Baby steps…

Slowly but surely I am getting back to the business of Yes Lioness.Com. I admittedly have had a hard time juggling my company with my J O B! The website has been down for almost a year and only those of you who saved my e-store have been able to see what’s been up, so Give Thanks!
It’s been a struggle both financially and mentally to invest in the business. As you can see production on t-shirts, greeting cards, ecetera have been at a standstill for quite some time. What can I say…that’s Life. Sometimes you just gotta take a break to put things in perspective and get things in order. I am an artist first, so if my life needs more of my energy, than that is where I will have to put my creativity.
I feel refreshed and prepared to begin to tackle all that the business entails..whew, and that’s A LOT! Many people have reached out to me over the months to show their support and urge me to get back on it. Still a little overwhelming but it’s one day, one moment one breath at a time.
My focus now is the ART, not all the other stuff that I do, so please be patient. I’m looking to have things in full swing again for the holiday season. In the meantime I wish You and Yours WiseMind, Overstanding and Guidance in this little journey we call LIFE!

One Black Love..
Yes Lioness!

Makin’ Art..

is very good for my soul. It takes me outside of the ordinary aspects of day to day living. I need to paint much more often & I will.

I had such a good time working on these

Little paintings. They are about 10×10 in. and the first one was just a random little painting and then I wanted to see how many more I could do so I used up every little canvas around the house until there were 6.
Once I was half way through them I realized that they look like those braiding syle posters from back in the day. The collection of them is called “Do Be Afrikan.”

Nowadays I am very hesitant to put my work on the web because I still keep running into my work in places that I never put it but what do I do..not share my work? How else will people see what I do and what I’m about. Gotta chance it, hopefully If I do end up seeing it somewher else on the web they will atleast not remove my name & copyright as people have done.

Okay so here are a couple of new paintings..

Don’t ask me why it has taken me so long to update and post these paintings. This is only 2 the othet one not really worth posting. I have been on Summer break for 2 weeks now. I have spent more time doing projects around my place then anything else. I am also (quiet as it’s kept) trying to revamp my business. Not so easy but it will happen before you know it.
It’s too much to get into as to why my site has been down all these months, basically technical issues. In any case I am still in love with painting and that I will hold onto whether Yes Lioness .Com is functional or not. Nuff talk, here’s some Art.
“Witness”
This piece is part of the same series as “Everywhere is War” which depicts African Women in war torn countries.
“Lunar Eclipse”

This is just one of those painting that I do just for myself. I had a series years ago called “Earth Science” about Women as forces of nature like the sun, or gemstones etc. I enjoyed doing this painting because I used metallic paint and I just had fun with the elements of adornment. It’s called “Sweet Dreams”.
Anyway, I am going to NY again next week so I will try to fit in a few before I go. Hope you enjoyed the update and Have a Great Everything!

Assalam Alaikum, Jao Jing, & Walk Good!

More Living, less painting…

These days I haven’t been painting all that much. I just completed a freelance assignment to do a cd cover. That was a painting but I don’t consider my commercial work “MY ART”. It’s just art that I happen to be the one doing, ya know. I’m detached that way because I only care about the clients satisfaction, I don’t get much satisfaction out of working for other people. Sorry if that offends anyone.
I have painted a couple of things and changed a painting that I wasn’t pleased with..just haven’t had the vibe to post them. I will though…I know I’m a naughty blogger I’m keepin’ people interested people waiting…forgive me.
These days I’m focused on creating a life, my own that is,don’t get it twisted! Anyway, I spend my days selfishly indulging in anything I want. From books, dvds, televison, sitting in the park, online shopping, yappin’ about the frivolous, mundane, funny parts of life.
I guess I’m becoming human. What does that mean, it means that I no longer only think about my work and all the serious shit that goes on in the world. I’m not wound as tight as I use to be. I’m still a vulcan by birth but my interaction with other life forms has caused me to evolve or mutate. Yes…I know although you may not have known…I am wonderfully weird and quietly quirky.

Live Long & Prosper…

2 New paintings..

I hope that this piece is self explanatory because I have been very literal here. I like this piece even though it might be (admittedly) corny.

This piece I really like, it came out of a photograph of a coworker of mine, although I changed it a lil’ bit. I like the two little boys, they look rough but handsome. I wanted a piece to speak about single motherhood and raising young Afrikan men. I know it must be difficult to try to balance a mother’s nurturing and a father’s toughness, BIG Ups to all the Goddesses who do their Best!

Enjoy

Okay…so I HAVE been painting but…

blogging…not so much. I have been trying to upload a video of a painting I did in January but it hasn’t been working. Also I have done 3 commissions over the past month and a companion piece to the last Goddess painting which I finally completed…ToDAAAAY!!!

It’s rare that I paint men but lately I’ve been wanting to fill that void in my work. This weekend cleaning my apartment was more important than doing a bunch of paintings and next week I’m going to New York to visit my friends & family so pretty much I won’t be painting for that week. But it’s okay because I’ll still be off from work the week after so I’ll paint when I get back.
New York is about family, friends & a little shopping!

Respect…

I painted something new..

I just had to skip that family painting a little. I’ll get back to it. I like this painting although this is not the best photograph of it.

No commentary…off to paint some more.

The Balance..

I have not yet finished the painting I started last week. I haven’t even touched it. Why? Well because I’m not being a slave to it. I will finish it and I have several ideas for new paintings just waiting to come to life but LIFE is calling me, the business is calling me, relaxation is calling me and I’m answering. I watch dvds, go to social events, read, sketch out ideas for t-shirts and talk on the phone and chill when I’m not at work. Now.. I even go to the gym!
This is my life…NOW. I need to go to work and I need to paint but I also need to be a regular person. When the website was up & running and I was printing regularly I hardly had “ME” time, just “Yes Lioness.Com” time. But these days, I’m happy. I wish I could be more productive with my painting but there are only so many hours in a day. Today I’m off from work it’s “Pulaski Day” here in Chicago. I don’t know who Pulaski is, there’s a street named after him but Thank you Mr. Pulaski! Unfortunatley, I have a lot of lesson plans to write, so I’m not exactly free.
Will I fit in any art today..dunno?
But I will be unveiling my new line of fitness clothing in the next few weeks and I’m amped about that. Exercise is soo important to health and well-being. It’s discipline, and balnce & priority and we as Afrikan women really need to focus on ourselves in a positive strengthening way.
I am not going to be a production line for my Art, I am striving for a healthy balance. I want to live it and promote it.

And..maybe..by the end of the day I’ll show you a painting

Phase 2:painting the father after 9pm…

Workin’ on it. So far it’s a little different than how I normally paint. Less smooth nore natural looking. I like the effect so far..