MY CAGE
12″ x 12″ Mixed Media on Board
In a cage under heavy protection you beat. Over and over again. With the pain of my thoughts you beat. Over and over again. With the fear behind my smiles you beat. With the excitement of my anticipations. With the happiness of my love you beat. In my cage… in my skin. Over and over again. Playing the internal baseline of my life. Taking on all emotion with no worries. You are the only one I’ve got and I wouldn’t trade you for another.
PEACE
18″ Mixed Media on Wood
All we are saying, is give peace a chance. Put up your signs and put up your hands. If Lennon were here would it all be the same? If Lennon were here would we be so insane? All he was saying was give peace a chance. Bombing our brothers was not in his plans. The words that he chanted were give peace a chance. Give peace… a chance. All we are saying is give peace a chance. If you give it a chance you might start a trend. Keep this thing movin’ and don’t let it end. The movement is needed and needed right now. Give peace a chance, give it right… now.
THE SWEETEST THING
12″ x 24″ Mixed Media on Wood
Standing quiet in nightmares haunting without sound. Words fall upon deaf ears, words fall to the ground… shatter. Pieces picked up, but never fit back together right. Open wounds on hearts fill buckets that get flushed down drains. Always were the sweetest thing. Sweetest thing leaves sweetest pain. Night flashes tap brain… waves. Wake up, it’s just the rain. Like tears, like puddles, like fears, like floods… evaporate with you into forever. Always were… the sweetest thing.
OUT OF CONTROL
12″ x 24″ Mixed Media on Wood
Some days we’re spinning, spinning… out of control. Feels like there’s no winning, winning… no letting go. Day turns to night turns to day turns to night. Go to bed, wake up again, again… get ready for the fight. Don’t want this nine to five no more, but times are getting tight. Just want to stay home and make, make… art for the rest of life. But it keeps spinning, spinning… out of control. It keeps spinning, spinning… no letting go.
DON’T WORRY
24″ x 36″ Mixed Media on Wood
When life gets me down I put it on and play it loud… Don’t Worry. When my niece gets nervous, to calm her down she sings your song to lose her frown… Don’t Worry. When my brother is bummed cause the sun is not out, he puts it on and clears the clouds… Don’t Worry. If you are feeling sad, if you’ve got the blues, just put it on and he’ll sing to you… Don’t worry, about a thing. Cause every little thing, is gonna be alright…
~ Three Little Birds, Bob Marley & The Wailers
A huge thanks goes out to Christian Gallego for letting me “steal” his idea. His Bob Marley caricature is the inspiration behind my painting. You can see his caricature and more of his art at: http://christiangallego.blogspot.com/p/2d-characters.html
Thank you again so much!!!
FEELING YOU
18″ x 18″ Mixed Media on Wood
From this world to the next your spirit will live on. Just because you are not here does not mean you’re gone. Your laugh, your smile, your humor and your heart are forever burned into our minds. People that you’ve touched in this life know you’re one of a kind. We will cry, we will mourn, we will ask for reasons why. We will share stories and remember, we’ll be feeling you inside. Good times that we’ve shared will carry us through the days of pain. Forever shine your light down upon us until we meet again.
PRETTY WHEN YOU SMOKE
24″ x 48″ Mixed Media on Wood
See you on the corner, just came off the bus. Usually pass right by without making a fuss. Something in the way the smoke swirls around your face could change the whole feeling of this place. Or maybe it’s the way you talk ending sentences with laughter. Or maybe it’s a mystery that will be solved after. Not really sure at all, it seems like it’s a joke. But there’s something that makes you pretty when you smoke.
BE WITH ME NOW
24″ x 48″ Mixed Media on Wood
Smiles exchanged from across the way turned into heartache and pain. Miss you like the summer on a winter day. Seems like yesterday when I didn’t even know your name. Danced into my life and it will never be the same. Be with me now, you have been from the start. Be with me now, listen to your heart. Don’t let it slip away, don’t let me wait in vain. Don’t let the beauty of your smile be the life behind my pain.
SEPARATE
12″ x 24″ Mixed Media on Wood
Gotta break free, gotta get away, gotta separate. News, media, violence on TV, too much hate. Kill in the name of your god and say that it’s fine. Car bomb, school shooting, what will it be next time? Two people in love can’t get married cause they are gay. Who are we to judge love and say what’s okay? Social media everyday all up in your face. No really thanks I don’t care what you ate today. Soldiers sent to protect this land for the government. Come back home, one less leg, on unemployment. Politician grants a favor looking in your eyes. Turn around take your money, spend it on his lies. Is this really what is meant by being civilized? If it is, then… you can count me out… No one hears our cries… Separate.
SUNFLOWER
24″ x 48″ Mixed Media on Wood
Sunflower power flower powered by the sun. Do a little dance and have a lot of fun. Wave your arms from side to side, wave your arms way up high. Get your head out in the sky, move your body cuz it’s time. Flower dance now everyone. Flower dance now for the sun. Feel the rays touch you on your feet. Get you up out of your seat. Move your body to the beat. People dancin’ in the street. The time is here, the time is now. Tell the people in your town. Have some fun in the sun. Cuz this summer is almost done.
PEACE LOVE RASTA
11″ x 24″ Mixed Media on Wood
Take a piece of this peace. Spread a piece of this love. Learn the way of the rasta. Learn the way of above. Not all about dreadlocks ‘n’ smokin’ weed. More about brotherhood ‘n’ livin’ in harmony. Lend a hand when you can to help out your fellow man. It’s a part of the plan and with Jah we will stand. Lift me up hold me high keep my head up in the sky. Feel the love from above and guide me with his light. Give me strength give me life help me always to do right. Walk with me by my side he is there he’s a guide. Give a piece of this peace to share with the world. Take a piece of this love for every boy and girl. This is us we are here we can’t do this all alone. Take this peace and this love and spread it so they know. Rastaman vibration taking hold of my soul. Got this peace and this love and I won’t let go. Give a piece of this peace to you and a friend. Give a piece of this love spread it till the world’s end. Peace Love Rasta again and again…
PALM AT DAWN
24″ x 48″ Mixed Media on Wood
Wake up look out the window, see some palm trees. Start the stove, heat the water I need to make my coffee. Grab a book as the sun comes up, turn the page of a new day. Listen to the sweet songs the birds sing and what they say. Head out the door with a board under my arm. Hope that the waves don’t cause too much harm. Sun on my back wind in my hair. Seems like yesterday that we were up in the air. Hot patacones y gallo pinto. Banana mango smoothie with ice to go. Travel through the hills in the north country. Taking in the sites that were there to see. Miss the lazy days that we got to share. Can’t believe it’s been two years since we were there. Atlantic to Pacific all in one day. I know we’ll meet up again in some way.
WHITE WATER
7″ x 15″ Mixed Media on Wood
Surrounded. Gasping for air in a giant washing machine filled with foam. Which way is up? Which way is down? Getting tossed around like a rag-doll in the mouth of a pit-bull. You have no control. Just when you finally pop out another set rolls in. This time worse than the last. Try to roll with it. Don’t panic. You’ll make it through this. When you do, you’ll paddle back out and try it again. Have no fear. Be Strong. Face the day. Be the wave.
CONFRONTATION
24″ x 48″ Mixed Media on Wood
Just when you thought you couldn’t take no more. They want to start up with another pointless war. Invade a country and make them like us. Close your eyes shut your mouth and get on the bus. But it’s just another war that can never be won. Take another life by the bullet in your gun. Makes us look as if we are doin’ this for fun. They can try and hide, but they’ll never out-run. We only get to hear about what the media shows. Innocent lives lost, how many? Who knows? Power down the screen and go about our day. Not really caring what their people have to say.
Now how can we keep going on like this? Another dead body is a family member missed. These wars just cannot go on anymore. Half of us know not what we’re fightin’ for. Please just stop we can’t take it anymore. So yell it if you’re with me WE DON’T WANT ANOTHER WAR.
JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER
24″ x 48″ Mixed Media on Wood
Take her hand, never let it go. Give her the world, everything you know. Take her heart, never let it break. Pure and fragile, life’s what’s at stake. Uncontrollable, who she’ll turn out to be. Give your guidance, worry not she will see. Your knowledge is something to embrace. To take with her in this great big place. Grow up fast right before your eyes. Wake up one day and realize. Mama’s influence means so much. Mama’s love, Mama’s touch. She’ll look back, never let it go. She’ll pass on everything she will know. She’ll be like you, just wait you’ll see. Just like you, I hope she’ll be.