Diamond in the Rough: Ep3-The 5Foot3r

On tonight's edition of Diamond in the Rough, we take a look at the insights of a very talented artist and graphic designer and what makes him tick.



Dexter Grooms aka the 5Foot3r started getting involved in art in the summer of 2009.

"My Fine Arts advisor got me into it. Informed me of the photoshop class offered at FIU. Took it. Been at it ever since. The class taught me the basics, so i had to self-teach."



Now 22 years old, the Deerfield Beach, Florida native has a wide range on medium from pencil on pad to building walls to advertising posters to t-shirt designs.








"Haven't really found a personal style yet in Graphic Design. I just try to be as professional and pleasing to the eye as much as possible. Not too much of a style in my drawings either. I haven't really found a particular subject or focus yet. Its random as hell. I'll just be chillin' and I'll feel like drawing the human body one day. The next day might be an angler fish."



So then where does the inspiration come from, you may wonder (i know i did).

"As far as me gettin' into art, Salvador Dali and Todd McFarlane are my favorite and inspired me to pursue art. Oh. And Noah Jones. Was introduced to him and his work at a black history month event last year. He is definitely at place and doin' what i want to be doin'. You can check him out at www.njartworks.com"

With his great range of art and design and his sense of creativity, i had to ask how he came up with the name "5foot3r", cuz i was sure it wasn't just the height.


"A Tribe Called Quest are my favorite artists, especially Phife Diggy. That's where the name came from. 'It was me the Abstract.' 'And me the five footer. I kicks the mad style so step off the frankfurter.' That's the line I heard when I was tryna figure out an alias."

For those wondering where you can find him in action, unfortunately you have to catch him where you can.

"No set place. I'm on the go when it comes to my art. When it comes to the graphics, I be on the move. Me and Ebony (black Macbook) be mobile. I like for the person or a client to see their logo or flyer or business card design unfold right in front of 'em. But I'm usually in my room or dorm. I prefer sittin' on the floor though. At FIU campus I'm usually in the art warehouses."




But this doesn't mean you can't check out his work.

"Currently helpin' out the Black Student Union at Florida International University with some graphics for their Black History Month. Just made a t-shirt graphic for the month. Second time doin' a t-shirt graphic for their organization."



And with all this stuff in the works and a laundry list of accomplishments under his belt, what will he do next?

"I plan on havin' my own graphics shop. designing. printing. shipping. that's what I want. me and a team of dudes. that's what I want. Imma get it though."

Well this girl says if anyone could do it, i truly believe Dexter has it in the bag. And i should know, Dex and i go way back.



And now a few parting words of inspiration and appreciation from the man himself:

"You gotta stay on it when it comes to art. You gotta challenge ya self. That's one of the things the professors at FIU excel in. Puttin' you in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable places when it comes to techniques and subjects. Much love and appreciation to the Black Student Union at Florida International University. Shout out to Dalourney Nemorin, Blayne Stone, and Richard "Polar Bear" Pierre."






Now if you want to check out some more of Dexter's work that is not posted here, feel free to go look at http://www.5ivefooterart.com/


i wanna give mad love to Dexter aka The 5Foot3r for your words and your work, keep doing what you do, cuz you are truly a diamond in the rough.

Well that's all for now. Stay tuned for the next edition of Diamond in the Rough, coming soon.

Until then,
Happy Blogging

Theory

(All photos, quotes and links mentioned were given by the consent of Dexter Grooms)

Diamond in the Rough: Ep2- Dj CaM

In this addition of Diamond in the Rough, we have a sexy young Dj that is taking Miami by storm, and he wont stop there.



Cameron "Dj CaM" Clausen



Cameron aka DJCAM is one of the hottest djs to hit Miami. But he’s no southerner.
“I had a good friend who was a popular DJ back home in New Jersey, from hanging with him I was able to observe the craft, but it was never something I envisioned would be a passion of my own.”



But when he got down to the sunshine state, that all changed.

“It wasn't til I my Senior year of High School, after I had moved to Florida, when after my Senior Basketball season of High School, I decided to invest all my money and purchase some DJ equipment; I threw my first party that Spring at the 'Boys & Girls Club' and I'll never forget after weeks of promoting, only 7 ppl showed up. Disappointed but determined, I stuck with it, and before you know it, I've grown into the 'Dj CaM' you see today.”



And as you can see, he no longer worries about people showing up to his venues. His abilities to keep the party hopping at a club or keep the vibes right at an event with his ‘simple but sophisticated’, he pulls a lot more than 7 people.




So of course i had to know what he considered to be his style, and he gave me one hell of an answer.
“My Style is my own, just a young man tryna be smooth and well put together”
Cam music choices range from Hip Hop to Dancehall and venues from night clubs to Greek sponsored events.








“Even though Hip Hop and RnB comes more naturally to me, I love Caribbean parties more than any other because the atmosphere for the most part is always positive and the music is revolved around having fun and you can dance to.”


While we were on the subject of music i had to ask what inspires him as far as being a DJ.
“As far as inspiration, my biggest influence as an artist would probably be Drake; Drake because I am in awe of how real he is, what separates him from most rappers is that he was himself when everyone else was afraid to be.”



And as if he wasn't talented enough, Cam is also a very smooth rapper. This song is Theory approved (i'm a sucker for a good instrumental)

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh6a8mrRTJwf9773F5

Me, only knowing about his DJ skills had to ask where wanting to rap came from

"I recently decided to start rapping because I feel like I have more to offer than just playing other people's music. My life, my feelings, my story, given time I feel like I can express and make people relate just as good as anybody."




Wanna see the man in action? For all things DJ CaM feel free to visit 4djcam.tumblr.com or...

"You can follow my twitter {@4DJCAM} to see where I'll be DJ'n on a nightly basis; as far as my own music, you can find me on WorldStarHipHop.com, and/or on youtube.com"

And now some closing remarks from the man himself:

"Confidence is Everything. What do I plan to do with this in the future is Succeed. Time will tell what that Success means."



i would like to take this time out to say, thank you Cameron for your time your trust and your insight. You are truly a Diamond in the Rough.

That's all for now. Keep a close look out for my next Diamond in the Rough post coming soon.

Until then,
Happy Blogging,
Theory

(All quotes, photos and web information was given by the consent of Cameron Clausen)

And Now it's Time For: Shit That Made Me Laugh Today: Ep.2

Diamond in the Rough: Ep1- The Night Swan

i would like to kick off my newest segment called "Diamond in the Rough" the right way; with ladies first. And what a lady she is.



Nadine Olivia Stewart, aka the NightSwan, is an up and coming fantastic photographer who's style and professionalism is beyond her years.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Nadine got her start at a very young age from an unusual place.



"7th gradish, my Keyboard teacher lent me his film SLR camera," Nadine recalls. "I shot a whole roll, wrote down all the exposures. When I went back to school to figure out how to open the camera, come to find no film was in there"

She did not let this false start deter her in any way. Nadine goes on to explain how her family influenced her.

"My dad is also a photographer, more nature than anything, and gave me my first DSLR, and got me interested in the technical and equipment part of photography. I used to sneak my mom's little film camera in my bookbag all the time, and take pictures of my friends at school, landscapes, and more, with rolls being developed as often as we went to Walmart. My cameras would be closer to me than my cellphone, always on my hand and ready to shoot a memorable event, moment, or unique view. It has been this way for the past 5 or 6 years as I have grown to love my instruments, and the art and memories they allow me to make"

And the rest is pretty much history. Nadine kept up her photography with mostly black and white film, developing and printing her photos from scratch. And now, at age 20, she has a plethora of unique poses, backgrounds, and subjects.





With her careful eye for details and amazing abilities to capture her subjects in both a real yet rugged point of view, of course i had to ask her what she considered her "style" to be. And her answer did not disappoint. Her major focus is on fashion, lifestyle, and beauty. "Exploratory," is the word she likes to call it.

"I like to go out and see where a potential shoot can be. My ideas sometimes are created on location, as I survey the area and see potential shots in the simplest of places. With my photographic eye, I see shapes, contrast, colors, and compose with all the components. In my head, I superimpose the model in various locations, poses, and can most times achieve that 'on film' for others to see."





And what, you might ask, inspires such amazing photos? Don't worry, folks, i took care of that question,too. Nadine's major inspirations come from her High school photography teacher who pushed her to work harder and look for new things and, interestingly enough, 'America's Next Top Model'.

"I love their ideas and how they break things down. Very good to see behind the scenes and all that goes into photography and its industry."

And just like the Great Tyra Banks, Nadine is not just a photographer, but a fabulous model herself (WORK!)






Nadine's big focus with her photography currently is getting her name out locally, and hopes to work on other projects like weddings, maternity photos and couple shots.

"As I diversify more, I will be able to reach a greater target market and show more of what I can offer. I want to be in the memory making business for a long time.
People may age and change over time, but photos remain the same. They can be markers or reminders of a past time, and I work to make that a pleasurable experience"

Ya know what that means? i'm sure she is looking for some new models to shoot and work on. i know i'm planning on scheduling a shoot some time in the future. And with the way Nadine photographs, i know i'll come out gorgeous. (fo'sho').









If you want to check out the rest of NightSwan photography, schedule a shoot, or get to know the talented young woman behind the camera, like her official Facebook page www.facebook.com/NightSwanPhotography or check out her website www.NadineStewsArt.com


And now, some closing words of advice from the lady herself.

"Everyone has the potential to be photogenic. Don't let bad words or bad photos bring you down. Allow yourself to be brought up through the best of what you see and how great you look or feel."



i would like to take this time out to say, thank you Nadine for your time your trust and your insight. You are truly a Diamond in the Rough.

That's all for now. Keep a close look out for my next Diamond in the Rough post coming soon.

Until then,
Happy Blogging,
Theory

(All quotes, photos and web information was given by the consent of Nadine Stewart)