Sierra Health Foundation - Theory of Change

Finished this illustration for the "Sierra Health Foundation" as a joint collaboration with Design Action who did the layout and design. Each round of the artwork involved feedback from Design Action and the client.

Here's some process:

Thumbnail

Rough sketch

Rough sketch 2

Color version

Final version before text was added

That's all she wrote. If you know of any young students trying to get started in illustration share this pdf with them.

Dig this? Check out this illustration for "In Dance Magazine"

Illustration for "In Dance" Magazine

 

This is a fun project. Nkeiruka Oruche is the guest editor for this issue of "In Dance Magazine" and she invited me to write and illustrate a short personal experience relating to dance. When she asked me to participate my first thought was that I'm not a dancer but she wanted a mix of folks. Those whose creative practice it is to dance and those who've danced at some point in life, which I think is most of us.  Anyway, check out my illustration from the piece.

Read the whole magazine HERE

Here's my sketch, painting of dancers, and added background and text.

I had fun doing this and I'm thankful to writer, dancer, editor, multi-disciplinary artist Nkei for inviting me:). The magazine features a variety of folks from the Bay and nationally, regular folks and dancers of course with some interesting stories about family, tradition, culture, institutions, and lots of opportunities to move your body. Check it out!!!!!

Dig this? Check out 

-ACLU's "Realizing the Dream" 

-Drawings for Oakland's Chapter 510.

-Illustrations for ACLU X Central Valley Report

-My PDF tips to become a freelance illustrator

Chapter 510-Sense of Belonging

 

This past fall I did some quick drawings for Oakland's "Chapter 510" who are always doing work around empowering young writers, readers, and thinkers. These are a few of the portraits of some young people for their collective poem called "A Sense of Belonging". More info about the project here.

Dig this? Check out this portrait I did of Leila for Chapter 510 and Oakland Public Library.

Or the illustrations for ACLU x Central Valley Report

Sketches 3

 

This is a sketch for a portrait of graffiti artist Spie

Sup with it fam, its been awhile since I shared some sketches from my process. I share process art a lot with different projects but sometimes I just love looking back at the sketches I made before painting some of my personal or client work. Sometimes the sketches are better than the final. Something about the energy in them.

This was for East Oakland's "Street Level Health"

Chapter 510 (organization) sketch

Sketch from the book Sam! Published by Penny Candy Books

Curry sketch - Warriors

Wide sketch for "Asian Art Museum" in SF

For BLK History month 2021 - Little Richard

This is a sketch for "Orange Barrel Media" AD in Ohio

Here's a self portrait I did many years ago

Sketch Postcard for "Sunrise Movement"

Sketch for Zumbi (Zion-I) RIP

Here's a sketch from "Alejandria Fights Back" pub by Feminist press

Thanks for checking out the sketches. If you notice the majority of my sketches are on paper with pencil. In the last few years I have been using an I-pad pro increasingly to speed up the sketch process and move things around, so you'll be seeing more of those sketches. If you dig these check out my sketchbook tour 

video here

Here's the last sketches post I made in 2018

ACLU Illustrations for Central Valley Report

 

I have been working w/ the ACLU since 2016 and always enjoy the process and work that gets produced especially when it aids in telling the story of regular people fighting for human and civil rights. Case in point, the art for this report supports the stories of three people who migrated to the US to find work. Erika, Nestor, and Nelson. 

While asylum is a term that allows immigrants from any country to migrate to another for political and/or safety reasons the folks targeted and deported consistently in the United States are Black and Brown people. This is not hearsay but fact. See the Chinese exclusion act, the Bracero program, the treatment of Mexican and Central Americans vs the red carpet for Cuban exiles or immigrants from Europe. 

This study is a collaboration w/ California Rural Legal Assistance foundation and it looks at Central California specifically and interrogates how the Sheriff's in the region collude with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcements) to deport Latinxs.

READ IT HERE

See some of the art below:

And here is the last set of illustrations I did for the ACLU 2018 annual report.

Video: B is for Black Brilliance

This is cool for two reasons. First it is an organization dedicated to uplifting positive images of Black folks using multimedia including kids books. And two, I got to collaborate with designer Cheyanne Rhodes and founder of B is For black Brilliance Shawna Wells. Some of my artwork is in this video! Ok, please follow them on IG, check out their store, and follow along as they share Blk folks for "Black Brilliance Month". Shout to Amy Sonnie for the connect!  

Here is the video they created using my work:

Video link

Dig this? Check out the artwork I did for the Latino Community Foundation 

Latino Community Foundation

 

This past holiday season I did some artwork for the Latino Community Foundation to support their effort to get more Latinxs vaccinated. When it comes to this, I understand why hella people don't want to be vaccinated. I get why people do not trust it. I for one am very critical of our government, our society, and political system. However, this is a measure of survival for me and I am vaccinated. So, when they reached out about doing these I was excited to support. 

Please check out the work that the foundation does here and their IG here. 

Here are some examples of artwork I've done for other organizations or groups:

Self Evident Podcast

California Domestic Workers Alliance

California Environmental Justice Alliance

Self Evident Podcast - Artwork

Yo, did some artwork for this awesome podcast! If you haven't listened to it yet please check out the "Self Evident Podcast". Especially this episode about fruit which is a love language in Asian families.

Foster Power Illustration

 

Damn, going through old files I found this illustration I did for "Foster Youth Action" as a collaboration with Design Action Collective (Type design by Ivy Climacosa ). Foster youth in Action is an or dedicated to empowering kids of all stripes in the foster care system and working with national allies who work in the foster care as well. Check out some process for this below.

 Looking back at old work even from just a few years ago I see so many things I can improve, but I think its really important to post so you can see my growth because I'm trying to improve every day! 

Anyways, check out this piece I did for Sunrise Movement too.

Art for Cal Domestic Workers Alliance

 

Here are some pieces I forgot to share. I created these in collaboration with Design Action Collective and the California Domestic Workers Alliance. 

Update: Here are some recent uses of the artwork by CDWC:

Uses in 2021

Not sure if they ever used the version with type and design by Design Action, but heres a flyer they made using the art for new members. Please go to their website to check out their mission statement. They organize around domestic workers rights leading campaigns that increase awareness about workers rights and  they organize campaigns to fight for policy changes that affect real working people, most of whom are women of color! Here's their site.

Check out some of the other illustrations I did for them. 

This work is super meaningful as I have had many domestic workers in my family. My mother cleaned houses at a point in her life and so did I. I hella respect the folks who do the work whether in homes, businesses, or institutions. And I love the fact that CDWA helps them get better pay, more respect, and together they win more rights for domestic workers. Shout out to Sabiha Basrai who managed this and Riley who did the type design.

Did you catch the illustrations I did for California Environmental Justice Alliance?

Also, here is some artwork I created for them many years ago. LINK