CP the ARTIST

I am the January, Featured Artist in the Swarez website for the UK

2011-01-03T13:28:00.000-08:00

Its an honor to be recognized, specially over the world. thank you Swarez for the support. Please Read

Featured Artist for January: CP The Artist, Atlanta USA

Serve The Public - A Toys for Tots Benefit

2010-12-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

Serve The Public - A Toys for Tots Benefit

For one night only, celebrities bartenders give you a taste of what its like to be them!

Cashflow Atlanta and Royal Flush Entertainment have joined forces to present a unique giving experience for the holidays, Serve The Public. This one of a kind event will feature a host of celebrities, professional athletes, business executives and community leaders as bartenders for one night, offering tips for tips. For one hour each, customers will receive cocktails and consultation from the featured personalities on their fields of expertise. Sponsored by Tree Of Life Pomegranate Wine, M Bar will offer deeply discounted drink specials for all premium alcohol brands in stock and will have professional bartenders on hand to assist the celebrity mixers. Serve The Public will take place on December 18, 2010 at M Bar in downtown Atlanta's Castleberry Hill district. Doors open at 7pm. The list of celebrity bartenders includes:

Jazze Pha – Multiplatinum SuperProducer (Ciara, Lil Wayne, T.I., Nelly, Ludacris)
Stormy Wellington – Top Money Earner in Ardyss International, Marketing Executive
Mo Reilley – Entertainment Personality
DJ Trauma – Beehive FM Radio Personality, Club DJ
Ashley Reid – Professional Photographer, Daughter of Industry moguls L.A. Reid & Pebbles
Mo Pleasure – Multi-Instrumentalist/Songwriter/Producer for Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Maxwell
Ebony Steele – Co-Host of The Rickey Smiley Show
Ryan Kilgore – Saxophonist for Stevie Wonder

Admission for this 21 and up event is $20 in advance, $25 at the door; 1st drink free when you bring a toy.

Special Performance By: Ryan Kilgore & Mo Pleasure

Live Art By: CP The Artist

Hosted By : Maurice Garland

About Cashflow Atlanta

Cashflow Atlanta™ specializes in Financial Literacy Entertainment Events®. Their objective is to educate the masses in the subjects of financial literacy, investing, entrepreneurship and the like in an entertaining environment. Cashflow Atlanta™ believes that education in an atmosphere of entertainment is a more effective process than the traditional classroom & seminars.

About Royal Flush Entertainment

Royal Flush (Jeron Ward and Rick Walkk) is a Grammy Nominated production duo largely known for their work with Outkast. They also specialize in hosting events including their latest venture, Inside The Music at Stankonia Studios.

For more info please contact Brandon Alexander at 404.494.0096 or cashflowatlanta@gmail.com.

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Brandon Alexander
Cashflow Atlanta™
Financial Literacy Entertainment Events®
404.494.0096

Remember Beat Street?

2010-07-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Lord knows I miss my early Hip-Hop Days. this Video was posted on Facebook. I watched Beat Street like 100 times when I was a youngin. I cried when Ramon died.

Charly, the Other Palmer

2010-06-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

In 2008 I first learned about an artist named Charly Palmer. An artist told me when he seen my work on the Internet, and thought I was him. Being that we both were in the Atlanta area, it was suggested to me, that maybe I should change my artist name, to avoid a lot of confusion. I was like, I’m not changing my name for no one. I found him on www.charlypalmer.com and my jaw dropped. Soon I ended up changing my artist name from Cpalmer to CP the Artist, which I liked alot better.

Charly’s Art, to me is symbolizes artistic expression, but the work is made by a Guru and a Historic Scholar with a paint brush. It was told to me, he once opened up a Black History book, visualized the history and then painted the whole thing as a series. Amazing! The execution of colors and textures brings his creations to life, to say the least.

About 1 year later, I had heard he wanted to meet me. Finally we met at the Stuart McClean art Gallery in Atlanta for “Hell-up in Hotlanta - Art Battle”. He was a tall, bald, and gray beard black man in his late 40’s. Before he was able to say anything to me, I looked him in the eye and said “Dad, I finally found you!” As we joked and laughed, I am wondering if we need to get a DNA test, so I can collect backed Child Support payments.

There’s not a painting I’ve seen from him, that I haven’t been amazed at.
Charly has been a mentor and friend of mine. But most importantly a great inspiration.

Miya Bailey

2010-06-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

In our Culture, we as men don't show each other appreciation for each other. Either we we feel too much pride, selfishness, or disguise it in HATE. One day I had a vision of the people that impacted me the most dying/dead. Wondering if I lived longer then they did would they know how much they inspired me? I had people die on me before and I never had the chance to show them my appreciate for them,its a terrible feeling. I believe in the statement; Give them flowers while they can still smell them.

Miya Bailey is one of the many Artists in ATLANTA that inspire me, each day to achieve higher. I study Artists and their ways of self-expression. Its the gas that keep me going.

Back in 2008, I was looking through Creative Loafing and read an article about a tattoo artist/artist Co-owner of City of Ink named Miya Bailey. Reading the article I thought this dude got alot of persona, confidence, and street smarts about him in a Black-Power type of way. I found his work on his myspace page. I was very impressed.

Winter of 2008 I met Miya for the first time in person at the old Sugar Hill Club in Atlanta, where he was painting live. It was my chance to meet, arguably, an art legend. I was shocked he said he recognized my work on myspace at the time. I was humbled, he remembered my work.

For the last couple of years, I've grown an appreciation to him as an Artist and as a person. I admire his honesty on his site miyabailey.com and on his twitter page. Raw, unpredictable, Miya reflects about everything from Family to his everyday journey in Life as Artist/Tattoo Artist and a person. His honest reflections has become important to me many ways. Miya reminds me of my favorite artist Bob Marley, a Free-mind with a heart with a purpose, using his artform as his tool for change and self-expression. His boy Tuki reminds me of Peter Tosh. City of Ink crew are the Melody Makers. Soul Rebels and Duppy Conquerors in a Trenchtown Rock(ATL).

One Friday night, I got the brief chance to hang with Miya, at his Studio and at his at City of Ink. I listened to him talk about his vision for his Movie and what he's is working on. The more he talked, the more I was inspired to do something bigger and paint something deeper. Miya is a Tattoo Artist and I a Visual Artist, that have one common belief, that is to keep the Art form we do, Pure. Miya talked about the bad Tattoo artists that are ruining the Art form for a quick buck. It pains him to see bad tattoos on a person, as I do seeing bad art on the walls of Galleries and Homes.

The thing that Miya brings out in his paintings/tattoos are the deeper meanings behind them. As an emerging artist myself, I appreciate his Artistic vision. Many of us Artists stop at the surface, but real Artists go to the Soul. Miya gives a deeper meaning to Soulful Art. You could paint the prettiest painting with nothing to feel from it. Legends are made by the ability to go to the heart.

Thank you Miya for going Soulful.

Unbelievable - behind the Image

2010-06-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

People wonder why I have an image of myself with a silhouette of Notorious B.I.G in side of me. I did that because I love the track Unbelievable by him. Its my favorite B.I.G track of all time. So my collage here, is a metaphor for my talent and a motivation as an artist to be and do the Unbelievable. Every time I listen to Unbelievable, I put my name in place of "Biggie Smalls" as I sing along side the track.

CP wept

2010-05-23T10:21:00.000-07:00

Do you know the success rate for an artist is 30%? Did you know the great artist Rembrandt died dead poor?

Being a starving artist I go thru hundreds of downs. I, like many other artists, are faced with so many obstacles. I get depressed, stressed out, worry, and many times I question if this worth doing anymore? Also, being criticized, rejected, and under-appreciated takes a toll on a person's spirit, daily. If I had $100 for every time someone said, “Your work is amazing” I’d be a content man. But compliments don’t pay the Mortgage, car note, credit card bills, utilities, food, and other expenses. I’m faced with so much uncertainties. For all the hard work a man must do to be am Artist, the pressure is over-whelming.

So today I went to Church. The pastor preached about 2 Cor. 3-7

4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

The Pastor talked about being “distressed” in a situation that God has chosen for you. Thru out the Bible God took very ordinary people and told them they can do impossible things for his Kingdom. The pastor said, “God, told them, this is what I’ve chosen for you to do”.

I know the saying, "Men aren't supposed to Cry". I dont cry much, but I cried today in Church, because I’ve been praying so long to God, during these times of distress, to tell me what he wants me to do? He answered me, “I’ve Chosen you to do this, I chosen you to speak to the kids and give them someone to look up too. I chosen you to be apart of people’s lives and I used your gifts for myself.” This started to make sense to me, because if I was rich and needed nothing, I’d be conceited and content with what I had and not what I needed to do. I felt humbled down to my core.

The pastor said “everyone will come to points in their life when you’re at a cliff. The cliff’s dropped is 5 miles down, and you look at God and say “So I guess this is as far as I should go?” and he said, “No, keep Going, I got you”.

Love thy Neighbor

2010-05-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

In the City of Atlanta, there is a big state of poverty in the City. Unfortunately no one is talking about solutions to fix it. People are begging on the streets, everywhere you turn. Yesterday I decided to find out "what happened to them?".

I went to the west end of Atlanta and met a man in front of a fried chicken restaurant. He called himself "Scarface". He had massive scars all over his body. He seen me with a camera and wanted me to do a documentary on him. I giggled and said, "I don't do documentaries but I'd like to take your picture and hear your story". Scarface didn't say much of anything, just went back and forth, mumbling about alot of different things. He talked about the street life and how he hustles selling CDs. He wanted me to buy him some chicken, and I did. it was the lest I could do
Next, I was in Castleberry, were I met James, a pan handler on Peters St. I knew James for a while, James calls me "Nephew". James is a cool dude. As we were talking a woman came around, saying "Please! someone help me, I'm pregnant and I need food, I don't want your money, I just want something to eat". I gave her $5, but James gave all the money he had pan-handling to her. I said to him, "why did you do that?" he said, "Because Nephew, it's just gonna come right back to me".

James said he is a diabetic living on the streets, which shocked me because my mom is a diabetic, and her life is tough with that disease. He said when he asks for food, people think he will sell it for drugs, so they tell him to eat it in front of them. He does what they say, knowing it will probably kill him. I asked him what went wrong in his life? He said, "Nothing went wrong, Nephew, I chose this life" I asked him but what about the winters and living life on the streets, aren't you suffering? he said "I look forward to everyday, I've been doing this for years, God put me here to help others like that lady".

A few things run through my mind. In Jesus's time he helped the poor. The Poor and needy mobbed him everyday of his ministry. We read about when a multitude of 5,000 came he feed them fish and bread. Jesus, must of been overwhelmed by what was going on, but kept helping and passed the opportunity to help others, to us.

I dont know these people. but I'm not here to judge them. God gives us the opportunity to help our neighbors, we need to do it, as it was written, "Love thy Neighbor".

My Way

2010-05-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since I've hit a little notoriety in the Art scene, it seems like every word I say, every move I make, I get a backlash of critics, hate, and snakes coming out the grass.

I've been called every part of the human digestion system. I've been called insensitive, politically incorrect, a homophobe, a sell-out, uppity, a hero, a leader, a motivation, and a inspiration. Sometimes Deserved. I've been ignored, abandoned, challenged, rejected, accepted, wanted, praised and discredited, all in the same week.

I say all of this to say, I did it all, My Way. Before you think you can say you know CP the Artist, know first Charlton Palmer. A skinny kid out of Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Who grew up very insecure about his height, weight, and that felt alot of rejection as a kid. Then when I became a man, I kept trying to find a better way in life. I became a Christian put my faith into God, not people. I don't have the greatest rags to riches story or tragedy turned triumph moments. I am sorry there's no Hollywood movie script material.

I'm not looking for any ones approval, because I am a flawed human being and I wish people would just accept that. You see more then the top layer, so accept it, its My Way. I will say and do the wrong things by mistake.

I do art for a living and not for fame or glory. I am here to make lives better. I hope to make a difference in lives thru my ART and service. My Way, isn't the best way, but don't put me on a pedestal and expect me to be PERFECT. Don't hold stock into the things I may fail at. You wanna make me better, then be like my best friends, by helping me love, care, and find understanding. Help me do the greater good. Quit the jealousy, envy, tough talk, and sensitivity because all of that isnt My Way.

SHADE - 24x24 Limited Edition Giclee Print

2010-04-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

This Artwork is about finding any comfort in a tough situation.

2010-03-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Conversation with CP The Artist from Naka Events on Vimeo.

HealthSCARE Reform

2010-03-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

In light of the Health SCare Bill being passed, I have to say: Barack Obama can make any Speech he wants, but I don't TRUST IT. I don't trust this government, period. How can I trust them to make the right decisions from the decision they've made with my taxes, when to go to war, how much my money is mine when I retire, who to trust in the congress, senate, or house of reps? and you want me to Trust in a Health SCare Reform Bill that's 2,000 pages long? What's in the Details? What's the grey area? Who's paying for this? Will it Work?

I don't even read that 1 page that inside the Aspirin box. I've always believed the Devil is in The Details. I don't TRUST IT!
Man will do anything to stay alive: eat his kills, kill his mother if he had to. Bush lead the U.S. into War with Iraq, with the help of fearful Americans after 9/11.
It's been 9 years since 9/11 and Bin Laden is still making more videos then Porn Stars. I digress.

So am i supposed to just agree with everything his prostitute government passes into law now? Hidden agendas. I see Evil in Man. I see only HOPE IN GOD. I see PROGRESS AND CHANGE thru JESUS CHRIST. There's a saying "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me". YES WE CAN, use our heads for once. Politics is a Game of how can keep a job longer or leave with the most. Corrupt US Government.

My Greatest Inspiration

2010-01-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

R&B Legend, Teddy Pendergrass died today at age 59 of cancer. I am so deeply sadden right now that I’m tearing up writing this and holding back from bawling. To me, TP had a way of taking songs and lyrics and putting them directly in your mind, heart, and soul for you to relate to. TP was Passion above his poetry. Who remembers hearing him sing and how he would pour it out? When he said, “Come here BABY!! Lay your head next mine!,” you felt it.

TP was the singer of my life, it seemed to me. Teddy Pendergrass, was more than apart of who I am. I played Teddy Pendergrass to let him sing how I was feeling. I felt like TP wrote many songs about me or how I was feeling at the time, more than any other Artist. He sang songs on how to love a woman.

He was such a therapist or relationship expert. Remember he sang, “Its so good, loving somebody, and that somebody loves you back” and then said “I’m talking about a 50/50 love, yeah I’m talking about a 50/50 love, yeah”

Even as a kid Teddy’s music had a power and strength I could listen too. I got to understand TP more as an insecure teenager, battling depression and emotional issues, I can remember playing Teddy Pendergrass’s LOVE TKO after a heartbreak I had with a girlfriend. It brought me healing.

It was Back when I was a newly wed with my exwife, I remember coming home every night and the wife was playing “Pretty Flower”. It was her favorite song. We would make love to the whole CD many times.

I remember being at my job, I worked as a Mail Room Clark, we played Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes Greatest Hits CD. When“Miss You” came on, most of us grown men would be singing, “ooooh I, Oooooh I, miss you, miss you, miss you” in the mail room. LOL

I’m not going to end this with saying, “Miss you” to Teddy. I’m gonna say to you TP, in your own words, from another of my favorite TP songs: “You are latest and my Greatest Inspiration…you keep lifting me up....higher"

Thank you Teddy. I love you
CP

Art, Beats, + Lyrics

2009-11-22T11:51:00.001-08:00

It was a honor for me to have my work in this event. I finally found this video

In Pain, is In my Art.

2009-11-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

This piece is called "Sick". This is an expression of the most painful time in my life, second to my Divorce and my parents breaking up. Back in 2002, a day after thanksgiving, I got really sick. Around the clock burning stomach pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and a fever. The doctor told me it may be the 24 hour virus that was going around. She gave me an anti-biotic and said I should be fine in 4-5 days. But I never got better.

Two weeks later, no signs of this going away. I missed my anniversary December 8Th, while being bed sick. Christmas came, I was still sick. My grandma prayed over me. It was hard on my family. I continued to fight the sickness. I lost 15-20 pounds in one mouth of hell with this Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I went to work some days a week, when the pain wasn't as bad or manageable. I spent my work days in the bathroom. I noticed that when I ate, that's when the symptoms got worse. So I only ate soft foods: soup, bread, etc. People told me I wasn't in any condition to work. But the fighter in me didn't want to quit living.

I went to the emergency room for a IV, my body was dehydrated. I seen a Gastroenterologist that scheduled me for a MRI or CT scan. He said he seen something in my lower intestines that looked like Colitis. I was praying it wasn't Crohn's disease. He scheduled a full Colonoscopy.

Around New years, I prayed as hard as I have ever prayed before, for God to get me thou whatever this was. After my colonospocy results were in, I went to see the Gastroenterologist again. He looked puzzled and concerned when he can to talk to me. He told me that the colitis they seen in the MRI, was Gone.

He said it must be Diverticulitis. I look at him like, yeah right! I got back my life back after recovering.

This trial in my life taught me a few things: Life is so unpredictable; Family is important; God is so real and God answers prayers; And In Pain, is In my Art.

CP

DEAR ATL ARTISTS

2009-11-15T12:46:00.000-08:00

Dear ATL Artists

A legendary Artist told me, “People want you to tell their story…some people want to appreciate what you do”. Another legend told me “People want to see your blood on that canvas”.

Flashback to the Summer of 2008, I went to Art, Beats + Lyrics in Atlanta for the 1st time. There I was a virtual unknown Artist and a bystander in the crowd. There I stood in front of the projection screen that was showing the local Artists and there work. I said to myself, “I can do better than this” and “My work deserves to be here”.

Filled by selfish pride, I worked to be “better” than the best. A long losing battle, with self. Because in the process, I began to lose myself in self. What made me a good artist started to fade, I became a Competitor not a creator. My competitiveness made me lose my artistic purpose. To create and inspire.

Today in Atlanta, many are in the same trap and the art hasn’t gotten any better. Let me be honest, it sucks. Artists that been in the game for over 5-10+ years, haven’t evolved. Copy cats are everywhere. Originality is dying as fast as the Hip-Hop culture did in the 21st century. Gilbert Young told me, “Don’t be like me, be better than me”.

Artists now have became predictable and lazy with their talents. Most of you quit learning. Quit appreciating other art forms. Quit opening your minds. Quit taking risks. Quit sketching. Quit trying to broaden your fan base. Quit loving Art. Quit being open to criticisms. The only consistent thing is most of your egos have gotten bigger, with little to nothing to show for it. Damn Battling each other, battle your sorry ass skills. Blank paper looks better than some stuff I’ve seen lately. Quit being sloppy.

But Who am I to judge?

I have no legacy, no clout, and no authority. But I am fan of Art and a diehard Art lover. So that’s my authority. Which you are painting, illustrating, and etc. for. I am the PEOPLE: the collectors, the fans, the fellow artist, and the dead legends before us.

Stop wasting this opprotunity. This is our History. Look around at the Artists in Atlanta. We are a Power. We are or can be the Mecca where people come on a plane, train, or bus just to see our ART. We can change things in our community and world. Through Art, we can reach out to other communities because art is the universal language.

I told my brother/arch-enemy in Art, Fabian Williams, “I want the Legends to pass the torch to me, but if they never do, I’m going to start my own fire for myself.”

We, the Artists of Atlanta, are someone’s inspiration. We are who the next generation is looking up to, to be like. If we continue to short our talents, we short a generation of Artists and our own legacy. We are The Renaissance, but we don’t even see it. There should be a documentary about us, not an obituary.

CP

My LOGO's Meaning

2009-11-04T20:17:00.001-08:00

A lot of people get the meaning of my logo wrong. So I decided to explain it.

The meaning of my logo
The "CP" are my initials (Charlton Palmer). "The Angel blowing the horns", represents a Angel sounding my arrival.
"The Flowers" represent life or growth.
“The Skull” represents my fears are behind me and ever so present. The Skull also means the ugliness of this world that I will visualize thru my Art.
The "Laugh now and cry later" masks with the hand grabbing them, means I chose both masks to wear in my Art.

thats the meaning of my logo

2009-10-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

Value it!

2009-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

I swear, if you can't afford an original Painting, don't ask for one. It is long and hard freaking work. Insult a good artist by asking for less then what he'll qoute you for a painting. $1000-2,000 Is NOT Over-priced for a painting of your snotty nose kid, that took 8-20 hours to make. People never throw away old photos, who is throwing away a original painting?

A painting of you will be passed down from generation to generation. When you're dead that painting will live forever. What's the worth of that? less then $500? Get the heck out of here.

I hate nothing more then a Customer who doesn't appreciate my time, effort, and masterpiece, I'll give them. Period! They will say "Omg, you're the Greatest", but when you tell them the price, "OMG, that's crazy". Shake my head!

A Artist shouldn't ever over-value himself. The artist WAK's, aka Kevin William, commission is $10,000. Why? because people like Oprah knows his value. When you get to a certain level ,reputation, and skill level you can ask for whatever you want. But if your work isn't up to par with a Wak, Gilbert Young, Fabian Williams, or Dubelyoo, to name a few, you just deal with your market value.

A Artist should never devalue his Art-work and neither should the Customer. A Artist should never say, "because they wont pay me XYZ, I will take what I can get". Like poor hungry Crackhead, you'd sell your kid for a little spare change. This causes a ripple effect which devalues every other Artists doing the same thing. If the majority of artist asks for $200 per painting, then the customer's feel every artist should cost the same. Why should I stoop down to $200 for work I put my effort in?
BMW never stoop down to Kia Car prices for a reason: BMW knows its value. For $200 just costs supplies, you IDIOT!!

Here's the pricing rule I've learned:
1. Charge $75-100 per hour of work time.
2. Charge for supplies(canvas, frame, paints, etc) plus $15 extra.
3. if you're selling the original, multiply 400% of 1 and 2 costs. We live in the age of technology. Your work is more then likey to get reproduced and sold once in the wrong hands.

If you're a Artist that needs money to keep the lights on, there's nothing wrong with having a 9-5 job. I would suggest also to do Quick-Art money. Quick Art Money, is any type of Artwork you can do quick and that is in demand: Photography, Websites, Sketches, Fliers, Mixtape, Invitations, Logos, etc. Use the QAM, to live off.

Customers, please know that "Good" Art is a purchase of a lifetime, treat it as such. Reward those for their value.

Artists, don't cheat yourself or cheat customers with work you're not good enough to make at the price you want. Get your skills up.

Artists, dont settle for cheap customers. Go find the customers that will appreciate your work!!

CP the Artist.

2009-07-27T17:19:00.000-07:00

CP Poster ART

2009-07-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

12X18 Posters

CP the ARTIST

2009-07-19T14:14:00.001-07:00

Hello All

My name is Charlton Palmer, aka "CP the ARTIST". I'm an artist here in Atlanta, Ga.

I do freelance work for small business, corporations, etc. My goal is to have my work, in your home.

I do Digital Paintings. DP (Digital Painting) is painting with out paint or a canvas. It all done in Photoshop. I then print the final image on paper canvas or photo paper. DP is my specialty.

You can reach me at 732 376 1955. email cpalmer76.info@gmail.com