I have joined forces with the man Joe Bruno and Critical Cutz to create a series of instructional videos to teach spray painting and illustration techniques. We are finishing up the first installment showcasing a large format caricature of Biggie Smalls on a wall and the teaser video is ready to roll. Check it out yall. The Bob Ross of can control.

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Check out the ‘fresh-off-the-press’ interview I was blessed with at The Daily Single. The interview was conducted by my friend Nene Kalu who hooked it up proper. The format of this online publication is pretty interesting and innovative. It looks to be a dynamic player in the sometimes-awkward transition from print media to digital. I have been very intrigued at the contemporary bridges that are being made. There is a lot of play that can be found within the boundaries of a standard magazine format including iApps, page-turning software and (my personal favorite) video integration. Daily Single takes a slightly different approach featuring one person everyday and leveraging the pipelines of social media integration. See for yourself and tell em’ what you think.

*side note: My 5 year old daughter and partner in crime, Nina Simone, took the cover shot they used. win.

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Hello family, friends and fans….. and any mix therein. Good to link with you as always. So, I am doing something crazy this Saturday. I have decided to fly out to beautiful Napa Valley with members of my old crew from West Philly to run a half-marathon. Now, I’m not a super-fit guy…. and let’s be real, I’m not even a regular-fit guy. Irregardless I have committed and am doing the damn thing. Some may say, “Sean, shouldn’t you be able to run 10 – 13 miles before you fly out there and break your ass in half?” and my reply would simply be, “um, probably”…. but when has the seemingly impossible stopped me before? (not including that roof I plummeted off of in ’02)

I rep Detroit hard and this situation is no different. As I am running my ass off I will be attempting to raise money for my old neighborhood Boys & Girls Clubs back home in Detroit. I called my connect at the Bloomer Club and asked him about the best method to set up fundraising for the club and he replied, “Well, I’m not sure. Nobody has ever asked me that.” I find that hard to believe. Matter of fact, I’m just going to choose not to believe that considering that I’m certain that I’m not the only kid to come up through those ranks with the skills and drive to organize ways of giving back. Guh, anyways.  Some of you may remember the project I began last winter when I traveled back home and interviewed some of the kids who are latch-key kids (as was I) from the club. The project is still in motion and I will keep you looped as it develops. If you missed it, check it out here. The kids are amazing kids. They are worth it.

If you have an extra few Washingtons or Lincolns laying around, possibly Alexander Hamilton wants to do some traveling, or what if Jackson, Grant, and Franklin want to see the great Motor City?… who are we to deny them? No donation is too small and hopefully no mile will be too painful. If you are feeling so inclined please click the link below and know that your money is going to a good place for some great kids.

CLICK HERE to donate (and thank you again)

———————

While you’re at it swing by and check out the Detroit section to sift through the continuing posts about my hometown.

“Detroit Lost”

Detroit section of the site.

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I will be traveling upstream to the great city of Brotherly Love to attend a wedding for a good friend and almost as important, to consume as many cheesesteaks as possible. I’ve been sick the majority of this week so my posting has been as slim as my flu-ridden appetite. I will catch up with you guys on Monday so stay tuned and stay jealous of my proximity to Dalessandro’s.

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The good people at the Raleigh Downtowner were kind enough to feature me as their Artist Profile for their latest issue. After hanging out with Crash Gregg for a few hours, sharing stories and sharing beers the scene seemed more like hanging out than an interview. Good people and a good publication no doubt. If you don’t catch one on the newsstand make sure you download the pdf or check out the interactive version online.

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I was approached by AskMen.com to hook up and illustration to accompany an article detailing the political leverage and satirical might that Jon Stewart and the Daily Show has among young (and not so young) Americans. After sifting through a few concepts we settled on this bad boy. I am very happy with it and the article is a solid read as well. Check it out and leave a comment if you’re feeling it.

I collected the active correspondents (minus the newest Olivia Munn) as well as a few of my favorites from the past. From left to right: John Oliver, Rob Riggle, Wyatt Cenac, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Lewis Black, Rob Corddry and Aasif Mandvi

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With the soon-to-be legendary “DRUNK Illustrated” rounding the bend (only 8 more days), I wanted to drop another preview post. Part of the show is dedicated to the strangely addictive and often ugly side of legendary drinkers in our celebrity culture.

Let’s check out two from the list. Andre the Giant and Judy Garland.

Modern Drunkard details that “it has been estimated that Andre the Giant drank 7,000 calories worth of booze every day.” Holy shit. Any of you think you know how to throw a few beers back? You are nothing. Check this out (also from Modern Drunkard)“You won’t find it in the Guinness Book of World Records, but Andre the Giant holds the world record for the largest number of beers consumed in a single sitting. These were standard 12-ounce bottles of beer, nothing fancy, but during a six-hour period Andre drank 119 of them. It was one of the few times Andre got drunk enough to pass out, which he did in a hallway at his hotel.” Yea, 119.

Judy Garland struggled terribly with alcohol and drugs  through her later years and it ultimately was the cause of her cirrhosis of the liver and death from what was reported to be “an incautious self-overdosage” of barbiturates. She made numerous live performances  being heavily intoxicated while slurring interviews and nearly passing out at concerts. An awfully sad path for someone who was able to play characters that inspired such hope and color for countless generations.

There is nothing funny or amusing about how alcohol can systematically dismantle the people who struggle with its aggressively addictive nature. For every legendary Andre the Giant story there are countless stories with heart wrenching consequences. Love it. Hate it. It is here to stay either way.

Click here for show information.

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Ben Franklin once said, “There can’t be good living where there is not good drinking.” I find that quote highly debatable and slightly ironic. Sure, most of my best stories begin with “I was so wasted this one time that….” but for each legendary story I have compiled I am plagued with 50 liver-soaked, hang-over ridden, bruise bearing all-nighters that have probably shaved a considerably slice off the lifespan.

It is this dichotomy that I have chosen to explore for my first solo show, “DRUNK Illustrated”. I will be detailing my rancid, adventurous and mayhem ridden drinking stories as well as a collection of gems from friends and family. Each colorful story will be hand-painted and illustrated on a full 40oz bottle of bottle of Old English malt liquor while slowly rotating on bottom lit, revolving display platforms.

Drunken pink elephant style. Juxtaposing these stories with a cartoonish, colorful execution and displaying on rotating platform will illustrate the adictive, engaging and dizzying power that alcohol possesses over some of us.

A set of custom painted bottles will also feature portraits from a collection of the worlds greatest drinkers, happy & sad. These will feature Edgar Allen Poe, Andre the Giant, Ben Franklin, John Daly, and Judy Garland.

Come early, thirsty and prepared to share your greatest drinking stories. I know you have one or two that you wish you could forget.

Check out a few preview shots of the storied bottles:

The show will be located at the Bonded Llama on Capital Blvd in Raleigh.

The Llama can be a little hard to find but this map should help you out.

Click to find Bonded Llama on Google Maps.

Light food & refreshments will be provided while they last.

Questions? Hit me. uprockmedia@gmail.com – 919.522.0149

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Life goes on.

and on.

………. and on.

This is an artifact that every molecule in this entire universe shares and holds dearly. In our world life is a very tangible and delicate experience. Life is our most treasured posession. It is respected. It is cared for. And most heartbreakingly, it can be taken.

I have tried to live a life ripe with honest interactions. From time to time you bump into another person who shares this perspective. You can see it in the way they listen to a story you tell. You can hear it in the way they ask a question. You can feel it when a connection is formed.

I met Chris Psarros in the rain. It was late and the clouds had completely opened up in Jersey City. At the time I was dating his daughter, Ann Marie. She had left the light on in her car and the battery had died and she was sopposed to have the car back an hour before we realized that the car would not be starting. Chris drove a hour down to my apartment with my now mother-in-law in the pouring rain through the complicated network of urban sprawling roadways and poorly lit street signs. I was sure the meeting would be an awkward one. It wasn’t. His bigger-than-life smile with his neatly kept moustache and firm handshake laid the foundation for a connection that would last a lifetime. Chris had the kind of presence that would allow you to forget that it was raining.

We met the cancer on a beautifully sunny day. Chris had picked us up from the airport upon returning from a family trip to Disney. We fumbled our way out of the baggage area and into the sun where we were greeted by that smile and that handshake. That smile that will be impossible to forget in even the slightest degree. After driving us back to the house and showing us some generous work that he had done for us in the yard, he was struck dizzy. He lost his balance and almost collapsed to the floor. It was the first time I had ever seen him look afraid. Chris was a strong man. Nothing would rattle him. He was the definition of cool under pressure. But it scared me to see him look a little shook.

From that mark the cancer was in charge. The cancer decided to play out in the worst case scenario at every stage that we held out hope for. Every doctor visit, every test. Shit. Each stage more heartbreaking than the next. What was unthinkable a week before would be a stark reality the next. You begin to talk about filming video messages so my youngest daughter Makayla will see him, and hear him speak to her…. a hope that she will hold a memory of him. But the cancer was too ravenous and robbed us of even these kinds of plans. Before long and Chris wouldn’t be able to watch football games downstairs anymore. Helping him feel comfortable quickly became our only refuge. The act of sitting next to or laying down with him were moments treasured. Loved ones would visit and when it came time to leave, you would see the look and feel the hearts of people knowing this was a true goodbye. Heart. Breaking. It was an awful thing.

Chris passed with his family holding him. Literally. He was enveloped with people who would never say good-bye but had to that night. Watching and feeling someone pass is something. I don’t have a word and I’m not quite sure that one exists. I could paint a picture of the love that was present and the sorrow that had melted hot upon us all. I could describe the sounds that the family made when his final breath had passed. I could show you what my eyes look like when telling this story. But I really don’t think people have created words for that moment. It happened.

I will miss him. Often. My spiritual beliefs tend to vary but I do believe in one thing firmly. I believe that the afterlife lives on amongst the people you influenced in life. Chris lives on in my ability to chase my dreams, love life purely, find adventure, eat and live well, work hard, smile wide and shake firmly. In turn he will live on in my daughters lives for I will pass on all of my experiences and connections and lessons I shared with Chris on to my girls. And they, in turn, will pass these on to the people the interact with in this world. He will be with us forever in so many ways is impossible to calculate. But said simple, I love you Chris. And that will live on. And on……and on.

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I was invited by the great Georges Le Chevallier and preeminent Paul Friedrich to participate  in a three man art show entitled “3 the Hard Way”. The concept behind the show goes like this:

Each artsist will start will three pieces. A 3×3, a 2×2 and  a 1×1. The medium and materials is of the artists choosing. Once the three pieces have been prepared and painted on, there will be an exchange and each artist will trade out the work he has for a set of the other artists. We will have a month or so to work on those three and then another exchange will occur. It will be interesting to see how three artists with completely different backgrounds, processes and styles come together to make solid pieces of artwork. An added element, which should be cool, will be a documentary crew consisting of Robert and Lisa King from Octave Blue will be filming the entire process. They will also pull the curtain a bit to show what life is like for a hustling artist on the grind.

I can’t do my usual “step-by-step” postings for this show because each artist isn’t to know what the others are doing in detail while the project progresses. I will be able to make some updates though so stay tuned.

The show will be held on first Friday in December at the Lodi Project.

*Photography Credit: Lisa King

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The legendary North Carolina based bboy crew, Swoon Unit, is celebrating their 10th anniversary. They have put together a multi-layered series of events that include an open mic MC battle, a NC graffiti Wall of Fame event and a large format Bboy battle. It will be taking place at the Boys & Girls Club in downtown Raleigh on Sept 26th from 12-5. I have created a custom painted piece of linoleum for the battles to take place on.

When we first came up with the idea I figured it would be no big deal. Grab a piece of linoleum from Home Depot, hang it up, paint it, curtains. Well, dreaming is believing. I went to Home Depot and told the guys what I wanted to do and they started laughing at me.

Home Depot Guy – “Boy, what did you drive here? I hope you brought an extended bed pick-up.”

Me – ” Um, well, I drove a Honda Accord……”

Home Depot Guy – “What the hell are you talking about boy?”

Needless to say, it didn’t matter what view this guy had on my ability to judge the scope of the projects I take on. The fact of the matter was that I had to leave that place with a 12′x12′ piece of linoleum and I had to paint it in 24 hours time.

First off, a roll like that weight a fucking ton. Second, watching me try and fold a roll like that in half is like watching me do a few sets on a thigh-master. Sure, I can do it, but I look like a total shithead in the process.

Once I got it home and quickly realized it was way way way to heavy to hang on anything. I had to unroll it on the steepest hill I had in my backyard which measured in at about a 5 degrees downward. A fucking molehill.  See, a spraypaint can doesn’t spray unless it is upright. My only hope was to get it on an angle on the ground. By the time I get it moved, unrolled and set up I am sweating balls and it is late. I start to lay down my outlines. After a few minutes I decide to test the integrity of the paint and see how well it is adhering to the linoleum. With my barefoot I skuff gently at the paint…… the paint flakes right off of the thing. At this point I lay down on the plastic carpet that is sprawled across my lawn and decide that I will make this happen after I sleep and hopefully dream of a way out of this. I’ll return at sunrise.

I wake and I paint the entire piece. It comes out pretty good and I figure out a little bit of a trick to get spurts of paint to spray even when holding the can horizontal. It isnt the prettiest piece but it is also sopposed to be Old School Graf looking anyway. Fuck it. I figure I will coat the piece with some Mod Podge and pray that it will seal up the paint, allow me to roll it without cracking, and most importantly-allow for a series of bboys to go crazy on the thing without it ending up looking like Guernica. Now the rain starts…… A gift from the heavens stopped the drizzle for about an hour. The hour I needed to coat the thing and drag it into my living room. Once I got it inside all turned out well. The coating sealed up the paint. I tried scuffing it, all good. I sent Makayla running and dancing on it – all good. For good measure I sent my dog tearing ass over it a few times – all good. Yay.

As a celebration me and Makayla had a little breakdance session on it to christen it. I dont breakdance at all but apparently Makayla does. Who knew.

The event should be dope. Lets just hope I can tranport the thing with disaster. See you there.

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I am very excited and proud to be down with the BOMBED show at the LabourLove gallery in the Goldenbelt complex in Durham this Friday the 18th from 6 – 9pm. The show will feature Matt Scofield, Victor Knight, Greg Davis, Franco and myself. We did some live painting in the gallery last weekend which was a paint fume infested good time. I am still picking teal and baby blue boogers. The show will also feature  some digital illustrations, paintings and custom bridesmaid shoes… yep, you heard that right. There will be a shoe drive at the gallery that will be collecting shoes for the Helping Hands Missions Shoes-4-Souls campaign. The custom shoes will be auctioned off to benefit the Mission as well.

You would think that was plenty but we didnt stop there. The show will be blessed with the skills of DJ Paradime and will showcase some breakdancing from members of the Swoon Unit. This should be a “next-level” type of show. Let’s do the damn thing already.

Check out some behind the scenes action shots from last weekend:

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I am going to be participating in an art-based fundraiser supporting Toxic Free NC. The event has two parts: a bug drawing competition on First Friday in August, as well as a month-long exhibit of mixed media art.

All proceeds from sales of the art will be going to support Toxic Free NC’s courageous work to fight pesticide pollution in North Carolina. More on that at www.toxicfreenc.org.

Should be a cool event. You know I am always game when there is competitive creativity in the mix.

——————–

It took me a little while to decide on what direction I should be headed in with this one. Once the brain-dust settled I figured I would stick to my recent musical-themed art and hook up a musical band of bugs.

Right away I got in touch with the Entomology Dept of the Smithsonian and asked about what bugs were capable of making decent music. I know that crickets can hold a rhythm and figured there had to be more. He gave me a few favorites of his but also directed me to a book called “The Songs of Insects” which not only detailed all of the music making malaria but also came with a cd that had samples of the sounds they made.

I went through the entire book and selected a few of my favorites, listened to the music they made, and from there I decided who would be playing what. After a few compositional sketches I made up my mind and hooked up the full sketch.

I left a space on the drums for the band name. What do you think of “The Buzz”? To obvious? I’ll work on it.

** The band name is “The Bug-Eyed Betties“. Money.

All Finished Up. I know this Step by Step was severely lacking in process and I appologize. Shit has been crazy and I have been trying to keep my head above water. Now that I am done I can comfortably say that this was another transition piece for me. I will be reworking the Tippy project using this process as well as any future (long form) illustration gigs.

I’m really looking forward to the event as well. Make sure to come by if you can. Check out the details for the show by clicking here.

The show:
The event was fun. I was curious to see how they would utilize a small area for such a big event and I was thoroughly impressed with how it all went down.

The amazing Onion-headed Paul Friedrich walked away with the honors. The guy was a machine. We put out 10 to my five…. and I thought 5 was a decent amount. Well, if they do this next year I have already adjusted my strategy and will bring it hard. Watch your back Paul. Hiiiya!

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Me and the great Matt Scofield have had an eye out for a studio space for a little while. We both needed a space to work bigger and not have to worry about a paint mess, toxic fumes or man dandruff. Thanks to Matt we were able to link up with Bonded Llama Studios and score a basement studio. The location may seem a little rough around the edges but this is exactly what I was looking for. The spot has massive potential for many reasons….. It’s good.

I swung by today to take some photos before we move in which should take place next week. The old tennant (whos things you may see in the photos) is the amazing David Eichenberger. Hopefully we will do the place as much justice as he has.

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A little while ago I sat down with my daughters and showed them the art of the paper bag monster. Little did I know that this session would give birth to two little buggers named Zoopy and Billiam and would entertain my daughters and their friends like crazy. What quickly emerged was the Zoopy and Billiam show which was made up of some raw dialogue between a southern yee-haw (who suffers from untimely flatulence and a tendency to think anythink is edible) and an upper-class Englishman (who knows his manners but is blindly in love with Makayla Rae and despaprately seeks her hand in marriage). Were talking songs and dancing and jokes and endlessly sending Zoopy to time-out. We have been having so much fun with them (and they are quickly getting tore up from all the tomfoolery) that I have decided to put together a legitimate puppet set for Zoopy and Billiam muppet style. I haven’t tried this before so it should be interesting. I also have very limited time for a project like this so it will grow slowly but I will keep you posted on the progress. Stay tuned. It’s hard not to love these guys.

Zoopy will go first. I have researched online what the best way to make these things are and have gotten a bit frustrated. I haven’t found clear instruction. So, in the spirit of forward progress I will do what I know and that is scuplture. I need to have a better understanding of how these guys will look in a 3 dimensional setting anyways. I will go my standard Super Sculpey route and create a 6″ little Zoopy guy.

First things first:

Sketches:

I have been fleshing Zoopy out while files are saving or waiting for the computer to start up. This provides for some very loose, very fun sketches and I think it is moving in the right direction.

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Mario at the Green Hill Center for NC Art hooked up a time lapse of the murals progression. We took a little longer than the time lapse lasted but it came out cool regardless. Check it out:

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I am being featured in this months Skirt Magazine in the “He’s So Original” section. Each month they choose a guy who is on his hustle, put him in a skirt and feature his particulars. Luckily I chose to wear a long skirt so that all of my particulars weren’t featured, nahmsayin?

The magazine is well done with great photography and engaging stories. My coworker and friend, Libbye Morris put together a fantastic essay and was also featured in this issue.

Check out the online version here.

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I am participating in another group show with the collective that hooked up the Windows Down show.The show will be in Greensboro at the Green Hill Center for the Arts. I have to admit that due to all of that intensity that has been going on in my life, I wasn’t completely clear on what was going down for the show. I had also caught wind that the Obama show I had participated in was going to be travelling to Greensboro. It wasn’t until this evening that I realized that the new Windows Down show was going to be showcasing the Obama show in a different room during the same show. Crazy. Anyways, you can check out the press release here.

As a group we decided to put together new panels for the show. The panels will be smaller then the ones we did in the original Windows Down show but we are going to run with the color theme once again. There will also be a collaborative wall as well as a space for showing smaller works on paper. I will chronicle the progress for my main panel submission.

I have always wanted to do a portrait of Redd Foxx and since I am running with yellow again I thought I could use a little word play. Redd Foxx and his character in Sanford and Son always seemed to remind me of my Grandfather. They even looked a little alike. Anyways, here goes:

Early process:

	I prepped and painted the panel with a few coats of yellow interior matte paint.
	After a few tries I have settled on a loose sketch that I will work from.
	After living with the original sketch for a while, I didn’t feel as comfortable with the pose as I thought I was. I decided to scrap it and start with a new, more rugged approach.
	I wanted to try a new approach to executing my line work. Redd Fox was such a rugged, textured personality and I wanted the line quality to reflect that.
	I am laying down a very rough and loose base layer of paint. I don’t think I am going to build the paint up much more. The richness of the portrait will come from the rugged line work that will be executed in the next step.
	I just finished up putting the line work together. I am really feeling this new process and I may be entering into a new process that I will carry through to my next few paintings. It is rare but it is one of my favorite things about creating art. The discovery. The next step will involve a pile of ….. silly putty. No shit.
	The tape-off.
	I cleaned out Target for their entire stash of Silly Putty.
	Remember doing this? It’s still fun.
	I was a little disappointed when I saw how light the newspaper print appeared on the wood. I’m going to have to figure out a better way to do this. Fopr now, here goes.
	Shake shake shake shake spray shake spray.
	It’s Alive muthafucker!
	New line work and detail style. It’s almost aboriginal.
	Amazing Glaze.
	More detail work.
	The Drop Off.
	“Ohhh…this is the big one. You hear that Elizabeth? I’m comin’ to join you honey!”

This is still funny.

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A few years ago I met up with the legendary KRS 1. We had a collection of conversations about building a kids book project together and things seemed to be moving right along. I was at a doctor appointment for my youngest daughter Makayla and I let her play with my cell phone to keep her occupied. At some point the phone disappeared along with my phone number contacts. I fruitlessly tried to find an alternate was of connecting but it wasn’t meant to be…..at least for that time.

I have been developing my own book project in the meantime. It’s a big one and I will start dropping details soon so keep an eye out.

I pulled a few of the brainstorming pages from the KRS 1 project for good measure. Hopefully one day it will catch traction again.

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About a year ago I was contacted to submit some artwork for a scene in a movie called “Streets of Blood“. I’m not talking about conceptual art for the design of the movie….. I’m talking about art for props. Apparently there is a character that is an artist and they wanted to use some of my work to hang on the wall to look as though it is the work of that artist. Outside of his information, I know nothing about how it will be shown…. if at all. That being said, I don’t want to make a huge announcement that my stuff will be in this flick and then have people waiting to see it and it doesn’t show. That could very well happen. But if things work the way I’m hoping they do….. the movie will come to a climactic end with a bloody gun battle where the douche-bag meets his demise against a wall plastered with bullet-riddled, blood soaked, kick-ass Seano artwork. Roll credits.

Also, check out the trailer. I am fairly certain there is a straight-up oral scene about midway through. Late-night Showtime soft-core porno in the trailer of a film. That’s gotta be a first.

The Funny Backstory

So, once I emailed over a collection of pieces, the lady was concerned that most of my work were illustrations of actual people. She was concerned about the legal implications that could be involved. As I was just about to loose the gig, I thought quick and pitched an option where I digitally alter the faces so that they aren’t immediately recognizable. I used to do this kind of thing when I was learning Photoshop and I would turn friends into crazy looking mice and monsters. She was down for it so I quickly hooked it up. I wonder if people seeing these for the first time without knowing what the originals look like would find them as hysterical as I do.

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I just received an email from the Visual Art Exchange looking for artists to submit a piece for the the May First Friday exhibit titled “Unfettered”. For quite a while now I have wanted to do a series of portraits that are painted on found objects from the birthplace of the subject. Given the title of the show and the geography involved, I am going to do a portrait of jazz legend Thelonious Monk. He was born about an hour from here in Rocky Mount, NC. I have gotten a hold of the Rocky Mount City historian and have been able to narrow in on the address of his home when he was born. My goal is to find something….. anything….. hopefully something substantial that I can paint.

Here’s the catch.

It’s due Friday.

It is end of day Wednesday as I type this.

I am also up to my neck in some severely stressful times in my life. It seems like everything is closing in on me fast……. and this deadline figured it would jump on board as well. In typical Seano fashion, I will look to gain a sense of control over things by diving headfirst into a highly challenging project that only allows a thin sliver of opportunity to complete the task efficiently. I love it.

I will be early-birdin it and setting out to Rocky Mount at 5am. I figure I’ll get in around 6, find my way to the spot around 6:30(sunrise), complete my scavenging by 7. Grab a bite at a local spot and head back to be in Chapel Hill right on time at 8:30. Let’s go!

The Research:

Once I figured out what I was going to do, I needed to figure our HOW I was going to do it. I was able to find out that Theloniuos was born in Rocky Mount but were talking about the year 1917…..in rural NC. I called up the City of Rocky Mount and left messages for the city historian. I was hoping he may be able to direct me to the house that his family lived in when he was born. In the meantime I was able to dig up his birth certificate but the address that was listed didn’t exist anymore. Unfortunately I needed to move faster than the historian could get back to me so I started pursuing other avenues.

I was able to pull up a few articles that were written about Monks Southern roots. None of them directed me to the spot where the house was but one did have photographs of an official “Thelonious S. Monk Park” that was listed as sitting “about 100 yards” from the place where he lived. I looked up the park in the Rocky Mount Parks & Recreation website and found an address. From there I was able to triangulate the spot I was looking for. Google maps, print, lets go.

The Mission:

The alarm was set for 3 but after stressfully watching the Sixers blow Game 2 against the Magic the night before, it was a little rough going. I grabbed my things and hit the road at 5am. The ride was swift, meditative and suprisingly theraputic. I was driving east so I was blessed with a journey directly into the patiently glowing sunrise. I had “‘Round Midnight” on blast and I was feeling very good about the moment.

I arrived in Rocky Mount just as the sun was producing enough light to allow me to scavenge a bit. I followed an attractive set of train tracks for a while and found two solid pieces of wood. The first was my ideal pick: weathered, rugged, peaceful, and colorful. The main problem was that it looked like it could be the apartment complex for a host of little critters and cruds. I found a fairly standard piece of wood that was in a pile with some discarded railway bars. That will act as my backup just in case the critters ruin the show.

After I collected my wood, I got back in the car, followed the remaining directions, and found myself looped around and sitting about 100 feet from the spot where I found the wood. Perfect.

Check out a collection of the photos that I took from the mission:

The Execution (ironically titled):

I had what I thought to be, a sound plan.

1-Get a drawing down

2-Stain the wood to set the color base for the painting

3-Detail the illustration by using color pencils

4-Seal up the piece using a polyurethane

All was going well until I hit step 4. All of the detail work got wiped away when I applied the polyurethane. It sucks. This happened at 3am. So, I slept on it.

When I woke up I had a new vision and a revised drive to complete the piece. Today is the deadline so I am truly hoping that I can get a subtle adjustment to the delivery date. I’m looking for first thing in the morning. If I can swing that, I’m golden.

I picked myself out of bed, took the piece outside, spraypainted the whole thing black, and started fresh. I am going to execute with a much cleaner, simplified style of rendering. No pencils and lots of paint. Lets see if I can swing this.

The Finish

It turns out that the deadline wasn’t until Saturday at 4 so I had that extension that I was hoping for.

I followed the natural lines that the wood had created and painted in a set of piano keys. Once it was dry, I taped it off and got out the spray paint. I wanted the piano keys to have a more textured feel and fall into the background a bit. I pulled the tape, touched up the keys and the white shell and felt good about things. I cautiously attached the gear so it could be hung. I was crazy nervous that the wood would split but those old rail-ties hold strong as hell. It held and we were good to go. I added a few heres-and-theres, stood back and was happy with how it turned out. If this piece gets purchased, they will end up (unknowingly) getting two paintings for one. Lessons learned.

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1. “Unfettered” Art Show

I have been invited to participate in a fundraiser/silent auction where artists will paint/customize a ceramic pig. The proceeds will go towards the Whole Foods charity “Feed the Farm“. It is sponsored by Whole Foods and the auction will take place at The Pit on March 6th. It took me a day or so for a concept to crystalize but when it did….. oh yea. Ladies and Gentlemen, I will be presenting to you…. the Notorious P.I.G.

Here goes nothing….

The Base
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This is what each of the artists starts with. The blank canvas….

The Build-Up
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The initial texture of the ceramic pig was very dusty and the clay was not sticking. I decided to paint an acrylic white base coat, hoping that the clay would stick better to the acrylic. Luckily it worked out and I was able to start a strong build up of Biggies face. Its getting there….

The Eyes
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I just finished up working on his eyes and a few tweaks to the proportions of his face (fat roll on neck). The eyes were particularly small and tough to work in a style that held true to his likeness. I was happy with how the came out and once the paint hits this thing I think it will really solidify the Big Poppa.

Ears and the Oven
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After finishing up the ears and getting some advice from Kevin Dixon, I have baked the little big guy and I am happy to report he survived the process. I was nervous that the integrity of the original ceramic back  end would crack under the heat. It didn’t and I am moving onto paint right away. Yessir.

Disco Inferno!

The Paint
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I was so happy with the initial sculpt that I was nervous as hell to move forward with the paint. Plus, after it had cooled from the oven it had cracked in 5-6 places. Nothing gigantic but enough to bug me out a little. After reinforcing the cracks and prepping him a bit I was ready to go. It took me a few coats to get the skin tone right but so far so good.

photo credit: Nina Simone

No Guts, No Glory
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I took Piggy Smalls on a shopping trip and we were able to piece together the remaining bits that I wanted to complete him with. The last major hurdle was putting a “push-button” voice player that would be easy to use and reliable. I stopped by Build-A-Bear and picked up a voice recorder unit that they usually seal up in the bears. Once I got home I broke down a Todd McFarlane-Julius Erving figure and pilfered his wire post. I had to grind down the post and customize the button and wire but once that was done, it worked. I will be adding a new hole (a bung hole) to access the speaker unit as will also allow the user to get any money or whatever out of the little guy. Yay, it works.

Finished Up
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I finished him just in time. I was able to hook up all the final details and dropped him off. I am in the process of switching my blog setup so I uploaded the majority of the photos to Facebook. I will put links to the galleries at the end of this post. Thanks for keeping up and drop a line with any questions about the great Piggy Smalls.

Final product photo gallery click here

Pigs on Parade gallery click here

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3. Skull Vomit

I have been desperately searching for an avenue that I can use to relax. I was hoping I would find a place within meditation but ironically I just haven’t been able to find the time or place to achieve a good meditative state. This Tuesday I decided to go downtown and take part in a group figure study. The session went from 7 to 10 and it was by far the most theraputic, meditative experience I have found in memory. I will be trying my best to make it every Tuesday from here out and I would also like to participate in some long poses which take place on the occasional Saturday. It is a bonus that I am refining my drawing skills while I’m at it.

I highly recommend it.
Artspace

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30 second poses

60 second poses

15 minute pose

30 minute poses

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I was invited to showcase at a celebratory art exhibition to commemorate the innauguration of Barack Obama. I am extremely excited and have begun a hustle to push a brand new, rock solid piece in. I will be painting directly on wood and will be detailing the process (you know how I do). Stay tuned…

Wood prep:

I want the illustration to reflect distinguished character that Obama represents while staying true to his grass roots texture. I decided that applying a dark stain to a defined wood grain could set the tone proper.

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Pencils:

It took me much longer than expected to get the pencils right. I went through a handful of concepts but I am very comfy with these here. Can’t wait for the next step.

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Pencils on Panel:

The secret is out. Nina Simone does all the pencil work for my pieces. Seriously though, Nina took a very late nap and stayed up painting with me and listening to music. It rarely gets better than that.

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Base Coat:

It’s just that. The base coat of paint. From here I will build from this foundation.

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Paint Progression:

I am using acrylics and spray paint to render out the portrait. I’m entering into some exploratory areas for me but I’m still feeling comfortable about things. It’s coming along.

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Taping:

In order to build up the background texture and add some depth, I need to tape off the entire illustration. Once the tape is applied I utilize some can control and build up some spray paint. Removing the tape is the bet part. It’s kind of like removing a cast from a broken bone. A new breathe.

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Mod Podge:

Because I used to many different kinds of media, I wanted to unify the texture and finish. I did this by coating the piece with Mod Podge. It’s a bit of a nerve-racking process because it goes on stark white. It eventually dries clear but there a few minutes where you sweat it out worrying that you just wrecked the damn hing.

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Final:

By morning the coating had dried and the piece was ready to go. It was a little tough to photograph but I think these came out ok. I dropped off the piece at Designbox and were ready to go. This one is in the books. Looking forward to the show.

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I have been chipping away at the great Tippy Wigglesworth book for some time. I thought I had settled in on the design of Tippy and had most of the book drawn in when I realized that Tippy wasn’t quite right. He was very loveable but the length of his arms limitted my ability to really get loose when creating dynamic illustrations. I decided to go with wild, curious, exploring arms and encorporate them into much more of the composition of each illustration. Now that I have him fleshed out proper, I am going to burn through this book and make it happen.

Tippy is an octopus
he had eight arms you know….

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Now that we have the BuckleyBoo set in stock, the webiste is live, and the stores are beginning to stock– We are going to be putting together a kids book to suppliment the toys. The idea is that we will design and build the world that the Buckley crew live, play and develop storylines in. I am taking special care to thin through as much of the detail as possible. The hope is that one day we can pitch a full blown cartoon and merchandising push. I will cronicle the progress with this first book. Stay tuned.

SKETCHING
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I have been complining a ton of sketches and concept drawings to get the world properly fleshed out.

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I’m going to hook up another step-by-step for the Windows-Down Art Show panel I am painting. Stay tuned.

PENCILS
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Finalized pencils. I am going for loose and fun. I’m feeling this one.

PANEL PREP
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The panel is much larger than I initially imagined. I threw on three coats of Canary Yellow matte finish interior paint.

PENCILS ON PANEL
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I am a little worried that the pencils are not quite proportioned properly. It’s a nagging feeling in my tummy but I am going to push forward and potentially repair and awkwardness down the line.

PAINT PROGRESSION
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I have to keep the pallette strictly yellows which is quite a challenge for me. I am not used to working this way at all. I usually depend on color combinations and contrast which I just can’t do here. There’s a good chance you will see me changing hues and color choices throughout the process.

PAINTY PAINT
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Seems to be getting along now. I put in a very late night last night and plan to do so until she is done. I am finally fieeling more comfy with the yellow pallette and I am feeling like she will come together tight.

REFINED BOMB
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I spent some time working out the bomb painting. I also worked out a few more of the color issues while pushing the outline a bit. We’re getting there people.

TAPING
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I wanted to go back and do some spray painting fades into the background. The only way to efficiently do that was to tape off the entire piece. I use the blue painters taoe that you can get at any hardware or paint store. It is a painstaking process but necessary at this point. After the spray paint has been applied you have to remove the tape like a surgeon so you don;t pull up too much paint.

THE DROP OFF
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I just got back from dropping her off at the gallery. It was hard but I had to give my girl some space. When you spend so much intimate time together you just want to keep her close. The yellow blossomed into a perfect marigold. Do your thing sunshine!

THE SHOW
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The show went off fantastic. The place was packed. The gallery people were thrilled. It was really good. Check out the follwoing link to see the full photo set from the show.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?page=1&aid=81133&id=676146829

Ok then. NEXT!

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I ran across these while cleaning up some folders. There is something cool about going back and checking out the textured pencils. If you look close you can see that I do a tiny thumbnail skecth to flesh out the composition in the top corner of each page. I use them as reference as I build the rest of the illustration. The areas where the pencils are very very loose is set aside for elements that I plan on adding later digitally.

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I have been at this “9-5 day-gig mornings” and “10-3 freelance evenings” for a few years now. I figure I have maxed out what I am capable of outputting using this model. I have decided to revise the way I have been working and starting October 1st I will be pushing out a whole new approach. The focus will be on a select handful of clients while grinding out some kid book projects that I have had on the shelf. I will also be pushing out a new series of illustrations that will be making a run on t-shirts, cell phone wallpapers and posters. This will allow me to have greater growth potential while expanding my potential fan base. I will keep you looped as these projects grow. Wish me luck. I’m leaning into this turn hard.

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I am working on a Halloween promo for my people at Luck Design + Media. I figured I was due for another step by step process post. This will be considerably different from my Drawing Blanks deck process because there will be a heavy amount of digital rendering involved. Here are the initial pencils that are based on the classic Night of the Living Dead movie poster. More to come..

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INSPIRATION

My initial concept was to replicate the look and feel of the classic “Night of the Living Dead” movie poster. The colors, content and classiness were very attractive when deciding on a direction for the flyer. When creating halloween imagery, you want to be creepy and cool while avoiding bloody and disgusting. While I may be more drawn to the latter in my personal life…. it may not appeal to potential clients.

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PHOTO SHOOT

I wanted to get some zombies roaming about the composition but I wanted to make sure they looked right. The best way to go about this is a photo shoot. So, as you can see I made a fool of myself but I did get some decent zombie reference. If you ever what I would look like once I decent to come back and haunt your ass…. well, here you go.

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Texture files and Coloring

I used a number of varying textures to render out the final illustration. I find this useful when trying to get a realistic feel while operating under a tight deadline. It does take a certain amount of practice and skill to understand how to properly manipulate the files but once you have a style and method you are good to go. Here are a just a few of the raw files that I used to help simulate the textures in the illustration.

This closeup illustrates how the texture looks once applied.

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FULL RENDERING

I used a combination of methods to complete the rendering of the flyer. I used a handful of photographed textures, vector shapes, photoshop painting, and raw-dog pencil-paper to push this project through. I’ll be dropping the back side tonight.

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Lets take a second and remember the aliens at my going away party in Brooklyn way back when.

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The first official photo shoot went down last week. Word was that the scene was a bit chaotic and crazy with all the kids but the photos came out solid. My daughters are lookign cute as crazy too. The photographer was Bryan Regan. His work is really solid. Check out his blog here.

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You may know about this site. It’s fun as hell to use to go check out old versions of websites, especially your own. Most of the bigger image links didn’t hold but I was able to pull this gem out. I didn’t even remember doing this illustration. It’s kind of fresh though….

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I have decided to create my deck using a bit of an experimental process. I am going to attempt to fuse some heavy watercolor paper onto the sanded down deck. From there I will render using pencils and watercolor. I will seal it up with a heavy mod podge lacquer. Hopefully I don;t blow the whole thing.

I have settled on doing a portrait of American Blues legend John Lee Hooker. I have been addicted to his “Big Soul of John Lee Hooker” album. If you don’t know it, you need to.

I will be uploading the process….. including the times when I am under my drafting table crying…….nude.

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Watercolor Base coat

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Early stage rendering

A bit more…..

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I have been doing illustration for the street ball publication “Bounce Magazine” for about three years now. The editor in chief is moving on to something new and with him goes me. I have enjoyed the gig thoroughly and will miss it. Who knows, maybe I will fill the void with drugs and alchohol.

For now, a retrosprective…..

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There is going to be a smoking hot show on June 6th here in Raleigh. They gathered a collection of artists on the grind and gave them each a blank skate deck or a white pair of sneakers. Each piece will be customized and sold for charity. The show will be split between FM Goods and Endless Grind. If your in the area your going to have to check it out.

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The show went down really really well. I definatelt felt like I showed up a little unprepared because I really didn;t know what to expect. Next time through I will know exactly how to hook it up proper. Different sizing, different marketing etc. That said, the show really did go well. It was great finally meeting everyone and the crowd was crazy. I have never really seen anything quite like it. Well done.

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We went to an Obama fundraiser downtown last Wednesday. The organizers were looking for someone to donate some time and effort towards painting a trailer that they bring to events. It would be pulled around Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill in the in-between time. I decided to hook it up strong. I went on a painting binge that went from Saturday morning 10am all the way through 6:30 am the next morning. Cold as hell…raining, sleet. Get er done!

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Just got word that I am invited to show at the Art Beats & Lyrics group show in Charlotte. This is a really big deal. The last show they did in Atlanta was really big time and the fact that I have been invited to show next to some of the best in the industry makes my head spin a little.

Check it out:

art beats lyrics youtube

youtube video from ATL show

Good looking out Dubelyoo

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