"Ain't too Proud to Beg"

Gouache on Canvas Panel | SKing 2024

11" x 14" Framed
Good Times Collection

This tender scene unfolds in the quiet hush of a bedroom—just the two of them, wrapped in cotton sheets and complicated feelings. “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” is more than a reference to The Temptations classic — it’s a declaration of real love, real struggle, and the soft place where pride goes to rest.

Their bodies lean into each other, foreheads touching, vulnerability hanging in the air like a slow jam on vinyl. He’s come to her with his heart in his hands. She’s listening — rollers still in her hair, tank top still warm from sleep — but her posture says “I ain’t forgot.” This moment is intimate, not just physically but emotionally. It’s that type of scene we don’t always see in art — one where Black love is messy, beautiful, and sacred in its quiet honesty.

Above their bed hangs a framed piece inspired by the iconic work of Ernie Barnes, known for painting the soul of Black life in movement and music. The image is not just décor — it’s memory, it’s heritage, it’s the rhythm they come from. Barnes’ figures, always swaying and full of life, remind us of the joy, struggle, and spiritual sweat that fill the spaces Black love occupies. That painting watches over them like an elder — a reminder that love is a dance, and sometimes you miss a step, but the song goes on.

The room is painted with warm, earthy tones, creating a safe and grounded atmosphere. The details — the soft curtain, the vintage lamp, the worn-in bedspread — all speak to home. And on the wall behind them hangs an image of a Black woman, possibly ancestral or spiritual, as if watching over them with both grace and quiet wisdom. Her presence reinforces this truth: Love is work. Forgiveness is holy. And sometimes, coming back is the bravest thing.