When I see gladiolus flowers I always think of my momma because they are her favorite.

I also love photographing gladiolus flowers because they are rich in color, diverse in patterns & other external complexities that can only be seen when viewed closely and careful.

My momma is as beautifully complex as the gladiolus flower that she loves so much.

Her love knows no limit, her personality is as colorful as a field of wild gladiolus & that is what I love about her.

She is full of life & experiences that are inspirational when viewed closely though conversation or by looking at her hands.

She’s my momma!

OK, enough of the corny stuff!

So, I’m announcing my 1st blog giveaway for Mother’s Day.

The prize is a 6×9 matted print of the image above titled “Edge of Reality” ($65.00 value).

If you’re still trying to make it out the photo, it’s a gladiolus petal.

To Enter:

• You must live in the United States
• Leave a brief comment (no essays, please!) by 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 telling me your momma’s favorite flower and or the last time you gave your mom flowers.
• Make sure comment has a name and your email in the appropriate fields when commenting.
• Anonymous entries will be disqualified.
• If the winner is contacted in time, the prized will be shipped Thursday, May 6, 2010 for a Saturday delivery (fingers crossed)

The winner will be selected randomly so let’s get this party started!

BTW, if you love gladiolus flowers as much as my momma & I, you will enjoy this presentation.

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Update:

My Mother’s Day contest has ended & the winner is……………….. Liz Dwyer aKa Los Angelista.

Thanks to all who entered, I really enjoyed your stories!

One day, just one day, I will make a photo that is this bad ass & this black & this classic!

Until then, I keep trying.

Photo Credit:
Models: Jim Kelly & Gloria Hendry
Movie: Black Belt Jones
Photographer unknown :(

This past weekend, I visited New York’s Museum of Modern Art & fell in love in the photography gallery. I always fall in love in their portrait gallery so this is really no new news!

What made me fall during my most recent visit was Carrie Mae Weems’ “From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried” presentation.

The presentation consisted of several familiar photos of Negros from US slavery & Africa’s past colored & overlaid with very powerful poetic words.

I stared intensely at these photos & all I could say was WOW, WOW, WOW!

The display seems almost out of place and by this, I mean that I could stand in a room all alone.

When I got home, I, of course I Googled her name & did her resume & was intrigued a) by her procurement of the photos from the Getty & b) her creative process in assembling one cohesive piece.

“I was trying to look at the history of photography and the way in which African Americans had been particularly depicted and inscribed through and in American photography. I used images that were preexisting, and my intervention was to re-inscribe them by making them all consistent, in terms of size and scale and format and adding the use of color so that, for instance, I used the color red to annunciate the image. I wanted to use oval or circular mats because I wanted to have that sense of looking through the photographic lens, which is a round surface…”

I was also quite amazed to learn that the photo presented above sold at Christie’s (auction house) for a cool $25,200. Wow!

You can see the entire display of “From Here I Saw What Happened And Cried” here.

I love discovering Black photo heroes!

After this semester is over in a just a few days & after my mini vacation in just a few days after that, I’m hoping that my creative ideas will start to flow once again!

Inspired atfer watching the movie “Helvetica,” which is a font that I happen love.

Typography refers to the arrangement of text on a page, and appears in some form or another in all instances of written communication. Depending on the purpose, typography can be used for optimum readability, impact, or an artistic statement. Some graphic designers work totally in text, and study typography extensively while they perfect their art. Quality typography can make a big difference in communications, because it can impact the way the reader sees and feels about the topic being discussed.

Fonts used in this design include: Arial, Bell Gothic StandardBASEHEAD, Bell Gothic Standard, Helvetica, Matomato, Memoriam Pro, & Myndraine

BTW: Check out Myfont.com’s Top 10 fonts of 2009 here.

This evening, I met with photographer Loti Walker who also happens to be the Assistant Director of Programs at the Ann Arbor Art Center to discuss their ArtMakers Teens program. ArtMakers Teens is geared toward at risk youth between the ages of 14-18 and it exposes them to art education. The current session will be led by Loti & will be centered on photography.

During our meeting, Loti shared her vision for this session & the flow of what she wanted the students to experience through digital photography. This is where I come in. Loti extended an invitation for me to come in & give a talk to the students regarding my creative process & photography work. She also invited to me critique some of the student’s work at the end of program before their photography exhibit.

Needless to say, Loti didn’t have to twist my arm at all to get me on board. So Feb 20, 2010 I will give a talk to some young fresh minds, which I find very exciting.

The great thing about this opportunity is that it will allow me to educate & provide community service locally, which is a personal goal every year.

After Loti & I were done talking shop & exchanging fun life stories, I immediately called my Aunt Phyllis to share my news. I knew Aunt Phyllis would be excited because she’s an artist herself & teaches art in the Detroit Public School system. She was so excited for me & asked if she could join me at the talk. I so appreciate her undying support.

Now, I have to focus on my talk outline & prepare a visual presentation for the students to feast on.

On a side note: Loti introduced me to a new word; filthy. When something is filthy, its hot/bad ass/off the chain. When she first said it, I was like what did you just say? She laughed then explained. From there I challenged myself to say it throughout the week. See the Urban Dictionary’s 1. definition (I love the Urban Dictionary).

Last night I was 1 of 5 featured photographers at the EXPOSURE.Detroit Photography Exhibit Opening & it was AWESOME!!!

The show lasted 3 hours & there was no one point when the room was not packed with fans, friends, admirers, photographers etc. I mean PACKED! Being that this was my first gallery styled show, I had no idea what to expect but I planned as much as I could. Luckily Suite Suzy was there to help keep me grounded because it was kinda crazy. Crazy but cool.

I was also happy that many of my friends made it out to the show to check out my work for the first time. I talk about my art loosely all the time but many have not seen it. It was nice getting their feedback & seeing the amazement on their faces as they viewed my work.

I displayed 9 of my favorite abstract macro pieces & they went over very well. Over the course of the evening, many commented on how sensual, colorful & unique my subject matter. I found it interesting though that so many talked about the sensuality of my presentation. One attendee stated that my piece “Wonderful Red Cliché” appeared to be two vaginas and this was before she purchased it. How awesome is that!?!

During the show, I was also able to connect with other photographers who inquired about my creative process, techniques that I use & I even gave some camera advice to some new photographers. That was pretty cool because I’m never really in a situation where I get t explain my work to others who know what I’m talking about.

After the event was over, Suite Suzy & I enjoyed a wonderful meal, then joined friends for drinks & laughs. Many of the laughs centered on some pretty unsavory topics. YES!!! I love unsavory topics.

The night was magical for many reason & I’m still on cloud nine from the love that I received from so many people.

One a funny note:
- I posted that I was wearing a beret to the opening on FB. When many of my friends showed up, they asked where my beret was. I had to explain that I couldn’t find neither my black or raspberry beret.

- Every time I gave someone a hug last night, they told me that my hair smelled of cloves. Everyone! Funny thing is that I didn’t have anything oils or other products in my hair. I’m still trying to figure out where the fragrance came from.

If you live in the Detroit area, you can see the photography exhibit through May 2010 at the Bean & Leaf Café located in Royal Oak, MI.

Out of habit, everything I see looks like art in one form or another. Sometimes, I think this is a curse because but when I photograph my visions, it seems like a gift.

I visited the Richard Avedon exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts today & I’m totally inspired by his work. The pieces displayed at the DIA give a glimpse into his extensive career as a trendsetting photographer & his commitment to diversity.

His creative passion & technical expertise are clearly evident image after image. The sharpness, composition, & lighting on each photo was just breath taking.

I will definitely need to visit again, just to be sure that I didn’t miss anything.

Many of my favorite images featured Dovima, Veruschka, China Machado, & Donyale Luna.

Speaking of Danyale Luna; last week, I heard an interesting segment on WDET’s “Detroit Today,” which discussed the Detroit’s life & career. Totally worth checking out. Fast forward to 34:32

Also, check out Afrobella’s post on Donyale. This is where I was 1st introduced to the Black Super Model.

Photo Above:
Model: Donyale Luna
Photographer: Richard Avedon
Dress: Paco Rabanne

This is my 1st movie done using my iPhone & iMovie 09. I’m impressed with the quality of the videos that I can capture with my iphone. And Im very impressed with the flexibility & easiness of iMovie.

I’m no videographer by any means but I love making little movies.

I did this design for a friend of mine a few years ago. She made a huge poster out of it for her new apartment & it turned out to be really hot.

Looking at it years later, I still like it, but would have gone in a different direction.

Part of life & art is growning & ever evolvong taste & preferences.