This is ridiculous...

Did I really not post anything on here for almost a month? What is wrong with me?!

I promise....I'm still running. No joke...its been over four weeks. That's a milestone for me!

In case you're wondering, I haven't lost any weight...but I do feel thinner around the stomach (my rear feels and looks the same. Oh well).

I'm also running twice as much as walking in my workouts, now. The last week was a 5 minute warm up (I run part of it), 3 minutes running, 1.5 walking, 5 running, 2.5 walking, 3 running, 1.5 walking, 5 running, and a 5 minute cool down (I also run part of that). My shins are starting to feel the pressure now. Yesterday was the toughest run yet, and today I'm feeling sharp pains and burning. Hopefully tomorrow will be better because its a new week and a harder workout.


Last Thursday I also had the privilege to photograph a great new band called The Reverie. My husband Alberto is the bassist and I've known the drummer and electric guitarist for several years. Would you like a sneak peek?



From the left: John-Michael (acoustic and vocals), Eric (electric guitar), Dan (drums), and Alberto (bass).










Hope you enjoyed that!

Nine More Days!

Holy moly, I'm in the single digits now. Nine days until I'm on my way to Paris. How exciting is that? Its pretty darned exciting...and scary. It's definitely a bit scary. I've never been out of the country and my total in-air time has only amounted to about 6 hours. I'm terrified of flying. I guess I'm going to get over that really fast.

I also just watched the movie "Taken." Every time I told someone I was going to Paris, they'd say, "Don't share a cab!" and then proceed to tell me that I should watch the movie. Finally, I have, and I was very impressed. It was total butt-kickery and name taking. My dad would definitely do that for me...except maybe without the use of martial arts skills because he doesn't have much. Anyways, I feel better prepared now for avoiding kidnappings (joking).

Tomorrow I have to go to the bank, order travelers checks and exchange dollars for Euros. Then I need to buy shoes. After that, I need to buy a "carne de voyage"...the book I will be drawing in, writing in, and scrapbooking in while I'm over there.




I feel like I have so much to do!

Self portrait. I realized I never posted this on here.

Sometimes, when I'm surrounded by silence, my mind is filled with this incredibly loud noise. Its as if all of the sounds of the world are cramming themselves into my memory, and then my head begins to hurt. It's sort of like that loud hissing you hear at sports events from the crowd, but it doesn't sound like screaming, specifically. It sounds like...everything. I don't know if my brain is trying to make up for the silence in the room or if something else is going on up there, but at those times, I feel like I could go crazy. Is a little silence too much to ask for?

I'm going to try and take a nap...my head is too full.

Its Back!

Florida summer is back and with a vengeance. Why did nature decide it was a good idea to make a place so hot that walking 20 feet to your car results in sweat-drenched t-shirts? I've been out west where the temperature can get up to over 100 degrees, but really, its not that bad. Its not humid out there. In Florida, the humidity makes you feel like you're melting. I was just in my car, AC on full blast, and I still felt like my insides were cooking...driving down the highway in my Honda Civic Microwave.

14 more days till I leave for Paris, and won't that be nice? Apparently, it will be cooler there than in FL. I can't wait.


In other news, part of being an art student means having no money, and guess what? I have no money! Good job if you guessed it. I have two weeks before I leave, and three weeks after I return, to find a new apartment. My lease is up August 1st, by which time I must be out of there. I don't have a roommate lined up...I just can't find one. I'm pretty picky, though, so its most likely my own fault. Its cool, though...I've decided that my last resort is to just rent a storage unit, put all of my stuff in there, and sleep at friends' places or in my car, if need be. I can handle it until I find a cheap enough place or a new roommate. I'll do whatever it takes.


Bring it on, world!

"Made in the 80s"

Back from a long hiatus

I haven't updated in a long time. If anyone cares, I apologize!

The end of the semester was a whirlwind. I had final projects up the wazoo and very little time to finish them.

Sculpture was an absolute disaster. I won't even waste my time writing about it. I got a B+ in the class (somehow).

Drawing was so-so. I know I could have spent much more time on my three ink drawings, but my focus was mainly on my Real World assignments at the time. I got an A in the class.

My Real World class is finally over, thank goodness. It was an absolute nightmare. I stayed awake all night the day before my final journal project was done completing assignments in Starbucks. God bless whoever invented the 24 hour Starbucks. There is only one in Tampa, and it was 20 min. away, but it was worth it. I got a B in the class (which is a miracle because I wasn't sure if I was even going to pass.

And finally, Intermediate Painting is over, though, I have to take 3 more. Elisabeth Condon was my professor, and she is amazing. You can find her website here. Check out her art, its well worth your time.

My final project for my painting class were three 4' x 5' paintings, in oil, of my classmate Tim sneezing.



It was probably the most fun I've ever had painting in my life. I've made a commitment to never paint smaller than 30" x 40" ever again, and even that seems a bit small. The large canvas was soooo much fun.

Anyways, its time to go to work. I'll update again soon, I promise.

A Feeling of Inadequacy

Its been a while since I posted here. Sometimes I just forget this blog even exists.

I woke up yesterday feeling completely inadequate. I felt like no matter what I did, it was useless; I felt like I wasn't good enough. Those sorts of feelings are not usually something I deal with. I usually feel fairly confident in myself and my abilities. I'm not sure what triggered it. It could have been the fact that my sculpture wasn't finished when it should have been, it could have been that I've been seeing a lot of amazing artists lately, it could have been because I've been so exhausted and stressed lately...it could even have been because I'd failed miserably at dancing last night and made a fool of myself. Whatever it was, it completely threw me off my game. I woke up, felt like no matter what I did that day, I'd fail, and went back to sleep.

I missed my 8:30am sculpture class. I went to painting class, but only because I hate to disappoint Elisabeth Condon, my professor. I look up to her. She inspires me.

I spent the rest of the day moping about. I went to work...the dull, monotonous tasks helped me to feel a little more competent. I'm a pro at working that register (isn't that sad?). Sometimes I wonder if I'll always need that retail job...what if art isn't enough?


Today I feel a little better. I still don't want to finish my sculpture. I can't skip again tomorrow, though, so I'll have to turn it in in some form. I honestly think I'll just leave it unfinished. I'm completely unmotivated. I'm burnt out. I would like to just slack even more, but that won't help because I'll just feel guilty.

I've honestly been feeling pretty down lately. I'm exhausted of all energy for art. Discouraged, for sure. Ever wonder where your friends are? I'm feeling like that now. Lonely, definitely. I don't know where to go next. I don't know....

Old School

So I recently took all those photos, like I said, so I figured I'd post some of them here to share with whoever reads this, haha.







the first and the last were done my senior year of high school. The one in the middle was done my junior year. As you can see, I'm very attracted to line. I think I am going to try and get back into that style, just to see if I can take it even further.

Drawing

I love drawing...I love it almost as much as I love painting.

Here's what I did in my intermediate drawing class last Thursday:



Its Emilio! He's an awesome artist...check him out at his website.

I'm not feeling the art tonight. Its amazing how much creative energy being bored can zap from me rather than motivate me.

I'm just going to go to sleep soon. Can't be bored and unmotivated when I'm sleeping.


Hopefully something amazing will happen in the morning. Amazing or slightly interesting.

I am feeling SO unmotivated. I have a lot of work to do. I'm not doing it at the moment...obviously. I started to wonder why I felt this way...physically and emotionally exhausted without the desire to create anything what-so-ever. Then I realized the answer...or answers...were very obvious.

I'm physically and emotionally tired because I'm a girl, and you know what happens to us every month. I don't care if this is TMI for some of you. Its annoying.

I'm physically tired because I didn't sleep much last night, and the quality of sleep in general as of late has been less than satisfactory.

I'm emotionally tired and have no desire to create anything because thats all I've been doing for the last 4 weeks of the semester. I realize I'm an art student and thats what I'm supposed to do, but everyone needs a break now and then.


To appease the blogging heavens (I don't know if that is a little blashphemous or not...) I will post a picture of the first painting I finished this semester. The first of the freaking 4 retarded zombie paintings.

I Forgot About Something...

Ok, the sketchbook will come next. I realized the other day that I forgot to post photos of my finished commissions!

Unfortunately, I can only post the first, because I forgot to photograph the second. How awful is that?!

And the Insanity Begins Now....

Sorry that its been so long since I've posted. I've been busy and lazy and forgetful...

The semester at USF is in its 4th week now, and I can tell you that I'm starting to feel the heat. Painting class has been my busiest. Elisabeth Condon (check out her work, its amazing), my professor, has been keeping us working constantly. I wouldn't mind at all if I wasn't finding myself being completely bored with the assignments. So far I have painted the same thing 3 times, but in a different style...and our next assignment is to do it a 4th time. So I will have 4 paintings of zombies. Now, I love zombies, but not that much. There's no meaning in zombies for me except that they're cool. I need to find a way to make zombies relate to my life...I have to make them worth painting somehow.

Not only am I bored with the zombies, I'm bored with our pallette. Its a Venetian pallette from the 16th century. Its 3 pigments: Transparent Red Oxide, Cold Black, and Zinc White. How boring is that? I need COLOR...bright hues, low yellows and greens....something thats not earthy red and blue-black. PLEASE.

Aside from class assignments, I have been wanting to make a painting of a guy I met at Barnes and Noble. When I finish it, I'll post it here and tell you the story.



Drawing class has been excellent. I love drawing. Lately, we've been drawing nude models, and the last two were both men. I do find men to be a bit boring to draw. Sorry, guys, you just don't have the nice shapes that women do. I will say that the first time I drew the nude male, I accidently made him look very well endowed. It was funny and embarassing at the same time...my face turned bright red when he thanked me. =P



Scultpure has been a great experience. I'm still afraid of the miter box saw, but its ok....I don't have to use it, really. Its all big and clunky and I have to put all of my weight into pushing it back. Our first project is due in two weeks. Mine should be very ineresting. All I will tell you for now is that it involves teeth. Many, many teeth. Ugh, its freaking me out.




My class called The Real World (about being an artist in "the real world", go figure) is interesting and boring at the same time. We have tons of work to do...its all due on the last day of class, so I'm supposed to manage my time efficiently. Thats probably the thing I am absolutely the worst at. Good luck to me!



My next post will have some of the sketched I've been doing in my sketch book for drawing class.

Thanks for reading. =)

My first real commission!

So my MySpace and website have finally paid off! I have my first real art commission....I say "real" because the previous ones have all been from friends and family members. There is something so professional feeling about getting a commission from a total stranger who found me through my website.

I'm doing two charcoal portraits of a man's two children, and I'm getting paid $300 to do it! Hurrah! This money will be needed for my study abroad trip to Paris...especially since I didn't get one of the 4 $750 grants the school was giving out. For those of you who don't know, I'm going to study abroad in Paris in summer of 2009.

Anyways, I've started the first portrait. I'm pretty happy about it. I'll post pictures later!

The Toils of Art History

I am trying to write a contextual analysis paper for Art History class about Edouard Manet's A Bar at the Folies-Bergere, but any sort of thesis statement is eluding me. Its due Friday morning. Ick.

That was my pitiful attempt at an entry. I've been desiring to create something lately, so be on the lookout for a new work of art from me soon.

Eat Your Words...

A friend of mine told me a story last night about an engineering project he was working on. He and his group were making a machine that will pump water. Unlike the rest of the groups in their class, they didn't have the money they needed to buy expensive parts for their machine, so they decided to use what they had at their disposal.

The professor, upon seeing what they were making, ridiculed them for making something so "unscientific" and accusing them of making no calculations for the project. He said "This isn't the other side of campus where you can just throw things together...." He was, of course, referring to the art department and the works of art that we create.

Well, professor, you think we just "throw things together," eh? Well here is a man, who not only can perform all of the mechanical calculations that you prize so much, but can also do something you probably fail at miserably: create beautiful works of art.


Be inspired by Arthur Ganson!












Ok, thats enough videos...I just can't get enough of them!

This integration of science and art proves that the limitations in the art world are endless. Where exactly are the boundaries? I don't know, and thats why I love it! Combining the organic with inorganic...science with beauty...its amazing!

People, this is fantastic!

When Street Artists Organize

These street artists in Australia decided to have a massive wheat paste art show. This stuff is crazy. I can't say I'm a fan of all of the subject matter, but altogether, its awesome nonetheless.

http://www.pastemodernism.com/

My ex would have loved this show. He's mindlessly obsessed with wheat pasting.

What is Art?

This question arises all too often in art school: What is art?

The proper response should be: Heck if I know!


Art is so subjective that its impossible to create a definition of "art" that everyone agrees with. Is it purely aesthetic? Does it have to communicate something? Does the message have to be recieved by the viewer? Does it require skill to be made? There are tons of questions that could be answered tons of different ways; I don't need to elaborate further.


However, even if there is no universal definition of what is "art," I can still give my own opinion. An artist without some sort of idea of what they believe they are creating is a sad sight...and one we usually make fun of in art school.


So, to me, "art" can be defined by having met several requirements and by having certain qualities:


1. It does NOT have to be purely aesthetic. Art can be musical, it can be performed, it can be written and read, or it can be looked at.

2. There should be something communicated, or there should be an intent to communicate, through the work of art. This "something" may be an idea or an emotion. For instance, a naturalistic reproduction of, lets say, a banana, just for the sake of hanging on the wall and impressing your friends when they come over, is not what I would consider "communication." I would consider it pure demonstration of skill, and therefore, would call it a "craft," not an "art." On the other hand, I would consider a painting of hundreds of bananas surrounding me, ready to attack, to be a work of art possibly attempting to communicate the idea that bananas are purely evil, or the feeling that they are driving me insane. Whether its art thats worth looking at is debatable, but so are a lot of things.

3. It does not have to be pretty. I don't care to judge whether or not something is a piece of art simply because the artist does or does not have talent. What I would really like to call in for judgment is the thought process behind the art. In other words, why does it exist?

4. The intended communication does not have to be recieved by the viewer. The fact of the matter is, most people are too thick to interpret a work of art just by what they see in front of them. I am including myself in the word "most." Some ideas are easy enough to understand, but some are riddled with metaphors, hidden well, or simply communicated badly. Does this mean the ideas or emotions aren't there? No. It just means the work of art may or may not be as successful as the artist would have hoped, or that the viewer isn't up to the task of interpreting. Success is another subject for another day.


I believe thats pretty much it. "Art" can be made of many mediums, it must intend to communicate, and it doesn't have to be pleasing to the eye or mind. Number two seems to be the most important factor in differentiating between "art" and "craft."


Please, if you have your own ideas, leave a comment.


Now the only question left to be asked about "art" is what constitutes a work of art as complete bull crap or something actually worth stopping and looking at. The world may never know.


And I leave you with a work of my own.

"Hooked"

self portrait

charcoal on 24" x 36"

An Art Blog....

So I have an art blog. Thanks, Ashley, for the idea!

What to post, what to post? Some art? That almost seems too predictable. I think I'll make you all wait (mostly so I can figure this thing out first).