Saturday, June 19, 2010

Gig Photos



Havent Posted any live gig photos in a long time so here are a few
I really enjoy talking with the people who I draw and they never fail to inform , educate and entertain me with the stories of their lives, who they are, and what they've experienced. The man at the top is a painter and we had a fascinating discussion about painting , getting the likeness, expressing the soul of a person, all of those great things that only artists can share. After the pic was done, he kept looking at it incredibly as if in disbelief. It was wonderful. I could imagine this guy in his younger days with his hair slicked back wearing a zoot suit and fighting off the gurls with a stick. The older man in the bowler hat was a pro dancer in his younger days and did a lot of tap dancing overseas particularly in Asia. His stage name was "Flamingo" given to him by an appreciative fan who commented on how he floated across the floor with style, agility and effortless grace. Flamingo told me the story of how while in China he noticed the locals would carry these incredibly large bundles on their backs, which forced them to walk in a certain way to keep their balance. He incorporated that walk/shuffle step into his dance routine and called it the "Chinese Shuffle" It became his signature dance move.
Being a dancer myself, I could have talked to this guy for hours, but had to tend to the other guests.

REAL LIFE ANIME CHARACTER On The L Train!


In Route to a gig yesterday, I saw this guy on a 8th Ave Bound L Train sporting this BRILLIANT Tweety Bird Yellow Afro with this long yellow Fu Manchu Style Goatee. The Contrast of his Brightly colored hair next to his dark Chocolate Skin made for a dazzling combo. It wasnt enough to try to draw him, I boldly asked him could I take his picture to feature on my blog. To my surprise and delight, he smiled and compled, even posing long enough so I got a good shot.
His hair reminded me on an anime character which there ARENT too many African American ones, Gotta Love the New York Subway! You DONT see people like this ANYWHERE ELSE!!!
What I loved most about this guy was his confidence to be himself. In a world where every one is checking everyone else, or the media to tell them what to wear, hw to speak, what to listen to, here's a guy who says, I LIKE THIS STYLE, AND IM ROLLING WITH IT! He's a walking billboard for unbridled self expression, that's for sure! THIS is the real performance art using your own body as a canvas.