letters as love

i love letters, so naturally as a graphic designer, i love typography as well. since the past several years i have chosen to make painting my hobby and my love (no pun intended here), so i decided to collide both 'loves' as a personal project. in my mind, a successful one as well.

as i contemplated this impending undertaking, it finally hit me—why not small canvases with each individual letter displayed as a way to display both of them together. but how to execute it. at first, i tried something different than the final outcome, and wasn't satisfied with what i came up with at all. as i headed back to the store to buy new canvases—which weren't cheap—i knew i needed to continue my personal project or i would be dissatisfied until i completed it. 

i was on a mission.

i've never really sketched before i painted or started a design project, as i just went with it, but this time, it was different. i had an idea, but didn't know how to engineer it, so sketching was the next best thing for me.

success abound, i continued to work continuously and came up with an idea which you will now see here. an idea that i ultimately loved.

even though paintings like these are not for everyone, they worked for me and worked for the space where i eventually hung them. it was a perfect solution.

the sides of each "cube" were left to the original color that are underneath the thick applied black paint, to make each painting 'pop.' since i was satisfied with the final result and know that i can continue to create more—which i did with the first letters of each of our names in my family as well (haven't taken a picture of those yet). 

as i combined my passion for typography along with painting, it was a personal success. if you've ever thought about something intimate and small, maybe figure out a solution to incorporate the spelling of your favorite word, your last name, or even your first name as a way to display something simple and cherished. whether you choose to use a small canvas such as mine, or a mixture of letters you find through recycled materials, you can also create these symbols of endearment.

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i did it

i finally did it. i submitted my project to the denver art museum's upcoming exhibit, open for design. i'm excited and i'm eager to see my idea as an exhibit at this prestigious showing for the public to see. 


this is new to me, and apart of me is nervous, but i know that it will not only enhance my portfolio and resumé, but my psyche as well. it's what i will need to move my work and my fine art skills forward in life and push me to create more, instead of the frustration and disappointment that normally surrounds me as an artist. the frustration that i typically feel on a daily basis.


I submitted my idea & sketch about how I would love to turn an old vacant dilapidated building or wall into a childrens mural of art! with donations from local art stores, craft stores or hardware stores for any kind of paint—from spray paint to tempera paint—children can paint whatever they want. even graffiti will be accepted & welcomed.

this mural will be one-of-a-kind and it'll brighten up any inner-city neighborhood, especially for children whose art classes or programs have been cut by the school district due to funding, this will give them the creative outlet they have been wanting for so long.

there's something so raw about freehand & graffiti art that I have always loved and admired, so including an art display of this magnitude, will increase their confidence and for that one moment in time, this glorious memory that will stay with them for the rest of their lives with give them pleasure.

illustration of an example of my submission

the idea of seeing inner-city children—or any child for that matter—painting abstract works of art, or even as a realistic point-of-view, would be a more pleasing visual than a blank canvas on a wall or building instead. it would bring color to the neighborhood and a little bit of pride for these children as they gaze upon their work for weeks, or months, to come.

as long as the wall or building remain vacant, they can start over with a simple white painted wall over the mural, maybe to include a whole new group of children to showcase their talents as well. another outlet where they can express their thoughts and inner-feelings within this neighborhood project.

as i enjoy this self-acclaimed greatness, i know my confidence will increase exponentially.

as this coming week approaches, i will be exhibiting my paintings at a restaurant for local artists to showcase their work, and although this is a simple display, it's meaningful to me regardless.

i will persevere through my insecurity and add another notch to my portfolio and my resumé to ensure my confidence will increase in time.

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pop art blast

as some of you may know, i am a graphic designer by trade and education, but during a recent unemployment 'stint' in 2007, i was forced to try and make some money decisions while being at home collecting my temporary unemployment checks.

i had tried since 2003 to work freelance design from home, and although i enjoyed it, it wasn't as lucrative as i had hoped—or enjoyable, for that matter. with graphic design, it's about what the client wants, not what the designer wants. one of my design professors from college always used to say—"as a designer, you create for others, but as an artist, you create for yourself." this definitely holds true in the world of graphic and web design.

what else could i do that would provide me the freedom of fine art mixed with computer illustration? the answer? pop art.

it's something i have always had a passion for, but never took to another level personally. until i was laid off in january 2007 from my part time design gig, thus forcing me to take another look at how i could make money while actively looking for another job elsewhere.

from then, i started selling my pop art on ebay which quickly became a profitable—albeit temporary—solution. as i dabbled and experimented on the computer, i quickly found that creating pop art via the computer was better suited using a vector program (i.e. adobe illustrator), not a raster program such as adobe photoshop, which seemed to be the common application for such a task. not only are the lines clean and crisp, but there are no resolution issues when using a vector program, as well. it was a perfect solution for me and for my customers.

here are a few samples of my work—and if you're wanting to purchase some of my pieces, go here. but please be patient, i haven't posted all of my designs to date, but i'm working on it—slowly but surely. if there's a design you're looking for, just check out my bonanzle booth, or contact me directly, and i'm happy to work with you on a custom or already created piece.

in memory of electric guitar guru - les paul 1915–2009 (©2008)

1960s andy warhol protegé - edie sedgwick (©2008)

bob marley (©2008)

tabby cat (©2008)

1970s bmw (©2008)

1980s rubik's cube (©2009)