a picture is worth a thousand words

Art

Prince

“Can you make it rain harder?”

That was Prince’s answer just hours before his iconic 2007 Super Bowl halftime show in Miami, when producers nervously called to warn him about a torrential downpour.

Instead of cancelling, worrying about the danger, or panicking, he welcomed the storm and used it to deliver a legendary performance of “Purple Rain”. He took a problem and turned it into something beautiful.

If you haven’t seen it, you really should.

There is a saying in architecture and construction that goes something like this: every problem is a design opportunity. You would be surprised by how much the final design of a building is shaped by the difficulties and challenges it had to overcome in order to exist. Many of the greatest architectural works in history were created under constraints that defined their final form and, without them, might never have achieved excellence.

And I believe the same is true for people and for companies.

We grow through problems, through the obstacles we overcome, and through the difficulties that force us to adapt.

Those circumstances are what shape who we become. They are what separate those who keep fighting from those who give up.

You may end up with scars. Some decisions, mistakes, or blows from life may leave marks you wish you didn’t have. You may even get things wrong.

But those marks tell a story.

They are proof that you were there. That you endured, fought, learned, and kept moving forward.

This illustration is my small tribute to that epic moment Prince created. It is for him, but it is also for everyone who keeps moving forward when the rain starts to fall.

Because sometimes the rain doesn’t ruin the performance.

Sometimes it is exactly what makes it unforgettable.


Gloria Fuertes

Según me voy haciendo mayor, aunque ya no sé siquiera si queda espacio para eso, cada vez me gusta más la poesía.

Este sábado, mientras paseábamos sin rumbo por la Feria del Libro de Madrid, nos detuvimos, curiosos, en uno de los expositores y tuvimos la suerte de mantener una amistosa conversación con el escritor Jesús Benítez Benítez. Es increíble la oportunidad que ofrece esta celebración: poder acercarte a charlar tranquilamente con un autor siempre es una experiencia interesante. Y no hace falta hacer una de las inmensas colas que se forman para ser atendido por los más populares. Aprovecha la oportunidad de acercarte y conocer, sin prisas, a alguno de los muchos otros que están allí para contarte qué les lleva a dedicar su tiempo y su esfuerzo a que otros les lean.

Nos llevamos uno de sus libros, un libro de poesía. Quizás me enganchó su título, que incluye la promesa de acercarse a la ciencia, y esa es una de mis mayores debilidades.

Eso me recordó que hace poco volví a escuchar, en su propia voz grabada, una poesía de Gloria Fuertes. En mi memoria, Gloria no dejaba de ser una poeta para niños: aquella que vi en la televisión cuando solo había dos canales, la que leía a mis hijos antes de irse a la cama, aquella especie de abuelita amable e inocente de rimas sencillas. Pero esa única poesía me caló, me llegó al corazón y destruyó en un instante la imagen que tenía de ella.

Ahí es cuando uno se asoma a su biografía y lo que encuentra es una especie de heroína: alguien que rompió sus propias barreras y las de otros, que fue profesora universitaria en Estados Unidos, que se enamoró y que lo perdió todo. Alguien que vivió profundamente, con intensidad, y lo reflejó en su poesía para adultos. Descubrí que Gloria también escribía desde el dolor y la melancolía, desde una vida difícil que afrontó con valentía en unos tiempos en los que no era fácil ser como era ella.

Y me doy cuenta de que quizás desdeñé con demasiada premura, desde mi juventud, a la persona que había detrás. Sus rimas infantiles no nos dejaron ver otra parte de su poesía llena de ironía, desamor y crítica social. Ahora me toca perdonar a mi yo adolescente por no ver la ternura y el humor de los versos de Gloria, por no descubrir a la persona que había detrás de la imagen… detrás de las bromas.

Para la ilustración he contado las palabras más utilizadas en una antología de sus poesías. A saber: versos (16), quiero (15), borde (13), poeta (13), sigo (8), esconde (7), pluma (7), poesía (7), isla (6), poseo (6), querrá (6), beso (5), hago (5), ojos (5), vuelve (5), ciego (4), dice (4), ignorada (4), letras (4), palo (4), poema (4), siento (4), soldado (4), tirita (4), ama (3), dan (3), deciros (3), digo (3), escogí (3), esposa (3), juventud (3), locura (3), mancha (3), mentira (3), miradme (3), paseo (3), peces (3), pegan (3), pulpos (3), rezaba (3), roban (3), soñé (3), traje (3), voy (3), abiertas (2), abraza (2)…


Extremoduro

Aunque soy un fan tardío, tenía desde hace muchos años una ilustración eternamente a medias de Extremoduro. Así que la despedida de Robe Iniesta, marchándose por la vereda de la puerta de atrás sin pedir permiso, me dejó un poco tocado y con ese sentimiento tan familiar de no estar nunca del todo en el momento adecuado.

Pero quizá no sea tarde. Puede que este sea un buen momento para hacer un tributo a Extremoduro utilizando las palabras de sus canciones. Esas palabras que la música consigue dejar en bucle en nuestra mente y que, al igual que tantas otras cosas, deberíamos alimentar y cuidar antes de permitir que se queden instaladas ahí para siempre.

Y no vengo aquí a enseñar mis arrugas ni a decir que todo lo nuevo es malo. Por supuesto que no lo es, cada cosa tiene su momento. Pero creo en la poesía y en la verdad que contienen muchas canciones de Extremoduro, y no consigo encontrar un sentimiento ni remotamente parecido en gran parte de la música actual.

Os dejo un resumen de las primeras:

En fin, algunos datos técnicos sobre la ilustración. He contado las palabras de más de cien canciones y he tratado de extraer las más relevantes, dejando atrás pronombres, artículos y alguna que otra onomatopeya extraña. En total, unas 25.000 palabras que han sido lematizadas y ordenadas por frecuencia de aparición, utilizando las más repetidas con un tamaño mayor dentro de la ilustración. Como siempre, el resultado es vectorial escalable.

ay (168), quiero (131), voy (86), vuelvo (74), dice (58), pa (44), siento (35), policial (34), calor (33), vas (32), besos (31), salgo (31), patada (30), ná (29), hago (28), volar (26), ojos (25), pies (25), puta (25), dime (24), entiendo (24), sigo (24), respirar (22), empiezo (21), pongo (21), anda (20), cansado (20), dijo (20), joder (20), mamá (19), bar (18), culo (18), vamos (18), cago (17), despedidas (17), diga (17), doy (17), droga (17), vi (17), esconde (16), nubes (16), vengo (16), conmigo (15), dando (15), lejos (15), nuclear (15), pido (15), pienso (15), hada (14), luce (14), ruido (14), saltar (14), yeah (14), agarrar (13), alrededor (13), contigo (13), coño (13), esquina (13), quemando (13), quisiera (13), toser (13), veo (13), cojones (12), montaña (12), pierdo (12), verás (12), acera (11), bailando (11), cerca (11), convencional (11), duele (11), infierno (11), locura (11), rana (11), reloj (11), uh (11), ves (11), bomba (10), dame (10), detrás (10), hueso (10), invento (10), montón (10), muero (10), regalé (10), Robe (10), tiemblan (10), velas (10)…

Hasta la vista, Robe.

Y gracias.

¡Siempre!


James Randi

My little tribute in memorian of James Randi.

In the age of information is hard to believe that people prefer to believe blindly in so many stupid things. We need more people that think by itself and use logic and commons sense instead of believing anything that arrives to their screens. People present in media, pointing to liars, teaching us to use critical thinking… more people like Randi or Sagan. I miss you guys.

This illustration is my way to pointing out those who are taking advantage of people. My way to say we can see them, and we are not going to take their bullshit.

Be the owner of this illustration.


Afraid Of Future

Long time without posting… What can I say?, life sometimes makes you clear where priorities are while your act like a dyslexic juggler.

I made this picture a while ago, thinking about all those things that could menace our future… they said. And I think that today, considering news, it’s time to publish it.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t say we shouldn’t be worry about all those terms. Yes we should. But I have confidence in human being, in our ability to overcome adversity. And I’m sure that living afraid of future is not the best way to help overcome whatever get in our way.

My point of view is that fear is such an extreme feeling it can be used to block our rational thinking. Under fear we are easy to manipulate.

So please don’t be afraid. Be concerned and act like human being we should be.

Be the owner of this illustration. Buy it at Rarible.com.


Gabriela Lugo

JO-D-160609-GabrielaLugo01_590pix

Y ahí me encuentro yo, en una misión de seis meses en tierra extraña, ya casi al final, en mi último paseo… enseñándole la Habana a un Cubano.

Entre callejón y callejón, bajo la lluvia cálida, llega junto a una amiga. Han quedado los tres y me dejan que les acompañe. Pero soy yo el que se siente incómodo, extraño, como un astronauta en otro planeta al que le han dejado aterrizar por unos minutos… asomándome furtivamente a un pasado que casi ni puedo recordar.

Entre risas y Vampisol me cuenta algunas cosas, pero no todo. Será más tarde cuando descubra quien es realmente. Que ha recorrido el mundo con el ballet nacional, ahora es la principal de Acosta… que sale en una película… son los secretos, casi siempre callados, que envuelven en misterio a la isla.

Esta ilustración es un poco mi manera de dar las gracias a Cuba, y me parece que Gabriela en cierto modo representa lo que es este país, una perseverancia inquebrantable envuelta en una sencilla y bella sonrisa.

Así que para Gabriela, para Cuba… para la gran belleza que esconde este lugar y a la que uno queda irremediablemente atado para siempre.

Ojala tu futuro sea brillante.

Hasta siempre!

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JO-D-160609-GabrielaLugoMosaico02_590pix


The (updated) Dove

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It’s has been a while since I started doing my crazy stuff and looking back I feel that I can redo my old works a lot better now… so sometimes I play a little with these and I want to share with you one of my tryouts. The Dove, again!

You can check the old one here.


Paco de Lucía

JO-D-140303-PacoDeLucia_590pix

Hay veces que uno no sabe muy bien como dar el enfoque adecuado a una ilustración. Tan solo quieres hacer algo, no dejarlo pasar, no perder la oportunidad de dar las gracias…

Pero como plasmar lo que has recibido, esa sensación de la perfección, los matices, el sabor de tu tierra… es imposible…

Tengo decenas de cosas a medio terminar que se perderán en el olvido. Pero esta vez no. Aunque no tenga tiempo, aunque estoy cansado y haya sueño… tengo que hacer algo… incluso aunque todo salga mal.

Hasta siempre maestro!


Pixibility

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In my little free time (I mean no time at all) I’m working in my own technique and code to create images based in homogeneity. With some pieces I will try to improve my current tools (I’m thinking about white backgrounds) but I’m also trying to find a way to create images and mosaics based in homogeneity levels.

With that last way I’m generating very abstract samples, and you know these are my favorites… when it’s hard to really see the main subject and you have to to look twice.

It looks like the pixel are trying to create something… it’s a pixibility!

Find here some of them… can you recognize them all?

JO-D-130401-Che_low

JO-D-130401-Chavela_low

JO-D-130401-BluesBrothers_low

JO-D-130401-Audry_low

JO-D-130401-Andy_low

JO-D-130401-Alonso_low

JO-D-130401-Zaha_low

JO-D-130401-Sindone_low

JO-D-130401-Shackleton_low

JO-D-130401-Raul_low

JO-D-130401-Noche_low

JO-D-130401-Nadal_low

JO-D-130401-Marilyn_low

JO-D-130401-Marillion_low

JO-D-130401-Lenon_low

JO-D-130401-JFK_low

JO-D-130401-Einstein_low

JO-D-130401-Earth_low

JO-D-130401-Dali_low

JO-D-130401-DavidBowie_low

Buy print at Society6


  • Jean-Michel Basquiat

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    My little tribute to Basquiat, one of those creative minds we loose to quick… I love its versus series of colourful and impressive graffiti. For this illustrations I took more relevant words from his wikipedia article you can find here.

    Also you will find additional information at his Artsy page.

    JO-D-120130-Basquiat02_low


    Inside Keith Haring

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    My little tribute to Keith Haring, a mind full of colour and wonderful messages.

    For this illustration I took around 35 of his great figures and spread over his portrait.


    Antoni Tapies

    Has long since my last post, but the true is that I’m running out of free time. Lot of changes in my life, three kids, blablabla… you know, life!.

    But I do not want to miss the opportunity to make a little tribute to Antoni Tapies, one of those unique artists, tireless worker sometimes misunderstood, who left us last February 6.

    For this illustration I took his spanish wikipedia article and spread the most commonly used words over a portrait of Tapies.

    Download PDF version of Antoni Tapies.


    Flying Moto

    A few abstract illustrations, based in the incredible flights of Red Bull X-Fighters


    Snow Balls

    I’m working in a illustration series, based in sports, generated using my genetic geometry technique, something highly inspired in Percolator and Tsevis style. My main goal was to have something useful for tshirts, but as usually I ended with something that needs a big size if you want to see all the details it has.

    Here you have some of then, focused in winter sports. I think I will publish soon more about different sports.

    Click to enlarge, but remember that all these are vector based. If you want to see all the details of first sample take a look at it in zoom.it.


    Anonymous names

    Are they villains?, are they heroes?… I don’t know, this time you have to think for yourself. But I love the David Lloyd’s mask for “The Doll” (read about V for Vendetta), and how it mix with the idea of an anonymous group of people.

    In order to translate this concept I took the top 1000 most commonly used baby boy and girl names in USA throughout 2010 from this website and spread them over an image of The Doll. The bigger are the most commonly used.

    You can also take a look at the same illustration without legend or download wallpapers, 640×480 800×600 1024×768 1152×864 1280×800 1280×1024 1366×768 1440×900 1600×1200 1680×1050 1856×1392 1920×1080 1920×1440 2048×1536.

    Another one.

    Also with legend, and wallpapers, 640×480 800×600 1024×768 1152×864 1280×800 1280×1024 1366×768 1440×900 1600×1200 1680×1050 1856×1392 1920×1080 1920×1440 2048×1536.

    One more.

    Be the owner of this illustration. Buy it at Opensea.com.


    Flying Carolina

    My daughter Carolina in one of her super-jumps. She is three years old, but the photo was taken some months ago when she was only two… I took a nice set of photographies during a country day. She is as beautiful as her mother…

    Another one…

    I’m just ending my “generative geometry” spread options to my tools. Here you have  some samples using the Nadal illustration. I tested different approaches, including some similar to percolator and tsevis techniques. But some of the best shots appears when I combine all those techniques together.  Now I have too many options so it’s hard to select the right one…

    Finally an explosion of geometry…


    Rafa Nadal

    I want to share with you a little experiment about Rafa Nadal, created with a kind of generative geometry function I’m working on… super abstract but fun.

    Download the vector PDF file: JO-D-110518-RafaNadal


    Singin in the Rain

    I want to share with you my last crazy experiment. One of the most wonderful moments in the motion picture history… a funny Gene Kelly letting us know clearly how happy he is.

    Here you have the vector base PDF file: JO-D-110303-SinginInTheRain

    And may be because I fell very happy (I’m going to be father again in a few days!) I’m singing this song in my head again and again. Curiously I don’t know how did it get there.

    I spread the lyrics of this song over an image of Gene Kelly on a lamppost. It’s so abstract that could be difficult to really ‘view’ it… just get some distance and it will be clear.

    Another different version of the same scene.

    PDF file JO-D-110303-SinginInTheRain-02


    Lady Agnew

    One of my favorite paintings, John Singer Sargen’s Lady Agnew of Lochnaw. The words are the most relevant words of his wikipedia article.

    You can read more about this painting here.


    Haiku of the Atomic Bomb

    Haiku is a interesting form of short Japanese poetry. One of the most famous haiku writers is Yasuhiko Shigemoto, who has a book, “My Haiku of Hiroshima”, about the Hiroshima bomb. He has a first hand testimony because he was in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb was dropped. Remember, about fifty thousand people died in a second.

    This form of art caught my interest so I took some of his haiku, from this webpage, and spread over a photo of the Nagasaki bomb.


    Sorolla

    Joaquín Sorolla is one of the best spanish painters ever. I like the color and the sunlight of his paintings, especially in his impressionist beach scenes.

    I took one of his works, Menina (actually in The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana), and spread the most relevants words of the spanish Sorolla wikipedia article.

    I know my sister will love this one. So Raquel, this one is for you!.


    Honore Daumier

    This all-in-one man was a French painter, sculptor and printmaker but he was best know because of his caricatures. Take a look at this wikipedia article about him. I love some of his paintings.  So for this work I used the most representative words of his Wikipedia article and one of his beautiful paintings.


    Flamenco

    An abstract image of a flamenco dancer (hi Melody!). The words from the flamenco Wikipedia article, I counted only the capitalized words.

    Download PDF JO-D-100909-Flamenco


    No Words…

    No words … they are the champions!

    This is my point of view … some kind of explosion of happiness.

    Download PDF JO-D-100826-Campeones01

    A different one.

    Download PDF JO-D-100826-Campeones02