This
piece is inspired by a story a lovely patron related to
me. He has been volunteering as a trip leader to disadvantaged kids by
taking them up into the mountains to cross country ski. This particular
child had just immigrated from Vietnam and was experiencing snow for the
first time in his life, pretending to be a dolphin. In that moment, the patron almost broke down
crying thinking that one day, the pure joy this young boy experienced
could be replaced by what society dictates for him. But then he
remembered my artwork and was comforted by how a lot of it reflects
wonderment in the world. And so it goes with so many things that time brings us in its bittersweet manner.
So may you, as you are now, experience
these moments still. Remember that you are still this child inside. That
you can still taste snow for the first time and let that wonder spill
out into the world.
Although this piece is inspired by the character Naomi on the often stellar Syfy show "The Expanse", it's also dedicated to all the real life kickass women I'm blessed to know who remain undeterred, compassionate, solution oriented, fiery and above all, visionary for the tough road ahead.
I illustrated this for my friend, Silvi Alvica aka The Poetry Store, a true talent who regularly plumbs the depths of the soul and touches ours in the process. A lot of her visual art depicts animals accompanied by her own poetry, so this piece was done in the spirit of her work.
In
this new era, it's important to keep marching forward, to keep loved
ones close and protect those who are vulnerable to oppressive policies
or toxic states of mind.
Happy Holidays kindly visitor. In a harrowing year, it strikes me that of all our natural resources, decency seems shortest in supply. Perhaps we can be more mindful, open to listening to each other, and truly cherish what togetherness is. Fractured spirits can be healed.
Here's an interview with yours truly about my weird, wacky life in graphic recording. The English call it scribing, which makes it sound quite posh indeed.
http://ludiccreatives.com/blogpost/scribe-spotlight-kevin.html
I swear this is how I look when I'm pensive ;)
This is my call to action for the #GivelightChallenge.
The Give Light Foundation is a wonderful organization dedicated to
bringing shelter, education and family to orphaned children around the
world.
This piece is dedicated to the memory of Marie Hatch and the elderly who after decades of living here, are in danger of being put out on the street. These people are not statistics, but your human family. Remember how fragile we all were when we first came into this world and how that never truly goes away. We are all flowers.
A subject that’s been weighing on me heavily for a long while now is displacement. It encompasses the rampant homelessness, refugees that are struggling to survive worldwide, and the treacherous path that this city is following in regards to gentrification. It reached a fever pitch for me last month in the passing of Marie Hatch, a 97 year old woman who was in danger of eviction after 66 years of living in a quaint Burlingame home. There are a slew of untold stories of the elderly being evicted, most of which seems to fade into the ether. And just this week, Luis Gongora, recently evicted from his Mission apartment, was shot by the police. Of course, like most of these cases, there are conflicting accounts as to what happened, but it only took less than 30 seconds for this man’s life to be ended.
The saddest thing I can think of is someone dying of a broken heart, not metaphorically, but feeling such emotional anguish that they physically lose everything. What I’m most concerned about is the erosion of our collective empathy over time. How can we better bridge those gaps so the less fortunate don’t fall through them? What actions and words will we choose to mend that pain, inside and out?
There are not only people dying of broken hearts, but of broken minds as well. There has always been a fair amount of mental illness on our streets, but I think it’s even more pronounced with the unchecked greed that is actively terraforming the cultural landscape. I understand the natural fear of physical harm by a person whose mind is not stable. But I also think it’s our responsibility to get educated on what we can do and how we understand these conditions.
