Selections From Red Sketchbook - Years 2018 - 2019

 

Coral - The Band

The last time I performed on stage was back in 2013.

Twelve years later, my friend Ken asked me to fill in on bass for his band, Coral. Coral is a music project headed by Raven. Raven and Ken met via a Craigslist ad and have been writing music together since last year. 

Raven is the rhythm guitarist and vocalist of the band. Ken plays guitar. Josh, a friend of Raven's back in Miami, plays drums.

You can listen to Raven's demos here: 

When my friend Ken asked me to be a part of this project, I was excited, but also nervous. While I have continued to play guitar and record music since leaving my band Toons back in 2013, I have not been on stage or played in front of a live audience since. 

This was a fun challenge to take on. I had to learn new music, create bass lines, and collaborate and rehearse with people I've never played with before.

The photos were taken by my brother, Kevin. 

In preparation for the show, I also made new artwork. The poster gave me the opportunity to create artwork with purpose. 

Coral Band Promo Poster for the Band's First Show at Piano's in October 2025

I also made a limited run of linocut prints for sale for the show. A few remain. If you want to purchase one, they can be found here: https://coralband.bandcamp.com/album/iv

They look like this:

I made the prints at my parent's place when I came by to visit NYC and rehearse with the band at Astoria Soundworks. The dining room table was my work table for a day. It was very nostalgic because I've made many other things in the past on that table. 

Pen and Ink Drawing of Coral Reef by Alex Ariza, 2025

 

Drawing of Coral Reef, Pen and India Ink on Paper 9 x 12 inches, Alex Ariza, 2025

This intricate pen and ink drawing features a variety of coral reefs in black and white by Alex Ariza. The artwork was created for the band, Coral, and their upcoming album. The ink drawing has many details and textures. The artist explored the many ways ink can convey roughness, smoothness, contrast, and movement.

Coral Band Poster and Album Art by Alex Ariza 2025

Coral Band Poster, 9 x 12 inches, Ink on Illustration Board, Alex Ariza, 2025

Black and white poster for the band, Coral, featuring a highly intricate ink drawing on illustration board by Alex Ariza. The drawing is of a woman's head surrounded by a variety of coral, reefs, and seaweed. Coral is growing out of the top of the woman's head and her eyes. The woman appears lifeless and floating underwater. The background fades into a black abyss. The ink style is reminiscent of horror comic book art and Japanese Manga.

2024 Christmas Cards for Friends

 

What Can Possibly Go Wrong? Acrylic Paint and Color Pencil 10 x 7 inches

Santa v Krampus Boxing Match. Watercolor and Ink on Paper 10 x 7 inches.

Santa's Boxing Gloves. Acrylic on Paper 10 x 7 inches.

Tangled Christmas Lights Monster. Acrylic Paint on Paper 10 x 7 inches.

Christmas Elf Slaying Hydra. Acrylic Paint on Paper 10 x 7 inches.

Elf Facing Off Christmas Ent. Acrylic Paint on Paper 10 x 7 inches.

Dungeon Entrance. Acrylic Paint on Paper 5 x 7 inches

Christmas Elf Faces Off Evil Snowman in Dungeon. Acrylic Paint on Paper 10 x 7 inches.

Ice Cave. Acrylic Paint on Paper 5 x 7 inches.

2024 was a good year. Here are some Christmas cards I made for my friends. I took this as an opportunity to practice painting with acrylics, and more specifically layering transparent color without using white. These paintings required a bit more planning when it came to the shading portion to retain the white of the paper. I used thin glazes of paint to build up the mid-tones and shadows.