Category: Uncategorized

Internet pioneer Ted Nelson, who coined the term hypertext, was my portrait subject for this talk / art demonstration at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), August 2007, shared here in three parts.

I start with a traditional analog pencil sketch The traditional media sketch of Ted Nelson is completed with acrylic paint.

I dive into a digital painting of Ted, comparing the process to the traditional portrait just completed. The highlight of this session was at 23 minutes into this video when Ted performs a fabulous rendition of the song “Mack the Knife” in German followed by a song I am not familiar with Russian!!

Completion of the digital portrait plus a spontaneous singing contribution at the beginning of this video from audience member (and my first boss) Tim Cook!

If you want to learn more about Ted Nelson this video tribute by computer pioneer Alan Kay is worth watching.

August 2007

Dad, 2006
30″ x 20″, pigment print and acrylic media on canvas

I created this collage as a memorial tribute to my dad who passed away in December 1988, the year I moved to live in the USA. It was published in my book Painter IX Creativity: Digital Artist’s Handbook as the case study demonstration example in the collage chapter. Included in the painting as a texture is his last letter to me.

Island
2006, mixed media on canvas, 36″x 36″

“Island” is part of the “Cityshapes” series of paintings, a collaboration with modern dancer Tiffany that explored the shapes, textures and forms of San Francisco. This painting depicts Tiffany dancing on the small island at the Yerba Beuna Center in San Francisco.

Renel

2006, Mixed media collage on canvas, 34″ x 56″

Renel Brooks-Moon is the announcer for the San Francisco Giants baseball team, the only female announcer in the Major League Baseball, and former KISS FM radio personality. The portrait shown in this photo at Renel’s birthday party was created as part of my San Francisco Bay Area Women of Style series (an ensemble of seventeen portraits) that was exhibited at the Nordstrom San Francisco flagship store couture department in 2006.

Renel and I with her portrait at her birthday party

I have been working on Renel’s portrait for many years, periodically revisiting it and adding, for instance, her latest Giants’ World Series rings!

Denise Bradley-Tyson
2006, Mixed media on canvas, 34″ x 51″

This portrait was created as part of my San Francisco Bay Area Women of Style series (an ensemble of seventeen portraits) that was exhibited at the Nordstrom San Francisco flagship store couture department in 2006. At the time this portrait was created Denise was the Executive Director of the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD), a museum she helped launch and establish.

Denise is now Founder and CEO of Inspired Luxe. On her Inspired Luxe web site Denise shares an inspirational blog post, “Chanel’ing” Iris, that I highly recommend reading. It addresses the topic of personal style and applies equally to art making as well as to fashion.

Brother Ray

38.5″ x 38.5″, pigment ink print with acrylic paint on canvas

This painting is inspired by the vibrant, soulful and beautiful music of the late great Ray Charles.

This portrait was created as part of the Legendary Mayors of San Francisco series that was displayed at Chenery House, San Francisco. It is currently displayed in the Law Offices of Mayor Alioto’s daughter, Angela Alioto, opposite the Transamerica Pyramid that Mayor Alioto was so instrumental in supporting. Thank you Angela for your help with sharing your memories, photos and other documents relating to your father, that were used in this portrait.

 

In Defense of the S.F. Pyramid
Article in the San Francisco Chronicle
Sat., Jan. 2, 1971

 

The MayorTakes a Long View
By Mayor Joseph L. Alioto

 

There are always some who complain that any thing built in San Francisco since World War II (or World War I, or the earthquake and fire, or the Mission Dolores) has been disastrous. And there are always others who applaud uncritically every tasteless plunder of the city in the name of business since any of those eras.

 

But, happily, there has to be a middle way – and there is in San Francisco. Here, I think, there is development with a difference – development that attempts to balance all of the complex claims of aesthetics and the better urban life with the claims of commerce. No one is selling out to freebooters in San Francisco.

 

SPECIAL
Our city is still magically only one place in the world – and no one is going to let that special character, that special personality, be destroyed. We will always have not just our fog and hills and Fisherman’s Wharf and Golden Gate Park, but we will have, too, that spirit and daring that make us perhaps a little different – a spirit and daring that welcome individuality and diversity.

“The Say Hey Kid”
Portrait of Willie Howard Mays, Jr.
2005
Combined media on canvas, 36″ x 24″

This portrait is a tribute to the amazing achievements of the legendary baseball player Willie Howard Mays, Jr., nicknamed “The Say Hey Kid”, who played with the Giants in New York and San Francisco, and then the Mets in New York. With thanks to Barry Bonds and Willie Mays for their generosity in allowing me access to their archives and photographs for the purpose of creating this tribute, and for Willie Mays in making time to sit for his portrait (the live portrait is integrated into the collage in the upper right corner). This artwork was displayed at the George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, as part of their 2005 Art of Baseball show, along with my portrait of Jackie Robinson (also see portrait of Hank Greenberg).

Barry
2005, Caran d’Ache Crayon on paper, 13″ x 16″

This sketch of Barry Bonds was created from life using my favorite water-soluble Caran d’Ache crayons on white cartridge paper. Thanks, Barry, for being a great portrait model!

2005, pigment ink and acrylic on canvas, 50″ x 30″

Other baseball legends I’ve created portraits of include Barry’s godfather Willie H. Mays, Jr., Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg.