I’ve gotta start blogging about all of this. Lately I have been struggling more and more with writing, but I think I realized that I was getting into a place where I felt like I needed to edit my self more… Recently, there has definitely been so much growth… people been so supportive of the arts and the journey. What’s pretty new to me right now in life is feeling like there are a lot of people supporting me, but I don’t know them… Which is definitely a new and weird experience. Like, feeling like there are real fans out there, it’s wild man. But that honestly that thought has had me overthinking everything recently, especially online. Wanting to edit and be more presentable… but then I’m like hellllll no. I feel like it’s been constricting my voice and the freedom that I’ve always originally found in writing and creating. I’ve always got to remind myself that being myself is what got me to this day and this time, so I can trust that that’s all I gotta do. I also always have to remind myself that being honest and open about my life is why a lot of you like to read these blogs, and what makes this place different for me. I think about the internet - the quick transmission of information, the filters and the fakeness, the instant success based on metrics that we’ve been programmed to care about… and I ask, “what are we actually doing on here?” For me, I’m making a decision to write more here because as I’ve reflected over the past years I feel like this blog has been a worthwhile endeavor on the internet. Something honest and real for me. Something I can look back on and remember and be thankful for. But anyways, I’m gonna start doing weekly updates for yall as I set out to go all in for my solo art show, which will be on Oct 14. So… here’s my “week of” for 07.18.22
All A Dream: Week Of 07.18.22
I feel like I’m gearing up. I’ve been feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the thought of putting on my own solo show. I’m nervous because of the uncertainty and I’m nervous because of the possibilities. Like, I don’t know where to start. To me, the creative process comes in waves. ebbs and flows. States of mind. I see it kind of like skateboarding, when you drop into the bowl (not that I can do that). But it’s just dropping in… jumping in… getting lost in it. I feel that I am at the precipice of the one of the most demanding feats of my life, and I’m preparing myself to go ahead and drop in all the way for the next 3 months.
Just last week I feel like I came to a place that I was waiting to be. It was with the dragons. I feel like there was a level I wanted to get to with the dragons for this show. On the technical front, I needed to understanding the shapes and scales better…. and how get the dragons to flow more with a little more style. I needed to discover which direction I wanted to go with in the dragons. So over the past months I’ve just been drawing and painting dragons, trying to find this feeling. and last week, I felt it. I completed two dragons (Ryu no. 4 and Ryu no. 5)…. and something about it just clicked. I can’t describe the feeling exactly, but… it was just a click. Ready to drop in. The pieces came together. I also discovered the finishing technique that is going to make these paintings unique to this show.
I also have begun playing with traditonal chinese brush painting. I have two more new paintings coming out soon on RICE paper. I’m very very excited about this new technique
1st Koi Sleeve Process
This week was also monumental because I completed my first koi fish tattoo sleeve. This tattoo sleeve is 100% original drawing and design, which actually exists as a painting as well. This is a part of my solo show, to have fine art rice paper paintings that inspire real life tattoos and to be able to show the painting and the human canvas together. This is part of my concept of my solo art show “Blooms Floating World…”. I’m trying to create new worlds by crossing existing worlds… floating worlds. Anyways, here are a few pictures of the progress of the sleeve. Man… the feeling of this sleeve coming to life is crazy. It’s such hard work but the satisfaction seeing this piece on the arm and it radiating that feeling.. It’s indescribable. Also, this tattoo I am working on the freehanding elements of the piece. The bottom Chrysanthemum is freehanded as well as a good portion of the background. I cannot WAIT to get to the shading.
ABV OUTERSPACE
ABV OUTERSPACE
This was such an energetic weekend in Atlanta. This is from Saturday night from the Outerspace Project party featuring Flying Lotus. Myself, Petie and Simone from the gang had a crazy night. For real crazy… in the sense like we couldn’t believe what we were seeing. For me, I was overwhelmed in many ways, having a hard time grasping what we were experiencing. The picture from above was the epic live painting battle featuring some of Atlanta’s legendary artists, and they had live painting all around the venue and outside. It was a true honor to watch everyone do their thing, to see folks who usually just exist on instagram for me in real life… And man, if anyone is reading from the Atlanta art scene: Let’s go fucking hard yall we are in a very very important moment in time. Not just in Atlanta, but in the world. This is a time in life where we are going to NEED artists to express their perspective. I’m just watching culture… how everyone is interacting with art and how art scenes are now being built. We are ushering in the new time of culture and what’s crazy is that it’s not something else creating it… we are. To all the artists, go hard. Be honest, get out there, leave it all on the floor. It’s time!
These moments make me feel so grateful to be where I am. It also lights a fire under me to keep pushing to grow the most I can as an artist…. To really commit to the path and to jump all the way into the process and the life. I was so inspired seeing Paper Frank up there and George and Tom and everyone else just out at the event. I feel like every artist in Atlanta was in there walking around. But yeah yall, shoutout to ABV for one amazing weekend…
But yes yall that was it for me this past week. This week I will continue to work on my paintings and I’m starting the works for the show officially this week. I also am in a group show , “Heatwave” this Saturday at Freemarket galleries in Atlanta showing one of my new dragons. The opening reception is this Saturday at 6pm. Thanks for reading my first “week of” I hope it encourages yall to get out there, live, and create some art!
Much love, Andrew