Inktober 2018

So, anyone doing inktober this year? If you're not hip, its an art challenge to stretch out your ink (marker, brush, pen) skills and although there are art prompts officially you can do your own theme: political, women, activists, musicians, typography, etc. Here are some from last year. My focus was Latinxs/Hispanics/Raza/ Indigenous folks and some political issues. You can see my past drawings of POC, Characters, etc here http://investigateconversateillustrate.blogspot.com/search… AND if you want the official 2018 prompt go here: https://inktober.com/rules/

Bookplates 1-4

Check these out. Have you ever wanted to bring a cool custom gift to a baby shower? Or surprise your friend who is a teacher with a gift that not only supports literacy but champions children of color? Get them a book plate or several so they can reinforce positive reading habits as early as possible. 

You can purchase these individually or in packs of 10 and 30. 

STORE LINK

New Picture Book - w/ Dani Gabriel & Penny Candy Books

Here's a quick update. More info coming soon. To stay updated please go and follow Penny Candy Books via their newsletter or social media. Really excited to be working with Dani Gabriel (Poet Laureatte) and Penny Candy again!

Trust Your Struggle - 15 years

Wow, can't believe 15 years has gone by since we started building and discussing what TYS would be. The Trust Your Struggle Collective was founded in the Bay Area (Pittsburg, SF, and Oakland) 15 years ago and still lives from LA to NYC. We are a group of artists, activists, educators, parents, workers, etc who created a crew on the principles of making dope art that speaks about some of the injustices we see.

That was the point and I believe we have done our very best to bring that energy for 15 years. We have painted canvases, paper, walls, black books, classrooms, cultural centers, schools, streets, galleries, banners, garages, restaurants, and our own hearts. We have traveled all over the United States and many places throughout the world and one thing that comes to mind no matter what we do are the people we've met along the way.

It is the grandmothers, aunties, and the homies from around the way who don't have a holiday in their name, a chapter in a book, or a street named after them. It is the folks who gave a dime when they barely had a nickel. It is the folks who stopped to tell us their story, or give encouragement and sometimes criticism. It is the countless friends and family who helped us with their time, money, resources, food, and shelter that make the art and the struggle meaningful. I think we all knew we were not reinventing the wheel with our work or subject matter. We were inspired by so many different artists and movements of the past.

But through all the great times, the bullshit, and the times when we just got by; it means something to bear witness to what everyday people are going through. It means something to be able to help share their narrative. We believe in basic human rights for all, peoples control over the wealth they create, thinking critically about what our oppressors feed us mentally, and being creative when you break it down.

Salute to all the artists out there fighting back with your poetry, movement, words, organizing, brushes, and hearts. Know that you are loved. None of us are perfect. I know you get tired. Keep fighting, we have to keep going so the next generation takes the torch. The oppressors know how powerful the people are collectively.

A new world is coming.....

-Rob / Tres (TYS Collective Est. 2003)

Alameda County Health Department- Illustration

I finished work on a few illustrations for Alameda County of Health Department and designer Randal Ann Homan (SF Neon). Here are a few (not all) pieces from the toolkit/report. LINK here. 

Amiri Baraka quote

The word “art” is something the West has never understood. Art is supposed to be a part of a community. Like, scholars are supposed to be a part of a community… Art is to decorate people’s houses, their skin, their clothes, to make them expand their minds, and it’s supposed to be right in the community, where they can have it when they want it… It’s supposed to be as essential as a grocery store… that’s the only way art can function naturally.

—	Amiri Baraka  (via westindians)

Chapter 510 Poet - Leila

This young lady is Oakland's new Poet Laureate. This is maybe the 8th or 9th time I've painted a portrait for Chapter 510 and the Oakland Public Library's annual poet laureate program. It's an honor to paint these rising and shining minds and an honor to be commissioned by Chapter 510.

You can read her work HERE

Update: This young poet just got her novel "Nightcrawling" featured by Oprah Winfrey!! 

Dig this? Check out some of the other portraits I've painted:
Journalist Jamilah King

Poet Lucy

Self Portrait 

KTVU coverage of Hiero Day

Hiero Day was a blast , here's a quick video from KTVU. You can see me and some of my comrades around the 1:20 mark for the kids section.