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

Today was the 100th day of school..

So me & kindergarten made these 100 day glasses, I’ll admit it, this was FUN

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..

Mother at 8:45…

I took a break for a few hours. Off to start paint!

In the process..

This is the beginning of a drawing of a family from my head, it’s just pencil on canvas. I’m happy with the father, the son will change in the painting as the children in my paintings always do. Right now the Mom is a mess so I’ll photograph her before I start with the paint.


I would love to finish this painting today but I might be rushing things. It’s 3:20pm. I’ll do my best but I don’t like staying up too late when I have to go to work the next day. If I don’t get enough sleep I’m CRANKY and nobody like’s Ms.Borgella when she’s a crab!

I’ll take another pic in a few hours…

A new painting for this week…

Lately I haven’t had enough opportunities to do my work so I took the last two days to focus on a new painting. I have no title yet but this piece has a lot of meaning for me. This is a Woman/Goddess who is like a lotus flower coming up out of the depths of the ocean. She also is just emerging from drowning and has become like water, forceful and flexible. In the keyhole center of her chest is a lotus flower in front of a black hole. She wears cowrie shell earrings being of the sea she adornes herself with it’s resources. One of her earrings is unravelling but she is not concerned with earthly/material objects because she lives in abundance and is stable in an everchanging current.

My Other Works…

Much as I dislike having to work a regular job (and I really do!) I must say I have one of the greatest jobs in the world. The children drive me crazy, they don’t listen, they are way too noisy and they are soo fresh sometimes! And yet, they are soo BEAUTIFUL! So LOVING and so innocent! And when they do stop running around or running ME RAGGED..they are amazing. These kids really Love Art and their Art Teacher! Here is a handful of some of my children because like it or not I have to admit these are my kids too.
7th Graders

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8th Graders

Our Indigenous Lost Tribe Masks

Our Chinese Dragon Lion for Chinese New Year

I teach them about Art, but it goes way beyond that. I teach them Culture, Kindness, Respect, Manners and Love and I learn from them patience, tolerance, humility and Love.

Something new…

“I Bare the Scars”

Much as I’m not crazy about explaining a painting. I guess this is part of a series of paintings that have a theme of some form of slavery.
Her chains are broken, and she wears the key to her freedom as an earring. She is scarred but strong & beautiful none the less. She is not a victim but victorious.

More new work on the way…