"Evitan"

This past weekend at Harlem Stage, we were fortunate enough to see a couple of shows paying tribute to the legacy of rap group, A Tribe Called Quest. A 4-part series, it showcased Tribe's music and artists influenced by them. 

Included was a special set by "Evitan" ("Native" spelled backwards)  which consists of Dres of Black Sheep, Jarobi of A Tribe Called Quest and DJ Strike. Luckily, there was enough light where I could sketch their performance. 

Quick sketch of Evitan on stage

Afterwards, I introduced myself to Jarobi in the lobby, showed him my work, and then he introduced me to the rest of the group.

DJ Strike, Jarobi, me, Dres

It was a surreal experience, as I told Dres: "My brother wouldn't believe it because he used to breakdance in the living room to your guys' tapes back in the day!"

Art show Part 2

Here are a few pics from the art show at Lolita Bar, Friday evening, July 22nd. Thanks to everyone who came through! And if you missed it, the artwork will be up until September 12th. 

Will Pope aka PopePhoenix makes an appearance after the jump. 

His work can be seen at: http://blog.popephoenix.co​m/ or https://www.facebook.com/popephoenix

Mo' March Birthdays


More of the folks, for their birthdays. Happy cake day. Indulge. Be young, have fun.

Europe, stop n' go.




Stop n sketch that is...

air:plane::food:cart















Last week, I had a dream that I was waiting at the airport terminal and there was an airshow going on. One of the planes doing loops in the air was a food cart...

...sometimes I have pretty cool dreams.

Two words: TAX DAY.


















Stupid me, I forgot to bring my sketchbook before going to the post office. Because what I thought would be a short, couple minute trip turned into an hour and a half wait. Luckily the lady in front of me lent me her pen and there's umm..."writing material" on hand.

Thank you, kind lady and thanks NYC post office, without you this (insert adjective) visit wouldn't be possible.

More sketchbook peopleage...















Subway, Union Square, and two quick celebrity caricatures if you can find em...

P.S. Thanks to Mr. Longfish for his indirect inspiration...

UPDATE: Here's a sketch I did of Tine's family friends while they were drawing on the table, then sharing a sundae (luckily it was pretty much the same action!) during Easter lunch:

Just a normal (?) NYC Saturday...AKA "Look Ma, I'm drawing!"















From Saturday, March 7th.
Depicted on this sketchbook page:

-On Bedford Ave., two guys snapped my picture for a fashion blog they're starting up
-Evans, the trumpet player, who I drew at the L stop for maybe 6+ trains
-Random girl trying to recruit for her health clinic/business something something
-Apple cider donut from the Market @ Union Square (with cinnamon sugar!)
-People gathered around a Union Square planter, watching 3 squirrels doin the deed (yes, all 3 of them)
-Custom-made cocktails at Flatiron Lounge
-The Bird and the Bee performance @ Carnegie Hall
-Oh, and random floating heads and people I felt like drawing/painting over

P.S. Below are pics from Hector. He was visiting from Spain and snapped the pics of Evans and I without me knowing it. Thanks Hector, glad to meet you!














"...Oh what a day, what a day." --E. Badu

Figure studyin'

More practice with watercolors...










Fellow artist and Billyburg resident, Marc Scheff has hosted a few figure drawing sessions recently...and only three blocks away? What a deal!

Click HERE for Cam's stuff from the same session.

Grand Central Terminal, NYC










It was actually my first time ever visiting this place. Grand Central is smaller than I expected--from what I've seen on tv and in the movies. But with the hustle and bustle of everything going on, for more than a moment, it seemed larger than life...

NYC sketchin'














@ Cosi, on the subway, and construction out my back window...

And now, for a booky book:

Specs:
Moleskine watercolor sketchbook, 3.5"x5.5"
Media: Pen, colored pencil, graphite, watercolor, goauche, acrylic, markers



Here are close-ups of a few of the pages:

"More bars, more places":


My painting of Tine's photo of Banksy's installation--a multi-collabo, if you will:


Miscellaneous stuff:

on location @ Barnes & Noble...














Union Square, NYC.

nyc excursion















Union Square, J Train, Hope Lounge, and other places...

The Chicken Adobo Incident.










In no particular order, this spread addresses:
-"The Chicken Adobo Incident" aka "A Practical Demonstration in Patience and Drive" aka "Not Everything's in Manhattan"
-Laundry day
-Which directionS (plural) the N train goes
-J train Sunday morning vignette
-3 cup capacity rice cookers and solo cups
-Mr. Storey's triangles roundabout inspiration from looking at Anthony Ermio's blog--meditation? word.
-My trip on the Q

Chalk it up to a lesson (or several) learned.

This one was fun.

Ask me later about the whole story...

Not necessarily better than yours











So my roommate, Cameron recommended "Relish" a diner in Brooklyn, a few blocks from our place. A diner in every sense of the word: an old stainless steel car with booth seating; something straight out of the 1950's.

I enjoyed my steak sandwich and bottled water (read: tap water in a bottle) in between drawing. The nice staff was playing anything from house to hip hop (ok so not everything was 50's nostalgia) while there was a photoshoot going on behind me.

So I get home and read up on this place and I come to find out that this is where they shot Kelis' "Milkshake" music video (hence this blog's title). That funky lamp up there was even in the video. See it for yourself... Kelis - "Milkshake"

And on an even better note, just after completing this sketch, I found out my niece was born. Happy B-Day Kendall.

Here and there...aka "How ya durrrrrin'?"











Long story behind this, but here's the short version:

About 1/5th of this was created on the West Coast in Oakland at Yoshi's. The rest of it was drawn on a train up to the Bronx (read: East Coast). If you didn't know already, I've made the jump to New York--Williamsburg side of Brooklyn, specifically.

P.S. The girl singing? Her name is Ledisi. I HIGHLY recommend checking her out. Oakland native nonetheless. What a way to remember the Bay on my way out... "Church in the jook joint, y'all"

P.P.S. The guy playing guitar was a combination of Ledisi's guitar player and a guy on the subway reading a paper.

And so the adventure begins..

My Belle











My niece as Pebbles for Halloween 2007 and NY notes from my friend, Courtney--places to eat/see/shop etc.

One of my New Year's resolutions...











is to travel somewhere out of the ordinary at least once a month. I spent New Year's up north in Washington. It was beautifully calm up there. What was that saying--"Contrast is the meaning of life"? Indeed.

"Ho'olaule'a 2006--Pele Ma"












Halau O Ka Ua Lililehua's performance telling the story of Hawaii's gods and goddesses.