Local artist presents portrait of Ray Charles to singer's daughter
Amos. G. Stokes Jr. isn’t afraid to try new things.
Over his 62 years Stokes, more commonly known as “Sadat,” has been a professional artist, actor and comedian.
In June, he presented a portrait of the late Ray Charles to the
singer’s daughter, Sheila Raye Charles in Greensboro at the Black
Network Television conference. Sadat, who has lived in Alamance County for eight years, said he found out Charles was going to be present at the event so he wanted to paint a portrait of her father.
“When I gave the portrait to her, Sheila was so happy,” Sadat said. “I could see the tears in her eyes of joy.” He didn’t have such good luck with a higher profile visitor. When First Lady, Michelle Obama, visited the state earlier this month he tried to give her a portrait he had painted of her, but the Secret Service said he would have to set up an appointment.
“Even though I couldn’t give it to her then, I’m not going to give up just yet,” Sadat said.
From the sixth grade on, Sadat knew he wanted to be an artist. He grew up in New Jersey, where he started his career at Bergen Tech High School in Hackensack as art director of the school yearbook.
“I remember when I was in sixth grade a friend of mine was always drawing and I thought it was the coolest thing,” Sadat said. “That was when I knew I wanted to be an artist.”
Sadat said his father was an artist along with being a construction worker; he said he started off by designing buildings for his father’s construction company.
When Sadat was in his preteens he was influenced by cartoonist Al Capp. Later, Cleven Goudeau became his mentor.
“When Cleven was my mentor, he was the founder of the first successful African American card company, Onyx Enterprises,” Sadat said. “We would go to gift shows at the New York Coliseum and we caused Hallmark Cards to see the market for African American greeting cards in the 70’s; from that point African American cards popped up everywhere.”
Sadat said Goodall convinced him to go to college. From 1969-72 Sadat attended the School of Visual Arts in New York, then went on to The New York Writers Institute in 1973, and lastly he was a student at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts from 1972-74.
One of Sadat’s many accomplishments was when he was a member of the startup staff of Essence Magazine, where he was the assistant art director.
Sadat moved to Mebane in 2004, where he became an art teacher at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Burlington, and an art teacher for the Home Initiative of Mebane.
In April of 2006, Sadat redesigned the Mebane Police Department uniform patch to make it more professional. In March 2010, he designed the cover for the Alamance Magazine which was a portrait of President Obama.
Sadat has also painted portraits for Gov. Bev Perdue and U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan during the time he has lived in Mebane.
Sadat said he currently teaches children ages 7 to 17 how to become professional artists at the Z-Bowl in Mebane. He was also the founder of the CHILD ART Studio which teaches the youth life lessons through art. “I inform the children that there are more artist in the world than there are in any other profession,” Sadat said. “All things that have been created had been designed by an artist.”
Sadat has two children, Amos Stokes III who is a school teacher in New York, and Anwar Stokes who is a construction worker in Atlanta.
“It is my dream to one day open an art academy to teach children how to become professional artists,” Sadat said.
Credits: Anna DeLoache/Times-News
Over his 62 years Stokes, more commonly known as “Sadat,” has been a professional artist, actor and comedian.
In June, he presented a portrait of the late Ray Charles to the
singer’s daughter, Sheila Raye Charles in Greensboro at the Black
Network Television conference. Sadat, who has lived in Alamance County for eight years, said he found out Charles was going to be present at the event so he wanted to paint a portrait of her father.“When I gave the portrait to her, Sheila was so happy,” Sadat said. “I could see the tears in her eyes of joy.” He didn’t have such good luck with a higher profile visitor. When First Lady, Michelle Obama, visited the state earlier this month he tried to give her a portrait he had painted of her, but the Secret Service said he would have to set up an appointment.
“Even though I couldn’t give it to her then, I’m not going to give up just yet,” Sadat said.
From the sixth grade on, Sadat knew he wanted to be an artist. He grew up in New Jersey, where he started his career at Bergen Tech High School in Hackensack as art director of the school yearbook.
“I remember when I was in sixth grade a friend of mine was always drawing and I thought it was the coolest thing,” Sadat said. “That was when I knew I wanted to be an artist.”
Sadat said his father was an artist along with being a construction worker; he said he started off by designing buildings for his father’s construction company.
When Sadat was in his preteens he was influenced by cartoonist Al Capp. Later, Cleven Goudeau became his mentor.
“When Cleven was my mentor, he was the founder of the first successful African American card company, Onyx Enterprises,” Sadat said. “We would go to gift shows at the New York Coliseum and we caused Hallmark Cards to see the market for African American greeting cards in the 70’s; from that point African American cards popped up everywhere.”
Sadat said Goodall convinced him to go to college. From 1969-72 Sadat attended the School of Visual Arts in New York, then went on to The New York Writers Institute in 1973, and lastly he was a student at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts from 1972-74.
One of Sadat’s many accomplishments was when he was a member of the startup staff of Essence Magazine, where he was the assistant art director.
Sadat moved to Mebane in 2004, where he became an art teacher at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club in Burlington, and an art teacher for the Home Initiative of Mebane.
In April of 2006, Sadat redesigned the Mebane Police Department uniform patch to make it more professional. In March 2010, he designed the cover for the Alamance Magazine which was a portrait of President Obama.
Sadat has also painted portraits for Gov. Bev Perdue and U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan during the time he has lived in Mebane.
Sadat said he currently teaches children ages 7 to 17 how to become professional artists at the Z-Bowl in Mebane. He was also the founder of the CHILD ART Studio which teaches the youth life lessons through art. “I inform the children that there are more artist in the world than there are in any other profession,” Sadat said. “All things that have been created had been designed by an artist.”
Sadat has two children, Amos Stokes III who is a school teacher in New York, and Anwar Stokes who is a construction worker in Atlanta.
“It is my dream to one day open an art academy to teach children how to become professional artists,” Sadat said.
Credits: Anna DeLoache/Times-News
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