Dream of the Planet by A. Dante Bravo
Disneyland Trio
Backstory:
Ashley and Chris. Both have been with me from the start. We met in high school, back when I was just some weird kid who liked to spike his hair and draw a lot (a LOT) of naked people in his sketchbook.
Ashley was the first best friend I ever made. We had the best sleepovers-- staying up all night, drawing comics, and laughing at our jokes until the early morning. Ashley was the light that helped me through the most miserable times of my life. Chris and I rarely hung out in high school, but you'd never guess. We quickly became close friends over the phone. We were states away, but it was like we knew each other since forever. He became my role model for how to be a best friend and how to be a loving boyfriend.
Chris and Ashley helped me launch and sustain my first art business. They were two of the first people I came out to about my gender. Both Ashley and Chris immediately accepted me as I truly am. They loved me for me. For all of that and more, I am incredibly grateful to be their friend.
The painting: I asked myself, "If I could go back in time and give the high school squad a dream vacation...?" It had to be Disneyworld. With Ashley's input, we designed a birthday painting for Chris. While I can't go back in time and spoil our teenage selves, one day I can give us the first-class, VIP, Disneyworld vacation the three of us deserve.
My Borderline Boyfriend
Artwork made by A. Dante Bravo, intended as the "cover art" for something a bit out of my comfort zone.
“My Borderline Boyfriend" is a song written about loving someone with borderline personality disorder. When it comes to BPD, I noticed a lack of empathetic depictions of people with this disorder. I'm not practiced when it comes to music, but I needed to have this song exist outside of my head.
Luckily I knew a musician I could trust to perform the song with dignity and empathy. Thank you so much, Shamika, for letting me commission you and for bringing my vision to life. It is an incredible gift to feel seen, I am so grateful for your art.
To be the first to see my newest paintings and to read more of my writing, consider following my Patreon, where all my content is free and open to the public: www.patreon.com/adbravoart
Song & Video Performance (Google Drive Link)
Poetry by A.Dante Bravo
Performed by Shamika L. Moore
Lyrics:
My borderline boyfriend
Knows you’ll abandon him one day
God made him absolutely unlovable
Or so his mother used to say
On a roller coaster of emotion
For no reason or so it seems
He either hates you or he loves you
There is no in between
He never asked to be unstable
Reckless, anxious or depressed
Making choices far too risky
Or maybe just adventurous
He would if he were able to
Be all that he could be
He needs prescriptions and a therapist
To mend his self esteem
If you remind him that you love him,
He’s not a burden or a bore,
You will earn yourself a loyalty
You’ve never had before
You have no right to judge him
If you don’t understand his world
It’s a disability, not a frivolity
Believing love is undeserved
I’ll repeat it as much as needed
“Nothing can take your worth away,”
He won’t believe it, but he’ll hear it
I have faith he will someday 🖤
Violet Daydreams
Hi, I'm A. Dante Bravo. I'm a watercolor artist specializing in watercolor paintings of trans men and abstract art. I'm also working on intersectional comic books on my Patreon.
Comic: Eye of the Beholder
Eye of the Beholder is a 12 page sci-fi
thriller written by Luis Silva and illustrated by Andres Dante Bravo.
Published under The Night Terrors series in 2019, Eye of the Beholder is
a chilling love letter to The Twilight Zone and the visionary Jordan
Peele.
Gesture Drawings
Gesture drawings by A. Dante Bravo. I have been a huge fan of quickposes.com for
years. I've been using the site for daily gesture drawings since I was a
college freshman. In the realm of figure drawing, there is always room
for improvement, no matter if we are novice or master. True mastery is a
lifetime commitment to learning.
Resonate
I'm A. Dante Bravo. I'm a queer Latino trans man creating
intersectional comic books and watercolor paintings. The aim of my art career is to create as much colorful, diverse, and
affirmative art for people who feel underrepresented by mainstream
entertainment.
His Natural Truth
Watercolor on 7" x 10". This painting sits on my shelf. It is a reminder to be true to what I love: my authentic soul, nature in all its variety, and the art (tattoos) which can elevate our experience on this beautiful planet. Art © A. Dante Bravo
Buy this print on Etsy here: His Natural Truth
Mortal Reminder
Digital Painting. The skull is a reminder of my mortality and how every day is another opportunity for new ideas, experiences, and manifestation. Death, if we allow it, is the ultimate motivator to live life as our brilliant selves. We were all born with a death sentence. I promised myself to die with complete satisfaction and peace. Death is my friend, my mentor, my encouragement. Art © A. Dante Bravo
Hecate Incarnate
Watercolor on 9" x 12" paper. This painting was a birthday present to my best friend (she/her). The color scheme was inspired by her gothic fashion. The moon goddess Hecate is symbolic of her strength. The bats are stand ins for her two children. The cats were inspired by her own rescued cats.
Hecate is drawn shedding a single tear, the eye itself is concealed. Despite the unspeakable hardships she has endured, she was courageous enough to survive them all. No one in the world has the power to stop this woman-- she is fiercely and undeniably divine. Art © A. Dante Bravo
