I painted this originally 5 or 6 years ago as a sticker on a sheet. The sheet was popular and so was this message. 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 put down devices and be in the moment. Maybe that’s a moment to exercise, connect, or clear your mind. Whatever the case may be, sometimes you gotta put your phone down.
Finally after many years I have finished this batch of four prints. They are prints to celebrate reading and to highlight a diverse group of kids relating to Science fiction, skating or sports, making or welding, and listening to music or audiobooks. Check them out individually below.
If you’d like to purchase this pack of four prints here is the…
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…
Last year I began working with the Booker T Washington Community Service Center in San Francisco California. They are a century old organization offering tons of services and programming for the community in the Western Addition, Fillmore, the Richmond, and beyond. They offer summer camps, afterschool enrichment, free grocery and produce programs, groups for youth and elders, affordable housing, and more.
BTW Mission: Booker T. is a beacon of Black joy and self-determination. We uplift and serve our community, build intergenerational bonds, and work in solidarity with allied communities to reform and reimagine San Francisco.
Vision: All Black people are free to thrive in and shape SF to enable prosperity and belonging for everyone.
Here is some process art showing the originals thumbnail drawings I made, then redrawing them slightly more refined with grey tones to convey shape, tone, etc.
Here’s some color direction to give an idea of how I take an idea and share several color directions. I ended up using a combination of all of these color directions.
Here are the finals, drawn digitally. I tried to keep them loose and textured using photoshop and Astropad. I think the “lift while climbing” sticker is my favorite. Followed by Honor our Heritage.
Hey, its kind of cool to be among the shops consistently featured on Etsy! Shout out to them! Hella appreciate it! If you go to the home page and scroll down you’ll see a print (Story time) and a sticker (Abundance) by me:)
What are these? These are vinyl stickers I make for my own creative expression and enjoyment. I sell them at fairs, festivals, and online. People get them for themselves, loved ones, friends, colleagues, students, and teams.
Dig this? Check out this post featuring me setting up my table to sell things like this HERE
Every month I’m blessed that people support my shop. Some are friends or fam, but most are people I’ve never met in my life. I hella appreciate you all! You can get art prints, books, stickers, etc.
I did a quick and fun custom bookmark. You can buy it or one like it or you can give me a chracter or theme you’d like me to draw on one. No portraits of people though.
I did two versions of this and scrapped the first one in favor of this. Its hand writing. instead of painting and I like how it came out. Its a gentle reminder to warm up before you get to business creatively. Maybe you’re a singer, a sculptor, designers, dancer, athlete, coder, organizer, painter, photographer, whatever. It helps to warm up or practice first.
I made this sticker back in October of 2024 but somehow forgot to post it on my blog. So here it is again.
Stay Principled & Curious means to me. Stick to your guns but be willing to learn. So many jobs and careers in the arts ask us to not speak about issues or to remain quiet about injustice and I say fuck that. If you know something to be true, share it, stand by it, and let folks know. If you make a mistake, correct it. If you learn new information, share that too. But don’t remain silent. That is how injustice is allowed to continue because those with wealth, tech, and power bank on those who cannot speak and those who know something but remain silent staying silent. Nope.
