Gift Ideas: Custom Paintings by Yours Truly
November 14, 2011
The holidays are fast approaching and perhaps you are looking to find some personal gifts for your loved ones.. well, might I suggest a customized painting by yours truly?
Many currently recognize me for other talents mostly involving fashion and hip hop, but my first love is with art. Pencil and paper was my thing as a kid, toys were secondary. I feel that I still apply my eye for aesthetics in other areas of my life, but my actual art skill is definitely cryptic to most.
Below are some examples of 20×30 canvas work with acrylic paint. The KRS1 piece was a custom job for a client, sold for $300. The following piece is titled, “Head in the Clouds, Feet on the Ground, Back to the Wall” – painting still available for $300.
For inquiries, contact me at risism.com@gmail.com ..prices vary with size and work.
P.S. Sintex is also another great artist to contact for custom paintings ;)
GPOY: Taking Photos at Detroit Fashion Week
October 7, 2011
For those who are familiar with tumblr, the term GPOY is a tag accompanied by a picture of oneself, or perhaps a photo that represents them or what they do. It can mean “Gratuitous picture of yourself” or “Good picture of yourself” or something like that. Well anyway, here’s a candid shot of myself during the Detroit Fashion Week closing night on Saturday September 24 at the Detroit main public library. Photo Credit: Jason Ramon
I was in the house to take runway photos for my fashion blog, Motown Couture, at the Real Detroit Weekly website. I am using my dinky Olympus E-420 – it’s considered a compact DLSR camera and it does me pretty good. It’s very lightweight and streamlined; the only trade-ins for its convenient size is that it doesn’t have image stabilizer nor video, but it’s all good, I get by. I don’t consider myself a photographer per se, I just take runway photos for my blog – plus, I might be one of the few people in the city that knows proper fashion show photo composition – not to say that I’m an expert or anything. We’ll save that discussion for another time.
I have to admit, I did have trouble with the runway set-up & lighting at the event. If you know me, then you know I despise using flash for the runway, however, I decided to use it after seeing the models blend in too much with the guests in the background, especially at the angle I was in. Since my external flash takes a few seconds to recharge after a shot, I was only able to take one frame of each look at a time, so it was literally a hit or miss. Enough of the boring stuff, be sure to check out the photos & event coverage at Motown Couture.
Flashback Friday: Beatle-Proof Bboy Jam
September 9, 2011
I want to say it was back in 2004 (but it very well could have been 2005) my girl, Monica Santos, & I produced a large budget hip hop event in San Francisco named: Beatle-Proof.. The name came to us after watching The Yellow Submarine, hearing a line that stated, “Nothing is Beatle-Proof.” We thought of it like, if you were a “beatle,” you were invincible.. ya know, metaphorically speaking. Now what do The Beatles have to do with hip hop? I’m not sure, but we were always quirky like that & felt everything was connected so it didn’t matter to us.
We flew in bboys & bgirls from New York, Connecticut, Texas, Arizona, Seattle, & L.A. That includes United Bboys, Problemz Krew, Killafornia, & more! Not to mention all of the Bay Areas dopest crews. We also held a hip hop show that had Planet Asia, Pep Love, & other amazing renown artists! It was a hip hop haven as we included an art show along with the rap & bboy battles.
We were at the ages of 16 & 18 while throwing the jam. It was tough on us, but it was indeed a learning experience. I still have remnants of this day hitting me every now & then, especially when I hear Salt N Peppa’s “Push it.” The DJ (whom I did not hire) ran out of records & was playing that track over & over & over during the bboy battles *pulls hair out* ..so I actually cringe whenever I hear that song lol.
Anyway, enjoy the event clip above, originally posted on www.bboyworld.com
Look Ma, I’m in Coon Bidness!
March 8, 2011
photos via: Cindy Chu
My good friend & road dawg, Cindy Chu also known as Cindy Slick, had some of her original photo work featured in a literary publication aptly named, “Coon Bidness Magazine.” The mag is Harlem-based & covers writings, art, & politics, interestingly enough. Founder Greg Tate describes it as,
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“Highbrow but raunchy. Classy but nasty. Charming but racy. Vulgar but impeccable. Tart but smart. Radical but tactical. Militant but pretty like a mutha.” source
Slick’s shot was taken place at Detroit’s own 5eGallery some time last winter for – I want to say – a J Dilla album release party. You see me applauding at the front of the row alongside my homegirls, Piper Carter, LaLa Trips, & Robyn Maria. Shortly after this shot, a Soul Train line took place.
Check Coon Bidness’ debut issue, “The Critical Ass Issue” at MagCloud. The cover image is indeed intriguing, so foul, yet amazing at the same time. I’m with it. To see more about it, visit the Coon Bidness Facebook page HERE.
Cover Image: “GOLDLICKS (Wangechi Mutu)” By Marilyn Minter
RI$ FOR RDW: MOTOWN COUTURE
December 9, 2010
I am proud to announce that I -Ris Money- have joined the forces with one of the city’s most notable street mags, Real Detroit Weekly (RDW), for the debut fashion blog, Motown Couture.
Real Detroit is known for being on top of what’s the haps in the city in just about every spectrum of lifestyle & entertainment. For just that reason alone, I am in absolute honor to be part of the team, for their views in cultural advocating is right up my alley.
You may wondering what the difference between my two blogs will be, between Motown Couture & RI$I$M. RI$I$M was meant for a more widespread cultural coverage that should equally include the hip hop lifestyle, music, art, ETC. It may be hard to tell since it seems that all of RI$I$M’s content in the last year is completely fashion related. Forgive me, I am only one person, & the fashion world has completely consumed my time as of late. RI$I$M’s goal is to expose jewels dug from underneath the mainstream by especially presenting original content, whereas Motown Couture will be more absolute Detroit fashion driven, filled with more discussion topics rather than post-coverage like in RI$I$M. You can expect, perhaps, some cross posting between the two sources. However, as time spends, I hope each blog brings about a separate fulfillment for each its own reasons.
Be sure to check out Motown Couture at least weekly on RDW‘s official website at www.realdetroitweekly.com! I am very open to suggestions, discussion topics, feedback, fashion questions, etc! So feel free to leave a comment any which where. Looking forward!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALCOLM X
May 19, 2010
In his honor, here is a throwback aerosol painting of Mr. X by my man SinTex.. this portrait is posted in our living room, never forgetting. His teachings remains embedded in the best of us.. Rest in power.
“If we don’t stand for something, we may fall for anything.”
“Stumbling is not falling.”
“How can anyone be against love?”
“Respect me, or put me to death.”
REFRESHED
January 21, 2009
COCOA TEA! Ha, I can get down to this.
DIVINE ’09
January 6, 2009
“Change in all things is sweet.”
It is freshly 2009 (In the Greek calendar, anyway). It’s resolution season & most of us are making an attempt to better our bad habits in timing with the new year. During this transition time, I am more reminded of how much has changed since the last dated year, & how much more will continue to change til the next one. OK, I am a firm believer of the coming in 2012. Whatever it is that happens then, whether it be an asteroid, a flood, alien invasion, disease, war, or the rapture, I’m in no doubt of it.. straight up. Now, I don’t necessarily believe the world will end, but will be going through a major transition, like how it has happened in the past.. Knowhatimsayin? Embracing that, I am only trying to be the purest form of myself, so if there’s any question, I am flawless & natural in that sense.
“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.” -anonymous
“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” -Aristotle
Happy New Year.
CAPRICORN BABY
January 3, 2009
yeahyeah yaya
October 5, 2007
