IN MEMORY OF PEPPY
JOSEPH ALBERT BARBERA
( My brother )
September 3rd 1975 to April 15th 2009
Couldn't have done it without you! Love and miss you, buddy!
Pep's favorite band and singer
above and below show an ongoing piece I have been working on since Peppy passed away. this was the one that started it all. It was an old abstract expressionistic piece from college that had been sitting behind the door in our bedroom collecting dust for years. late one night a month or two after my brother had passed away i noticed a strange green glow coming from what looked like a skull's eye cavity. as I said this was an abstract piece and didn't have anything representational on it other than that old country text which i made from blown up xeroxes. as i stared at the painting i could start to clearly make out this skull and the green glow became an orb which flew straight towards me.
i was sober (for those asking) and had never experienced anything paranormal before. As i watched it get closer and closer it stopped about 7 inches from my face and then i heard Peppy's voice plain as day say... "Nunzie. get off your ass and start painting again. it won't cost much to get going." so i stayed up all night and started drawing. I had not been practicing art for almost ten years prior to this and had been depressed for close to 5 years at this point.
Pep knew what he was saying. not only did it help me come to terms with his parting but it helped me through a most difficult time. one that i surely would not have crawled out of on my own. and one that many a loved one had already tried to retrieve me from.
The first few pieces i made i can barely recall making. it was like i would trance out for hours while pep was sitting beside me guiding my hands. I would awaken what felt like minutes later to see these crazy creations that often had bonus hidden images and symbolism in them. I don't feel pep guiding my hands very often anymore but i do feel him with me every day although i still miss the hell out of him greatly.
these show some of how the painting has progressed over the years. it has an element sticker i found in his belongings, some of his anatomy sketches from college, a sticker that joey vindictive had sent him, along with any fitting additions i may add or other things i might find of his.
we all love and Miss you pep!
looking forward to the day i can ask you how many famous dead guys you have schlappa'd.
i was sober (for those asking) and had never experienced anything paranormal before. As i watched it get closer and closer it stopped about 7 inches from my face and then i heard Peppy's voice plain as day say... "Nunzie. get off your ass and start painting again. it won't cost much to get going." so i stayed up all night and started drawing. I had not been practicing art for almost ten years prior to this and had been depressed for close to 5 years at this point.
Pep knew what he was saying. not only did it help me come to terms with his parting but it helped me through a most difficult time. one that i surely would not have crawled out of on my own. and one that many a loved one had already tried to retrieve me from.
The first few pieces i made i can barely recall making. it was like i would trance out for hours while pep was sitting beside me guiding my hands. I would awaken what felt like minutes later to see these crazy creations that often had bonus hidden images and symbolism in them. I don't feel pep guiding my hands very often anymore but i do feel him with me every day although i still miss the hell out of him greatly.
these show some of how the painting has progressed over the years. it has an element sticker i found in his belongings, some of his anatomy sketches from college, a sticker that joey vindictive had sent him, along with any fitting additions i may add or other things i might find of his.
we all love and Miss you pep!
looking forward to the day i can ask you how many famous dead guys you have schlappa'd.