NEW ARTWORK: Album Cover for Young Gully’s “The Prescription”

So, I’ll be teaming up with my new favorite emcee, Young Gully, once again.

I’m working on the cover for his upcoming album, “The Prescription,” due out this Spring.  If you still haven’t listened to “The Grant Station Project,” for which I did the cover art, please check it out (http://younggullyyh.bandcamp.com/album/the-grant-station-project).  While you’re at it, download the “Definition of Gas” mixtape (http://younggullyyh.bandcamp.com/album/definition-of-gas).

I’ll be doing a portrait of Gully himself this time, in colored pencils.  I am soooo happy to get a break from paints!  You don’t even know…

4/17

I’m not going to post anymore photos of my progress, so you’ll have to wait to see how it turns out.  I drew out what i call the “skeleton,” which is like a guide, so all i have to do next is color on the skin.  It’s really not necessary to do all that pencil shading and stuff, but i like to make sure everything is perfect before i start with the colored pencils, which you can’t erase.

I’ll post a photo of the final piece when it’s ready.  In the meantime, please check out the links to Gully’s music that i posted above and make sure you pick up The Prescription.

Stay tuned….

4/26

Pretty much done.  i’m sure i’ll start messing with it tonight, fixing and touching up here and there.  This picture is kinda dark, so it doesn’t show all of the smoke.  i’ll post a better one tomorrow…

New Artwork: For Annaelisa

Today must really be a special day.  Because 3 great people were born on this day.  Sade, Aaliyah, AND Annaelisa.  i have art in the works for all three… actually i just completed the one for Annaelisa just moments ago.  i’m just waiting for her to get here and see it!

It’s of an old photo from her parent’s wedding back in Italy.  When i first saw it, i knew i had to draw it.  So i decided to do that and give it to her as a birthday gift.  It’s just Charcoal and Colored Pencil on paper.

While i was working i listened to “Primo Amore” by Carlo Buti sooooo many times.  And earlier i was listening to Sade.  i still can’t get over how great she/they is/are.

p.s. R.i.P. to Miss Aaliyah Haughton.  Love you ALWAYS!!

My Kind of Porn

Lol.  This is about as close as i get to watching porn.  i refrained from talking too much about his last show at MSG because i didn’t want to get on anyone’s nerves, but the music is still stuck in my head.

Watch Video for Kiss (Prince)

…And he still looks the same.  That’s how i’m gonna be when i turn 50.  If i make it to 50…

That’s My JAM: Yo No Se Mañana

I was thinking about this song last night, and an hour later they played it on the radio.

NEW ARTWORK: Eddie Kendrick

12/18

Yesterday was Eddie Kendrick’s birthday, and since I ripped up the charcoal drawing (shown at the bottom of this post), I wanted to do something quick and easy to bring awareness to the fact that he was born on December 17, 1939.

Yeah, I pretty much did it just for kicks, and to warm up for another big project I have going on.  One day I’m gonna do a full-scale painting of him, because I love him that much.  R.i.P. Edward James Kendrick!!!

This is another white charcoal drawing on black paper, to honor one of my favorite singers of all time, Mr. Eddie Kendrick.  He passed away on this day (October 5) in 1992.

 

I was trying to finish it last night, but I got sidetracked.  Maybe I’ll finish most of it tonight, I don’t know.  Stay tuned to watch my progress.

Anyway, if you don’t know who he is, please do your research.  He was great with the Temptations, but even better solo.

New Artwork: Happy Birthday, Prince!!

So, today is June 7th.  This is what I call my “Gemini birthday,” because this was the day I was due. However, as I mentioned in the previous blog, I was not born until the 30th.  “How many people weren’t born on their due date?” you may ask.  “How does that relate to their astrological chart?”  Well, I don’t know.  I just like to claim Gemini because it would explain why I have some of their tendencies.  I am a true-blue Cancer but I have a little edge that is not typical of Cancerian people.

Anyway, if I had been born today, I would’ve had the same birthday as His Purple Highness – Prince Rogers Nelson. (Side Note: Allen Iverson was also born today.)

Prince is an idol of mine and one of the most influential artists in my life.  I jokingly refer to him as “my husband,” because he is the prototype – the kind of guy I’d like to marry.  He’s talented, free-thinking, compassionate, graceful, deep, AND sexy.  Did you know he’s a Vegan?  At least, that’s what I heard..

Yeah, we’d be the odd couple for sure.  But we’d have a helluva lot of fun, I’ll tell you that much.   Cuz we’d be on the same page.   Sometimes, the lyrics that he writes make me think he ripped a page from my own diary.

I would love to post them all, but there’s not enough room.  So, my favorite Prince lyrics at the moment would have to be from “Love Like Jazz” on Lotus Flow3r:

Eye want a lover that can improvise
Eye want a lover that can make me cry

Baby eye don’t care what you learned in lovemaking school
U and me we ’bout 2 jam
Make love like the first woman and man
Eye don’t wanna know ahead of time
The notes you play should b a
Reaction 2 mine
Nothing planned or contrived
Then both of us will arrive
At r destination

*Sigh*  All this Prince talk has inspired me to do a likkle sumtin’ in honor of the Purple one…  From his beloved Violet (that’s my middle name, fyi.)

It should be done by tomorrow.  Nothin’ big… a simple drawing in comparison of what I’d like to do for him in the future.  I really want to paint him inna surrealist style… And not from a photo – he’ll have to be my live model.

6/8

I wanted to incorporate the Gemini symbol – those are the Roman Numerals behind him…  and I’m going to use a gold paint pen on those, I guess.  Then I’ll perfect the eclipse behind him.  I always associate eclipses with Gemini – I don’t know why, because they’re ruled by Mercury.  I dunno.

p.s. Please read the following article if you’re into the stars and that type of thing.  I found it very interesting:

http://www.lynnkoiner.com/astrology-articles/neptune-retrograde-2008

I finished!  I’m probably gonna work on it again once I get some natural light tomorrow.  Butfor now, I’ m done.

Oh, that blue planet in his neck area represents the throat chakra.  Read more about that here:

http://www.chakra-colors.com/Throat-Chakra/

Ok, NOW it’s finished.  I think…

EUREKA! Discovering Durand Bernarr

I feel like I just struck gold.  It’s amazing how many talented people go undiscovered, because these record companies are too busy trying to shape and mold some not-so-talented artists into money-making machines.

Anyway, I mentioned Durand Bernarr in my last blog, because I’ve been listening to his music since Erykah Badu tweeted a video of his the other night. Maybe you have to be a lover of her music in order to really appreciate some of his stuff, because he’s been so obviously influenced by her.  But in his defense, he is not lacking in originality and can certainly hold his own.

His voice is perfection.  He makes singing like an angel look effortless.  I don’t know what church he goes to, but I want to go just to hear him sing, because he has the anointing for sure.  I got the Holy Ghost watching his YouTube of The Clark Sisters’ Praying Spirit cover.

He has so many great videos that I would suggest you subscribe to his YouTube, rather than me post them all on here.

http://www.youtube.com/user/alcoholharmony

But I will close out with this – his most recent addition – Erykah’s Badu’s Window Seat as well as his own Incarcerated Intuition, my introduction to his talent, courtesy of Ms. Badu…

You can also download his 8ight: The Stepson of Erykah Badu album here:

http://alcoholharmony.blogspot.com/2010/02/annie-dont-wear-no-panties-edition-of.html

Don’t sleep, y’all!  Music like this is good for your health!

D’Angelo=Dopamine

It’s nearly two a.m., I just finished up painting for the night, and I’m tired as hell but I can’t go to sleep.

I’m elated, to put it lightly.  I am listening to a new, or should I say “unheard,” song from D’Angelo.  On repeat.

I don’t consider myself a fan of anyone, but I’m most definitely this man’s myrmidon. I guess my love affair with his music began with BMU’s You Will Know on the Jason’s Lyric soundtrack.  Then along came Brown Sugar, one of my favorite albums ever.  Somewhere in the Top 5 for sure.  (I even drew the cover of that record when I was in high school for some art project.)

He took forever before returning with the Voodoo album, and by that time I was legal and able to attend his concerts when he came to town.  I think I saw him 5 times during that period.  I once had the chance to meet him when he came to the Paramount, but I couldn’t speak.  There were so many girls there, too, vying for his attention that I didn’t want to get in the middle.  I wasn’t even thinking about him like that, I just love him and admire him for the artist that he is.

Anyway, it’s been too long since I’ve heard anything new from him.  And listening this song is making me high.  Music is my drug of choice; it triggers dopamine production in my brain and keeps me coming back for more.  How many people are like me?  Can you listen to a song over and over and get a rush each time?  It takes a certain type of personality to do this, I think.  A weird personality…

D’Angelo, my dear, I cannot WAIT until you return with the music.  I don’t understand half of what you’re saying on this song I’m listening to, but I love it like I never loved another song in my life.  And I can die happy once I hear the entire album.  Actually, I won’t die until I do the artwork for one of your album covers.  Put that on somethin’.

p.s.  People have been saying that the album will be entitled “James River” for the past few years, but who knows if that info is correct?  I would only go by updates posted on D’angelo’s MySpace.  The banner on his page says “Tour & Album Summer 2010.”  But we can only hope that promise is fulfilled.  Keep your fingers crossed…

Pisces Time

Pisces is a water sign, like Cancer, so we’re supposed to make a great match.  I don’t know about that, but I can say for sure that there are many people born under this sign that I admire and respect.

Off the top - SPIKE LEE.  (born March 20, 1957)

For the past few weeks I’ve been looking at a lot of his films, and each time I watch I am simply awed. I think he’s the greatest filmmaker that ever lived.

Crooklyn came on BET last night, and I could not get over how beautiful this movie was.  Mind you, I’ve seen this film 100+ times.  It might be my favorite movie of all time.  But the cast, the wardrobe, the music – everything is so perfect.  I never get sick of this movie.  And if I ever have a child I want a little girl just like Troy.  Complete with afro puffs, dangly earrings and halter top.  I ain’t no puta, I keep my panties clean!

Mo’ Better Blues is another one.  I remember we had the VHS when I was 12 or so, and my Mom would make us fast-forward through the sex scene between Clarke and Bleek lol.  My mom was mad strict about a lot of things, but she never denied us access to great art.  I appreciate that so much now.  Anyway, this movie is jewel and the soundtrack is off the hook.

A few months back I came across Passing Strange, a Broadway musical by Stew (Passing_Strange).  I was flipping through the channels one night and stopped to watch because I had never seen anything quite like it.  I sat through the whole thing and found out at the end that Spike Lee had filmed it.  I caught it on PBS, but you can rent it from Netflix.

On to the next: ERYKAH BADU.  (born February 26, 1971)

I’ve finally gotten back to my painting, and yesterday I was looking for music to listen to as I do my thing.  And I ended up at Erykah Badu’s MySpace.  She has a new song out called ‘Window Seat.’  Life for the artist/entertainer can be bittersweet.  Listen to the lyrics.

“I need you to want me

I need you to miss me

I need your attention

I need you next to me

I need someone to clap for me

I need your direction…”

Come back, come back, baby.  COME BACK!

I listened to this song so many times yesterday.  Then I played the older albums as I painted.  I was in the ZONE!  Thank you, Ms. Badu.  You brought me water for these flowers growin’ out my mind…

Some great Piscean people:  Albert Einstein, Nat King Cole, Aamir Khan, Common and some other people I can’t think of right now.  Oh, my twin cousins down in TX… Happy Birthday to you guys!!

Sade Painting: Part III

2/24

I finally got back to painting the day before yesterday.  I have 2 more weeks in Seattle and 2 more weeks to work on my painting without any disturbances.  I am sooooo distracted right now, though.  I can sit and watch Vh1 Soul for hours. I also got to check out the Jackson’s reality show, and got hooked.  I love them!!

So this is all I’ve accomplished.  I have to do the red drop shadow on the left side, and then I’ll fill in the outer circle and work some more on the gold rim.  I had a busy day today, so I didn’t do anything.  But tomorrow I have no excuses.

3/1

It’s March already?!  I can’t believe it.  I painted for most of yesterday, although you may not be able to tell, especially not with this blurry azz photo that I’m posting.  I don’t have my good camera with me at the moment.

There’s still a lot of gold detail to be done, especially to her clothing and jewelry and the throne-type thing behind her, but I think I’ll hold that off until I get to the Bay.  I don’t want it to get ruined in transit.  By the way, I honestly haven’t missed home at all while I’ve been here.  It’s been so good to spend time with my sisters and the kids.  But yesterday when I watched Anthony Bourdain in San Francisco at the Ferry Building, Cali started calling my name.  I’m coming, darling!!

3/4

I’ve been spending a lot of time on the lotus seat.  And I’m still not satisfied.  Tonight Im gonna start on the sky and some other background elements.  Easy stuff.

BTW, if you haven’t heard, I’ll be participating in a benefit for Haiti in San Francisco at the end of the month, doing a live painting.  I will post a blog and give you all the info in a little bit.

3/7

It’s beginning to come together now, and I think I need to leave it alone until I get back home.  There is still much to be done, but at least you can get an idea of how it’s gonna turn out, now that I’ve painted the sky and stuff.  All of the white parts have to be filled in, and I’m still trying to figure out what colors I’ll be using for the clouds, mountains, etc.

3/7

For the past few days I have been steadily painting while listening to

a.  Erykah Badu - Window Seat (on repeat)

b.  Alicia Keys – Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart & Un-Thinkable (on repeat)

c.  Teedra Moses’ mixtape (free download available at teedra-moses.com)

d.  Sade – Love Deluxe (duh!)

e.  Every Jill Scott album, because I’m super-juiced that I’ll be seeing her with MAXWELL this June…

f.  AlcoholHarmony. Erykah Badu was up tweetin’ hecka late last night… and I couldn’t sleep, so I watched all these YouTubes she posted.  This young man’s name is DURAND BERNARR.  And he is BAD!!

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If you want the very beginnings of this painting, go to Part I of this post:

http://leahchappell.wordpress.com/2009/12/27/new-artwork-2/