I Wish That it Would Rain

Finished up some somewhat mundane web work this morning and I had a few hours to kill. It was wet and cloudy, but I thought what the hell? Might as well go paint. I was talking to the homie Skept on the phone as I pulled up to the wall, together we came up with a plan. I was going to paint a simple 2 color fill and then a nice contrasting outline, it was suppose to be a very minimal color scheme. I was going to go Painters touch dark blue and royal on the fill with a key lime outline. Well the dark blue and keylime cans were both shot, full with no paint coming out. So the plan was shot. So cold and, a little wet, and a plan that did not work out and it made for a not so inspired piece.

and also a new bike I built…

So Valentines Day. Its here. Having worked at a chocolate store and now working at a liquor store I can assure you that this is very much a commercial holiday of epic proportions. Before I go to work and answer a million and one questions about Boulevard Chocolate ale, I wanted to acknowledge my Valentine.

First and Foremost, I want to make sure that Miss Jessica Manco knows that I love her very deeply. I would have never guessed that on April 3rd, 2009 selling a piece at the Leedy Voulkous would be by far the second most important thing that happened that evening. Early in the night, I locked eyes with a beautiful woman wearing a black shirt with varsity style lettering across it and a leopard print skirt. It’s one of those moments you hear people talk about, but never really believe you will experience. It seems like Santa Claus or Creationism; something that would be awful nice if it were real, but it just isn’t. But it happened. I can still see it in my mind almost three full years later. I remember plain as day what she was wearing and can still see her face from that day in mind. I can tell you that the first time I saw her was in the Third Eye parking lot and I was facing west and slightly south when we locked eyes, sun setting slowly behind her smile. Then, as I continued to chat with friends of mine who had made it out, I locked eyes with her once more being on almost the opposite side from her than before. She was beautiful. Still is.

I knew of her work, and that she was also in this show. It was a little intimidating. So beautiful, so immensely talented. I had to talk to her. It’s funny now thinking back on how unmemorable I had to have been. I thought I was going for it, and doing it respectfully, but it really must have not even seemed like I was hitting on her. When some of my friends were leaving to go to the West Bottoms, I stayed. I was trying to figure out how to not make an ass of myself and get my interest across. I even “called in backup” so to speak, getting my roommate and another friend or two down to the after party at the gallery, thinking that perhaps if I had some friends in a room filled otherwise with strangers I could perform better socially.

At one point she went to leave, and I scurried after and her friend Candace. In what turned out to be a successful hail mary, I exchanged numbers with her under the guise of guest teaching under her at Paseo. After guest teaching for almost a month on my days off for free, we essentially began dating on May 5th. Valentine as a word comes from the root valens, which means worthy, strong, and powerful. These words apply to a definition of Jessica, but do not complete it. Jessica is joie de vivre personified, infecting each atmosphere she enters with her beautiful smile and carefree spirit. She helps me be less doom and gloom with her presence alone, because her happiness makes sadness impossible. I love you very much Jessica and am incredibly thankful that you are in my life.
Jessica introduced me to Dwele and this song seems pretty appropriate….

Also, if you live in Kansas City, there are Valentines out there for you.

Wiley and I collaborated on some panels while he was here last.

He kind of laid them out with his “love” and I added a super quick version of one of my christmas card flowers.

For those of you on reddit mapping the skulls, these would be perhaps more challenging.

It technically “graffiti” I guess, but the intent wasn’t harm, just to inject the human hand into city life in a positive way.

Call me a pussy, but it’s hard for me to justify doing damaging illegal graffiti in Kansas City anymore.

But i still have the impulse to create and compete with all of the advertisements out there.

Essentially it’s just an expression of love.

If you want one of these, just take it. They are for you in a way.

It was a lot of hard work.

But love isn’t easy.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Kansas City.