine Baker?

2008-07-05T03:00:00.004-04:00

Just found a copy of my first version of Trentident Toothpaste. Its been a very popular image for me. Everyone thinks its Josephine Baker. I’ve actually painted 6 different versions! Here are the first and the sixth. (I think I like the very first one the best).

Art All Night

2008-07-04T00:09:00.007-04:00

For 24 hours, from 3:00 pm June 21st to 3:00 pm June 22, Trenton was the center of the art world when it held its 2nd annual Art All Night. Every kind of artist. Every kind of art. One piece per artist. Bands, activities and an all around good time. It was a great event to be part of.

Here are some photos. They were all taken by Photographer Frank Jacobs. Here I am with a friend in the first photo. (Not a great picture of me, but…) My work is the black and white piece on the left. Other shots show some other of my friends; Karey Maurice and Leon Rainbow. There’s one of the Gnome series sculptures by Andrew Wilkinson - mentioned in my previous post, and rest are of the show. To see all of Frank Jacobs’ photo’s click here. If you missed it, there will be another next year. Enjoy.

Gnomes for New Jersey

2008-06-25T00:31:00.001-04:00

I have returned! My latest endeavor is a project in which I’ve been happy to take part. It is a collaboration with Andrew Wilkinson, an artist, photographer and sculptor whom I’ve mentioned in earlier posts. Andrew has created ‘Gnomes for New Jersey‘. He has sculpted plaster gnomes and has gotten all his artist friends together to paint them in their own style. The original plan was to have them printed on a poster to benefit ‘Homes for New Jersey‘. I think now that plan has evolved a bit … either way the plan is to get them on tour. Here’s my contribution as well as a grouping of some of the others in the bunch.

A Children's Story

2008-02-03T03:25:00.000-05:00

Since this is a blog about many of my creative endeavors, I thought it would be nice to give y’all a chance to sample one of the children’s stories I’ve written. This one is called The Joy Pot. I got the idea for it from a phrase that my mother would say, “Don’t let the devil steal your joy”. It has obvious religious connotations, yet I thought it had value in a much broader sense as well. So with some toil and struggle (about 3 years worth trying to get the dang thing down on paper), I came up with this story. I hope you’ll like it. No illustrations as of yet, but at some point.

The Joy Pot
By Thom Reaves

Long ago, atop a high mountain, there lived an old woman who was full of joy.
She had so much joy that she turned it into a savory soup. She simmered it in a big pot which she called the Joy Pot and she shared it with anyone who wanted some. The Joy Pot never went dry, and it was warmed by a fire that never went out. From all across the land people came to have a taste of the soup in the Joy Pot and they went away filled.

There was living in the land, a wicked troll called Trouble and one day, he traveled across the mountain to upset the woman and steal away her joy.
“I would like some soup please,” he said.
“ And who are you?” asked the woman.
“I am Trouble and I have come from across the mountain!”
“It is said that Trouble comes as a great storm,” the woman replied. “You do not look like a storm to me.”
To prove his power, Trouble changed himself into a terrible storm that flashed lightning and thunder. “Tremble and be afraid,” he shouted through the raindrops.
The woman however, wasn’t afraid. She looked at him and said, “Impressive, but it is said that Trouble sometimes comes like an earthquake. If you were really Trouble‘, she said, ‘you could change yourself into an earthquake.”
To prove his power, Trouble changed himself into a mighty earthquake so that the ground shook and rumbled and the rocks rolled and smashed on the ground. “Shake and shiver,” he shouted over the tremors.
But the woman stood her ground. “You put on a good show,‘ she said, ‘but how do I really know if you are Trouble?
“I surely am Trouble,’ he said, ‘and I can come in any form.”
“If you were really Trouble,’ said the woman, ‘you could change yourself into something as simple as a chicken.”
Wanting again to prove his power, and not wanting to appear weak, Trouble changed himself into a fat chicken, running around and pecking at the ground. “Cluck, cluck,” he said.
And the woman, whose eyesight wasn’t very good, said “Come up closer that I may see you and then I will believe you are really Trouble.”
Quickly flapping his wings, Trouble jumped into the air and came to rest upon the edge of the pot. When the woman saw that he was on the edge of the pot, she quickly pushed him in and shut the lid tight.
And the pot bubbled and boiled and the joy swallowed Trouble up and made for a good chicken soup too.
And that’s how the woman stopped Trouble from stealing her joy.

More Porkroll

2008-01-20T02:30:00.000-05:00

In the future there just may be a class taught in universities across the world called “The Porkroll in Art” and there among those classical treasures will be the Thom Reaves porkroll collection. (I guess I have delusions of grandeur).

Here’s more of the art and opening photos I promised in my last post.

The Infamous Porkroll Baby

2008-01-19T02:51:00.000-05:00

It is peculiar that I have not mentioned this previously, as it is one of my most fun ideas। It is something devised by my sometimes “off the wall” mind and something which surprisingly has had much success। It is the creation of the cute & loveable Porkroll Baby!

For those of you outside the Jersey area who don’t know what pork roll is: It is a type of sausage-like pork product made from coarsely ground pork shoulder, developed by John Taylor of Trenton, New Jersey late in the 19th century। It is called pork roll due to the "roll" or tube-like sack in which it is traditionally packaged। It is also called Taylor Ham. (Paraphrased definition from Wikipedia).

It is very delicious as many will tell you। So delicious that I thought that a character just had to be made from it। Although actual pork roll is pink, Porkroll Baby is colored dark red and wears a diaper. He is depicted in many ways: You may see him as a little angel, or a little devil, wearing an egg on his head as a hat, or even dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, visiting the circus or being tossed around with lottery balls.

I was very free with the character and there are limitless possibilities of which I am still discovering। I have had soft sculptures and hard sculptures made, coloring books, painted cutting boards and many small paintings. In 2005 I had a showing in Philadelphia called the Completely Porkroll Show at Zonk Arts Gallery. It was the most successful show I ever had in terms of pieces sold. It was a night of fun and laughter with pork roll appetizers and cheese. My friends even made me a pork roll princess to go with the baby! (It might be a bit crazy, but we have fun with it). There was some of my other art there too as you can see in the pic with me in it, but it was primarily the delectible breakfast meat.

I’ve since written Porkroll Baby’s back-story, created a supporting cast of characters and have the beginnings of another comic। I’m seeing how far I can take him।

I have posted pictures of Porkroll Baby in different versions: paintings, sculptures, drawings and photos of the pork roll vernisage. More coming soon. Hope you enjoy.

Everyday People

2008-01-14T19:31:00.000-05:00

Well, since I’m merely “on the way” to producing some new completed work, I thought I’d post more work I’d done over the summer।

I found the watercolors to be quite freeing and looser than my regular medium of acrylic। The subject matter is a little different than my regular as well.

I find that when I create people in my artwork I tend toward the idealized representations. This time, I wanted to do some down-to-earth, regular, every-day people, so I painted two older people walking down the street. I find them to be quite charming if I do say so myself. (Hey, I gotta feel good about my own work, right?). I think I need to come down-to-earth some time and represent real people. I had fun doing these.

More Fashion Art

2008-01-13T22:48:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of one of my New Year’s resolutions - to up my production of artwork, I’ve started sketching। This is the place where all the ideas come to life for the first time on paper. I love sketching ideas and I find that I have to be aware that I avoid doing actual art pieces because I get so involved in sketching. It’s my process, I guess.

Posted here are two paintings which I have posted before: Eblouissant and La Reine Abielle। My dealer, Martha Press, at the Farnsworth Gallery in Bordentown, NJ conversed with me about these two paintings. “It will be a certain type of person who will purchase these paintings”, she said. I agree with her - and they will have to have enough room on their walls as these paintings are not small. She has to find a space (most likely in a corner of the room) on her gallery walls to hang them. Because of their size and color, they would dominate any of her walls - especially because most of her featured works are small. I digress. To get to the point, we discussed a possible buyer for them. This potential client however ,would not even consider purchasing them because there is no representation of an African-American woman. I totally understand this frame of mind as I am a black man. Many of our culture want to see our own faces represented in the arts and not only the Anglo faces which have been so prevalently promoted in our American culture. (Not to get into it here, but its funny how race plays such an important and powerful role in our decisions, our actions and how we relate to others. Many want to think this is not an issue anymore in our American society. They are naïve). Back to the paintings - I came up with a third painting for this series and here is the sketch for it. I’m very happy with the idea. Haven’t decided when I’ll get to work on it but I will get to it. My issue is finishing it once I’ve started it.

Regardless of my personal work, I have more of a tight production schedule at my job at Wegmans। Here is one of my latest signs made for Chinese New Year (
Though for political correctness, we can’t say that because of our relationship with China at the present time. We have to say “ASIAN” new year. Political correctness in an instance such as this is the STUPIDEST thing I’ve ever heard! People who get offended at trivial stuff like this need to stay home. Its not Asia‘s New Year, its China‘s). Anyway, with the display, I think its one of my nicer signs. At least I’m being very productive in my work life.

Till next time.

Happy 2008!

2008-01-01T22:55:00.000-05:00

Although its been awhile since my last post, I just wanted to take a moment to say Happy New Year to anyone taking the time to read my blog। And in the tradition of New Year’s Resolutions that many of us seem to make at this time of year, I’m resolving to up my production of art and creative venues this year.

At the present time I have set my sites on Miami; a center where, I’ve been told, my work may do very well. (Think Britto Central). Although at first planning on up and moving, I’ve come to my senses and decided that things like this need to be done in baby steps. My job right now is to get all my ducks in order before I send them out. And that’s my resolution on this aspect of my fabulous life. I thank God that he has brought me through to another year safely and I wish you all a safe, blessed and prosperous new year.

Bessie Smith

2007-10-09T23:46:00.000-04:00

Well, hello everyone। I’m back! Alot’s gone on since I last blogged। I’m back to work and out of the hospital program. I've moved out of the studio space I've had for 7 years and am now working from home. Still not feeling the overwhelming desire to get out and paint the world, but I have managed to get a painting pumped out. It’s artwork promoting a play called The Devil’s Music: the life and blues of Bessie Smith produced by the Passage Theater Company. The photo was taken by my good friend, Andrew Wilkinson.

http://www.wilkinsonmedia.net/. This painting is for sale. If interested please e-mail me. That’s all for now.

Art Therapy

2007-08-07T21:23:00.000-04:00

Art Therapy
Its been a rough couple of weeks - three, in fact। I shared in an earlier post about my Bi-polar illness. Well it seems that I am like everyone else with this illness in that it is cyclical. I have had a recurring ’episode’ for months now and it has been, honestly, debilitating. It has affected me at my job and personal life as well. I am currently in a hospital program that is in place to get me stable and able to teach me the skills to help me cope with the illness.

One of the great things about this program is Art Therapy। (Its funny, because I studied psychology and art therapy in college. Who knew I’d be on the receiving end of it.) I must say that its been a long while since I’ve felt so free to do whatever I wanted with my art. Realistically, I’ve always been able to do whatever I’ve wanted, but have felt stunted and held back for some time now, not able to produce anything at home or at my studio.

I’m posting some pics of a few of the pieces I’ve worked on during
art therapy sessions.

The first picture I worked on was a picture of a mother and child. I don’t think there’s any hidden psychology to it, I just didn’t know what to do that day।

The next picture is from a day when I was feeling kinda low। It’s a fish swimming against a giant whirlpool with a black hole।

It may sound kinda morbid, but the third picture is one I’ve always wanted to depict in some way। It’s the biblical story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah।

Now, speaking of the psychology of the pictures, it was pointed out to me that in at least the second and third pics, within the negativity of the scene, there is an aspect of hope. The fish is gold and shinning and is swimming away from the black hole. In the Sodom and Gomorrah scene, there is the escape of the characters of Lot and his family on the right side of the picture. Both of these as well as the mother and child picture are hopeful and they show that even in a state of depression, I and anyone else can have hope enough to move on and keep going forward.
I’ll post more pics soon, for they really show what I’m going through right now. That’s my life right now.

The Mistake

2007-07-09T13:34:00.000-04:00

I’m posting today because I’ve recently had some creative success। I think this was my first time creating art out of my melancholy - which I’ve always had trouble doing। I’ve always thought it important to show happiness in my art, so that the viewer will be uplifted when they look at my work. Maybe I wasn’t completely right about that. Maybe uplifting art can come out of brokenness.

Its been really a rough time for me lately. The episodes of bi-polar illness that I have seem to be creeping up much more frequently. Bi-polar illness is a cyclical illness, where the depressions and manias come back over certain time periods. I’m currently in the midst of an episode which has affected me at my job, causing me to lose concentration and focus. Since I have some time on my hands presently, I decided I would go back to my roots in my Christianity. Looking at Christ on the cross represents something to me and I decided to start sketching a painting. The idea came to me to do separate paintings of Jesus’ feet, hands, torso, and head. The separateness being a metaphor for brokenness - which is basically how I’m feeling right now.

So I was inspired to create the first of this series; Christ‘s feet। It’s been a long time and so much emotion was put into this painting - as if the depths of my heart was being put into it। It made me happy. I finished it and two days passed. I was ready to sign it and then it all came crashing down. Can you see why?

How could I have missed that? What was I thinking? I painted two left feet!!! LOL! I have to laugh about it now, but I cried when I realized it. It’s a good painting, but I think this one will stay in hiding. How embarrassing. My mother suggested I show it anyway and call it The Mistake.

World Wide

2007-06-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

I think I shared with you a few posts back the pen that I designed for Acme Studios of Hawaii (My first licensing deal).
I was just on their website and looking at their stores from other countries and noticed that they’re using my pen design and headshot in some of their in-store displays। I’m so excited!

The first two are from the Parkson Grand Alamanda in Malaysia. I’m on the middle shelf on the left.
The third photo is from Seibu in Hong Kong. My pic is down in the left corner. I’ve done a second design for Acme which should be coming out next year and I’m working on a third. Its fun.

Bubbles

2007-06-02T23:56:00.000-04:00

I’m not posting as much as I’d like to. And I’ve said it before, but its because I’ve been in a creative slump for some time now. Seems the only time I get some oomph is when I have a commissioned piece to create. I guess that’s how it is with us artists - as least that’s how it is with me. Great thing is I have some commissions on the horizon. I’ll keep you ‘posted’. Till then, here’s a little painting I did at the end of 2005. it’s a little different in feeling from some of my other paintings, though I can’t really explain why. I like it and I was privileged to have very good friends purchase it. I hope they are enjoying it.

As promised

2007-05-29T19:53:00.000-04:00

Well here it is - just as I promised, one of the two latest commissioned works. Its a beer product painting. I painted this for someone very dear to me - his name is Ken. (Betcha’ couldn’t guess right?)

Most likely I won’t get a photo of my other piece। :-( But it was nice.
Till next time, enjoy…

The 'F' Word

2007-05-24T23:38:00.000-04:00

Maybe all artists go through this from time to time, but I seem to be going through it a lot as of late। I’m just not inspired to do anything. Many artists have told me that one must work every day on his or her art. It is hard enough for me to get in and do work even a few times a week when I’m not feeling it - sometimes even once a week.

I have been productive in the last few weeks for others however। I just finished up two commissions. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to take photos of them at the time. I will get to photograph at least one in the near future though.

In the meantime I have to post something as I haven’t posted for a couple of weeks. I’ve decided to delve into another area that I dabble in from time to time - comics. I used to work as a bouncer in a gay bar for 5 years. Talk about original material! I heard so much stuff - so many good lines that I said this could be a comic- so I made a comic out of it and I called it the Fahg Files. (Yep, a play on the 'F' word.) Its about a guy that comes to work for an over-the-top gay bar /resort called the Blackbird Inn and the antics of all its characters. You can check out some of the other strips here, but I’ve posted one just as a teaser. I worked on an Animatic with a good friend of mine and I still want to take the strip a lot further, but at the moment I‘m on other things.

My Studio

2007-05-04T00:30:00.000-04:00

I thought today that I’d post some photos of my studio. This is where it all happens… well 99% of it anyway. Its a bit of a mess, but an artist's studio is supposed to be that way right?

These shots were taken by a professional photographer, Andrew Wilkinson, who wanted some shots for a website he’s working on, so I most definitely obliged. (Some of the work shown in studio, I’ve posted here already on the site. That’s because I still have it and its still up for sale, so if you see anything you like, just let me know. Hint.)

Its funny, I’ve had a rather up and down relationship with my studio. I’ve been there for almost seven years and always seem to be on the verge of moving out. It seems that I’m always on the cusp of not being able to afford it, but just before I make that decision to go, I just can’t seem to do it. I love it! Its my place, my creative space and I feel comfortable there - in all 306 sq. feet of it. I have felt at home there from the moment I first walked into the room.

My father and I actually finished the room. When we first saw it, it had no floor and no finished walls. My father actually did most of the work, as that is his specialty, I just stood by and helped when I could. I got to paint though. I stained the floor blue, painted the walls white and the ceiling a funky orange - which I thought was the coolest thing. I also saw a great hanging apparatus in a gallery and incorporated it into use in my space. I screwed hooks just away from the ceiling a few inches apart all around the room and hung small chains from them. Then using ‘S’ hooks, Hung the artwork from the chains. It worked out perfectly and its versatile too.

People have always said that they feel comfortable in my studio. When out building used to have First Friday events and the general public would walk through all the studios in the building, everyone used to end up in my room at the end of the night just sitting and talking. Its very conducive to conversation and merriment. Hope that was a good little tour. I just thought I’d give you a little peek into my world and show you where I do all of my magic. ;-)

High School Art Class

2007-04-28T22:57:00.000-04:00

I never really liked to paint until 2000 when one of my gallery dealers suggested I add some color to my work. Up to that point I had been drawing, only working in pen & ink. When I started to paint, it was like working within the opposite end of my brain and a whole new world opened up to me - a world of color! There seemed to be so much more I could do than with just plain black and white. I bring this up because I have my very first painting sitting in my studio. I call it my first because it is actually the first painting I ever did in high school.

When I attended good old Trenton Central High, my art class, taught by Mr Tibbs was full of students with no real knowledge of art. I remember that there was one other guy in the class who had had some prior training in art classes, so while everyone else was learning about perspective, Mr Tibbs set the two of us to work on painting canvases. My model was named Sylvia and truthfully, she looked absolutely nothing like my portrait of her. I distinctly remember Mr Tibbs showing me how to use highlights in the background to bring out the figure in the foreground. Though I seemed to have some trouble with the placement of the model’s ear (lol), all in all it was a good start. It was also my first and only time using oils. Maybe I should think about trying them again. (Only problem with that is that oils take so long to dry and I’m known for doing paintings at the last minute - but you didn’t hear that from me…)

My Day Job

2007-04-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

How many people can say that they love what they do for a living? Well, I love what I do…most all the time. The great thing about my job is that I am an artist as my full-time job. I work for Wegmans Food Markets and I am the Sign shop artist for the store. I’m in charge of creating the overall look of the store with signs and setting them up to sell product. Its really a lot of fun as well as creative and challenging. I’ve posted a few of the projects I’ve worked on. Unfortunately they’re not the greatest photos.

The Klimt Connection

2007-04-25T23:49:00.000-04:00

I wanted to touch on one of my other influences, Gustav Klimt. He had such a way with color and pattern, that I find his work absolutely fascinating! I looked at his technique and his use of pattern and color and I tried to imitate it in a few of my works. I experienced a breakthrough in the process. I discovered the layers of translucence that I can get with glazes. Glazing is painting an area with thinned out color over and over so that the end result is, well… translucent. Its hard to describe, but you know it when you see it.

My first 3 paintings using this technique were ones of my Trento series: The first was Trentette Barrettes, second was Trentiplenties and the third, which I think was the best, was Trentotex Fabrics. The glazing was used with all three, but the usage of pattern came more with the latter two. I just found so much enjoyment from the interplay of the shapes and colors.
This glazing technique as well as the use of shapes similar to Klimt’s (in spirit at least), carried over into later work - which leads me to one of my paintings that I’m most proud of ; The Smit Family portrait.

Klimt used figures in a dream-like state in a good number of his paintings. This ethereal, airy feeling was one I thought I’d use to portray the family. There was a lot to incorporate into the picture: representations of 3 countries - USA, England and Holland as well as 5 people. Needless to say, using Big Ben, tulips, windmills, and the NYC skyline with a floating family was a tall task. Now, I’m no Klimt by any means, but as artists, what we are always doing is taking new ideas and elements wherever we find them and adding them to our own - making a whole new thing. That’s art!

Usable Art

2007-04-23T22:56:00.000-04:00

Today I’m posting some of the more utilitarian items I’ve designed.
The first is my church’s 200th anniversary plate, next is a writing pen called Happy, which I designed for Acme Studio of Hawaii, and next is the business card case which complements the Happy pen.
They all kinda’ connect to my earlier post about the Bi-polar pendulum and how I like to make “happy” art as the bright colors and designs are meant to evoke feelings of ease and joyfulness.

Regarding the church plate, I wanted to do something different than most other anniversary plates that are made. Most show a photo or illustration of a church building. I the building is only a structure. The true church is the people - they are the life of what is called the church. I’m so glad that I have the opportunity to say that I am a part of this congregation - this family. In this, I visualized the actions that represent what my church does; prayer, communion, singing, working together, visiting the sick - these are the important things. I hope I did it justice.

The Happy pen and card case are sold in boutiques and stores all over the world.
As a side note , you may notice that in many of my art pieces you will see different ethnicities. I feel its important to show a wide range of people; large people, small people, different colors. Can you believe though that someone actually had the nerve to be offended that I didn’t put any “colored” faces on my happy pen? Hello… the white is a design element, not an indicator of ethnicity. Some people can be real idiots - and I say that respectfully. You can’t please everybody.

The Pie Sketch

2007-04-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd show you another project I'm in the middle of. Its a children's book illustration for a story I've written called The Pie in the Sky. Not the greatest photo, I know. I'll be painting it probably in acrylics - maybe watercolor.

I seem to be showing works that are in progress. I will finish them. It seems that I just have to be working on a variety of different projects at one time to keep things exciting.

Oh, its so 80's!

2007-04-20T16:41:00.000-04:00

Look what I found! Its a poster design that I did back in college - my second year, 1985. It was my first poster and its complete with shoulder pads, thin tie and 80's hairstyle. I actually remember the assignment.
Its funny that all these years later I still seem to be doing the same thing - posters for fashion.
That year I fell in love with the work of the artist A.M.Cassandre. I've posted the actual one that I fell in love with. Its called Pathe. When I saw his work, I said to myself that I want to create posters just like that, so now all these years later, I've made it my art.

Art Selling 101

2007-04-19T23:24:00.000-04:00

“Don’t sell yourself short!” - A lesson to live by.

I won’t be selling my paintings on eBay to undercut myself or my current patrons/customers, so my prices there will be consistent with ones one would get if bought directly from me in person. I say this because I’ve got more fashion pieces up for grabs. I just put 2 more of them up on eBay and they're posted here. It kinda’ gets addictive. I’ve had no bids yet, but a lot of views. We’ll see what happens.

I’ve been watching eBay for awhile in the art section, and I find that unless one is a very well known artist, that the higher priced works don’t sell as auctions, but I put them up anyway. One never knows…

My eBay Auction

2007-04-18T20:14:00.000-04:00

I’m selling on eBay! Well, I mean I hope it sells. I just posted one of my paintings. Its called Coeur: Café du soir (Heart: Coffee of the evening). And is part of a series. I designed 4 paintings of coffees for different times of the day, named after the four suits in a deck of cards. I’ve actually only painted 2 in the series, Heart and Diamond, but have painted Coeur in 2 different versions. I’ve posted photos of both versions of Coeur and the one of Carreau. Coeur is the only one for sale. The others have been purchased. Hope you like.

Virginia Tech

2007-04-17T19:39:00.000-04:00

This horrendous tragedy is … I don’t even have the words.

My prayers and thoughts are with all of the victims, families and friends of those who were injured or killed in the Virginia Tech massacre.

I don’t understand… I just don’t understand.

The Bi-polar Pendulum

2007-04-16T21:56:00.000-04:00

It seems a bit peculiar putting my thoughts and stuff out on the web for all to see, but maybe its therapeutic in some way. I weighed the ramifications of putting this out on my blog, but decided that its so integral to who I am, that I must include it in talking about my art. I was diagnosed with bi-polar illness in 2004. It is something that has definitely affected my artwork and what I portray.

With Bi-polar illness (also called manic-depressive illness) one’s mood fluctuates between depression and mania. I must say that the manic times are wonderful in that I have boundless energy, ideas come to me in droves, I can stay up all night painting without being tired - things like that. With the ups however, come the downs and the downs are usually more down than the ups are up. Those times of depression are very dark. I describe it as someone pulling a shade down and it becoming very clouded. These times are not what I want the world to see of me, because that is not how my personality comes across normally. As a result, I consider it very important to show joy and happiness in my work - hence the usage of bright colors and smiles in many of my pieces.

My sister suggested to me that I explore the dark sides of the illness in my art as well, as many other artists have. (She supposed that some of those artists most interesting work came at those times of hardship and trials). While I agree that this may be the case with many artists, I have an automatic aversion to it. I don’t do this for two reasons: 1. Because I have a very deep rooted belief that I was given this talent to uplift others and portraying darkness and gloom in my work is not what I’d call uplifting and 2. because I find it very difficult to paint when I am going through times of depression. I have no inspiration to create; no muses, no beacons of light. (What I find interesting is that I have no trouble writing at those times).

This illness has taught me so much about myself and helped me to accept things about myself. Maybe my sister is right about showing my sad side too, but right now its not a place I want to go. I don’t know. Life is about learning and I’m still learning. In the meantime, I’ve posted a couple of ‘happy’ pics.

Any Suggestions?

2007-04-13T02:22:00.000-04:00

If you look at my work, one obvious thing about it is that I have two very distinct styles. This has been something that has been commented upon by a few people in the industry. One says I should find a way to combine the two styles into one. The other person says that I’m just on the verge of having a very powerful and memorable style, but that I have to push it just a bit further. I too believe that I am on the edge of a breakthrough, but my dilemma is exactly how to do it. My pen & ink work is very detailed and meticulous as well as in black & white. My acrylic paintings are loose and brightly colored.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to meld the styles together?

I suppose that the proving ground for this new style will be in the children’s book illustrations I’m starting. I’ll find my own way eventually, but its great to have input.

The Kellingtons

2007-04-12T01:21:00.000-04:00

I do a fair amount of commissions. Many of which are portraits. I learn a bit about the person to be painted from the client, then incorporate their likeness and any other related items into the art. I take the person and turn them into a poster.

This is a painting I did for the Kellingtons. They had just remodeled their kitchen and wanted a focal point, so I did a portrait of them, incorporating their love of music and cooking. They were very pleased with the outcome.

Love Your PMS

2007-04-12T00:51:00.000-04:00

Presenting the PMS bag! This little item shows my sometimes twisted sense of humor. PMS is an image I came up with awhile back. I thought it was great, (if I do say so myself) so I did a few variations. I was lucky enough to meet the owners of Joy and Jake - a home furnishings company, on whose bags I used to paint the images. They were very successful for me in sales. The first one, in blue was seen by a woman in my studio and she immediately said “I have to have it!” Well, I LOVE to hear that! Will that be cash or charge? lol.

Story Books

2007-04-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

I create in a few different areas. One of these areas is in writing children’s stories. Just recently, I decided to put these stories down and work toward getting them published. To that end, I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators at the recommendation of an old schoolmate, Robert Sabuda. He said I would learn a lot from them. Last night, I went to my chapter’s critique group and got to meet people, hear other people’s writing and read some of my own work to the group. I must say, it was a very good evening and I’ll definitely keep going.

Cinderella was always my favorite fairy tale, so I’ve posted two Cinderella illustrations. One is from Grimm’s version, the other is a depiction of the live-action Disney movie with the singer Brandy as the star.

As you can see from this and the previous posts, I have two very distinct styles to my work. What I am trying to do is find a happy medium that infuses the best of both styles. Hopefully you’ll see the changes as I go along in this blog.

TrentoVino

2007-04-01T05:12:00.000-04:00

One of my longest running series of works is my Trento series. They're a group of paintings whose name comes from my hometown, but its a name that I turned into a story. The idea is that there is a company named Trento (The Trento Manufacturing Company) which makes anything and everything one could possibly imagine. This gave me oodles of ideas for products and allowed me to play with words like Trentine Gum (for Dentyne Gum) and TrentoBahn Tires (for the Autobahn). Get it? I had alot of fun with it and I aquired many customers and repeat customers through this series. I attempted to adapt the same idea to Bucks County Pennsylvania when I had a showing there, but it didn't seem to work as well. I'll have to see if it'll work in New York City.

Shown is one of my earlier Trento pieces, TrentoVino. Its one of my favorites. It one was sold to a disreputable poster dealer in New York. But I won't get into that here. :-(

Cafe Yeah!

2007-04-01T03:01:00.000-04:00

This is one of the latest of my works in progress. Its called Café Yeah! It depicts a Harlem night club in 1932 complete with dancing girls. Here’s the first sketch I did of it as well as the actual painting in its early stages. It is 5’ X 6’ and one of the larger canvases I’ve worked on.

I always do a lot of doodles and sketches before a painting (probably too many). I then project the image using a simple projector and trace the enlarged sketch onto the canvas and paint from there. I find that I get really good quick gestures and feeling in my sketches that I don’t seem to get if I go straight to full-size. Its also just a lot easier and quicker.

I really feel good about this painting and I believe it will be one of my best ever.

Dazzling

2007-03-31T00:45:00.000-04:00

I fell in love with vintage posters in college and always wanted my work to be part of that world - a world of word and image, so I gravitated toward that in my work as well. What came out is a combination of the two worlds - fashion and posters.

My own 'Project Runway'.

2007-03-30T13:30:00.000-04:00

I’ve always been interested in fashion. By default, it seems that much of my subject matter tends to be women; elegant, sophisticated. I love painting them! I would not call my style realistic, but more representative.

These two pen & ink images are a few years old and were sold awhile ago.

My art & my new ride

2007-03-30T03:56:00.000-04:00

Hi. This is my first post, so welcome to a glimpse into my life (and into my head). My intention is to show you my work and my thoughts & processes in my creative journey. I'm a working artist in my day job and in my free time, so I'm immersed in creativity of some kind most of the time. The photos I'll be posting will be a mixture of older and newer work - most of which is for sale. Commissions are available as well. I have a few different styles, so I'll be showing different types of work.

Its funny, the main catalyst that urged me to start writing this blog is that I just bought a new car - a new car that, as it stands right now, I’m gonna’ have to stretch to afford. My old car died and I needed one immediately and I pretty much let myself get railroaded into buying a new one. What does this have to do with an artist blog? The answer to that question lies with that little voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me, “Its your art that’s gonna get you to where you’re going - up and out.” That means that I expect it will allow me to pay for these new wheels of mine.

As I look back, I’ve been a person that has had a lot of opportunities thrown at me: opportunities that I have not always taken advantage of. Perhaps laziness and apathy could’ve been reasons, but if I look a bit deeper, I find that fear has kept me from experiencing many of the joys and triumphs that those opportunities could’ve afforded. That fear I believe, also kept me from experiencing “the hunger” to get ahead, for wealth, for fame, whatever. Money was never a motivator for me - until I was in starving artist mode, like now. I have a new car to pay for and a new motivation in my own work that I believe will get me off my butt and get me producing up to the capacity to which I’m capable. Work it! Work it!