WhitSpit

On the train

2012-01-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

I like winter because people are piling on everything they own in interesting ways.

Especially this accidental hipster woman. I love the fur-print and track pant combination!

The Magic Shop

2011-12-31T09:37:00.000-08:00

Where The Kin record, MMA fights get watched, and there's enough drinking to mask the self-loathing concurrent with every approaching new year.

This is Frankie

At the studio

2011-12-30T12:36:00.000-08:00

... A tale of two Ruths. Here she is before the vodka fully kicked in

Ruth after a quick vodka-inspired hair toss

And the linework

Studio Visit

2011-12-26T15:19:00.000-08:00

Checked out Ruthie's art and met Philandus and Adrian who make stuff out of Workspace Harlem. I tried capturing this enthusiastic conversation about football in between shop talk. Fun times.

Merry Happy

2011-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Some driving gloves I'm sinfully coveting for the holiday.

.. and for the guy in my life, a corduroy shirt from Uniqlo

On the train

2011-12-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

Riding the 7 to Queens.

Howl

2011-12-14T21:57:00.000-08:00

A T-shirt idea I messed around with in photoshop.

Vegas

2011-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

This guy in the hotel lobby

This lady at the casino

and Dad

Harlem

2011-11-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

Drinks with Adrian.

and color.

Backstage at the Rockwood...

2011-11-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

waiting for The Kin to perform.

Sophie

Joey P

Rainy day attire

2011-11-23T23:18:00.000-08:00

Sweatpants, hoodie, rain boots and a golden ankh. I couldn't resist feeling inspired.

and the clean up

Recording The Kin recording...

2011-11-23T11:20:00.000-08:00

... songs for their new album to be released under Interscope.

Shakerleg playing the trash bin

Isaac singing

Thorald on guitar

Bicycle! Bicycle!

2011-09-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

In the infamous words of Freddie Mercury, who's fans happen to be celebrating his 65th birthday today, "I love to ride my bicycle, I love to ride my biiiike!

I grew tired of drawing people as it's hard to feel a sense of attachment to someone imagined or unknown, so I decided to paint these bicycles. Interestingly, objects are easier to feel attached to considering our conditioned desire to posses things.

I chose these bikes for their retro vibe, though some are more vintage than others.

This Bianchi reminds me of the bikes my parents used to keep in our apartment growing up. I always kicked my shin on the foot pedal when running through the halls past it. So many memories, so many scars.

I love the name of this bike, the "Flying Pigeon."

A classic red Schwinn. They don't make them likes this anyore!

The banana seat attracted me to paint this yellow Schwinn. The bike I had as a kid had a white banana seat with a pink frame. I wish I understood then how kick-ass that bike was.

Portrait of Mark

2011-08-24T18:56:00.001-07:00

I initially had this with an earlier post of portraits but I think it deserves its own post since it's so different than those. I'm surprised at how many people don't want a portrait done of themselves!

Switcheroo

2011-08-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

I've been reluctant to post any of my new work for several reasons. Much of it is in oil. Messy, never drying oil pastels and paint. Some of it is on canvas and they're simply a pain to scan. Also, the drawings are so different from what I usually post that it seems a little... schizophrenic. Artistry all about feelings, no?

However, the subject has remained the same. People are fun to draw and always a challenge. I do like that I can use portraiture to play with different styles and not limit myself to just one way of depicting something. I don't like that I seem to have limited control over what style I use. So far, everything I have made until this point and later has been, and will be, an experiment in consistency.

This is an imaginary woman.

This guy I made up, inspired by the paintings of Guim Tio.

... And here are some of my older pastel portraits. This is the first time I can really see the change in my style using oil pastels. I've been using better quality materials since I've made these. Yay, progress!

I made this person up.

And definitely invented this guy too.

sketches for a painting

2011-08-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

A sketch that inspired a painting I'm currently working on. It's a departure from what I've been posting on here, I know. It just came out of me. Not based on any particular person, I am beginning to see this character as something like a jumping-off point for my ideas.

Here some photoshop of the man where I play around with his black-ness. Or man-ness

The Korens...

2011-08-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

... rehearsing for The Kin show at Rockwood last night.

Isaac

Georgina

Thor(ald)

Deep V Tee's...

2011-08-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

... Should never go out of style. Yum!

Metro much?

2011-08-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

This guy I saw on the metro looking delightfully feminine as he endlessly scrolled through his iPhone.

Today

2011-07-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

I look like this...

Mark overload

2011-07-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Mark being obsessively drawn during our walk through Prospect Park today. Click on the images to see them larger.

walked around soho & the village

2011-07-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

... meeting folks and sketching them. It's been a while since I've been the extroverted new yorker I was in my teens. How refreshing!

Some people hanging out on the cube sculpture at Astor.

Marieke by Hollister on Broadway

... and her friend Robert.

Rainy friday

2011-07-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

Kept it quiet at home.

Late night ranting and doodling

2011-07-08T00:50:00.000-07:00

Mark comes home from his show at Rockwood looking just perfectly edible. I had to get him on paper.

New book, new lines

2011-07-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

Dont forget the socks with sandals. I have to figure out a way to do that myself.

Here's the line drawing:

the kin...

2011-07-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

... or just Thorry on paper. I was way too distracted by the incredible music to get anything more!

First days of summer

2011-06-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

Random folks late night on the Q train.

Memorial day

... and my friend at a bar earlier this week

Hipsteriffic

2011-05-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

Oil pastels are bright, fun and messy!

Chelsea Hotel

2011-05-31T07:41:00.000-07:00

ON the train heading to a party in at the Chelsea hotel.

When I arrived, the atmosphere felt pretty laid back. Someone put up blank pieces on paper on the wall for open drawings. I did one portrait for the space but mostly kept to my book.

Quick Oil Sketch

2011-05-26T14:58:00.000-07:00

Black people need more representation in art.

Color?

2011-05-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

It's hard using fewer lines. I think I do better work when I use color to create a form rather than line. I criticize my lines more than my color-block scribbles. It's an unfortunate double standard.

Obviously the lines are still there. But I certainly used a lot less of them to express this fancy dressed lady in the wind. I am a growing girl.

Drawing in the park today...

2011-05-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

... felt difficult. People were simply moving too fast for me. Folks on their bikes, stroller moms, joggers... The only people who kept still were the park Rastas and I knew that staring at them would only attract unwanted attention. I must draw faster.

I did manage to get some quick sketches on the way home from work last night. The black dude is my coworker Devin.

Real quickly...

2011-05-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

What the crazy kids are wearing these days (winter).

And the line drawing after the jump

Fashionisto

2011-05-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

A fashion drawing.

I got it out of me. Can I pour paint on my head now?

Recursion Zombies

2011-05-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a thing I played with a few weeks ago. I think It might make a good Uniqlo ad...

Oil!

2011-05-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

Man I love the smell of oil paint. Turpentine.. not so much. But that hasn't stopped me from going crazy with this new set of oils.

I have never used oil paint with a purpose so this new venture felt a bit intimidating. Yet once I put brush to primed paper (waiting for six fresh canvases to come in the mail from Jerry's Artarama!), I immediately understood what has been missing from my life.

Still looking at fashion for inspiration. I love what's going on in that world - The colors! The creativity! the endless parade of aggressively skinny bitches individually photographed mid-saunter! As much as fashion and trends and bullshit intrigue me, I find myself thirsting for weird abstract concept mish-mosh art. I've been looking at a lot of Maria Lassnig's work recently as a quencher. Elizabeth Murray is always good refreshment too.

What I looking for through all of this inspiration is a way to refine my own style, something hard for me to do since I see it as repeating myself. What I'm learning is that I cant avoid repetition. I recreate ideas that were once considered, sketched, tossed away, redrawn... but my ideas don't ever leave me. They may morph over time into something better or worse or become re-imagined through some other sequence of thoughts. But I feel that I have, like, four categories of ideas just living in my mind and I only need ONE style to express most of these. Maybe this is what it takes for me to get closer to what I want, ultimately making a career out of this and having people take me seriously. Damn this process... but I want nothing else right now.

Boom Shakalaka

2011-05-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

Here's some watercolors I made and ran through photoshop. The faces are based on African masks I saw in a book.

I've also been looking at a lot of fashion stuff for inspiration. It's always been good for interesting patterns and color combos and to just stay current. I don't know if anything I'm doing is more unique, innovative or whatever than... but it's better than some of the drawings I used to do. Better always satisfies in the moment.

Whoa!

2011-05-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

I completely forgot about his blog. I mean, completely. What is wrong with me? I look back on it now and this blog was the best idea I've had in a long time. The last thing I posted was in 2007, geez! It is now four years later and life is very different. Recessions, Obama, a dead bin Laden and so much more has happened... I certainly don't have the same ideas about the world or approach to art as I did before.

Aside from the external, I've made some progress with myself. Finally graduated college, working an awesome job catering and now, I'm finally confident enough to take a career as an illustrator seriously. Here's a thing I did recently.

I've been chatting with a couple of good friends about what direction I need to take my art. I am torn between furthering a style using loose, sketchy lines in fluid watercolors and a more tight, graphic aesthetic similar to the image above. There's this idea going around that you have to stay true to your ideas as an artist (wha?), but at the same time do what you can to appease "civilian" tastes (I learned that term from someone awesome). I want people to like what I do. Yet at the same time, I can respect an outside perspective even it it's from someone who may not be a so called "artist." So I've decided to loosen myself up a bit, focus less on what looks "right" and more on what feels good to make. It's an internal struggle I've always had. I am learning to fight with myself and my ideas less, and accept what I actually feel much more. Wish me luck.

College

2007-08-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

I decided I'm going to finish school. I dropped out... thrice.
Normally, I dont operate in a linear fashion - things get boring for me pretty fast and I leave many ventures unfufilled because of my low tolerance for what I consider monotany. So, I want to get into the habit of finishing things I've started.

I was sold on the idea of going to school abroad by a friend of mine. Overseas I wont be so distracted by the familiar things. And new is good. A new country, new people...

I'll be sick of it all by 2nd semester.

This show is happening Saturday, August 25th at this cool venue in Brooklyn;

"Wreckroom" on Flushing (bewtween central & evergreen)
see the flyer heer-ahhhhhhh

Happenings

2007-07-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

These last few months I've been interning at a magazine company doing graphic stuff. Boring as shit, but useful. I quit about two weeks ago, and have subsequently been bumming it, calling myself a painter now. It is just another job really,but I happen to like it and it is incentive to keep the working, as is the looming homelessness if I do not.

I have a lot of new works. There is also as show on August 25th, please come! I'm working on the flyer and will post when it is all ready. In the mean time, look at this:

Coon Fight I

Coon Fight II

Switche

2007-04-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

My friend did call me back... and we're (talking about) making shirts. We may get high and distracted, but the odds are in favor of productivity. Here is her site if you dig slick gear: byhandclothingco.com.

And for those who are interested, heres a new illustrator piece:

Blogwagon?

2007-04-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

People have been calling me asking where I've been on my 6-day vacation. Rather then return their phone calls, I've hopped on the blog wagon. I am a visual person, I like to look at things. It's better then that talking and listening stuff. But here I will write. Mostly I'll put up pictures... like this one:
This is one print in part of a series call "Portrait of a Woman" I've been working on. They will be for sale (if you want one you know what to do).
I'm also working on my website and that is here.. Otherwise, hibernating, playing String with my cat and working on shirt designs for my friend- that she doesn't know about yet... but she will if she returns my phonecalls.