Untitled # 24 And Other Drawings

1. Untitled # 24                                   

2. Stream                                                                

3. Untitled # 25                                

4. Washed Ashore                                

5. Valentine's Day                                                   

1. " Untitled # 24 " is a piece I just realized, how early it was created, in 2003! It is important to share it still, because of the relevant subject matter. I believe it is just as meaningful now as it was then. This is the time to share my visions, and not keep them tucked away in obscurity. I am being nicer to my earlier efforts, and they explain my journey as a present artist in society. This piece was done with a ballpoint pen. It reminds me of stone, with the gray, solid composition.

2. " Stream " is one of those pieces created to get me to the next drawing, when I was unsure of what to draw. I felt better drawing something, as opposed to nothing at all. Landscapes helped me maintain a creative flow, while new ideas were brewing, but still not completely reaching fruition yet. This particular landscape reminds me of the influence that Chinese brush painting had on my early ink wash renderings. This was a gold mine for me, regarding how I wanted to draw the ideas that were in my mind. I wanted a basic stylized approach to everyday subjects. And I searched for art that strongly resonated with what I was trying to develop on paper. 

3. " Untitled # 25 " displays a good result of blended ballpoint pen lines. I like the texture of this piece, and it continues the idea of stone, to me. And it focuses exclusively on one of my favorite male features, so perhaps the penmanship came from a very affectionate place. The way the hairs on the man's legs distinguishes them, is a highlight in this drawing. The feet being surrounded by space un-intruded, creates a great composition.

4. " Washed Ashore " is definitely a " mood piece ". I do not know exactly what was going on with me during this creation, but it reminds me of a depressive episode. I experienced them more frequently during this time, so it is reflected in the work. I have described experiencing a depressive episode as feeling like I am in water. Things move slower, and a feeling of carrying heavy weight is symbolic of my personal experiences with the condition. When I see this piece, and my choice of the title, reminds me of a subconscious way of expressing this episode. The man once had a glamorous, even romantic moment, that fell apart from a catastrophe. Perhaps the feeling of being in water, finally released him back to land, thus ending the depressive episode, leaving him to recover on his own terms. Also, the influence of cinematography influenced my approach to the dark and gloomy atmosphere.

5. " Valentine's Day " is a fun piece, that tripped me out while creating it! The perfect Valentine's Day to me is having good chocolate and good sex! This piece combines two of my favorite subjects. It is a loose drawing, to me, that has a sketch like quality. It is rather light and soft, but direct. It is a drawing that began as a daydream, and then executed, to keep me creating, regardless of how it turned out. This was the approach to many drawings, during this period. I believe it is my most interesting and potent period. The physical proportions turned out better than I expected.

 

Chiseled And Other Drawings

1. Chiseled                                       

2. African Sculptor                              

3. Comic Page Fantasy # 1               

4. Point Of Destination                      

5. Good Eatin'                                                         

1. " Chiseled " was inspired by the vintage black and white photographs, I discovered online, featuring black men. This was a treasure to find. They are beautiful pictures of an era I did not know existed. To see these men in such a light, that captures their naked bodies, is really powerful! There was one that sparked my imagination, of a man standing, with a black surrounding. The composition influenced an idea, for me to draw my own version of it. I sketched out a figure, with a similar pose, and included my own interpretation of physical features. The man in the photograph had hair, but I decided to create a bald head. Photographs, for me usually trigger a different perspective and a proceeding idea is sparked, that does not sync exactly with what is seen. I then focus more on what I see, that is more essential, and build from that. The photo already exists and tells its own story. I create something else to generate a different perspective.

2. " African Sculptor " is a piece that expresses my admiration and appreciation for African art. One of my big sisters ( who is also one of my heroes ) introduced me to African masks and sculptures, when I was a teen. Afterwards I researched more about the subject, because it began to influence my thoughts and ideas, regarding black heritage and history. I love how distinctive it is from western art and cultures. The beauty that comes out of wood, such as African art is so earthy and inspirational to me as an artist, and an African American.

3. " Conic Page Fantasy # 1 " was created out of my continued curiosity of drawing without a pen. I wanted to see how effective my wash drawings would be, and whether it was a new direction to pursue. Sequential drawings, are a revisited process for me, ever since I was a teenager. My art often references the influence of comics. And animation has an even bigger influence on my approach to sequential drawings. I drew this piece with brushes and washes on watercolor paper. It was a different experience to notice how absorbent the textured surface responded to my washes. It adds an erotic touch to this piece, to have softer edges. Although I am more of a " strong line " artist, this piece translates more delicately and sensuously with subdued lines.

4. " Point of Destination " was influenced by the beautiful cinematography, I have seen in old black and white films and documentaries. I love black and white photography, and its depictions of many of my jazz heroes from the past. I thought about the murky swamp scenes in the classic Hollywood movies and the black and white compositions, with their reflections of light glowing in certain areas of a scene. There was a time when I was interested in becoming a filmmaker, and the art of storyboards, fit my idea of maybe studying film. It was uplifting to eventually find material, with black people being filmed in black and white. It was refreshing to see them in different settings, other than what I normally saw on television. 

5. " Good Eatin' " speaks for itself. The washes were blended well with this piece, giving a rich darkness that attracted me. I do not mind, having so much murkiness, that a piece appears gloomy. It enhances the mood of my pieces. There is a seriousness, and perhaps sadness also, that causes black and white art to be stereotyped. It is often not recognized as " happy " interpretations. But even within such circumstances, sex does happen. One can have the blues, but engage in sexual activity. It has been known to temporarily " cure " certain aspects of the blues. I see this often in my erotic drawings, and this is why I am more compelled to draw them. There is a complexity in the deliverance of these drawings, that subconsciously reveal my own moods, during these creations. They expose such things that I cannot hide, even if I tried.

 

Beneath The Sea and Other Drawings

These are random pieces that I am excited to share.  I explored various subjects and themes, with the same spontaneity as previous works, in which they were created free hand, and without much premeditation. I placed the ballpoint pen at a starting point, and added whatever seemed to accompany the previous lines best. For example I would draw the shape of a head, with certain facial features and see a particular mood from the expression and suddenly develop a story or narrative regarding what should proceed. I would think "This guy looks like he is about to eat something or kiss someone " and another object (food ) or another head (kissing) would be drawn. The drawings continued to be from an improvisational approach. Sketching from memory or the imagination is like this for me. So this era of drawing was very impulsive for me, and just as therapeutic as any other period. But, there are several pieces that I did prepare more sketching and thought, to achieve a certain aesthetic. These are the tree drawings and secluded male figure works I did with the micron pens. They were definitely more tedious, and not always as enjoyable to create as the other drawings. But the results were truly rewarding, and my efforts were not in vain. Now I embrace the method completely, because it fulfills my creative ambitions the most.

1. Beneath The Sea                          

2. A Misunderstood Blues                 

3. Walk Over To The Bed                 

4. Autumn Oak                                  

5. Party And Play                                                  

1. Beneath The Sea,  was an interesting process with the ink washes particularly. I used a wash brush, which is thicker, with a wide, rounded edge of bristles. I created the underwater scene with my usual process of line and shadings with washes from smaller brushes, but finalized the piece with darker strokes using my wash brush. This gave the effect of being underwater that I wanted. It is a fantasy idea of two men jumping into water and removing their clothing to be more intimate. Their belongings float away as they interlock without a care of retrieving them. They have what they want most, at the moment, which seems to be each other. I of course had to emphasize the feet in this scene. 

2. A Misunderstood Blues, was inspired by a little sketch I did years prior to this piece. On a scrap piece of paper ( I cannot remember was it notebook paper ) I sketched a man sitting at a bar, with his hand clinging to a shot glass, and tears running down his face, from closed eyes. He wore a long sleeved button- down shirt and had an Afro. Was this a self portrait? Perhaps it was symbolically, considering how depressed I was during that time. It was created during my high school years. My brother saw it afterwards. I wrote underneath the image " Let It Go " and it was done in ballpoint pen. He said" Travis, I like that drawing you did. " I was surprised, as it was considered to be a doodle of a piece, that I would eventually stash away, like similar sketches. I said " Really? " He replied " Yeah, that's deep. I want it. " I am sure I chuckled, because he usually teased me, as older siblings do. But I felt his sincerity. I still questioned if he really wanted it. He said he did, and I gave it to him. I later saw it tacked up inside of his bedroom closet. I remember thinking how art can impact people. I was flattered that he could relate so much to my piece, that he wanted it! I kept the idea in my mind years later, and decided to draw a similar piece with more of a visual narrative.

3. Walk Over To The Bed, is a sketch that became more of a completed piece, because of the gratifying indulgence with my pen! I remember watching porn, and there was a scene with two men standing naked together, talking during a skit before sex. It involved a porn star that I was interested in seeing more of in videos, during that time. It inspired a narrative that I wanted to do a sketch of, at least, with two men, that preludes to sex. I wanted to sketch an interior using hatching for shading, while including the human figure. I appreciate it more now, than I did upon finishing it. 

4. Autumn Oak, is another drawing created during my period of drawing trees, in which I have currently continued to do, Trees have been one of my favorite subjects still, besides drawing men. It is a great subject to draw with micron pens, because I love capturing the bark textures along the trunk and roots. This piece also involves my use of the brush pen, in which I hesitate to use on final drawings, because of its potential to flatten my work! I try to be careful and apply it in a way that can effectively enhance my subject, and not subdue it, as it is very bold and final, without any opportunity for correction. 

5. Party And Play, is a very exceptional piece to me, because it was separate from my usual palette of choice. I decided to get the basic colors of bottled ink I had, and mix them into more colors. I applied each mixture on Bristol board with a brush, to ensure it was the correct hue. I was determined to do this, and ordered more plastic bottles to accumulate several colors and values for colored drawings. There was trial and error, of course, experimenting with drawings layered in colored washes. I made fifty bottles of colored ink. I took a chance on creating this piece and applying the inks to see what results would appear. I was prepared for the tedious process and enjoyed working on this piece. The idea is about a couple celebrating their anniversary. I implied symbols to tell the story, such as the condoms to advocate safe sex, the gift box, alcohol, ashtray and framed picture of the couple on the fireplace mantel. I abandoned the colored inks after a few drawings were done with them, but currently returned to use them again, because of the expansion of my present ideas.