Be Brave

Hey All,

Happy Monday!  It's a new week and another opportunity to go out there and be the best you, that you can be.  Me personally - I'm headed to the accountant's office to do my taxes.  I'm happy to get that behind me for another year.

Today I want to highlight a piece of artwork that I did for a friend of mine and colleague - Towanda Allen.  We went to school together at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.  She was on a different track than I was, though.  She studied Transpersonal Psychology - with part of it being the Coaching field.

Almost since I've known her, she's been planning a Mother/Daughter Empowerment Workshop.  I'm not sure of the title, but it's meant to uplift mothers and their daughters who may need to be given the tools to be strong, independent women.  (I'm sure Towanda would have a much better/clearer description of it).  As planning this workshop, she also has been telling me she wanted me to do a major artwork for this - a piece of theme artwork.  The theme is Bravery - or - to be Brave.  I was honored to be a part of this project.

Finished Art - Brave - digital paint

She wanted a piece that could be used as fine art (printed), and as a graphic with the theme - "Brave."  After giving it some thought, an idea came together.  A brick wall with Brave on it - in graffiti style with a little flower coming up thru the cracks in the cement, in front of it.

original sketch

As usual, it starts with the sketch, taking a photo of it and bringing it into Photoshop.  I brought in a brick wall photo to overlay the sketch and started painting the graffiti on a layer above it.  I wanted the artwork to be graffiti, but bold and optimistic.  I worked the flower in, on a layer in front.  Kind of a tough, brave, but somewhat vulnerable little yellow petalled flower.

early stages

OK - the symbolism is very obvious - you may even say it's cliche.  That's alright with me and my client Towanda liked it also.  Some of the young girls who will attend her workshops are those vulnerable, gutsy little flowers, coming up thru the cracks.  Coming up in a tough place to grow, but coming up and doing the best they can.  

Finished Art

Towanda Allen is an inspirational coach and also has a radio show on blogtalk radio.  She's written a book and working on another (first is in the process of getting published).  For more information about her seminars keep an eye on her web site:

www.TowandaAllen.com

Her radio show:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theconnector2013/2013

That's it for now.  Keep spreading the love people - be kind to a stranger today - help someone out in need.  You'll be amazed at how good it feels...and it's the right thing.

Peace,

Tom

www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Kreienbrink-Art-and-Design

www.behance.net/tk-art

Collage Artwork...that's what I call it

Hi All,

I hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was good - we hosted my granddaughters birthday party yesterday.  Great time.  She's 4 years old.  And - it's really becoming the time of year that we really enjoy here in Phoenix.  It's cooling down a bit, but not cold.  Great for outdoor activity.  I'm grateful for all of it.

So I went back into the archives this morning and pulled out some pieces that I'd done years ago but really haven't put online or promoted.  This morning I'm going to share one of those pieces of art.

On a side note, I've been using my phone camera for the photography.  I can't believe how good the camera is on my new smart phone.  It's an LG Nexus - pretty decent phone....and the camera is pretty good.  So the camera sits unused in the drawer.  I'm not a power user of technology and am constantly amazed at how it keeps progressing.

Collage 156; pen and acrylic color.  Approx 22"x14"

This is one of my collages - I call it, Collage 156.  I've always enjoyed putting things together in a collage format.  The piece is drawn on illustration board (approx 22"x14").  I did the original in pen and ink (technical pen).  Then I painted it with acrylic paint.

This piece is from the late 90s.  So you see the green #92; Reggie White's number when he was playing football in Green Bay.  There's other imagery in the pic that's related to me and my life in one way or another.  Some imagery is just flowing from my mind with no direct link to my day to day life at the time, and of course there's some graphic elements that bring it together....or not.

close up - a little detail.

I (of course), couldn't help myself and did a little touch up with the computer.  Not much - just punching up a little color in some areas.  Tightening a little detail as well, but I'm also trying to retain the integrity of the artwork.

a little detail - you see the London Bridge  - now located in
Lake Havasu City, AZ - where I lived the later part of my youth.

I've done a number of these pieces over the years.  I think I may take one of the pen and ink versions and color it in the computer.  Something to work on in the future.

I hope you've enjoyed this piece.  It was a lot of fun to make/produce.  I hope you all are starting off the week right and enjoy every day.  Enjoy each moment and be good to each other.

Peace,

Tom

Usui Sensei Artwork

Hi All,

I'd like to show my latest piece of artwork today...a portrait of Mikao Usui.  I titled it, "Usui Sensei."

One of the bodywork modalities I practice in my holistic therapy practice is Reiki.  Mikao Usui is the person who "developed" Reiki.  Stories vary, I'll let you do your homework on it, but in brief, he discovered/was given reiki while on a 21 day trip up on Mount Kurama in Japan in the early 1900s.

Final Artwork - 15"x15"- available as giclee print

photo of Mikao Usui

Reiki is an energy work modality.  You apply Universal Life Energy - commonly referred to as Ki, thru your hands to your client.  It's great work - soothing and can be so healing on many levels.  Beautiful stuff!

I produced this on a 6 yr old I-Mac with 4Gb Ram and Photoshop CS3.  I started with a sepia tone and built up Master Usui's image in layers.  Each layer a different color (e.g.: red, black, yellow, orange, etc).

And, it started to come together, looking a little more lifelike.

I wanted a little bit of Mount Kurama and sky in the background.  Very basic, but at this point all that I really wanted to have in the picture.

I then used some really cool textured brushes to build up a really nice texture around the portrait. (at least I like the texture - some may not, and that's ok).  In the end, I had over 20 layers....then I flatten it all down.  Now one key to working in the textures is working with a certain level of transparency in the brush itself and then I may or may not adjust the layer transparency.  Really adjusting to what I feel is right for the piece.

Finally, I add the Japanese Kanji symbols that spell Reiki, and put the finishing touches on it.  I'll be selling giclee canvas prints at 15"x15," or 18x18.
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and artwork.  Also - call me if you would like a reiki session also...it's so good.
Take care and have a great week everyone.
Peace,
Tom