The inspiration for this collection came from a conversation I had with the Founder and Executive Director of the Underprivileged And Underserved Foundation (UAUF), George Goodwine. While discussing race and whether or not every opportunity was fair based upon someone’s familial structure or “starting line,” I was asked the following questions. How does someone overcome these hurdles? How can the playing field be leveled to make things fairer, when others may only have 50 hurdles to overcome in the same competition?
My response was simple. “The person in front of 150 hurdles has two choices. They can either get discouraged before they begin, or start jumping. In the midst of the race they might get tired, unsure, or discouraged, but if they press on to the finish line they may become more physically fit than the person who jumps over 50.”
I used to dance ballet and at the time, there were a lot of hurdles I had to overcome solely based upon inconveniences that came with being raised in low-income, single parent home. Above are pencil sketches and sharpie drawings that I have drawn from actual photos. I plan on making these images my own by adding more abstraction and vibrant color to them.
Over the course of the project, stay tuned to see how these pictures will transform into a work of ART!!! Check out my artwork at theservingartist.com
Sometimes I like to draw things in the reverse (filling in the light areas, leaving the dark areas bare) and then flip them to see how I did. Today's warmups turned out pretty well. My favorite is the kid on the top, whose head & hair echo the strawberry shape. I wish I'd distinguished the girl's legs from the dog's body on the left more, but overall, not bad.
Sometimes in life you've gotta draw a genie that's based on Lady GaGa. Don't blame me. Blame the inevitability of existence. This was ink and watercolor with a bit of assistance from Photoshop.
It’s Good to be King, if just for a while. I draw in my notes for work every day. It helps me digest the things that are said in meetings. In the case, it simply divided one topic from another. I color in the drawings later or the next day, which helps me recall my notes and it is peaceful.
A colorful doodle study of my urban backyard. Homage to a 20+ year old delicious apple tree that is no longer part of the view. Artwork done in Procreate.
He is on the street walking... What is his name? I don't know. He is holding flowers and a black umbrella. Where is he going? I'm not quite sure. Maybe to somebody or maybe to somewhere. Made with Oil Pastels
