From canvas to customer...

I had an idea for a painting I wanted to do for awhile. I sketched out the idea in detail first. Planning out the layout. Process photos below.

 A friend of mine, David, shot a black bear awhile ago. I'm not personally into killing animals, but many of my friends do for food. So I photographed the amazing skull of the black bear. I had also photographed a very small owl a year or so ago. The two worked perfect together. I like how owls watch in the night over the forest floor and see everything the happens around them. Hence why I named this piece 'Guardian'. 

 Two days after I finished the painting it sold to David's wife, who purchased it as a Christmas gift for him. I love seeing the work once it reaches the clients hands and how happy they are. Thank you guys!

'Guardian' / by Patrick Maxcy / 11'x14'

Drawing Series cont...

Awhile ago I started doing shaded & completed drawings again. These drawings are based on real people I know but told through a different life story. A story based on the lives of sea captains and old fisherman. I always use photos I have taken or friends have taken. 

The last drawing I did was based on a Native American from Pine Ridge Reservation. My good friend photographer, Brian Nevins, gave me access to a few photos from a recent trip to South Dakota to use. 

          Here is the drawing process for this image for my ongoing series...

LGH Mural...

A couple weeks ago while out in Grand Junction, Colorado; I was asked to paint a new mural at the Light Gives Heat storefront. They wanted some lettering done pretty large near the front entrance. After doing a quick sketch I got started on the wall. About 5 hours later the wall was complete.

 They decided they liked the mural design so much it should be used for their upcoming winter line. After a new inked design was drawn up, hoodies & girls swoop necks were printed, and finally now being sold in the online store. (Not too many are left) The design has been showing up a lot, including a recent news report on Colorado's NBC news.

This was a fun break from what I normally do & I enjoyed it.

Pine Ridge Reservation...

I recently went to the the Pine Ridge Native American Reservation in South Dakota for the 6th time. Went with the organization Love,Light,&Melody.  My goal this trip was to paint a 30ft x 10ft mural in a school hallway in Manderson aka 'Murderville'. It's known as one of the most dangerous areas on the reservation. 

During the first couple days we were invited to a Pow Wow. This was pretty big and I was honored to attend my first one. Hundred of kids dressed in amazing hand-made outfits and danced traditional dances in this competition. I really wasn't sure how they could tell who was the best with all the kids but it really was great to hear the men tribal singing and seeing all the dancing going on for quite some time.

 This was one of the largest groups of friends I've gone with.

 We visited our good friend Bernard's home where we got hang and have the usual jam session. Bernard finally got his shirt that I drew & designed for his fun band. 'Barney Fife & the One Bullet Band'. Some of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen have been right from is little house and vast land.

 A couple days later I finally got started on the mural at the school. I wanted to incorporate native animals within the design. The school also had a basic idea/theme. Since it was for kids I kept it bring and fun.

 About 5hrs into painting the mural we got news of a major snow storm headed our way. Watching the weather carefully I had to start packing up the paints. Pretty bummed as I realized I might not be able to finish the wall. We slowly drove back to a safe shelter.

 The next morning the weather was 3 degrees but clear. So at 5:30am I headed back to the school and painted as fast as I could with the little time I had left to finish. (Below is a few detail and process photos.) The kids all loved the mural and were super excited to see it in their halls. Having them feel proud of their school and happy to see the mural makes it all worth it.

Uganda mural 4&5...

I decided to toss the last two murals I did in Uganda into one post. I'm getting behind on my updates. These last two images were really fun because I did them at an amazing school that was walking distance from where I was staying. The principal loved me and told me I could paint anything I wanted. So once again I gave the kids a choice.

 This one was originally an elephant holding a large stick full of birds but the kids all seemed to love the fish. Fish are very common in the area around Lake Victoria. This one only took me about 5 hours. Once again I painted as tons of kids watched patiently every move I made.

 this next mural (below) was on the main staff building. Outside of the principals office. There was going to be several monkeys also sitting on various higher parts of the windows and walls. But the wooden ladder that was built fell apart. So, no monkeys were added. :)

 As always I used animals that were local to the area. One of Uganda's main animals is called a Kob, a type of antelope. I also saw several kingfishers along the Nile River. So I added one of those as well.

The kids here were some of my favorite. I spent almost an entire day just running around with them and playing various games. Most all the kids who go to school here have left their families and live in the same buildings full time. 24/7 kids everywhere. Little adult supervision and yet still just amazing bright kids who thirst for knowledge. Always asking me about America and different things in life.

London travels...

A recently got to travel and visit some of London, UK. I got to run around with my good buddy Dave from Light Gives Heat. From Heathrow Airport we traveled through Chriswick Park, Hammersmith, Piccadilly Circus, and Leicester Square. Running around to see the sites. 

 Dave loves the clothing company Johnny Cupcakes, a few turns and there it was. One of only five stores in the world. He couldn't have been happier. Afterwards we stopped in this (literally) underground Asian cafeteria style place:   Two Americans eating Asian food in London... Ironic.

 We saw the Westminster Abby, the London Eye, the 2012 Olympic rings, Big Ben clock tower, Palace of Westminster, Ministry of Defense, etc. I even got hit by a cab while trying to cross the road. I rolled onto his hood a bit as he lurched on by. Startled me quit a bit.

 After traveling back through London I stayed in one of the smallest and oddest hotels I had ever been in. There were buttons, lights, & peculiar things that took me a bit to figure out. But sleep was well needed.

London was very expensive but I hope to visit again soon one day.

Uganda Mural 3...

More Uganda updates  -  (A bit out-of-order) 

One late afternoon I headed down to the Nile River to watch some wild Vervet monkeys. I went with Brent from the organization IamJ3, and sat on the bottom of a small hill. I watched 3 or 4 of them only to turn around and see several more right behind me. It was an amazing experience but a bit startling to have 12 to 15 monkeys all around you so closely.

 One of the very first murals I started was at the Light Gives Heat SUUBI building. The main building where a lot of LGH business takes place. The area was very close to Victoria Lake and I noticed people trying to sell their days catch throughout the village. I decided a giant tilapia fish would be perfect for this building. Dave & Brent did a great job cleaning the walls of all the red dirt & dust before I started painting. I wanted the blue design to flow from the outside to the inside with ease.

All the SUUBI woman and the kids within the village loved the building. The high contrast and bright blue really stood out within the small huts of the village. 

Below is a quick time-lapse while painting the mural in Danida, Uganda.

Uganda Mural 2...

When I start a mural I normally roughly sketch out the entire piece with a pencil. I quickly learned that a pencil would quickly wear down on most walls in Uganda. It just wouldn't work at all. Charcoal is pretty common in markets around Jinja. I thought I'd try it out on a small wall. It worked perfect! Of course the first thing I sketched was an octopus. All the Ugandan woman looked at it with a puzzled expression... Having no clue what it was. :)

Now I know that the charcoal worked perfect I sketched out the next local animal. I heard there were water buffalo close by. I didn't see any but I saw many cattle with amazingly large horns. I found an old water tank at a local school and that's where I started painting. Of course the children gathered closely watching every move I made. But they made me continually laugh & smile.

This was the quickest mural I did. Probably because it was in direct hot sunlight.

More murals & Uganda updates to come...

Uganda Mural 1...

My trip back from Uganda has been a bit overwhelming. Looking through almost 1000 photos from a trip can be daunting at times. So I will be breaking these blog posts into several posts over however long it takes.

Right before heading over to Africa I researched several animals local to the area. I roughly sketched out a few possible ideas for wall murals.

During my 4th day there I started work on a large mural at a school I visited. The school had great walls to work with and had amazing views overlooking Lake Victoria as well as parts of Jinja. It was a long process just to start a wall (That process will be in another future post). Five hours later the wall was complete with a large Ugandan Crested Crane: The Ugandan bird &  their country's symbol.

Below is a time-lapse of the entire Crested Crane mural process.

I will continue to post more murals, personal sketches, & writings.

Solo show at Unity...

Tomorrow night I have a solo show opening in Denver. If you're in the area stop by and say 'Hello'.  I have 13 originals works as well as 5 different signed prints on display and available for purchase. Opening night is Friday, November 2nd. The show will be up until November 28th.

I will have five drawings showing that I have not shown publicly yet. Examples...

Coffee shop murals...

-  It was brought to my attention that I was really behind on my blog updates. Just been traveling a bunch. So I'm going try to get back on track here.  - 

Several weeks ago I was asked to paint several mural panels for a brand new coffee shop opening up in December in Grand Junction, CO. I even got a little newspaper article press while there.

 I worked on all four 8ft x 4ft panels over a 4 day period. The first part I was asked to create was a piece that incorporated how coffee connects people and community. Like a giant melting pot combining different places around the globe.

The second part of the mural I was given free range to create something fun. I liked the idea of chipmunks / squirrels enjoying some morning coffee out of acorns together. This was a real fun piece to create especially since I tried to give each character their own personality.

The 26yr war...

If you follow my blog you saw a piece I started almost two years ago involving the great sausage & pickle war. An ongoing commissioned piece done for my good friend Matt Katsolis. Having the chance to paint things like this is always super fun. The amount of time, details, & research that went into this is pretty amazing.  

An epic story of triumph, deceit, friendship, war, & family

Finally finished and in a three part, Triptic layout, for your viewing pleasure. The entire story, in detail, of the 26year war between the sausage & pickle people: 

                             The final work hangs proudly over the fireplace.

Hiking, Camping, Nature...

When I am not painting or drawing I really like to get outside as much as possible. I also like to do these little posts so I can look back & remember these little moments in time. Here are a few adventures I've have during the past two weeks:

Went hiking, fell in an icy cold flowing river, and explored some wildlife in the middle of Colorado. Later, Hiked around Grand Junctions desert-like mountains and visited some dinosaur sites. The air was super dry and hot.

 Went up and across the Colorado National Monument with several friends. The views were insanely amazing during the entire trip.

 Later I got to go camping on the top of an amazing mountain out in the middle of no where. My buddy Dave, his son, & I went. Eagles, deer, bears, wildlife everywhere. Sleeping on the ground gets harder as you grow older.

I am very grateful for the these mini fun adventures. More to come in the future.

Art of Collaboration

I have been invited to be part of a project painting large vibrant murals in Africa.

I've traveled and worked with various organizations & non-profits for the last 9 years. Helping those in need in America and outside of the states. This project is combining, not just 1 but 3 organizations from different parts of the US, into one common area to come together and put their best foot forward for the common good. Combining efforts make the end result so much more powerful. The 'Art of Collaboration'.

I've shown & painted murals in Florida, Nicaragua, New York, Hawaii, Washington, Colorado, California, etc. I've painted in large fancy homes & schools. I've painted in low income impoverish areas. But this will be the first time I can share my talent with those in Africa. Specifically Uganda.

My main intention is to communicate and connect people through the work. Creating an energy through the process of shapes and colors. Creating a focal point of life, joy, and hope in areas that are lacking. I also intend on the children & community to assist and be part of the process with me as well. It will be more theirs then it will ever be my own.

We have only 7 days to raise $10,800 through KickStarter. Without your help and support this entire trip and event will not be possible. Please join myself Light Gives Heat, Sole Hope, & 1amJ3 in this project. We even have awesome incentives to help make your tax-deductible donations. I've help create a limited edition shirt for the project. We are creating a book over the course of the entire trip. You can even get personal behind the scene video updates straight from Uganda to you!

This project means a lot to me as it will to so many peoples lives.
Please take 2mins to watch the video (below), check out the site, donate what you can, & please share. Thank you so much for all your support!
- Patrick

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1476158469/art-of-collaboration

New drawing series...

I've been traveling a bunch. But the times I've actually been in my own studio I've been working on a new series of drawings. These drawings are based on real people I know but told through a different life story. A story based on the lives of sea captains and old fisherman. Here are a few process photos and the complete first drawing in this ongoing series. Enjoy...

Goats, Mountains, Boats, & Buffalo...

Sorry I've been slacking a bit on the updates. I recently moved and have been traveling, exploring, and basically enjoying life. Hiking mountains all around Colorado, viewing wildlife, enjoying river rapids, and yes I am... still drawing & painting! (Which you can always follow updates through facebook) Below are several pics of some things I've been doing over the past week. Most are high-res images so you can open them much larger. Below is also a video. Enjoy...

Video below of Traveling up Mount Evans with some friends who enjoyed driving fast and scaring the crap outta me on the massive cliffs.

 But it was a great time.

Mt. Evans, CO, and Southern Utah from Gareth Paul Cox on Vimeo.