Good Morning Series - Sunrise/Butterfly Kisses:
Inspired from the songs Good Morning by R&B singer John Legend, and Knock You Down by R&B sensation Keri Hilson, the woman in this composition takes the form of a beautiful and highly respected monarch butterfly. Emerging from her cocoon, she now has wings to fly away from the harsh life she once had to “pull” herself through in her past relationships while in her caterpillar form. A “promise ring” wraps around her index finger which expresses commitment to her significant other and a “promise” for a future together. The two lovers both lie in a garden of tulips, with their flowers imparting a sense of grace and elegance and their meaning being perfect love (Red tulips = declaration of love, Yellow = joy and happiness). Surrounding this union are other butterflies which represent wisdom and everlasting knowledge. Hovering above is a single white dove, which symbolizes harmony, happiness, inner peace and God, who oversees and protects their companionship.

Future Perfect - Portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard and Shirley Kinsey:
While interning at the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science as a graphic designer, I became deeply influenced by Bernard and Shirley Kinsey’s life story while researching and preparing for The Kinsey Collection exhibition. The Kinsey’s live their lives according to two principles: “To whom much is given, much is required”, and to “live a life of no regrets”. Greatly inspired by these quotations, I felt that it was necessary for me to utilize my artistic ability and decided to give back to two wonderful leaders whom have both given back so much. The oil painting Portrait of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey (2009) is 1 of 3 paintings that was included in the Future Perfect oil painting series. This series also contains of a portrait of my mother and father and current Florida A & M University President James Ammons and wife Judy Ammons.

Étreinte:
Étreinte was the product of a project that challenged my approach for three-dimensional design. This abstract form functions as a visual expression of the term “embrace”, and appears as two figures clasping each other.

Ideation:
To begin my process of creation, I developed a detailed sketch of my proposed plan. I transferred this sketch onto a large block of styro-foam, and sculpted its shape using a hot knife. After using sandpaper to smoothen the texture of its surface, I covered the entire figure in hydrocal plaster. Since the bottom neck of this piece was thin in comparison to its upper-most portion, I deposited additional layers of plaster at its base to give it durability. When the plaster set, I added a coating of textured spray paint to give the figure a “concrete” appeal. Finish-ing this form, I added three helium-filled spheres coated in a metallic silver spray paint. This material was chosen for the spheres because they were light in mass and were able to be supported by the weight of the base.

Final Concept:
The completed work of art is a free-standing sculpture, but has a mysterious lean, which greatly contributes to its unique form.

Stitch:
This abstract figure focuses on the use of aesthetics and fundamental design principles. With a hollow and narrow shaft extending from the base of the form, I was able to control its equilibrium by packing its “legs” and “head” of its base with thick layers of Georgia red clay.

A Habitat Harmed - Environmental Effects of Global Warming
Together, the separate but similar scenarios included in the painting form a collage that displays several drastic effects of global warming, as it pertains to the various habitats of current endangered species.

X-Series - X-Stasy, X-Otic, X-Rated:
Because the letter “X” is a signifier of many things, I decided to use this letter in conjunction with the following terms:
“ecstasy” – a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
“x-rated” - relating to or characterized by explicit sexual material or activity
“exotic” - intriguingly unusual or different; excitingly strange

Ebony Reality:
Inspired by the initiative of “Black History Month”, Ebony Reality pays homage to African American inventors. This mixed media composition serves as a response to the question “What would this country be like without the contributions of Blacks as African Americans?”, and functions as a depiction of how the basic inventions of African Americans led to a more simplistic way of life.

In this picture, a linear perspective drawing of the “common household” is displayed in shades of black and white, emphasizing value to suggest light and space. Highlighted in various colors are the innovations of African Americans, and towards the central portion of the composition is a rug displaying the faces of six noteworthy inventors embedded in its pattern. In the foreground and right corner of the print is a typewriting machine (invented by Lee Burridge) that contains a piece of paper with a typed quote that reads “By the time we leave for work, Americans have depended on the inventions from the minds of Blacks.” In my opinion, this quote ties the overall idea of the composition together. Located above the typewriter and mounted on the wall of the hallway is a portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the author of the quote himself.