what's this?

ahh, yes, an update..

i am just sitting here, at home, on my couch, on this lovely, gray, saturday afternoon. i don't know when the last time this sort of thing occurred, but i am certainly enjoying it... i think.. i was supposed to work, but jess needed more hours, so i let her take mine. i should probably work considering the fact that i've been on vacation the last week, but hey, what's one more day when your paycheck is gonna be small anyway? and you can never have too many days off work..unless of course the bills aren't getting paid...then it may be too many...

anyway..

like i mentioned, i just got back from vacation. luke and i went to breckenridge so he could do a little snowboarding. it was a great time. we ate, relaxed, snowboarded, hot tubbed, walked around town, watched tv, and went to bed at 7 everyday...hahaha. no, really though, we did get in bed at like 7 or 8 everyday that we were there. it was lovely. i say i boarded, but really i just fell down the mountain. i've only been on a snowboard once previously and i've never skied so i was definitely an amateur. we went up the lift one time, it took 2 and a half hours for me to get to the bottom, and by the time we did, i was done and exhausted. i did ok after a while i think, but i definitely felt like i had whiplash all over my body from all the falls i took. i'm glad to be home, but i do miss luke. spending that much time with him just reminds me how much i miss him when we're apart.

other than that my break was pretty unproductive but nice. i went home for a couple of days to see my family over christmas. this year's christmas was pretty low key. i never really got in the spirit, so i felt kinda bummed at how anti-climatic the season was. maybe that's just what happens as you get older.. 

oh ya, last semester ended pretty well too. i got an "A" in my photography class as well as my printmaking class, and a "B" in my art history and ceramics classes. i was pretty well expecting the grades i got, although i thought i would get a lower grade in my photo and print classes. i just felt like i could've given more to those two classes, but i was really happy i got the grades that i did. especially in my photo class...i think it's probably pretty difficult to get A's in upper level classes, so i'm really excited i was able to get one in my first upper level photo class. 

my schedule this coming semester isn't too bad. i have two art history classes and two photo classes. i only have one class at 1pm monday, wednesday, and friday, and i don't start class until 11 on tuesday and thursday. i think i'll have a lot more time for myself this semester. i am doing my BFA review to be accepted into the photo program so that will take up some of my time, but i'm thinking it won't be too terribly stressful. 

i guess that's about all... maybe i'll update before 2 months pass again :-)

fun week

it's definitely been a blasty blast of a week. it was good to just have fun and not worry about much. the end of the semester is coming up really fast and i still have a ton to do, but i think i'm feeling a little refreshed after taking a breather. i just need to hit the studio hard the next few weeks to make sure i'm on track.

still to do:

finish 9x12 etching

6x9 etching

9x12 linocut

80 more photos shot and developed

contact sheets for those 80

prints galore

final prints, retouched, mounted

handbuilt piece in ceramics

glaze 8 jars and above piece

ceramics paper

art history paper

art history exams

phew. i can do it. soon enough i'll be looking at one more semester down which is great. next semester i will not stretch myself so thin. i am working about 30 hours a week and going to school for 3 studio classes and 1 lecture totaling about 21 hours of actual in class time. my only day off is sunday. it is really difficult to keep going like that. next semester i will only have 2 studios and won't have class until 1 on MWF and 11 on TTh. I'm planning on working about 25 hours and definately having more than just sunday off. i can't wait!

off to bed to wake up for another glorious monday.

playing catch-up.

i skipped my ceramics class and art history class today to play catch-up and work on photos for my critique tomorrow. slightly counter-productive huh? i went to joann's and walmart to get stuff for the still life set up and came back with the intention of taking 10 photos, but when i went to load my film, i realized i only had 4 pieces. it ended up working out ok because i didn't have enough time to take more than 4 anyway. 

i made it to my printmaking class a little late after shooting those four and worked on my plate a while. i'm being a little "ambitious" with this piece, but i think we decided that's not a bad thing. :-) it will be a lot of work, but i'm up to the challenge. i'm going to work on it some this weekend and try and get ahead on it.

i spent a few hours in the dark room finishing up my prints for the critique tomorrow. i ended up printing the 4 negatives i shot this afternoon, and they all looked good enough. one of the set-ups was a little more contemporary which ended up being my favorite. the prints are a little dark, but i didn't want to spend all night in the dark room, so they'll do for the critique. i'm looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say about them.

time to make some tea and read for a while. i'll work on posting some of my work later this week.

new week, new stuff

we started glazing some of my pots today in ceramics. i am excited to see how they all come out because glazes are so unpredictable.

i also started my 9x12 etching. all i've really done is trace and transfer the drawing onto the plate. i'll start etching on wednesday. i am really excited to work on this piece. 

i am feeling slightly lost at this point in the semester. i don't feel like i've got anything quality to show for one. i also feel all mixed up on where my progress needs to be in a couple of my classes. i need to shoot about 100 more pieces of film in my photo class in the next month and a half, which is a kind daunting idea. it gives me hope at the same time, though, because 100 pieces of film means a 100 more opportunities to make photos i am happy with. and i need to stop skipping my art history class so that i'm not so lost in there! agh..

allll alone

well, i am sitting at home all alone tonite. none of my roomates are home, and i don't even have this slobberface to keep me company-

this is my rylee. she likes to play soccer.

she has very effective puppy dog eyes.

and she likes to sleep, and cuddle, and snore.

ok... apparently i'm missing her or something.. i've actually never had to spend a night without her since i've had her, so it's gonna be a lonely weekend. she took a visit to my parent's house for the weekend to go to the vet and so "grandma and grandpa" could spend some time with her. yes, she's basically treated like my child. i think my mom and dad love her more than me. oh well, that's understandable-just look at her.. 

speaking of dogs, here is what i want a couple years from now-

this is a harlequin great dane. i fell in love when i saw one downtown the other day. 

enough about dogs. (am i bored?)

i am going to make a chai, perhaps watch a movie, and relax on this quiet night. 

it's finally fall break!

i'm so happy to have a break from school. perhaps i will use my time wisely this weekend and get ahead on my work...that's the plan anyway..

i went to the bookstore today and purchased a couple of gems:

Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking

this one i'm hoping will help me to get over myself and start working.

and

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

just heard it was good, and needed a good read.

also,

i was thumbing through a mag and came across this lovely artist:

Stella Im Hultberg

i just fell in love with her stuff today and thought i'd share. cheers.

apathetic

it's been another one of those days for me. i have just felt apathetic and unmotivated. i worked for 3 hours and came home with every intention of taking a few shots for my large format class and then going to class. none of the above happened. instead i went to sleep, and didn't get up until 5:30ish. i need a swift kick in the butt.

i'm supposed to have 9 drawings done by tomorrow at 3, but it's starting to look like i'll just have 9 crappy sketches. ugh. i feel like i've had a lifetime of artist block, and need something big to happen to inspire me. i look at other people's art online and i just feel so inadequate. i aspire to be as good, and really am capable of it, i just can't focus on being so with everything else going on, and that sucks, and it's a lame excuse. i'll just have to keep pushing through this...