busy

Work has been time consuming and most of my extra energy is devoted to client work, so I apologize for the lack of fun stuff lately.
The fun added benefit of working full-time has made me want to draw a lot more, though, so hopefully I will have some things to show later!
Also, my host has been down for over a week so I'm currently working on getting everything back online, but this blog will always be up! 

Until then, have a picture of the office I co-habitate for 2 and a half hours every week (my morning sketch time).

ATC

Just a little ATC that I spent some time on today.

I got a full time job. Whee!

Personal influence

 

I'm a girl, so this might make more sense knowing that it's from a female point of view, if you're into that kind of thing. 

In my process of trying to grow and develop myself as an artist, and picking up bits and pieces of knowledge throughout the internet, I've learned that really laying everything out that you like can really impact your visual ideas in regards to what you like to draw. (I say this loosely, because you could like to draw EVERYTHING and dress like a nun, or whatever.)

For example, I love really clean basic things, with owls, repeat patterns, typography and simple design, with a lot of organic elements like fur and weaves mixed in. It's interesting to see these kinds of interested reflected in the things I wear everyday, AND in the things that I draw.

It's also just really fun to throw all the stuff you mess with on a daily basis without really seeing it into one pile and notice it all. Since you wear it or are surrounded by it, you don't really notice it anymore.

I did this at Polyvore. It's crazy fun.

Also, here's a really cool link some people might be interested in. Mark McDonnell's Warmup Gesture Sketching.

Some people find it really hard to do sketches because they get super neat and controlled and feel like they've failed a drawing, but it's really inspiring to watch him just sketch loosely.

MyMoth

Moth Fanart for Shay.
Experimenting in Illustrator.


Been in a bit of a rut; the last couple of weeks have been messy. Lots of family in town and painting walls and moving. Today I'm going up north to visit family for the weekend. I'm bringing my paints with me so hopefully I can get some plein air paintings done and just unwind a bit before the school rush begins again.
:)

New Studio

Finally picked the color of paint for the new studio! I fell in love with it right there in the store. I knew it was the right choice. The accent colors are black and yellow, simply to match with my existing furniture. The majority of it is black, though.

Still cleaning and packing up as per usual. I have an obscene amount of felt. I have an equally obscene amount of fabric. And I did not realize how many books I owned until now. I'm hoping they all fit on my new bookshelf (which is taller than me!)

I think I will nap for awhile. I must sleep off a sugar coma.

New Card

Little prototype for a new business card. The back has bare trees with my information at the bottom. I'm sending them out to my family and friends. :)
I don't know if you can see but the trees look like cut paper. Mmm texture.

I went to my friend Laura's house yesterday. We watched Robin Hood: Men in Tights and she gave me a good luck charm for safe driving because while I am a pretty okay driver, the rest of the world is not. :(

WHY AM I DOING THIS INSTEAD OF PACKING

Graduation

I finally graduated with my BFA in Commercial Art & Illustration! :)
I also graduated Cum Laude ;)
I also finished my Honors Project and did well on it. I'm thankful it came out well; I hope to improve on it this summer.

Drawing in the Owl Book (that a certain special someone got for me) is top priority right now, but I think sleeping will have to come first.
I got a new scanner as well so I hope to be trying that out soon!

But for now, there are no projects, no rushes, nothing but a few weeks of relaxation and reflecting.

Kokeshi

Moleskine page. Acrylic and some graphite buried under there.

It's crunch time!!
Remember the Milk is currently saving my life.

Things I must do-
Finish my brand new website
Get things ready for my show
Make postcards, business cards, etc.
Finish my zine (I already have an idea for the next one!)
Finish my honors project

I went to visit my grandparents today and it went so amazingly well. I can't wait to work on this project more. I've done a lot of research and I'm ready to do some good illustrations for it!

All in all, things are looking really good right now.

Outside

Painted outside today. It was a beautiful February afternoon. I made a ladybug friend for a short while as I sat in the shade.

The urge was really strong to just stretch out and take a cat nap, like how I used to do in the parks of Paris.

Purple mountain watercolor sketch...I'm loving the technique using modeling paste and paint.
We'll see how long this layout stays up...blogger's being kind of strange lately so it's tough to customize it right now, but as soon as I like one design, I start to favor something else. Oh well!
Getting things set up for my senior show...going to order cards and portfolios and such soon, and finish up my resume, and getting ready to set up a portfolio website! Got to think of a creative name since my name is too common to use as a domain name...

Giving Blood

I have been so busy lately. The minute I got back to school it was back to work, every day, all day. I come home and I'm only energized enough to eat! But things are slowing down so I can get back on track. :)

I donated blood yesterday (as you can see from the spread above.) It feels good to do something like that.
On the left are just some watercolor swatches I did during lecture. The little codes are from these wonderful little fountain pens I got the other day. Can't wait to use them....:)

New Years

I had a fantastic birthday! I got to spend it with amazing people, see amazing things and make wonderful memories. I finally saw Wall-E and The Tale of Despereaux and they are both wonderfully cute movies. I also picked up a copy of An Illustrated Life, which is an amazing read if you're into journaling. I got a new sketchbook from someone who is quite incredible and I can't wait to ring in the new year by using it.

My list of New Year's Resolutions!

• Travel travel travel.
• Explore everything.
• Never feel guilty or afraid.
• Be a better person, artist, sister, daughter, mommy, friend, girlfriend, coworker, student and consumer.
• Plan better.
• Learn to write backwards.
• Draw every single day.
• Lose restrictions and regain control.
• Make an amazing portfolio.
  
• Redesign my blog and my website.
• Create a shop and begin my freelancing career.
• Make more lists.
• Collect more art books.
• Make more stuff.
  
• LOVE LOVE LOVE!

The watercolor is a random Ipod nano spot I did out of boredom. (I got one for Christmas. It's Red. His name is Geddy.)

Also, a Cool Link! http://kirino.if.tv/. Some cute and spirited little watercolors.

Happy New Year, everyone!!

Christmas Joy

My workspace for the winter- I had a cleaning fit a little bit ago, I have a hard time working if there's not a clear space. On top of that I hadn't been at home in a long time so bills and mail and junk piled up on every surface. But I cleared it off, and I recently bought a much larger and brand spanking new watercolor palette because my old one was moldy. :'(
I also found a very small watercolor sketchbook that is perfect for quick messy collage-multimedia work. :D I've already started messing around with it as a precursor to painting. I want to see if I can finish it before Christmas! I miss painting; I miss creating; I miss playing around with paper and paint and fabric and little things and making art, making THINGS.

Featured at the Holiday Fair as my tablecloth, this gorgeous fabric will be used to make this gorgeous little ipod nano pouch. I'm also working on some new stuffy designs, since particular designs sold so well at the Holiday Fair, I will be working on those and hopefully finishing up a line of them in the spring. Alsfkjwdslfjw I can't tell you how much I love sewing.

Oh and I just have to say that I love the wrapping paper I got this year. So nice and vintage-y and BROWN (my second favorite color).

Not much in the way of actual progress but I love this feeling, I love the holidays and being so close to my family and being warm and safe and happy, I love sharing the joy that others feel during the holidays, listening to Christmas music, putting up Christmas lights (I've already got 200 to put up in the room when I get back to school in January!), I love sharing good feelings with people that I love. ♥



My Christmas tree! (As viewed by yours truly)

Hoo

Working in a horizontal format is a refreshing change! Watercolor moleskine. I love owls. I've been doing a few of these just kind of quick repeated paintings. I enjoy them- I'll most likely continue after things slow down.
I like my Cachet well enough but the inability to paint in it annoys me, but the idea of opening my HB (which is a lovely shade of olive green this time) makes me nervous! I feel like once I open journals I have to fill them.
I also have a third Pentalic modeskin I bought last year and took home (it's lime green), those out of all the journals i've had, have been the most successful. They take paint in an interesting way and I don't care how they end up. I may just try this route with my Cachet. Or stop caring. (I just like rambling about journals.)

I feel kind of crummy right now but it's just physical pain and I need to sleep.

Projects are going well: piperproject.tumblr.com
I'm excited to see where this goes! It's a waiting game now.

Now I'm devoting time to getting things ready for the holiday fair.
Except now I'm going to sleep.

Quiet

Just a quiet moment in the studio. The lights didn't need to be on, there was no background noise except for the leaves hitting the window, and I was able to get a moment of rest. This area is a comforting place for me. I painted for the first time in a little while; no restraints, no assignments, just paint.

The weather recently is nice, although I wish it would warm up a little.
I have so much to do, but it's nice to keep busy- it gets my blood flowing :)
I have a huge project going for my capstone class that I don't have a lot of details for, yet, but I will post again on it soon.
I also plan on having a table at the school's winter holiday fair. I'm going to be selling handmade plush pieces, clay charms and artwork. I'm working on business cards to hand out as well (been meaning to make these for awhile, anyway.)
I'm planning on doing more talks about journals in the spring :)
There's so much to do, and I can only do a little bit at a time. But I'm really excited for all that I'm doing.

A special day is coming up...I don't think I can accurately put into words how I feel, but it's warm-fuzzy. I feel beyond lucky to be able to have this experience with someone who has become so special to me, to be learning new things about the world and myself, learning more about the person who I want to become. I love that joy and drive of wanting to be a better person, and having the best brought out in me.
I find so much hatred and cruelty in the world and it all seems a bit different now that I have someone at my side to be my anchor, my safety net, my reassurance.
The feeling of knowing there is love in the world and I get to have a piece of that is a feeling I will never want to give up for anything and that I will stake my life on protecting, because the world needs more love, the world needs more kindness and joy and simple pleasures.
But there is love out there, and I am honored to be able to share in that.

Why is my cameraphone a better quality shot than my actual camera.

Cool link: Zhu Zhu paintings.

Excuses

Busy times!! Not even 24 hours after I got back into town it was immediately back to work.
A great deal of time has been spent hanging out with, shall i say, some freaking amazing people.


♥ ♥ ♥

fun times at work!!!

WHEEEE!

gotta love that illo frustration!

this was the coolest moth ever. I saw it a few mornings ago. It was the size of my foot. Its name is Rusty.

sorry for the poor cam picture, but my latest illustration that I busted tail on.

Oh, and uh, lots of this.


Work is letting up, hurrah! Soon to be having more sketches and serigraphy/sculpture work to show. C:

102

Some 6 am musings:
As human beings we are gluttons for punishment. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. This means we have to create it for ourselves but in the same sense it can always be absent as well. Alfred D Souza's quote claims that it is life itself that is the obstacle of being happy. It's a difficult concept to grasp because ultimately we still climb for it as a goal- oh, later. Exactly. Even as I type I still have things to do- and maybe THEN I will feel happy.
But I shouldn't wait. There is no better time than now.
"Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one's watching."

I don't want to lose your faith
I don't want to let you down
My ultimate downfall is always wanting the best for everyone and in short stifling myself, but I am working on this.
I can't afford not to.
If I don't, I don't know how I will be able to live with myself.
If I lose what I've worked so hard to obtain, I don't think I could live with myself.
Take out the skeletons in your closet and dance with them, but don't let them kill you.

cool artist: Jared Shear

And for a little humor!

hizzacked: dude where do you get an eel anyway
baneofaxel: bait shop sells em cheap
hizzacked: hey look an eel store lets get some and funnel them into your colon
baneofaxel: NORMAL PEOPLE USE THEM FOR FISHING

Just being here

I picked up a pen and my book for the first time in a few days- God, I miss it. I've been sporadically cleaning things so my painting table is totally covered in crap. I've tripped over my canvases stacked on the floor about 10 times already, though, so that has inspired me to paint over them.

Some neat things.
Charmagne Coe. Some really beautiful abstract watercolors.
Chelsea Lewyta. Amazing illustration work!
Mike Rohde's sketchnotes. Really interesting note-taking methods.
Russ Mills. Kick ass stuff. (got a blog too!)

I did pick up some Faber-Castell Pitt pens at Virgin when I was in France, so I'm hoping to really mess around with those soon.

Also been catching up on my Aqua Teen Hunger Force. I don't care if my brain melts!

Back Home

I'm back home, finally! I flew back in on Friday afternoon after a bloody circus of airports, hurried phone calls and bumpy rides. Paris was amazing. It's a mindtrip being somewhere similar to where you live, but different in so many ways. I saw so many amazing things while I was there and hung out with some totally awesome people. We were in the heart of Paris for two weeks.



Even after going to the Louvre (twice!) and all the wonderful museums, I have to say that hanging out with my classmates was probably some of the best times I've had. Just having everyone together, chilling out, drawing, painting, napping, drinking, just everyone doing their own thing, enjoying each others company and the atmosphere. I don't know the name of it, but we had some amazing cheese while there; it's a soft garlic cheese and I'm pretty sure we ate it every time we went out. We had some amazing food when we were out as well. I've become addicted to crepes.
ETA: It's called Boursin! And it's amazing on a baguette!!



I bought these little guys on the Rue Dante where there was an absolutely amazing comic book store (easily blew 70 € there!!) I picked up a Claire Wendling book, which was one of my top things to do in France. That's the view from our hotel room. The metro ran right by the window every 10 minutes or so. We got used to it pretty quickly. I kind of liked it-reminded me of home, where there's always constant noise going on when I'm trying to sleep. I sadly didn't get as much drawing done as I would have liked- barely any, except for some sketches on the train. But I've got lots of pictures that I'm not done depositing yet.



There's nothing more amazing than to lay back in the soft grass and watch the tower light up, lost in the reverie of a giant steel tower, rocking out to Wolfsheim and White Lion while your classmates chatter nearby.

It's raining right now, my fingers are itching to paint and I'm just pleased and content with this pocket of space and time. Good vibes. C:

"A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in on the experience."
– Elbert Hubbard

"Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing."
– Thomas Huxley

Done with school! I worked hard and was pleased with my results.
I'm leaving for Paris in about 13 hours. Pictures to be on the way when I get back in 2 weeks!!

Watercolor

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." Jim Rohn

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." Joseph Addison

"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed." Storm Jameson

Things I am going to miss-
Watercolor therapy
Not being able to throw grenades
Heart to heart chats
Frank and blunt chats
Being with people who feel exactly how I do
Lots of hugs
Stuff

Saw Iron Man today. It was pretty awesome!