My name is Roosevelt Anthony Washington and I am from Oakland California. For the past 20 years I have lived my life as a professional artist trying to capture the true emotions of what life is to live. I grew up in a family of six with my mother, brothers and sisters in East Oakland. I submerged myself in my artwork to help myself deal with difficult surroundings in my environment. I loved art so much that I began to dedicate 100 percent of my time to my work.

People kept telling me that I would never make it as an artist, but I was determined to prove them wrong. My home life was so negative that I had to be homeless just to get away. I was never formally taught how to draw, but the experience I received from the four years that I lived on the sttreets gave me the ability to find myself through my artwork. I try to capture "real life scenarios" expressing all human emotions with each stroke of my hand.

These pieces are made simply with black and white chalk pastels. I am presently working on a series in oil paints and I use other media as well. I am also available to do comissioned artwork. You can check out my site for upcoming exhibits at www.rawicon.com. I am also available to do websites and graphics.

Thank you for taking time to check out my website, and my artwork. I look forward to working with you in the future!