29 Days of the Web- Black Designers

Check this out, a website created by Revision Path Podcast to honor one Black designer each day of February! Please go through and check it out to familiarize yourself with these talented folks. And if you have't had a chance to, listen to the Revision Path Podcast on Black Designers.

29 Days of the Web LINK

Revision Path Podcast

Black is Beautiful 2020 - Jewel Thais-Williams

I first became aware of Jewel through the documentary "Jewel's Catch One" by C. Fitz distributed by Array Films. In the late 60s LA club scene Jewel barred from entry and jobs. Because of the racism and sexism she experienced when trying to work as a bartender or just go party she decided to build her own spot called "Jewel's Catch One" which stayed open for over 40 years through a fire, police harassment, and the many hardships (both physical and financial) to keep any business open.  

From what I can tell her club helped to create a safe and creative space for Queer Black folks to dance, party, and just be themselves. With a great sound system, and DJs who were among the first to play Disco and House music on the west coast it became a destination for folks worldwide. To run it, Jewel was not only a business owner but a bartender, dj, plumber, electrician, and manager of this club and its staff. 

Later she went back to school at UCLA and earned a Master degree in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Using those talents she founded the Village Health Foundation, a health clinic which offered free or lost cost healthcare, acupuncture, and services to her community. She also founded the first women's Aids shelter and a vegan restaurant! She is happily married and is still working to better her community. Props!

Sources: Jewel's Catch One Documentary, Msnbc, Wikipedia.

Wanna see more Black is Beautiful pieces?

Camp Atwater-Oldest Black Camp in US

Marlon Riggs- Filmmaker

Black is Beautiful 2020 - Cey Adams

It's been a while. I took a break from doing Black Is Beautiful last year. I was taking care of my brand new baby girl and now I'm back at it. Not sure if I can knock out one for each day of the month but I'm definitely going to do do some new ones and a poster.

Lets talk about Cey! 

We talk about giving people their flowers while they're still here and I want to give Cey some shine. If you didn't grow up into graf as a kid, lemme introduce you. Cey Adams started off as a graf writer in the mid 70s as Graffiti was exploding throughout the boroughs of NYC. Born in 1968 this cat had been painting for many years when I saw him in "Style Wars". Cey had and still has incredible letter structure that instantly caught my eye.

He went on to be a part of that merging of Graf with gallery exhibitions in Manhattan which I'm sure he caught flack for from some purists. Then he became one of the architects of what we know as design for hip hop producing graphics, album covers, merchandise, and logos for many of the best hip hop and r&b stars of the 80's, 90's, and beyond. He co-founded a design company called "The Drawing Board" which produced a ton of Def Jam's design work! Today this cat is still making art with a mixture of beautiful texture and some classic logos.

As a 20 something while interning for design powerhouse Morning Breath Inc in Brooklyn I really got put on to Cey's work as Doug and Jason showed me some incredible work he'd done that I didn't even know he did. I saw originals that just blew my mind. For ever Cey will be one of my favorite artists/designers and I would love those celebrating Black history to not only include this man in the books, but to give him his props now. Much respect Cey if you're reading this!

Sources: Style Wars, Def Jam, CeyAdams.com, Wikipedia, Noisey

Is this your first time seeing me do Black History Month art? Please check out a few of these!
Ruth Carter- Costume Designer
Betty Reid Soskin- Park Ranger

Character 154 - Pack your bag

Getting all your stuff together to pack your bag!

Check out the short story that inspired this - Hike!

And Character 153 - Jet Boil

Pele- Durian Funk Mix

Yoooo, peep this rare cuts mix of Filipino funk straight from the decks of Pele! Share with your funk and mixtape heads! 

Character 153 - Jet boil

Use a jet boil when making food on the trail!

Here's the last character 152- Roller coaster

Short story 27 - Hike

Short story 27 - Hike

Here is my next short story:

Its worth it. “It was only two hours” mom said. But it felt like forever. The climb made me feeling like all the oxygen was sucked out of the air. We couldn’t get any wifi and there was no one around us for miles. But it was worth it. “Nature’s cool... I like hikes” my little brother said. And when I saw
how happy it made Mom I agreed. It was worth it. Every picture, every moment. Maybe not the energy bars, but everything else.

Why not check out the last one? Short story 26 - First Protest

Freelance Chronicles 5 - Work with me!

Shaun Burner and Myself -Sacramento 2015 - Photo By Kerri Ann Borja

How can we work together? 
Peace, my name is Rob and I'm a professional artist with over 20 years worth of experience. If you'd like to work with me here are a few different ways to start. Through my years I have worn many hats as a creative person and through working with so many different people there are a few things I've learned to do well. I love brainstorming ideas and executing them. I have a huge love for projects that relate to music, social justice, parenthood, co-parenting, mixed heritage, literacy, and storytelling. And I enjoy working with people who believe in what they're doing and are willing to work for it. You wanna collab? Here's how to start. Don't be shy, holler at me. If I vibe with you and the project it's a GO. If not, I might refer you to someone who I think would be better for it. My email is Info@robdontstop.com

Art vs Artist 2018

Freelance Illustration: 

I have been a freelance illustrator for over 14 years. I am an individual business owner and I create work for and with other people. I work remotely but can meet in person if the project calls for it. I have worked for filmmakers, musicians, news outlets, editorial magazines, foundations, corporations, non profit organizations, and individual business owners. Here are some specific ways my illustrations help these folks.

-Portraits

-Spot Illustrations (Editorial, Scene or Interaction)

-Posters

-Character Design

-Hand lettering
-Book Illustration

-Licensing (For products)

Visions from The Inside- Culture Strike

Exhibitions and Galleries:

In addition to working in illustration I am also a fine artist working in watercolor, acrylic, aerosol, and mixed media. I have exhibited my work in over 25 art shows nationwide including one solo show in New York. When I connect with a theme I love making new art and working with curators to exhibit that work either as a solo artist or as part of a larger group show. This includes making pieces that are ready to hang and installations that are specific to the location.

Workshop in Ciudad Juarez

Class and library visits:

I have been working in the children's book world for over seven years and I began visiting classrooms around the same time. Before I did kids books I was a teaching artist working with hundreds of students from elementary to college. I have visited schools and libraries to read to children, answer questions about making children's books, and to show some of the process. In addition, I do one day workshops where I engage children in quick exercises about storytelling and art depending on the age group.

Hiero Day 

Arts Vendor: 

Since I started selling my artwork over 15 years ago I have sold original art, prints, handmade items, customizable art, books, zines, clothes, and more at events as a vendor. I currently sell at about 5-10 events every year in my home of the Bay Area and nationally. My focus has been on literacy, children's books, social justice, music, and ethnic studies. In addition to vending at events I also have had a hand in helping to organize them. Invite me to your event to sell or ask me for help on how to promote your event.You can see current merchandise and art for sale here.

Vendors: Want to learn how to improve your merch table? Read THIS

Bay Area Book Festival Panel

Guest speaker:

I enjoy speaking to people in general, but I especially enjoy a conversation when its on a topic that I'm passionate about. I have spoken at panel discussions, fundraisers, gallery shows, on tv, and on podcasts. I have a great time talking to young people and the general public about the arts and other things. I'm open to speaking in classrooms, podcasts, at events, or to the media. I mentioned some of the topics near and dear to my heart above.

Planning w/ Janine Macbeth and Laurin Mayeno

Children's book consulting:

Since I began my study of children's literature in 2007 and officially began working in the business in 2013 I have gathered a good amount of knowledge; especially related to self publishing. I have attended conferences, read books, networked with creators, made books, helped organize events, asked a lot of questions, and helped a lot of people on the journey. If your are an illustrator or author beginning a journey in kid lit I can consult you on my experience and point you to resources that may be helpful to your story.

Painting at Chapter 510

Murals:

I have the pleasure of being one of the members of the Trust Your Struggle Collective, a group of activists and artists who have created gallery installations, workshops, large scale murals, and mural tours for over 17 years. In that time I have had a hand in over 25 murals. I have worked with schools, organizations, businesses, and cities. If there is a mural project you need an artist for feel free to reach out.

My Solo Show at Fresthetic in Brooklyn, NY

Ok?

Alright, you get it now. If you were thinking about collaborating now you know a few ways we can work together. If you got any questions please holler at me at info@robdontstop.com. You can also refer people to a shorter version of this post on my website. LINK

Read my last post about freelance life: Vendor tables

Inspiring Artist - Syd Mead

Much respect and rest in peace to the great artist Syd Mead. If you don't know his work by name you've probably seen it in films before. Just wanted to share some of his amazing work. Props!

Have you seen the work of Mode 2? Check out this post.

Character 152 - Roller coaster

On a roller coaster!!!

Did you see the last character? Here it is Band Saw