I just wanted to take the opportunity to share some of the most recent custom artwork / sketches that I have had the pleasure of doing for some associates of mine since custom artwork is the field in which I specialize . Each image shown in this blog starts out with something a customer might want or a project I want to put before them. I sketch the design on basic paper, hand ink it and in some cases, scan the art so as to vectorize it or prep it for poster or screen print.
In any case, if you or somone you know might like a custom piece drawn, painted and produced, feel free to contact me, Gerald Jones at 404 406 3084 or through my website at www.workhorseart.com. Email is just as suitable of course at info@artbygvjones.com. From Clint Eastwood to the Mustang muscle car, my scope is versatile and budget friendly. Sincerely, Gerald V. Jones / Workhorse Art Workhorse Art is proud to announce , alongside Author David Poteet, the launch of a new Children's "E-book "for Kindle titled "My Chicken Won't Eat Corn!". This little book has one goal: just to make kids laugh. No agenda, no hidden meanings or unsavory material...just fun. This chicken, created by Mr. Poteet, will eat just about ANYTHING except the one thing she should enjoy...plain ol' corn ( This Chicken also has a daredevil personality to boot)! I was asked to work with David and illustrate the book and I enjoyed the process along with David's light hearted approach to story telling. Now days, more than ever, kids need to be able to simply laugh alongside being kept safe. If you have the chance, please take a look at our book , found at Amazon and download it today for only $3.99.
Once at Amazon, just type in the title "My Chicken Won't Eat Corn" or copy this link to your browser http://shorturl.at/akvy6 Thanks for considering this good read for kids! This week's blog is a simple update as to what I am doing at Workhorse Art. My goal is quality art production across the board and to grant my customer base with what they deserve: above par customer service along with a finished product that hits the mark. I have had the opportunity as of late to create artwork from scratch from the simple to the complex
(at least complex for me). So, wether it is logo design, vector artwork for print, or personal artwork in the style of pen and ink / watercolor wash, please feel free to contact me at Workhorse Art either through my web site contact page or directly though my email (info@artbygvjones.com). Included in my blog today are just a few samples of what I have been busy with for various folks : pen and ink portraits, caricatures, rough sketches , T shirt art and even some coloring book pages for kids. I welcome anyone who might find ever themselves in need of such graphic services . My Workhorse Art post today is in appreciation of our Nation’s July 4th Celebration of Independence Day. As many families do, we took time to celebrate together and enjoyed that time to Thank God for what we have. For myself, I look back and think about what our forefathers risked establishing this great-not perfect- nation we have today. Unfortunately, it seems to be more acceptable to criticize and vilify our forefathers as a band of racists who sought to build something on the back of the less fortunate. This is far from the truth of course but If you listen to the typical, negative media outlets such as CNN, ABC, NBC or shows like The View, you will NOT hear anything whatsoever reflective of the sacrifice made by men and women who took a stand against a British empire which sought to impose tyrannical control over their everyday life. It is also rarely discussed among the more “moderate” groups that this Nation of ours had the forethought and conviction to eventually declare slavery to be ungodly and a sin. I don’t know of many nations that have taken such a self-examination and lived to talk about it. These actions lived out by our forefathers were because they sought the only source capable of proper guidance: God’s Word, The Bible. So, where then does Freedom come from? I can tell you that it DOES NOT come from The Democratic, Republican or any other political party. Freedom is NOT even in the dialect of the modern-day Social Justice movement. Furthermore, freedom DOES NOT come from The Pope or The Catholic Church, The Southern Baptist Convention, The Nation of Islam or any other man-made religious entity. Freedom DOES NOT come from any one race or tribe. Freedom is NOT a man-made idea at all; in contrast, Freedom is an idea born from the heart of God Almighty himself. Since the fall of man, we have been born slaves to our own sin. This is what has developed man made thrones, tyrannical powers, and any other misdeed you can name but it is at the root in opposition to freedom itself. Yet, the Gospel, the Truth of God’s Word, is the road map to freedom and thus fueled the original forefathers’ quest to develop a government model with three branches of Govt which is a reminder of the Triune Godhead: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God is all about setting mankind free from the yoke of sin by the means of the sacrificial death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Thus, the person changed by Christ is also less likely to fall prey to the lie of needing the Government to be his “god”, big brother, or nanny. The Gospel of John chapter 8, verse 36 records the words of Christ clearly: “ If The Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”. As always, I am posting a piece of art I created on just such a subject displaying “Ol’Glory “and the Cross of Christ with the verse from Galatians 5:1 which reads “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” So today, let us take time to thank God for the salvation, freedom and forgiveness He offers through His son as well as the freedom He allows for all who live here in the United States of America where we can actually agree to disagree and still choose to live at peace. This is what makes the United States stand out- Freedom! At the time of this post, I am already a day late in expressing my gratitude for my dad , my own role as a father, and most of all, for my Heavenly Father who has granted me the forgiveness and redemption I sorely needed though did not deserve. This modern day world seems to scoff at manhood , fathers in general and is bent on producing a different type of man rather than the male figure God calls us men to be. I am thankful my dad , Gerald Jones Sr., is still alive and that he set a good example for me on what it takes to be a dedicated Husband ( as he always has been to my mom), father to me and hard working provider overall. He also ,along with my mom, pointed me to Christ. But, his example, as I am sure many people will echo about their own dad, is just a reflection of The Father to the fatherless, God Almighty , who IS the ultimate Father. As always, I utilize this blog, my website and my artwork to hopefully encourage others and leave something good behind . I have posted a watercolor, pen and ink I did some years ago of the prodigal son and his return to his father titled "The Father's Day". The scripture from Luke 15:20, is a reminder that God offers forgiveness and salvation to ALL who come to HIM through the sacrifice of His son, The Lord Jesus Christ. Despite what this world says about "Fatherhood" and /or wounds caused by the imperfect fathers that we are, God Almighty stands willing and ready to receive anyone who comes to Him by way of Jesus and the verse pictured below my artwork captures the essence of God's mercy. “And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion,
and ran,and fell on his neck, and kissed him...” Luke 15:20 Today I just wanted to take some time to review not one, but TWO talented artists ( both of whom I feel are more than worthy of noteriety) : Levine Fine Art , which consist of Cindy and Marty Levine is indeed a unique fine art production company coming at you , live from the Great State of Texas!
I honestly believe that the art which this couple creates - and in two different veins mind you ( or "Media" as the real artsy folks would correct me in announcing)-are wall worthy of any home and of any person who has an appreciation for the world of fine art. Personally, I was always one dug in so as to not give "Abstract" art a fleeting chance and when it came to photography, I was almost as picky but I have turned the corner paticularly with the styles of Cindy and Marty Levine. What has struck me about CIndy Levine's artistic method is that she has developed a consistent, most vibrant collection of on going works which are available at their web site. Once you see some of her works such as "Shoaling", "Color On My Mind". "The River Runs Deep" and my personal favorite - "Churning Ocean", you will be fairly impresed at the abstract color arrangements which are distinct to EACH peach. Cindy's method, although I am a very green novice to the method, involves the measured use of liquid acrylic paints, powders, resins poured into a box canvas and then cured with a blow torch - YES I SAID BLOW TORCH- that helps create a glass sheen over vibrant, exotic colors and shapes. The amount of work she pours into each piece is impressive. Now, as for Marty, I believe it is safe to say that he has put a very powerful twist on artistic photography which should appeal to every gun toating, explsion loving male ( and some females) as well as normal type folk who love explosions of a more "colorful" state of mind. Marty does all of his variable , high speed photography involving numerous "Engineer" minded tricks ( triggers, creative lighting and such) and manages to keep all law enforcement as well as the politicaly correct undisturbed! His "High Speed" photography is what I call "Action Oriented Photography with a touch of Dirty Harry, Van Halen and Aerosmith" mixed in. My favorite is a tie between "Homage to Dr. Seuess " and "Rainbow Explosion" but I am just as impressed with "Water Monster" and "Overpressure". Furthermore, his nature , space and sky photography involves just as much of an artistic eye and THAT is KEY for a photographer: framing the scene for maximum visual enjoyment / recording. Cindy and Marty truly have a classic, high minded sense for what makes-in my humble opinion- quality, abstract, impressionistic and emotional driving art. I have displayed atop this blog just four samples of their work ( and yes, that is a 100% "Space " photograph from the eye, lense, telescope of Marty) but Cindy's work in paticular is worth viewing up close to get a feel for the true beauty of her style and colors. Be sure to check out their site where their art can be purchased as well as their services contracted for production. It is worth the visit. The site address is https://www.levinefineart.com/ One of the many things I love about living in the United States of America is the unique Freedom we have been blesed with despite the problems and disagreements we have seen, especially in this year of 2020. There are many areas / cities and states which seem to be struggling with that gratitiude but I do not belive my state of Georgia is one of these states; I feel a pride for the state of Georgia as it is the state where I have grown up in since moving here at the age of eight. Which leads me to another state that I feel a deep connection to: The Great State of Texas. My wife has family which hails from Texas and I greatly apprecuate The Lone Star State because of the sense of independence and over all God fearing attitude I believe prevails. SO, it makes it even easier for me to brag about another brand new, independent, USA loving company which operates directly from the city of Fort Worth, Texas: Liberty Lake Outfitters!
Liberty Lake Outfitters is a new kid on the block but their purpose statement is straight out of Ol'Fashioned USA style thinking of "liberty is a God-given gift " mentality. In fact, their driving slogan is "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Fishing". "So what do they DO" you will ask? They custom design and print very high quality, "Sport Fishing Themed" apparel . While they do have some Saltwater/ deep sea designs on deck, their primary focus is Fresh water fishing in the USA and sports themes /colors of the South East as well as designs which sport the Red, White and Blue of America! Liberty Lake Outfitters has ,in their lineup, some of the more unique , high quality apparel , in my opinion, than I have seen in a while. I say that not to take away from the many, many good sportsman apparel companies out there but I simply like to give a shout out for the new guy whenever possible and the owner /developer is a gentleman by the name of Kevin Byerly, a Texas native. He and Liberty Lake have right around 20 to 25 items right now in their catalog but I have been privy to see that he has twice as many new designs coming down the pike. I will attest to the quality of their products as I am in the process of ordering three of their embroidered / trucker caps but my first purchase was the Liberty Lake Outfitters coffee mug and a decal to boot. I LIKE COFFEE and yes they sell a few items other than apparel. I was not at all disappointed with the price of their line up as the T shirts range from $20.00 for a short sleeve and $25.00 for a long sleeve . Hats with a very cool Liberty Lake Outfitters logo are at $25.00. This is also NOT the run of the mill clip art crap that you might find on vacation. No sir, this is the art specifically designed/ owned in house by Kevin and his own Liberty Lake team. They have a new Large mouth Bass design called "Big Mouth Rules" which he is readying for print as we speak . The ordering process is all on line and the print /delivery time table is also quicker than one might expect. My first order came well within a week/ week and half time span right up to my doorstep. As I close, be sure to check out a few of ithe items Kevin allowed me to showcase here within my blog. Also, check out their website , https://libertylakeoutfitters.com/ which is always updating new items and if you see something you like, give them a try and place an order ( check out the "Jig is Up" design) . I think you will pleasantly surprised. Liberty Lake Outfitters https://libertylakeoutfitters.com/ Every now and again I get the opportunity to highlight the work of someone I have either purchased from or seen up close in a retail or market setting of some kind and I think it is important, especially in today's world, to highlight something good for a change.
That said, Mr. Barry Mason, a resident of Cobb County, Ga and a retired police officer of the same county has of late been applying his creativity and craftsmanship to what he calls "MAN-CAVE" furniture. I aquired a piece of his furniture work for my daughter a few months back and I have to say his attention to detail is only surpassed by the artistic touch he adds to each piece. Barry, you see, is also a talented artist and with every pice he adds some very well thought out, painted image-all by hand . His work, for now , encompasses two specific styles of woodwork / furniture (or deck art I might add): the MAN-CAVE table and the decorative birdhouse. The "MAN-CAVE" table is exactly what you might expect and is solidly measured, cut and assembled by Barry in his own shop and then topped off with a theme-either something with a Dale Ernhardt look or Patriotic feel. But, as Barry would tell you, the themes can be customized to the customer's preference. So if you want an Atlanta Braves motif on a coffee table for the den or deck, he is without doubt, the man to call on. Further, if your wife or girlfriend loves watching birds, then they will love having a custom birdhouse in the backyard which can also sport any number of colorful designs. I think it is important to give accolades where necessary, especially to help small business and in the case for Barry Mason, he is also as trustworthy as his work is excellent. Integrity and trust are important today more than ever and I believe such qualities actualy bleed into a person's daily work / comings and goings. I have some pictures aded to display Barry's work and if you or somone you know might be interested in this gentleman's work, please contact him by way of email : sharklips@yahoo.com And yes, you have read his correctly - sharklips@yahoo.com .....What else would you expect from a fashioner of "MAN-CAVE" art! This past year I have had the opportunity to work with elementary school kids within my home church of Johnson Ferry Baptist ( Marietta, Ga) and it has truly opened my eyes to the importance of reaching the young about the Truth of the Gospel. Today's world is increasingly deceptive in what it promotes as "necessary and essential " lessons for kids; now days a parent must be more diligent than ever in protecting the innocent from a fallen world which happily pushes a
"Christless" , ammoral / immoral , transgender/ trans-whatever, truth bashing curiculum . I have seen this secular method show up on Sesame Street , Walt Disney and some elementary school settings and it makes me furious. Children have enough set against them as it is without these supposed "Do-Gooder/ Traditionally Safe" outlets programming and filling their young minds with worldly crap that is dead set against the life saving truths of the Bible. That is where the role of godly parents as well as the Church itself is to step in and encourage and teach about how much Christ loves them and that eternal life is a gift from God Almighty himself. Furthermore, this teaching can be fun and enjoyable instead of dry and boring. Long story short, given that kids also have a somewhat mercurial attention span, our Sunday School team( along with Angela Rogers and Callie Bogle) suggested / requested that I begin ilustrating black and white coloring pages for the kids that would be in step with the lesson for any given Sunday and/ or be based on the series our pastor might be touching upon. Granted, Bible based coloring books and curiculum have been around for a while but our team has taken it to a custom level ; once a Bible verse is selected, I would illustrate the scene to match that verse and all of a sudden we have an image that is indeed unique and a one of a kind. In short, getting to play this role, no matter how small has made me thankful. I might not see any fruit from this immediately but I do think that the simplest of gestures and images-if done as unto The Lord- will bring the Lord Himself honor and help to shape a child's view of Jesus and the Bible. I also see just how great our JFBC children's ministry is with the team headed by Sheryl Gates: everyone in their camp is on board to make sure ministry is carried out with excellence so that the Gospel and Salvation of Christ is taught to every child that walks through their door! With Thanksgiving upon us here again in 2019, I am reminded more than usual on how much I have for which to be thankful. Even in this imperfect world, God has still blessed us to live in a country where we are free. Here in the United States, I am still free to write a blog such as this which might only reach a few and yet encourage someone that there is still hope and that there is a Living, Righteous, Holy God on the Throne seeking to draw all men and women to his peace. My art piece today is a pen and ink rendition depictating the Lord Jesus Christ having torn the veil in twain that any may enter for salvation. Anyone can be saved from the penalty of death by placing their repentant faith in what Christ did on the cross-ANYONE, be they black,white, Asian, Latino, rich, poor, conservative, liberal, communist, sane or insane...no matter how sinful..."Christ receiveth sinful men". John wrote, to born again believers the following:
"...And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." from 1 John 2:1. Hence, the title of my piece is "The Advocate"... Christ is the High Priest, mediator...the Lawyer for all who come to Him as He appeals to The Father, God Almighty - thus saving us from the justified wrath of the Lord God himself. This is a reality for which I am...Thankful. |
AuthorGerald Jones Archives
January 2024
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