Feelin Good...

Man I feel good! These are the sketches and final image of my contribution to Individual Collective's mural project at Moo..licious on Telegraph st. in Berkeley,Ca. I was just reflecting on the progress I've made since Art School. I would have never thought that my art work would progress in such a way . I was very surprised that my painting captured a classic UPA/"Retro" style that I loved as a child. This has inspired me and brought me great confidence. I feel happy that I've grown past being the " Anime Dood" and moved foward into discovering more of who Brandon Robinson is as an artist. Thank you Jesus!

(forgive me for the last photo being so big.. it's late, I'm tired, and I don't want shrink it right now.)

-SRS

The Best of times and Worst of times.....

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times", some one said.

Well let's start with the Good News:

I had lunch in Emeryville with Pixar Studio Superstars Doug Dooley and none other than blog spot's and the pop art megastar BILL PRESING!!!!! Doug, Bill, Kan, and I eat at an Indian Restaurant up the street from Pixar's Campus. It was fun talking about childhood memories , the animation world, and gaining some knowledge from some cool kids from one of the illlest animation studios world wide. After that me Kan went to Boarders and looked at art books and comics and caught up on life. Towards the end of the day we went to Hilltop Mall and took some pics since I won't see my bro for a while now that he lives and teaches in So Cal.

Second thing is Individual Collective got the chance of a life time, we're doing a mural at a unique restaurant called Mooliscious. Mooliscious is a cereal bar (yes , cereal bar) where you can have your choice of 40 kinds of breakfast cereal anytime you want. Not only that but their is all sorts of cereal themed foods! But anyhow, IC is creating a mural and doing some stuff to add to this totally hip restaurant. Our Mural has a cereal theme and if your a kid who lived through the 80's and 90's you'll dig our work and this store. We've never done something like this together outside of live art and the chalk event in Napa earlier this year.

And for the Bad News:

I got a new job and as of last week I got fired. I've been struggling financially this majority of this month. Truth is I wanted to quit the job 2 weeks after I got it, but I feel humiliated. I've never been fired from any of my jobs in the past. Man this year has been filled with really awesome ups and major downs. I can't wait for the day that I get a job in my field and have the satisfaction of working in a place where I have respect and dignity. I've had major troubles with my faith and now I feel kinda bad cause God is making a way while I was angry and frustrated by my circumstances.

Even though the times are tough, God's still good and as I rejoice he's turns my sorrows into joy.

As I looked at these photos it made me feel happy about the good things I have in my life and the good things that have happend this year.

-SRS/Brandon

A dope quote...

I found this quote on another blog called Dirty Shame:

"You think you can avoid pain, but actually you can't. If you do, you just get sicker, or you feel more pain. But if you can speak it, if you can write it, if you can paint it, it is very healing." - Alice Walker

Man that Alice Walker quote makes me think...does it make you think too?

-SRS

Refresh yo' self with Jesus!: X-Factor Ministries Retreat

I went to Prayer Mountain for the annual X-Factor Retreat. For One day we fasted, prayed, studied, worshiped, and did exercises and activities to stretch and renew our faith in God. It was a well needed get away for me. Alot of stuff was on my mind and going up to prayer mountain and meeting Christ there was great! The Prayer Mountain staff were building new chapels as well as adding new plants. What was not shown in the photos was the Green Apple I found and picked up for my faith activity. We were to find something represented how we felt our faith was like today. The building and the apple reminded me of my Christian Walk. I've learned alot and have bore some fruit but, I'm still growing and being build into the person God wants me to be.

Learning that fact gave me major confidence after the retreat. It was good to hang with Jonathan , Alison, and the members of X-Factor since I saw them last in May. I will see them again in October for Hallowed 08'.

-SRS/Brandon

Ps: The Stratocaster in the photos is mine. I played worship melodies during our prayer time.

My bud was checking it out. He loved it.

IC@111 Minna Gallery SF: Friday was live!!

Man things are really moving for Individual Collective!! IC and I got our first big chance to do live art at famed Gallery/Club 111 Minna in San Francisco through Oh Dang! Magazine. It was a late and wild night filled with great art and awesome Hip-Hop performances by some new friends like Nico Villamor, the amazing and gorgeous female MC Hopie Spitshard , and my new fave Hip-Hop group from LA Giant Panda who were fun and fierce!! Before we went to Minna, we made a pitstop by a shop that our IC cohorts Swamps and Bridges were bombing a dressing room (bombing=painting).

The shop was looking hip, even the restroom was dope! After that we got to Minna about 8pm and found out we didn't start untill 11pm.... So we relaxed , set up, got some drinks, break danced, and then prepared for the show and when the clock struck 11pm the people came in like a herd G! Nico was up first and tore the stage up with his hot song " I'm Going". Then the lovely Hopie Spitshard came in to drop science on what a real female MC is and can do in heels on stage. Lastly Giant Panda came in and like the amazing creature they were bigger than life! They were cool dudes! Really down to earth and inspiring. After hearing their stuff and the other artists I wanted to do a custom painting for all of them! (coming soon..) IC did a split theme; a Giant panda with dimonds and a awesome piece by Swamps and Bridges . Man it was late and real fun.

I got to see good friends like Saif, Richard, Janice and my lovely friend Kay who was the inspiration/model for the fourth painting in my previous blog post. There are more shows to come and more art on the way. Stay Tuned please!

-SRS/Brandon

PS: Obama Lincoln... wow.. interesting digial manipulation