Java.Jan.2017

I hit him up, got a price, and we made plans for me to pick it up. Demetrius was
sharp—he quoted Bowie lyrics when he let me know it was ready. Now, it’s one of
my most treasured paintings.
Demetrius’ life and livelihood were his art, and in the end, his hard work was
committed not only to art but to his loved ones, as well. He was a very talented
artist whose work will continue to inspire for years to come, but he was also a
brilliant human being. I mean brilliant in terms of being illuminating—he was a
light bearer.
I befriended him at the intersection where my loves of music and art collided,
while mourning the death of perhaps my greatest musical idol. In doing so, I was
given the rare privilege of having a window into the final months of a dying artist.
Demetrius’ painting of Bowie helped me at the moment I needed it most, but
watching him come to terms with his mortality and how he faced it will inspire
me for the rest of my days. I have known many artists who have passed and, like
Jules, they do not often go gently into that good night.
I cannot help but think that the portrait series he was doing of Bowie, Prince, Ali
and others who passed away this year helped him as much as they helped the
people who happily purchased the works. It was another example of Demetrius
staring death right in the face while working fiercely into the night, making
portraits of artists and icons whose ranks he would join before the year’s end.
On Facebook, Jules documented as many moments as he could, painting, living,
laughing, eating sushi and, yes, vulnerable with illness. He had four different
types of stage 4 cancer, yet every chance he could, when not confined to bed or
medicated beyond ability, he would paint. He would also spend time with his
loved ones and get excited over milkshakes, sushi or a trip to the dispensary.
While medical marijuana did not cure his cancer, it made his pain bearable
enough that he could paint, eat and enjoy the moments he had. And the joy he
shared in those moments, nearly every day, was palpable. Demetrius knew he
was living on borrowed time, and he knew not to squander it. He didn’t spend a
lot of time complaining or feeling sorry for himself. The man was on a mission.
36 JAVA
MAGAZINE