Ok, I am not going to be using the blog that My Space has anymore.

You can now read my blog on my website. www.maelstromarts.net

That makes me happy.

So there.

Ok... so I finally got my website up and running. I would like to invite all of you to check it out.

www.maelstromarts.net

One of the most important things to remember about being an artist is that there will always be someone who will praise your work, as well as hate it. I have had both criteria thrown my way, and contrary to popular belief, these opinions have helped me grow professionally and personally. When these moments arose, I always used to ask myself why was it that some individuals will see the beauty behind certain works while others saw it as something insignificant. It was always a curiosity to me, but I didn't let it deter me from my creativity and point of view. No one has the right to censor or conspire against the rights of an artist and their freedom of expression... that is why there are so many different mediums for creative outlet.
Each artist has a preferred medium, while others tend to explore and find niches within many artistic venues. This is how I find my release, by not only illustration, but also through writing, composing music and woodworking and other alternative mediums. I allowed myself to let my imagination venture into different forms of creativity and I soon found myself engulfed in an organized chaotic storm, which soon became the inspiration for my personal design label, Maelstrom Arts.
I did not want to limit myself to one specific art form. So, any time I would be given the opportunity to try something new, I jumped at the chance and gave it my best effort. But, what was and is most important to me is that each and every artistic creation has to have a story behind it. So, when I create something, I want it to inspire people to ask questions and challenge themselves to find the meaning behind it. This is what is most satisfying to me about being an artist… the ability to create something that opens minds and changes lives.
When it comes to my major projects, I always like intricate detail. On some pieces I would challenge myself to illustrate the artwork with a .35 technical pen. Yes, it is more time consuming, but it is what will make the difference between a simple piece of art and a memorable piece of art. I want my works to be remembered. So, the addition of time and attention to even the most minimal detail is of then utmost importance to me.
I will use my Notre Dame piece as an example. While studying at The Nossi College of Art, I had the distinct pleasure of studying with some of Nashville's best. One of our classes was Perspective Drawing. This was an art form I had previous experience with but I was nowhere close to being an expert.
The concept is basic… using simple lines and measurements to create the illusion of depth and three-dimensional objects. We were to use rulers; t-squares and triangles to define the lines that will eventually start to create an atmosphere with one, two or three vanishing points. My goal was to take this concept as far as I could and later on challenge myself to create a piece with the use of all three major perspectives and what came of this was my Busy Street piece.
For me, perspective drawing is a form of creative therapy. While some will find the concept to be tedious and frustrating, I find it to be quite soothing and peaceful because I have complete and total control of the landscape I wish to create.
An artist should always keep in mind that moments of creativity are truly moments of self-reflection. What is inside the mind will always find a way to manifest itself in a material form. Everything an artist does is a doorway leading into their mind… this is what makes art so important to me.

On the other side of the spectrum, I have the desire to maintain a level of simplicity. Sometimes all it takes is a few lines to get a message across. There is a series of cartoon designs I developed entitled Corsario Designs, which are conceptual doodles that have not been given too much thought. I was given the idea and I would rapidly sketch out the design and ink it in, with all its imperfections. Sometimes it is the simplest of designs that grab the most attention. Less is more; and in some cases I agree.
There comes a time when one must put down the pencil and paper and use technology to create art. This is where computer come into play. I have to admit that I was skeptical and hesitant about using computers, thinking that it was impossible to achieve artwork without using the 'primitive' mediums I was used to. However, my entire outlook changed once I stepped out of my box and took a chance. The reality is that my entire world was overturned when I was introduced to these programs. New doors were opened and the possibilities were endless.
So, in the beginning it was all trial and error. I took some basic classes on the use of such programs as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Quark Xpress and just put what I learned into practice. I will say that yes, it was difficult to grasp in the beginning, but all that changed when I started to visualize what I saw as a canvas instead of a computer screen. It was all about experimentation with the medium.
I started off with some basic touch-up work. I would scan a photo and use different commands in order to re-create the image and give it a new life. (i.e. Almost Southern Comfort). Then, in other experiments I would combine two photos together and give it a humorous spin, like my work The Pondering Commode. I took a photo of Rodin's The Thinker and did what is called an appropriation. But I would say my favorite composites are when I create an entirely new image by combining a series of photos as demonstrated in my work Guitar Maelstrom. That piece took approximately 8 hours to create. Here's the timeline: it took about 30 minutes to take 15 photos of my guitar and load them up to Photoshop, it took approximately 7 hours to build the image in a way that was to my liking and finally I loaded another image and used a filter to create a difference overlay... and voila! It was a time consuming procedure and the building of the image was not as easy as I thought it would be, but the finished product proves that it was worth it. Creativity is saturated with the element of surprise and wonder.
To me, creativity is limitless, regardless of the rules and regulations there are to follow. Just like in life, those rules can always be bent and altered. If one was to base all their creativity on the guidelines of their instructors they might as well be plagiarizing. One must find a personal form of artistic expression and that is why we must not limit ourselves to one particular art form.
Then there are times when I want to push my creativity to the limit and venture into the unknown by trying something completely out of my element. It is always interesting to see what can come from experimentation. So, I have tried my abilities in wood burning, pottery, copper repousse' and airbrush. No matter what the skill level is, there is always time to become an expert... of one is willing to dedicate the time to the craft. Remember, there was a time when even the masters didn't know how to draw a straight line.
Artwork takes dedication, skill and vision but what makes a difference is the amount of time spent in its development. What good is it to have speed if there is no heart and soul behind the work? I may be fast in some aspects of my creativity, but in all reality I would be just as comfortable creating a landscape in pointillism and perspective in the style of M. C. Escher as I would creating a collage of thrown paint in the style of Jackson Pollock. There is no art form that I am hesitant to experiment with, so it is safe to say that I like to consider myself a jack-of-all-trades.
So, with that in mind let's see other forms of artistic expression that can be exposed and enjoyed by the masses. There is always more...
There is more to art than just what can be put down on paper or a computer screen, especially when there is the desire to create something that can be also explored with all five senses. Not only can the artwork be seen, it can also be heard, there can be aromas that accompany it and it can also have flavor and textures. Everything is art to me, weather it be a new song I am composing, or a romantic dinner or even a keepsake for the family. I never shy away from a moment where I can put what I know to a creative use.
I have done paintings, copper pressing, wood burning and I even tried my luck at sculpture. These mediums helped me discover muscles I didn't know I had, and that is a good thing.
Take for example a repousse'. It is an art form I was introduced to in college, which is basically taking a sheet of copper and pressing an image into it from front and back. It is not an expensive craft, being that you can use Popsicle sticks in order to achieve the correct form and depth into the copper. However, it is time consuming and rather tedious.
After you have indented the copper with your design and before you continue to polish it, you have to heat it with a torch in order to 'relax the tension' of the copper, and then, with the correct tools and polishing media, you can give your repousse' an astonishing finish.
I have also experimented with wood burning and painting. There is a piece I did where I used a spatula and acrylic paints in order to create a lighthouse on an 8"x10" piece of wood. I didn't know if I was using the spatula correctly, nor did I know if the paints would adhere to the wood and not peel off as I progressed. It wasn't a matter of neither making fine details nor giving the painting a realistic look, no... It was just about taking paint and creating something with it. Not everything has to have fine lines. Imperfections have been found in even the greatest artworks known to man.
It's all about having fun while making something that others will enjoy. If there is anything that I feel can bring social change and inspire cultural and ethnic unity, it will be through the arts. Every race, color and creed has one and it is always fascinating to see just how it is that a society chooses to identify themselves through history, and it comes to show the true value of existence. They can enjoy our artwork the same way that we can enjoy theirs.
I am a firm believer that if you can dream it, you can create it and there are plenty of alternative mediums for you to explore and let your creative pallet express itself with all its passion and desire. It is your right to be an artist.

I cannot think of a reason why anybody would not want to take time out of his or her monotonous lives and just want to create something. There are so many ways for people to express their inner self, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. I, for one, know that if I didn't have art, I wouldn't be the man I am today, yet there is a big difference when to comes to using art for communication and expression rather than a means of financial gain.
When it comes to creativity, I believe that there definitely are guidelines to follow, but it does not limit the possibilities. Art is free, art has no boundaries... as a matter of fact the only time art is contained is when it remains dormant inside your mind. Once you are able to formulate an image, it is only a matter of time until what you dream becomes a physical reality. So, in essence we are all artists... but many have yet to discover their hidden artistic talent and in many cases it remains hidden because the mind is saturated with other thoughts and responsibilities. It only takes a thought, then a motion turned into action and in the end we have a product that we can sit back and glance upon and say, 'I created that and I am proud of it.'
So it all boils down to this... deep inside your mind there is an artist waiting to emerge. Remember when you were in elementary school and how much fun it was to finger-paint or play with your legos as you created imaginary worlds? Remember when you read books instead of surfing the Internet and when you wanted to go play outside more than stare at the limited channels on your television? Remember what it was like to play 'make believe'... or even more, remember when you had to make Valentine's Day cards for your parents? The inner artist is like that... unrefined and amateur.

...It is time to nurture it.