Sunday, June 28, 2009
Never Can Say Goodbye...
Yesterday the world became a completely different place than it was the day before. Michael Jackson (MJ) passed away due to cardiac arrest as I read on ChannelDvorak.com. The oddest thing is that I couldn't bring myself to believe it was true. I spoke the words, “What will this world be like without a Michael Jackson?” Please don't confuse my words for meaning, that I lived and breathed MJ or what will the gossip mags talk about now. What I mean is Michael was a gate, between the place where creativity is birthed, and this world which is a big blank canvas that content creators help paint everyday.
Michael used his God given gifts to make this world a beautiful place. I am a person who you might say forcibly or purposely uses music to record events and measures of time. I will play the same song or album as many times as I can muster just for the sake of letting the point where I am in my life saturate itself into the music. When I do this correctly, I can play those songs years later, and instantly cheat time and revisit that era and those feelings.
Michael Jackson's music has recorded several chapters of the literary patchwork that is my life. The song, “Human Nature” recorded an Anna-less summer. Sharon from Miller Avenue, Jebu in Haiti. “Thriller” recorded our (classmates; Melvin, Martha, and Shardel) impromptu Night Club performance of the original video's dance scenes. (As teens we actually got paid to do the routine) I was one of the zombies. Lol, Make-up, costume and all. “Say, Say, Say” (duet with Paul McCartney) recorded great days in high school.
Good times.
“Man in the Mirror” recorded Angela (ex-wife) and I living in Muldraugh Kentucky (5 minutes from Ft. Knox's front gate) The list goes on and on. It is unfortunate, that Michael will no longer reinvent music, but when I see a new generation of children at the Recreation center where I moonlight practicing Michael's moves, I am comforted, by the notion that his legacy will live on. I also smile when I think of how much of my life and the lives of others are archived in his music. It's always just a PLAY away.
Rest in Peace Michael Jackson, and thank you for what you left behind.
JNESS
www.scarletbbwart.com
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A Chapter of My Personal History
Compliments of the Facebook experience, and the fine art of social networking, I guess the word that best describes my mood is nostalgic. I've recently been connected and reconnected with friends and family, some relatives I've been introduced to are part of the younger generation of my family tree, that I never knew existed. Unfortunately, circumstance has placed a wedge between myself and my roots. At the tender young age of 41 I have decided to breakdown these barriers. The thought of my sons accidentally marrying one of my nieces or cousins is unnerving. But thanks to Facebook that alternate reality has been avoided.
The conversation that I have shared with my Facebook collective have sent me drifting down memory lane. Summers at my grandmother's house in Pettionville, Haiti, life in East New York, Brooklyn, Tank Hill, Fort Jackson, SC, Fort Knox, KY, the Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX, to the never changing parking lot of UHP. Lol. (inside joke)
Recently I went out with my friend /supervisor Ms. Debbi, on a scavenger hunt for a Blackberry charger at Columbus Mart a local flea market. Our search proved fruitless, but we made the best of it while sifting through the aisles of memorabilia and trinkets. (More nostalgia) After a cup of WAWA coffee: 25% KONA Blend, 25% DARK roast, 25% Irish cream, 25% low fat milk, and 5 Equals...perfection in a 16 ounce cup. Awesome! Needless to say I love coffee in true Haitian tradition, no good event is properly benchmarked without it.
While driving home we found some Pan Am (Pan American Airlines) freight cars. I was so excited because my dad worked for them out of Kennedy Airport for 13 years before he retired, and they eventually parked their planes for the last time. So these old freight trains added to the nostalgia of my thoughts pursuits. Good times, here are the pics we took, the cars had some graffiti pieces reminiscent of another era in my life:
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Tennis Anyone?
I have another exciting creative adventure to report about. Sometime in October my co-worker and friend Donna sent me an email about a phenomena formally known as "Photoshop Tennis". We discussed it in great detail and finally turned to our Art Director Jane, and ofcourse Artskull,to see how we would set sail on this new voyage. Eventhough, our competive natures always kick in we decided to make our first Photoshop Tennis tournament not be winner/loser based but more of a learning experience.
The results were incredible. After borrowing a photo from someone at www.flickr.com, (to the photographer: I lost your link if you see this post please contact me so that I may place a link and give credit where credit is due)and we began taking turns adding our creative touch, and Photoshop expertise to the image. Each artist had three days to complete their turn. One day things got so intense, we each took our turns in one night. I was sleepy at work the next day, but thank God for coffee!
Click on the play by play strip on the left to see how it developed. I also posted the final piece for you to see.
Enjoy till Next time...
JNESS
http://www.scarletbbwart.com
Bigger Art Is Better!™
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Thursday, December 14, 2006
3 Questions from Danman (The Artist)
An associate of mine who is formally known as DanMan posed these three questions to me as part of a project he was working on, so I decided to post my response.
What is Art?
Art is the equivalent of a handicap, it must be addressed. Letting it die causes a feeling of guilt and incompletion. Art is something that wakes me up in the middle of the night and gnaws at me until I put it on paper, canvas, concrete or in digital form. Even after the obligation of creating the art has taken place the artist is still not set free. The obligation is complete when people see it and fan the flames. Hopefully, all of this happens before the next inspiration arrives.
Art is what the artist enjoys expressing, but it can also be the betrayal of your feelings when you create in the pursuit of money. Art at that point becomes your ability to capture the ideas of others. Art for work is not fun, but it can still bring relief from the painful handicap that ails the creative mind.
Why is Art Important?
Art is important because it is the way that people can visit the imagination of others. Everything from the words on a page, to the spray paint on the wall lends keys of passage to the viewer allowing them to escape reality for a moment. Mental escape through art is very important because it is a safe, and natural method of relieving stress.
Art is important because it chronicles events in history or in each artist's experiences. A song, an illustration, or a photograph all capture a moment that can be reviewed and revisited for as long as the medium will last. Culture, mindsets, and concepts are all captured in a creation. This can all be revealed as well as other types of information when a work of art is placed under careful investigation.
What is your style preference?
Even though my earliest influences come from the love of comic book art, my artistic style comes primarily from a hip hop/urban experience that was reprocessed and conditioned by a decade of commercial graphic arts experience. My style has become an intersection of these two extremes. Fortunately, I am able to borrow snippets from both sides in order to define what I call my style.
I am a firm believer and advocate of visual organized confusion. When it's done correctly, it looks like the perfect imperfections found in the cracks of a brick wall. The greatest testament to an artist's work, is when another artist attempts to recreate your ideas. Some call it copying or copyright infringement. But, art influencing art results in a creative tapestry that defines style.
JNESS
www.scarletbbwart.com
What is Art?
Art is the equivalent of a handicap, it must be addressed. Letting it die causes a feeling of guilt and incompletion. Art is something that wakes me up in the middle of the night and gnaws at me until I put it on paper, canvas, concrete or in digital form. Even after the obligation of creating the art has taken place the artist is still not set free. The obligation is complete when people see it and fan the flames. Hopefully, all of this happens before the next inspiration arrives.
Art is what the artist enjoys expressing, but it can also be the betrayal of your feelings when you create in the pursuit of money. Art at that point becomes your ability to capture the ideas of others. Art for work is not fun, but it can still bring relief from the painful handicap that ails the creative mind.
Why is Art Important?
Art is important because it is the way that people can visit the imagination of others. Everything from the words on a page, to the spray paint on the wall lends keys of passage to the viewer allowing them to escape reality for a moment. Mental escape through art is very important because it is a safe, and natural method of relieving stress.
Art is important because it chronicles events in history or in each artist's experiences. A song, an illustration, or a photograph all capture a moment that can be reviewed and revisited for as long as the medium will last. Culture, mindsets, and concepts are all captured in a creation. This can all be revealed as well as other types of information when a work of art is placed under careful investigation.
What is your style preference?
Even though my earliest influences come from the love of comic book art, my artistic style comes primarily from a hip hop/urban experience that was reprocessed and conditioned by a decade of commercial graphic arts experience. My style has become an intersection of these two extremes. Fortunately, I am able to borrow snippets from both sides in order to define what I call my style.
I am a firm believer and advocate of visual organized confusion. When it's done correctly, it looks like the perfect imperfections found in the cracks of a brick wall. The greatest testament to an artist's work, is when another artist attempts to recreate your ideas. Some call it copying or copyright infringement. But, art influencing art results in a creative tapestry that defines style.
JNESS
www.scarletbbwart.com
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
BBW ART THEFT (the conclusion)
I feel inclined to report the current events surrounding a blog entry I recently posted in regard to the unauthorized use of my art after an obvious effort to remove my logo and web address. I ran the incident and my views on the topic past many of my associates. The results were unanimous, from SilkySoft40 to Michele of Butterflymurals.com, to Artskull, to Aja of Belle-Noir.com. To Atosha of Largerthanlifebbw.com, to Raina, and Donna of Etsy.com fame. They were incensed about the offense and leaned heavily on the side of CEASE and DESIST. My passive response (I secretly desired to let it go) was redirected by their comments so I contacted the owner of ALLofMySpace.com
He listened to my requests, I wanted my credit line “BBW Art by JNESS of Scarletbbwart.com” as well linking the image to my website to be set with every illustration he was using that belonged to me. He informed me that he received the images from other interested parties, and that he has not altered the images in anyway. He was very prompt in responding to my requests, and was professional in his correspondences. I am happy that my artwork is being seen and used by so many BBWs and their admirers (which is what it was intended for. I am also relieved that JNESS is getting the proper credit for the art. To my fellow BBW illustrators I say keep doing what we do, because there are still millions left to see our work. Fight the good fight when it needs to be fought, right is right, I learned a valuable lesson from this situation...
Whether an artist's agenda is to making artwork freely available to the masses for sharing or strictly enforcing the policy of sales and distribution. The rights of a content creator must be respected, a great deal of labor, consideration, and passion go into each creation. We (artists)at the very least deserve recognition by the people who enjoy the content. Any effort to separate the Creators from the audience the serve should never be accepted.
JNESS
www.scarletbbwart.com
He listened to my requests, I wanted my credit line “BBW Art by JNESS of Scarletbbwart.com” as well linking the image to my website to be set with every illustration he was using that belonged to me. He informed me that he received the images from other interested parties, and that he has not altered the images in anyway. He was very prompt in responding to my requests, and was professional in his correspondences. I am happy that my artwork is being seen and used by so many BBWs and their admirers (which is what it was intended for. I am also relieved that JNESS is getting the proper credit for the art. To my fellow BBW illustrators I say keep doing what we do, because there are still millions left to see our work. Fight the good fight when it needs to be fought, right is right, I learned a valuable lesson from this situation...
Whether an artist's agenda is to making artwork freely available to the masses for sharing or strictly enforcing the policy of sales and distribution. The rights of a content creator must be respected, a great deal of labor, consideration, and passion go into each creation. We (artists)at the very least deserve recognition by the people who enjoy the content. Any effort to separate the Creators from the audience the serve should never be accepted.
JNESS
www.scarletbbwart.com
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Ex-MTV execs create hip Internet shows - Yahoo! News
Exciting story about two childhood friends who created a business that may pioneer the online television network concept. I find that to be an encouraging tale because my bestfriend since childhood (first grade) and I are in business together, it has all the earmarkings of a success story. We have been discussing the hopes of having a successful business since we were kids. I remember designing the logo and businesscard for our earlier business efforts at the age of 12. This story is a good read, can't wait to see how far these guys go, while I work on my own success story...
Read more at news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200...
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Art Via Recycle
An interesting little creative segway was birthed at my 9 to 5 recently. The Art Director on our team (Jane) decided to issue a challenge to all the creatives in our department. Usually, the responses are mumbles and grumbles, but the timing must of been perfect. She had our attention. Jane inched out to the center of the bullpen wielding an empty plastic case from one of the back-up tapes that we use.
She knew she had a small window of time to get the crowd going or loose them till her next creative initiative power move. She designated one of our teammates the judge and explained the competition requirements, each player takes one empty tape case and creates something unique and exciting. We agreed on taking a one month lead time for project development. We all went back to our cubicles and there was no mention made of the contest again until 2 days before curtain call. A steady regiment of trash talking and cooler-side banter set the groundwork for the main event.
I went back to the lab and scrambled my brain trying to figure out how to turn this box into something BBW related but no cigar. The box just didn't inspire me in that direction. I decide to reach back further into my creative inspiration rollerdex and create something that would work. Batman's Utility Belt.
After purchasing one cost effective belt from the local Family Dollar, securing two end-caps from a roll of large format paper, (on a roll) some wire, and one can of gold spray paint, the mission is accomplished. I was happy with the results.
I was very impressed with the efforts of my team mates, Jane created a hand-painted tissue box with her tape case. She got so involved with the piece that she reupholstered her cubicle wall to create an entire theme to accompany her design.
Another member of our team fashioned her tape case into a doll house, complete with rooms. Admittedly, she expressed a desire to do a great deal more, since she has a perfectionist hand comparable to that of a surgeon.
Oh, I forgot to mention this entire competition was presented to the judge for the day, none other than the flaw-seeking eyes of Artskull from Artskull.com.
After a close inspection of each work, he offered a generous “Everybody is a Winner”. This was an incredible exercise in stimulating a gathering of content creators. I was so amped up by the close of business day. I couldn't wait to get home and dive head first into more free form projects, without walls, without limits.
JNESS
www.scarletbbwart.com
She knew she had a small window of time to get the crowd going or loose them till her next creative initiative power move. She designated one of our teammates the judge and explained the competition requirements, each player takes one empty tape case and creates something unique and exciting. We agreed on taking a one month lead time for project development. We all went back to our cubicles and there was no mention made of the contest again until 2 days before curtain call. A steady regiment of trash talking and cooler-side banter set the groundwork for the main event.
I went back to the lab and scrambled my brain trying to figure out how to turn this box into something BBW related but no cigar. The box just didn't inspire me in that direction. I decide to reach back further into my creative inspiration rollerdex and create something that would work. Batman's Utility Belt.
After purchasing one cost effective belt from the local Family Dollar, securing two end-caps from a roll of large format paper, (on a roll) some wire, and one can of gold spray paint, the mission is accomplished. I was happy with the results.
I was very impressed with the efforts of my team mates, Jane created a hand-painted tissue box with her tape case. She got so involved with the piece that she reupholstered her cubicle wall to create an entire theme to accompany her design.
Another member of our team fashioned her tape case into a doll house, complete with rooms. Admittedly, she expressed a desire to do a great deal more, since she has a perfectionist hand comparable to that of a surgeon.
Oh, I forgot to mention this entire competition was presented to the judge for the day, none other than the flaw-seeking eyes of Artskull from Artskull.com.
After a close inspection of each work, he offered a generous “Everybody is a Winner”. This was an incredible exercise in stimulating a gathering of content creators. I was so amped up by the close of business day. I couldn't wait to get home and dive head first into more free form projects, without walls, without limits.
JNESS
www.scarletbbwart.com
