Don Cornelius - wishing you peace

Photo taken from jackandjillpolitics.com

The irony of life.  Just as we are entering February a month dedicated to the various celebrations around the US in honor of Black History month, we lose a legend.  Don Cornelius who is attributed to spreading the music and culture of Black America to the masses.  Helping to make some people like Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and Marvin Gaye a household name, not to mention having one of the longest running syndicated shows in history- has taken his own life.  It fills me with so many mixed feelings like what was going on at 75 years old that he felt that was the answer and you really can't judge a smile and assume that means everything is okay.

I remember some of the episodes of Soul Train.  Everyone loved it and looked forward to that show.  Of course I was too young to identify it with history in the making and Black History in the making no less, but I would be hard pressed to find someone who didn't have a fond memory of that show.  The Soooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul Train!

I hope he is at peace now.  Rest in peace.  His contribution to music history, a lifestyle, and culture is legendary.  

Since I have been on this 'painting war path' with my new series of small works of art, I felt it only natural to paint my own small tribute to the Man of Soul.

Soul: My tribute to Don Cornelius on Etsy

My heart goes out to his family.  This Black History Month is starting off bitter/sweet.  Cornelius touched the world!

Black History tidbit:

“Don Cornelius was a pioneer, an innovator, and a trailblazer. He was the first African-American to create, produce, host and more importantly OWN his own television show.  (Taken from vibe.com)

Looking back:

Update - what a tribute!:

February 5 2012, new York

"Soul Train" flash mob tribute to Don Cornelius - New York

So many flyers: One artists solution to the paper trail

Various flyers.  Images curtesy nicholelopezdesign.com

As an exhibiting artist, art patron, or just simple everyday promotions, club events; there is one thing that is constant and consistent.  Flyers.  If you are doing an event, you print flyers, when you are out on the town, we are consistently bombarded by flyers.  In some aspects they are a great way to affordably get your information out.  Some people collect them like business cards, either to check on an event, or as a designer you look to see what the competition is doing (or not).  When you are curating or producing an event, along with your online marketing, flyer printing is a given.

Often times talking with other artists who produce shows, printing just enough flyers or too many flyers is an issue.  After an event, or if you change your marketing you are left with all these flyers.  Once money is spent, you almost hate to just through them away.

This year, some of my goals include smaller works of art and prints for those interested in my artwork but looking for a smaller investment or just getting started collecting art, as well as just my own personal exploration of concepts and styles.  Sometimes while working, I get on this tunnel vision war path of 'creativity gone wild' and just get into production mode.

'Pulse' and "Eye of Horus" acrylic painted pin by Niki Lopez

I started out with some small archival prints of a few paintings, then small canvas that I have included in my Etsy Shop.  Then I just went on a painting frenzy.  I gessoed and painted some art pins.  Taking a break to clean up my studio, I came across a stack of some older promotional flyers.  Since I do a few different things, that one flyer had my art and photography on side, and my graphic design and hosting service on the other.  While shopping for the best price point, I ended up with 5k flyers, and still have so many of them left.  I was just about to throw away another batch when it hit me:  'what if i used these flyers to create small original works of art'?  I was already looking into getting some smaller canvases to go with my frames.  So I primed a few of my flyers with gesso, waited for it to dry, then painted.

Voilà

The process: priming one side of flyer with gesso, once dried-its painting as usual.

 

Small works of art on the bottom of image is made out of recycled flyer cardstock. Art on easel is painting canvases.  

Then the series was born! Small works of art that is using recycled and repurposed flyer card stock.  Coupled with some hand painted frames, it makes the perfect canvas for my small works of art series that stems from many of my sketch book concepts as well new ideas styles.  I have just fallen in love with the process and it makes me feel good to be able to not only recycle and reuse old material, but also  saving money that would have been spent on canvases.  The great part about this series is that I am using my flyers, so on the back still has my information.

 

Old marketing flyers that are being recycled into new works of art.

I have been sharing this with a few fellow artists friends who think this is a wonderful idea, and hopefully its a solution many artists, artisans and crafters can explore as a way to reuse, recycle, and save money on supplies. 

With these recycled small works of art, I'm including a hand painted wooden frame that really showcases the work so well.

Some of the artwork created thus far can be viewed below:

  

For these and others in this new series, please check out Etsy Shop

Good bye 2011-2012 ready or not...

Last year has been an interesting year for me with lots going on. The year started off with a bang, I was invited to participate in 3 shows- then it turned into 6 shows as well as being juried into a group show at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art!. ..... It was an honor and pleasure as well as a lot of work getting new work together, prints, prep and attendance. Here is a list of some of the shows from 2011:

2011 shows:

January 22 – “The Ellen Art Show” Gab Studio Wynwood Miami FL
January 29 – “Art Night Pompano”, Pompano, FL
March 10 – “Pieces of Jamaica” the LAC Gallery, Lauderdhill FL
March 26 – “Spoken Soul Festival” The Stage, Wynwood Miami FL
March 31 – “Sister 2 Sister” Old Dillard Museum, Fort Lauderdale FL
June 18 – “The Lynching Eye” Broward Historical Commission, Fort Lauderdale FL
July 16 – Curated show- Into The Rabbit Hole -1310 Gallery, Fort Lauderdale
October 1 - Be Inspired - Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art
October 13 - Hospitality Trade Show - Broward Convention Center
October 14 - Pretty in Pink - Delray Beach
December 17 - The Natural World, 1310 Gallery, Fort Lauderdale

Donated Art to charitable orginazations:

April 2011 - Donated original artwork for fundraiser event for OVERTOWN RHYTHM & ARTS FESTIVAL
October 2011 - Attended a workshop and painted custom Converse to be auctioned off for Sole +
November 19 - Donated two Fine Art Prints for fundraiser for Love Thy Neighbor

Along with new work I also focused on some work I have started a while back and reworked them as well as worked on some new ideas that I have been itching to try as well. For example in "Alice O Alice"

This is combing both photography and digital art. I have worked on similar projects in the past, however creating photomontage has until then been more of an aspiration and just thoughts i my mind of sketchbook then actual execution.

Finally took the steps to set up my Etsy shop. I signed up so long ago. I am still learning the ins and outs and finding out about teams, etc. If anyone has tips and tricks to share- I would LOVE them. If you have an Etsy shop, please list it below or send me a message and I will check it out and add you to my circle :-). For now my shop is located at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/nikiartstudio. Since I became on the roll with the shop set up, I also set up here: Shop Niki Art Studio. Hopefully I will have good news to report, for now- still building.

I also signed up and participated in a 10 week all volunteer program with a local non profit "Drag It Out'. I am always talking about how I hate boundaries, boxes, and labels and just love exploring, researching and creating. These classes was taught by professional Drag Kings and Queen all donating their time and talent. During the class you develop a charter and a number and at the end there is a Draguation and fundraiser for three charities this non profit supports. Please check out their link and see what they are all about. Fort Lauderdale New Times named them best non profit for 2011! It was lots of fun and hard work and made some new friends on the way. May another blog I will share some of my performance and custom- which I will at least say it was one of the most different ones out of the show and of course- out of this world and cosmic (my character was an alien of course).

As for family life, I had one of my sisters and nephew spend the summer with me, that was fun for me and little Marley - my two and a half year old son. Who also picked up conversation with a vengeance. He went from saying 'Mama' and 'Papa' to "Mommy whats so funny" and racing but ending it with "tag your it!". Its fun at times watching him grow, hitting all these milestones with lighting speed, at the same time it can be a bit overwhelming. I say I'm a Visual Artist and Graphic Designer, but truth is I'm a juggler. Juggling not only doing my art, but building my work, exploring, and learning, mixed with learning marketing the hard way, stay at home mom of a terrible two's, homemaker, girlfriend, under cover chef, social media, art shows and exhibits, art community, and family life while helping some of my fellow colleges .... SHEESH! the list goes on and on- it never seems enough hours in the day. But at the end of the day, I am happy, building and looking forward to 2012 and what it has in store. Tweaking things that didn't work, really pushing things that did, organizing, and have so many ideas. Making sure it doesn't collect too much dust in my sketchbook before making it happen. Painting, sketching, researching, cooking, cleaning, and spending time with my son. I'm ready!

Hello 2012!

New artwork for Juneteenth Celebration-Olokun

I was invited to be a part of an event honoring the Juneteenth Celebration produced by Project Witness a non profit organization. The event received a lot of press coverage and a radio spot on Hot105. Me being one of the four visual artists participating for the event, was asked to create a piece of artwork for the event to be used as a part of the fundraising efforts for Project Witness.

Each artist was given a blank canvas to interpret the vision. After research, and thumbnails sketches- "Olokun" was born. The piece name was taken from a Yuruba Orisha. Olokun is the patron saint of Africans that were carried away during the Trans – Atlantic Slave Trade. Olokun is also a protector of the living, dead, and the unborn. There is also reference to the official Juneteenth flag which is red, white, and blue, and representing the star of Texas of bursting through the horizons. Texas was the last state to know about the emancipation proclamation- and found out two and a half years later that slavery ended. My story behind my piece symbolized the present slaves looking forward to the future of the baby being born free, shackles broken. While the essence of Olokun watching the past, present, and future.

Some press for the event included:

• 
• Sun-Sentinal
• Hot 105FM
• Facebook Event

New Artwork at GAB Studios Wynwood Miami -Jan 22nd

I have been following/fan/known Renda Writer since Myspace and his petition to get on the "Ellen Show" since 2007 so when I heard of his dedication show "The Ellen Art Show" I knew I had to get to the drawing board and get involved. Renda is so dedicated to not only his craft but local artists and WeMerge Magazine that its always a pleasure to work with him and be involved.

There will be at least 30 artists (including myself :-) donating original artwork created specifically for the show to help raise money to send Renda to LA to go to the Ellen Show. Silent auctions for artwork starts at $20.

The piece created for the show is a little bit different from my current work, and I had such a great time creating it. Not meant to be a duplicate of Ellen, but a whimsical representational piece. Hope you enjoy it.

"The Ellen Show" will take place at the wonderful Gab Studios. 105 NW 23rd St, in Wynwood Miami Art District.

I first came across Gab Studios during a show "Exquisite Corpse" Where I had some new and first ever collaboration artwork piece, and so I am excited to be 'back there'.

This event is FREE and open to the public, so take advantage of this great opportunity to mingle, snag some original artwork, and just have a great time!

More info: Facebook event

Nikiartstudio.com and Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Miami/Ft. Lauderdale foundation.

So finally its up! I have a work of art that was juried into a huge poster show and shown in south Florida and New York. "Still Beautiful" If you see the piece, you may agree there is no explanation needed. Recently, I have partnered with the Miami/Fort Lauderdale Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation and made a commitment to give a portion of each sale as a donation.

I have spent over 8 hours updating my website, facebook, sent out a couple of tweets, and see how is goes. I am also working on additional marketing means. My neck is and eyes are hurting from being in the same position and the baby fell asleep in my lap, again' but I finally feel a little accomplished. Please check out my link and feel free to give me some feedback and of course you are welcome to share the link :-)

http://www.nikiartstudio.com/komen.htm