Adebanji's Mokeskin for the Flying Moleskin Blog

This is for the Flying Mokeskin Project. Please click on over to that Blog HERE to read about this image.

This was for Adebanji Alade's book. Please take a look at this very talented artist's work HERE.

Section A, above the fold

The Newspaper Editor always chooses the most eye or interesting catching article for the front page (section A) and places it above the fold so it is seen when it is stacked at a newsstand. This is one of the places I didn't want to see controversial incidents regarding police action when I was part of a team of Press Information Officers for my form Department.

However, when you're looking for publicity you want to be placed there. So a little good news is one of my paintings was placed in that prime position for the announcement of our local show but the bad news is that I was not credited for it. LOL. So you can see "Lone Bear" on the front page of the Tri-City Voice HERE.

On a side note, I was looking forward to attending the reception to this show because three of my pieces were accepted but unfortunately I learned my Uncle had passed away and his memorial service was on the same day at the same time. I wanted to share a part of the beautiful service with you because even though I was baptized Episcopalian because of my mother's beliefs, I have come to respect and admire my father's Buddhist religion.

You will see my cousin Ken Yamada presiding over the services. I am very proud of him because he is the only American born minister/priest who traveled to Japan to study and returned to California to teach the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. His temple (Higashi Hongashi) is located in Berkeley. His beautiful wife is an attorney working in San Francisco and they have two wonderful children together. I promised I would go to one of his services in the near future and now that I've blogged it, I've locked myself into that promise haven't I?

Ken is lighting incense to be placed in the stand behind him for participants to make an offering.

Ken chanted prayers during the service. It was almost mystical when his voice harmonized with the gong. My other cousins own flower shops in the area and you can see one of their many arrangements behind Ken.

Artistic License

Versus a motorcycle license that is. My pal Mark asked for another painting of a motorcycle he owns. He specifically wanted the stone mountain in the background but not the pedestrian sign. He left everything else up to me.

Although he wanted it on the same square format as his first painting, I could not do it justice so I painted on a portrait format. I moved the bike over to the left a little and had to make up some parts of the painting that I didn't see or were in the way. We'll see what he thinks of it when he gets back from his road trip from Texas to Arkansas.

20x16 oil on canvas

I'm back....

No, I wasn't stuck under a large piece of furniture, just needed a little time to regroup and re-energize!

The top piece is for the Flying Moleskin project. You can get more info on it by going to that BLOG.

The second piece, you'll recognize is that daggone University piece. I think I'm finally happy with the shadow color on the bridge. What do you think?