Lyric Fire

My Blog Lyric Fire: Uptown Artists Getting Gritty in the City

I went to the Harlem Art Crawl last month and shot some of the pieces. I've been so busy lately that I forgot to post them, so here are some of the renderings from the show. Peace.

 

My Blog Lyric Fire: Book to Binge On: "Women of a New Tribe" by Jerry Taliaferro

With all of the talk about "For Colored Girls" and the premiere of the BET special Black Girls Rock, I thought I'd pick a book for this Sunday's Book Binge that honors African American women. I was drawn to feature a coffee table book of portraits and was looking high and low for a title that was current, but I could only find "Women of a New Tribe" which was published in 2007. Jerry Taliaferro is the author of the book and creator of the one-man exhibition, Women Of A New Tribe which premiered at the Afro-American Cultural Center in Charlotte, NC in June 2002. The pages of "Women of a New Tribe" pop with vibrance and relevance as the subjects are shot in ways which capture their true essence and natural beauty.

Enjoy the video clip below:

 

 

For more information about the author and to see additional images from the book and past exhibit go here: http://www.blackartphotoart.com/WNTPage1g.htm 

My Blog Lyric Fire: The Poetic Art Pairing Project-Piece #2-Justified & Vastly Jeweled

Installment two of The Poetic Art Pairing Project features the work of Itoro Udofia, a passionate artist who I met on the NetworkedBlogs space on Facebook.

Itoro's blog Thoughts of my Mind features her art in a myriad of forms: poetry, which she recites in video clips with the backdrop of gorgeous art which feasts your eyes as her voice treats your ears, songs, excerpts of her longer form writing and artistic images.

So let's get into it! Itoro sent me the following art piece and coupled with my poetic interpretation, I will deem it: Justified & Vastly Jeweled.

I am an extension of the extension of earth-toned souls

spirited and spicy, justified and vastly jeweled

My diamonds, rubies and gold pieces are not just adornments I wear with flair that beg to be complimented

They rest in the heart of me

Peel back my layers, unwrap my delicate but sturdy coverings of years of unjust decorations

As I walk to the market to buy fresh meat, spices and grains to create nutrition to feed my fruition

They throw their cloaks of confusion upon my shoulders weighing me down with their notions of my nature which they only see as nubile and naughty

When I am safe within my quarters I stomp on those cloaks with feet that have graced the halls of higher learning

I take them and wash them until they sing of perfume and place them in buckets filled with colorful dye

Now, see the beauty coming into view as the pigment soaks in and their false truth dies

My truth is a vision to behold-colors of the ocean, deep reds and golds

Only I can paint my palette and the colors are blindingly beautiful-coaxed from the core of me

Look deeper always and question what you see

Define yourself not by others but by your own correlations

You are not just comprised of an idea, a street corner or a city-but many nations

You as I are made of Earth, Moon, Sun and Sky

Fashioned from God's great eye

I am nature's bulb, seed and root

I am land, horse, bird and sea

See me all

When you see me

My Blog Lyric Fire: The Poetic Art Pairing Project - Piece #1-Floral Dissonance

The first paired piece in The Poetic Art Pairing Project, which features my poetry inspired by art, comes partly from San Francisco Bay artist Sytiva Sheehan who primarily uses acrylics and oils along with pens and inks to bring her art alive. She often uses children, the elderly and people with disabilities as creative influences. I chose the following piece from her collection to base a poem on because although to the eye it may seem like a simple piece, it spoke volumes to me. To see more of Sytiva's work check out her lovely website: http://www.sytivapainting.com.      

Now, here follows the art piece and the poetry, which I am calling FLORAL DISSONANCE:

 

Hypnotic honey bees are buzzing

The chorus of their ravenous symphony is disconcerting

I can never have a day off

My petals always gleam with a glorious glow

As I prepare for my daily floral show

I'm a rooted advertisement

See my beautiful colors

My nectar is so devastatingly sweet

Come one come all and taste my savory treats

I so long for some me time 

I'd love to enjoy the sunshine and relax my mind

A flowers work is never done

It's a chance to shine for most and a burden to some

Even though all of this attention is sometimes tiring

I guess I'd miss it if it were gone

But I wish my suitors would understand 

I am more than my sweetness

More than my color

More than my shape and form

I have substance on the inside

That often goes ignored

So I hide

In plain sight of course

You don't want to hear of my travels

The angle in which I landed and became one with earth

How I was baptized by the life-giving fire of the sky

The conversations I've had with the one on high

Stories of my petals soaked by tears of princesses and paupers alike bore you

So I stay silent and beam rays of splendid beauty while dying inside

Is there anyone to whom I can confide?

Perhaps a woman would understand my plight

She is also known for her ability to affect one's sense of sight

If those pollinators only understood

With equal footing we could rule the world

We would be their partners in life instead of just a flower or just a girl

So for a day in protest I will not bloom

I will shut my eye to the sun rays and spit out the rain drops

I will only open up my beauty to you when the ignorance stops

See me as a whole flower and not just my bloom

Smarten up soon nectar lover and you just might see me

Growing, living and laughing by the light of the moon 

My Blog - Lyric Fire: The Poetic Art Pairings Project (Coming soon!)

Paintings and drawings have always inspired my writing. Flashes of color, strokes of symmetry and languishes of artistic shapes on a page or canvas transports me into an immediate literary world in seconds flat. 

So I decided to pay homage to this source of inspiration by starting the Poetic Art Pairings Project which will pair my original poetry inspired by art pieces. 

I'm currently asking my personal network of artists to submit art pieces and I will then write poems based on them. The art work, my poems and some background on the original inspiration behind the art pieces will be featured right here on Lyric Fire. 

Stay tuned for more information about this poetic artistic mashup!

I'm looking forward to your comments and feedback about this. 

My Blog - Lyric Fire: Tattoos & Poetry

 

As writers, actors, painters, poets and singers, we are always looking for additional ways to express our creativity and love for our art. Tattoos are a great way to display on the outside what you're truly feeling on the inside. An inked up arm, back or chest can tell your life story and spark provocative conversations. 

Yours truly is honored to be a part of the Tattooed Poets Project on Bill Cohen's lovely blog Tattoosday. In my feature I give insight on why I chose my tattoo and one of my poems is also highlighted to jump off a whole month of celebrating poets who have tattoos. 

Bill is a lover of blogging and capturing the artistic essence of New Yorkers so PLEASE become a fan of his page on Facebook, Tattoosday Facebook Fan Page, follow him on Twitter @tattoosday and check out his other blogs as well. Have an amazingly creative day all!

Click here to: Check out my tattoo and poetry on the Tattoosday blog 

 

My Blog: Lyric Fire: Looking Through Her Window

She stood and stared out the window. The room was empty save for a light green couch, an easel and some paint cans.

One lone street light flickered on and off in the dark outside. A ciggie hung from her full lips. She blew a ring of smoke into the air. Her lungs filled with anticipation. She coughed, scratched her thigh and sighed.

Restless in the midnight hour songs of unfulfilled fantasies could be overheard from the apartment next door. Her only desire stood a few feet away. It was without color and begged to be touched. She hesitated.

The couch called her name...

It beckoned for her to sink down into softness and forget her longing. But she couldn't. She picked up the brush... Dipped it slowly into life.

Just as she was about to caress her canvas, the street lamp blew out and the room grew pitch black.

She began to feel her way around forming shapes and building ideas from emptiness. The dark didn't matter. It never did. It never does.

Art lives in the slightest crack in the sidewalk. In trash cans on empty desolate streets. In an apartment where the resident has lost her job and can barely pay her rent or utilities.

Art lives in darkness and light, in you and me.

Art lives...

My Blog: Lyric Fire: The Art of Networking in Harlem

I recently joined an amazing networking group in Harlem called Uptown Happenings Together which was started by the lovely Alba, who encourages Harlem residents to discover new things, places and people.

Our first meeting found us surrounded by awesome art and artists at the Gadson Gallery, headed by  Laura R. Gadson. Her collection features beautiful quilts that can be framed or placed creatively around your home. The pieces are not only aesthetically appealing, they often make powerful conversational pieces as she artistically incorporates social and political issues into her work. 

Shimoda, whose colorful jewelry has been featured in Essence Magazine and worn by celebrities such as Jada Pinkett Smith and others was also in attendance. Who knew that so many talented artists reside in the heart of Harlem?

Anderson Pilgrim, President of Diasopora Now, Inc. also made the scene and talked about the lovely Caribbean art he proudly offers on his website and his plans to bring an art show to the gorgeous island of Barbados in the near future. We will keep you posted on this and other happenings going on in the cultural community of Harlem.

To join or learn more about Uptown Happenings Together go to:

http://www.meetup.com/Uptown-Happenings-Together-NYC

For more information about the artists that were featured at the event please click on their links below:

http://www.thegadsongallery.com

http://www.shimoda-accessories.blogspot.com

http://www.diaspora-now.com

My Blog - Lyric Fire: Art Consumption

I saw this while food shopping recently and had to pick it up. Oddly enough, I was thinking about an idea for a poem as I browsed the aisles. I guess this is what happens when you eat, sleep and DRINK your art! 

 

Lyric Fire: Pen Meets Canvas

The world of art for me includes writing, music, paintings, photography, food, travel, nature and much more. My main form of creative expression involves the pen and I'm always inspired on a deeper level by non-literary influences.  

What can be a better creative conduit than art? The colors, shapes and dimensions of a drawing, water color or painting can take you on a full-scale journey in just the time it takes for your eyelashes to meet in a blink. 

If you have the resources to travel, try exploring one of the museums that Fodor's features in their recent listing of the 11 European Museums You Should See In Your Lifetime: 

http://www.fodors.com/news/story_3698.html?ref=69

If you can't escape right now, inspirational art is just a wheel-click or touch-screen tap away on your iPod. You can listen to a gallery tour or view video clips of actual art pieces by visiting the Museum Room on iTunes. 

http://www.apple.com/ipod/tours

Color up your imagination and paint deeper hues on your own creative canvas of choice by taking an artistic journey.