What’d You Do This Weekend, James Shields?

Name: James Shields
Age: 27
Occupation: Artist
Neighborhood: Bed-Stuy
Relationship status: Single and looking

 

I was meandering through Dekalb Market‘s shipping containers turned shops yesterday evening trying to talk myself out of buying jewelry when I turned the corner at one of the stalls and came across James Shields painting at an easel he’d set up across from the DJ booth. James was putting the finishing touches on a pair of paintings he’d created over the weekend while working at the market; however, when I walked up, he was kind enough to put his brush down for a minute to talk to me about his artwork and swap stories about our bikes. He even showed me a coloring book he’d created to teach kids about his two loves – hip hop and art. Our meeting was brief, as the market was about to close, but before I headed home, I had to ask him: What’d You Do This Weekend?

FRIDAY: I had a trunk show in DUMBO with my partners. I actually run a boutique in DUMBO, reInspire Brooklyn, and so we teamed up with iDK Style Therapy, which is a vintage style boutique. We titled our collaboration “The Aquarian Trunk Show” because the three of us are all Aquarians. We hosted a happy hour trunk show in reBar for people to shop our crafts – coloring books, art and clothing – followed by a dance party. We will be having the party the first Friday of every month and look to feature other artists/businesses aside from ourselves. The party was great. We danced till about 3 am – not so great in regards to waking up the next morning in time to prepare for Dekalb Market.

SATURDAY: Saturday I went to sleep, woke up and came here, [Dekalb Market]. This is our first time here. I heard about it last year. We wanted to get out and do something new, get out of DUMBO for a minute and let people see our stuff. After work, I went back to DUMBO to do some work. My studio’s at my crib, but my partner’s studio’s in DUMBO. We’re both artists. I was doing a bit of email communication, drank some beer and chilled out. It was a long day at work. Then I just rode my bike home. It’s a Schwinn, 10-speed, blue. I love my bike. I just got it actually from my Grandad back in Cali. I brought it back out here on the plane. I put it in a box and checked it in. It was like 70 bucks, but, just in case you every ship a bike, don’t get it serviced first because you have to break it down and then get it put back together.

 

SUNDAY: I went to church in Harlem and then came down here. Tonight, I think I’m going to go to Williamsburg. A friend of mine, TreZure Empire, she’s a very very dope singer. She’s having a show tonight with Kimberly Nichole [at Cameo Gallery], so I think I’ll check that out.

RATING: I’ll call it a 4.