Month: February 2017

Art for the Homeless

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A surreal painting of a woman in the foreground with a road extending into the distance. Two smaller figures appear further down the road. The sky is filled with vibrant, swirling clouds in shades of purple, yellow, and red above a twilight horizon. Trees line the road in this Art for the Homeless piece.

I’ve been doing random acts of kindness for the homeless for a while now, 2-3 lunches instead of just mine, coffee for my man hanging in Starbucks to keep warm, a buck or two here and there… 

I’m going to say this up front, I’m not tooting my own horn. 

I firmly believe that in telling people you do these acts of kindness; it lessens the value of the act with any higher powers that may be out there. I’d rather keep it simple, but I have a project that is growing.  

You see, I’m putting together backpacks for the homeless in the Washington D.C. and Maryland area. 

 In each backpack is a warm blanket, a Mylar blanket for the cold nights, a magnesium Firestarter, two pairs of socks, a rain poncho, a copy of the ‘SAS Survival Guide’, basic toiletries, food & water, and a little extra for train fare (in case it gets too cold out – you can ride the Metro all day). If I find camping / survival deals on Amazon, I’ll include them in the bags.

Why do this?

I’m an artist at heart, and I want my work to mean something; not just end up (possibly) making someone millions in the future when I’m long departed. Selling art now to fund this program seems to be a very cool thing in my mind.  

Most homeless don’t want to be where they are. Some have problems with drugs, alcohol, or mental health issues. Others have been out on the fringe of society for so long that they don’t know or want to reintegrate with society. I give them the benefit of the doubt in every case.  

How you fit in?  

I’m going to sell each original work I do for $99 dollars plus shipping. If you purchase a work, I’ll give you the opportunity to add extra donations to the purchase via PayPal (how I can take credit cards and keep my inbox safe). All of this money will all go to making packs for the homeless. 

 So far each backpack is averaging around $50, even by trolling Amazon for the $10 backpacks and blankets. If the project grows too big, I’ll have to start a non-profit.

I’ll have the first four ready to go on Monday (most of the initial gear is en-route). My plan is to carry one to work or each time I go into the city. When I find a suitable candidate (I can tell between those truly in need and the ones that get in a Lexus at the end of the day), I’ll give them the pack.

Final note,

You don’t have to buy my art to do this, you can do it on your own too.    

Ghost in the Well

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A surreal painting shows a lone figure meditating beneath an abstract, twisted tree. The landscape features red, swirling shapes resembling eyes, leading to a staircase that ascends to a cliff where the whispered legend of the Ghost in the Well beckons. The sky is a deep blue, creating a mystical atmosphere.

This piece was initially the result of a dream. I went through many versions in my head before I settled on something I could actually execute on canvas.  The overall tone comes from my subconscious, of course – that sense of helplessness in a world bigger than you.  The subject is a girl trapped in a well, the moonlight streaming down to comfort her in her prison.  She’s not seen another soul for decades, yet still wonders if someone will come to her rescue.  Humanity, it seems, has passed the girl by, yet Nature, in a moment of tenderness has forged a place for her in the natural order.

20 x 24, abstract mixed media (spray paint and acrylics) on canvas, February 2017.

Available on Etsy: Being Koi

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Squareset

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A vibrant abstract painting, titled "Squareset," depicts a sunset over a forested landscape. The sky is filled with orange and yellow bursts of color representing the sunset, while below, the forest is rendered in deep blues and purples.

Squareset is an abstract representation of a sunset using strictly horizontal strokes (kind of a thing I’m developing).  This is mostly a test set for color, but I think it stands on it’s own.  I don’t know if no-impressionism is a ‘thing’; if not, I’ll plant that flag.  If you like it, let me know in the comments, and I’ll make more.

#Abstract #Landscape #Acrylic #Painting

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Eater of Worlds

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An abstract painting featuring a large, blue face with a wide-open mouth, from which a trail extends. Figures walk on the trail towards the eater of worlds. Red and pink flowers surround the scene. The background is filled with swirling blue, green, and yellow patterns.

This painting is about #depression.  I could waste words trying to be eloquent about it but depression is a soul-killing illness that people joke about but don’t really understand or think is a real illness (as recently observed at work).  The flowering trees represent the beauty of the world, the ladies on promenade humanity, and the force in the background? Churchill’s ‘black dog’, that force which is the destroyer of worlds.

I was inspired by Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream,’ although I did not borrow from this great artist per se.  What more is there? This is an #acrylic #painting on canvas. 18 x 24. Available.

In other news, I’ve planned it out, I should have a studio by December 2018.  I’m working for the man to pay off my divorce debt, so that is why it will take a minute to get set up. All my fans will be invited to stop in and share a glass of wine.  However, I won’t know you’re a fan unless you say something 😉

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God Bless!

Blessed Be!

Alhamdulillah!

Sukhi Hotu!

Have a great day!

Postscript: Apparently a major social media company isn’t impressed with art or maybe is anti-depression. Regardless, my promotion was canceled. They (the company) would not say exactly why, save that it didn’t meet with their guidelines. 

This is the first post since I’ve been doing this that has been rejected. So if someone complained that it wasn’t happy enough, thank you! Depression is a serious topic. Maybe my art is nouveau-degenerate, but then again, art is supposed to make a statement.

Here’s the cryptic messages they sent.