John Price Art

New Art Website!!!!

2012-01-05T18:06:00.001-08:00

It's only one page, but my website is up. As I obtain more business & add oil & pastels to my resume, it will change.
www.johnpriceart.com

Occupied

2011-12-30T10:14:00.001-08:00

This pastel drawing is 18x24 and was drawn by a resident artist at Artful Occupation. On November 15, 2011, Occupy Richmond held a Solidarity Rally at Kanawha Plaza. This one protester spoke volumes with his body language alone. Amidst the yelling and screaming, he sat on the fence, calm, quiet, with an upside down American Flag. An upside down flag is the international sign of distress. What made this so powerful was that he was directly across the street from the Richmond branch of the Federal Reserve.

Artful Occupation

2011-12-30T10:11:00.000-08:00

Artful Occupation is a group of local visual and fine artists who wish to document monumental history in the making.

Artful Occupation collectively researches, records and documents different topics, events and protests. We do this in various forms; Photography, film, statements, visual arts, and event summaries.
We wish to capture the truth and essential nature of the many monumental events occurring during our life time.

Artful Occupation is not a political movement, nor are we associated with any political party. We are an unbiased art group that desires to document history in a traditional artistic fashion.

Art can be a powerful tool, and has shown this throughout the centuries. Understand that, though art can be a formidable instrument in recording history in the making, propaganda is not on the agenda of Artful Occupation.

Mom & Dad - One Final Sunset

2011-12-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

This is my mom's Christmas present. My family & I won't be able to make it to see her until this week, and unfortunately, we missed Christmas with her. This was her first Christmas in 35 years without my father. He passed this year on June 19, Father's Day. This was one of their final photographs together. His heart was giving him a heck of a time, and he finally succumbed to congestive heart failure.

The photo I was working from was a black & white image, and I decided to put hints of pastel in it to give it a slightly colorized look.

Failed Jackson Pollock Self Portrait

2011-12-05T18:33:00.001-08:00

I tried to take a stab at Jackson Pollock's drip painting style. I wanted to create somewhat of a self portrait. So I outlined the darkest darks of my face and went from there. Oh well ... back to the drawing board.

Lady Sings The Blues

2011-11-16T03:51:00.000-08:00

Private Residential Wall Mural

2011-10-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

This piece is incomplete, but was commissioned for a private residence. Once complete, I will post the symbolism behind everything. It's actually an amazing story.

Inspection

2011-10-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

What started out as a charcoal sketch of a nude model at school, became a drawing. I've always been curious about the evil that a person can become, and Nazi Germany has always intrigued me.

In this sketch, a Nazi officer inspects his subject before he declares her fate. Her friend, who just moments before was in conversation with, now lies lifeless on the floor. She is humiliated as she stands, naked, scared, and trembling, wondering what is to be her fate. Is a life left starving to death in a concentration camp worth more than to face the barrel of a gun? The officer orders her to turn this way and that, torturing her mind. The mental anguish seems far worse than the fate of death. She's a Jew, and to him, death is only retribution. She's beneath him, and his own morality dictates that sooner or later, she deserves what he would have in store for her.

Regardless her outcome, this Nazi officer, if he doesn't die by the end of the war, his body will hang from a post, or he'll feel the heat of a bullet as his heart is ripped out from a firing squad.

As nation after nation decides to go to war, torturing the individuals who would rise up against them, the winner will one day face death in the same manner as the loser. During WWII, my grandfather shot and killed many German officers, but he too, well after the war was over, came to the end of the road.

This depiction of the humility of an innocent human being, brought before the slime of humanity, captures a single moment in the life of a Jewish lady in Nazi Germany. Day after day, year after year, they were brought before their captors who sought to exterminate them. The cold and heartless actions of this officer shows just how low one human being can be.

Justified, Sanctified, Filled

2011-10-25T16:20:00.000-07:00

A man finds a cup in the ground. He picks it up and takes it into the house. He washes it off, cleans it up, and sets it aside. Then, he fills it with coffee and drinks from it. The cup is you. The man is Christ. This is Him finding you and saving you. That's justification. He washes the cup and cleans it out. That's sanctification - cleaned and set aside for service. Then, He fills you. Just because a person accepts Christ into his heart doesn't mean that he won't be fully cleaned. He may still desire to do filthy things. It takes Christ to clean all of the worldliness out of your life. Then, He can fill you with His presence, to be used in His service.

Sniper

2011-10-24T18:38:00.001-07:00

This charcoal drawing is beautifully framed. It won 2nd place at the Artworks Art Gallery - 320 Hull Street Road - People's Choice Award. This is one of my finest pieces to date.

Completed - In Progress - shots of the I Have A Dream drawing

2011-10-23T11:17:00.000-07:00

'I Have A Dream' - The Price of Equality

2011-10-23T11:13:00.001-07:00

This is a charcoal drawing of the Assassination of Dr. King. Dr. King's body is just below the people pointing on the left. What's sad about this photo is that the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. King was killed, cannot verify who these people are. A few years ago, a writer went back and found all of the main stunt actors and extras who were on the set of Bruce Lee's Enter The Dragon. Yet, in one of the most famous photographs, nobody can verify the names of 5 or 6 people on the balcony.

Please email if you're interested in purchasing - jdpartist@yahoo.com. This picture will not be sold unframed.

'I Have A Dream' - The Price of Equality

2011-10-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

'I Have A Dream' - The Price of Equality

2011-10-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is maybe 25-30 hours in so far.

'I Have A Dream' - The Price of Equality

2011-10-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

There is a great amount of detail that I will not be able to capture. None of the photos I have, have clear facial features of the individuals not only on the ground, but on the balcony as well. All I can do is capture it as best as I can. If there are no visible facial features in the photo, there'll be no visible facial features in the drawing. I'm not going to use artistic liberties here, as it is my desire to recreate this historical photograph as best as I possibly can.

'I Have A Dream - The Price of Equality'

2011-10-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

'I Have A Dream' - The Price of Equality

2011-10-15T13:16:00.001-07:00

Here is an incomplete drawing I'm working on. It's called, 'I Have A Dream' - The Price of Equality. It's a charcoal drawing on 18x24 charcoal paper of the scene from the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was killed at that Lorraine Motel in Tennessee, where the National Civil Rights Museum is presently located. What is intriguing about this photo is that one of the men - I'm not sure which one off hand, and I'll explain that in a later posting, is Marrell McCollough, an undercover Memphis police officer. Anyway, when I get finished, this will be a recreation of that photo. I will not be using any creative liberties, I will be doing the most uninspired thing of all, I'll just be copying a photo. The photograph, from the best of my understanding, is copyrighted. This is not an attempt to violate any copyright laws either. This piece is intriguing to me because this was the price of equality. Dr. King had to be assassinated just because of his desire for equality. What a dream!!! I've always been touched by this man's life, and it's a shame that he had to go in the manner he did.

Midnight on the Road to Bree

2011-10-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

This painting was inspired from Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'. After reading the book, the scenes from the hobbits journey to Bree stood out to me. I did take some creative liberties, as did Peter Jackson, and Ralph Bakshi, and added lanterns. I didn't see any lanterns in the story, but I thought it added to the story. I was impressed to put one of the Black Riders in the painting, off in the distance, but at the end, I decided against it. As in my other postings of my artwork, I have digitally removed and added things. Instead of someone being able to digitally remove a watermark, I decided to just change some things for online viewing. If you'd like to see the unaltered image, please email me.

The painting is 24x36, oil glaze. It took about 2 months to complete. Please email if you're interested in purchasing.
$2400.00

Landscape of John Tyler Community College II

2011-10-10T07:05:00.000-07:00

Another landscape of John Tyler Community College in pastel.

18x24

Edits of artwork

2011-09-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that from time to time, individuals download my artwork & shift it off as their own. What I've done is, I have photoshopped minor changes to some of my work. The pieces you see on here are slightly different than the original. Take the pastel piece of the John Tyler landscape I've posted. There's something in the right corner of the original that I photoshopped out of the piece you see here. If you'd like to see the original, you'll have to email me.

Landscape of John Tyler Community College

2011-09-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Study in Pastel of the John Tyler Community College landscape.

Pastel Still Life

2011-09-18T13:53:00.001-07:00

Please email if you're interested in purchasing.

Lot's Wife

2011-09-09T02:46:00.000-07:00

18x24 charcoal of Lot's Wife.

Basically, it's modeled after the story in the book of Genesis of Lot's wife. Lot and his family were told to leave Sodom. After fleeing the city, Lot's wife turned back to look, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. I can imagine that there was a lot of heartache in leaving the city - their family lived there, as did all of their friends. She probably heard the screams and torment, but not only that, her heart was still in the city.

The thought behind this drawing is based on that story, but years later. I imagined that, years after the salt began to dissolve and wash away - what if the bones of her body began to show through? In the background I decided to abstract fire raining from above. It's more of an abstracted memory of what happened than an actual background. This is what I came up with.

Please contact if you're interested in purchasing.
$1500.00

Teddy Bear

2011-09-07T07:43:00.001-07:00

This is a charcoal drawing of a client's dog, 'Teddy Bear'. It's her anniversary gift to her husband. It's 11x17, and it was a lot of fun. I love doing pets.

Reflections of Reality

2011-08-10T07:31:00.001-07:00

I had this idea of buildings dancing. I used to be a great lover of jazz years ago, and I thought, "what if the buildings were dancing to some classic jazz while the reflection of the buildings was a realistic reflection?" So that's what I did here. I love pthalo blue, it's one of my favorite blues. Here, the buildings are dancing & swaying, and the reflection is just an ordinary reflection of water.

36"x48" oil
$1200

Sniper

2011-07-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

This was taken from a photograph during WWII of a Canadian Sniper. I don't see too many photos that just grab my attention. I see a lot of beautiful photographs from nature to portraits, but not too many that just grab me. I did some research on the photograph, but I couldn't find any. There was something so intense about it that I felt I had to capture it. For about a month I worked on this, clocking 80 hours or more. Sometimes I'd work for a few minutes, other times, hours into the night. I don't know if this sniper has killed anyone or if he's getting ready to take the shot - who knows, maybe he's sighting his next target. Whatever is going on however, he's focused on the target.

I think that grabbed me the most about this photo was this sniper's story. We all have a story to tell - he's no different. He has a family somewhere that's waiting on him, missing him, and wondering if he'll ever come home. Night after night he sleeps in an area of the world that's unknown to him. Who knows what horrors of war he has faced already - or the ones that are to come?

The drawing is 18x24, charcoal, vine charcoal, and conte. Please email if you're interested.

The earth

2011-07-15T07:29:00.002-07:00

Not my design, but I thought it was cool nonetheless.

Absence

2011-06-16T10:53:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've been absent lately with no postings. I've been in school as well as involved with other projects. I hope to upload some new work later on this month, maybe early July. I'm doing some mural work, so it will take a great deal of my time. I apologize for not being more involved with my blog right now, but I plan to get back on it no later than early July.

Still Life Study 8x10

2011-05-24T16:07:00.001-07:00

This is a glaze painting of an olive green coffee mug on a magenta cloth. It's a study in how the glaze works. If you're interested in it, $85.00 is my asking price.

The Presidents

2011-05-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

As far as The Presidents series goes, I am putting that to rest momentarily. The gentleman who I was working on the project with, has kind of put the book down. I was really hoping to have a great collection here. The idea behind the book was for me to do very high quality portraits in graphite of each U.S. President for a book about the presidents. Instead of having a bunch of stock pictures of each president, why not have one artist do all of the presidents in detail. Hopefully, the author will pick the book back up someday. If not, who knows, maybe I'll complete the series 'just because'. I learned a great deal about the presidents, and I hope to continue this journey someday.

The Presidents - John F. Kennedy

2011-05-08T19:24:00.001-07:00

Please Do Not Copy

2011-05-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

It is sad when the owner of personal property has to remind others not to use his/her things without permission. You would be very upset if someone came into your house, or yard, or jumped into your car, and began to use it without your permission. Understand that this artwork is created by me. It takes anywhere from 18-32 hours per portrait. This is how I make my living. Please use my artwork for your desktop wallpaper. However, it is very unprofessional and unethical to take my artwork for your own personal use, to download it, and present it as your own. Nobody has the authority to alter my work.

Thank you,
John Price

the Presidents - Franklin D. Roosevelt

2011-05-03T10:42:00.001-07:00

The Presidents - Woodrow Wilson

2011-05-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

The Presidents - William McKinley

2011-04-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

The 25th President of the United States, William McKinley. President McKinley was assassinated by Leon Czolgosz.

The Presidents - Benjamin Harrison

2011-04-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

The only U.S. President who was a grandson of another president. His grandfather was U.S. President William Henry Harrison.

The Presidents - John Tyler

2011-04-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Graphite - 11x14 of John Tyler. For purchasing prints, please contact me at jdpartist@yahoo.com.

Thomas & Kirby

2011-04-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

Completed drawing for Beth Holmes of her champs, 'Thomas & Kirby'
Charcoal - 11x17

Thomas & Kirby

2011-04-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Drawing for Beth Holmes - former winner of the Westminster Kennel Club. You can view her dogs at www.fairwindswss.com

Wall Mural - Atlanta Braves Mural

2011-04-10T06:32:00.001-07:00

Still Life - Conte on tinted paper

2011-04-07T04:54:00.000-07:00

Still life of a silver dish with a flower. The size is 26x20.
$450 - please contact me at jdpartist@yahoo to purchase

The Presidents - Thomas Jefferson

2011-04-05T16:30:00.001-07:00

Graphite - 11x14 of Thomas Jefferson. For purchasing prints, please contact me at jdpartist@yahoo.com.

The Presidents - John Adams

2011-04-04T15:40:00.001-07:00

Graphite - 11x14 of John Adams. For purchasing prints, please contact me at jdpartist@yahoo.com.

The Presidents - George Washington

2011-04-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Graphite - 11x14 of George Washington. For purchasing prints, please contact me at jdpartist@yahoo.com.

Bruce Springsteen with Malcolm Whitrick's Daughter

2011-04-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

Commissioned Portrait of Malcolm Whitrick's daughter invited onstage to sing with Bruce Springsteen.

Me - Photoshop

2011-03-25T20:07:00.001-07:00

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-03-15T03:13:00.001-07:00

This wall mural at ICS, stretched maybe a little over 60 feet. It was a continual wrap around that covered the hallway, and main entrance walkway of ICS. It was a real pleasure working with Pascal - the Executive Director of ICS, as well as some of his colleagues like Priscilla and Daphne. They are a wonderful group of people to work with.

The mural, as you can see in preceding posts, stretches quite a ways. Unfortunately, I cannot post all of the photographs. After awhile, it can become redundant. The mural is a tranquil lake that is so quiet, that the land mass reflects perfectly in the water, mirroring its image.

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-03-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

This is just before completion of this particular section, but it's one of the last photographs I could snap of it. There are a few spots that I hadn't gotten to at this moment.

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-03-14T05:03:00.001-07:00

This is the hallway at ICS

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-03-11T18:30:00.001-08:00

The main wall at ICS

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-03-09T03:56:00.001-08:00

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-03-03T18:23:00.000-08:00

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-02-28T13:50:00.001-08:00

This is a wall mural for ICS - Independent Capacity System, Inc., an organization dedicated to helping adults with disabilities. ICS has a very positive history for ensuring the positive results for its clients. This is one of several murals that I did for ICS. This is in the main entrance.

The five doves you see below the two images above are close-ups. Because this facility aids those who have mental challenges, the doves represent their progression. The first dove is just an outline, symbolizing their basic mental capacity when they arrive - the final, completed dove that's soaring, symbolizes their complete state.

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-02-27T14:37:00.001-08:00

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-02-26T15:22:00.001-08:00

Wall Mural - ICS

2011-02-25T20:29:00.001-08:00

Peek-A-Boo

2011-02-05T17:13:00.001-08:00

This is an oil painting called, 'Peek-A-Boo'. Imagine being out in the woods alone - it's misty, kinda hazy, and you happen to notice this figure staring back at you. He's partly covering his face, but with a look as though he's playing hide-and-seek. The problem with this version of hide-and-seek is, he doesn't really care if you want to play or not.

Please email if you're interested in purchasing. jdpartist@yahoo.com

Elvis - Acrylic

2011-02-04T03:47:00.000-08:00

Acrylic Painting of Elvis 18x24 - pop style

If That Isn't Love

2011-01-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

This is the final image. It's of Christ, on His way to Calvary. Here, He holds the power to call all of heaven to His aid - destroy the world, and end it all. His love, His righteousness, and His grace, compelled Him to go to Calvary and die for you and me. The only color in this painting is His blood.

Prints are 16x20 - $100.00 unframed, or $285.00 framed. The frame is a wooden, blood red frame.

If That Isn't Love

2011-01-11T15:43:00.000-08:00

Me. Painting.

James Flames CD Cover II

2010-12-19T13:10:00.001-08:00

This is a photoshopped cover for an album for James Flames.

Lebron James

2010-12-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

Charcoal 11x17 of Lebron James. Prints are available for $30.

Take My Face

2010-11-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

My Sin

2010-11-22T19:07:00.001-08:00

I've always wanted to paint the crucifixion of Christ, a painting that's been done a million times. I've wanted to do it a little different than I've seen it before. Imagine a scene in your mind, something tragic that happened to you - a car accident, a sudden death in the family, a close-encounter with death. There are some details that you can remember quite vivid, while other details escape. They're fuzzy portions of your memory. This painting is of a very tragic event that many witnessed. I'm sure that if we were to go back in time and view this moment, after awhile, there'd be images that would be rather unclear in our mind. All of the black, grey, purple, and blue blotches of paint represent this. The sky darkened according to scripture, as it is depicted here. As Christ's body became limp, and the blood poured from His side, I'm sure there were details that may have been lost - faces in the crowd, rocks on the ground, a bird passing by.

In this painting, Christ is utterly humiliated. His body is completely naked. I know to some that may be disrespectful, but how much more disrespectful was it for His own people to rip the clothes from His body and the Romans to hang Him on the cross? The stripes He bore pour blood from His limp body, and His hair dangles silently. I deliberately painted Christ's arms longer than they should be. I wanted to really stress Him stretching His arms as far as they could go, so if they seem anatomically incorrect, that's because they are. The painting is in oil, and is 36x24.

Logo for The Jericho Leadership Institute

2010-11-16T15:21:00.001-08:00

A logo created for The Jericho Leadership Institute. The logo is on their website http://jericholeadership.org/. Vernon Henderson is the founder of this great organization. Please take the time to visit their website.

James Flames CD Cover

2010-11-09T18:58:00.001-08:00

This is the cover of a James Flames CD cover. The image is completely digital, the only thing existing is Mr. Flames.

James Flames Enterprises Logo

2010-11-09T18:56:00.001-08:00

This was a logo recreation for James Flames Enterprises.

image enhancements

2010-10-22T03:44:00.001-07:00

Images enhanced in photoshop

James Flames Enterprises Logo

2010-09-22T17:58:00.001-07:00

Obama

2010-09-17T03:39:00.000-07:00

Obama on canvas, painted in Acrylic. I'm just trying to get a feel for how colors can be combined before I move into oil painting. Even though the portrait of Obama and Josephine Baker are completed in a very simplistic, bold fashion, I'm trying to see how things work before I move into painting the face in oil.

If you'd like to purchase it, the price is $100.00 plus S&H

Josephine Baker - Acrylic

2010-09-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Painting on canvas 18X24 in acrylic of Josephine Baker. The price is $85.00. Please contact me if you'd like to purchase it.

Book Cover

2010-09-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

The first of two drawings for the cover of a book by James Robinson published by Kingdom Publishing in Richmond, VA. The book is about the two judgments of Christ. This first drawing depicts the first judgment on earth. The entire drawing was done in Photoshop CS4. The lightening, the blood, the background ... all done with a BAMBOO pen.

Energy Blast - Photoshop

2010-08-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

Just playing around in Photoshop.

Rolls Royce Ad

2010-08-23T19:32:00.001-07:00

This is an advertisement for a friend who was playing a joke on his Facebook page. I took some photos of him as well as a few Rolls Royce images and came up with this spread here. Understand that this was done only as a joke. I did not have permission to use the Rolls Royce image, nor am I intending to promote anything. It was just a fun image for a joke. However, Rolls Royce, if by any chance you come across my page and need a graphics artist, please give me a call.

Book Cover - When God Grounded The Plane

2010-08-12T03:49:00.000-07:00

Here are two images of a children's book I was asked to do. It's the story of William Branham and how he was in a violent storm and was directed to go pray for a young man. The true mystery of the story is that the young man's mom had been praying for her son's healing when William was flying from a convention. The plane was forced to be grounded, and God led him to the front door of this young man's house. Here is the cover, and a page from the book that's yet to be published.

Photoshop Edit

2010-08-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

I see so many "artists" in magazines do such horrible jobs at editing a woman, so I thought I'd try it for the fun of it. I found this funny-looking lady on a beach and (I have no idea who she is, nor do I know if the image is copyrighted, so it is not my intent to do anything unethical) thought I'd try and do a "professional" photo edit. I edited out portions of her belly, thinned out her legs and arm, thinned her face and neck, removed some of the hair, enhanced her breasts, and toned her up a bit. I tried to make it look like her thumb was tucked into her fist on her left hand, but I'm not so sure it's very convincing. Anyway - US Magazine, People, or any of those other trashy tabloid magazines - call me! I'm looking for a job.

Me

2010-07-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the poor image quality. I couldn't edit out the background without it affecting the drawing itself. This is a portrait of yours truly for a display at a funeral home for those who want a drawing of their loved one.

Natasha

2010-06-17T13:34:00.001-07:00

Victoria Falls

2010-05-21T03:35:00.001-07:00

Here's a photo that I had to digitally remove the people in it. The photo is from Victoria Falls in Africa at a place called, 'The Devil's Pool'. Basically, once a year, the flow of the falls in this particular area is at a safe level, and people can swim as close as possible to the edge of the falls within the pool area without continuing over the edge and falling into the gorge; this is possible due to a natural rock wall just below the water and at the very edge of the falls that stops their progress despite the current.

The project was to take these smiling people and remove them from the photo with no added enhancements (i.e. sharpening the image, changing the scenery, altering the lighting, blah, blah, blah). All I had to do was remove the people. In Photoshop CS4, if you hit the 'S' key, you can paint over an area using a portion of the photograph. I just used the option key on the MAC - alt on the PC - and pasted over them with water from a different section of the photo.

Mucha

2010-04-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a mural in our living room my wife had me do. I really admire Alphonse Mucha's artwork, and she said this was by far one of her favorites of his. The only change I made to it was I covered her up, as she was once in the nude. I took some photos from the inside of Uday's palace (Uday was the son of Saddam Hussein) and one of the photos consisted of this beautiful chest of drawers. On the doors of the chest were beautiful designs that I decided to put in the mural. Anyway, my wife loves it, I'm happy with it, and I plan to do another one soon.

Aiesha

2010-04-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the completed portrait I finished on or around the 19th of April. The lady, Aiesha, was just the ideal client to work with. She was very open to any ideas, she provided the photos I needed, and made herself very accessible. Her wedding is Saturday, 1 May 2010, and I wish her and her husband many, many years of wedded bliss.

General Robert E. Lee

2010-04-12T14:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the final drawing in this series, and of course, it's ended with General Robert E. Lee. The map is of his victory at Chancellorsville. If you don't know anything about it, please, take the time to read up on it, you won't be disappointed. The drawing is of General Lee on his horse, 'Traveller', and his image is the one taken by the photographer, Julian Vannerson. While the photographer, Matthew Brady took many photographs during the war, and some very similar ones to this of General Lee, this is not one of those images. Robert E. Lee is just a captivating man to read about, and a real gentleman. He was a top graduate of West Point, and was a distinguished general, commanding the Confederate Army. He was always outnumbered, outgunned and yet, his victories against superior forces is what makes him a cut above the rest. To me, he was a genius on the battlefield, outsmarting many generals handpicked by Abraham Lincoln to defeat him. He was also the commander who defeated John Brown at Harpers Ferry. I hope you like the series, and prints are available for $25 each. These prints are also sold at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia. If you're ever in the area, they'd love to have you come visit them. They will indeed provide you with an education concerning the Civil War that is not taught in schools, or provided by the NAACP.

General Stonewall Jackson

2010-04-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson is probably my favorite general of the collection, as well as a man who I deeply admire. He was a dear friend to Robert E. Lee and an extremely respected man amongst not only the southern army, but the Union as well. It was once said that he would kill a man at the drop of a hat, and sometimes it was him dropping the hat. General Jackson was a deeply religious man who wouldn't send a letter out if he knew the mail carrier would be carrying it on Sunday, and he once stated that he didn't even take a drink of water without thanking God for it first. A historian once said that General Jackson was so unmoving, that he'd stand out on the battlefield with bullets whizzing past his head, and he'd show no fear. I've also been told that General Jackson's military tactics are still being studied at military academies to this day. General Stonewall Jackson is the first drawing of the series that I completed first. His quote, is just a powerful quote that we all need to take into account. We needn't fear death, but to be prepared when that time comes. This is the only drawing of the set that I had copyrighted in 2008, the rest are from 2010.

General Nathan Bedford Forrest

2010-03-31T15:46:00.000-07:00

Nathan Bedford Forrest was either the second or third portrait I drew in this series. At first, I was very tense about drawing General Forrest because of everything I'd heard about him. One of the founders of the Ku Klux Klan, the first grand wizard of the Klan, a slave owner, and a massacre of black Union soldiers were common things I'd heard about him. I tried to put this aside and focus on his military service instead. As I began to draw the general, I would read up on him as I went along. What I found amazing was that there is countless information regarding him as a klansman, a slaveholder, and his massacre at Fort Pillow. What our history books make very slight remarks about is General Forrest's decision to leave the Klan because of their violent behavior, and that he began to work for racial equality amongst black and white Americans. Just google, Nathan Bedford Forrest Civil Rights', and you'll see some wonderful information regarding his work towards equality.

That being said, General Forrest had no military education, and yet, he was one of the most feared commanders by the Union, and an amazing calvary commander. General Sherman once said that Forrest must be "hunted down and killed if it costs 10,000 lives and bankrupts the treasury." The map in this drawing is of his leadership at Brice's Crossroads. Here, he completely embarrassed the Union Army that had him outnumbered 3-1 (Forrest had 3,500 men compared to the Union's 8,500). The drawing at the bottom is of the memorial at Brice's Crossroads National Battlefield.

James Longstreet

2010-03-25T15:30:00.000-07:00

General James Longstreet - General Longstreet, by many accounts, gets a bad reputation because of some of the actions and comments he made. He disagreed with General Lee on Pickett's Charge, and wrote some critical comments about him as well. To many, criticizing General Lee is like someone criticizing Martin Luther King Jr. Because General Lee has such respect, to disagree with anything from him, makes one look like a traitor. I however, disagree with that sentiment. I believe that it's patriotic to disagree with our leaders, just as much as it is to agree with them. General Longstreet was an outstanding corps commander, and according to historian Jeffry Wert, "arguably the best corps commander during the conflict on either side". During the Battle of Fredericksburg, while the Union Army lost well over 10,000 men, General Longstreet lost some 500. The map shows his position at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and the bottom is from a photograph of reenactors at Marye's Heights, where General Longstreet's men held their position.

PGT Beauregard

2010-03-22T13:09:00.001-07:00

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard is the next general in this series. Beauregard was either the second or third drawing of the generals I completed, but the last one I worked on. I completed his face, worked on everyone else's drawing, and then did the map of Charleston Harbor last. I think that Beauregard gets a bad rap from some of the historians - the ones I've talked to anyway - as he comes off as what we call today, 'a fame whore'. He seemed to be very drawn to the limelight more than the cause that they were fighting for. After the war, he became wealthy from the Louisiana lottery, and spoke in favor of civil rights and voting for the recently freed slaves after the war was over. I decided to draw him because I think he was a brilliant artillery commander. What's striking about the opening of the Civil War, was that Beauregard was pitted against his instructor at West Point, Major Robert Anderson. The first shots from the Civil War were from Fort Moultrie at Fort Sumter, which is what is drawn at the bottom of the page. Beauregard, though not quite the commander that Lee was, I really admire his skill as an artillery commander. Besides, he did command the first win of the Civil War of either side. The map is of Charleston Harbor, where the first battle took place. Even though General Johnston was the commander of the Battle of Bull Run, Beauregard is the one that basically ran the operation, Johnston just happens to get the credit because he was the general.

The drawing is 11x14 in graphite, but the background with the Confederate Flag, was done with Vine Charcoal.

JEB Stuart

2010-03-20T15:39:00.000-07:00

Here's the completed portrait of JEB Stuart. Stuart was a graduate of West Point, and as a cavalry commander, he was known for his mastery of reconnaissance. He was a legendary figure, and one of the greatest calvary commanders in U.S. history. Though he maintained a cavalier image (red-lined gray cape, yellow sash, hat cocked to the side with a peacock feather, red flower in his lapel), business was serious with him. Robert E. Lee dearly trusted Stuart, and he was devastated when Stuart was killed. In this drawing, at the top, is a statement by Stuart. Though it looks crooked onscreen, trust me, it's straight. I measured and lined it up with a ruler to be certain. The statement is a remarkable one, as this is indeed, the manner in which he was killed. He was killed at the Battle of Yellow Tavern in 1864, leading a calvary charge. His hat is just below that, and the battle map that I decided to draw was one that, at first sounds like a joke. It's known as Stuart's ride around McClellan. Remember that the Union Army outnumbered the Confederates in just about every single battle. Stuart literally did something that sounds like it came out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, he rode around General McClellan. I thought it was fitting for the drawing, and at the bottom, I found some photos of a Stuart reenactment and drew from different photographs to get the drawing you see here. I hope you like it, and I'll be posting another one here shortly.

George Edward Pickett

2010-03-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

This is the next drawing of General George Edward Pickett. Pickett in some ways, has been immortalized because of the actions at Gettysburg. It was a very, very sad day for the south, and for America when, in one day, thousands of men lost their lives. Pickett's charge was a bloodbath. This is the only drawing I have done of the eight generals that depicts a loss. Like all of the others, this drawing is 11x14 in graphite. The map is of Pickett's position and route he took through the field, and the drawing at the bottom - which didn't come out as clear as I would've liked in the photograph - is of what is referred to as 'the high water mark of the Confederacy'. The tree and rocks are known as 'the angle', and it's the only position that the Confederates broke through Union lines despite such a high rate of casualties. At the top, I felt it was befitting for the drawing, to include the statement that General Pickett quoted to General Lee when when asked to turn to his division. General Pickett responded, "General Lee, I have no division." General Pickett witnessed so many of his men falling, and he personally blamed General Lee for this terrible loss of life. From what I've read, he never spoke to Robert E. Lee again.

Anyway, give me your thoughts and opinions.

Joseph E. Johnston

2010-03-14T14:08:00.001-07:00

Here is the first of the eight Civil War Generals in the series - Joseph E. Johnston. Just for a little background on General Johnston, in the First Battle of Bull Run also known as the First Manassas, he brought forces from the Shenandoah Valley combining his men with Brigadier General P.G.T. Beauregard. Johnston did suffer from a lack of aggression in the war, but he was an effective commander overall. He also assisted in the design and production of the Confederate Battle Flag, as it was his idea to make the flag square.

The portrait is 11x14 in graphite. I did take some liberties with his beard - material wise - by mixing white charcoal into his beard. The quote at the top was one that caught my attention. Often, men of great stature are given words of praise by their equal counterparts. To me however, it says a lot when those a great man is commanded by, states words of praise about him. The portrait itself took around 15 hours to complete. The map is of Johnston's movement, and I spent countless hours making sure that the map was accurate. I bought the West Point Atlas of War book that has all of the major campaigns in it along with the breakdown of each campaign. The maps are very detailed and the route had to be correct. I didn't want to violate any copyright laws, so I made sure that I researched dozens of maps of this battle, not just from the book. The bridge at the bottom is literally called, Stone Bridge. The bridge was originally destroyed and I struggled with either drawing from a photograph of the destroyed bridge, or the one you see in the drawing, the rebuilt one. All in all, I probably spent anywhere from 30 - 40 hours on this drawing not including research. I'd love to get everyone's feedback on this, so I look forward to hearing from you all.

New Series - Civil War Generals

2010-03-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

I wanted to talk a moment about the newest series I am working on here. It's a collection of 8 generals from the Confederate Army. They will be sold in the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA this spring. I want to give a quick synopsis of what's going to set these portraits apart from my other ones. Each portrait will include the general, beside him will be a map of one or several battles he is known for, a quote he said, and a smaller drawing that will go along with the picture, relating to him.

For many years, going back to high school, I was taught that the Civil War was about slavery. It was a battle from the north to force the south to give up their slaves. It was when I moved to Virginia where a lot of the things I'd been taught were proven to be wrong. The question was posed to me one day, "if Lincoln freed all of the slaves, why then does the Emancipation Proclamation only free the slaves in the south? and, why were northern states such as New Jersey, allowed to keep theirs?" Questions like this made me wonder if what I'd been taught in school was wrong all along. Much of it was. It was when I began to read about some of these generals that I was completely blown away at their patriotism, valor, and amazing battle strategies. The reason that some of these generals are so revered is because of their desire to fight for what they believed was right, even if it meant killing a family member in the process. If something is right, shouldn't we be willing to do the same?

Imagine fighting against an army two, three, and sometimes four times the size of yours. This army has better equipment than yours, more well-trained men, more food, and to be frank, everything they have is better than yours. What are your chances of success? How long could you hold this army off? What if at the end of the war, you've lost less men, captured more of their officers, won more battles, and embarrassed their best commanders? Even if you lose, you come out ahead in some respects. These men that I'm drawing each have a story to tell. Regardless of what you've been taught, I encourage you to read the quick bios I put under their portraits, and not only that, research it for yourself. Find out if what I've written is true. And if it's not, let me know. I'll change it. You can email me at jdpartist@yahoo.com.

The list of generals I'll be posting, and maybe not in this order are: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Nathan Bedford Forrest, JEB Stuart, PGT Beauregard, George Pickett, Joseph E. Johnston, and James Longstreet. Even if after you've read the stories behind these men, you still disagree, I hope you can still appreciate the art, time, and research I've put into this. I've put a lot of research into these drawings, and I look forward to your thoughts.

Muhammed Ali

2010-03-03T15:03:00.000-08:00

A portrait collage I completed of Muhammed Ali. In this charcoal drawing, I drew it on an 11x14 sheet of charcoal paper. The background was darkened with a light coat of charcoal stick, and then I went over that layer with acrylic paint. I faded the charcoal into the acrylic to really try and heighten the sense of what's going on. I didn't want each drawing connecting, so I decided to fade them in. Ali's first fight was with Sonny Liston, and for their rematch, he knocked Liston to the canvas and stood over him, shouting for him to get up. The photographer, Neil Leifer, who snapped this photograph probably had no idea how famous the photograph would be. I decided to recreate this photograph at the bottom of the drawing, and complete the top with his last notable fight with George Foreman. Prints are available on a high gloss paper for $20.00, so just email me at jdpartist@yahoo.com if you'd like to purchase one..

Drapery Study

2010-02-23T13:42:00.000-08:00

This is a study I was doing of drapery in charcoal. I think there's a difference in how light is shown in clothing, and I took the drapes and tacked them to a corkboard, and went from there. I shined an incandescent light right above it on the right hand side and well ... you get the point.

Samson

2010-02-18T21:21:00.001-08:00

Here is the completed image of Samson. It's a graphite 11x14 realistically rendered abstract drawing of the Old Testament judge. Artwork, years ago, used to tell stories and that's something I wanted to try and depict here. But, what's going on in this? What's up with all the flies, or hornets or bugs? The bugs are honeybees, and the brain has been transformed into a honeycomb. Two of the first sins that Samson committed was when he went through a vineyard, and after killing a lion, he returned to it later on to find honeybees in the rotting carcass. Under Nazarite Law - which Samson was - they were forbidden to touch anything of the vine, or eat of the vine, and they were forbidden to touch a carcass.

As I thought of Samson, I wondered if these things ever haunted him. In this scene here, we see Samson deep in thought. He shows no fear, for he's been in battle many times. The hair of his head is no longer long, and he's in captivity by the Philistines. Here he sits, just before his eyes are put out, and I wonder if those two things, the vineyard and the honeycomb, haunted him. That was the beginning, and from that time, he began to go down the wrong road.

For the opening of the face, I went to the Southside Surgical Specialist Clinic in Petersburg, VA to Dr. Nicolata's office (one of the finest doctors in my opinion) and they provided me with some medical illustrations to go off of. I had to really use my imagination to try and make it look like the skin was pulled back and make it as realistic as possible. I had a medical student at VCU - Virginia Commonwealth University - look at my work once I finished and she let me know that the only thing I had off on the opening to the mouth was one vein that needed to be pushed over slightly.

Anyway, that's the drawing, and the story behind it.

Marilyn Monroe

2010-02-05T07:21:00.001-08:00

Here is a drawing I just completed of Marilyn Monroe. The drawing is about 11x15 (why that size, I don't know) in charcoal. If anybody wants prints, just email me. You can also check me out on Facebook - www.facebook.com/johnPriceArt

Dawson

2010-01-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

This is a portrait of Dawson, who passed away from SIDS. I really felt compelled to draw him for his parents because it seemed as though he was here in a flash. Life ... it's so precious, and this child's life though short here, stayed on my mind, and I felt the need to draw him. At the bottom of the drawing is the bible verse from Isaiah chapter 49:16 that reads, "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands". The drawing is 11x14 in graphite.

David

2010-01-16T08:42:00.001-08:00

This is a charcoal drawing of Michaelanglo's 'David' that I've just completed. I have always admired his artwork, and John Rush, a well noted illustrator told me to really study Michaelangelo's work. The statue of David is known all over the world, and I couldn't help but try and capture this iconic image.

Eli Manning

2010-01-11T17:17:00.001-08:00

My Cousin Can Draw Better Than You

2009-11-27T16:39:00.001-08:00

I came up with this heading because of a joke between a very close friend and me. No matter how well I draw a picture; he comes back with, “well shoot, my cousin back home can do way better than this.” The other statement … “I got a boy back in San Diego that can draw just as good.” This playful banter between he and me has been going on for quite a few years, but the sad reality is, I’ve heard this statement muttered in the professional world from customers passing by. My wife told me years ago, “if you’re going to be out there showing your work, you’re going to have to be prepared to take the criticism.” While selling portraits, customers who showed interest in my work, would sometimes balk at the price. They’d take a step back from my art table and mutter these immature words, “my cousin can do way better than this and he don’t charge this much.” What I found most fascinating about the situation was that their cousin could do way better than I could, and yet they were inquiring about my prices. This statement from them that one of their relatives was in some way superior never bothered me because it came from an immature mind. It came from someone who was looking at the work and was hoping to get a piece of quality for cheap. The fact that their cousin could or couldn’t draw way better was not their argument, but a defensive mechanism to somehow take a pop shot at my prices – something clearly out of their price range. Even when I addressed the amount of time it took to draw one face – sometimes 12-15 hours for the face alone not to include hair and clothes – somehow this wasn’t worth it all. The nearly photographic quality without the aid of digital technology wasn’t appreciated. The comment reminds me of a juvenile girl who is dating a guy and when they break up she states, “he was ugly anyway” – which makes you wonder why she was dating him in the first place.

Tiki Barber

2009-11-26T21:13:00.000-08:00