Prince commission work in progress

 

Prince commission work in progress

 Work in progress pic of a commission of Prince.

Jimi Hendrix commission

 Commission of Jimi Hendrix in acrylic. 

RVA Coffee Art

https://www.etsy.com/listing/924597045/rva-coffee-shops

If you are a fan of local coffee, have I got something for you! I visited each location and painted their storefront with the coffee they serve. There are a LOT of coffee shop drawings around Richmond, but this is the only one produced with actual coffee from each coffee shop.

For just $15, this print is 8.5x11 and took several months to complete. It is a great gift for either the coffee lover in your life, or, if you drink as much coffee as I do, a gift for yourself.

The project took several months to complete, and notecards of each coffee shop can be ordered individually from my etsy store. It's hard to pin down a favorite coffee shop, as each one delivers a superior product, followed by a warm smile, and impeccable customer service.

If you are a fan of Richmond art, this will make an excellent addition to your collection.

 

Jimi Hendrix timelapse

 

RVA Coffee Art - Crossroads Coffee & Ice Cream

Prior to Covid, this was THE place that I first felt like, 'damn, so this is what a coffee shop feels like.' My daughter absolutely LOVES the chocolate chip mint ice cream, and we can't wait for things to get back to normal. 

If you'd like to purchase a print or a notecard, just follow the etsy link and take a look around. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/908759504/crossroads-coffee-ice-cream-notecards
 

Cafe Clang (Lulu's) RVA Coffee Notecards

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/906548834/cafe-clang-rva-coffee-

Cafe Clang isn't necessarily a coffee shop. It's connected to Lulu's which is a staple in the Shockoe Bottom area. These prints can be ordered as a 4"x6" notecard or an 8"x10" print. Just follow the link above. 

Janis Joplin commission

 

Day 31 of Women I Admire is ...

Well, here we are. This is the final image in the series of Women I Admire. It’s okay if you don’t recognize who it is. This ink portrait is actually three faces combined. It is a portrait of my sisters Frances Porter, Lis Hope, and Audrey Storms. I wanted to include more, but the image was looking rough so I stopped at using these three women. Why are they so significant? I’m so glad you asked. 

The bio for this portrait will be different, as I am aware that some of my friends/family are still involved in the religious system I grew up in. By most accounts, it was a cult, and I understand those still in it, do not consider it such. Some sects of the cult are not on the extreme side, while others, many others are dangerous. Jim Jones is one of the more severe examples associated with it. Emma Watson starred in a movie centered around a sect associated with the cult called Colonia Dignidad. David Koresh was said to be inspired by the literature of the cult founder, and from there, believed his ministry was from God. As it is with all cults (and most religious groups) it’s far more terrible for women, and women coming out of the cult is a rare occasion. Women are taught to be subservient (not submissive, subservient) to their husband, many are subjected to sexual abuse, arranged marriages, and lifelong depression and extremely low self esteem. 

Frances, Lis, and Audrey, all came out of the religious cult of William Branham. They’re strong, independent, beautiful, and admirable as survivors. To them, I tip my hat, and am honored to know all three of them. 

46th President of the United States - Joe Biden

46th President of the United States
Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. 
11x14
Graphite

Joe Biden hasn’t done shit as a president because, well…he’s still the president elect. However, he is the third consecutive president to have no military experience. As a child, he had a stutter that the kids in his class used to bully him. Anti-Bullying laws weren’t around, and even if they were, it wouldn’t have done shit to prevent it, as everyone knows, Anti-Bullying laws look good on paper and that’s about it. 

He is the oldest president to be elected, which is odd, because the same people who said John McCain was too old to be president, well…I’ll leave it at that. Unlike President Obama who he once said was the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, he absolutely loves ice cream. His wife turned down his proposal to marry her four times, and the nation turned down his proposal to be president twice. But hey, it’s all about persistence. He spent his childhood in Scranton, PA, where The Office is set, and for over 30 years, he took the Amtrak back and forth to Washington daily. Respect. 

When it comes to gaffes, he definitely takes the cake and an entire book could be written on his “gaffes”. He chose not to call witnesses from several women who had provided depositions corroborating Hill’s testimony that Clarence Thomas had grabbed her by the pussy. He was instrumental in writing the Violent Crime Control Act in 1994 that disproportionately imprisoned minorities, but he helped sponsor a bill that supported violence against women, so there’s that. He received the most popular votes of any candidate in history. He has been married to Jill since 1977, and to put that into perspective, that’s the year President Trump got married for the first time.

 

RVA Coffee Art - Riverbend Coffee Co

Riverbend Coffee Art Prints

This is a painting of Riverbend Coffee Co., located in Church Hill, right in the heart of the historic area of Richmond, VA. 

About the notecards: The coffee and fresh cinnamon rolls from Riverbend are to die for. Like the rest of the cards in this series, I painted the storefront with their coffee. The 4"x6" notecards come in a pack of 8 and include envelopes. They are wrapped in twine and make a great gift for your favorite coffee lover. 

Single-sided 5"x7" postcards of this print are available in a pack of 8 for $15, and 8"x10" prints for $25.

Porch drop-offs FREE to Richmond locals. 

Day 30 of Women I Admire is Florence Nightingale

Day 30 of Women I Admire is Florence Nightingale

Florence Nightingale was known as The Lady With The Lamp and though she had no children or ever married, she had a shit ton of male admirers. She was fluent in four languages, and despite her parents objecting to her pursuing nursing, she felt she was doing God’s work. Wealthy women were expected to do no work and marry. But she said, “fuck that!” 

During her time, wages for nurses were so low that many engaged in prostitution at the time. She realized poor sanitation was linked to high mortality, and implemented strict hygiene rules. People may have complained that her forcing them to clean and wear a face-mask was against their constitutional rights, but she didn’t waiver. It was she who was the driving force behind sanitation in hospitals, and her book in 1859 became one of nursing’s most important texts. Both sides of the Civil War benefited from her sanitation requirements and we can thank modern nursing because of her. The Order of Merit was reserved for men, but Nightingale was the first woman to receive the honor and she was such a badass that she has her own museum in London.

45th President of the United States - Donald John Trump

45th President of the United States - Donald John Trump - 11x14 - Graphite

By far the wealthiest person to have served as Commander in Chief, and the only president to have never held either a public office or had military service. His most notable accomplishment is the 2,000 mile fence that Mexico paid for and that special moment on CNN when the president of Mexico presented him with a check covering all expenses. His task force to investigate Hillary Clinton and have her arrested is well remembered, as is his love for the Bible, especially Two Corinthians. Trump effectively ended the war on Christmas by no longer saying 'Happy Holidays'. 

He repealed and replaced Obamacare as promised with something else but I couldn't find what it was, and he was able to create 25,000,000 jobs. He is often considered the “greatest jobs president that God ever created" according to him, and while he is poised to have the greatest number of job losses on record of any president, the facts are fake news and should be ignored. Never once did he take the time to golf as he tweeted, but taxpayers spent $141,000,000 on somebody’s golf game during his presidency. 

He was able to successfully put tax cuts in place for both corporations and working Americans, ensured funding for HBCUs, did a lot of shit for veterans including a hotline, and he moved the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to the capital of Israel, Jerusalem. 

Read more about all the U.S. Presidents, and some facts you probably didn’t know or give a shit about, in my upcoming book, “The Big Book of Presidents for Adults.”

RVA Coffee Art - Blanchard's

 https://www.etsy.com/.../blanchards-coffee-roasters...

This is a painting of the Blanchard's Coffee Roaster, located on West Broad Street, just down the road from the VMFA in Richmond, VA. 

About the notecards: Blanchard's has a blend called Handshake and it's damn amazing. I ground up the coffee and like the rest of the cards in this series, I painted the storefront with their coffee. The 4"x6" notecards come in a pack of 8 and include envelopes. They are wrapped in twine and make a great gift for your favorite coffee lover. 

Single-sided 5"x7" postcards of this print are available in a pack of 8 for $15, and 8"x10" prints for $25.

Porch drop-offs FREE to Richmond locals.

Day 29 of Women I Admire is Bjork

Day 29 of Women I Admire is Bjork

Let me just say this, before Lady Gaga was wearing a meat dress, there was this badass named Bjork, (pronounced Beyerk). She’s artsy as a motherfucker. She recorded one of her songs in a bat cave, and has cited Sir David Attenborough as one of her musical influences. While everyone is fighting over Samuel L. Jackson or Morgan Freeman to narrate their life, I’m going with Mr. Attenborough. She’s an innovator in music and technology, released a 3D scientific music app, and wore a dress with a 700 foot train at the 2004 Olympics. She’s a huge fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, because…it’s fucking awesome and when it comes to just being, she’s fearless, never being afraid of expressing her true self. As Angelica, a friend of mine put it, “her constant self-actualization is like watching cells splitting, becoming a new organism. Her art is her brain, her voice, her voice, her body, and her heart.” Basically, She. Is. Art.  

44th President of the United States - Barack Hussein Obama

 44th President of the United States - Barack Hussein Obama - 11x14 -Graphite

Though Barack Obama was born in the United States, he lived for four years in Indonesia, leading is successor to believe that meant he wasn’t born here somehow. Unlike Thomas Jefferson, who loved slaves and ice cream, Obama doesn’t like either. I know…who doesn’t like ice cream? He’s been Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” twice (2008 and 2012). His grandfather in Kenya was inspired by President Eisenhower to send his son to America, where he would meet Barack’s mom. According to President Obama, his mom and dad met because of the Selma march in 1965. He was born in 1961, so…yeah. Hawaii had just become a state 2 years prior, so I can understand how some might think he was born in another country. (sarcasm people…sarcasm)

Anyway, Barack Obama doesn’t drink coffee which I find disturbing, and his iconic haircut is on weekly maintenance. He had a sculpture of a wooden hand holding an egg on his desk which symbolizes the fragility of power. He was rejected as a model (which is shocking. He’s fucking hot). While in the senate, he sponsored a bill to require the police to videotape interrogations in capital crime cases, something I’m sure the department fucking hated. 

Because health rates are through the roof and people had to choose between dying and going to the doctor, Obama signed the ACA, which wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. He ended the war in Iraq, gave the order to take out Osama Bin Laden. The country went from $10 trillion to $20 trillion under his administration, and he collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics. 

Concerning the debt: A note about the national debt. The last time we were debt free was under Andrew Jackson’s administration. Since then, each administration has taken us further into debt. 

RVA Coffee Art - Roastology

https://www.etsy.com/listing/896399856/roastology-coffee-roasters-notecards?ref=shop_home_active_1&frs=1

This is a painting of Roastology, located on Cary Street, right in the heart of Carytown, Richmond, VA. 

About the notecards: I purchase coffee regularly from Roastology (along with a breakfast sandwich). Like the rest of the cards in this series, I painted the storefront with their coffee. The 4"x6" notecards come in a pack of 8 and include envelopes. They are wrapped in twine and make a great gift for your favorite coffee lover. 

Single-sided 5"x7" postcards of this print are available in a pack of 8 for $15, and 8"x10" prints for $25.

If you are local, I can deliver it to you if interested. 

Day 28 of Women I Admire is Nadia Murad

 Day 28 of Women I Admire is Nadia Murad

Nadia Murad has faced more in her 27 years than most will see in a lifetime. At just 19 years old, the ISIS attacked her village, killed 600 men including several of he family members, and then took her prisoner. There, she was abused, raped, beaten and managed to escape. For months, she was abused and used as a sex slave along with other women who were taken hostage. Because disgusting cowardly groups like ISIS use sexual violence and trafficking as a weapon of war, women are often too frightened to speak out.

But not Nadia. She said, “fuck it and fuck them!” She’s a Nobel Peace Prize winner and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador who started Nadia’s Initiative, a human rights organization that speaks out against trafficking, genocide, and sexual violence against women. 

43rd President of the United States - George Walker Bush

 43rd President of the United States - George Walker Bush - 11x14 - Graphite

George Walker Bush is our 43rd president, son of George H.W. Bush, and is the first father/son duo since John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Bush had a tumultuous presidency, as he held both the highest and lowest approval rates in U.S. History. As governor, he was the first to win consecutive 4-year terms and became sober after turning 40, which is the year I decided to get wasted on a regular basis. He is the first president to earn an MBA, and he’s one of four presidents to have won an election without the popular vote. He’s the first president to have finished a marathon, and he’s one of four presidents to have been a cheerleader-pompoms, short skirt and all. 

He also suspended Habeas Corpus during his administration, passed the Patriot Act (which both Republicans and Democrats who voted on it admitted they had never read it) and has the record for taking the most days of vacation of any president. President Bush, took 1,020 vacation days and charged the taxpayers $140,000,000 for those vacations. 1,020 days…let’s put that into perspective. One year has 365 days. Two years has 730 days. Three years has 1090 days. President Bush took just under three years off of work. I used to work for a company that would dock your salary if you took ONE day off to watch your child during coronavirus. Fuck, the military only gets 30 days per year. Jesus Christ! 

Oh, and when he owned the Texas Rangers, the taxpayers handed the private baseball team more than $200,000,000 in subsidies, and never got a a return from the stadium’s surging revenues. The profits went to the owners…I guess everything’s bigger in Texas.

RVA Coffee Art - The Lab by Alchemy

 This is a painting of The Lab by Alchemy Coffee, located on West Broad Street, just down the road from VCU. 

About the notecards: I purchased coffee from Alchemy from both their West Broad Street location, and the Farmer’s Market, and painted the storefront with their coffee. The 4"x6" notecards come in a pack of 8 and include envelopes. They are wrapped in twine and make a great gift for your favorite coffee lover. 

Single-sided 5"x7" postcards of this print are available in a pack of 8 for $15, and 8"x10" prints for $25.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/907780339/the-lab-by-alchemy-coffee?ref=listing_published_alert

Day 27 of Women I Admire is Eleanor Roosevelt

 Day 27 of Women I Admire is Eleanor Roosevelt

In a time where women were supposed to be seen and not heard, Eleanor Roosevelt said, “fuck that, and fuck your expectations!” To be frank, FDR was a slut, and Eleanor didn’t put up with that shit. She remained married to him, but their relationship was more political than anything else, and focused on he social work than to be his wife. 

She was such a human rights activist and supporter of equality that the dipshits in the FBI who actively tried to destroy the Civil Rights Movement, despised her and tried to blackmail her. She pushed for women to be paid fair for their work, and invited hundreds of black guests to the White House at a time when they weren’t welcome. When Marian Anderson was denied the use of Washington’s Constitution Hall, she resigned from the group responsible and helped arrange another concert. 

She was unpopular with whites in the South, and she didn’t give two shits. I could go on and on all day about this amazing woman. She used her platform as a First Lady in one of the most positive ways imaginable. Someone once said of her, “she would rather light a candle, than curse the darkness.”

42nd President of the United States - Bill Clinton

 42nd President of the United States - William Jefferson Clinton - 11x14 - Graphite

There’s a lot to say about President Clinton, but you can read about him in my upcoming book: The Big Book of Presidents for Adults. We already know the juicy stuff, he fucked around on Hillary, and had a shit ton of sexual assault allegations that the media kind of downplayed. He was the first Democratic president since FDR who was elected to a second term, and the second president to be impeached. 

He signed the Brady Bill which pissed the NRA off. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. Under Clinton, America saw the longest peacetime economic expansion which you’d think both parties would be grateful for. But no, Americans seem to think if you belong to the opposite party then you’re no good. He appointed Madeleine Albright as the first woman secretary of state, and the Notorious RBG motherfuckers to sit on the United States Supreme Court. His crime bill tho? That motherfucker wrecked the fuck out of the black community. And at some point, he had the time to bang an intern in the Oval Office. He may or may not have had sexual relations with her…

Anyway, read more about Clinton in my Big Book of Presidents for Adults. 

Timelapse outline of Bill Clinton

 

Day 26 of Women I Admire is Cicely Tyson

 Day 26 of Women I Admire is Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson is probably one of America’s finest dramatic actors. She refuses to take on roles of the stereotypical “mammy”, playing strong characters and has made herself into a positive role model for black women across all ages. Although she could both sing and dance, she refused to do that in film because of the stereotypical nature of such. She was married to Miles Davis, and refused to put up with his bullshit. She was one of the few black faces on regular television, and was on the cover of one of Miles Davis’ albums. She’s gorgeous as fuck, in her 90s and still making shit happen. 

RVA Coffee Art - Rostov's

Rostov's Coffee & Tea

Painted with coffee purchased from Rostov's. 

Prints & Notecards available at the link below

https://www.etsy.com/listing/905752269/rostovs-coffee-tea-notecards?ref=listing_published_alert 

41st President of the United States - George Herbert Walker Bush

 

41st President of the United States - George Herbert Walker Bush - 11x14 - Graphite

Often referred to as Bush Sr. by media and political pundits, George Herbert Walker Bush was not Bush Sr, nor did he refer to himself by such. He was one of the youngest Navy pilots and was shot down during WW2 and almost captured. 8 of his fellow comrades were captured and cannibalized which is one of the reasons President Trump doesn’t admire them. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross along with 3 other medals, and his nickname in the Navy was “Skin”…hmmm

Prior to becoming president, he had a laundry list of political accomplishments, from being an Ambassador to the UN, to the director of the CIA. Interestingly, he was president 2 times, once while Reagan was in surgery for 8 hours, and of course, after Reagan left office. 

During Operation Desert Storm, he led one of the most successful and intelligent ground war campaigns in history, lasting only 100 hours, and embarrassing the fuck out of Saddam Hussein. He was a member of the secret society Skull & Bones, which sacrifices a baby annually, and has the skull of Martin Van Buren. 

You can read more interesting facts about President Bush and all of the other presidents in my upcoming book, "The Big Book of Presidents for Adults".

Art For The Journey gala 2020

 Last night we went to Art For The Journey's 2020 gala. Free wine...just saying... and a ton of art. Some of my art was exhibited there and portions of each sale goes to a wonderful cause.