I’m taking a quick break to check out some of the media out there and I am excited by what I see. Specifically, I happened upon a couple of recent entries posted by a couple of my favorite bloggers. I’ve attached what I liked as well links to their original posts. If you haven’t checked out Kiss My Black Ads and Naturally Leslie out for yourselves, you do not know what you’ve been missing. The Coil Review The Coil Review Re Launch from Tricia (T. Mezz) Messeroux on Vimeo. Naturally Leslie’s original post Design Inspiration: Karcarah Kiss My Black Ads’ original...

Surrender, originally uploaded by ShayGon Designs. Melanie “Shay” LaRocque, a South London girl of Trinidadian heritage currently in transit to the British Virgin Islands. She currently pursues her passion and life-dream of running an Art and Design Studio full-time. Check it out HERE. A quote from the lady Shay on the series: “When you see her coming down the road, you better make way for that Fro’. Sometimes she’s down but definately not out. Sometimes she’s stern but her heart is a marshmellow. Never under-estimate the power of Ms Af-Ro!” Check out...

Always the muse, Xian stands out because of her expressiveness. Working with the artsy environment at Apache Cafe & Lounge, she creates moods with each pose that constantly inspired artists and photographers alike. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post

Maurice Evans is a painter and photographer who marries both skill sets to create some astounding works. Humble ’til the end, he was genuinely surprised when I told him I wanted to feature his works on the blog because I considered him and his works to be influential and inspirational to the vision here. Within a few brief years, Maurice has established himself as one of the best in the field of Black Art and his works has delighted countless collectors of African-American art. No matter the subject or whether the works are executed on paper, wood or canvas – the texture, intense colors,...

In this sequel to Curves and Locs at the Apache Cafe & Lounge I experimented with the images a bit, working on different approaches for digital illustration that I’ve been contemplating for while. I liked the affect. This pictorial is part of a short series of retrospectives on my influences and inspirations. The model goes by the stage name DarknCurvy and you can find her on MySpace. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post

Xian was the first. At Apache, she was the first model I created images of (first as sketches, later as photos). And while I loved the images I captured, there were so many quality concerns with the digital images that I was inspired to solve the problems and get it right. The solutions are technical, having to do with camera sensors and lighting techniques. But I was inspired to go the next level. Create better images and new ideas. Grow. I guess that is what a Muse does for you. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it...

As I’ve mentioned before… the vision for the images in Pangea’s Garden all started with my captures at the Apache Cafe & Lounge. This pictorial is part of a short series of retrospectives of how what I’ve seen has influenced and inspired me. The model goes by the stage name DarknCurvy and you can find her on MySpace. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it Tweet about it Subscribe to the comments on this post

As I’ve worked on my images, I have been tossing around the idea of building a portal for the images and the influences…something that reflects the beauty and sensuality of the aesthetic and the cultural influences that it affects and that, in turn, affect it. It would be a place for forums, maybe some interviews, beautiful photos and art. It could feature gear and products that are important to the look. I’ve talked to a few friends who are excited about what we could do with it. Some want to really push the envelope a bit more on the images and I have to admit I am interested...