#i actually have no idea how snapchat works but i had a vision so bear with me

[sea-jello]

based on this post by @kassycreations lmao

+ harumi design i came up with on the spot

extras

ignore how ones darker and lighter

[art-angels]

JC RO

Mike Pham Posted on October 07 2016

JC Ro is an artist based here in Long Beach, CA, but his talents and blue collar work ethic were forged back before the Metro-Detroit native made his move for the west coast in 2003. What started off as a move towards California in the pursuit of palm trees, pretty girls, and year round skating weather, has since transitioned through design and into a career in art. Mostly noted for his interpretations of various Jordan sneakers to his larger than life mural of Kobe Bryant on Melrose in Los Angeles. JC’s latest exhibition at the D.O.M Gallery in Los Angeles received a lot of attention, and the giant Kanye head featured outside could even be seen on Kim Kardashian’s snapchat a couple times. He has now taken his creative talent to the walls of Proper with his Kanye piece “I feel like Pablo when I’m workin’ on my shoes”.

It’s evident that you are a fan of Michael Jordan, how did that even come about seeing as that you are from Detroit, home of the infamous “Bad Boys”?

It was heartbreaking sometimes to watch the Pistons rough him up and take him out of his game! Now I can really enjoy the Bad Boys’ era, but at the time I was so young I didn’t understand how that was fair play. I remember my Dad laughing at how mad I’d get sitting 1 foot away from the TV, or the first Bulls/Pistons game I went to I was the only kid wearing a Bulls shirt in a crowd of Pistons fans.

MJ was everything when I was young, and I was just past that age after you found out Santa wasn’t real, and you’re mad that Ninja Turtles are just dudes in costumes, or that Batman doesn’t actually exist... but Jordan wasn’t fiction, he was real and I was getting to see it with my own eyes. I guess he was my first hero as a kid that no one could take away or tell me was make-believe.

How did you get started creating your style?

My first attempt in this direction was a portrait of my dog, Jack. I saw a lot of artists experimenting with similar types of illustration, and I noticed that there were certain things that I wished I could emphasize or do in my own way. This first piece took much longer than I had expected but I had no clue that I lost complete track of time until I was done. I got hooked on getting lost in the process and the calming and satisfying effects of hours in simplified focus. It reminds me of when I was a kid and you would just be outside playing all day until the streetlights came on. After that I went on to doing movie scenes of two of my favorite movies: The Big Lebowski and Friday. Next I started doing portraits of Jordan’s, I wanted to recreate all my favorite sneakers with exaggerations on certain details. Once the first one was finished, seeing my vision of the shoe complete was just as enjoyable (if not more) as owning the shoes, so I would just simply create with the same repetition inspired by my insatiable love for sneakers.

When did you notice that you could do this for a living?

To be honest, I started this whole process as a means of a creative outlet. I had been freelancing and to fill the void between times I created a separate Instagram account to keep all my work on a separate platform. Everyday I would either come up with a new shoe I wanted to create, or concept or something inspired by whatever the sneaker community was buzzing about. Soon thereafter a couple of blogs would repost my work and it started to build momentum where people started requesting prints so that they could hang along their sneaker collection.

How has Instagram played a vital role in your rise?

I feel like Instagram is helpful for creative people, because some of us communicate best visually. I remember being young and in art class, they would often say, “you can’t really make a living as an artist, unless you want to be an art teacher”. Thankfully 20 years later with the help of social media platforms like Instagram, a ton of opportunities have been created for artist to get their work out and have it be seen around the world.

First Michael, then Kobe, now Kanye, why Kanye? Are you a fan?

(Laughs) I am. He has certain relentlessness as a creative that to me is just as driven, focused, and unapologetic as MJ was with his game on the court. He sees where he is going, whether anyone believes him or not. I think it’s rad that Adidas has given him space to create and he’s steady pushing and exceeding the limitations. His willingness to fight for every opportunity to express himself, even after he’s been denied, is inspiring.

What was it like to see Kim Kardashian snapchat your interpretation of Kanye in front of D.O.M gallery and then see Kanye’s reaction a few days later as he passed by it as well?

It was crazy! My first reaction was “Oh shit, she liked it” when people started showing her first post, and then I wondered if maybe she had shown him or if maybe he had seen it yet?... and then a week later when she posted the video of it again and Kanye driving past it, I was shocked obviously and thought “well that answers that question, he saw it!” ha-ha

What was your inspiration behind the mural?

Well, on his recent album, Kanye rapped "I feel like Pablo when I'm working on my shoes" and since a lot of my work is centered around my love of sneakers and I'm a big Picasso fan, that line stuck out to me.  The idea sparked initially a bit like a joke, but it developed quickly into something creatively tempting.  I think each time I heard that part of the song I would laugh and enjoy how bold and confident that statement was, and I would draw more similarities in Kanye's and Picasso's personas based from stories and documentaries I'd seen on Picasso.

I've always been fascinated by the footage and photos of Pablo Picasso in his studio, looking for gems, the methods, the madness and the more that song looped in my head I imagined Kanye ever-so-confidently painting a shoe on a giant canvas as if he were actually Pablo Picasso.  Luckily I found a photo of Picasso that not only had him painting a large canvas, but it had elements and artwork in the background that gave me an opportunity to visualize a few more likenesses between the two.  Their matching bravado inspired the 'self-portraits' in the background, and their well known and expressive self documented love of the female form inspired the abstract piece of 'Kim's waist' seen up high in a golden frame.  I added a few extra Kanye elements with the bear, his gear, and the wallpaper in a sort of yzy 350 pattern.  This is one of my favorite pieces for sure, and it was a lot of fun to explore relating/connecting 2 completely different types of creative people that have inspired me in a lot of ways.

Have you ever owned any pair of Yeezy's?

Stuck out every time so far, keeping my fingers crossed for the next one.

What are your five favorite shoes of all-time?

Jordan 1 (Chicago)


Penny 2 (Atlantic)


Jordan 12 (Taxi)

Just Don x Jordan 2 (Beach)

Jordan 5 (Fire red w/ 3M tongue)

What would you consider your holy grail of sneakers? (the one sneaker that will always elude you)

Jordan Oregon 5s or Yeezy Red Octobers

Who are some of the artist that inspire you past and present?

Past: Pablo Picasso, Leonardo Di Vinci, Bernard Buffet


Present: MadSteez, Market Price, Sam Rodriguez, Freehand ProTit

What can we expect to see next from you?

More paintings for sure, I’m looking forward to more time in my studio! Oh and be on the look out for the occasional product drop.

[hottytoddynews]

Milton Lee Olive

“Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

-John 15:19

    In October of 1965 while on patrol near Phu Cuong, Vietnam, soldiers of Bravo Company 2nd/503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade were given the mission of securing a 60-square-mile area known as War Zone D, or the “Iron Triangle.” As the soldiers moved through the thick jungle brush trying to locate Viet Cong, they came under fire but were able to push the enemy back. As PFC Milton Lee Olive, a native of Holmes County, and four other soldiers, two of them black and two of them white, were in pursuit of Viet Cong, one of the enemy turned and threw a hand grenade into the middle of the platoon. PFC Olive dashed forward yelling “I’ve got it,” tucked it into his middle and moved away from the others, falling on the grenade and absorbing the full blast. His selfless act of bravery saved the lives of four soldiers and ending his life. He was just 18 years old.

  A memorial plaque for Olive can be visited in Holmes County at Miles Hill, south of Lexington. There is even a park in Chicago bearing the young hero’s name. But a simple question from the granddaughter of one Lexington attorney prompted him that there should be more.

  “All this started last Memorial Day,” said Don Barrett, who has a law practice in Lexington. “My three oldest grandchildren from Nashville were visiting and the oldest one, Aden, she was 11 at the time. On Memorial Day morning she said ‘Poppy, what are we going to do for Memorial Day?’ Frankly, it caught me off guard, because I was going to do exactly what everybody else in the United States is going to do, nothing, you know. Maybe cook hamburgers, drink a coke, some soft drinks or a beer or something. It had nothing to do with honoring our military heroes, which is what Memorial Day is all about. She looked at me like, well it shamed me a little bit. I said ‘Of course we’re going to do something. Get in the car.’

  “I put those three little girls in the car, and I rode up on the square to where the Confederate monument was,” Barrett explained. “We got out and went around all four sides, read what is said on all four sides of the monument. Then we talked for about 10 or 15 minutes of the noble sacrifices that were made and the ultimate sacrifice that was made by over 700,000 men, north, and south. Fighting, giving their all, giving their lives for a cause greater than themselves, for what they thought was right at that time. After we did that they said ‘Is that it?’ I said ‘No, that’s not it. Get back in the car.’ There was a little twinge in my conscience.

  “We drove out on top of Miles Hill, south of Lexington on past the Saints school and the golf course. Right there at that intersection is a monument to Milton Lee Olive. I made them read it; I explained to them what that meant. But it didn’t take much explaining when a man dives on a hand grenade, which he knows is going to kill him, in order to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. There’s no higher bravery then that. No more a perfect love exhibited then that.”

  Pictured is the memorial park sign dedicated to Milton Olive located in Chicago not far from the famous Navy Pier.

  In separate occasions, Barrett has referenced the New Testament verse of John 15:19 which reads, “Greater love hath no man than this; That a man lay down his life for his friends.” The verse holds special significance for Barrett.

  “Then (Aden) asked, ‘Where is Private Olive’s monument?’” said Barrett. “I said ‘It’s in Chicago.’ In fact, they have a whole park dedicated to him up there because that’s where his father lived.’ She said, ‘No sir, you said he was from Holmes County, why doesn’t he have a monument on the square in Lexington?’ That shamed me. I didn’t have anything to say, nothing to say. I couldn’t sleep that night; it bugged me that much.

  “Within a few days time I went to the (Holmes County) board of supervisors, I had prayed about it and went to the supervisors. I told them what had happened, told them my vision, and I know how to erect a monument because I’ve done it, in honor of the 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, which is a story of Holmes County people involved and the University Grays, the Ole Miss student body was one of the companies. It was 100% casualties.

  “So I know the best people in the business,” Barrett continued. “I volunteered to be in charge of it, to help raise the money and get it done. The board of supervisors were enthusiastic.”

  Holmes County Administrator Charlie Joiner expressed that the monument and legacy of Olive is a common effort everyone can get behind and support.

  “It touches all of us,” said Joiner, “it doesn’t matter what color you are, Olive was a Holmes County native, we are proud of what he’s done, that shows some of the values that were instilled in him. He didn’t get that from Chicago, he got that from right here, his granddaddy and grandmother.”

  Olive was born in Chicago in November of 1946; his mother died in childbirth, which was more common at that time. His father who was working full-time relinquished care of his son to his parents who lived in the Ebenezer-Lexington communities.

  “We’ve still got some money raising to do,” Barrett said, “but the Lord is gonna see that we get the money for it.

Pictured is the actual bronze bas relief that will be crafted onto the Olive memorial which was model after a photograph of the fallen soldier. Then monument is being made by Codori Monuments in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

  “(The monument) is going to be four sides,” Barrett continued. “It’s being made by Codori Monuments in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Codori has become a friend of mine. He’s doing it at a cut-rate price because he is moved by the story, everybody is moved by the story when they hear it.

    “As Mrs. Joiner said, we struggle in Holmes County. When we have something wonderful like this, it ought to shine for the world to see. So that’s what we’re going to do.”    

The proposed four-sided monument will have something different on each facing. The west side will depict a bronze bas-relief of Milton Olive in uniform. The south side will depict the New Testament verse of John 15:19 “Greater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The east side will depict Olive’s Medal of Honor Citation decreed April 26, 1966. The north side of the monument will read “ERECTED BY THE UNITED BLACK AND WHITE CITIZENS OF HOLMES COUNTY AND DEDICATED JULY 4, 2017.”

  Barrett emphasized that the north side engraving was his idea.

  “That is what this is about,” said Barrett. “That transcends so much.”One of the fundraising letters that was sent out by Barrett made its way before the Medal of Honor Foundation.

  “(That is) a group set up to honor the living medal of honor winners and to help them if they need help in their lives,” Barrett continued, “and to help those families of the ones who’ve been killed. They are going to make a contribution, they also maybe, are going to come. We’ve been contacted by the Medal of Honor Society; no one can be in that unless they’ve won a Congressional Medal of Honor. They’re going to either send a representative or send a correspondence to be read. We’ve invited the governor; he has express great interest, the adjutant general of Mississippi (Major General Janson D. Boyles), he going to come. He is sending a military band, an eight-person honor guard, and they will give (Olive) a twenty-one gun salute.”

  Barrett added that the only people who receive a twenty-one gun salute are presidents of the United States and Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.

Other military-centric organizations with Holmes County ties have also expressed interest in being a part of the July 4ceremony.

  Barrett hopes to have a large number of invites sent to the Mississippi Veterans’ Home, leaders of the state’s leading veterans’ organizations and local and area veterans.

One of the county’s top performing pianists and Mississippi native Bruce Levingston is set to perform as well.

  Lexington Attorney Don Barrett (pictured at right) explains the details of the soon to be erected monument dedicated to PFC Milton Lee Olive, a Holmes native who dove on top of a grenade in 1965 in Vietnam to protect his fellow soldiers, to Holmes County officials (from left) Debra Mabry, Charlie Joiner, James Young and Henry Anderson.

 “He’s a friend of mine and a client of mine, so he’s volunteered to come,” said Barrett.

“We’re also trying to identify and invite the remaining family members,” Barrett said, “obviously he had no children, he was not married.”

  A reception is planned at the Multi-Purpose Building in Lexington on July 4 followed by the monument dedication and unveiling on the Holmes County Courthouse Lawn.

“This monument will make sure his memory endures long after we’re all dead and gone,” said Barrett. “The nobility of what he did will continue to live.”

By Mathew Breazeale. This story was originally published in the Holmes County Herald. 

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