ArtofTodd.com Blog

I visited the Nassau County Museum of Art over the weekend with my son.  The Museum was closed when we visited…but in many ways, it was more than open.

We joyously traipsed around the museum grounds for a couple of hours.  We checked out the incredible BIGGER than life sculptures, named the sculptures, hiked on the trails, marveled at huge fallen trees, snacked on park benches and communed with nature.

The property is 145 acres filled with nature and art.  We visited the indoor museum last year and saw major league works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Lichtenstein, Rodin and even an exhibit highlighting the works of Geoffrey Holder (who my wife and I met at a dance recital – he told us our son chose us as his parents – deep).  

The current exhibit features works by Picasso, Chagall, Cezanne, Degas, Matisse, Renoir and Pollock among others.  We’ll definitely return to take these in.  They also have a children’s table where kids can do arts & crafts.  

This museum is a real secret (my Manhattan friends know nothing about it – fancy that).  And, I highly recommend it for a visit.  

Visiting here always inspires my art.  In the spring, definitely gonna’ visit early one morn with my guitar, sit on a bench, and write some beautiful songs yo!

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Just painted this one last week...the dream continues!

I’ve heard about Bishop T.D. Jakes for 4ever and a day.  

• Preacher to the stars
• Leader of the 30,000 member Potter’s House megachurch in Dallas
• Shakin’ hands with Presidents
• Makin’ crazy dollars

I alway wondered if he is like so many of these other pimped out prosperity preachers, or is he real with something real to say.

So – I put my money down to find out and picked up Bishop Jakes’ book,  Repositioning Yourself – Living Life Without Limits.  

Gotta’ say – Mr. Jakes is NOT Mr. Fakes.  His message is sincere!  And he has something to say that is of great spiritual benefit.  You don’t have to be a Bible totin’, scripture quotin’ person to get it either.  His lessons are spiritually based using examples from his life and the Bible as reference points.

The book is an easy read.  In particular, I enjoyed the story about humbling oneself to reposition oneself citing the Biblical character Zacchaeus.   “Will you allow yourself to act like a kid again, to think outside the box and go beyond the socially acceptable behavior for someone of your stature?…Like Zacchaeus, we must continually look ahead…”  Me personally – I strive to be like Zacchaeus as I work to convert dreams into reality on this journey.

Additionally, enjoyed Bishop Jakes’ stance on repositioning for your children, managing finances, his words for women and, his stance on mediocrity.  

T.D. Jakes is a spiritual warrior and seems his soul extends beyond Bible based religiosity(though he obviously is steeped in the Word).   This is the kind of book that restores faith in living and helps revive belief in dreams.

If we are what is on our bookshelves, I’m glad Bishop Jakes is on mine yo!

Peace – Todd

Living the Life of An Artist…

“God bless us everyone” – Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol)

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I picked up an oil pastel sketch pad at Pearl Paint.  Gotta’ go to the one in Manhattan though.  The Long Island store seemed short on the the big fat pastels I was lookin’ for.  Though must’ say – the Holbeins oil pastels I’m test driving are incredibly rich yo!  These sticks are tight.  Maybe even better than my Sennelier oil pastels.  The Van Gogh pastels were pretty poor quality (imagine that!).   Here’s something I painted yesterday while the Verizon dude was here installing FIOS internet service.  

Not sure what my mood was.  If you have naming ideas, let me know yo!  

Found a new printer so I can significantly drop my prices without sacrificing quality.  Hot Dawg!

God Bless – Todd

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Wealthy Dude – “I’ll give you ONE MILLION DOLLARS to sleep with your wife”

Average Dude’s Response – “Is that BEFORE or AFTER taxes?”

Why A-Fraud…1 Out of 104

A-Rod is the perfect foil here,  carrying more drama than Britney Spears and Wacko Jacko combined.  C’mon now – you’re makin’ that kinda’ loot and of ALL THE WOMEN in the WORLD, you choose the 50 year old pop star runnin’ around singing “Like A Virgin“.  OK!

This ‘logic’ is about right in line with Britney choosing an unemployed no career havin’  dude with two kids and M-Jax choosing kids in general (oops, allegedly).  Plus gotta’ add in A-Rod’s rather bizarre on-the-field antics and the Jeter infatuation.  Think you get the picture here.  

The Art of Hypocrisy

But all this aside, if somebody said to any of us  ”Here’s more loot than you can imagine to perform your job”, wouldn’t you at least consider shootin’ yourself in the ass or suckin’ down a few pills to keep that scrilla and admiration?  Dollars to donuts many of us would be livin’ that U.S. Army slogan - be all you can be!  Just please sterilize the needle first.

We’re all sinners and rare is the saint.  The battle is keeping that life pendulum from swinging too widely.  A-Rod lost his way – let the pressure of money get up in his soul.  Let’s hope he finds his center as this could happen to any of us (it’s happening to a lot of CEOs yo!).  While hardly endorsing his behavior, shame on those who harshly judge him.  I’d love to see their closets!

Our world is in need of spiritual cleansing!  But honestly, do I care about ‘roids & A-Rod?  Not much – it’s all enterainment and not sports.  Hey – a walking steroid is Gov. of California now!

And, who cares if A-Rod has SNS (shrunken nut syndrome)?  Only Madonna knows for sure anyway!

p.s. -shout out to my bro’ for the opening lines.   shout out to James for hypocrisy and admiration!

I miss my Mom!  But the beauty has been getting to know more about her through her dearest friends.  What a blessing this has been.  Gotta’ holla’ to Aunt Pat in Savannah yo!

I’m happy today!  I kept commitment #1 from yesterday.  Visit Pearl Paint and pick up some new ’sticks’ with which to work.  Kept Commitment #2 and visited the new print shop to lower my print cost of production (savings of which will be passed on!).  I pick up a test print this Thursday.  Commitment #3 – paint this weekend.  The Four Agreements at work.

Art of Todd is such the leap of faith.  Artists are crazy!  We blog (like knockin’ on the door of the world)…yet don’t know who’s reading.  We paint, but don’t know who will dig it or buy.  We write music and sing…yet don’t know who will listen or how we’ll will end up in that million dollar studio being produced by someone with more knowledge.  I’ve dreamed 4ever and a day never knowing what wishes may come true.  

So we believe…even against all odds.  And for me, no matter the outcome, the journey is well worth the price of admission yo!  Without faith & dreams (oh, and hard work), what are we?  

Got a call from the local arts council tonight.  I’m scheduled to present my art and music on March 4th.  Really excited.  Don’t much talk about the creative process so should be interesting with an engaged audience & fellow artists.

Yes – those are boa’s I’m posing with at Pearl!  Gettin’ ready for my viral video promo I’m puttin’ together (Commitment #4).  My Pops thought the ending twist was so ridiculous that he literally couldn’t stop laughing!  

Life of an artist…Gotta’ paint, gotta’ create, gotta’ be true!

Forgot to mention…started my Google AdWords campaign today…I’m still the Black Artist for search purposes (4 now – see earlier post for full story)!  Didn’t have time to research new terms…

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I always found with music,  sometimes u have to change your groove up to get your groove up - buy a new synth, change scenery, hair,  beats, girls (in extreme cases HA)…do something to keep the juices flowing.  Same with art.  

Headed to Mecca 2morrow (Pearl Paint)  to get down on some new Mafioso sizin’, Biggie stylin’, Diddy “I Am King” cologne smellin’ Oil Pastels to get my inspiration on over the long weekend!  

I’m thinking big thick Sennelier joints  and maybe even test driving some Holbeins.  Can’t wait!  

Got another gig  for me music too.  My spiritual warrior  Christy M. is throwing a Brooklyn music party in late February and invited me to perform!  So now that my voice is slowly coming back, better get the ax out and start hittin’.  All ’bout the change yo!

 I’ll share my new art works at end of the weekend… 

Blessings – T

p.s. - Aspiration - Sean “Diddy” Combs – Buy  My Art Yo!!!  Deck your halls, shake your walls!  Barter style - I’ll buy some cologne!  

Funny Diddy Story I just thought about (True Hollywood Story):

Was actually in Diddy’s studio years ago with my bro’ when we were writer/producers (Bro’ is an AMAZING movie script writer now).  We were invited to his studio by one of his dudes.  His security checked us outside the studio & radioed up to clear us.  We entered the building, took the elevator up and who answers the door but…Puffy (at the time)  himself.  We gave the obligatory “what’s up, we are so in so’s“.  He was very modest…said “I’m Puff” and gave us the pound.  

Let’s see now – his studio, his GIANT ASS Oz like entrance door- and he’s introducing himself to our  no-name having selves (like we didn’t know who he was).  Imagine that!  

Then, we met with dude who invited us and he proceeded to play our tracks at literally whisper level so as he said –  no one would steal ‘em.  But in retrospect, we realized he played ‘em low volume so Puff wouldn’t hear our sound and take it from him.

Funny enuf – in the meeting, one of the tracks we played was this joint we wrote and produced – the first track ever sung in studio by an unsigned Alicia Keys (and was then being played in late night rotation on NYC’s Hot 97).  My how history might have changed for all if Puff heard that joint.  

Strange meeting…stranger world!   Path of an artist…continues…

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…has been trapped in his residence.  Artistic brains are insane!

Yo – I appreciate good health.  After a week of allergies turning into a blistering cold featuring gyrating fever, temperature defying chills, stiff shoulders from being pretty much bed-ridden (outside of the family errands) and too much time sucking down the digital thermometer (OH BABY!)…I am back in good health again (thank God).  

Even lost my voice for two daze.  Of course, didn’t help my psyche when a co-worker told me she knew some dude who lost his voice and he never spoke again!  Words of wisdom, pound of prevention, or total psyche out I’m not sure… but made me shut up for two days!  Mum was my favorite word yo!

Had the weirdest dreams too.  One I remember is that NBA  baller Adam Morrison was traded to the Lakers for Sasha Vujačić.  Before the trade, in my dream, Adam and I were chillin’ in a bar somewhere sippin’ brews and shootin’ the gip.  Then I woke up and the trade was confirmed on ESPN, except he was traded for Vlad Radmanivic.  I better lay off the NyQuil!  Good luck Adam!  He was one of my favorite college players and I hope he gets some light in LA.  Dreamin’ ’bout trades – I better get with the Cleveland Cavs again (did a Public Relations internship there back in the day)!  Time to start my career as a GM maybe…

Naturally, I slept so much over the past couple days that I can’t go to sleep now!  Whoever said life makes sense?!  Of course, being the hyper artist I am, I upgraded my WordPress version in my hyper state.  

Peace & Sleep!

Todd

p.s. – still working on lowering my cost per art print production…locally.

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Ben Roethlisberger, when asked by NBC Announcer Dan Patrick what he learned about himself in one of the most exciting Super Bowls of all time – “That anything’s possible.”

Race & ARt – Let’s State the Obvious…

I am Black

Was thinking about why society insists that we fit into a box in this life. Press the change channel button - I’ve decided to create a new dream. 

When I was hunting for a gallery, Black owners questioned if my art was “Black” enuf – wondering if my view of the world appealed strongly enuf to “the Black buyer”.  You know – do the Black Love theme, Black family ’round the kitchen table theme, Black mothers, etc…Ain’t nothing wrong, but that’s not me!  Is there room for the abstract (thanks Q-Tip)? Then some of the mainstream galleries had problems because since I was obviously Black upon meeting me (even if they liked my art before we met) – the feeling was my art was TOO ethnic.

So, now I’m optimizing my site for search in Google, and I’m like encountering the same questions.  Do I niche out & focus on the Black artist market? Or can I JUST be ART?  Is my art considered Black though characters I portray represent experiences – colorless or multi-colored in my mind – even if features lean one way or the other (doesn’t Angelina Jolie have beautiful full lips!)?  Or, is my art Black because of my skin color? 

 Aren’t our experiences universal?  From history, I don’t think any one group owns suffering or holds the key to absolute joy.  Same wishes for the children yo!  No one rules the world forever though societies think they do.

I am Black…and proud…but proud to be human too.  I am detailing very universal experiences with my art.  It’s called LIFE!!  I’m really considering removing all overt Black references off of my site.  Life is always trying to put us in that L7 squared box, BUT I REBEL!  Hey, after all – this is my dream.

I’ve always had this vision with my music.  When I was in Hip-Hop production and earlier as an artist (with my brother), the question was always – do you have enuf ‘collard greens’ on your music.  Now I do folk (guess because it’s acoustic with vocals), and I’m finally FREE – mixing in jazz and James Brown funk chords with the folk.  Adding dope beats as I feel fit.  Writing thematically about what’s important from my world view…not what might get played on radio.  Knowing, if I’m true to my art…writing from my heart, singing from the depths of my soul – others will get it.  And if they don’t – I’m soulin’ anyway!  Same with my visual art.

I’ve seen chicken with hips and snakes with lips baby!  So we can be whatever we want!

My art is finally free!  Be free!!  Be the circle!!

God bless – Todd

p.s. – God bless Jennifer Hudson.  She SANG the National Anthem before the Super Bowl!

p.s. 2 – NFL Man of the Year Kurt Warner did his thing and I was really pulling for him.  Love his sense of faith.

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