Danke Schon London..

Shhhh it's a secret...

Difrancesco's Vamp

So as I said previously I've just been given a new mechanical pencil, which I have filled with 2H lead. The terms of receiving the pencil was that I create a sketch for the contributor... simple!

Scanned and going into Illustrator.

Travelling Man

Amongst all the painting I haven't had much time to sit down in front of the computer and develop any of the images in my sketchbook.

This illustration is my reflection on many cultures and how descendants have travelled and spread their culture. Coming from a Jamaican family, partly of African descent, I strongly feel that [like many cultures] much of the Caribbean descendants are quite nomadic. People have travelled throughout Africa, to the Caribbean, to either the U.S or Europe and elsewhere. Gradually I believe that many have the sense to travel back.

I myself haven't travelled as much as I would like. But people spend there lives travelling, and as you do you bring various cultures with you; scenes, sounds, nature, and approaches to living. 

I once heard a tail the Ghengis Khan had a vision of collecting as many trees as possible along his travels to plant all on one hill.

On a different note, I have now acquired a new mechanical pencil!! I will be filling this with 2H led now as to replace my recently lost friend, and am going to create a new relationship with it this weekend.

I have also started reading Anthony Kiedis' autobiography which I do recommend.

I also just copped Earl Sweatshirt's DORIS album!! My evening has been confirmed!! I really think he's one of the artist who is reviving Hip Hop at the moment.

Auf Wiedersehn my Mechanical 2H

There comes a time in every artist's life when they part ways with their favourite tool.. their comrade, comapdré... For me it was last Friday.
I lost my mechanical 2H pencil. He sat so well in my hand, I liked the way he sketched out lines, and crosshatched with finesse. He was my confidént; he knew most of my deepest thoughts and understood my imagination.. here's a homage to my 2H with a few pics of the more recent sketches.

My 2H mechanical is the one with the gR.I.P

1st sketch for StreetfestXBecks

jack the ripper

JEBA X ZINA X TONY RIFF

As I had said in the previous post, I had spent 5 consecutive days painting, my trigger finger is now the size of my wrist!

On Saturday ZINA got through to me to come down to a spot in South London. I've never painted with her before, admiring her work for a while, and finally meeting her at Streetfest, I'm really hoping we can get together quite a few more times and get some painting done. In turn I invite the one and only Tony Riff, who is absolutely blasting through the work this summer!! it's brilliant!

Ye I'm happy with the letters but i think I want to have another go at that character again.

JEBA in the house pt2

Here's shots of the final including bits I did in the corridor to flow into the kitchen.

JEBA in the house pt1

The last week has seen me push this right hand and trigger finger to limits it has not known! It's been a brilliant 5 days of continuous painting with a great opportunity.

I was invited by Marina Ribera to take part in the redevelopment of a flat in West London along with 2 other artists by adding artwork to the walls. Myself, Vanessa Longchamp, and  Mateus Bailon divided up the areas, choosing which parts we wanted to concentrate on.

I chose to take on the kitchen with a further interest to add elements into the corridors. Essentially when I receive a brief as open and accepting as this there are 3 things I consider:

A concept.

How I can produce something that compliments the environment.

What I can gain through experimentation.

Predetermining that the walls would be white, I decided that I wanted to produce a largely grayscale piece, with hints of colour. By doing this I can work create something that wouldn't be too invasive on the environment and also use the negative space in an effective way. Also I haven't worked on a grayscale piece since 2007.

After viewing the space and talking over with Marina, my initial idea was backed up. If anyone saw the Becks piece I did for Streetfest, I wanted to continue the story. Where we originally view Tinkerbell swooping down into the woodland, the story continues into the environment she has approached. 

Coupled with the Kitchen leading right into the Garden I was compelled to try and continue the scene into the kitchen, as to almost, transforming the environment into another realm... akin to the theme of Tom's Midnight Garden if I may.