Art of Rob Vol. 2 is Steady and strong, its going from calls, texts, DMs, emails, and posts. If YOU are one of the folks who actually likes my work, please do me a solid and at least watch the campaign video!
Dig this? Check the first volume of this book in this VIDEO
50% Funded – Big thanks to all who’ve supported the campaign so far. On the rare chance that you’re someone who has supported my work in the past, do me a favor and check out this latest campaign today.
To keep it simple– This book is for young kids ages 8-14 who are just starting to become artists! Its for young adults ages 15-22 who already know they love to make art.
How do I know? I have spent the better part of my life working with young people as a teaching artist and as an author/illustrator. I have seen them light up w/ the power of art!
And as I’ve mentioned before, this is for those kids who don’t like reading. I was one of them . But my mom helped me pursue my passion and I believe books like mine can help kids pursue theirs.
And its for you, adults who love art. THANK YOU!!!
Dig this? Check out this video as I flip through my first “Art of Rob” book so you can see what I mean.
THANK YOU – BIG shout out to those who’ve supported “Art of Rob Vol 2” so far. In case u just logged on after a few days, I launched my 3rd book project this week. Please check it out here LINK
Dig this? Check out my first Art of Rob Book here
Hey folks, I appreciate all of you who regularly come check out my blog to see whats what. Can you do me a favor? If you really rock with my work here is one way you can support me. I’m getting ready to launch my 2nd Art of Rob book. The first one, you can see here. And I’m asking folks to sign up early so you can be notified when it launches.
In my book you’re going to find sketchbook pages, characters, short stories, tutorials, and more. Peep this:
Check this out, ALA and the folks at Banned Books Week do work annually for 4 decades to increase awareness and advocacy for books! Especially banned books which are often books that challenge society’s norms, systems, and any fragile white, christian, heteronormative people from coast to coast.
Cool art/design by Hyesu Lee, Love is Wise, and Mikey Burton
In case you didnt know book banning has been around for a long time, but the amount of bans has skyrocketed over the last 5 years with the help of rightwing billionaires and think tanks. All with the goal of defunding education and public access to knowledge. And they’re using people to do it. This isnt just a few bad apples, this is a coordinated fascist state. Get hip
MORE INFO : BannedBooksWeek.org
Dig this? Check out my post on Authors Against Book Bans
Hey, here’s a new Picture Book Recommendation for ya. “Sam’s Super Seats” . Written By Keah Brown and illustrated by Sharee Miller. I really loved this one and its about a little Black girl w/ cerebral palsy who goes back to school shopping with her friends. It’s an everyday story w/ a little bit of a peak into the life of a regular kid with a disability. Check out the synopsis:
Sam loves herself, learning, and making her family and friends laugh. She also loves comfortable seats, including a graceful couch named after Misty Copeland and Laney, the sassy backseat of Mom’s car.
After a busy morning of rest, Sam and her friends try on cute outfits at the mall and imagine what the new school year might bring. It’s not until Sam feels tired, and the new seat she meets isn’t so super, that she discovers what might be her best idea all day.
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.
Dig this? Check out this review of Dancing in the Wings
Hey fam, I was really excited to do this t-shirt illustration for a historic organization. The “Teachers for Social Justice” San Francisco chapter is a dope community based organization that held an annual conference for teachers to share information about social justice pedagogy, books, songs, practices, teaching methods, and more in San Francisco California. I first went in the 2010’s but had been to conferences like it where we would give workshops to young people about murals, graffiti, and a way to combine social justice with art. Here’s some process art.
As a student of ethnic studies I was always really excited to learn at this conference and even more excited to illustrate and design the official tshirt for this years conference which was returning after a break during the pandemic. I started by trying to illustrate some kids I would actually see in middle or high school in the Bay Area now. Profiles with a simple color palette.
Instead of the name of the conference they changed it to have that on the back of the tshirt and the phrase “Ethnic Studies Everywhere” on the front.
And this is what it ended up looking like with the line work, and two ways to apply the color for a black or white tshirt. I did the lettering as well:)
Here’s the shirt done! I love rocking my joint to let folks know, Its not a buzz word like “woke” which means to be aware or “DEI” which meand diversity, equity, and inclusion and gets to the fact that Black and Brown people were excluded, erased, and kept out of so many industries for over a hundred years in the US. Nope, this goes back to my work around “ethnic studies” or learning about US and world history through the histories, stories, and lived experiences of Black folks and people of color in the US.
But more importantly, if you know an educator who is already incorporating social justice in their classrooms, or you know folks who want to learn please send them to TEACHERS For Social Justice and get them plugged in for the next conference.
Here’s a bit about what the Teachers for Social Justice do:
Who We Are.
Teachers 4 Social Justice is a grassroots non-profit teacher support and development organization in San Francisco. T4SJ is project of the Community Initiative Fund.
Our Mission.
Our mission is to provide opportunities for self-transformation, leadership, and community building to educators in order to affect meaningful change in the classroom, school, community and society. See more about our goals, principles, and vision in the next pages.
What We Do.
T4SJ organizes teachers and community-based educators and implements programs and projects that develop empowering learning environments, more equitable access to resources and power, and realizing a just and caring culture.
Dig this? Check out more of my work
Hey fam I have been working alongside the Bay Area Book Festival as a former vendor, panelist, featured author, and now as a collaborator. The homies over there running the show have also helped the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair grow in a big way!!
But right now, they’re doing an auction where you can ask me and other authors, illustrators, agents, and more questions about your work. If you want to talk with me you can bid on a session right here and thr proceeds go to helping this world class book fair sustain itself. I’m aiming for new “author/illustrators” specifically but anyone can bid. Holler.
BID HERE, if you’d like to check out all the other offerings GO HERE.
Seems counter intuitive but kids really want to be like their parents, they curious about trying what you’re doing, or they subconsciously absorb who you are as a parent. Dads, Moms, Nonbinary parents, all can stand to let your kids catch YOU reading. Just a tip from a former young parent. Now i’m a middle aged parent.
Dig this? I highly recommend checking out “Rad Dad” Zine By Tomas Moniz -its all about what its like to be a parent, the triumphs, trials, and tribulations.
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.
Dig this? Check out my recommendation of “La Calle es Libre”