Painting Maya Angelou

The Painting is finally complete.

Preliminary Sketch- Red Color Pencil.

Painting in some more detail.

Doing some placement with he Bluejay.

Adding more detail to the Bluejay

The painting is entering i’ts final stages, before the varnish.

The painting is finalized with a clear coat of Varnish.

I love showing my audience the stages of the painting.

I’ve longed to dive into a Maya Angelou piece, her ability to use her gifts led way to a life she was called for. Paying homage to her legacy, in contemplating this piece I wanted to give great respect by honoring her in a way never seen before. With her warm calming voice and powerful words she has shined a light worthy of a true hero.

"To be free is a Caged Bird's Dream"

I love turning trash into treasure. This is a contemporary rendition of the Late Great Maya Angelou, an American Hero. It is also the 8th installment of wood I found in various trash dumps brought home, cleaned and turned it into art. http://www.lorenzopphotography.com/lo...

Title: "Queen Antiquity" :Repertoire

Transfer: Wood Mix Medium:

Acrylic, Ink 

Print Orientation: Portrait Size: 40"x48"

Weight: 20.4 .lbs.

Process of Creation

Step 1. Clean the wood.

Step 2. Gesso the wood.

Step 3. Dry the wood, this can be air dried or blow dried.

Step 4. Paint a base color, this is usually done in a raw Sienna.

Step 5. Preliminary sketch, this generally done in pencil or color pencil.

Step 6. Trace the permanent lines in a raw umber.

Step 7. Paint begin painting start with lite colors and gradually build.

Step 8. Varnish your painting, using Polyurethane or Polycrylic.

Step 9. Edit your video.

Step 10. Upload and post,

Gandhi Spiritual Amnesty

We all may or may not know who Mahandi Gandhi was, one thing is for certain he was a human being. Mohandas/Mahatma Gandhi, lead Non-Violent Protesting Great Salt March of 1930 to demonstrate against British oppression Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule, and to later inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. As recently discovered his earlier indoctrination embodied a racist undertone that has now engendered his entire legacy.

What does forgiveness look like?

What does Spirituality look like?

What does Amnesty look like?

What does Peace look like?

Here are some foot notes and inspirations behind the painting.

"Gandhi Spiritual Amnesty”

Red Cardinals:1. Love 2. Loyalty 3. Fertility 4. Renewal and Life 5. Spiritual Messengers 7. Passion

The Staff: The rod represents God’s discipline and the staff represents God’s guidance. Both are used to protect God’s followers from harm. Rods and staves are also used as symbols of leadership or authority in the Bible.

The Halo: The halo is symbolic of universal energy,

The Triangle: The Triangle is symbolic of the mind, body, and soul. The Father, The Son, and Holy Spirit. Love, compassion, and forgiveness.

Orange Lilies: Orange has always been a color that’s associated with a refreshing sense of confidence and energy. The bright, bold, show stopping color speaks to feelings of warmth and positivity around the world. Orange lilies stand for happiness, love, and warmth. Luke 12-27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Matthew 6:25-34: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these..

George Floyd News12 Lorenzo Pickett

“Air is the most precious gift we share”

In the wake of George Floyd’s 1 year Anniversary as we reflect, I remember when I witnessed the video for the very first time I broke down in tears in utter shock  and disbelief. I could not sleep for the following 2 days in the midst of this emotional roller coster I was on so I painted. The message “Air is the most precious gift we can share” is a message from God that was placed on my heart to convey in that painting. It still blows my mind what he was subjected to!! Be sure to tune in, I will be reflecting on this piece  #12NewsNJ  #ThespotJC

I want give a big thanks to Beth Borror, Olga Lavine, John Bathke and ThespotJC for facilitating this! 

Giving all Glory to God!!

Interested in seeing how this painting was created? Be sure to watch the video below!

"George Floyd" :Air

Transfer: Canvas 

Mix Medium: Acrylic paint, Marker  

Print Orientation: Portrait

Size: 41"x44"

John Bathkey, Myself, Ibn Shakoor, The SpotJC, Greenville, Jersey City.

Interestingly enough, John Bathkey and I met 15month earlier prior to COVID19. Jersey City, Greenville, Artist Tour. Qua's Creative Art center.

“Walk-Bye” ART WALK, Jersey City, Lincoln Park, Jersey City, NJ, 06-2020, Photographer. Jennifer B.

I want to thank Councilwoman Denise Ridley, Ward A City Of Jersey City for being gracious enough to use the George Floyd during her Virtual Council Meetings. August 19th, 2020

"Air Is The Most Precious Gift We Share" -George Floyd

“I couldn’t sleep so I painted, I learned to speak without saying a word” #Art #GeorgeFloyd #Healing #Compassion

"Nipsy Blue" -Ascension

“2Pac Of My Generation”

SketchBook Stage 1

SketchBook Stage 2

SketchBook Stage 3 #Ink #ColorPencil #Marker

Transfer to Canvas #Sketch #Graphite

Canvas Painting Stage 1

Canvas Painting Stage 2

Canvas Painting Stage 3

Canvas Painting Stage 4

Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center, Jersey City, NJ.

Artist Talk -Saint Peter’s University, Pope Hall, Jersey City, NJ.

Black History Exhibition!!!!

Hey Guys, 

Super excited to share with you all, The opening of last nights show was stellar! I will be exhibiting at Jersey City, City Hall, John Meagher, Rotunda Gallery, 3rd floor, I will be displaying "King Malcolm" and "Khalief Browder" The works will be display throughout the remaining month. Please do not be a stranger I welcome the love and support : ) 

Big Thanks to, Kodak Jones, and Greg Brickey

"Khalief Browder"

Forwarded by Noel Clark:

Posted on May 25, 2017 Forwarded by NoelClark 

In the past, I’ve blogged about musical artists to watch like Fly.Union and Pardison Fontaine but, today I’m gonna let you in on a talented painter, Lorenzo P. .

His work captivates. His pieces are layered in colors and life. Maybe it’s because he is talented in a multitude of ways; he’s also a poet, photographer, writer and musician. Maybe it’s because of his layers as an artist that his art is layered as well. His paintings not only look beautiful, they also have movement and song within them. 

Lorenzo recently did a tribute piece to Kalief Browder. If you’re wondering who Kalief Browder is and if you haven’t watched “The Kalief Browder Story” on SPIKE TV, I encourage you to do so and be prepared to be emotionally wrecked. It’s such a devastating story but it will prompt you to ACT, to do something positive and give light to Kalief’s life which was interrupted with a string of horribly painful, tragic misuses of power. 

Lorenzo’s tribute piece to Kalief is powerful. One of my favorite details of the painting is a small detail, so small it’s almost hidden but once you notice it, you can’t help but focus in on it. It’s a butterfly made of money. Lorenzo said that it represents the idea that “Justice is not always given to those who are financially less fortunate, but justice will be served through the will power of standing up for what it right”. He continued to elaborate on the butterfly by adding, “the “Money Butterfly” represents the many metamorphoses change will undergo”. 

Hey go check out my sister in action noelclark.com

How to achieve amazing catchlights in the eyes PT4

How to Achieve Amazing Catchlights in the Eyes PT4

Triangular Lights

This is essentially a 3 light setup, but it actually took a total of 5 lights to construct this particular setup. In the middle we have the beautiful Eliza Lugo, she is the very model who starred in the first series of how to achieve amazing catchlights in the eyes. As you can see in the image Eliza is highlighted by (2) 4ft, Fluorescent lighting banks that are equivalent to 128watts each. The two side lights act as a rim light accentuating the contour of her body as well as creating some separation between the talent and the background. Moving along here’s where things get a little interesting, Lighting banksBecause Joe adamant did such a flawless job at constructing these lighting banks I told myself I would not make a video doing such however, because of the amount of inquiries I received in regards to constructing these lighting banks I figured I'll make a quick video.

DIY Fluorescent Lighting Banks

Lithonia Lighting hanging fixture

1/2"  Conduit hanger

1/4-20 wing nut

Flat washer #8

machine Screws #8-32x3/4"

machine Screws 5 1/4" 20x1/2"

#0 conduit hanger with speed thread

5’ Conduit pipe cut down to 4'

Satin white spray paint

Impact KCP-240

40" Extension Arm

KCP- 200

2.5" Grip Head

8" Baby Pin

I captured Eliza doing her makeup

This is the Impact 40" Extension Pole with the 8" baby pin held by the Super "C" clamp.

Art & Photography

I do apologizes because I kept referring to the "Light Stand" as a "Tripod", please excuse me lol
Be on the look out for my next video where I review the C-Stand and boom pole!!!!!!!!!

It's always a good feeling revisiting your foundation. This is how it all started for me people, I picked up a camera to take better images of my Art work and boom the rest was history. I am currently up dating my website with some new art work so I wanted to let you all in.

Check out the the "Shards of Glass" video you can see the green painting featured there!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze0U62LWaqE

If you like the background music that's our new track titled "Think About Me"  that video can be seen here!
Filmed/Directed: Lorenzo p. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3oF8ZUBetc

Be sure to show my peoples some love
http://noelclark.com/
http://www.ibnsharifshakoor.com/