INSIDE OUT Gallery is pleased to present recent beat tracks by Vincent Patterson titled VP Beats. Vincent grew up listening to the beats of the Fat Boys and Doug E. Fresh on his sister's tape deck and on the radio. Mimicking the beats and sounds on the tracks, he found he had rhythm and, not only that, was pretty good. When he was 11 years old, Vincent decided to enter the on-air beat boxing competition organized by a local radio station. After calling the station several times, he got through and battled another caller. He won by a landslide, which boosted his confidence and reinforced his growing love to express and create through sound.

As he grew older, Vincent continued beat boxing at home and at house parties, creating tempo with fast beats. His tracks and ideas began to bring a deeper meaning to his life, evolving into a release and expression, something he did every day. "Making beats, it's personal for me. When I'm at home, I don't hold back and can give it everything I've got, whereas, in front of an audience or when I'm recording, I'm thinking of the outcome or how to please. When I do it for myself it's for the sake of creating it. I'm OK keeping it personal. I love it. If I pursued it for money it would change and I wouldn't love it as much." Today, Vincent uses his mouth to make all of the layered and textured sounds on his tracks, creating syncopation that will make you want to nod your head, tap your foot and start to dance.

Vincent's beats begin with setting a mood inspired by the content from a sound or statement he hears throughout the day. It begins as a thought that always grows into rhythm. Starting with the base line he makes a beat, not from software or a drum, with his mouth. Next, he creates or mixes the idea for the content in layers, sometimes taking the form of a spoken phrase, a melody, layered texture or a different sound. Vincent's beats are anything but formulaic. They are individual ideas expressed through sound.

Vincent is currently working on a project to archive his beats and preserve his pieces for the next generation of his family to enjoy and draw inspiration from. When asked his greatest dream, Vincent grins and responds, "to beat box for Jill Scott, lay down a track maybe or just sit outside making beats while she sings with her soulful, powerful voice."

Vincent Patterson's work will be showcased in McKinney's INSIDE OUT Gallery through May 5.

This week our recent show highlighting mixed media work by Bliss Alexander-Smith will draw to a close. 2100 is an introspective triptych reflective of Bliss' experience and emotions of buying her first home. The warm sunny color gives the piece an undertone of hope while aggressive lines and texture sharply intersect the fluidity and movement of the crisscrossing flags and falling leaves. The home is broken between two pieces of the coposition leaving us with a feeling of unease, uncertain to its permanence. Bliss' paintings reflect one experience shared by many of the uncertainty, anxiety, and struggle to move forward after being personally impacted by the recession, experiencing a layoff, and trying to buy a home in a broken economy.

Recently I enjoyed an interview with the artist where she shared more about her creative process and inspiration. Please enjoy the interview below:

When did you first become interested in making art? Was there a specific piece of art that inspired you when you were younger?

I've been interested in art my whole life I suppose. I can't remember ever "discovering" it, but I do remember in either kindergarten or first grade I drew a picture of some dinosaurs and a tiny little person, and my teacher made a big deal that I understood the proportion. I was very proud, even though I didn't know what "proportion" meant.

What was your process for making these paintings? What materials did you use?

Since college, I've never started a painting on white canvas. Doodles, drawing, sketches I can start on white, but not paintings. I first coated the canvases with white gesso to give it texture and then did an orangey-rust wash over all three canvases, then I stared at/ ignored them for a week or more.

Next I worked on the caulk transfer of the house, which, looking back now, I should have done more of. Maybe next time. Those are really fun, and I hadn't done one in ages. You smear on the caulk (which any responsible homeowner has) and then lay the image down on the wet caulk. Let sit for 24 hours (or in my case 72 hours) and then run under water and rub off the paper leaving the ink on the caulk.

Then I layered more washes added more colors, mostly greens, but also some pinks and yellows, until I was satisfied with the back drop.

I finally committed to a mixture and added less and less water and used more and more purposeful strokes, pushing and pulling the paint until the image of the house wasn't so stark.

Then I painted about one million thin vertical lines in a lovely olive tone and THEN drew on about 2 million tiny horizontal lines with a pencil to give the vertical lines depth. Then my hand hurt. I glazed over the lines (trees) that had the horizontal accompaniments so the graphite wouldn't fade and added watercolor leaves here and there.

I had a color scheme picked out in my mind so I knew I wanted to use a deep magenta so I mixed those acrylics with the glaze and started on the dots that are at the base of the canvases so the dots would show up nice a shiny. I love typography, especially hand-drawn, but lack the confidence to incorporate it into much of anything. I figured now was the time, and I did minimal sketches of the numbers before I put them on. Usually I would really sketch on and ease and make sure they were exact, but with these I just dove in. I like the "2" a lot. The others, not so much, but I can live with them.

Also from the start I knew I wanted to collage this piece, so after considering this and that for a few days, I started on the fabric and stitched pieces. I cut out a fabric banner of little triangles and had been dying with the paint was using since the start of the piece, but I wasn't sure how to work them in. I first glazed down the three strips of fabric on the same angle as the roof of the house. It really bothered me that I hadn't incorporated any other photo elements at that point, so I did a wax transfer in the middle of the first "0." Now, with beeswax introduced, the sky opened with possibility. Which is intimidating to me, so I quickly decided to use it intentionally and sparingly. I waxed down a key in the second "0" and was very happy with that. I cut out the spiral staircases, not sure where they would go and those ended up being the serendipitous part of the piece. They fit perfectly, just so between the serif of the "1" and the top of the canvas. I love it. It's my favorite part. From there I glazed down some geese (barrowed from the wallpaper in our kitchen) and was finally starting to really like it.

I asked for some advice on banner placement from other artisan friends (whose talents put me to shame, by the way) and came away with waxing down more keys the first panel and lighting up the fabric banner at the top, which I had been toying with from the beginning.

The very last addition was the waxed leaves that were confidently found on our deck to round off the edges of the whole piece.

I realize this is a very long-winded response, but this recollection of process is just as important to me as the end piece, so it's documentation is probably more for my benefit.

What inspired these paintings? Were you thinking of anything in particular?

As if it wasn't glaringly clear, this piece is about a recent purchase, our house. The process of buying this home became so complicated and so stressful we nearly gave up on it more times than I can count. When we finally closed on the house, it was a celebration of sanity as much as it was about newfound homeownership. This wasn't just a decision we had to live with, but live IN. So many decisions in life have a clear answer. "A is better than B, so we're going to go with A." But there were no right answers with this. As unemotional as we attempted to be about the process, it was our emotions that drove us through it and thankfully so. Rationality split the scene as soon as we stepped in the front door of this place. This was our first big (huge, massive) decision together. This house is a symbol of us in many different ways.

Is the majority of your artwork paintings, or do you work in other mediums?

Oh, other mediums hands down. I rarely paint and I'm severely out of practice, but I do enjoy it. I'd like to do it more frequently for sure. I also really enjoy photography. I studied it a lot in college and a during a visit to Penland School of Craft. I can't function without it, really. I take pictures every single day and out of that many there's bound to be a few that turn out nicely. That's my motto anyways. My main focus is textile, more specifically sewing, although I adore pattern-making as well. I have a little hobby called Sew Bliss Sew that allows me to thrift, draw, sew and sometimes even sell. I do a lot of appliqués and reconstructions of existing garments to make new ones.

What inspires you creatively?

I've always answered with this "color, nature, texture" or other sing-songy answers like that, but here recently it's been the new studio space. (Thanks house <3!) Having all my fabric and clothes organized and easily accessible makes in a difference in what I can envision. And I of course gather inspiration from aforementioned, along with trends in style and fashion from the professionals.

What would a creatively perfect day look like for you?

Well it wouldn't be spent entirely in the studio. Even if I made stuff that I really liked all day long, a day spent in one place would make me antsy. There would have to be a balance of exercise, productivity and creativity. That's a perfect day for me.

If you could travel anywhere to create a body of work, where would it be and what would you create?           

Oh, what a question! Mixing travel with art... now you're talking. I can barely comprehend such bliss. With that said, I really don't know. I would be more than satisfied to travel most anywhere. I'll take this opportunity to continue my excitement about our upcoming trip to Sweden. The design and textiles born there are enough to keep my creative self floating along, glassy-eyed and grinning for days.

You have been involved in Rock and Shop in Raleigh for several years now. How did you become involved in the arts community and the sale?

Yes, I've been participating in the Rock and Shop and the Handmade Market since 2007. I was encouraged to apply by friends who had at some point received a sewn shirt from me for their birthdays. I heard all the time, "You could sell these," so I finally did. It's a fine line though, producing art and craft for a deadline instead of for a need to create. Do I make a lot of one thing that I know will sell and not really enjoy the redundant process, or consider each piece separately and make a one-of-a-kind every time, which decreases its chance of selling but is more fulfilling to work on. There's a balance, and it's taken me years to find it. I'm still figuring it out.

Do you consider the altered and constructed clothing that you make to be an extension of your artwork? If so how?

Absolutely. It's my outlet. It exercises the parts of my brain that I wouldn't otherwise use. Creating something out of nothing - you can't beat that. When I get my garden up and running, I'll consider that a creative outlet too.

Overall, how would you describe the work you make?

Collaborative. Although a collaboration of materials not a multiauthor piece. I do, however, love collaboration between artists and frequently consider doing a line of clothing that features drawings and designs from friends. But even in my 2D works, a collaboration of materials is always the answer. Mixing and matching fabric textures and colors, threads, buttons, zippers, pockets, it's all fair came to orphan from one garment and adopt to another.

Do you show your artwork anywhere else? If so, where?

Just craft fairs, really. I've been involved in Design Box and Sparkcon with my wares, and I've sold items to boutiques and through my Etsy shop. I've also had photography up at Rebus Works for their plastic camera series the past two years. But if you want to take a look at my creative endeavors, it's likely I've photographed it and posted it on Flickr. Awaiting your collaboration.

Inside Out began in 2007 with the vision of showing artists work within the McKinney community to help infuse inspiration, creativity and discussion into our daily work lives.Today I am happy to curate the first show of its re-launch, Belize It Photography by John Hagerty. His photographs are quiet, dream-like narratives of the water, land and people he encountered while visiting Belize this spring. The pace is slow and relaxed. The repetition of waterscapes throughout the series creates a kind of meditation drawing us into the movement and peaceful solitude of its expanse. A dog rests in the sun in one image while bright yellow sheets hang limply against a pale home in another. These vignettes slow us down creating a sharp contrast to our vigorous pace here at McKinney.

John’s work will be hanging at McKinney between Reid and Strickland through August. I chatted with John more in depth about his work and this is what he said:

I've been interested in photography since I was a kid. My earliest memories are both from photographs and of looking through family photos albums. I didn't start thinking about photography seriously, or as a creative expression, until I went back to grad school about six years ago.             

I hardly ever have a specific idea of an image before I take a picture. I usually go somewhere new and meander until something catches my eye. Sometimes I'll have a general idea about a location. But the ideas wait until I get there and start to explore. I primarily shoot in color. I’ve used black and white film in the Holga a few times but have more luck with the Kodak Vivid Color Film. And it feels weird to make a digital pic black and white. I would like to explore black-and-white film more, however. Maybe I’ll get into it someday. For now I like rocking the color.

I went back to film a year ago because I got tired of how perfect digital can look. I was getting sick of the computer in general and the coldness of digital. I think there's warmth to film that just looks better and feels more real. I also found that I was retouching my digital shots to look like film, which was time-consuming and felt a little like cheating. Also, you have to be more intentional and thoughtful with film because you have a limited number of exposures, and film and processing is expensive so you don't want to waste money. Film is nice in that it slows you down. A lot of time with digital I find myself back at my computer with 200+ photos, and editing can be overwhelming.

I love photography because it lets me get out and explore. I love to meander and go places I’ve never been before. Especially overlooked, everyday places. I also like that it’s very easy to just grab your camera and go. That’s one nice thing about digital. It’s a very convenient outlet. And a free pass to trespass.  These photos are special to me because I had an amazing time in Belize. It was my first real vacation in five or so years, and I got a lot of great shots. I picked Belize because I wanted to go someplace where I could completely disconnect and relax and do some good photo hunting. It was the first trip where photography was a key factor in deciding where I would go. And I had at least one camera with me the whole time. I love all the Holga shots I took—so, the three that I picked are basically my favorite. But the three digital pics I included work together as a nice triptych. And that was something unplanned that came together after I got home and started editing. I love how each photo has a punch of color and backdrop of horizontal lines in the wood siding. There’s a nice rhythm with the color and lines and shapes in each shot and between all three shots as a whole.

The low-angle shot off the kid on the bike heading toward the camera was really cool because it was unplanned, and I love the expression on the kid’s face. I was just squatting in the middle of the street looking around when this kid came around the corner and gunned it toward me. He had a mischievous smirk like he was going to run me over, and I took the shot a second before he swerved out of the way, laughing. It was great because I was a punk like that when I was a kid and would have done the same thing in his shoes.

One of my favorite photographers is Henri Cartier-Bresson. I like what he said about there being a natural geometry in what we see and how taking pictures means discovering rhythm, lines and gradations in reality and finding order within all the chaos of life. There’s also something mildly OCD about that sense geometry that I really appreciate.

Besides photography, I like to collage and draw. And I’ve recently been experimenting with different forms of print-making like screen printing and acetone transfers. I’d like to do letterpress next.

If I could go anywhere and photograph I’d like to go to Antarctica and shoot the next Pirelli calendar.

To view more of John Hagerty's work, visit his Flickr account:

Profile: Carrboro Crepes

A delicious crepe cart has quickly gotten my attention and taste buds excited in Carrboro. A few Saturdays back, while I was driving around looking for yard sales, I continued seeing white signs with thick pink lettering reading  "Crepes Today." I followed the signs to Johnny's on West Main Street and I was not disappointed.

Profile: Raleigh Flea Market

The first time I experienced the Raleigh Flea Market I felt like a new world opened in front of me. After a lazy breakfast one Saturday I jumped in my old gray Volvo with the windows down and headed towards Raleigh. I kicked the heater just enough to offset the chill in the fresh spring air and blasted Jeff Tweedy.

Upon arrival, I quickly noticed the most diverse crowd I have encountered while living in North Carolina. Indian women walked around in bright flowing saris, Hispanic families were laughing and enjoying the sun, and middle-aged women pawed through doilies and antique collectibles. Old men hung around tools telling stories and ignoring time, while booth owners squabbled among each other. Looking across the outdoor booths, I noticed several women in full birka. I was thrilled and immediately excited; after all, I was in North Carolina, not our urban neighborhood up north.

I wandered through the produce markets admiring the color spilling out of boxes, and ran my fingers through the strands of beads filling a table. The different languages blended together and sounded like a melody transporting my thoughts far away.

I limited my purchases to two, although I could have easily done some damage at the antique jewelry tables. Different items for sale reminded me of close friends that I missed; the old wooden chairs, Middle Eastern jewelry, and the mahogany dressers.

At dusk I drove to Neomonde's, a local Lebanese Bakery and ate an amazing and fresh falafel pita wrap, and house-made hummus. The bakery sold shelves of spices, fresh breads and pastries, as a full menu. I was pleased to be in the minority speaking English. Driving home, I decided that if you were willing to drive 45 minutes and dig fairly deep in North Carolina's cultural pockets, you would probably find a gem.

http://www.raleighfleamarket.net/

Please enjoy the Photo of the Day, a continuation of a mini-series focusing on found typography around the agency.

After a short break for the month of March the Photo of the Day series continues.
This new mini-series will focus on found typography around the agency.
To all of the type snobs (you know who you are) this series is for you.
Please enjoy.

Please enjoy the Photo of the Day. A continuation of the mini series Day to Day Surroundings.

Please enjoy today's Photo of the Day, a continuation of the mini series Day to Day Surroundings.

It's been a busy week at McKinney! Sorry for the brief pasue to the Photo of the Day. To make it up to you I have attached new photos for Monday-today.

Please enjoy this post and as always, don't be shy, leave a message.

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Stay tuned for Friday's post!