Kevvo Live!

Happy 2012!

Kevvo — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:38:18 GMT

What's a good way to ring in the new year? Attending the theatre (French spelling intentional - this is culture after all), of course!

For Christmas, Steve bought tickets for us to see Cirque Dreams Holidaze at the Broward Center - and he planned it for New Years Day*! It was an amazing show featuring Christmas music and singers, tumblers, contortionists, dancers, gymnasts, and more that left us breathless (as we were holding our breath a lot) and thinking about how much fun it is to spend an afternoon at the theatre... what should we see next?!?

*One of the few times we could be sure we'd both have minimal commitments.

We weren't supposed to take pictures during the show, so I'm including a picture of the stage during intermission.

The Ride

Kevvo — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:05:27 GMT

In my previous post I outlined a bike ride I'll be focusing on for the next 100 Days, so allow me to elaborate a little more about what the ride really is (as I post a paragraph from the web site):

"(It) began as a dream to create a bicycle event where 100% of pledges raised could go back to the communities to be used for direct services. That was over eight years ago, and so far $2.6 million dollars have been raised. 100% has been given back to the communities we serve to assist with direct services for individuals infected or affected by HIV/AIDS."

Welcome to The SMART Ride.

As I mentioned in my previous post, it's a two-day ride that covers 165 miles from Miami to Key West and I will be responsible for raising $1250 in donations.

Anyone who has known me and the work I've done for the last few years knows that HIV/AIDS is a disease close to my heart. I have countless friends living with it and I've known a few who have succumbed to it. I believe a cure is possible but it will take time and money to find it, and there are many who need help during the waiting process... that's what this ride offers.

I'm asking all of my friends and family to join with me in this important pursuit. Whether financial, physical, emotional or spiritual, I welcome all the help you can provide. I'll use this space to update you on my progress up to and including the ride itself, and I thank you all in advance for the support I know will be provided.

If you're interested in sponsoring my ride, you can visit this site to do so: DONATE

100 Days

Kevvo — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:55:37 GMT

100 Days to get myself in shape to make the most exciting ride of my life so far.

100 Days to raise $1250 to support local AIDS service organizations in South Florida.

100 Days until I make a bike ride from Miami to Key West that will take two days and cover 165 miles.

As I consider what I hope to accomplish in just 100 Days, I'm overwhelmed and awed and nervous and optimistic. It will be a challenge to me physically and mentally as I work to get my body in shape and overcome the hurdles of doubt and fear that are creeping around the edges. I've never made a ride like this before and I know that it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

100 Days.

And so the adventure begins.

I Got a Fit!

Kevvo — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 01:09:00 GMT

A 2010 Honda Fit, that is...

Part of getting a new job means that now I have to be able to get myself to that job. Since I've moved here, Steve and I have been able to share his car without too much trouble... sure, there have been some days when he needed to have the car and I was stuck walking or staying home, but mostly I've been able to use the car a day or two every week and that's worked fine for the errands I've needed to run.

Not anymore.

Now I'm going to need to have a car every day, and since I don't know what the hours of my new job are going to be, I'll have to have flexible transportation... so I bought a Fit!

I have to admit that I don't like buying cars. The last two cars I've purchased were blessings from people I knew and I was able to get reliable vehicles from people I trusted for a price I could afford. This time I had no such luck and I was left to figure out the best deal by myself*. What kind of car did I want? Would I get a new or used car? Would I buy or lease? How would I pay for it?

*Steve was also IMMENSELY helpful to the process.

We spent all day yesterday looking at and test driving cars so that by the end of the day I had a better idea of what the options were and no idea what I was going to choose. I went to bed last night with my head spinning and my stomach churning, knowing that I had two weeks to figure all the details out.

This morning I woke up and prayed about it. Then I found a car online that was newer than I expected and considerably cheaper than it should be. We went to check it out, we test drove it right away, talked the price even lower, paid for it, and drove away with it just a few hours later...

And now I have a car.

I'll post pictures soon, but I'm feeling very blessed at the way everything fell into place today... and this whole week. And tonight my head's not spinning and my stomach's not churning... I think it's going to be a good night.

Good night!

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho...

Kevvo — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:45:00 GMT

It's off to work I go.

I haven't posted anything about this before now because I didn't want to jinx the process, but I've been looking for work outside the house off and on since I moved to Florida. While I've been staying busy doing freelance illustration and design, it's been hard to make local friends or even learn the area all that well since my work usually keeps me at home. Now I hope to make some changes in those areas.

I was offered a job today - and I accepted.

My new job will involve working with gay and bi-sexual men ages 18-30, helping to educate and empower them to make positive life choices. I will be facilitating meetings and planning events, building relationships with other organizations in the community and hopefully developing some lifelong relationships with the guys I meet.

What does this mean for my current work and clients? Hopefully nothing. I plan to continue to working on a freelance basis during my free time, but now I'll be able to be more selective about the projects I take on. It will also give me the chance to work on personal projects as this job will provide a steady income that's been lacking for the last nine months.

I believe this is an answer to prayer, and assuming my background check and drug test clear, I'll be starting on February 1. I look forward to the new chapter and I'll continue to keep this blog updated, as well.

Peace of Christ.

Atlas Jesus

Kevvo — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:47:00 GMT

"One has a picture of a strong man trying to lift a very big, complicated burden. He stoops down and gets himself under it so that he himself disappears; and then he straightens his back and moves off with the whole thing swaying on his shoulders." --The Grand Miracle

This is taken from a reading about the Incarnation of Jesus that was written by C.S. Lewis, and it was the inspiration for the illustration I put together this week. It's a powerful idea that God would enter into humanity as a tiny human baby and that He would grow into a man who would be killed in his young adult life... and on whose death hung the weight of the world.

It's an idea that's too grand for me to try to represent it with my drawing, but it's an idea that's too important for me not to try...

God bless!

January Painting is Coming Along

Kevvo — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 01:59:00 GMT

It's been a busy day with a few different projects going on but I managed to find time to get some color on the illustration I posted yesterday. Here it is:

It's a new technique for me and I'm pleased with how it's coming along, but I hope ink doesn't mess it up... I'll keep you posted.

Okay, back to work...

January painting

Kevvo — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 02:20:00 GMT

It's not really a resolution for 2011 because it's a goal I set in November, but during every month of this year (and beyond) I'd like to complete a minimum of one painting. The reason is simple: I want to exhibit my work, but I need to have work to exhibit.

To get the ball rolling, I've decided to paint an image that came to me while I was reading something a couple of weeks ago:

I'm going to be revisiting my acrylic paints for this one, but I'm planning to water them down and treat them like watercolors. I also want to add ink outlines and I think I'll apply the inks after the paint - if it doesn't work very well I'll know for next time.

I'll post the finished art as soon as it's done - hopefully by the end of the week!

Happy 2011!

Kevvo — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:45:00 GMT

December was a whirlwind month (as Decembers often are) and while I was having a wonderful time seeing friends and family, celebrating birthdays, Christmas and taking a trip to Phoenix, I was also feeling guilty about the lack of attention I was giving my blog.

Then I happened upon a new (to me) blog by an artist I admire and I happened to notice that during 2010 he'd only posted about a dozen entries... total! I didn't feel so bad.

Then I watched Julie & Julia. For those that don't know the story, it's about a woman (Julie) who decided to cook every recipe in Julia Childs' cook book within a year*... and she blogged about her progress. With that kind of task, she was blogging almost every day. I feel bad.

*At over 500 recipes that's more than one a day!

This brings me to my own blog...

It's The first day of 2011, and keeping with tradition I've decided to make New Years Resolutions. I choose to make these every year in an attempt to better myself through discipline... and this year I resolve to post at least two blog entries a week. It doesn't seem like very much at the moment, but I have a feeling it's gonna catch up to me before long.

In order to start things on the right foot, I'm posting this entry on the first day of the year, and I'll refrain from telling you anything about the rest of my resolutions so I'll have something to write about when I run out of interesting things to share.

So here's to a great new year and lots of posts to come. Cheers!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas in Hollywood

Kevvo — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:30:00 GMT

Tuesday afternoon I got out my Christmas boxes,* unwrapped my ornaments, and tested my lights.** It was annoying to find out they didn't light up, and they were my only string of twinkling lights so I would need to replace them.

*Yes, there are boxes - perhaps more than makes sense for such a small apartment, but I've been accumulating them for years and I expect that at some point I'll be living someplace with a little more room.

**Well, one string anyway - my tree comes with the lights already strung and it's only three feet tall so there's not much need for too many additional lights.

For those who don't know, twinkling lights look like a regular string of Christmas lights, but instead of keeping a steady glow, various lights will flicker (or "twinkle") at different intervals. They look spontaneous and when seen from a distance they make it look like there's movement .*** I saw them for the first time when I was in high school and I've put them on my Christmas trees ever since.

***Movement like a slight breeze - not like the tree's alive... unless the tree really is alive but not like it's going to get up and walk away.

Anyway, I figured replacing this string would be a quick job. I had to stop at KMart anyway, so I planned to pick them up there. No go. They had steady and blinking lights in various colors and sizes, but no twinklers. Okay, Michael's was across the street. No go again. I had the same result when I went to Home Depot next door.

After wasting half of my afternoon, I returned home to get some work done and consider my options. I'd seen billboards around town for a place called Christmas Palace (yes, it's real name) so when dinner was over I looked up their web site to find out where they're located. The site didn't tell me where to find them, but it did tell me they closed at 7:00pm... which was in about 45 minutes. It was a quick drive, but they had my lights!

Here's what the tree looks like - it's not a picture of the ornament I wanted to focus on, but it's the best picture I was able to take... maybe there will be another later.

Just in Time for Christmas!

Kevvo — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:25:00 GMT

It's December and once again time to start thinking about Christmas.*

*Though I've actually been thinking about Christmas for awhile now as I've been listening to Christmas carols, going to a Christmas party and yesterday I pulled out my tabletop Christmas tree!

Last year at this time I was living in Indianapolis and working for a German historic foundation where we celebrated Sankt Nikolaus Day. Just to catch you up, Sankt Nikolaus is the German version of Santa Claus - he dresses as a bishop and rides a white horse (or sometimes a goat) while he visits the children to give them gifts if they are well-behaved. If they aren't, his travel companion, Knecht Ruprecht, will threaten to beat them... and sometimes he will, if he doesn't decide to throw them in a bag and carry them off instead.** Um, Merry Christmas.

**I wonder if German kids are generally better behaved than American kids - after all, no one's ever heard of the elves carting off the misbehaving kids... they just get coal.

During my time with Sankt Nikolaus, I got inspired to do a drawing of him*** but I was too busy to do more than simply throw together a sketch. Then I moved to Florida and during my first couple of months here I resurrected the sketch and cleaned it up a bit with my new-found free time... and then I got busy again. Finally, last night I pulled the old drawing out once more and I was finally able to put the finishing touches on it. Only a year later.

***I was also inspired to draw Pere Noel, but he wasn't as readily available to me at the time.

Allow me to present, Sankt Nikolaus and Knecht Ruprecht:

December 6 is traditionally Sankt Nikolaus Day and I encourage you to find a St. Nikolaus Fest or Christkindlmarkt near you to help you get into the Christmas spirit and get a little cultural education at the same time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kevvo — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:59:00 GMT

Wow - time flies!

I can't believe November is almost over and tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. It's been a busy month (as you can probably tell by my lack of posts) and I'm looking forward to a long weekend of relaxation... sort of...

I'll be spending the weekend with my family in Orlando where we will likely spend at least 50% of our time at Walt Disney World. I'm not complaining because there are plenty of people who would love to have the opportunity - and I always have fun there - but I'm not sure it will actually be the most relaxing way to spend my time.

Combine that with a lot of eating and enjoying the company of my family... I have a lot to be thankful for.

It's nice to have a day on which we are expected to focus on our blessings - I'm counting mine...

Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

I Paint Two!

Kevvo — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 14:10:00 GMT

Last night was the gallery showing I've spent the last month - and especially the last week* - preparing for. I exhibited three pieces and I got a lot of positive feedback for my work. They didn't sell (yet), but as I've told a few people: even if nobody saw what I did, I feel a sense of accomplishment for simply stepping out of my comfort zone to paint and for putting together three complete pieces. These are a step in the right direction and only the beginning of what I hope will be a very enriching painting career.

*and, I guess I could argue, the last year!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the show last night and especially to Brian, James and Andrew with whom I instigated this event. I couldn't have chosen better partners in crime and we all learned a lot through the experience.

Before I close, let me add the second of the three paintings I did this week:

This is a 12"x12" monochromatic acrylic painting entitled "As the Clouds Gather" and it's part of the King of Hearts series. I'll be making prints as soon as possible and both the prints and the original will be available for sale with a percentage of the proceeds going to The Trevor Project to help GLBT youth.

I Paint, Too!

Kevvo — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:18:00 GMT

Where have I been the last couple of weeks when I haven't been posting blog entries? I've been painting!

I can count on one hand the number of paintings I've done in my life*, and while I may paint better than the average person because I draw, I still don't consider myself anything close to a painter... but here I am.

*I'm only counting paintings that I consider professional - not class/student work. I can only think of four paintings and they belong to (in order of creation) Jason, Jonathan, Stephen, and Mom & Dad... if I've forgotten one, let me know!

I posted awhile ago that I was going to be fulfilling one of my New Years Resolutions by showing my work at an upcoming gallery exhibit, but in order to have something to show I needed to create. It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to create, and there was quite an evolution process from my first ideas to what I've actually put together, but I'm proud to say that I'll have two (possibly three**) pieces at the exhibition tomorrow night.

**The third one will depend on how much time I'll have tomorrow morning to work on it. I live in a cave so it's hard to paint in the evening because the lighting isn't right... so I can only paint during daylight hours.

Here's the first piece of the trio I completed:

It's a 12"x12" acrylic monochromatic piece entitled "Among the Very Tall Trees" and it's part of the King of Hearts series. I'll be making prints as soon as possible and both the prints and the original will be available for sale with a percentage of the proceeds going to The Trevor Project to help GLBT youth.

Halloween Cupcakes

Kevvo — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 23:35:00 GMT

Just a quick update as I have projects to work on.

I drew this last night and colored/completed it today:

Here's Caroline putting orange icing on cupcakes for the kids' Halloween party at school. I don't usually use collage when I'm working digitally, but I like the way it turned out... and it inspired me with a completely unrelated project that I hope to post here before too long.

Oh yeah, and I've begun painting for the exhibit next week... more to come...

My Own Little Alien

Kevvo — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 23:12:00 GMT

Wow - I can't believe it's been a week since I've posted on here... not that I've never gone that long before, but I started this month doing so well! Oh well, I can only do better.

The reason I've been absent is that I've been juggling a few different projects* and they've consumed most of my time. While the majority of the things I'm working on right now aren't that interesting to show, I was tickled enough by one of them to decide to share it with ya'll!

*A good problem to have.

I was hired to design a character for a comic strip. I was told he was a 20-something alien with green skin and four arms... and he had to be a humanoid. That's just vague enough to leave me mostly clueless, but I shot in the dark and this is what I came up with:

Unfortunately, this was not what they were looking for so I won't be continuing with this particular project, but I was pleased with how he turned out and I guess that's some consolation**.

**That, and the fact that they paid me for the modified version of this design.

Anyway, still have lots of projects to work on and I'm still in the process of putting something together to exhibit next week! Stay tuned as I'm sure I'll post what I come up with here.

Typo' Music

Kevvo — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 23:20:00 GMT

Okay, kids, I just spent the last couple of hours working because I was inspired* and I'm pleased with the results (though I have to confess it was a little collaborative as the finished design is pretty different following feedback**)...

*SO refreshing when I get the chance to create because I'm inspired and not just because I'm getting paid!

**In my defense, the major changes had to do with the color scheme. The layout is pretty true to my original concept... unless that's the part you don't like!

This afternoon I was referred to the work of Carlos Fernando Aguda on his web site. As I understand it, awhile back he had a song stuck in his head and he was listening to it non-stop for three full days***. In an effort to "exorcise" it, he decided to release it into a design. He posted the design and the reviews were positive, so he decided to do additional designs. Eventually, he decided to open his site to other designers to contribute their ideas, too... and that's when I found it.

***Bad Romance, anyone?

When I was teaching Typography (only a year ago) this is similar to a project I wanted to do with my students. At the time, I didn't have so many amazing examples to show... and then I realized it was a little advanced for Typography I. Regardless, I think the contributions are beautiful and I wanted to add my two cents, so that's how I spent my afternoon.

Rather, this is how I spent my afternoon:

I started off with a simple concept but I found arranging the type (and choosing the fonts) to be a consuming process. I think it was worth it though, as the things I wanted to express are here... we'll just see if they come across.

Listen to "Love is Like an Itching in My Heart" by the Supremes while you look at this and let me know if it works.

The Great Divide

Kevvo — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:29:00 GMT

Since the cartoon I posted yesterday was so small (due to the constraints of trying to fit it into the space allotted for blog entries), I decided to repost the final image here - after all, it took a lot of time to clean up and color...

Obviously, anyone who read the comic strip this is from knows this is supposed to represent the people* who are quick to boycott and picket to have their rights recognized versus those who pursue education through relationship. Where do I fall? Somewhere in the middle.

*While I don't want to say the people in the drawing are anyone in particular, that would be a lie because there are a few people who are based on real people I know (or know of). The trick is that not everyone is based on someone real and I'll probably deny it if you claim you're one of them!

I see the value of - and occasional necessity for - taking a political stand**. When you're trying to get the attention of the government or big business, you usually have to do something pretty dramatic. This can be done through boycotting (I'm still not shopping at Target) or public demonstration (I proudly stood against Prop 8)... while I'm not sure if I've ever seen this tactic affect immediate change, it does serve to raise awareness and that can be a step in the right direction.

**I use the term "political" loosely since it seems to always come back to politics. I do not believe gay rights are a political movement as much as a civil one, but politics are currently standing in the way of social change.

One the other hand, I don't think real change can ever happen unless common ground is found - and that won't be found on the picket lines. Common ground is found through relating to one another on a one-on-one basis. If the GLBT community wants to stop being regarded as a group of publicity-starved bullies bent on getting our way, then we need to show that we aren't by visiting the churches, voting for progressive candidates, and patronizing the cookie shops owned by the uneducated. In this way, we can show who we really are and those who stand against us will recognize their brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.

Cookiegate, Part 2

Kevvo — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 01:29:00 GMT

Time flies and I wasn't able to get this put together as soon as I'd hoped to. As it is, I had to hurry to get this much done but I'm satisfied with the results since I think it makes sense... I guess I'll see if viewers agree:

The intention of this strip is to show the different views among the GLBT community. When the story first broke, the immediate response seemed to be that there needed to be a boycott and protest to make an example of this infraction* and show other businesses that you can't mess with our community and expect to be unaffected. But it soon became clear that this wasn't an idea shared by all within the GLBT community.

*If you have no idea what I'm talking about, refer to THIS ENTRY to get up to speed.

While it's possible to send a message through boycotts and protests, sometimes it's important to consider what that message is: in this case, the business owner is a man who is ignorant to what it means to be homosexual and protesting his business won't do anything to educate him. If anything, it will reinforce his belief that gay people are harmful and pursuing some sort of "agenda" that they intend to force on anyone who stands in their way.

It's not always easy to look someone in the face when you know they only intend you harm... but communication and understanding has to start somewhere if we're ever going to find peace.

The Significance of Coming Out

Kevvo — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 18:35:00 GMT

Yesterday was National Coming Out Day*.

*Quick History Lesson: It happens every year on October 11 and it started in 1988 as a way of commemorating the GLBT march for rights on Washington that had happened the previous year on October 11 (this was also the same day that the NAMES Quilt Project was unveiled).

I was thinking about the significance of such a day and why it's important to recognize "Coming Out" with it's own holiday. After all, it's not like a "religious" holiday (ie Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah, Ashura, etc.) and it's not a commemoration of some great historical event (ie Independence Day, Groundhog's Day, New Year's Day, etc.)... so?

The closest I could relate it to is a birthday.

Every year in May, I celebrate the day I was born. I love to celebrate birthdays because it gives me a chance to recognize the blessing a person has made in the world simply by being born. There has never been a person alive who didn't impact somebody else's life in a dramatic way (whether they know it or not) and I think that's a special – amazing – thing to celebrate**! The nice thing about birthdays is that everybody has one - it's something we can all relate to

**For the record, nothing feels as gratifying as seeing the look on someone's face when they realize a whole room full of people have gathered together just to acknowledge the blessing of their life. I've seen that look a few times and it still makes me smile to remember.

I also have two other "birthdays" I recognize in my life: the day I came out as gay for the first time and the day I gave my life to Christ. These two days are actually very similar for a number of reasons.

Not everyone can tell that I've had either of them. While I still amazes me that people can't always tell by looking, the fact exists that there are some people who don't realize I'm gay when they meet me. I firmly believe that if you're not looking for it and don't know how to recognize it, homosexuality is very easy to miss. Unfortunately, there are also people who meet me and can't tell I'm a Christian. Scripture is pretty clear about how to be recognized (love), and I know there are times when I'm not representing myself the way I should. While I think/hope that both of these aspects would be fairly obvious to anyone who meets me, it's my reality that they aren't always.

I can hide either of them. If it's true that not everyone will recognize these parts of my identity, then it's also true that I can hide these parts... and I have. There have been instances when I've interacted with people that I've feared for my safety or I've realized I could jeopardize my witness by revealing that I'm gay or a Christian, so I've allowed them to remain hidden. This is a sticky choice because if it happens too often it can become easy to do, and while it's happening I'm living inauthentically... a lie.

It's my responsibility to share both of them. Living a life that's not authentic is unhealthy, both for me and for the people who I'm living with. Either there are people who know the truth who are expected to lie to protect me, there are people who know the truth who won't lie despite the consequences, and there are people who don't know the truth and are prevented from going very deep without it. The only way I can relate to those around me in an authentic and healthy way is to be honest about myself.

I have to come out.

I am a Christian.

I am a homosexual.

The first time I acknowledged either of these things is a day to celebrate because it's a day I came one step closer to living authentic to who I was create to be... and every time I continue to acknowledge them to a new person, I continue to become more authentic and more complete. That's what "Coming Out" is about... and it's a reason to celebrate!