Q: What happens to the artist with no formal training, who happens to have a passion?
A: He paints.

‘Cheek’ as he’s known by in his hometown city of Greensboro, NC, started sketching on his own as a young boy. Usually people. And often animals. Since youth, he’s always had a fair amount of pets around. His attention, sharply sensitive, was more often scattered amongst his stock of reptilian and furry acquaintances than the two-legged upright-walking ones. He mostly sketched for his own casual entertainment. On occasion he would have the actual intent to share and therefore admit his natural talent. Later in life he signed up for an art class. One two-legged upright-walking freshman college professor would tell Cameron, upon seeing the self-portrait that he had sketched, “You didn’t draw that. You traced it.”

Later for school. He retreated to his element. The Streets. And Hip Hop. Music was a passion that never gave struggle, but instead provided relief from it. He and his close network of crew, since high school days, have always found comfort in the Studio Sessions of late. What football bonding is to the male, the studio session is to the refined male: Exclusive, Men-only, intensely serious type of Fun—for the creative heart.

Now at 27, he’s revisiting his artistic talent. Last year, he began not only sketching again, but he picked up a brush and began to paint as well. He paints what he knows and loves—animals of course, and friends and family—but now also music. One of his favorite pastimes is to paint Hip Hop album covers. Not for a class, and certainly not for a gallery quota. But because he can. And because he loves to.

W. Cameron Cheek, II spends most of his time with his crew, The Seven Seas, and his four-legged crew of Akita’s. For information on quotes, he may be reached at 336-339-9280.