Creating Our Future Gallery

Crown Park Sunset

I love capturing the mood of a sunset or horizon. Some of the prettiest sunsets in the Bay Area can be captured from Robert W. Crown Memorial State Park in Alameda. However, in the 90’s, the urban myth was, “Don’t be caught in Alameda after dark. The police are sure to pull you over”. Whether it was true or not, it was believed. It wasn’t until I reached 50 that I decided to challenge that long held myth about being a black man driving in Alameda at night. The sunsets at Crown Park lured me past the phobia of “DWB in Alameda”. Creating Our Future is a time and place where we are safe and welcome anywhere.

Still Boys

Still Boys, was drawn from a photograph taken of several school children in uniform in my Dad’s village in Sierra Leone. I’ve been thinking about our society’s ability or inability to see boys or adolescents as they really are, in all their youth, innocence and vulnerability. In creating this piece, I wanted to highlight the beauty of boyhood which is too often cut short in racially biased projections of adulthood, especially for black teenagers.

The Tree of Hope

Being displayed in a park, I used a tree as a symbol of strength and unity (Earth). Each element of the piece is symbolic. The branches in the tree are arms and hands. They are used to show diversity, unity and coming together collectively to create solidity within a foundation. In the blue area (Water), you will see the silhouette of a woman’s face looking upward. These faces represent the souls of our ancestors. The waves act as the hair. The mouth is slightly open giving yellow and orange rays of vitality back to earth. The yellow and orange rays also provide life for the tree (Sun). The circles within the tree represent infinity, allowing the cycle of life to persist. The red symbolizes the blood of our people which is centered with intention.

Be Positive, Love More

In this painting I wanted to show how kids are looking up to us today. Kids see us in the reflection of love, so I made the highlights in the eyes hearts to symbolize that love lens. We need to be more positive about what the future may bring and love each other more. The symbols above the child’s head spell that out. I believe being positive in thought and vibration along with loving more, are the fundamentals to a healthy humanity. I chose bright colors to represent a bright future to look towards, to admire and to enjoy. Our future is smiling at us, how will we respond?

Reluctant Paradise

I believe that it is important to unmask the myth of what strong should be. My overall vision is to create art that empowers vulnerability, as I believe that this is the ultimate superpower. When creating, I try to portray “softness” through my technique with skin tone in the attempt to portray my community, with humanity. When looking at my work I would like my audience to also see themselves with beauty, without hard lines, multidimensional, and navigating the world from the inside out.

Breath of Life

I believe that each and every individual has the ability to create change. With this piece I desire to show that the power to create and change our environments lies within us. I painted a black Woman speaking life into this realm and as a result, changing her world. She is literally framing her world with the divine life that resides within her breath, heart, and being. I chose the green tones to express my love and respect of nature and new beginnings. The hummingbird represents the beauty that comes from working with life to do miraculous things.