Shadows

In a class, I was assigned to take pictures with the subject of "shadows".  Using cut paper and playing with motion, here are my results:

Curls

As an assignment, we were to use a scanner to create a photograph.  Here are some of my working results:

Sketchbook

Just looking through my sketchbook and I've always really enjoyed drawing still lifes of things with great texture.  Here is an avocado I drew:

Ribbon

My recent obsession in my photography has been ribbon.  I constructed a studio out of a large cardboard box painted black on the inside and I strung up ribbon and played with the light to capture the satin and at times the motion.  Here are some of the results:

Study of motion with ribbon and tin foil.

Tin foil motion study.

Composite photograph of stagnate and dynamic ribbon.

Leslie Wayne

In one of my classes now, we have been asked to focus on the poetic aspects of nature.  Here is an artist who I believe completely accomplishes this and I will probably steal ideas from.

Huge amounts of textured paint.

"Doxology"

Oil on Wood

"Unseasonable"

Oil on Wood

"Before the Quake"

Oil on Wood

detail

Photographs credit of http://localephemera.blogspot.com

Chrysler Commercial

This is probably one of the greatest recent car commercials.  While I may be bias because I am from the Detroit area and love Eminem, I feel that this commercial is truly inspiring for a city that is completely down on it's luck.

Alisha Wessler

One of my past GSIs, Alisha Wessler's work has become extremely inspiring to me, especially in some of my more recent pieces.  I found her work after I had began to create work of a similar style, which was very interesting to me seeing as it is quite unique. Her attention to detail is phenomenal and her abstractions are wonderful.

Here are some of my favorite pieces of her's:

"Old Woman"
  

"Otherworld"


"Dreamscape"



"Minnaloushe"

New Website Design

Sketch Book

Here are some older pieces from my sketchbook.  This is a style that I often have related to my doodling, but I hope to refine into more sophisticated pieces.

Milton Glaser

In my infinite struggle between deciding whether to call myself an artist or a designer, I came across a quote by one of my favorite designers, Milton Glaser, that doesn't necessarily shed light on my issue but that I found very wise nonetheless.

"The most important factor in our work is the operation of a unique personality.  The design should never be anonymous."
-Milton Glaser, 1962

No Cars Go: a Self Portrait

Ok this video did upload, but you have to move your cursor around the video before it will highlight the play button (it will not play if you press the play button, but it will play when your cursor hits a different spot that highlights it).  

Arcade Fire

For the past couple of years, I have gotten into indie rock and Arcade Fire.  Their music has played a role in a few videos that I have made, and inspired a few other pieces.



Here is a video that I made in a class as a self-portrait featuring the song "No Cars Go" by Arcade Fire.
This video is to represent myself on the physical, emotion, and thought/subconscious level through the blending and layering of video, still image, and animation.

e. e. cummings

I have often used e. e. cummings in my work or as inspiration.  One of my favorite poems of his is "pity this busy monster, manukind," solely for the last stanza.

pity this busy monster,manunkind,

not.  Progress is a comfortable disease:
your victum(death and life safely beyond)

plays with the bigness of his littleness
-electrons deify one razorblade
into a mountainrange;lenses extend

unwish through curving wherewhen until unwish
returns on its unself.
             A world of made
is not a world of born-pity poor flesh

and trees,poor stars and stones,but never this
fine specimen of hypermagical

ultraomnipotence.  We doctors know

a hopeless case if-listen:there's a hell
of a good universe next door;let's go

 - e. e. cummings

Saul Bass

I have always found Saul Bass's work inspiring and moving, especially his "Precious" movie posters.

Kate Banazi

I just found this artist and I love her prints.

credit: The Design Files

Some recent sketches

Here are some small pen drawings I did for a class assignment where I had to create a book cover for Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Lorna Simpson

 Another artist that I have always loved is Lorna Simpson.  Her photograph, Waterbearer, is one of my absolute favorites.

Reed Young

Reed Young is a young photographer that I have absolutely fell in love with.  His portraits are beautifully lit and are simply lovely.