Time-Lapse

The first time-lapse recording I made of my artwork was for a Gilbert Arenas Video Contest.  Since then I have tried to make them more detailed and show as much of the process as possible.  There have been a number of inspirations to my work and here is list of some of my favorites.


1. EL MAC


2. A) LOGAN HICKS CUTTING


2. B) LOGAN HICKS SPRAYING


3. PHILINTHECIRCLE


4. THEPORTRAITART


5. ETCHEDINTIME

Contest Keywords

- Be the first to message me with the keywords "Dirty 30" at http://www.theep3.com/ for a free 11 x 14 print of Redskins Safety Laron Landry.

- Be the first to message me with the keywords "Agent Zero" at http://www.theep3.com/ for a free 11 x 14 print of Gilbert Arenas.

- Be the first to message me with the keywords "S Dot" at http://www.theep3.com for a free 11 x 14 print of Sean Taylor "God's Safety"

- Be the first to message me with the keywords "Kobe 5 Rings" at http://www.theep3.com/ for a free 11 x 14 print of Kobe "Black Mamba" Bryant.
 

The BLACK MAMBA Is Here!!!

Check out for Tweets, Facebook Updates, and Posts All Day for the PRIZE WORD.  Be the first to respond to me via MY WEBSITE CONTACT BUTTON and receive free stuff.  Giving away, free print of each work to the first person who messages me with the correct PRIZE WORDS.  Be one of the few (only 24 in set) to buy limited edition BLACK MAMBA, and you will be eligible for the Black Mamba Prizes.  Be sure to check out throughout the day.

www.theep3.com store opening

A few weeks ago I discussed "The Black Mamba" Prize Giveaway.  While all the final tweaks are being worked out for the store opening.  I have tentatively set the prices and the opening lineup for the grand opening.  Along with the Black Mamba Contest, I will be announcing random tweets, facebook status updates, and blog updates,  throughout the day.  Be the first to respond to the update and you will have a chance to receive a free prize (no charge at all). Here is a breakdown of what will be available on August 24, 2010:


11 x 14 Prints ($24.99)

• Gods Safety
• Halobachi
• Landrynator
• Black Mamba

11 x 14 Matted and Framed Prints ($44.99)

• Gods Safety
• Halobachi
• Landrynator
• Black Mamba

11 x 14 Limited Edition Prints, Matted and Framed ($74.99)

• Black Mamba Limited Edition Set. Numbered 1-24

Free Prizes Via Tweets, Facebook Updates, Blog Updates on August 24, 2010 

• Gods Safety 11x14 print
• Halobachi 11x14 print
• Landrynator 11x14 print
• Black Mamba 11x14 print
• Black Mamba Contest - 1st 24 to purchase Limited Edition Prints, are eligible to win prizes.

Countdown to Fall @ the DMV

Even though the summer is winding down in the DC Metro area, there are still many cool events happening this month.  Probably, the coolest art gallery I have been to in the DMV is the Art Whino located at the National Harbor waterfront in Maryland.  This place has some of the coolest artists, and also has live music performances almost every Saturday night.  The current featured artist is Tatiana Suarez and her show ends this week on the 15th.  

Next month features the art of Richard Salcido, these are two pretty cool artists and here are some of my favorite pieces by them.  If you like these, be sure to check them out. 

For those not interested in Art, join me at Rock the Bells which is an all day concert on Sunday Aug.29 and features the best that hip-hop has to offer.  I'm looking forward to seeing Murs and 9th Wonder, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, and A Tribe Called Quest.  For tickets, visit TicketFly. 

Taking Requests

I am working out the details of theep3 store, right now I am trying to work on a format so that all the work on my site can be delivered framed or unframed.  The cost of the frame is going to be a lot cheaper than most art sites (these frames cost more than the art itself!!!).  I am including them into the cost of each picture.  The first "set" of all my works will be framed and then after that the individual prints may be purchases.  If there are any requests for any of the work on my website to be available to purchase please contact me via the website under the contact tab. 

Early Work

So before I was ever exposed to any serious art classes,  my main form of "art" was through paint by numbers, puzzles, and those little kindergarten art class that everyone did.  A lot of my friends used to draw and make funny sketches during church, physics classes, and other random boring times.  It wasn't until my last year in high school, that I actually sat down and took the time to try and draw something.  The picture to the left was my first "real" drawing.  To me the feeling of drawing a picture is like breaking down something to its smallest parts and then building it back up.  I put in a lot of time trying to get the proportions and shading just right.  The feeling of finally finishing a picture was so good that I had to do it again, and later drew this:

These pictures were the first seeds I had of being an artist.  2 years later during my Sophomore year in College, I decided to just try an art class to see if I would like it.  My first assignment was a project dealing with lines and elements of design and composition.  The picture to the right is what I came up with.

It was just a simple assignment, but if you knew how long it took me to do this piece, you would have known then how much I loved creating art.  My professor was Thomas Morphis and I took many classes from him.  He had the biggest part in shaping me as an artist.  And as I look back on things this simple assignment changed my life forever.

The Black Mamba Givaway Details

It's less than one month away from the release of "The Black Mamba", so I thought I should give you more details about the contest.  In addition to the release of the new artwork, it will also be the opening of the www.theep3.com online store.  As a result I will be giving out some free prizes.  On August 24 at 12:01 A.M. EST, the store will officially open.  Be one of the first 24 people to purchase "The Black Mamba" and you will be eligible for the free prizes.  After you make the purchase, you will receive a confirmation (to the e-mail provided) within 12 hours that you were one of the first 24.  During that day I will Tweet/Facebook/Blog a secret codeword.  Be the1st to respond to me via my website "CONTACT" tab and you will receive the Grand Prize.  The 2nd through 8th that respond will receive the Runner-Up Prize, and finally the 9th through 24th that respond will receive the Consolation Prize.  The Prizes are as follows:

Grand Prize

• Limited Edition 1of 24 "Black Mamba" Print on Varnished Canvas
• "Mamba" Custom Matting w/ Deluxe Frame
• "Crazy 8" Original Painting w/Frame
• "Black Mamba" American Apparel T-Shirt

Runner-Up Prize

• Limited Edition 2-8 of 24 "Black Mamba" on Watercolor Paper
• "Mamba" Custom Matting w/ Frame
• "Crazy 8" Original Painting

Consolation Prize

• Limited Edition 9-24 of 24 "Black Mamba" Print on Poster Matte Paper
• "Mamba" Custom Matting w/ Frame

DMV Spotlight

 

Being a native of The DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia) and an artist, I've come across many local galleries/events/art shows/etc. Every month I will be featuring a few of the ones that have found to be interesting.  If you ever check any of these out, let me know what you think:

• HIRSHHORN: AFTER HOURS -  Whenever I go to a new city, one of the first places I try to find is the modern/contemporary art museum.  From The Pompidou in France, to the MOMA in New York and San Fransisco.  Washington D.C.'s modern art museum is the Hirshhorn, and in the summer the museum is open from 8pm to midnight on certain days.  With live music it is definitely something fun to check out.  The next night the museum is open is July 23, so if you want to check it out look for tickets HERE.

• CHUCK CLOSE PRINTS: PROCESS & COLLABORATION -  If you haven't seen my Top 10 Artist List, you should at least know that the most influential American Portrait Artist to me has been Chuck Close.  This summer the Corcoran Gallery of Art features an exhibit with a huge collection of his pieces.  If you have never seen his work, I highly recommend it.  Be sure to go on Free Summer Saturdays anytime between July 3 - September 12, 2010.

Work of Art: The Next Great Artist

For those of you interested in reality tv show competitions (The Apprentice, Survivor, Top Chef, etc.).  Check-out Bravo's new show "Work of Art".  It follows 14 artists and puts them through multiple design/art projects with one person being eliminated each week.  It reminds me of my design and composition classes in college, but on a much larger scale.  My money is on Abdi Farah to win it all, and I have been pretty impressed with his work.  I would love to go on that show, so if anyone has any information on how to get on season 2 let me know.  Check out the latest episode tonight on Bravo at 10:00 PM EST or if you haven seen the show watch past episodes HERE.

Sneak Peek

Looking forward to the month of September.  I have begun a series of work entitles "half-man half".  My goal is to finish this work by September 31, 2010.  I will be submitting this to the Washington Post Art Contest.  Look for the complete series to drop in September, (one month after "The Black Mamba" is revealed). Here is a preview of one of my pieces.

Poll 2

Last year's poll asked, which athlete people wanted me to make a picture of.  The winner was "Tiger Woods" and the work I started should be finished in the next couple of months.  This year's poll will be for which female celebrity you want me to make a portrait of.  The poll will be up until January 1, 2011 so vote as many times as you would like before the year is over.

The Black Mamba is Coming

While the "Summer of King James" has consumed most of the NBA world.  Not to be forgotten is the Reigning NBA "King" - Kobe Bryant.  As a tribute to the 2010 NBA Finals MVP, look for the video and new artwork to be released 8-24-10.  Be one of the first to check-in that day and you can receive a special surprise (more details to come).  While many people might think I don't like Kobe and the Lakers, in truth most, of my dislike comes from "some" of their annoying fans (can you really call yourself a Laker fan and hate on Shaq), who don't really follow or understand basketball.  The finals this year was more fun to watch than any of the others with the Lakers this past decade.  As a result, Kobe will finally have something that Jordan doesn't, a picture made by me.

Art Influences

These are my current "top 10" artists.  While my work may not be similar to these, all of these artists have definitely amazed me and made an impact on my style.  Visit the links on the right side to see more works by these extremely talented artists.

Chuck Close

 Simon Hennessey

 Shepard Fairey

 Salvador Dali

 Ron English

 Marion Bolognesi

Logan Hicks 

Justin Bua

 John Breiner

El Mac

Back To Work

It has been a while since the blog has been updated.  So what better way to get started again then with a new layout.  There will be new updates posted every Wednesday, so be sure to check back weekly.  In addition, look out for new polls, links, contests, and other goodies to be posted.  You can follow me via Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube for complete coverage of all my art pieces.