Ghost in the Machine, 2016

PORTRAIT FOR KEVIN KLOPP, 2016

Certain people come into and out of our lives at different time to change us in some way. The universe puts these people into our path to help us navigate through life better. The change could be as minimal as a creative idea or as large as the connection with a spouse. Kevin is a friend I met through my wife’s collection of dance friends. His focus on success and his social abilities were something I have been challenged with for years. I’m not a very social person and my path to success in a career has been a bumpy road. Kevin and I’s conversation one night got me really thinking. He was talking about certifications in his business and how he gets certified in everything he can, just as a reference on his resume. This got me thinking. I have always been the type of person to not care and even think about what anyone thinks of me. This is a good trait in some ways but can also be prohibitive. I never thought of resume as that important. Not necessarily just career resumes, but life resumes, relationship resumes, parenting resumes, etc etc. He defiantly gave me an idea that is currently changing my perspective, on who I am, and what I need to work on in life, even if he doesn’t know it.

The title of this piece, “Ghost in the Machine” has duel meaning, no pun intended if you are aware of the book. One is the concepts of this is that the intelligence of computers will allow them to take over the world in the future, this concept movies are made from. Kevin is in the computer field so I thought this would be an interesting title, But secondly and probably more profound is the theory behind the 1949 book “Ghost in the Machine”, this basically expanded on the concept of physical self and mental self. The universe, an ever changing circuit board of life & energy, and that people put in your path to empower your life. This of course is simplified, the book is more complex. But it has defiantly got me thinking and keeps me pondering what is next for me, my wife, my kids and my friendships. Thanks Kev…..5…..

 

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AS I SEE IT.....2015

During the course of my betterment I decided to quit drinking alcohol. It was terrible for my health as well as my relationships with my wife, my kids, and my friends. What I did find is that it was extremely difficult to change my habitual patterns considering I had been doing it for 20 years or so. I thought o’crap I’m an alcoholic, what do I do from here. I started an outpatient program for alcoholism, where I learned some tools in dealing with my habitual self. A lot of this training was through the alcoholics anonymous book, but in general it was thoughts and concepts on managing your mind, and they work in other areas of life as well. Being the philosophy focused person I am, I really appreciated this way of thinking and still do to a point, minus any god implications. I rook this journey as a betterment of my mind and body it allowed me to focus in areas I hadn’t been able to focus before. So I added Bill W. to my list of admired philosopher and thinkers. He might not be of philosophic pedigree, but his did expand on a great way to gain control; of your mind and focus on your personal development....5.....

New Zealand collage art exchange 2016

An artist out of Taranaki, New Zealand, Dale Devereux Copeland, holds a unique art exchange every year. Where artist from around the world send her artwork that is then sorted and used for a exhibit in New Zealand, as well as on two different websites www.outofsight.co.nz and http://virtual.tart.co.nz . After the exhibit is over the best pieces from each artist makes their way to Verbeke Foundation in Belgium where the collection will be donated as a public collection for the year.

ENGLAND THE BEAUTIFUL

 

The first mural is also a full large scale collage cut into 12 smaller collages. This mural was titles "England the Beautiful" and features a beautiful young lady who passed away during child birth. She is passionately missed by her family and her daughter who survived. It represents the beautiful thing that come out of England. 3 of the 12 collages were given to the family as a memorial. The other 9 went to the exchange.

WORKING CLASS

The second mural is also a fulle large scale collage cut into 9 smaller collages. This mural was titled "Working Class" and features a different aspect of English life. There is no running image in these collages. The over all imagery is working class life, gane life, sex, and poverty. This is the opposite of England the Beautiful, the underbelly. Random images scoring the page like graffiti on a wall.

Bath pieces starte with a combination Applica of 4 pound bags, and drywall compound. From there hand cut stencils are applied with spray paint in a collage format. Once that process is complete the flags were added and the pieces were cut into smaller sections for the exchange.....5.....

BLUE FLAG PROJECT

SEPT. 11, 2001: I REMEMBER WORKING FOR THE MEDICAL EXAMINERS OFFICE. WE WERE PICKING SOMEONE UP FROM THE ER @ JACKSON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN MIAMI, ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND LOUDEST ER IN THE TRI-COUNTY AREA. AS WE WALKED IN AN UNSETTLING SILENCE FELL OVER THE ROOM, EVERY ONES FACES (PATIENTS, NURSES, & DOCTORS WAS FIXED ON THE TV SCREEN. IT LITERALLY FELT LIKE THE APOCALYPSE

OF COURSE AMERICA WENT ON THE DEFENSIVE AND INVADED AFGHANISTAN LOOKING FOR THE SAME PEOPLE THEY SUPPORT SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER BY SUPPLYING THEM WITH WEAPONS. BUT NONE THE LESS, I SUPPORTED THE TROOPS 110%, THOSE GUYS WERE FIGHTING A WAR AMERICA STARTED, AND AS A RESULT SO MANY MEN AND WOMEN HAVE DIED IN BATTLE OR BY SUICIDE, FOR WHAT A PATCH OF OIL NEW "US SOIL".  WAS IN FULL SWING. THAN OF COURSE SEVERAL MINUTES LATER THE SECOND PLANE HIT AND AMERICA KNOW THIS WAS NO ACCIDENT THIS WAS SOME KIND OF ATTACK.

WHEN THIS STARTED I DETERMINED I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE TROOPS TO SHOW SUPPORT AND THIS IS WHERE THE BLUE FLAG PROJECT BEGAN. I STENCIL A BLUE FLAG EVERYWHERE I WHEN. IT SYMBOLIZED SUPPORT AND HONOR FOR OUR TROOPER BUT NOT FOR THE BLOOD SHED OF OUR GOVERNMENT.

AFTER 13 YEARS THE FLAG STILL STANDS IN FRONT OF THE US ARMORY. FADED AND IN NEED OF REPAIR BUT NEVER COVERED OR CROSSED OVER.

IN 2012 MY GRANDFATHER PASSED. IT HIT ME MUCH HARDER THAN I THOUGHT IT MIGHT AND I BEGAN TO REALIZE THE MORTALITY OF US ALL. HE LEFT MY GRANDMOTHER WITH SUPPORT FINANCIAL AND WITH SEVERAL HOMES TO LIVE IN. HE LEFT HIS CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WITH A SENSE OF WELL BEING AND RESPECT FOR A MAN THAT SELDOM SPOKEN, BUT WHEN HE DID IT MADE YOU SMILE. I MODEL MYSELF OFF HIS TEACHINGS AND HOPE I CAN BE SO INFLUENTIAL TO MY KIDS. HE WAS ALSO A MILITARY MAN AND I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR MY GRANDMOTHER TO SHOW THE RESPECT I HAVE FOR HIM. I DECIDED TO INCORPORATE THE BLUE FLAG PROJECT INTO THIS WORK, DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVERYONE THAT GIVES UP THEIR LIVES FOR A CAUSE OR A COUNTY DESERVES HONOR. I ALSO INCORPORATED SEVERAL OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN INFLUENTIAL IN MY LIFE AND THE LIFE OF OTHER AMERICANS. MILEY A GREAT FRIEND CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE NAVY, LANA A NEW FRIEND CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE COAST GUARD, HECTOR HERNANDEZ, MY FATHER-IN-LAW, SERVED IN THE AIR FORCE, AND OF COURSE PAPA JOE SERVED IN ARMY AS A DOCTOR.

UNFORTUNATELY I WAS DENIED THE MURAL PROJECT AT THE ARMORY. PER THE SERGEANT THEY ARE PLANNING ON REMOVING THE BARRICADES AND ADDING A FENCE, WHICH WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE OF DOING A MURAL ANY HOW. MAYBE A VIDEO TIME LAPSE AND A SECOND MURAL WHO KNOWS.....5.....

JAHLINX / SEVEN DC PORTRAIT

JAHLINX / SEVEN DC, 2013

 

So I found this amazing photo of one of my friend's kids, and I had to do a piece with it. I found another stoic image of Linx himself and another of his trademark lion and know exactly what I wanted to produce. The facial expressions on all three tell the story, age and the cycle of life we all create. In the background I wanted to add something that represented Linx thought so I added philosophers and writers, like Camus, Sartre, Blake, etc. as well as angels representing his thoughts on his little and of course the trademark paw print. Hope you enjoy brother you deserve it.....5.....

My Muse: a collection of admiration for my wife.

It take a strong and patience woman to deal with the ever changing emotional baggage I call my life. I must admit my faults and defects make me unapproachable and sometime empty, yet she stands next to me and fights. She is the true statment of marriage, work, progression, and love. As an artist there is a way above and beyond anything anyone else can produce that I can. And that is my art, my concepts and emotions on surfaces for all to see and critic. Yes I can buy flowers, or dinner but this will last longer and bolder and maybe even be eternal, as we are after we took our vow......

  

 She is perfect and real like nothing else. She is strong and bold, that sometime makes me angry and other times proud. She is individual, unique, beautiful and most of all mine.....

 

Skinner T, 1972 to 2012

So Oct. 2012 I produced This mural work for Skiner T's Family. It was a respect work showing that no matter how small the encounter we can draw a huge understanding of a person and their personality.You can learn alot from a chance encounter. I learned alot from this man. He was one that showed me respect and honor at the same time. Many people in this circle clashed with me, in retrospect I had a dislike for many. I can say without question this was a true brother. I'm honored to be able to produce a work for his family. His kids deserve to know how stand up their farther was. Much respect and much sadness. I wish your family the best and offer them my hand if they need it.....5......

Keoni's Family Mural

My Brother-in-law showed some interest in a Mural of himself and his son. So for christmas I went ahead a design a mural representing him and his culture. I first added some tiki stencils to the background and a King Kamehameha stencil in the foreground showing his Hawaiian culture. To the right I added a classic Impala stencil approximately 6 layers, due to the fact that his profession is auot body and he loves refabing classics. In middle I added threee layer stencils of the two of them and finished up with some random scribes and fades.....5.....