Art journey, Career, Catalogue, Changes, Evolution, Exhibition, Expo(sition), History, Inventory, Legacy, Lessons, Metamorphosis, Oeuvre, Output, Portfolio, Process, Profile, Provenance, Retrospective, Show, Statement, Story:
1989
At age 5, drew the leftside-view of a saloon car from memory for a Modern Nursery (Bell Avenue, Jinja) assignment and wanted to keep the paper forever but I think it was used to light up a sigiri [charcoal stove]...
John Barnes at Liverpool FC was my role model in the late 80s...
1990
My Baba told me to drop out the letter Y in my sad surname Ayikobua [Happiness is in Heaven or the grave] given to me by Ma(ma) after her father died eight months before my arrival on Earth; the Pursuit of Happiness started at 6 years in Jinja (Busoga) but where I come from (Lugbaraland), happiness is spelt with Y, more like Happy-iness [Ayiko]...
Mrs. Achere taught us how to draw stick humans and animals during Primary 1 at Victoria Nile School...
1991
Passionate about Kawino (Neighbour's daughter) even if she wasn't the brightest chick in our stream; loved her like myself. Sometimes, she would play football with us (the boys) and I would share with her stuff I bought with stolen money. My personal class position plummeted from Top 3; never got to Number 1 again until I left VNS...
1992
Carbon-traced images from Ladybird storybook illustrations, chewing gum stickers eg Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles plus comics like JESUS, He-Man, Phantom, Flash Gordon, Moses (from United Bible Societies), etc. Should have used dry pens, but instead drew unwanted photo-ruining ink outlines on original pages for some time until the spent-ink pen idea came. This is where my pencil slavery began...
My Big Brother tells me to check out a guy called Michael Jordan and he becomes my Favourite Sportsman; week in, week out...
Drew a Footballer in my classwork book for my Religious Education (RE) teacher's assignment as what I wanted to become in future. My dream was to be like Romario the Brazilian...
Loved classmate Sophie's soulful, composed nature...
The P3D Science-handling classteacher (Miss Nabirye) asked why my grades were deteriorating and anonymous classmates replied, "Because he's always drawing..."
Upper-schoolers sent to police us while teachers had a meeting make me kneel at the front while holding a brick in each outstretched hand after someone else whistled; my hand was touching my mouth so they called me from the leftback corner of our classroom. Learnt quiet endurance...
Felt inconsolable grief within my soul for the first time because of the four closest male relatives I knew (called them the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) moving to Kampala and leaving me with the females in Jinja; swore inwardly never to cry like that again in my entire life (It was a very dark abyss). Months later while preparing to join them, I was the happiest kid on earth; even sang while dressing up for the journey but didn't know the smaller city Jinja would tickle my fancy more after that maiden capital city visit...
1993
Fell in love with Mariam Were in P4 after Kawino disappeared without a trace. Instead of my Art which was still growing, I wanted to impress "Black Beauty (nickname I gave her)" with my daring sportsmanship and "Superman" athleticism. Classmates told me I played football "like a man" and neighbours at Spire Road called me "captain". I knew how to craft footballs from milk sackets, ballpoint pens, rubbertire strips, papers, banana fibres, soda straws, etc. The other game I loved to play was dulu [marbles]...
Gulam Wakabi (Half Musoga, half Asian) was very generous with his Transformers pencils; I even betrayed a different classmate (a Black I promised to pay for) at the Jinja Agricultural Show entrance just to return a favour in an instant...
Struggled to create 3D shapes in Bukoto suburb, Kampala...
Studied Times New Roman fonts in novels and newspapers after my mother beat me for "poor handwriting"; wanted to run away from home and become a streetkid but stayed...
Miss Ganda (P4 Science teacher) praised me for the skeleton I drew in my classwork book; I loved her for the fact that she didn't beat us like other teachers plus was a cute woman...
1994
Made my first scrapbook with Ian Wright in a JVC jersey drawn on the front cover; it was so prophetic that four years later, I became a die-hard Gooner. Ian was on the bench injured during my enlightenment game (1998 FA Cup Final), but when I saw him celebrating with his teammates at the end of the match, I was happy and chose to follow the Wenger Boys...
Classmates compared my art with Ivan Nsoita who I met again in A-Level; he had talent in drawing robotic figures and usually outperformed me in athletics trials for our green Rwenzori house. Ivan was good in Sciences too. At Macos seven years later, he would become the Cartoonist while I was appointed Headline Designer by the Macorean (school magazine) patron...
Handpicked by Deputy Headmaster Okoth Ocen as a member of the school's first mini-cricket team (where kids use a softer tennis ball); played as a fielder (catcher) and bowler plus kept the handbook for instructions. The Indians on our team were truly skilful batsmen...
Labelled a "Hypocrite" by my P5 stream's English Classteacher for whom I diligently reorganised library books in their catalogues whenever she called me with two other boys but refused to stand in the front row instead of behind during a class song rehearsal and was reported by the class monitor; thought she would exonerate me but didn't. She also made me a laughing subject during one of her lessons because of a torn hole near the right back pocket on my shorts and I taught myself how to stitch clothes. Classmates called my torn gaping shoes "fish", so I taught myself how to mend footwear inspired by my cousin Charles and Uncle Jad...
Made a paper roll TV box (windup scroll in a box with view window) at Spire Road and showed it to my Best Friend (an Itesot named Denis Ogwapit who stayed on Oboja Road) while we drank yellow orange juice and my sisters plaited hair. Thought we would grow up to form a band like Boyz2Men alongside classmates Anthony Ntaki (Garden Tea) and Sylvester Rokani (who lived across the Owen Falls Dam bridge)...
Did a frontslide step dance while circling around classmates Abed Abud and Muyangu as they sang "Number One" by Apache Indian to entertain the P5 audience that had gathered in the Main Hall for debate which I normally stayed quiet in until P7. Our English teacher had directed Abed to perform during the halftime break and he called me up to supplement; creativity was spontaneous...
1995
My mind was set on winning the Inter-stream football contest scheduled for 2nd term in order to impress my biggest crush Mariam (who was always with the beautifully brownskinned Rwandese-like Laura Batamuliza during school breaks. Other boys wanted Laura through me because I was made to sit nearest to her by the classteacher but for me I wanted Mariam through Laura; actually saw them together on the east slope pitchside watching us play during the preceding year's 2-0 loss where I missed a great chance to score when blocked from behind by a P5K defender on my left blindside. I shot with my right but got a corner instead)...
Left my beloved Jinja (Birthplace) for Kampala Capital City the very next day after 1st term ended; had spent Farewell Friday afternoon with my Best Friend Dennis Ogwapit and another classmate Abed Abud (our P5D stream's goalkeeper allocated to a different stream in P6). I was the 7th in my Stream of top bwats out of three classifications. As Omwana Wa Idhindha, it was a sad goodbye on that Sabbath Saturday but I returned a number of times to the lovely City that made me, starting with a P7 field trip: "Bamusakata" by Ragga Dee was our taxi tune. Second time was with my Ma during PLE vacation...
Sat next to Barbra Anyait for some weeks; we would chat freely like we knew each other from a past life. Wonder why I adored the unique aura of Teso people including Fred Kegere, etc; maybe because of their thumb piano plus malwa (which I mixed with sugar and drank like porridge) from Jinja and Ogwapit. John Denis Oboi and Bwire (forgot his other name, maybe Godfrey an Eastern Ugandan) from the West stream were also friendly inspirations...
Brownskinned girl who always heatpressed her uniform with pristine magnificence hits my temple with her bare knuckles [ngolo] during Art lesson after I refused to draw for her since it didn't feel right to me though I had already drawn for other streammates. Someone threw a banana-fibre ball that hit her, then fell under my desk and when I went down to pick it, chick pounced like the shadow of a tall tower but I didn't react. She treated me with remorseful respect after I became Headboy the following year like she knew I possessed enough power to retaliate but had already forgiven her...
Returned to Number 1 (Top of the Class) for the first time since P1 in P6 Third Term with above 90 percent in SST, Science and English but only 62 in Mathematics. When I reached home from boarding school around midday, I left my shoes at the doorway, but went straight to the sitting room still in school uniform plus socks, pulled out a small table and started calculating numbers inside a P7 Maths textbook until 3pm, no lunch (I was that furious)...
1996
Got 10 out of 10 during a weekend Mathematics test; Classteacher called me to the front for a hug...
Turned down an invitation to join the School football team, but ran for my house during athletics. My Footballer ambitions died because of regular academic flogging which was something I had disliked deeply since P4 (in 1993) though couldn't stop the teachers by throwing a chair at one like Cristiano Ronaldo nor beating them up in their dreams like Erica Mukisa (former witch who studied in my old school after I left), but fought back in my new school by reading very hard like a kalabanda leprechaun or pixie until they started honouring me instead (even rigged in elections for me to become Head Boy though 3rd in pupil votes); prayed to GOD every night to make me top my class and got the optimum 4 points on 4 subjects in PLE. No Fine Art was taught in P7 but learnt great stuff from the English teacher (Mr. Kintu), the other English teacher (Mr. Tinka) made us laugh a lot: Do you know a cow?, Math Classteacher (Mr. Mukasa) labelled me the Most Handsome while Science teacher Magumba called me his "son" (I used to read a P8 Science book from Kenya plus Introduction to Biology used in Senior 1 to get answers); Political Science lecturer had interesting stories...
Learnt in a textbook borrowed for a holiday from Dorothy Amuron (who classmates thought was my girlfriend) about how newspapers are made. In the early 90s, I used to think newspapers recorded what was going to happen during the day like a precognitive Daily Prophet publication, not what had already happened the preceding day...
Miss Agnes Kibone, the English plus Art Classteacher in my previous year told pupils after us that I write "like a computer"...
1997
Straight Talk (Newspaper) teaches me that masturbation is "not evil" but two decades later, I discovered a South Korean video that painted the punishments in Hell for that wickedness...
Rita (born with HIV) was the most beautiful girl in our Kyebando Kisalosalo hood; used her pretty aura to inspire me to copy GOD's designs...
Taught myself cursive script calligraphy from a Christmas carols book, an aptitude I utilised to sign cards, autograph books, letters and envelopes for family plus schoolmates at no charge though streammates wanted me to collect at least 100 UGX for every signwork. I used those loss leader requests to train my hand muscles to work while expecting any reward... Joined SMACK as Number 31. I can still remember the 1st Art lesson from Mr. Godfrey Lutaaya, one of my Favourite Teachers of All-Time coz he was easy-going: A line is a collection of dots. It rhymed with what I already knew from tracing newspaper photos with dotted pixels. Saw him again after S4 at the Makerere University School of Education while in my A-Level at Macos. I would sketch for multiple classmates who got 10 out of 10 while I got 9 because of less time used but didn't mind...
Joined the SMACK Chapel Cherubim Choir's alto voice and learnt how to read musical notations...
Represented SMACK as an unused substitute for Joseph Mutuugu in the Inter High-School German Poem Reciting Competition at Nabisunsa Girls School; my short buddy clinched the Senior 1 title and I asked a joke question no one in the audience got right during the break. Saw Allen and Nema, OGs from VNS Jinja...
Accepted JESUS into my heart at age 14; became a Savedee (on Tuesday 2nd December 1997) after watching "Serve The LORD" by CARMAN on five month old Lighthouse TV and gave up my dreams of practising magic plus starting Uganda's first 24/7 Porn TV station. I also stopped using foul, obscene American language; tried to tame my tongue by becoming quiet like a cabbage. Read the entire Gideons International New Testament Bible but quit the Roman Catholic Chapel Choir indefinitely. I knew about JESUS from the 1979 JESUS film, brief church readings selected by clergy plus comics but was very ignorant about many Bible verses; the only book I had read from beginning to end was the Proverbs of King Solomon after being chosen Headboy the preceding year...
1998
Made a personal Vow of Silence and started reading the entire Old Testament (from Genesis to Malachi) because I felt hell-bound. Everytime I opened the Bible after reading the whole of it, I discovered something fresh I thought I had seen before but retaught more clearly; it is the Greatest Book on Earth...
Became an Arsenal fanatic on Saturday 16th May during the FA Cup Final (my Enlightenment Game watching a black and white TV set) because Michael Jordan was retiring from basketball again (Knew about The Last Dance being filmed); needed something with adrenaline to occupy my attention weekly after the NBA Finals...
1999
Painting lessons kicked off for my yearmates specialising in Fine Art as an optional subject at the SMACK Artroom... Perspective in painting with 1 or 2 vanishing points was introduced to me in the open sun; our study reference included the view facing the Geography room, Chemistry lab, Chapel and HSC block. This was what 3D is about: X, Y and Z-axis lines. My Art Class comprised Jude, Kaweekwa (The GOAT), Francis Otim (Oparaah), Yawe, Oscar Sajjabi (storyteller), The Oba, Ndagijimana (German Mukiga who lent me a book about realistic German Pencil Art), etc. Our practical classes were always filled with laughter as artists commented on each other's artworks...
Felt a weird nostalgia about Catherine Johnston (white deskmate from P5); it was not even a crush but over a decade later, penned down a song inspired by her memory...
Started recording my unbelievably cinematic dreamvisions in exercise books after my Stream Monitor requested me to be the Timekeeper and I asked YAHWEH to wake me up in time everyday; didn't even own a wristwatch but Abraham Mach (a South Sudanese streammate) gave me his until the end of 1st term...
Classmates labelled "Snoop Dogg" on the backrest of my wooden chair while others called me "Aikob(oob)s" because I loved women...
One Saturday, my father left his mobile phone at home and told us to call anyone; I called WBS TV and spoke to Kismat (tall, headstrong Indian)...
Never stepped foot in West Nile during the entire 90s due to attitude or malala ga kibuga [city pride]...
Since the world did not end at midnight on New Year's Day Y2K, I decided to make a pilgrimage to Arua from 1st to 6th February at 16 years of age, which is my Oldest Memory of West Nile. My mother Liza told me she brought me to Arua as a handheld baby but I remember nothing except Jinja...
Started supporting Real Madrid (White Angels) intensely around the time they beat UEFA Champions League-defending champions Manchester United 2-3 away at Old Trafford; payback for the Bayern Munich heartbreak from the preceding season...
Ssalongo Joseph Okiror taught us that while drawing Biology diagrams, we must not stop unlike what sketchers do. From start to finish, no break should form in the line drawings pencilled. It was quite rudimentary but a very good, focussed and continuous discipline to develop nonetheless as the pencil doesn't leave the paper...
Classmates used to call me holy and "The only person who will enter Heaven" but a nefarious ancestral dragon of pretended holiness was cast out of me by a circle of bornagain brothers led by Raymond Rwabita behind the SMACK Memorial Library who saw a vision where JESUS appeared and the dragon flew away, then the Lord hugged me... Baptised in the Holy Spirit by Peter Lukaaga near Kiwanuka House rainwater tank...
Mathematics teacher mocks me with 28 percent after doing a three hour exam in one hour due to school fees uprooting by the bursar...
Mrs. Katimbo (Maiden name: Nabisene) taught us Summarization, arguably my Sweetest English lesson in four years of O-Level...
I was very exceptional in English (aced PLE and UCE like German) plus History (aced UCE and UACE) but mediocre at Literature (got grade 4 out of 9 like in Art); actually offered it in A-Level so that my interpretation could improve but still got C in S6 UNEB, not the most wanted A grade. After failing another random oral question asked by the S4 literature teacher during her after-lunch lesson, I walked back to my Lourdel dormitory very sad, sat on my bed contemplating how to get better in Lit. Suddenly, my deckermate above, standing on his bed, whacked my left face with his belt, probably by accident. I didn't say a word, just soaked in the double pain. "Carcass For Hounds" from Kenya was my favourite studybook because of the rivetting movie-like action, undeniable anticipation and descriptions...
Emancipated myself from pencil slavery when my S4 deskmate Jean Rwamukaga (aka Kaahwa) requested me to ink for him a portrait of Bob Marley; started drawing with focus using ballpoint pens only especially blue ones, no pencil...
Drew Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Michael Jordan, etc for my two scrapbooks...
Applied to The Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art (inspired by Jude Karuhanga who drew the DC and Marvel Way plus sharpened pencils like a real pro), then received a brief Joe Kubert's World of Cartooning correspondence course outline which I studied seriously as if my future depended on it coz I couldn't afford admission nor tuition fees. A classmate later told me to ask my father but I felt he shouldn't be made to pay school fees twice...
Posed as a model for Jude's clay sculpture of "The Thinker"...
Three of my classwork paintings including "Green Lamp" were chosen for the SMACK Millennium (1906-2000) Art Exhibition; I was so so so happy about my artworks being selected from thousands of options by other students that I took my dad who had come to attend the celebrations to the school artroom, after the main general function ended...
Thought intensely of running an art label which I named Atelier [French for Studio] the following year...
Inked the same guidewords on 200 pages of an autograph book for a silky-slick-football-dribbling yearmate in S4C plus dormmate named Ivan Earl Agaba. The task pressed a healable dimple on my right 2nd finger but was nonetheless a great learning experience...
Drew portraits of Dramani Family Faces as a gift to my parents though layout was redesigned three years later and framed for hanging on the wall...
2001
Started conceptualising my Aiko logo inspired by the Xantrex inverters logo in New Vision classifieds; design changed gradually until I finally added an inverted Nike swoosh on top of my font trademark...
Discovered MAD Magazine courtesy of Ivan Musoke aka Soki or Ivan Writes on Facebook who used to buy them from Nairobi (He was sold with me to Macos by SMACK though I got 15 points on 8 subjects which was higher than the promised 17 point passmark before it was moved to 14; felt betrayed by the Headmaster - Brother Bukenya who was even my namesake)...
Dropped out of the Fine Art Class after one month as a day scholar because of deteriorating grades that fell by 7 marks annually since 1997; walked straight to the Technical Drawing Class with my artbook but was rejected ("You cannot start climbing a tree from the stem!"); so with silent tears in my eyes, I began writing the name "GOD" in all caps since permission for every breakthrough or deadend comes from HIM plus decided to teach myself how to draw cartoons in order to earn financial papers. One member of the TD Class who happened to be in my 5HEL combination (the Kenyan-born Indian named Arshad Ahmed) noticed my design skills and got me several gigs starting with Entertainment Minister Martin Atuhaire's election campaign (Mato won by 97 percent in actual student votes though results were altered). Arshad was the Sean Paul to my riddim...
Drew the Lessons timetable for my combination twice in two years plus Tombola game ads, agriculture chart for girl in Senior 2 who was very happy after I finished (probably directed by my first new friend at Macos named Joseph Aluba who was in her year), Consequences Film screening poster for classmate Karen Hasahya (who later married Kenneth "Pablo" Kimuli), Macos versus SMACK Rugby match poster for my SMACK then Macos OB Balugu (Ssalongo Allan Lwanga), Debating Club notices, etc...
Almost killed a patronising Musoga classmate in devilish rage for repeatedly labelling me "daft, stupid, fake and boring" just because I kept quiet - only spoke when I couldn't avoid it and to SMACK OBs at first; he wanted me to converse about his three biggest interests if I ever talked to him (listed Computers, Arsenal and Women on a piece of paper): Shut the fig up! I have a right to remain silent; it's my mouth and tongue, not his. Funny thing is my test grades were usually better than his whenever he compared results until he gave up. Holy Spirit told me to "forgive"; he later asked me to draw for him two company logos and a supermodel-type girl he fancied...
Inspired by Jet Li's "Romeo Must Die", I chalked a new slogan "The Devil aught to die" on the side blackboard in our Literature classroom. During lunchtime, a few Geography Class babes saw it and mocked me mercilessly when they returned to their room for apparently mis-replacing the word "ought". I didn't even know anything about their jibes until one of them came "to apologise on behalf of the others". It was so funny that I asked GOD to bless the snitch; the Geographers were the ones who didn't "zig Shakespearean Kazungu". My rare word had the same initial syllable as August, Autumn, audio, authority, etc. Could have respelt it "auwt" to intensify the slurs...
Postulated and told my hostelmates that: One day, we might see radio sets that convert everything spoken on-air into text on a digital screen like a radio for deaf people; they labelled me "mad [mulalu]" but I was totally convinced about the possibility because I transcribed song lyrics and English football commentary by listening to radio...
Represented Simba House alongside an S6 guy and middle school chick in the Macos School Quiz; composed an instant 20-second song advertising "Bonbon Insecticide" and earned 5 points out of 5 for my house. WEM, the "Kenyan-American" Senior 6 hostelmate who suggested my name for the quiz jubilated and bragged to those around him that he was right about recommending me... Acted twice in three days as a remnant pastor in the Best Play of MAPA (Music and Performing Arts); the day in-between was spent in bed trying to heal a pneumonia-like fever caused by dust inhaled from the school stage while dancing like Bakiga who stomp the ground hard with their feet. At the start of rehearsals, our guest trainer/ director wanted to cut me out of the play because I looked very meek (after about 4 years of being born again); she thought I couldn't act. Feeling insulted, I started performing the role my way until the main protagonist in the play finally told me with a lot of joy that he had never seen a character like me...
Chose Usher Raymond's "Can U Help Me" as the soundtrack for my art at Macos. Toni Braxton in a limegreen mini-dress was my first wetdream...
Lydia Nanyombi Mukasa declared boldly from a different column, but same row, that she had "landed for" my Art; classmates questioned her whether she hadn't landed for me instead. What she didn't know was that I silently thought of her as a perfect woman (and was amazed by her knowledge of Liverpool FC); she was curvy like Gloria the hippo in Madagascar (animated film). The following year, my moral support who was also in my pink Simba house sat directly in front of me as though GOD answered a silent prayer I never said. How does it feel when the woman you love the most (like Monica's "Angel Of Mine") is always next to you and you don't struggle to reach her? I just enjoyed my moments until Cantab Exams separated us. Other girls I fancied included my intellectual classmate Rebecca Sempa though gave up after the first conversation and Geographer Joy Baguma who reminded me of a half Munyoro, half Musoga crush called Joy that I saw in Walukuba (Jinja) during Easter Sunday 1991. She also had a younger brother named Joshua...
Drew book illustrations for two classmates: Lionel Mugema (about Rwanda Genocide) and Patricia Kelly Kobusingye (the Assistant Headgirl who won 200,000 UGX in the National Book Trust of Uganda [NABOTU] Competition and sometimes referred to as my girlfriend by the first of my two deckermates in A-Level)...
The African History teacher (Mrs. Okello) wanted an artist to draw a chart for Open Day's History Expo and when she asked during her lesson who the Best Artist was, classmates unanimously mentioned my name in chorus; I had no escape but to draw the hairy Zynjathropus (Earlyman) on a manila chart... Acted as the Oracle at Delphi in a Literature play staged for parents in the library... Discovered the cirrhotic effect of alcohol on livers in the Biology Expo...
My parents moved from Kampala to Arua and I discovered two days before Christmas that Kawino had been poisoned in Andruvu, an Arua suburb after the Airport. I got to meet a new motivation in the hood; showed her a portrait of my siblings which I had crafted plus other artworks. She was among my Top 3 Most Beautiful Women in Arua, but definitely my Youngest Most Beautiful Pick (only 6 years old) plus Biggest Crush and made Lugbara sound supersweet. I loved her with all my heart and one day she stunned me when she said: I like you because you treat me better than other people...
2002
Atelier changed to Imitari [Italian for Portrait]...
Created a yellow, green and red logo for ChurchTV (A Ray of Sunshine), my own praise and worship music collection that morphed from Instrument TV which I had imagined while at SMACK after getting saved: Dance and sing with all your heart and might to HONOUR the LORD; play harps, lyres, drums, rattles and cymbals. Compiled Christian Lyrics for 13 songs in a Music Journal dedicated to GOD on 1st August starting with "Serve The LORD" by Carman (My Conviction Song), "Smell The Colour 9" by Chris Rice, "Pray" by Rebecca St. James, "Waiting" by Jake, "Consume Me" by DC Talk, "It Is YOU" by Newsboys, "At The Cross", "Youth Of The Nation" by P.O.D., "Breathe, I'm Lost Without YOU" by Maria/ Michael W. Smith, "Above All" by Lenny LeBlanc, "Everything We Are", "LORD Of Heaven & Earth" by Third Day to "Crucified With Christ" by Salvador...
Geography Class Kabalega Dormitory hostelmate Philip Ekwang (LORD have mercy on his soul; he hanged himself 12 years later) commissioned me to make for him an "ostentatious" exclusively-Arsenal scrapbook using newspaper cutouts; in exchange he allowed me to remain with the rest of the pages from which I extracted a lot of good stuff especially Modesty Blaise strips, Spiderman, Luni Jokes, Lyrics, Photos, etc...
Yearmates called me "Eminem", "Controversial"; some thought I sneaked out of hostel to go clubbing but only Arsenal games...
Tried to draw a graphic novel of the 2002 Arsenal Double Champions but ended up creating a manila chart instead; my cousin Dramu asked me where I get all the information and I told him: Love...
Said the Koranic shahada in the presence of two witnesses (Suhail Mustapha my initiator and John Paul Ssali a Catholic) on Sunday 1st October behind the Makerere University Main Hall because I admired the way Muslims bow down to pray five times daily plus their women cover their booty decently: Everyone has body parts, so why flaunt yours like Jezebel and Babylon or prostitutes? It's a blessing to your spouse but stumbling temptation to others...
Finished last after being forced by housemate Kizza to take part in the Bottle Race on Sports Day; wasn't even dressed in the compulsory house T-shirt; wore a white T-shirt I bought in Kamwokya. Had stepped back that year to let other people shine after a glorious preceding year...
CRE teacher told my sister Doris who had come to visit me on Macos Class Day that I have a "poor handwriting"; maybe he was either joking, mistaking me for someone else or just wanted to say something bad about me...
My Best Friend at Macos named Innocent Ikinyang (another Itesot, who was concisely good at Literature) informed me about schoolmates arguing that I didn't know how to draw, but he always defended me...
Drew food menus for two Science students doing a Food & Nutrition practical. After their UNEB exam, one of them named Ndemele brought me a chicken cake that literally summarised the taste of my Macos A-Level journey; it was scrumptious...
Signed book autographs for Yata (You Are Truly Amiable) and Karen (If you wake up at 3AM, look up to the sky), etc...
During my S6 vacation in Arua, I started creating my own fontstyle for use in drawing comics by concentratedly re-studying Spanish cartoonist Romero's Modesty Blaise sequential art...
Wrote down on a piece of paper the name "AikoGraphics" for the first time plus my mission to draw "creative world-class designs and portraits" at 4:39 PM on Sunday 2nd February (Groundhog Day). The heavensent inspiration came to me while walking back home on Mt. Wati Road, directly opposite Amnesty Commission. My initial AGX list had only five products: Advertisements, logos, portraits, posters and badges (Limited passion unless style is relaxed by school demand most especially). However, I also create editorial cartoons, book illustrations, T-shirts, wall murals, theatre backdrops, signposts, Lugbara translations, blogs and videos...
Positive self-talk (Escape from mental captivity): Arua is the Sweetest Place on Earth...
Taught Biology to S1s & 4s for a couple of days at Highfield College in Awindiri that belonged to my mum's cousin Alfred Munguleni; gave up because of constant headaches and the Mitosis topic I had refused to memorise for S4 UNEB test years back...
With my hardfished 18 points on 25 during UACE, I failed to get both a Government scholarship plus admission through private sponsorship to my dream campus (Makerere University, ticked Mass Communication, Agriculture and Fine Art but was given none); so I allowed the sister I follow to apply for me to UCU where she was though also wanted to quit formal education. My parents convinced me to carry on. Feeling unsuccessful, I revised with an ice-cold vengeance like a "silent burner" to top my class which I did with 4.22 GPA (my 3rd Best Semester) alongside Veronica Kitonsa (Buganda bursary winner) who seemed to possess a fresh glory every morning whenever she arrived for lectures. GOD gifted me the supplementary Scholars and Friends USA bursary for Madi and West Nile Diocese worth 300 US Dollars (600,000 UGX) for each of my last four (out of six) semesters...
My Kenyan roommate Sidney Bwire (studying Laws) introduced me to Manga.com; what a website! I knew what Manga was since the mid 90s from watching MCM Africa and Samurai X animation series but didn't know what the distinct Japanese genre was called...
Fell in love with Alice Mbayahi (Mass Communication Student 262) on Saturday 22nd November and drew four ATM-size scarecards which I gifted her at different time intervals as reminders that am always thinking of her: Wanted Megabyte (nickname I coined based on the first two letters of her surname) to be my "Doppelgaenger" forever. Poetically, I felt so many MBs of love for Mbayahi that my 2nd campus roommate Felix Doi (a Luo) still asks me how she is whenever he calls (from South Sudan where he settled) even if I already told him she married "another man". Tried too hard to impress the Musheshe with my Art but though we grew apart 16 months later (when I took one of her photos without permission for drawing a surprise portrait), she still kept in touch with me as a friend even after campus. I had stepped back respectfully since February 2005 when she refused a fine art gift she had asked for before I wronged her, vowed silently never to bother her with my crush again and sought my level elsewhere. I'm amazed that the Rwenzori Babe I wanted to marry is a very skilled cake artist (The Cake Mama can ice) even if she caught my attention because of her sweet scent, husky voice and the graceful way she carried herself; was also pleased to know she likes Arsenal which conquered my heart in 1998. Alyce is about three months older than me; shorter in height but bigger in frame like Lydia. I hesitated to tell Lydia my truth until campus because I was playing it safe, but wrote down my feelings for Ali-yoncé (Classmates referred to her as my wife even before I proposed and was still in the Friend Zone). I wanted to marry Alice, but if there was any girl who could come between us, it was Xnthi in Arua...
At UCU between 2003-6, I drew a number of logos eg Media Link, UCU Volleyball, Lango Students Association, halo (inspired by a Teso-Indian half-breed I called Miss UCU, the 1st Woman I asked though rhetorically if she could marry me and she said Yes but also gave a respectful excuse though would introduce me to her pals as a VIP; she was also my VVIP like a Vice President though I never spoke it), etc plus portraits like Eminem; inked Michael Jordan "Spacebound" from the Seattle Supersonics NBA Finals on a big white chart and it was stolen from my hostel wall during 2nd Year; Edmund Asingwire became my Manager and got me gigs during plus after campus; drew my first storyboard for Mass Communication classmate Daniel Kyazze's filmscript entitled "Corroborate 2"...
Arua.com prototypes...
2004
Codenamed AGX2...
Having been recommended to Voice Of Life (VOL) 100.9 FM, I wrote a job application using red ink and the owner (Executive Director of Here Is Life) Mr. Isaac Anguyo told me red is used by teachers for marking; I had to return home and use a different colour. Only submitted three newsstories (including one from BBC Sport about Maria Sharapova's Wimbledon triumph over Serena Williams) but discontinued myself since I was working for free; loved their collection of New Vision publications nonetheless and also met one of my broadcast heroes in West Nile (that is Joseph Dradria) who I usually heard on the airwaves...
Saw a blue and white lucid-high dreamvision on Monday 4th October: If you have a problem, then just look up to the sky! It happened exactly 20 days before Arsenal's Invincible 49 run ended at the Theatre of Nightmares (that's what I call it). The first person to see my surrealistic heavenly-dreamvision drawing was Josephine, a 2nd Year Architecture student from Makerere University five days later on UG's 42nd Uhuru Day. The following Saturday 16th, she returned to our hostel commonroom and confessed, "I did some research on you and I like you! I like you! Do you know Ruth and Cisse? Your Macos schoolmates told me some things about you." Of course I knew Ruth and Cisse, they were in the Geography class next door in S5. Josephine advised me to: Add ventilation; Add natural lighting; Beauty in a building originates from the materials used, draftsmanship and shapes whether rare or usual; Be free to create what your senses reveal to you...
In 2nd Year at campus, future Dokolo North MP and Ugandan High Commissioner to South Africa - Paul Amoru Omiat (who also served as Mass Communication MP and UCU Guild President) introduced me to Da Broz Secretarial and Art Bureau in Mukono Town run by Mosh and his brothers plus a rubber flipflop squeegee for screenprinting; told me his artist father taught him how to use that makeshift tool. Designed his UCU Presidential campaign poster on manila and got new fans (clients)...
Moderated the UCU Hour Show on Spirit FM Mukono as training alongside classmates Rachel Nakanwagi Nsamba (used to call her Req), Lilliane Chimpaye (I nicknamed her Spiderwoman) and a dude (probably Brens); Introduction to Radio Production lecturer Jackson Turyagenda praised us in his class lesson the next morning for being the "liveliest" group though castigated me for letting the interesting discussion get out of my. hand The music was good and we had quite a number of callers...
2005
AGX3...
Started growing apart with my 1st Campus crush after the first Thursday night of February yet I was planning to draw her portrait as a surprise gift; spent Friday night in Kauga Jail with two other men (both reported by women who probably pretended to love them for defilement and fighting with a fellow bodabodaman respectively; for me I was caught in the wrong place thinking about a woman who threatened never to have anything to do with me). Next, I asked the Devil to "choose for me any girlfriend" to replace her; I pray GOD forgives me in the name of JESUS...
Applied to New Vision for internship as a Cartoonist during the course of the semester through classmate Roger Mugisha (Food Writer at the newspaper, not DJ Shadow), but wasn't selected...
Mass Communication Faculty Dean - Ben Bella - recommended me alongside seven other classmates to New Vision for End of 2nd Year internship but only three scholars were chosen due to financial constraints; wished I had connections despite getting 4.33 points. Left out, I applied my own Nasser Road skills and used the same official recommendation letter to look for a place at Procurement News (in vain) plus Business Week whose Editor (a nephew to my campus dean) sent me to interview Juliana Kanyomozi (Ugandan diva)... Painstakingly made a B5 collection of editorial cartoons based on campus jokes that got me a place in UCU's newspaper two years later... Visited Doro at a girls hostel near Makerere with tear gas in the air; her hostelmates commented that we were meant to be together, but I couldn't fight for her in a civil way against her unknown "boyfriend"; talked to the one before him though. Marriage is a democracy; when you lose in the special election, do not file a petition in court, but accept defeat and move forward! I have a personal code where I do not fight with other guys over women; they are enough for all men: Koran allows two, three or four, but one can be enough at a time. I wasn't badly hurt - just a wallcrack in the heart, that is why I went in person after nine years without seeing Doro to thank her for motivating me in the mid-90s with her triple-hearted kindness towards me: Something undeniably divine about this chick made me tick in academics and I had to respark it. I didn't have to tell her I liked her, she could see it herself; no words. So, I inked her portrait from a secondary school photo onto a white paper and shaded with coloured pencils before hanging it without any apologies above my 3rd year hostel window next to another for my new galfi in order to motivate me to study harder. Love is energy and it cannot be destroyed, only converted. My 5th semester was my Best (scored 4.36 points out of 5; only 0.04 points away from First Class)...
2006
Drew a second portrait of "Em" in January (our joint birthday month) after a neighbour at the hostel alerted her that I created one plus stringed it on my room wall; she had asked for her own copy during our last semester on campus. Em was a cute and supercalm classmate who addressed me as "boyfriend" in 2005, fulfilling a dreamvision from 1st Year; I hadn't paid attention to her for less than two full years because I was chasing after Alice but then she became "galfi" like deja vu. One night, I didn't sleep coz I was drawing a huge manila portrait for a hostelmate studying Laws. By sunrise, I was so exhausted that I missed [skipped] all my lectures for the new day intentionally in order to rest properly. She heard rumours that I was sick and SMS-texted two Bible verses which lit up my spirit by the end of day and became guiding principles for my Art: My help comes from the LORD who made Heaven and Earth [Psalm 121:1-2]; By HIS stripes we are healed [1st Peter 2:24 which is similar to Isaiah 53:5]. Em was a remedy and melody though "she only dates galactikos" and I was not even in her league...
My uncle Jad made me the Editor-in-chief of Reed Business Information (RBI) with a computer desk office at Daisy's Arcade...
Linked up with Walter Geria (outside Slowboat Restaurant) who alongside other cartoonists wanted to start "Breeze Magazine"; only contributed drawings for the first issue...
Graduated from UCU Mukono on 29th August with a 4.12 GPA Second Class Upper Division Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication Degree (Specialised in Print Journalism); was 2nd Best to (Lady) Kamwasir who scored 5.7 Points (above maximum because of Honours College supplementary points) but still Best Male in the Class. Emily was among the only four scholars who got above 4 points in my Mass Communication class; the fourth scholar was amazingly called Milly. One of my closest buddies joked that I should marry Kamwasir so that we give birth to clever kids, hahaha! Every kid has its own cleverness; one school career lesson I observed from good performers is that when you read ahead, you pass exams...
Met the Devil walking barefoot on Buganda Road in KLA one reality-warped sunrise around 6:66 AM, though cut right to the other lane instead of asking him for "Omukisa gw'ekibuga [Favour in the City]" nor anything else...
Interviewed in Lugogo about Marriage (topic) by Tina Wamala, a fast-rising broadcast star, for Record TV's Voice Of The People show; her workmate and my Graduate Fellow Grace Segirinya suggested me to her while I additionally suggested an engineer exhibiting at the UMA Showground who had requested me to tell WBS TV to come to his architecture stall opposite them; lady I talked to asked for 300,000 UGX yet Tina was free. That moment of fame made me a smalltime celeb as neighbours lined up to greet me in the morning; I didn't even watch the show coz of TV access but was happy...
Redesigned the UCIFA logo and added colour for my Uncle Jad Johnsons Tabule (Original in black and white was made by a Kenyan); issued an invoice of 1 Million UGX...
Digitised my Aiko logo at MTAC Nakawa; made it using a blue ballpoint pen (for male) and pink coloured pencil (for female gender equity) on paper after trying out various other colour combinations for half a decade. Original final design from 2003 was grey, black and white...
Drew Octo 7 logo for Vyo...
AikoToons printing begins...
The brand new bimonthly Standard Newspaper at Uganda Christian University (Mukono) represented by Thomas Froese and Wanyama Wangah hired me as the pioneer editorial cartoonist in April until 2015 (for eight straight years after Sports Editor Frank Obonyo told me about the opportunity two weeks before deadline day); was called back in January 2019 by new Supervisor John Semakula but the Covid-19 lockdown ended my 2nd stint by March 2020. My very first payment from UCU brought to the MTAC gate by Managing Editor Brian Semujju (Don Zamo) came after three months of publishing cartoons and I walked back home via the Lugogo Bypass instead of boarding a taxi like I usually did in the evenings from Nakawa just to soak in the moment: Cartooning was my dream job...
Slapped after midnight on the left elbow and neck (leaving wavy skincuts) by a watchman in all-green at Shell Ben Kiwanuka while trying from across the road to sketch a van parked adjacent to the fuel station for my Macmillan Prize for Illustration submission. Furious, I said a Muslim prayer I had recently learnt thrice while barechested: GOD, help me! 3X. Suddenly around the corner of the next building, I spotted a different watchman smartly clad in all-blue and also wielding a rifle coming towards us. He asked for my ID which the other guard had confiscated, went into the light to read, returned, handed me the ID and told my captor: Let him go! I think I heard an angel in disguise speak; GOD is very real...
Painted the interiors of two rooms with themes from animated films (Finding Nemo, Garfield, Scooby Doo, etc) for Posh Pets Shop at Shell Muyenga (KLA City) commissioned by the Ahmed Brothers. A drycleaning shop next door had an attendant named Faridah who kept checking on me and chatting; she reminded me of Kawino. The motorbike-riding manager of the petrol station was my OB from VNS...
Arshad's brother Arfaan got me my first KADS backdrop cloth-painting gig which was "Kampala Skyline" for Dr. Dick Stockley's "The Emperor's New Clothes (Christmas Pantomime)" after which Jennifer Hengstenberg wired 1 Million UGX to my Nile Bank (Barclays) account though Xenson (Ugandan high art maker and arguably Kampala's Most Famous Graffiti Artist) who liked my graphical presentation valued my artwork at 5 Million on Day 4 of 8. My Last Art Teacher since 2001 (Mr. Kikolokomba) found me at the National Theatre (Uganda National Cultural Centre) painting on Day 3 after charcoaling for the first two and gave me painting tips plus his blessing,"You can do it!" I put 23 years of learning into that huge 7 metre wide set design (during the fortnight) before and after Chogm and on Day 5, a hot young Black babe asked if she could sit nearby and watch me paint. A White woman wearing sunglasses and her friend loved the painting of the Sheraton while a beautiful German pre-teen who didn't believe I had done all the painting by myself kept saying "Wow, wow, wow!" A playwright promised to commission me to paint backdrops for two of his future plays on Day 6; only kept in touch briefly though. The penultimate day was very interesting and hearty from when I applied the first paintdrop as a dragonfly hovered above the painted skyscrapers like they were real; Lenny Kravitz once sang about if he "could fly, so very high, like a dragonfly" coz these insects are superhigh-fliers. A famous Ugandan dramatist thought I was making a mural for The Obsessions (group) while the Lugbara printman from Nasser Road whom my uncle had hired to publish Kargo Magazine and his two friends told me to ask for 8 Million from my client because he printed MTN billboards of the same size for 40 Million. On the final Day 8 which was the Hottest, a lady who worked at the theatre's snack centre nearby confessed that at first she thought I would give up but then the backdrop looked like "something". The KADS team made up of several Whites came around and exclaimed: Spectacular, awesome, great and fantastic...
 |
| Aiko & Mona during the making of "The Casual (2008 short film)"... |
Invited to Gmail by David Banduyo and started blogging after inspiration from one of my favourite campus fellows (Sharpe Cole Nimusiima)...
Published my first article in Daily Monitor Newspaper for School Times page through OB Henry Ssali; it was about Survival Football at SMACK. The story was also added to AllAfrica.com. The following week, some female wrote about Baking Cakes at Bweranyangi Girls SSS but the byline had my name which was a grave mistake; I kept wondering whose content it was...
Production managed and drew a storyboard for "The Casual", one of the three short films made during the 4th Maisha Screenwriters Lab; my handwritten quote (There is no free lunch!) placed inside a wood and glass frame appeared in the flick which starred my favourite Ugandan actress (Maureen Nankya aka Mona who reminds me of Kawino) and John Mary Mukiza (the big brother to Jude Karuhanga - one of my Art Class Heroes) as her mason husband named Kimani...
Told the cute Kenyan filmmaker Zippy Nyaruri that my dream is to make short story videos (about 5 minutes long) for mobile phone viewing...
Musarait Kashmiri advised me to "keep time"...
Received a Certificate in Screenwriting from Mira Nair on Maisha Day (Dreams become Memories)...
Joined Facebook after invitation from Vincho Nchogu (Kenyan I felt a fling for - admired her outgoing headstrong upbeatness plus tact with children), Semi Chellas (Canadian) and Patricia Olwoch (Kenyan-born Ugandan who convinced me that the rest of the civilised world had joined) plus inspiration from Kwezi Kaganda (Ugandan) who had attended the Maisha Filmlab (24th July to 16th August 2008) as a location scout...
Imran Azad taught me how to spray-paint graffiti at the Hotel Africana parking lot during the British Council's WaPi (Words and Pictures) Festival; met the inspiringly talented Owl (artist) who converted to Derrick tha Priest (musician)...
Felt the presence of the Holy Spirit at the UCU Newsroom in a huge way as I emailed my Arua Boys comic to Kristof (Belgium) and Talleah (USA). Before midday, a graduate fellow named Martha Chemutai called me from Kampala to replace a different dude from Makerere University she had recommended to replace her as the journalist in the making of an International Alert documentary. When Chummy (nickname) mentioned that it was in Kasese, I wanted to lie to her that I was too busy to go but I guess the HS came to calm me down or prepare me for my grandmother's death in Arua that occured later at night; I left Buganda Bus Park on Monday at 4:44pm, reached after midnight, met Robinah Kajwenge after sunrise at Hotel Margherita, she linked me to the Cameraman (Tom Isingoma - amazingly my Graduate Fellow at UCU), worked for only four days and returned on Saturday...
2009Talked to Mr. Ras before sunset on Bob Marley's birthday (6th February) at 1st Street Industrial Area after a GODsent call from Wanyama Wangah and he advised: Use combo pens plus elephant ivory paper for longevity, draw less plastic toons and cut facial details; met Loukman Ali too and was mesmerised by his file of portraits which Mr. Ras opened. I was also amazed that the veteran cartoonist kept my manila file intact for 4 years. In the morning, I had just been fired unceremoniously by the female director of a car-tracking business after the male one hired me and designated I write reports for the NSSF client. My UCU OGs Em (Galfi) plus Brenda Karamuzi (GOD bless her soul like HIS angels) had recommended me and I tried to do my best, but the latter reasoned that the business co-owner was apparently "worried" that I "might take over the company"; I had no intentions like that. I don't know why but every female named Brenda tickles my fancy since the 90s, from Captain and Arthur's sister at the Nile Bank Bukoto cribs to a Macos OG in the HEG class to Brenda Asiimwe who I worked with at The Standard Newspaper before 2012 (Loved her very much even if I didn't tell her directly, though got a chance to defend her one day while she argued with a different workmate who questioned her hotness. I interjected by saying: But she is! BA gave me her passport-size photo to ink a portrait with and I did it happily)...
Arfaan linked me to American composer Jeffrey W. Harrison (and his Japanese wife Katherine Liao) for a "Gulu Bush" backdrop used in the KADS musical entitled "Why The Birds Sing To Me"; this was my 2nd theatrical set design in three years and quite fun too at my cousin Monica's place in Bukoto. Rose Asanzeru who is related to Aunt Zena told me, "It's coming out". Cousin Magu and 2nd Cousin Harriet saw the artwork...
Visited Philip Kwesiga (the School of Fine Art Dean) in his office at Makerere University one painful, very unromantic Saturday in April and he gave me advice about my UCU toons; I had been sent by Mr. Ras to pick names of three uni students selected for training as cartoonists courtesy of Vision Group. After that, as if led by the Holy Spirit, I made a discovery that could have made me collapse under the Kampala sun but my already-damaged-heart remained strong...
Shaphan Andeku (Arua Town Planner) called me while I was in KLA City to shift upcountry and start blogging for Arua District Local Government in a UNDP project; talk of alternative spiritual energy... Purchased my first laptop computer from EM Tower on Kampala Road...
Imran Azad taught me how to paint graffiti at Hotel Africana parking space during a British Council WaPi event. I spraypainted my first "Inov8z" graffiti while my cousin Edwin filmed; introduced me to his buddy E-Mode. I also met the sharply talented Owl (painter) who later becomes Derrick Tha Priest (Gospel musician)...
2010
Posted lyrics of my Ugandan reply to "Leave (Get Out)" by JoJo as Facebook notes...
Dreamt about Idi Amin's architectural plans while in Kyebando Kisalosalo and drew them as a retrofuturistic "1970s Arua". When I opened Facebook, the first images to appear in my newsfeed were the sepia-tinted architectural drawings of the proposed KKT Plaza posted by Idi Amin's son Jaffar Remo; dreams are supernatural...
Joined YouTube on 27th February...
Worked as a Registration Update Officer for the Electoral Commission in Tara Subcounty (Maracha District) taking National ID photos and typing personal details like date of birth, etc using amazing Mühlbauer German software alongside the exciting Stella Mayokia (Her surname spelled backwards describes how I felt about her), Batiga, Tiedezu and another babe from Bileafe plus about five different supervisors...
My aunt (Kevin Ajidiru) advised me to harden my heart and "start a studio" while watching (England 1, Germany 4 in) Africa's first World Cup at her Sambya shop, so I opened the "AikoGraphics" Facebook fanpage as my electronic studio that people from around the World can visit like goalline technology and VAR...
Ben Mergelsberg (German introduced to me by Kristof from Belgium) commissioned me to draw illustrations about some election events in Arua while I was in KLA; his other European friend at UN Human Rights recommended me for a Kony War gig but my comics art submission was unfortunately not accepted after seeing a nightmare...
Drew "Aiko Through The Week" editorial mashup cartoons for Sunday Vision (when Mr. Ras went for a one month leave from around Boxing Day week 2010) after a call from tribemate Jimmy Adriko (Chief Photo Editor) recommended by Wanyama Wangah; I had wanted to do the five weekday comics but some editors doubted me and gave the daily work to the Etop cartoonist in Soroti. Inspired by Stan Lee (Marvel Comics), going to work at Uganda's leading daily newspaper felt like riding on a pink pony or akanya [donkey]; loyalty is all I know. After my brief New Vision experience in Kampala, I appreciated The Standard in Mukono more and got focussed though wanted Jimelux Tashobya (who defeated me in getting the NTV MiniBuzz job) to replace me at UCU due to exhaustion (Seeing editors come and go after developing good work connections with them was quite heavy on my heart like healing heartbreak after heartbreak)...
Andrew Muhimbise recommended me to Jorge Lynch (Panamanian in the Philippines) and I designed for him two blue and white logos using the amazing Photoshop software: Procurement Initiatives Asia-Pacific plus Procurement ClassRoom. These gigs taught me about swiftcodes...
2012
Supervisor Aggrey Duncan Mugisha's farewell football match (at Columnist Thomas Froese's home); first played for him, then against him when filming started and scored the game-ending goal. Editor John Semakula was a very physically strong defender to beat. Almost broke my right ankle (Everybody saw it like GOD intervened as I slid towards the metal fence but ended the match with two broken left toes when Editor Justin Emedot who Lifestyle Editor Lydia Lakwonyero cheered as "Messi" blocked me from behind; bones healed after one month without medical attention)...
Painted a dark-themed theatrical backdrop of "1800s Victorian Era London Skyline" and drew a poster of the KADS play "Oliver" for Tracy McGilvray and Arfaan in Naguru (at the Ahmeds residence) and Kyebando (home) respectively; got to meet Arshad's wife Arrwa and daughter Ariana plus the family of Arfaan's other brother (Doc Ashraf, the rally driver); this was my 3rd KADS backdrop in five years...
Drew illustrations for World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Kasese and Bundibugyo after a recommendation by Enoch Kassenyi (Sports Editor at The Standard). This gig was special to me because before it happened, I got a secret dreamvision where I was near the round Tooro Kingdom Palace with two women; I had never been to Fort Portal before but reached there with two women plus two other men (driver and my colleague Eshban Kwesiga from KLA) in a WWF vehicle; the 2nd woman we picked after leaving Kasese but before the palace like destiny: GODisgreat...
Filmed 1st Class Pesh's graduation party near Le Beaujolais for 30,000 UGX...
2013
Loice Epetiru (who I first saw at International Hospital Kampala in Namuwongo three years behind) recommended me for a Ugandanised comics gig about "Generic Drugs" at HEPS (or Health Promotion and Social Development) Uganda (in Nakulabye); for one week I slept after midnight everyday in order to finish the artwork in time and got a cheque... After drawing a commemorative portrait of Loice, the resemblance was so uncanny that I almost freaked out because of what I had captured...
Attended Elvis Mbonye's fellowship twice in eight December days, then left KLA in order to chase new Fine Art dreams...
2014
Celebrated 100 years of Arua Town by activating a commemorative logo with a blue, black or grey star on top of a blue and yellow pyramid shaped like the letter A; might use it for Arua Comics, 20X4...
Started AruaCartoons, but opened the blog a year later after Michael Angunda asked me to create a campaign blog for his 2016-2021 Arua LC 5 Chairman bid...
Created the Wikipedia article for Black Harmony (Arua) on 2nd August 2014...
2015
Let off mysteriously from The Standard due to a Supervisor's missteps. Though mentally exhausting at the beginning (some unknown chicks even disbelieved: "Tamalako [He won't finish]" while another told me: Twakowa [We got tired]), I had found ways of doing the work and grew to love it plus the money for eight consecutive years, now I missed it...
Faith Pacutho asks me to illustrate 10 pages in her storybook written for children; it was tough to create...
Reverien Fils Kiruzi in Kigali (Rwanda) told me he liked my comments and analysis on the Arsenal Facebook page and invited me to blog for Sokkaa Magazine - Football Fan Community (12th November); my articles were also Swahili-translated, altered and published on BuzzTeller...
Drew illustrations for "Plunging The Depths (book)" by Mike Watmon Kinyera (aka Monex) who called me a "chap with a wicked hand in the realm of graphic design"...
Invited by Emmyways to paint at Springs Primary School (Arua); he builds schools because he wants children to be educated. Before I even knew who owned the premises which looked like a hotel (or California Bus Terminal), I used to wish I could repaint their murals; a small bird probably whispered my secret and I got to meet my 1st Nephew Joshua's other relatives: King, Prince, Joan (whose name I saw in a dreamvision prior to her birth), their mother, Godwin, Sunday, Prossy (Headteacher), Jonah, Trevor, Peter, Joel, etc...
Signpainted on three Springs school buses. One of the funniest moments during my holiday gig at Springs Primary was while painting the Eastern block which housed the Staffroom; Emmyways (the Boss) asked the other site members if I had taken breakfast and they joked, "Mvu rangi [Lugbara Translate: He has drunk paint]. I laughed heartily before stepping downstairs to join them; the guys always had comedy and stories to tell...
Redesigned the Arua Municipal Council emblem on 7th March as a wiseacre in anticipation of Arua's graduation to city status, which happened four years later. For me, Arua was already a business city in the 2000s, only thing left was official parliamentary approval; GOD bless West Nile forever, the Nigeria (and West Africa) of East Africa: How far now...
After my Favourite (Peer) Cousin in Jinja during the late 80s and early 90s hanged himself in Mvara on 1st September, an OB of mine from Kigezi joked a couple of days later (before the burial) that I would be next because he knew that a tribemate of his I tried to date had replaced me with a new man. So I became a suicidologist trying to help people not to kill themselves...
Erica (@Vidavoices) invited me to VIDA and I created an online Print Store: designed T-shirts, scarfs, etc...
Defined Cartoongineering as the application of creativity and knowledge to invent or improve on cartoons. It is an activity or profession of designing cartoons. Art is the science of beauty and science is knowing, but engineering is doing...
Suzy Abdelferag (a South Sudanese Madi in Tennessee, USA) asked me on Facebook to teach her Luganda and while searching for words at Archive.org, I snapped on the 3rd Agofe's 90th birthday and created an online Lugbara Dictionary (dedicated to Cynthia Letasi [aka Rejoice, The Beautyful One] born when I was 11 years old after leaving my birthplace for inspiring me to re-study my mother tongue since she spoke it fluently with amazing class at a young age between 2001-6; undoubtedly the 1st Female I had a huge crush on within West Nile. I was literally obsessed about her though I tried to hide it so that noone labels me a pedophile, defiler nor child molester; I didn't block her way. Sofia Coppola's 2003 film entitled "Lost In Translation" wonderfully mirrors my true feelings for Xnthi during that special season like Abraham + Sarah too). This Lu-di post alone beats all my other posts combined in terms of visits from the audience around the world..
Painted cartoon murals (featuring Bee Movie, Tintin running with Snowy, Jerry, Nemo, Snow White, Despicable Me minion, Mickey Mouse, Mowgli, Po the Kung Fu Panda, Joy, Angry Bird, Mr. Incredible, Anna, etc) and sign writings at Springs Kindergarten; a smart but unknown young'un who came around with his younger sister Gloria told me point blank: You know how to draw! GOD bless him; it was truly glorious! Have mercy on me, FATHER...
Some of my SMACK OBs (Craig Lugemwa, Allan Kiyingi with samples, Jonathan Nkosa, Jean Rwamukaga, etc) alerted me about drawing a crest for the Block Owners (Class of 1997-2002) football team in the SMACK League; I diligently spent a number of days and nights trying very hard to create a commemorative tribute to all my (probably) 200 yearmates; we need our own EA Sports Video Game for "Survival Football" too...
Joined Talenthouse as Edward Aiko'bu-a...
Got a surprise Merit Award for Ugandan articles from Wikipedia which I joined in 2012 (overdue from 2014) that lifted up my spirit one gloomy Saturday...
Started fasting every week with discipline and my health problems (especially headaches, stomach upsets and fevers) reduced exponentially...
Joined Talenthouse again, but as AikoGraphics...
Drew the Arua Channel logo; portrait of The Invincible One after he announced his imminent retirement (felt like suicide)...
Allen Harriet Gazariano tells me she referred me to her Lugbara brother (Pario Hiller) in Boston, US; he was looking for someone who knew more about the culture and she had found my blog (200518)... Drew logo concepts for her organisation...
Created my Time Shield (on Sunday 10th November 2019 as a summary of what Agriculture, Architecture & Art have taught me from the East to West, North to South) plus logos for Lugbara Translate (dedicated to my tribemates and everyone interested in learning my mother tongue), sprout Investment Club (for my Big Brother Vyo), etc...
2020
Covid-19 lockdown (started in March) prematurely ends my 2nd stint at UCU Standard after only 14 months... Got 100,000 UGX (Lockdown Relief Fund Mobile Money) from the Ugandan Government. It was sent without any alert (found out days later while receiving facilitation for a photo-printing errand from my 2nd cousin Tom Wadrile); covered a fraction of my own financial losses caused by the lockdown which Government instituted while afraid of a disease that was not even fatal. We threw away two years due to false fear; I had experienced enough flu at SMACK, so there was no way Kung Flu could scare me. Besides that, washing hands and social distancing from people with flu was not a new thing in society. Wearing masks as a precaution was the only new rule but I did not fancy inhaling cloth threads for hours, so I covered my mouth more than nose or kept the mask in my pocket until someone told me to put it on. Nevertheless, long live NRM (Peace & Tarmac)...
Created a YouTube channel for Black Harmony (Arua)...
Invited by Sambya-based Kenyan Doctor Justus Bruno Ochieng to finish painting the interior of his Mega Optical Centre that wasn't completed by some painters from Kampala who left...
Created Engato Store logo for (my upbeat 2nd cousin) Edwin Paratra's shoe-selling hustle; #DrawingWhileLugbara...
Gauged a Design idea for my ONGO logo with a beamed sixteenth note musical notation replacing letter N though a thick beamed eigth note symbol can do (Wednesday 15th July 2020)...
Opted to work with the Gimp software colour threshold and more than one layer while using machines for colouring my Computer Enhanced Imagery (CEI) as I created a portrait for Lindsay Hames in Great Bend, Kansas (USA) who appreciated my Poetry (at www.poems-and-quotes.com; I also admired her witty and mature comprehensiveness). I joined that website as a trial after finding on it Allen Harriet Gazariano (I call her "Red Princess" with Bangala [Congolese] and Lugbara ancestors) who had told me to grow my art business and skills by fasting for my career, organising myself with collections on social media platforms (though I vowed never to join Instagram like Kanye West, until sign up is simplified), branding well (She warned that AruaCartoons will not market me as Aiko Cartoons or Animations though I know why I created AC; its an offshoot of AikoGraphics), getting to my purpose and using the blood of JESUS to break generational curses caused by evil in my lineage. Having tried everything she was telling me already (eg My Most Watched Video had only 900 views by the time she told me to create a channel (though rose to 1.7K two years later) yet YouTube which I had been on for a decade starts paying after 100,000 views), I researched about her instead and found some amazing quotes from her mentorship organisation. To sidestep depression due to failure or slow progress in "World Art events", I would rather pay attention to her smiling behind me with arms folded than buy purple pill drugs from the Devil who wants me dead. Allen assured me in May Twenty18, "If you were abroad (studying Masters of two years worth 2,000 or 3,000 US Dollars even if borrowed) you can make over 10 Million a year with your skills! You will not get the breakthrough you want (in Arua). Get $50, come to Kampala we apply with you for a full scholarship... You can also decide to intern in some big media house abroad and return to Uganda like Andrew Mwenda..." Well, maybe I was offended by her suggestions though never disclosed it to her but she also encouraged me to keep doing what I do and let GOD lead me plus that I "have awesome work... People will love your work all over the world..."; I know money cannot buy love coz I adore UG and since I learnt English and Mathematics (ABC 123) from here, I can learn anything else too. Allen had found me about two years behind through my blog while looking for someone (who knew more about Lugbara culture) to connect with her Lugbara brother in the US and saw greatness in my work; I had been on Google's Blogger plus YouTube, Yahoo's Flickr and Meta's Facebook for several years chasing financial papers. One of the things I admire about her is praying for two hours before recording her media soundbytes which are exquisitely voiced. I moved to Arua from KLA at the end of 2013 in order to face Evil: Mbu twasirana; it's true since Eden, but we resist the Devil till he flees, fight the Prince of Persia or Greece or Arua through prayer and patience for 21 days (3 weeks), run from the dragon, cast out Legion demons, throw viper in fire, etc...
Professor Kristof Titeca (University of Antwerp in Belgium) offered me 25 Euros for my 2006 illustration of the Arua Boys...
My tweet about how #AruaCity confused me one day to think I was near Najjanankumbi in KLA City appeared on Urban TV's Northern Connect (a show I had suggested can be created as Nordan Connexion to cater for music from northern Uganda) while the song "Ma Asi" by King Weeda played to celebrate Arua's parliamentary graduation to City status starting 1st July...
"@AikoGraphics suspended permanently for violating Twitter rules" from American microblogging site, though reasons undisclosed, so I joined Russian Telegram instead; looking forward to a new platform better than the current ones, even if from Ukraine like WhatsApp...
On 1st September, my campus OG Rachael Nakanwagi Nsamba Kyagaba (Rech Ray) tagged me as "one of the Best Cartoonists" she knows on a Facebook post by Patrick "Salvado" Idringi who wanted a Cartoonist for a certain project; it is highly inspiring to have fans. Personally, I regarded Raq as a very stylish lady during our UCU days (Dolce & Gabbana); she deserves 12 stars, not just 5 nor 7 of my approval on her head. It's amazing that her son has my firstname...
Drew portraits of Mona, Aluba, Jhosa (Filipino) worth 20 US Dollars, Lili (Best Friend) cartoon, Tumu + Tumi Family, etc...
Published Dreamsurfing (book) and United Gombololas (UG) on Amazon Kindle...
 |
| Lugbara With A Pearl Earring (Drawn by Aiko on 17th September 2021, exactly one month after the portrait character's 26th birthday, Ink on A4 photocopying paper enhanced using computer colours) |
Drew a portrait of Jhene Aiko two days after seeing the American singer in a wedding dream on my 37th birthday, (Cynthia as the) Lugbara With A Pearl Earring [a Ugatoons rendition of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's masterpiece), Onya, The Eye Doctor, etc...
Drew logos...
Created UG (Brown + Grey) draft videos; Soundtrack: "Falling" by Allan Toniks ft. Fille...
Arua Hill Football blogging...
Lugbara Cultural Museum (LCM)...
UG logo in a white circle with three black-yellow-red stars in a straight line at the top...
West Nile Grasscutters Association (WENGA): The grass is greener on this side; 091121...
Imagined YESU Mag(azine) inspired by prophetic dreamvisions and everything else about the one Way to Heaven...
 |
| Museum of Lugbara Art (MoLA)... |
Drafted two books: 'Ba Da Sende Tawuni-a Tipasi (about the Tallest Buildings in Arua, West Nile) and Lugbara Food...
Painted two signposts for Charis International School (Arua) in Mvara, planted near Oluko Road before things stole both...
Drew illustrations for Wordslingers (book)...
Joined ArtPal as "AikoGraphics (Ugatoons)" at www.ArtPal.com/aikographics plus CGSociety at https://aikographics2003.cgsociety.org after 15 years of feeling outside ever since I discovered it on the 2007 UCIFA Day in Entebbe...
Returned to Twitter as @AikoUgatoons...
Recruited as a Guest Editor for The Reel UG (Filmmakers Show), focussed on the YouTube Channel and created Blog...
Started writing a book entitled "Money Can't Buy Love" dedicated to all Gooners. Other book ideas imagined included "Drati"; "Te Mi Dra A'dusi?" (about Suicide Prevention); "Prophet To The Nations" (Elvis Mbonye Quotes); "The Devil Is Bad" (featuring Erica Mukisa Kimani); "The 10 Commandments"; "AikoGraphics"; "Arua (The Sweetest Place on Earth)"; M7; "Lip It" (collection of Views); etc...
Snow UG requested for my removal as admin from the Black Harmony (Arua) Facebook page I created around 2009; wondered why. Maybe s/he should do the same for the YouTube channel plus Leila Chandiru, Arua City and LULA Facebook pages too, just bluffing! Frees me to focus on my own Art though...
Tried to get my Lugbara Art (LA) groove back by recolouring my 2019 Lbr logo with the lower end of the spectrum as therapy for coldshouldering (rejection): Agofe (royal) skyblue or cyan, Lugbara Kari (navy) blue or azure and Trace Gospel purple; imagined a cartoon character named John Stone aka Oni (the White Lugbara) inspired by John Middleton on 22nd August: Lugbara is a multinational language spoken primarily in three African countries divided by colonial borders that converge at Salia Musala (Koboko), about 2 hours northwards by car or motorcycle from Arua City...
AikoGraphics aligned with Pierre Pierre, Black Broadcast plus A&E Europe...
Visited the annex of Isara Memorial Cultural and Community Library (IMCCL) in Eruba (opposite the junction heading to Vurra) courtesy of founder Charles Bua on Friday 16th September; very inspiring discovery basing on the fact that I adored the Arua Public Library during my S6 vacation...
Used my suspended account to explore Twitter Spaces and witnessed the realtime transcribing technology I have always wished for; Google Meet also does the same. Mix it with the ability to transliterate Lugbara and my dream is complete like Sunbird AI...
"Musevenism" is a montage of my drawings featuring M7, arguably Uganda's Greatest President... Also designed a permanent MBA [Lugbara for: MONTH] calendar joining three separately-cut papers as one without any glue (Friday 6th October 2022); always wanted to own one...
Idea for eight to nine days of Jege Jege [Coins] or JESUS Fest(ival) as the Nyege Nyege alternative (291022), halve it for Easter Weekend: Crucifixion Friday, Sabbath Saturday, Sunday Resurrection to Monday Testimonies...
Inspired by Nurse Ayima's sweet voice to finish Spot Opticians logo for her doctor in two hours one sunny Saturday after a six-day lull...
My lovely Mother (Elizabeth Ndezo Dramani) departed from the Earth with a permanent peace-smile due to colon (large intestine) cancer at 6am on Friday 16th December 2022, her 75th birthday which was three days before her Monday burial in Ojapi Parish (Maracha). The last words my father heard her speak in Kampala after greeting him with a handshake were: YESU, e ko ma aza [JESUS, help me]! I respected my mum highly and fasted every Saturday (added Tuesdays) plus prayed daily for her to heal and live longer, but GOD had HIS own age limit. Many mourners (including Anglican Clergy and Mothers Union where she was a very active member as Treasurer) described her as "humble", trustworthy and loving; I hope the angels welcomed her into Heaven. Dedicated my grief-processing, pain-bending, sorrow-numbing, heart-mending Lugbara Ink (LI) project to Ma: Death is like moving to a different City. One of the harshest things my mother ever said to me after campus was, "Mi dri-a afazi yo [In your hands, there's nothing]!" It literally meant am poor (just like she described my handwriting in the early 90s) though I loved her more than material wealth. I refused to cry because I had done it uncontrollably while apologising to her for all my past mistakes in 2013 when she visited me in Kyebando. Nevertheless, the year after her death, Brenda Fassie's song "Mama" made sense as tears formed, "You'll always be in my heart..." I didn't force myself to cry like I told my brother-in-law I would but kept my tears bottled as wine again; brewing grief...
2023
AGX20...
Smooks are small books that can fit inside a shirt pocket...
Chapter 39...
Joined Imagekind (Wednesday 18th January 2023)...
Housepainting...
Started writing "Plan G" (Online Book about GOD answering prayers and passing exams using Grit)...
Created Dreamsurfing logo (Saturday 21st January 2023)
Grass Soup Theory: Grass is greener on the other side until rain falls on your side too. Let the rain fall down, so that we reap what GOD sows and cook up some fresh grass soup! Don't chase a mirage while digging an oasis lake or rainwater well (Red Princess who I first saw in a dream hours before she started jazzing me about my Art career disses me again that am disorganised, I only see things in the physical and need a WordPress website yet I already run multiple Google blogs. Vuala!)...
Make ChatGPT (along with Google Bard AI plus others) learn Lugbara; OpenAI's ultimate generative text machine can use and teach Lugbara language...
Writing and editing...
Inked "Black Peace (Dreamscape)" on Friday 10th February after asking the LORD to "give my heart peace". I had woken up at 5am feeling unusually stressed inside my heavy chest after processing a lot of ridicule, bad energy, rebukes, negative vibes and insults from the past while asleep [Starving, no importance in society, unsocial, skinny idiot, cursed, going to Hell, lousy, useless man, hypocrite, small small boy, poverty-stricken, jobless, pauper, destitute, taking the economy back, naive, uneducated, gigolo, has a sugarmummy in Ntinda, Bosco, earlyman, scrub, no car, no wife, poor planning, no future, food he cooks will not taste nice, knows nothing, young spiritually, lazy, shambaboy, daft, stupid, fake and boring, etc] plus the devilish pressure from other people to gain the whole world (Fame, fortune, money, wealth, status, success, etc); vengeful hate in your heart can consume you. Tame your fury (anger)! Mental dykes must never be breached by a sea of pokopoko; switch your Spirit Dome on to counter negative words: Endure the sickening noise supercalmly like a Coast at the end of a Trash Ocean! I prayed before sleeping again and got spirited away in a dream to a tranquil modern spiritual setting with some parts like Arua Hill on which stood over four masts and the City centre but had many Chinese younguns (including Black halfbreeds. I kept hearing the word "chong" which means "high, sublime, lofty, to esteem, to worship, etc" in Chinese) and rare skyscrapers eg the extreme gravity-defying Golden Tower next to another tall building that had a dome on top after a concrete ring design plus a big wide steel cell tower on the mid-right with many circle rings in various sizes (wonder what it does); in the background was a foggy view of other tall buildings. I worried I was in that probably-Christian-persecuting locality (as reported in some China news stories I knew in my conscious mind; 74.5 percent no religion or folk, 18.3 Buddhist, 5.2 percent Christian, 1.6 Muslim, 0.4 Others) without a passport clearance and needed to sleep safely in a church I kept searching for towards the fast-approaching sunset but woke up before arrest nor deportation: I actually saw a white delivery truck with "YESHUA" painted in blue fonts above the windscreen driving down a narrow murram road on the right. Was I fearful for nothing? Maybe this was my perfect local city in the spirit realm: A place where Chinese and Blacks exist in harmony with less traffic jams, worshipping the GOD of YESHUA freely and no need for passports. I saw a youthful Black woman in a black jacket throw twigs inside an underground furnace behind a restaurant, then ran through a neat green-metal-bar fenced football field with artificial turf (almost like 2ambe Health Club which I discovered two months after the dream near Buga & Co. Advocates) plus ogled at a tree park. Are we cursed and underdeveloped in Africa just because we do not accumulate a lot of wealth (such as high technology, creatively crazy buildings or super-architecture and multi-lane highways) like other races? I don't think so. Mbu twasirana [Kini ama drileba yo]. All we need to do is worship GOD, not the material tools which we eventually leave behind anyway when we depart from earth. This dream showed me the therapeutic power of Mindshifting (Mental Antiphase): Peace, be still...
Drew the skyblue and white Agofe Pillar logo...
Redesigned the New Vision logo while watching Nnalongo Mu Kabaawo (Talk show) on Bukedde TV; many people including myself were shocked by the unconventional NV rebranding during the Covid-19 lockdown, but I kept quiet about it for years because there is no bad Art even if many readers called the new masthead (aesthetically) ugly plus am not that influential at the Group. I used to like the black and yellow design in the 90s; even the red and white revamp used by New Vision TV was not bad. However, inspiration struck me on Monday 3rd April 2023 to finally modify the symbol like Design Thinking even if my concept is not accepted by those in charge: The national colours were well used by the original designer nonetheless..
Inked a self portrait on my youngest sister's birthday, then started the "West Nile Art Exhibition" WhatsApp group after a friend's physical plan failed to be organised and he suggested an online show as the alternative...
Joined the Northern Uganda Visual Artists (NUVA) WhatsApp group...
Changed my mind just before Labour Day to test and see if Instagram Lite (3 MBs) was simpler to join than Artfol, Bubblehouse, etc and noticed very crispy clear images. At least, it isn't blocked by the Ugandan Government like Facebook since it's mainly about photos and videos; the text speech is second place...
Finally accepted webm as a video format to use because of its shareability alongside avi, wmv, mp4, 3gp, etc plus was thrilled to learn it's by Google... Made GIFs as Gospel and Lugbara learning displays...
Aiko TV (Designs & Portraits)...
Wrote a Foreword for Charles Bua's autobiography before his golden (50th anniversary) June birthday bash in Gulu. Unfortunately, he broke his femur in a motorcycle accident and was operated at Mulago Hospital...
Housepainting bilangilangi in Anyafio...
Wrote "Americanese (Short story)"...
Revived my LinkedIn account in Arua on Sunday 4th June 2023 after very many years of hibernation; I had deleted my first account but got back in the 2010s when invited unexpectedly by a Ugandanised Serbian who previously told me never to apply for any job to her companies again. She once grilled me mercilessly in Kololo with two young Black women on both sides and it felt like they were being aggressively feministic on me. I humbled myself infront of them because I wanted to work for them, but they used that vulnerability to try and bully me with rebukes until I defended my mental wellbeing and rattled them...
Code It Yourself...
Compiled Adi [Lugbara legend] lineage trees for my Ojapi (Maracha) and Aliba (Ayivu) extended families: Every family has a tree...
Decided on Friday 23rd June 2023 to create my own Prophecy Encyclopedia (expounding on my "Prophets" research for YESU Mag) after seeing an Adumi Road (Arua City) dream that took me to town catalysed by a WhatsApp text and voicenote from someone I probably visualised while asleep (Woke up thinking about her unusual voice which I hadn't heard for weeks), then got three different calls (Last two unknown), but avoided some places I saw. Also discovered Dreamland Hotel Kuluva (Arua) with a very fitting slogan: Live your dreams...
Discovered Meta Threads on Aljazeera perhaps a day after it was released (around a Wednesday), joined on Monday 10th July 2023; Twitter broke my heart, so I mended it using Threads (the text version of Instagram)...
Drew a portrait of (Martha) Chemutai, about 18 days before her birthday as a token of my appreciation of a powerpuff woman (Thursday 13th July 2023)...
BizToons (Friday 14th July 2023)...
Joined Chinese TikTok [Douyin] Lite on Wednesday 2nd August 2023 as @aikographics; trying to broadcast the YESU Corner (a Ugandan Lugbara-English video magazine that features E'yo Nzeza [Testimony], E'yo [Issues], Ongo [Music], Angu Neza [Sightseeing] plus so much more. It is pivoted around quotes from JESUS Christ)...
Made a portrait of the "Beautiful One" on her 28th birthday; she changed my life like a kumari so I remain obsessed about her until infinity... Drew other portraits of her including: Cynfinity, Aura of Arua...
After celebrating 50 years of their marriage during the weekend, decided on Tuesday 29th August to use M7 & Janet as models for my UG project; the President is the microbus dri(ver-i)der or driker...
Lugbara AI voice cloning trials in September (Freedom from Natural Ignorance: Transcribe, translate, chat)...
Allegory of Artificial Ignorance: For machines to learn Lugbara, humans must train them or organise datasets for AI to decode unsupervised...
Synthetic Artificial Lugbara Translation [or Tech(nology)] (SALT)...
Aiko Lugbara Wordbook (Basics)...
Modified my ChurchTV logo with black and red on a yellowish background signifying Uganda; tweaked the name font a little and joyfully noticed that the big and small Sans Bold letter Cs resemble the ones in BBC's 1997 and 2021 logos. Also moved the name from running downwards on the left to sitting below the green square like a Church Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) project...
Progressive Radio Adaptation Yolk (PRAY): Separate the yolk from the albumen (Saturday 16th September 2023)...
Lugbarapedia (after Ssemagulu Museum in KLA used my artwork and asked me for makers of certain Lugbara artefacts)...
The "Goodest" Flow (230923) describing Lugbara AI...
Drew a yellow and white Walkswagen microbus for United Gombololas (Jokes book) plus chose Naava Grey to feature in the toons since her name rhymes with one of my two main characters... Commemorated Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement (Holiest Day in Jewish calendar) for the first time in my life by fasting food and drink for one day from sunset Sunday 24th September 2023 (Prayed on Monday longer than ever before and didn't feel any hunger pangs)...
Children of the Devil (270923): Why do we hate each other, burning cassava growing in the garden, cutting trees planted, slandering people? Ole is witchcraft in the heart...
Thought about Chai-3 and AFCON East Africa 2027 logos (051023)...
Kob & Crane...
Cow & Tree [Ti azini Pati]...
Tears of the Sky (151023)...
No Good Sin (short story inspired by a dream on Thursday 12th October 2023)...
Drew two illustrations for Black Harmony suggested by DJ Wayz; used blend tool for colour gradient (191023)...
Ai ko 'Bu-a [Catching salt in Heaven]; rebirth...
Wura Amvu [Lugbara Art Garden]...
Smartphone Translation Log (291023), more Lugbara AI...
Developed a new artstyle from a mistake while colouring Red Princess in November; made "She Wore A Green Aura" portrait plus "Don't Break When You're Broken"...
The Book of Lugbara (101123)...
Exit of the Nile...
My Colour Garden (3 columns, 4 rows; silver boundary settings 0.81 cm while plots are 4 by 2.79 cm): Red, orange, yellow; green, skyblue, indigo; violet, pink, maroon; brown, dark, white...
Created a green, grey and white Xnthi logo...
King of the Jews (111223)...
My "Arua City: Sweetest Place since 1914" group page crippled on Facebook because their machines noticed plagiarism; maybe I copied from my own blogs. Cancel culture is one of the reasons why soso media is just redundant and a devourer of time. What happened to Creative Commons? Delete or remove the content instead of blocking continuity of input! Printing books to store information is better...
Humura Handyman logo (241223 and following)...
Sundial (Thinktank Design Ideas from above, 301223)...
2024
4th Floor...
3CR (The Best Things in life are three)...
Ojapi (Combination logo idea, 090124)...
Depression Is Not A Monster (Book)...
Created a Wikipedia entry for Voice Of Life FM 100.9 on Declan Rice's 25th birthday, which made me eligible for The Wikipedia Library after 500+ edits; put an extra smile on my face...
Created a Wikipedia page for Ojapi Parish; imagined Gura, a hustling character like Zari Hassan selling charcoal (160124)...
AGX21...
HappinessGraphics...
AI Kobs (Artificial Dreams, 150224)...
Black Ugandan Artist (250224)...
TikTok warns of suspending my account after three strikes; I imagine new accounts or moving to other video platforms. Deja vu: Rejection is redirection...
Church of Lugbara (CoL)...
Database of Lugbara Gospel (080324)...
AikoGraphics STORIES...
B*shop logo...
Future Enemies (Book inspired by a dreamvision, 230324)...
Very Pleasant Surprise: I became a big fan of Alex Scott in the 2010s after watching her do punditry on SkySports; she was comprehensive, neat and very beautiful. Since she played as a rightback defender for Arsenal, I did not bother to research her playing style nor history (Once a Gunneress, always a Gunneress) but knew she moved to the US close to her retirement (Even added her to my 2016 Lugbara Dictionary kissing the FA Cup). With well-chiselled muscles, she always looked fit. On Monday 1st April 2024, I found a video saying she scored the 2007 Women's Champions League-winning goal (in the away tie of the two-leg final); thought it was a joke at first but simply increased my appreciation of her, wow! Ignorance is not bliss; can't know everything about women's football but also grateful for Miedema, McCabe, Mead, Little, Russo, Blackstenius, etc...
Desert Dates (inspired by my 2nd cousin Sally Asinduru who kept asking why am not married and picked for me some dude's baby mama as a wife, 020424)...
Hippo Campus UG (Healing Depression)...
Discovered Fabrice Goosens (Hyperrealism Pencil Artist) on Daphine's 4th April birthday, then Paula Scher who popularised the Type Directors Club (TDC)...
West Nile logo (080424)...
Video magazines (Vidmags)...
Farida...
Started writing reviews for Google Maps like a Ugandan Local Guide after invitation from a Nigerian named Lisa (Thursday 18th April 2024)...
Lugbaflix (Lugbara flicks; films, movies or motion pictures filmed in Lugbara)...
Ojapi Tech (Bypassing the language barrier)...
Velo City...
Started compiling "YESU Ni Geri" on Doro's birthday...
Aiko = No Artificial Intelligence v Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Organiser...
Walkswagon™ (020524)...
Editor, designer, illustrator, organiser...
YAHWEH Corner (Debut Video, 030524)...
Kalinabiri Primary School digital artwork...
Housepainting in Anyafio Village...
Book illustrations for Vyo...
Velotaxi...
4CR (Four is enough) on Lili's birthday...
West Nile Comic Art Sym(posium) imagined on Heroes Day...
Changed my blog address from AruaCartoons to LugbaraCartoons (230624)...
Enoka, the Bishop (020724)...
The Greatest Football Match in the Universe: Evil 1, Good 2 (With Adam in goal, the Good side concedes in the 3rd minute from a subtle attempt by the Serpent, but JESUS equalises in the 33rd before scoring the winner in the final minute)...
Doctor Luke aka Kulu, the Locustman, Iron Grasshopper from Maracha (310724)...
My Book of Compliments (Fan the fire, 130824)...
SWAGA (Short story) is my rendition of the Little Red Riding Hood tale set in Arua...
Suicide Notes Worldwide (Wednesday 21st August 2024)...
Ai ko 'Bu-a [Scoop(fetch/ catch)ing salt from Heaven]...
You Are About To Meet The Devil (Book)
AHG (aka International journalist) calls me nonsensical, small-minded and negative after sending me a list of 30 universities in the US (about three of which I had already checked out long ago and given up on) plus telling me to apply for financial aid or loan eg Chevening (which I had tried before in vain plus Madhvani Foundation Scholarship), so I rename my self-motivated education as Arua Institute, West Nile Campus (Thursday 26th September 2024): Research and Develop (R&D); Work is the Best Mentor. She didn't want to hear my side of the alternative decision I had made several years back. Why force life when you have less favour than others, but only small money? I spend mine with gratitude to YAH on artmedia, blog articles, video tutorials and pdfs. Instead of crying about lack of school fees, learn everywhere you go: Library, church, market, hospital, office, stadium, workshop, conference, crusade, rally, marathon, graduation, public lecture, wedding, burial, etc...
Rated: Local (Made in UG)...
Depression Network (Tuesday 1st October 2024 which is also China National Day): Suicide notes, Obituaries, Real Talk, Mindshifting (Detachment), Coping skills, P(g)ain, Quotes, etc... Experimented with four logos in November before settling for the black oceans and orange continents globe in grey letter D...
Uncle Jad (Portrait, 041024)…
West Nile: The Sweetest Place on Earth and Neighbouring Planets...
Scovia (Portrait on Uhuru morning)...
Leta SI (Synthetic Intelligence, 091024)...
Oni Worship (The stones will praise GOD with loud voices, TH101024); using AI to generate Gospel music...
Uganda Cartoon Lab (TU151024)...
22 Lugbara Tips (Idea on Sunday 19th October 2024)...
Lugbara Panda (071124)...
Lockup interior painting (111124 and 121124 when I met Cikili after so many years without seeing her in Anyafio and laughed about a calculator being better than me at Mathematics, then designed Lugbaflix motion article about Across Mt. Wati)...
Dribi Ini azini Kanisa Aziri [Hair Black and the Seven Churches]...
Moved from Sylfaen to Bookman Old Style (typeface)...
2025
AGX22, GOD-willing...
LESSONS, VIEWS & PERSONAL BELIEFS:
GOD is the Alpha and Omega (UCU motto)...
JESUS died for our sins; HE is the one Way to Heaven...
GOD is great... Our FATHER who art in Heaven, hallowed be YOUR Name... Give us today our daily food, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us... Deliver us from Evil...
I wake up around 5am (most times) to pray and meditate: Thank GOD for another sunrise...
Real artists do not starve; they fast...
Try positive self-talk and see how it changes your mood: I am talented, wealthy and blessed; My future is bright; No weapon will harm me...
Alternative Opportunity Cost is the Joy Of Missing Out (JOMO); the potent antidote for FOMO...
No poverty...
Love is better than hate; forgive those who despise you...
"Study, think, discuss and come up with a model of playing..." - Carlo Ancelotti
Speedreading is an asset...
The Most Important Thing On Earth is JESUS crucified to save our souls from Hellfire...
Success is getting what you want eg money (while Happiness is enjoying success), but Double Happy-iness is wanting what(ever) you get like sunshine, rain, oxygen, freebies, family, neighbours and friends plus any wahala meant for you...
GOD is holy, holy, holy...
JESUS Christ is Lord... (Stanley Meyer)
Painting is intensive labour...
Stick-to-it-ivity is the new creativity...
Catch, check and change negative talk...
Since every preacher or minister of GOD was born a sinner, choose the ones you will follow...
Procrastination is the thin line of Laziness between know-how (knowledge) and action...
GOD can transform awful into awesome, but the reverse is also true...
"Avoid dreamkillers..." - Sharpe Cole Nimusiima (One of my Favourite Freespirited Personalities at UCU Mukono)
Breathe, pray, draw...
Draw what you can...
Just wake up; the depression will subside...
Even if the world ends today, it's already tomorrow in Eastern Russia and Sydney (Australia)...
The no-work gap between imagination and art is called procrastination...
GOD can chop for you wealth and blessings any hour o...
Get out of bed...
If every client who owes me paid me, then I would be a millionaire...
May your departure from earth be peaceful...
Prophecy is not a competition...
When GOD gives you only one maize seed, instead of complaining about poverty, plant it and wait for 120 days; you might get 120 new seeds...
Take time to pray more, about 3 hours daily...
Even if you gain the whole world, you still leave it behind when death comes...
GOD above all... (Sheebah Karungi)
Art is math(ematic)s in motion...
When you reach rock bottom, use that as a foundation to rebuild your life...
I cannot kill myself...
Find your own quiet time to be with GOD...
There is no interview in art...
Same GOD, different faces...
Worrying about public opinion is like a cockroach trying to be a millipede...
Quitting beer, waragi, vodka, okaritua, etc is a choice...
Visiting Church (GOD's house) should be at least 144 minutes long (2 hours, 24 minutes)...
When you ask GOD for puto and HE gives you rice, go figure...
Abawala banji abalungi...
Negative opinions do not devalue your GOD-given worth...
Small enterprise, big GOD...
Save text files as Rich Text Format (RTF) so that they can open in any computer...
Detachment is as powerful as obsession...
Save images as XCF while editing before finally JPEG...
Vector graphics include logos, illustrations, diagrams, etc while Raster (Bitmap) graphics include digital photography, web graphics and digital art...
Lads, it's time to snap out of it... (Patrick Vieira, 2004)
When you run out of eraser rubbers, try using banknote rubberbands or your wristbands; many rubbers can actually rub...
Improvise...
Contemptuous insults that pierce through your mental armour can injure the soul (or heart) but you must self-heal very fast...
Money comes from giving to GOD, not just praying... (Uebert Angel)
Tears for what? Maybe GOD's absence...
Out of 365 days, GOD only asks for 52 sabbaths...
Either you give up or get up...
Thorns prick, glasses cut, humans insult, but GOD heals...
Put a smile on your own soul...
All you need is space to kneel on and pray...
Pipo gon' tok wetha yu r doing bad or gud... Cheers to tha freaking weekend... (Rihanna)
GOD deserves (at least 2 hours 24 minutes if not) all of our undivided attention each day...
Stomach, body, mind...
The Devil refuses to bow down before GOD and tempts humans to break all the commandments...
Chase after Heaven (the Kingdom of GOD)...
There are two types of people: Those who give you strength and those who tell you that you are weak. Also, there are those who give you money and those who tell you that you are poor; those who enhance the best in you and those who belittle you...
I'bu, nyondo (kani fundi ili), kalamu [Hoes, hammers (or trowels), pencils]...
Minding your own negocio sidesteps wahala...
English and Mathematics are the foundation for education...
Hustle harder...
Real Madrid for life; thank you Raul Gonzalez, Casillas, Hierro, Figo, Puskas, Santiago Bernabeu, Alfredo Di Stefano, Roberto Carlos, Guti, Santiago Solari, Suker, Vicente del Bosque (Extraordinary Coach), Cannavaro, Ronaldo Nazario da Lima (Brazilian), Zidane, Beckham, Makelele, Kaka, Cristiano, Mesut Oezil, Lassana Diarra, Dani Ceballos, Adebayor, Morientes, Sergio Ramos, Courtois, Alonso, Essien, Julio Baptista, Eden Hazard, Alaba, Robinho, Khedira, Marcelo, Bale, James Rodriguez, Vinicius Jr., Carvajal, Rodrygo, Camavinga, Bellingham, Mbappe, etc...
Imagine; make (sketch, polish, ink, paint, digitise, mold, build, etc); share...
Artpieces are like children; creative imagination is their mother...
There is Omega strength in failure...
Love can transform tears into smiles...
Get up, pray up, dress up and start up...
Your Art is either rejected or accepted, nothing in-between...
Dig, build, draw...
Behind every pregnant woman, there is a man...
Design everyday...
Education is what you learn and apply...
ADRO le Lugbara tu...
MUNGU le Lugbara ambo [GOD loves the Lugbara (in a) big (way)]...
Life is a Tithe Loop; whenever you get money, give 10 percent to GOD's Storehouse...
Art is life [Wura ni idri]...
"Sometimes GOD is reaching out to you in smaller ways..." - Allen Harriet (Red Princess)
Focus...
Depression is spiritual...
Good, gooder, goodest...
Everything comes from GOD; absolutely nothing can happen without HIS permission...
Intelligence is for personal use; school tests only reveal fractions...
I'm married to Art...
Peacefulness is inner happiness...
The only way to answer back the people who despise you is to do what they think you can't accomplish...
Bigger paintbrushes like 4-inch cover more wall area in a shorter time than those lower in size (Mama taught me this because she used to be a painter too)...
Prophet Job is a very exemplary character who teaches loyalty and perseverance...
JESUS is not YAHWEH; is He?
Leeds United brought tears to my eyes (December 2000), Liverpool made me cuss at GOD (May 2001), Manchester United melted my helpless heart to liquid (April 2009) while Manchester City made my heart pain (February 2023), but Arsenal inspired me to thank GOD for giving me exactly what I wanted to the last specified detail (May 2015)...
Remember people's names...
Keep a design journal...
The mouth was created for eating; you can communicate with your hands...
Ayiko v Chandi...
Win or go home...
Spoil the rod and spare the pupil...
To become a journalist (researcher, investigator), you do not have to know a lot; just ask the right questions: 5Ws and H...
Work until expensive becomes cheap... (John Paul Ssali, aka Romeo)
Everything you need is around you; we are just blind like the two dudes on the road to Emmaus...
Keep two albums; one for creative designs, the other for portraits...
The Devil is a superliar...
Pipo complain that am quiet yet I never complain that they talk too much...
In Twenty23, silk vinyl weatherguard matt emulsion white paint cost 50,000 while granite (grey) was 72,000 UX...
Set Design is tasty like a Ugandan chapati containing honey...
Do your research...
Every gombolola needs a Noah, Job, Daniel...
Obsession and persistance are cousins...
Sanyu v Naku...
ChurchTV is a personal Ugandan broadcast of praise and worship music in Lugbara plus other languages...
Forgive, not hate (curse in the heart); it's ole witchcraft...
GOD can give you seven kids and allow the Devil to take all of them away at once...
When you educate a woman, you educate a nation, well and good, Mary Stuart! When you educate a man, you do not only educate an individual but an entire country too...
Water is life...
When you fast for GOD and someone tries to discourage you by talking about how skinny, malnourished and ulcered you may become, that's Satan speaking through them...
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| Aiko's Self portrait before Covid-19 lockdown... |
The Mind attracts life or death; think noble things only... True, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise (like Philippians 4:8 says)...
Eat your 100 UGX (One hundred Ugandan Shillings)...
Sometimes, five plus five equals 55 when GOD is involved, not 10...
Wait for dawn...
Art never dies...
GOD's time is the best time...
The fullmoon brightens the night...
I became a Muslim in 2002 so that I could pray more, be disciplined plus submit to GOD's Will; not marry four women...
Welcome to Arua, the Sweetest Place on Earth...
Every artwork has a price...
If GOD can get you gigs for years, then how about just one more month...
Believe you can draw...
You can't rely on somebody else to motivate you, to do your work... You have to prioritise it yourself... (Adrienne Elise Tarver)
I do not have to own anything to enjoy this life to the maximum...
Create something new in honour of GOD...
Drawing two different editorial cartoons in 2020 was equivalent to painting a house for five days in Twenty22...
A zukulu [Lugbara calabash], varnished golden and then inked with my animal drawings was once sold for 10,000 UGX at a Borderlands Mvara (Arua) trade exhibition; unluckily I cannot track it for provenance...
GOD is the Greatest Artist of All-Time; the rest of us are just copycats...
Naye ofa ki... Do not hang yourself; something good will happen the day after tomorrow...
When self employed, work as if GOD will pay you...
Signpainting is public art...
Poverty makes printing books difficult, but pens and papers are affordable for making mooks (mock-up books) or smooks (small books) that can fit inside a shirt pocket...
Multiply your artworks...
Muslims pray 17 compulsory rakats per day: Dawn 2, midday 4, afternoon 4, sunset 3 and dusk 4; plus a voluntary tahajjud [even number after-midnight prayer] or witr [odd number] salat any other time at night. It's equivalent to repeating the LORD's Prayer multiple times in five compulsory (plus extra) intervals...
The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you... ("Lost In Translation [film]")
The easiest way to end a dispute or quarrel where you know you are right is to keep quiet...
Turn your bedroom into a Home Church...
Fan the fire...
Keep a Testimonials Journal to counter criticism, pokopoko or trash which swarms the heart with hate...
Muhammad was a monogamist for 25 years with two children until his first wife died, then every year after that he married widows, divorcees, an Egyptian slave (who bore his third child) plus a 9 year old girl; about 13 wives in total. Others say 11, 19 or 22...
Someday, we'll be able to drive cars with water. That's when we'll look back and think that using gasoline for fuel was ignorant... ("A Better Way To Pray" by Andrew Wommack, Page 124)
Later might become never...
Pray again...
Worship GOD every minute...
You will get through this...
Decompose, burn or recycle (break, resell)...
Kasasiro is a playground...
Waste Nile...
Waste not, want not...
Waste is wealth...
Wastepreneurship... (Sai Arts Gulu)
I'm not ashamed of my skinny frame...
Imagine vehicles or generators used urine for fuel...
From Busia/ Malaba to the Rwenzori, Arua to Lake Victoria, art is everywhere...
TIME [Talent, Imagination, Motivation, Endurance] is Money...
Now is the time... (Victoria Nile School motto)
Money is a mere tool like a spanner or hoe, it's not a supreme deity. When someone despises me becoz I do not have a lot of it, I just laugh inside. Worship GOD whether you are broke or rich...
Do not fear gossip; it's free publicity for your imperfections...
Instead of hanging yourself, try praying, meditating, travelling, studying, eating, exercising, dancing, chatting, resting or sleeping...
GOD is worth more than earthly wealth; HE created the entire universe, for crying out loud...
It's either punishment or training... (Yuri Boyka)
Money is information... (Elon Musk)
If there is no art scene in your gombolola, then create it instead of lamenting...
Get rich or die drawing...
Pokopoko (Criticism/ Gossip) is like rubbish (kasasiro); you get rid of it by: Shredding, breaking, burning (incinerating), recycling or decomposing...
Social anxiety lasts for at most 12 hours per day (but can be a quarter)...
Money is just a number on papers, metals and electronic screens...
Wall Crack Cup: Filla 3, Water 1 (plus another consolation goal just before full-time)...
Turn pokopoko negatives into photos...
Ignore provocation...
No matter how tired or exhausted you are, sleep refreshes...
Second-hand experience (Dreamvisions, TV, newspaper stories, etc) can save you from plenty plenty wahala [trouble]...
Eavesdrop on your haters; utilise their intel...
I live in my own world...
Get saved or die repenting...
Do not get angry; slow computers can teach you patience...
I couldn't jump to level 3 in Prince of Persia computer game, would crash Formula 1 racecars, get beaten 4-0 in NFL on X-Box, let the PC play as Arsenal in FIFA so that I can watch it beat any opponent I played for but when it came to supermotorbikes, I could even ignite last and overtake every champion ahead of me; podium confetti things...
I do not support abortion because I was not aborted...
Gay coupling is not marriage...
Your Art rate should be normal; 60 to 100 beats per minute (60 seconds)...
GOD takes care of us and heals our diseases but we keep yapping about poverty, unemployment, insecurity, lack of medical equipment, yada yada yada, nye nye nye...
Superpeace is minding your own biz while haters rebuke you...
Poverty is an opinion; GOD provides! A zero account balance doesn't mean you have nothing; the breath of life from GOD is worth more than mere digits...
Tithe is compulsory 10 percent Church tax, different from 10 percent Zakat charity. Basically, 20 percent of your income is not yours...
Fine Art heals our souls from the dust of life...
Art is not a competition, but contribution...
Break, burn or decompose...
When a gay boy identifies as a girl, it's like a Black saying he feels he is Chinese or White (Dave Chappelle)...
A farmer writes with a hoe while a cartoonist digs with a pen...
Do the work and ask GOD to bless it...
Prophets everywhere (Enoch, Moses, Elijah, Muhammad, Edgar Cayce, Baba Vanga, Alph Lukau, Elvis Mbonye, etc) but only one Way to Heaven; HIS Name is JESUS...
The difference between freedom and jail or prison is your mindspace; noone can lock it down besides yourself...
Suicide is not an option...
Give 100 percent, not 60...
You can never stop sharpening pencils...
Four litres of vinyl silk emulsion paint from Banda-based Regal Paints cost 55,000 in 2017 but Plascon was 65,000 in Arua during Twenty22 (five years later, dropped to 60K in some shops during May 2024) while 20 litres in a bucket cost 330,000 UGX...
The truth will set you free from false prophets...
Music is audible art in your ears...
Draw everyday the way you pee and sleep or brush teeth even if you have no customers...
Sign language is a clever form of body art...
Switch off the phone and make more Art...
I wish that I took more photographs of us... (Professor Green)
All of us have our own unique dreams...
Everybody is people and very important, whether he cleans toilets, collects rubbish or she sells butunda passion fruits, ferries charcoal from house to house; they are all potential customers and artists too...
We are all princes and princesses, even if we live in palaces or slums... Dust also flies in high places...
Earth is 33 percent Hell, 67 percent Heaven but JESUS brings 100 percent Heaven...
GOD speaks through dreams. So, if you really want to be happy, make sure you pay attention to your dreamvisions by keeping a journal...
GOD is a very creative designer; JESUS was a carpenter and angels build mansions...
Being dead broke is the root of all evil... (Rick Ross)
Thierry Henry did a lot for Arsenal, but personally, he became invincible during the 4-2 Good Friday home win over Liverpool in 2004...
A Cartoonist is a storyteller; he uses his pictures just like a writer uses words... (Joe Kubert)
The first day of a painting gig cools down your nervousness and allows you to re-calculate how you will finish the work; let's go...
Enjoy your moments...
Signpainting is a more legit form of ghost art than graffiti vandalism...
Make Art, not excuses...
A maulstick can steady a tired, shaking signhand...
Hustle until you figure out the struggle...
I've never had a crush on Mariah Carey though I adore her vocals...
Retreat and defend, but do not surrender (Herbert Chapman, Patrick Vieira, Emmanuel Petit)...
Sickness, rejection, failures, losses, ridicule (mockery), disrespect, cuts, knocks, etc can happen; just brace yourself...
Every situation is part of your evolution...
When you are self-centered, it's hard to accept defeat. Lose honourably...
Do not worship a picture nor statue of JESUS; the Catholic Bible removed the 2nd Commandment that warns against bowing down to idols...
Masturbation is as wicked as abortion (Karitas taught me that); it's a pathway to Hellfire...
I'm artsocial, not unsocial...
Mind your own negocio...
The love of GOD is the root of all good...
I will not worship the Devil...
Either you're jobless or JAH bless...
Prayer is like Jacob's ladder...
Conquer your lust or your lust will conquer you...
Even when your pocket or bank account is completely empty, everything around you is still worth millions. Why feel poor and depressed...
Let's go back, back to the beginning... (Hilary Duff)
Play your role...
Mosquitoes, rats and snakes have a very bad reputation...
On the pavement, 36 out of 40 is not a terrible score...
Take everything meant for you, whether good or unfair...
GOD is omnipresent like a spiritual hotspot; you just have to dial and connect to HIM with your spirit...
I refuse to lose...
Bullies wear masks that can be ripped off when you face them back without fear...
We ignore hazy dreams because they seem to mean nothing but if you record the reports religiously, then you might discern many messages...
Hate in your heart will consume you too... ("Just The Two Of Us" by Will Smith)
Art is difficult, but someone has got to do it, and I bet that person is: You...
Drawing exact faces requires focus which can be very exhausting...
Guy Code: Do not beef with another guy over a girl; be civil...
Sometimes, my day is 25 hours long; the extra one hour is spent dreamsurfing...
We are 99.9 percent the same; the remainder is skin colour. I'm actually brown-black, not completely black...
When motivation is blocked, (disciplined) commitment or endurance must take over ASAP...
Keep studying...
Take a walk away and return to see the face you have inked afresh...
Jinja is the Source of my life...
Stick to the righthand sidewalk...
Mbarara just feels like milk and honey, plus juice...
The panoramic view on Arua Hill is very strategic...
Agriculture is the science of food, Architecture is the science of shelter while Art is the science of beauty...
You can pay for school but can't buy KLA-ss (Kampala class)...
Art is recreation...
Practice makes all the difference (My Favourite Ugandan Cartoonist of All-Time [Dan Barongo] taught me that)...
Be very careful what you wish for, you might receive it...
When it's not your gig, it's not your gig...
I want my Art to be more profitable than just direct sales or commissions...
Wish GOD could let me exist until the 22nd Century...
Write, write, write...
Marketing can turn a regular stone into a valuable piece of heritage...
Lip it (Speak it, say it, articulate it)...
I do not do Art for awards but rewards...
Fill only 80 percent of your stomach...
We all came from Heaven, so that pickup line of Heaven missing someone is pretentious...
Tears wash away the pain in the heart, but cheers wash away tears...
You are (judged by) what you draw...
Paints, brushes & cheers...
Broverb: Do not cheat with your friend's wife...
If you want Arsenal Cartoons, then just call Eddie on +256-781-345712...
Aim at 100 percent so that when you fail, you only get 97 (or even 90) which is not bad...
Sickness, poverty and death are part of this life...
If Depression is a monster, then what do we do to a monster? We stone it and cut off its head like David versus Goliath, with GOD's help...
Injuries, goals against, blocked shots, duels lost, fouls given away, own goals, red cards and suspensions ain't sweet...
Control your mind or other people will remote-control it...
Even when I was close to defeat, I rose to my feet... (Dr. Dre)
Forgiveness is easy, forgetting is not...
If you put all your eggs in one basket, they can still hatch...
Dribble with ballpoint pens...
Dream, dream, dream...
Art is love in High Definition colour and vice versa...
Women are like petrol stations; motivation is a fuel...
The cure for hunger is not lack of appetite but GOD...
Art is neither a race nor a beauty contest, we all have different destinations...
Stay in your lane...
GOD provides, in fact abundantly...
Art is never finished, only abandoned... (Leonardo da Vinci)
Death is a journey from Earth to a very big, luxurious, goldstreet-laden citystate named Heaven where GOD is the Judge and JESUS the Attorney...
Grief is the worst pain (JESUS wept) even though spirits never die; only flesh perishes...
Money is a very volatile firestarter fuel, but commitment keeps you burning when there is no money...
Inspire us, oh LORD, as we come to worship...
Eat to live, not live to eat... (My SMACK streammates sometimes said that)
Drink water or juice, not waragi! Beer is bland and wine too expensive unless you brew it yourself...
Sunshine dries tears...
Chew your food properly so that the stomach uses less energy to digest it (Learnt from Arsene Wenger)...
Arseno yesinga [Luganda for: Arsenal is the Best]... (Bebe Cool)
No excuses... (Heard from UCU lecturer Ben Bella Ilakut)
There is nothing under the sun that cannot be discussed in 100 words... (Stephen Apedel showed me that idea and though I failed to get internship at New Vision, he published my Letters To The Editor in the Sunday paper)
Less words... (Wanyama Wangah told me that)
Keep working...
If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress? (King of Israel in 2nd Kings 6:27)
What shall we eat? Grass. What shall we drink? Rainwater. What shall we wear? Mivumba. Where shall we get money? GOD provides... #Temutukoya...
GOD instructed the ravens to supply food to Elijah... (1st Kings 17:2-6)
The widow at Zarephath's jar of flour was not used up and jug of oil did not dry up, even without rain in the land...
JESUS fed 5,000 men with two fish and five loaves of bread...
I love East Africa...
Keep quiet...
Problems never end, but neither does The Solution (read GOD)...
When an architect makes a mistake, it's wrong but when an artist makes a mistake, it's a design...
GOD distributes everything...
How much money do you want?
There is enough work for all of us...
When you miss a shot, get ready for the rebound... (Dennis Rodman)
We are all refugees on Earth after the War in Heaven between Michael and Lucifer plus their armies...
Every blunder is a tutorial...
Life is very depressing, but you either stay down or get back up everyday...
I cannot kill myself...
Spartans, what is your profession? Huwa... (300 film)
Mbu sharks do not get cancer; how about other fish...
Prophecy starts as dreams... (Edmond Oduka)
Art can mend damaged hearts...
Problems never end, neither do solutions...
The full moon brightens the night...
Opposition is just Noise; they need to switch sides...
Till death do us do art (draw, paint, sculpt, design, etc)...
Motivation is similar to firewood or charcoal, it can burn out. You need alternative backup fuel that is reuseable (like paperpulp-anthillsoil brickets or volcanic rocks). You get that from commitment...
Reach your highest peak, Margherita...
Rwenzori is a Wonderland like Wakanda...
Forgive us our sins, GOD; astaghfirullah...
Words cannot kill. Recycle and use the abuse, consult the insult; bake Art using all the rebuke as charcoal or brickets. The fire is within you...
Londa e namba yo [Luganda for: Pick your number]... (Betty Mpologoma)
When you feel at the bottom like a shoe, just keep walking...
Nzepiri ma nze [Lugbara Translate: Let the one who talks talk]...
Rangi ebi [Wet paint]...
Worrying about public opinion is like a tortoise trying to be a weaverbird...
I do Art for both business and pleasure...
Handwrite your books on plain papers bound using staples or threads when machines are costly...
Happiness is a choice, even in pain...
Learn the basics...
Why is life so messy? (Kari Jobe)
VIP stands for Very Important Peasant...
Keep your true friends closer than true enemies...
Church (or wherever GOD is remembered) is the Dopest Gathering...
Spend enough time in the presence of GOD (My campus lecturer Bishop Isaiah Mbuga showed me that)...
Freezing computers and slow internet connection speeds teach patience...
Patience is a virtue...
Work hard as if it is for GOD...
Slow but sure...
Free Thousand (0,000)...
Make Patience your Best Friend; I call it Pesh...
Chong Shi? is a peaceful refuge Worship City of GOD I look up to like a Chinese Arua...
Discontent is the root of all unhappiness...
Patience pays in full, with a hefty bonus...
Waste not what is free...
Life is messy, but you find a way to dribble it like Messi...
When you avoid advertising to save money, it is like stopping the clock to save time...
Gender Equality is when men put women first and women put men first; end of conflict...
Live in the present time...
There were no homosexuals in Noah's ark...
Tough love is not enough; true love is kind...
Offer quality art at affordable prices for different consumers...
No swearing, cussing and vulgarity...
Art is money; keep it in an Art Bank...
The average hourly wage for an artist in the US is about 25 Dollars (which is close to 100,000 UGX just in case 1 USD is rounded off to 4,000 here)...
According to the Bank of Uganda Financial Capability Survey (2022), only 1 percent of Ugandans earn above 1 Million UGX while 49.2 percent earn less than 150,000 per month... (Dorothy Nakaweesi)
In 2018, worldwide online art was valued at 4.64 Billion US Dollars...
Every day is the same length of time as the one before plus after it; 24 hours only...
Been hit with a few shells, but I don't walk with a limp... (50 Cent)
Critics are like dogs barking at the moon; they can't bite...
Pressure sups energy but moral support regenerates it...
Learn from all your losses and missteps...
Sleep is very important for rejuvenation; let's not pretend like Pharisees...
Pay off your sleep debts...
Do not complain about the taste of free food...
Close your eyes and rest...
Sabbath Day is on Saturdays, but Christians can still gather and meet on Sundays (First Day of the Week)...
GOD is bigger than all our problems combined since Adam and Eve...
Bedwetting is curbed by putting a waterproof Macintosh material on the mattress...
Study the History of Art...
I'm a survivor...
I escaped from the school dispensary to my dormbed because I hate being admitted; all diseases heal in the name of YESU...
What do you do when the girl you vowed in your heart to adore for eternity finally tells you after two decades that she is not interested in your obsession? Do you die or keep on loving her?
Stay chill; there's nothing to fuss about other than Heaven...
LGBTQI+ is a mental illness...
Be water, my friend... (Bruce Lee)
GOD, GOD, GOD...
When you admire a girl deeply, just tell her or deal with the heavy pain of unrequited love...
Detach yourself from people who do not like you...
The only thing I hated about school was being whipped for academics, whether low grades, failing an easy question taught recently, leaving some numbers unanswered or regression in marks...
We spend at least six hours sleeping daily, pray for over two and are left with about 15 to do art. I can work with 12 after sunrise...
Make more money (M3)...
Draw in your sleep...
Praise GOD every millisecond...
When the sun stops shining, switch on a bulb or light a lamp...
Slander is free publicity; people forge movies about you...
Party after party: Birthday, graduation, marriage, funeral party (celebrating the life spent by the dead); cry and laugh week after week...
I am whatever you say I am... (Eminem)
Idri onyiru [Lugbara Translate: Life is good]...
Don't stop...
Study, study, study...
Critics cannot do what you do the way you do it; that is why they disregard the difference... (Matt Bish)
Every artist has his or her own style...
When in a fiery furnace, lion's den, empty well pit, dragon desert, whale's belly, prison or stormy sea, call JESUS...
20 litres of undercoat paint cost 57,000 UGX in Arua during Twenty22...
In case your dreams do not come true, chase new ones...
Think harder...
Teachers fail you, favourite sportsmen lose, crushes reject, girlfriends dump, friends betray, strangers rebuke, relatives mistreat and employers fire, but all that shouldn't make you a Satanist...
Win or learn; never waste a loss...
To block online nudity, set a SafeSearch Porn filter in your internet browser...
No strain, no gain; pain is just a feeling, might as well be fun while drawing...
Alhamdulillah [Awa'difo, MUNGU]...
Out of 7 days in a week, if four go quite well, then am easy...
Steady balling, like Lionel Messi...
Have game like Ray Allen...
Stephen Curry paints 3s...
Visit Heaven...
Is the sunshine in America different from the one in Africa or is the rain more flavoured?
Lose honourably coz when you win, others lose too...
Paint Cup Semi-final: Undercoat 1, Water 2; Water plays Vinyl Silk Emulsion in the Final: Game ends 1-1 but VSE wins 3-1 on penalties...
Even straight lines have crooked edges... (Marko Djurdjevic)
Think, think, think...
It's not about the machines, what will you do when you get them? Create content... (Advice from Isaac Ssemakadde)
GOD gave us talents to make life easier... (Francis Otim, aka Oparaah told me that)
You will never draw alone...
Play your favourite soulmoving worship music all night long while you sleep...
Stay calm...
Be kind...
If you love someone, just tell them! Secret love is cowardice and timid ignorance...
Reset your mind, renew your Art...
Dreams paint spiritual reality...
We are slaves to the art techniques we believe in...
The Bible is like a newspaper/ magazine; no wonder some called it The Good News...
Noone is born knowing anything, so training and learning never end...
Laziness is a cartoonist's worst nemesis...
If sleep is the cousin of death, then she is more refreshing than her relative plus brings more hope and lesser tears...
Give to Caesar Okhuti what belongs to Caesar Okhuti...
Too many lines wrinkle the face and make a portrait character look old...
Pray or die...
Two eyes and 10 fingers are a huge blessing...
Kaka ni ka 'ba sikokori ni indi [Maize ripens for people without teeth too] (Lugbara Proverb)...
Wake up, pray, work, sleep; repeat...
Happiness is the child of sweat...
Reinvent yourself...
Art cures mental illness...
Life is an Art session...
Why did the chicken cross the road? It was going to the art studio...
Art can be learnt through observation...
Train, practise drawing...
When you lose, soak it in so that your next win tastes really good...
Lazarus, come forth and draw...
Prepare to draw...
Roses have thorns...
Chase dow (money), not marks; they are both numbers though...
Stick to the stencil plan...
Pray and wait; 21 days is only three weeks...
Death is like travelling to another country without any luggage...
Font styles are uncountable...
Avoid dreamkillers...
Draw now...
Dream(vision)s are like Source Code...
The Palest Ink is better than the Sharpest Memory... (Chinese Proverb)
Be very serious about your Art studies...
Develop a colour theory, combination diagram, spectrum, abstraction scheme or wheel (How colours work together to affect our emotions and perceptions)...
Hues are pure colours; Shades are combined with black; Tints have white while Tones have grey...
Primary (Primitive) colours: Red, yellow, blue; Secondary (from mixing primary colours): Orange, green, purple; Tertiary (from mixing primary with secondary colours): Red-orange, yellow-green, blue-purple; Complementary (Opposite each other on colour wheel): Red & green, orange & blue, yellow & purple; Analogous (Next to each other): Red & red-orange or orange, yellow & yellow-green or green, etc; Triadic: RYB, OGP, etc; Warm (Active energy): ROY; Cool (Calming): GBP...
Art is so easy to love...
Use references...
GOD painted better than Michaelangelo... Pablo Picasso... Everyone...
Don't panic...
I believe in the GOD of Naamah, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, Hannah, Esther, Philip's four daughters and the Woman with a garland of 12 stars on her head...
Ideas come while you sketch...
GOD is everything...
Every day is a lesson...
Look within; know your universe...
Your imagination is your private art gallery...
A photo is an arrangement of many dots called pixels...
Paying tithe to GOD's storehouse doesn't necessarily make you alux rich, but it mysteriously covers your needs plus protects you from Hell and the invisible Devourer...
1-0 down, 2-1 up; scores change before 90 minutes elapse...
Take out the evil inside your system...
Become an Artman...
JESUS is my superhero (JIMS): Orphan, flight, mind control, royalty, rich, socialite, chemicals, elemental, water control, weaponry, detective, telepathy, mystic, legacy hero, super senses, healing, weather control, plant control, precognition, electricity, gravity, invisibility, time travel...
Every artwork you make is a seed you sow in your kunstgarten [wura amvu (colour garden)]; let it grow until harvest...
Depression is treated using Art medicine...
Enoch, (Moses) and Elijah were very lucky dudes who never died...
One artbrush used to cost 40,000 UGX in the 90s but in the 2010s, you could get over 40 different horsehair brushes at that same price...
Heaven is much better than earthly popularity...
There are two good angels for every bad one...
Keep your eyes and mind open to new possibilities...
Comics are like printed videos...
Every art meeting requires a Design agenda...
Complaining about boredom is not cool nor intelligent; create your own entertainment...
Doctors and nurses treat, but GOD heals...
You can search for new customers, but treasure old repeat customers like wine...
Sometimes at functions, I feel like everyone is worth introducing no matter their status: Politicians get more recognition yet shopkeepers, waitresses and bodamen are also Very Important Persons (VIPs) in society...
Why aren't you sketching?
Accept defeat and wait for your next victory...
Love yours... (J. Cole)
I will try again tomorrow...
The Rose is the Queen of Flowers; symbolises Love...
Spidi kendezako [Reduce speed]... (Afrigo Band)
You win some battles and lose others...
How do you get bored with all the art GOD created? There are trees, animals and planetary features we do not even know: I look at a ladybird and marvel at the design, Yayoi Kusama...
Break bread or let the bread break you, make a choice or let the choice make you... (French Montana)
When you see a lightgreen snake, let it go its own way. Same applies to human-snakes...
Waterfalls painting technique synchronises well with the pattern in dripping wet paint...
My 2016 Lugbara Dictionary is where the old and new meet...
Love the work you do...
When things fall apart, pick them up...
We are basically the same; I've heard Japanese speaking fluent Luganda, White Italians enviably communicating in flawless Lugbara, Indians speaking Swahili like coastal natives, Karamojong articulating very good English and Chinese mumbling Jamaican Patois...
Art is a journey from sketch to finish...
Painting is fun (Why The Birds Sing To Me [KADS 2009])...
Money comes, money goes; eat it like Pakistani rice...
What is that in your hand: a pencil, pen, brush, chalk, charcoal, mouse, stilus or spray can? Use it...
We all need art logic, not magic...
'Tis so sweet to trust in JESUS...
Paint-rollers reduce time spent on a job though waste paint...
Use what you have...
Don't try too hard to impress your haters; just live your life...
It's not yet "game over" until the referee blows the final whistle...
The only thing women cannot do is impregnate men (nor their fellow women)...
Entebbe is a fly town...
GOD is the Most Important Person (MIP)...
Do not forget your mistakes or else you will repeat them...
Everyday we pray for long life; give thanks to JAH for my life... (Runtown)
Women are not weak even if Paul wrote in the Holy Bible that they are the weaker sex; I derive a lot of mental strength and moral support from loving certain women (whether family, crushes or celebrities). Some are even physically stronger...
Being called a girl as a rebuke by a female is not an insult to me but her own self. If a male calls me a girl, then I know he is a faggot, as in homo and gay like the ones destroyed by GOD within Sodom City...
28 percent is mockingly very low, but 10 percent is a sunset joke...
Girls are strong too; they may be soft-bodied but they have very many strengths including magnetic beauty...
Sadolin or Plascon and Global paints use the same mixing formulas...
Design is different from Fine Art some way...
Peace and Prudence (Arua Citystate)...
I adore the colour green because of plantlife but deep blue is a very smooth paint when brushing on a surface...
It's superhot versus most beautiful Art; make a choice...
The reason why pokopoko doesn't phase me is because I used to have a hard mouth before I accepted JESUS; now I prefer peace (and no beef)...
Art is the science of beauty...
Sunshine is very longlasting as a source of electricity; the only problem is batteries or reuseable storage...
Smartphones enhance art business like Artphones...
Noone becomes poor by giving to GOD's storehouse...
You cannot know everything, but you can know a lot of things...
The whole world is an Art Club...
Talk only when you have to...
When rain falls, some see a burden, flood or stoppage of activities while others see rainwater, plant growth and more hydropower...
GOD can solve any problem, but instead of magnifying HIM, we magnify our problems...
A sunny day is a blessing for outdoor painting...
Anyone can draw; however, those who make art their profession never stop drawing...
Read the Bible like a newspaper or Marvel Comic magazine; it's more interesting because it's real...
Every art gig can teach you something fresh...
Do not covet another man's wife even if she confesses that she prefers you to her husband; the unseen Devil is not very far away...
Paraffin (Kerosene) like spirit thinners cleans wet paint...
Remain sober; alcohol is from the Evil One...
Don't talk too much...
A self-powered mental Iron Dome prevents insults, rebukes, difficulties, etc from reaching your heart...
You cannot choose your hardships, but you can choose how to react...
Every human possesses at least one talent, like a superpower; find yours and get more...
When you give your all to a project and do not get paid, you might burn out. To avoid Phoenix ash moments, approach every project as experience, not just employment (which might turn into exploit[ation]ment)...
Refining (or polishing) is the best part in cooking Cartoons...
Instead of anticipating the next Marvel movie, I should anticipate the next Bible story reading with lots of action from Noah to Abraham, Elijah, Mary, Paul and so many other interesting characters. We need a Bible Cinematic Universe (BCU); Kingstone Bible Comics and Epic Bible (by DC and Marvel Comics artists) do a great job...
Wait for the rain to stop falling instead of complaining; otherwise get an umbrella or raincoat or hide under a shelter...
We trust in GOD...
S/he who has two eyes can see (Kalinabiri Primary School)...
Rainwater is free life; collect enough for the drought...
Welcome to the YESU Universe...
Painting is tediously dehydrating under direct sunheat...
Do not put the container with paint in the direction you are moving to in order to avoid accidental spillage...
Look for financial papers, not just a job...
You love people and like material things...
Money is not more valuable than humans...
As a kid, I believed Hell was at Namugongo Shrine in KLA City and you carry your own firewood. Doesn't matter where the real one is, I just hope I'll escape it through JESUS...
Celebrating an Arsenal goal is a very high feeling; I wish I could run to pray the way I used to rush for a match kickoff in a kibanda video shack or restaurant plus feel the euphoria of GOD's presence...
Paintbrushes are assets...
Is the Health Gospel also criticism-prone like the Wealth Theology?
GOD doesn't need our money, but HIS storehouse does; the Earth doesn't need our seeds but the garden does, so that we get a harvest...
Create your own mental Heaven...
Depression is when you completely run out of motivation; commitment is a valve that prevents that situation...
In case your thinnest paintbrushes are too expensive or get worn out, you can custom-make your own from toothbrush bristles and other paintbrush hairs plus wires and sticks...
Art is sweeter than candy...
48 hours (Two days) are my limit for drawing editorial cartoons, though I was allowed three days at Sunday Vision from Tuesday to Friday...
When teachers strike, go to the library and teach yourself what you want to learn...
Holy Spirit, teach me...
Some cuts heal without medicine; only platelets...
If you fish while hungry, you can still catch fish...
Work, work, work...
Gardens are very valuable assets...
Just draw it...
BIGAMBO...
Sadolin paint should be renamed Hap(py)-olin paint...
It's not shameful to be a Fundi or Musizi wa rangi [Painter]...
In Twenty22, a quarter litre of oil paint cost 4,000 UGX in Arua...
Think again...
Architecture is frozen music (Johannes Wolfgang von Goethe)...When you are alone, talk to the Most High Don; the One who owes nobody anything! We are the ones indebted to HIM because HE gave us talents...
1 inch paintbrushes (worth 1,000 UGX each) can help create neat corners with clashing colours on both sides...
Pressure nags but motivation inspires...
Advertising makes us buy the things we want...
Jinja is the Adventure Capital of East Africa...
Kampala si bizimbe, naye bantu [Luganda for: Kampala is not buildings, but people]...
Tara is Paradise (read Tara-dise)...
Lado in Lugbara means: (My ancestors are) sleeping, l(a)ying down or resting here...
Uganda is the Pearl of Africa...
Love back everyone who loves you; forgive those who despise, abuse, hate and manipulate you...
Either you get likes on Instagram or cash on MoneyGram; choose one...
Every servant of GOD is gifted with one, two or five talents...
Noone owns your talent but GOD...
Reply greetings, not insults...
When people laugh at you, laugh with them, hee hee! It's called mental Antiphase, like sarcasm in Literature...
No fear...
Take the losses, take the wins too...
Keep your promises...
Train to win...
As long as I can make it to Heaven, I don't care what kind of house I'll live in; it's better than a cell in Hell...
Flat colours save time; it's not laziness...
One litre of paint covers an area of 10 to 14 square metres...
Every Lugbara word ends with a vowel (AEIOU)...
Balaam's donkey saw an angel and spoke; it was not a Disney animation but reality...
Pressure makes diamonds, but also bursts pipes and breaks dams...
GOD dresses flowers and feeds birds that neither sow nor weed gardens...
You are now watching Art TV; stay tuned...
Flu eventually ends...
I love Art...
Be silent, be still (She's All That [1999 film])...
GOD protects us through HIS angels; just one white angel can keep two or a dozen dark ones away with its light...
When you fail, smile (or grin) like Sadio Mane...
Ayiko 'Bu-a [Happiness is in Heaven]; on Earth, we have sorrow...
If you have a problem, then just look up (oneway) to Heaven... (Monday 4th October 2004)
Silence is golden; it conserves a lot of energy when you have work to finish...
No matter how dark the night, the sun (eventually) rises again...
Every sunrise is a new beginning for drawing... (Denis Sembuya)
I won't fail...
A small hut in Heaven is better than a big cell in Hell...
Pray, draw, eat, sleep; repeat...
When someone calls me poor, am not going to borrow money to impress them...
Yes, you can draw...
Bills... (Aatami Korpi)
Can you paint with all the colours of the rainbow?
Ignorance is not bliss, it's darkness...
Vinyl silk emulsion paint is easier to wash off from your hands with water, unlike removing oil paint...
Good friends bring out the best in you...Gossip is like news mixed with hate...
Music soothes the soul...
Free your imagination from incarceration (2014)...
Your season will come, it has to... (K'Naan)
Boiling water hardens eggshells, but softens spaghetti...
Pressure is not my friend...
When critics throw rotten tomatoes at you, collect them and decompose into manure for your seedprojects...
Start drawing early after waking up fresh...
I'm a survivor... (Ma$e)
Everyday is a new opportunity to create another masterpiece or your best artwork of all-time...
Suffer patiently... (Learnt from Sniper School)
Draw more Art...
Every man wants a wife who knows that GOD provides, not a money-hungry wealthseeker...
Keep dreaming...
Life is hard, but GOD is harder by far...
Love is tough, but if you do not commit suicide after losing it, then you are tougher than love...
Fear only GOD who can destroy your soul in Hell...
We all exist in different timezones...
The Sun has never stopped shining since the days of Adam and Eve; rise and shine too every day...
Never give up, never give in...
Felt a wall crack in my heart when I found out that Kawino had been poisoned to death (2001), the second wall cracked when Doro told me she had a boyfriend (2003), the third wall got wrecked when Alice told me everything I want to give her she will get from another man (2005) and therefore looked for a remedy though my replacement girlfriend also fired me two years later, but my heart melted to liquid when Arsenal lost 1-3 at home to Man Utd in the 2009 UEFA Champions League semifinals; I forced myself to sleep in order to wake up with a new heart: Messi became my focus...
Damaged hearts go where they can be mended...
Plastic recycling is a very noble venture...
I can't commit suicide just because some classmate told me I have cassava-stem legs; in fact, they are bigger than that. I was created by GOD and HE gives me everything I possess including my skinny size...
No matter how cold the winter, summer will come...
Heartwreck is when you try too hard to break into someone's heart and end up wrecking your own because you failed (2005)...
I make cartoons for adults, but expect toddlers and youth to digest the same art...
Arua Hill can heal; Mulago Hill too...
From Maracha (Arua) to Ibanda (Mbarara), fine art speaks the same immaculate language...
Who wants to be an artist?
Life is just a bittersweet symphony, like honey mixed with lemon...
There is no halfway house between intimacy and loneliness...
Rubbish heaps can be managed by sorting... (Specioza Wandera Kazibwe)
Rejection is Re-direction... (Learnt from Josephine Canonizado Mungcal who called me the Piglet to her Pooh)
The Devil must die, burn or be chained; time's up! Let GOD's Kingdom come...
Be patient and tough; someday this pain will be useful to you... (Asher Bania)
Fury management is the best lesson you can teach yourself...
Maranatha...
Muzzle your tongue from speaking idle words...
Topowa gemu [Luganda for: Don't quit the game]... (Mac Elvis)
The writing is on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN... (Daniel 5)
Since there is no water in Hell, then Earth must be Half Heaven...
Like Bezalel (son of Uri) and Oholiab (in Exodus 31), all kinds of skills to make artistic designs and engage in crafts come from the Spirit of GOD...
Everything people say about you is their own opinion, not yours. What do you say about yourself...
Draw, ink, paint and learn...
Do not act stupid when in a crucible or furnace of insults, ridicule, negativity and hate speech; be like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego...
Why do we live this way? (2Pac)
Criticism is like the hard gravel you collect to pave your murram path; walk on it...
Birds fly, lions roar whereas artists draw...
Money is like rain, wait for it to fall and collect enough for dry spells...
Zero apologies...
Welcome to Heartwreck Hospital...
Everything you go through in life, that's what you become... (Estelle)
When hungry, ask GOD for food instead of complaining like HE cannot provide what HE created...
Wear, fix your own crown...
Every loss is a lesson; do not waste it...
Education is the key to success; failure is the padlock...
When you fail, pray...
"Idri katro mba ngoni ti, ama o'bi eri 'dani..." - StiCka ("Ama Mu Drile")
Why are you beating me?
I may sin in my mind or heart, but will try not to do it with the body too; cleanse me, GOD...
Filmmakers draw, ink and paint using light...
Give JAH thanks fi di up-rising every dawn...
Learn and earn...
Enya, nyaka, ta, onyakunya, food, emere, Essen, etc...
Sleep renews the body...
Failure is a bypass to success; it's not the highway nor Autobahn but some type of panya...
 |
| Timekeeper... |
A real man just can't deny a woman's worth... (Alicia Keys, 2001)
Talk less, write and draw more...
When they tell you that you are cursed, encourage yourself that you are blessed by GOD...
Learn from missteps...
'Ba da sende tawuni-a tipasi [Lugbara Translate: Money was poured in town using a tipper]...
Memories give me the strength I need to proceed...
Find a painting rhythm...
Don't complain; just fix the problem...
The three books of Enoch (a prophet who walked faithfully with GOD for many years and was taken to Heaven alive) should have been part of the Bible...
When life throws you down hard to the floor, bounce back up like a Spalding basketball...
I have a right to remain silent...
Sleep on your right side so that the heart on the left beats freely...
Boredom is a state of your own mind...
Complaining about boredom is uncool; just find entertainment...
Never blame other people for your boredom; it's your own fault...
When tired, sleep instead of yawning endlessly or complaining...
Do not yawn nor heckle when bored; it's a very weak, primitive gesture in the 21st century. Can't your mind drift away like an iPod or VR set instead. Dream, mindshift, pray...
No sneezing, coughing nor heckling to show disapproval...
Pine Needle Tea contains five times more Vitamin C than oranges and can eliminate flu from your lungs in two days...
Black is beautiful...
A warm cloth around the neck prevents flu...
You live in your own mind...
Staying outside instead of indoors is not an achievement...
Some paints have poisonous fumes...
Women, Arsenal, Computers (Marriage, Football, Videophones); add GOD in the discussion...
The wicked borrow and do not pay back; getting a loan is like intentionally putting your leg inside a trap hoping it doesn't catch you for some time...
Depression is a choice; you are the Captain of your mind-boat on the lake of thoughts. Either you float, sail, ski, bungee-jump, dronefish, Zipline, swim to the shore through mindshifting or sink...
Mental illness is over-used; everyone has ups and downs (happy moments and bad days): Fasting is not an eating disorder, staying away from bad company is not withdrawal from society, spending more time in private prayer instead of visiting the gym is not loss of interest in activities that used to interest you, staying awake to work after midnight is not a sleeping disorder, etc. Switch the spotlight to coping or damage limitation through shockabsorbers...
Declare only blessings into your life; no curses...
Help people where you can...
Food vendors are distribution agriculturalists, Carpenters are wood architects while Musicians are sound artists...
Death never stops until you leave Earth for Heaven...
Your boat cannot sink as long as GOD is in it...
Why worry about public opinion yet you have your own opinion? You are what you think...
The Devil is invisible like all the other angels, but a time comes when you meet him face to face...
Paint, paint, paint...
If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again... (Aaliyah)
Fasting is different from starving; GOD provides...
One of the Worst Things I've ever done is praying to the Devil at least thrice; LORD forgive me...
Satanic healing (Witchcraft) redirects the illness to another body part...
Do not ask the Devil for anything; he might take your soul to Hell forever in exchange...
In the name of JESUS, not just medicine, any disease can be healed...
Fast and pray no matter what people say; JESUS did it for 40 days...
Get off the cheaters network...
Mbu twasirana [Luganda for: That we are cursed]...
I'm blessed... (Katalina Mezu)
If GOD led and delivered you from Evil through 20 years, then why worry about the next two decades? At 40, you look forward to the next four decades and so on and so forth...
Love is enough... If you want something, then go for it... (Mayokia taught me that)
Art is all about lines and colours...
We came from clay and that is our final destination...
Judges 19 plus 20 is another classic example of how homosexuality is wicked...
Sketch with your hand and refine with your mind, but ink with your heart...
If Art was a girl, then I'd ask her to marry me. In sickness and health, poverty and wealth, no divorce. Even after death, we will meet again and never part...
Anger Management is the Best Lesson I ever taught myself...
A ream of 500 unruled foolscap papers cost 15,000 UGX in Twenty14...
A box of ballpoint pens, pencils and rubbers plus ream of photocopying papers (21,000 UGX during Twenty22) is a wonderful asset property collection...
Depression is a decision; either you are in or out...
Believe, begin, become...
Cheating is not a competition; it's a weakness. Strong spouses remain faithful despite temptation...
We are all sinners in need of the Holy Saviour...
Just start drawing...
Count your own blessings instead of coveting what other people own...
When GOD doesn't give you fulltime employment in other people's companies, maybe HE is freeing you to start-up a business as an Artpreneur and become your own boss...
What kind of father gives his son a stone when he asks for bread? The one who knows that the stone (probably a diamond) is worth 5 loaves (or even a bakery). Give a man a fish and he will eat once; but when you teach him how to work or grind, he will keep eating...
If Camera Art needed a spokesperson, then I would choose between Issa Ssekito and MC Kats...
I have waka...
Hallelu-YAH...
There are two types of motivation: Inspiration and provocation...
CHOGM came in 2007 and reorganised me, but Covid-19 lockdown reset, then renewed my Art in Twenty20...
Sleep under a mosquito net; you cannot trust a mosquito as a friend, it will bite you with Malaria...
Ulcers are not caused by fasting...
Just praise G-O-D... (Akon)
We are like the (Chicago) Bulls in the 90s...
GOD made planets and galaxies we cannot even see...
A home studio wipes away transport costs...
What kind of god gives his worshipper worms yet s/he prayed for spaghetti? A false god; not real like YAH...
Whether am broke or loaded, GOD is still the greatest...
Art is like moving mountains...
Richard Of Yumbe Gave Stela Beautiful Pearls (ROYGSBP)...
Take off at sunrise like a plane: Sweeeee...
Learn how to work without facilitation...
Problems + Ideas = Solutions (This is the Depression Equation)...
Do not cry over spilled paint...
"The LORD Is Peace!" - Gideon (Judges 6:24)
Rape is evil...
Draw, draw, draw...
Paintings are pain-tings...
You need nerves of graphene to refuse to be depressed...
Depression is not an achievement...
When in lockdown, look outside through the Windows...
Every artist needs motivation; it could be love, attention, legacy, vindication, ego, patriotism, application of GOD-given talent, practical experience or financial papers (money)...
My favourite haircut is a clean-shaven Shaolin Temple; I cannot wear wigs, weaves nor artificial hair. In the voice of Jessica Kayanja: NO...
Ask yourself why you do Art! I do it for GOD and financial papers...
Gone are the days when we would wait 15 minutes in an internet cafe for our email accounts to log in, get locked out by the timer before reading any mail, then pay for 5 more minutes to read just one mail, heehee...
If we do not tell our stories, noone else will... (Maisha Filmlab motto)
Circles, triangles and squares...
JESUS probably made wooden frames for portraits too...
Problems + GOD = Peace...
Stick to your plans...
If you have faith the size of a matchstick, then you can burn trash to ash...
After everything has vanished, only GOD remains...
Thin outside, phat inside...
All artworks are already written...
Remain hopeful...
Oh LORD, write our names in the Book of Life...
I want to go to Heaven coz am a child of GOD; the Devil didn't create me...
Bow down before GOD...
When someone hates you, even the good you do is bad in their heart...
Pray, pray, pray...
Draw everyday if you want to grow...
Keep moving forward on your boulevard of shattered dreams...
Each face GOD creates looks unique...
The funniest thing about Art is that you can create something out of nothing...
Too much work and no play makes Jack a very skilled worker...
Insults cannot kill unless you let them; they are simply words not daggers...
Do not beat someone just because s/he does not know the alphabet or square root of 25; s/he can learn them without whips...
At the Y-Corner, either you go left or right...
Love GOD with all your mind (intellect), heart (soul) and body (might/ strength)...
When tired, just rest instead of complaining...
Don't stop until you find a cure for this depression...
Ink, ink, ink...
When you give physically, you receive spiritually; then it manifests physically...
Homosexuality is when men tell GOD that HE doesn't know how to design, yet the natural curves on a woman's body are a wonderful work of Art...
Stop Academic Violence (SAV)...
Map out your art goals on a vision board...
Pure Mathematics, Pure Art; roger that, J. K. Backhouse...
Get through the struggle...
No FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), try maximizing JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out)...
A nigga is never ignorant getting goals achieved...
Grow a thick skin...
Sleep is very refreshing after a busy and exhausting day...
Win, lose or draw pictures...
Get back up...
Givers never lack...
When you lose, improve... Take the ball, pass the ball... (Pep Guardiola, the best ball-passer in the 90s according to me)
Fine Art never ends...
Calculate opportunity costs...
Wake up, pray up, clothe up and sketch up...
Maximise the available fuel (motivation)...
Work until you depart from this Earth; you are entitled to at most 120 years, if GOD wills...1st Thessalonians 5:17: Pray without Ceasing (PwC)...
GODisgreat...
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