I painted this originally 5 or 6 years ago as a sticker on a sheet. The sheet was popular and so was this message and people responded to it well in person at events so I finally made a larger version of the original.
Why this message? Whether you’re in an office, a classroom, library, gym, or home sometimes we all need a reminder to pout down devices and be in the moment. Maybe thats a moment to exercise, connect, or clear your mind. Whatever the case may be, sometimes you gotta put your phone down.
Here’s a new print featuring a young hijabi (hijabi wearing woman) listening to an audiobook. I started the READ series in 2020 an have completed 8 now. For this series my aim is always to depict more kids of color with an encouraging word or quote about reading. In this one I thought of a young Arab American woman listening to a book. You can get one of these prints for yourself, classroom, library, or office…
I am one of several artists who got to create a new piece for this “Rooted in Joy” campaign for the Center for Cultural Power formerly CultureStrike. The name of the campaign was Rooted in Joy, a 2025 climate justice campaign focused on uplifting BIPOC-led narratives around climate displacement, community resilience, and collective care. And I totally forgot to share it.
Some of the artists who did work around this campaign are Orion Camero, Ashluka Lukashevsky, Coz Con, Mayanthi Jayawardena, Loisse Ledres, Kah Yangi, Gabriela Aleman, Jazz Diaz, and many more AND we were partnered with a community based organization who does work around the issues in bold above. Mine was Movement Generations and there were others Like Asian Pacific Environmental Network, Food Access los Angeles, Push Buffalo, California Environmental Justice Alliance, and more.
Movement Generation Justice & Ecology Project inspires and engages in transformative action towards the liberation and restoration of land, labor, and culture.
So as happens many times when working on artwork for a campaign, goal, movement, or strategy ; the work develops and shifts. Not for the hell of it, but to communicate the message clearly. Often we only have a few seconds to communicate something to people and then they’re off to the next thing. Some may get a poster, song, film, oetc and llive with it for awhile. But usually its quick! This sketch process started with a bunch of ideas that turned into a sketch about the credo of Movement Generation which is a “just transition” or a transition from extraction, capitalism, destruction, gree, etc to a plan where the planet, people, and justice are considered.
So I depicted moving between something with manufacturing, solitary, less light to something more collective, outdoors, and nourishment. One favors the community, one favors the pockets of multi millionaires and billionaires. But, it changed to feature just the different types of folks sharing with each other.
Here’s a new picture book review of an oldie that I used to read to my son called “Dancing in the Wings” written by Debbie Allen and illustrated by Kadir Nelson.
What is this? I have been working as a picture book illustrator/ writer since 2013 officially and I’ve been reading picture books since I became a young dad in 2004. In that time I’ve read nearly 700 picture books. Some trash, some ok, but with these videos I’m sharing my favorites! Watch all of them here. My last book is Fresh Juice.
What’s this? This inspiration board is one of the ways I stay inspired and sane through all of life’s trials, and tribulations, work, etc. I’ve been making inspiration boards full of films, books, music, events, people, artists, movements, and more for over a decade. Do you have an inspiration board? Please share in the comments. Who am I? My name is Rob Liu-Trujillo and I’m an artist working in kid lit, public art, and other disciplines. Go to my website, or follow me on IG or YouTube. You can also cop my first art book here.
I can’t recall how I came across Ed Motta, but he is my favorite Soul singer from the country of Brazil! check out his work, he plays, sings, and writes.
What is this? This series is called “Stuff I’ve been listening to” and this is my place to share music that I listen to while I work, process, decompress, and live life. Some of it is new, some old. But I’m always listening. I share in the hopes that you will find something that inspires you. Please share with a fellow music lover. My name is Rob and I’m an artist and author from the Bay Area.
I think I heard about Brazilian Funk through an article from Afro Punk about their multiple day parties and found this banger through that search. It slaps. The slang is thick tho if you don’t speak Brazilian Portuguese.
Found this through Madlib! He had a mix from Brazil and had so many great cuts on there, but this is the one that stuck out the most and I’ve played this song 100s of times. Marcos Valle is still collaborating w/ folks!
This is a record my sons mother gave me almost 25 years ago. I immediately fell in love with this song though there are several with heart wrenching themes. Highly recommend it!
Man, this song. I was introduced to Jorge Ben through my sons mom. She was a huge fan and so I started to listen, internalize a few of the songs and this is one of my favorites.
For Brazilians, I know this is a bunch of old stuff sprinkled with a few current records. But, these are songs I love. There are some other artists I’ve listened to like Emicida, Anitta, Nego do Borel, and DJ Renan De Penha
Ok, recently I was invited to speak at UC Davis by the homie Dr. Katlin Marisol Sweeney. The talk was awesome and was a joint collab with me and author/illustrator Booki Vivat! BIG shout out to my good friend NJ Mvondo of Multiculturalism Rocks who linked me with photographer, artist, and farmer Jorge Antonio Espinosa who took the majority of the photos of us in the classroom.
I took the Amtrak train from Oakland to Davis and I highly recommend taking the train if you’re a creative. With all the traffic and having only one car in our family it was so much more relaxing. I drew, thought, and got myself ready for the journey up there.
These are some of the things and people I saw while going up to Davis and during the workshop. Wanna see more sketchbook?
These are a few photos of us getting set up. Katlin had a huge class room and already had tons of materials ready to go for the students who not only listened by did some storytelling too.
Booki Vivat is a Thai American artist and writer from Southern California who works in the publishing industry. Her most recent books are The Frazzled Series and Meet Me On Mercer Street. You can read her bio here. Book is one of the nicest creators I know and I have very much enjoyed getting to know her a little bit and seeing her GO! She’s funny, suuuuper talented, and a veteran of the creative life. Her presentation about her journey, her books, and storytelling were incredible and inspired me to step up my game!
Dr Katlin Marisol Sweeney-Romero is a bad ass professor, author, event organizer, and scholar from Cali who spent time in the midwest where I met her and is now a professor in Cinema and Digital Media at UC Davis. You can see some of the events she’s helped to organize such as the Sol Con (Columbus, OH) or the Latinx Comics & Arts Festival (Modesto, CA), the publications she’s edited or written for, and what she teaches! Learn about her work.
Here are some photos of Booki talking about her journey and then giving the students some exercises to work on storytelling craft.
So, I have a history as an arts teacher. I taught art for a decade across the Bay and NYC. I have been visiting schools and libraries for 14 years now and its only been in the last 3 years or so that I have been invited to speak to college students and I am really enjoying it. In fact I’m working on how to improve it.
In my talk I talked about my journey, career, and then we got into a bit of picture book structure. I try to be very honest, no BS about what its like to be a working artist, about my politics, etc. But, I think I spoke more than I thought I would because my workshop part was too quick. I didn’t give them enough time to draw and write. But over all the students were so cool, so supportive, attentive, engaged, and ready with questions and skills. So much skills! Matter of fact…….
Much credit goes to Katlin for curating an environment where students felt held and supported because I really enjoyed their spirit, questions, and effort, They were in it with us.
After it was done we tried our best to linger and answer some questions but again I think I took too long so we didnt get enough of that. But I think I mentioned the students could reach out anytime for questions about career, jobs, and life plans!
I also brought physical media with me so folks could take some home. I enjoy doing that and I hope they dig it.
Here are some shots from around town. That’s it folks, what a beautiful trip!
Dig this? Check out some other college visits I’ve done recently. Want me to come speak to your students? Holler!
Hey, this is my most recent children’s portrait of a young boy named Maceo! I have had the pleasure of painting his oldest sister Niara in 2014 and his middle sibling Aissa in 2020. A whole family of kids and I couldn’t be more grateful and honored to paint children like these. Shout to their momma Emilia for entrusting me with this.
As always, here’s a bit of the painting process which is all done by hand. I take a photo, trace it, then transfer it to a wood panel and paint it step by step. I start with the light colors on the face and gradually build up the darker tones and then the garment the child is wearing or what I imagine them to be wearing.
What is this? This is a series of hand painted, hand crafted wooden panel acrylic portraits of children and or families. I began painting these for local friends in 2012 as a way to announce my new career in kids books. And this has grown to include friends of friends, families, and folks I dont even know. If you’d like me to paint your child please commission me by purchasing a portrait here.
