Music Art Gifts

Last year my brother-in-law Ed, commissioned me to do a music art gift for his musician friend Steve Coleman. I modeled the art piece on some of my previous music art work including Sax Player and Guitar Player. I added a few personal touches based on what my brother-in-law told me about Steve such as the backward baseball cap and engraved astrological symbols on the border of the art piece. Here is a photograph of Steve's art gift and other pieces from my music art collection. All of the original art pieces are acrylic paintings on metal and have been sold however, they are available online as art prints and products at my FineArtAmerica gallery.

Sax Music Art: Sax Player II

Embossed Acrylic Metal Painting by Injete

Sax Music Art: Sax Player I

Handmade Metal Art Card by Injete Chesoni

Musical Art: Sax Player III

Metal Art Painting by Injete Chesoni

Large Metal Art African Masks

Those of you who are familiar with my metal artwork may have noticed I tend to make smaller art pieces usually less than 12 by 16 inches. This is not due to a love for miniature art work but more due to the limitations of the metal I work with. Well that all changed in September when I got a commission for a larger art piece. The customer wanted a metal art piece that was at least 18 by 24 inches. So I had to stretch both my creative thinking and metal in order to come up with a piece that was 18 by 24 inches and still aesthetically pleasing. I joined a number of metal art pieces together and the end product was rather delightful. Best of all my customer was pleased with his new art piece. Here is a photo of the completed piece below. It is part of my African Masks collection and is based on my original Fathers Mask art piece.

African Mask: Embossed Metal Painting by Injete

 Fathers Mask (18.5 by 23.5 inches)

 African Mask: Embossed Metal Painting by Injete

Fathers Mask (18.5 by 23.5 inches)

Evolution of An Artist: from Shadows of Doubt to Fields of Dreams

Today I am celebrating my evolution as an artist. It is always good to examine one's growth over time. I started my creative journey back in 2004. I was working as a consultant back then and never defined myself as an artist. Throughout my high school and college years I leaned towards Economics and the sciences. I never even took art as a subject in high school even though I enjoyed painting and made some rather amateurish attempts back in my teenage years. Then one day in 2004 I just began drawing again I can't explain why or what moved me (see Shadows of Doubt drawing below). My mother loved the art piece which I stuck up on my bedroom wall and suggested I should pursue art more seriously.

 Shadows of Doubt: Oil Pastel and Pencil Drawing by Injete

In December 2004 my sister Atsango and I were doing Christmas shopping at the museum art gallery and we came across two beautiful metal art pieces, she bought one for herself and one for my brother Solomon and his wife Ina. I fell in love with metal art on that day and I knew I had to learn how to do it. One day while strolling through a shopping centre I saw a sign on the notice board advertising classes in hand-embossed metal art. I excitedly copied down the information and called the artist a Kenyan Asian lady called Taruna. I was her first African student. I discovered that apparently embossed metal art is an ancient tradition in India. From her I learned how to emboss and create images on metal. However, I never did discover what we used to paint the metal because she didn't tell me and she got all her supplies in India. So I spent many years trying to find paint which I could use on the metal (last year after "Googling" I finally discovered it was gold rust liquid).  But in between I made a few fascinating discoveries of my own. So I don't use rust liquid to paint my metal art pieces and I have since developed my own metal art techniques. These are images of the first art piece I sold and of one of the new art forms I developed (handmade metal art cards) which are miniature 4 by 4 inch metal art pieces in a card format.

Two Mothers/Confusion: Metal Oil Painting by Injete

Sax Player: Handmade Metal Art Card by Injete

I also started out with a love for oil pastels so once in a while I use those and much as I love the look of oil paint I simply don't have the patience to use it anymore. Just the other day I discovered another new technique using acrylic paints. As they say "Necessity is the mother of invention," I would like to paraphrase that to, "Necessity is the mother of creation." Last week while working on a painting for my sister Laura which is based on my original "Shadows of Doubt," art piece I realized what a long way I have come as an artist. I have developed a variety of art techniques and people who are familiar with my earlier work have acknowledged my growth and best of all I have actually received commissions and praise from people other than my family members :-). Don't get me wrong, I appreciate my family's support especially because many of my family members have great taste in art but the praise of strangers and their art purchases really do make me think at least I can lay claim to been an artist.

Buy Art Prints by Injete at FineArtAmerica.com

I have also sold some of my art gifts on Zazzle and best of all I have actually sold some of my poetry! Now that I consider an accomplishment because poetry is not easy to sell. So I decided that I really must do a blog post celebrating my evolution as an artist and strangely enough when I checked the date I started this blog it was almost two years ago in June 2009. So hoorah for me and thank-you to all of the people who have supported my creative journey over the years. Here's to what I hope will be many more fruitful, creative years!

Hakuna Matata: Double Meaning Quotes T-Shirts

I am an avid fan of quotes, blame it on my late father who was quite the collector of quote books. So for a while now I have been playing around with the idea of a quote website (I know it's overdone, hopefully I can do it differently). Quotes are a common thread in most of my online writing and I have also created a few art products featuring them. I am now moving onto a different line of quote products and will be opening a new Zazzle store debuting them. However, in the meantime here is a sample of one of my famous quotes t-shirts. It was inspired by my good friends Musonda and Andrew and a cool website they showed me called wordboner.com. My t-shirt features the African quote, "Hakuna Matata," which was made famous by "The Lion King," movie. Hakuna Matata, is a Swahili phrase which means "There are No problems or No Worries." My t-shirt has a double meaning which when read one way says, "Hakuna Matata meaning No Worries," and when read another way says ,"Kuna Matata meaning There are Problems." Enjoy it and look for more double-meaning quote products coming soon.

Hakuna Matata_Famous African Quotes T Shirts Kenya by Injete
Check out more Hakuna matata T-Shirts at Zazzle

By the Moons Glow: A Romantic Love Poem

This is a romantic love poem that I wrote a while back. I have posted it alongside a picture of the moon that I took on a particularly beautiful night.

Moon Photograph by Injete Chesoni

By The Moons Glow

(Romantic Love Poems by Injete Chesoni)

We found love’s flow
By the moon’s glow
On that special night
We shared untold delights

By the moon’s glow
Love put on a show
For two earthly souls
Wrapped in love’s burrow

Under that hallowed light
In the softly lit night
Two earthly sprites
Shared love’s delights

By the moon’s glow
We forgot about tomorrow
As we lost ourselves
In love’s magical flow

Wicked Thoughts

I wrote this poem a while back and did not post it since it falls into the category of one of my risque poems. I hope this seductive love poem inspires in the reader "Wicked Thoughts," of their own. I have chosen to post one of my favorite art pieces along with this poem. It is one of the first art pieces I did and unlike most of my current work which is on metal this nude art piece is oil pastel on paper.

 Nude Redhead: Female Nude Art by Injete Chesoni 

Description: Oil Pastel on Paper (11.6" x 15.6" with border) 

To Buy Artwork: E-mail minjete@gmail.com

WICKED THOUGHTS

(A Seductive Lovers Poem by Injete Chesoni)

If only you knew
The wicked thoughts
That I am having of you
Of limbs entangled
Yours and mine
Of lips locked in kisses
And bodies entwined
Of twisted sheets
Covered in sweat
Of moments so sweet
Unblemished by regrets
Of hours shared
In passion’s embrace
Of precious moments
Staring at your face
As you lie in my arms
Upon my chest
Satisfied after hours
in passion’s embrace
Then you loudly call my name
And I gently blush in shame
I smile secretly to myself
As I think of fantasies
Yet un-met
For now they are just my sweet escape
My getaway from a dreary day
“A penny for your thoughts,” you say
And I smile to myself
Perhaps another day.
 

Handmade Metal Art Cards: Miniature Paintings

This blog post features my first collection of miniature art paintings on metal. All the art pieces featured here have been sold or presented as gifts. However, limited editions are available on request. To order send an email to minjete@gmail.com. These versatile handmade metal art cards feature colorful paintings on embossed aluminum metal. They measure 4 by 4 inches and due to their card shape can be used in a variety of ways. They are an art collector’s delight and each metal art card is released in limited editions. You can buy art gifts and cards online featuring these designs at my Zazzle store and drink coasters at my Printfection store.

 Handmade Metal Art Cards: Mary's Flower Art Painting

Suggested Uses for Handmade Metal Art Cards:
1. Place on a desk or tabletop as decoration.
2. Frame and hung up as decorative wall art.
3. Frame and use as drink coasters.
4. Use them as dining table centerpieces and decoration.
5. Give them away as wedding gift favors.
6. Give them away as an art gift and greeting card. You can inscribe a message directly in the card using an ink-free/dried up ballpoint pen or write it on a piece of paper and glue it inside the card. 

 Miniature African Art Painting: Thinking African Man Art Card

Handmade Metal Art Cards: Green Juggler

 

 

Miniature Art Painting: Kandi's Metal Flower Art Card

 Miniature African Art Painting: African Girl in Green Art Card

Handmade Miniature Metal Art Cards: John's Praying Hands

Miniature African Art Painting: African Woman in Red Art Card

Handmade Metal Art Cards: Elvira's Butterfly

 

Miniature Metal Art Painting: Purple Flower Art Card

Miniature Abstract Metal Art Painting: Purple Juggler Metal Card

College Days and The African Thinker

This weekend I was invited to a farewell party for a lovely young lady who is flying off miles away for college. Having recalled my own college days (a looong time ago) in a foreign country I wanted to make a gift for her that would be unique and at the same time remind her of home. I was going for something intellectual but at the same time cool (since this is a teenager). I must confess it was somewhat of  a challenge for me and having had a number of sleepless nights I ended up dozing off at my computer, when I woke up the image of Auguste Rodin's, Thinker came to my mind and I was like that's it! I will do a metal art card version of "The Thinker," with a graduation poem inside and a "cool" quote on the front. I also decided to use an earthy palette. I am glad to say she liked the art card! Quite an accomplishment pleasing a teen. I hope the words will carry her through her college years and I wish her much success and happiness as she embarks on this exciting new journey. All the best Wendy!

 Wendy's Thinker: Quote reads, "Question Everything."

Sienna Thinker: To Buy Artwork E-mail minjete@gmail.com ($25)

Description: 4 by 4 inches, Embossed Metal Miniature Painting

Blue Poet Thinker: To Buy Artwork E-mail minjete@gmail.com ($25)

Description: 4 by 4 inches, Metal Miniature Art

At the same time that I was thinking of an art gift for Wendy I was mulling over what to make for a new friend who was nice enough to share with me some of his wisdom a few weeks ago. He was described to me as an, "artistic genius who is ahead of his time," and lest I embarrass him I will stop there. Anyway having met him and in line with the genius description I thought I would create a metal art, Africanized version of "The Thinker," for him. Since I was also told he used to have dreadlocks I titled the piece, "African Thinker/Maina with Dreadlocks." I am at the sketch stage, I still have to transfer it to metal and then decide on a paint color. Finally completed Maina's art card see below.

Beware Thinking Man: Miniature Metal African Painting

 African Thinker: Handmade Metal African Art Card

Female Nude Art, African Art Painting and Metal Art Work

Metal African Painting of Female Figure Nude:

Black Female Nude Art: Lady In Orange
Nude Oil Painting on Metal Art by Injete Chesoni

This is one of the very first metal art work pieces that I did. It is a brightly colored African art painting on metal and features a partially nude female in African dress. It was inspired by a beautiful nude art photograph of an African woman. This piece allows me to combine two of my artistic passions creating metal art work and painting female nudes. Like most artists I love painting the nude female figure. I have noticed it is relatively difficult to find fine art nude paintings featuring black or African women. I therefore decided to create some. I hope you will enjoy them. The art piece below pre-dates my metal art work and is an oil pastel art piece of a red haired nude. I love this piece too.

Redhead Nude, Female Fine Art Nude
Oil Pastel on Paper (11.6" x 15.6"): $65
Email minjete@gmail.com to Buy Artwork
Click Here to view other Art for Sale by Injete Chesoni

Romantic Love Poems: Love On The Beach

Sea of Ecstasy: Romantic Art and Nude Art by Injete Chesoni
Oil Pastel Figure Art

Love on the Beach Poem
(I am Remembering)
A Romantic Love Poem by Injete Chesoni

I am remembering
Sunsets and blue skies
And your eyes
Gazing into mine
~~~~~~~
I am remembering
Gentle warm breezes
And sweet kisses
As your lips met mine
~~~~~~~
I am remembering
The sound of ocean waves
As you whispered sweet nothings
Into my ears
~~~~~~~
I am remembering
Pitch black nights and starry skies
And your soft sighs
As your thighs met mine
~~~~~~~
I am remembering
(sigh)
Love As it was
Sweet
Love on the beach

Click on these links to find out how to plan a romantic beach picnic and create your own memorable, "love on the beach" moment.

From Romantic Love Poems, Beach Poems and Love Poems by Injete Chesoni.