"Inspire Buckeye" is 1 of 5 Public Art installations in the city of Cleveland intentionally designed to address the city's staggering illiteracy rate.

Inspire Buckeye

"Portrait Of A Pimp" is a piece commissioned by a client who want to be portrayed as a pimp. As I got further into the personality of the client, I realized that pimp could be defined as "Positively Influencing Many People". The reality is that we are all typically defined by what we look like on the outside, and not who we are within.

The original painting was 36 x 48 acrylic on canvas.

Portrait Of A Pimp

 I just wanted to do an illustration of a powerful, sexy woman smoking a joint with my name "SOUL" being formed in the smoke LOL! But also in the process,  incorporate elements of Black Culture, specifically the "Afro Puffs". The piece actually has various depths of  meaning that I love discussing with people when they experience the work.

It was created on the iPad Pro using Procreate.

Afro Puffs

Inspire Your City is a series of murals in Cleveland, OH centered around the theme of literacy. According to the Cleveland-based organization Seeds Of Literacy, the city has a 66% illiteracy rate, with some neighborhoods having a rate as high as a staggering 95%. The murals consist of images of children with books, conveying and promoting the importance literacy and to make learning and reading “something cool” through public art. The books serve as metaphors for (the pursuit of) information, knowledge and wisdom, but are also conduits to initiating deeper conversations within the community.
In general, Inspire Your City is an idea geared towards furthering awareness in how the arts and artists play an integral role in changing the social, political and economical landscape of communities.

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