Kicking off the final week of the semester. This past weekend was CCADs winter student art sale and Juice and I shared a table to test the waters. Did alright actually. Got some ideas of what people are into and not for next time. I have some little pieces left over which I'll probably be putting up on Etsy over the winter break.
This final week is full of, well, finals.
Wrapping up all my major projects. Currently working on my self portrait final from Drawing class and putting the final touches on my Workshop Series.
October is a crazy month for me. Always has been. Just so much seems to happen and I'm constantly busy. Even when I was a kid. Always things to do, places to be. Things change in October, I'm not sure why. And I'm not talking about fall really. I'm from Florida. The change to fall doesn't happen there like it does most everywhere else. October has two of my favorite holidays in it. My birthday and Halloween. [yes! My birthday is a holiday ;P] This specific October is no exception when it comes to business.
•We had Gallery Hop last weekend where I spent my time browsing the new exhibits in the Short North and got social with locals.
•I have two benefit shows I'm trying to be in. I want at least one piece in the TaTa Gala Show, which is an event for breast cancer that's held at the Digital 3 gallery in Sarasota, FL. Also, while at Gallery Hop, I was talking to the guys at Sovereign Collective and they're having a call for artists soon for a West Memphis Three Benefit show. So I've been reading into that a will try my best to submit something.
•I have a couple of major projects, along with basic homework, due throughout the month. My self portrait for painting class is due this week and I'm really nowhere near done. I'm wrapping up an assignment for 2D Thursday and will be starting a new one immediately after. Plus the new quasi-vignette project in Color Con. I need to present the second piece in my series for drawing workshop, along side my first which needs to be redone... Oh and we have a mid-term portfolio due soon.
•Slightly more fun but, adding to the crazy, my birthday weekend is approaching. This year it's a full house and attempts at cramming fun times the whole weekend. My little sister is living with me right now, which has been an adjustment in itself, and then I have visiting in a few weeks, my older sister and one of my best friends from Orlando coming in town. At least. I have a couple others saying they might show up but, no conformation yet. heh.
•Other events at the end of the month include the Trauma Fetish Ball and CCAD's Big Boo.
The project wall is slowly being taken over again. It makes me happy and nervous all at the same time. I'm actually excited about all my classes this semester [with the exception of 'Writing and the Arts' :P] There are a ton of promising projects for me to look forward to. I wish I could put more into everything but, I still have to go to work. I'm actually very nervous about my living situation. Financially at least. I'm going into see the Vice President again to ask about small loans. Just something so I can at least pay for rent. It's the hardest thing to take care of while in school. The other bills I can handle with what I make in the weekend shifts at the restaurant. Next semester will be easier. I'll be able to get more money as a sophomore. Other than cash flow, the major stress on my mind is this drawing workshop class. All of it is both amazing and nerve racking at the same time. Our ongoing assignment through out the semester is a 4-6 piece series. I have to present my idea for this series and artist of reference tomorrow, or at latest Wed [since I'm the only underclassman in the group I luckily have a longer deadline.] I have tons of ideas I want to tackle but they are big projects I think I'll be saving for more research leading up to possibly my senior thesis. Other ideas I've been developing seem too cliche and I really want to challenge myself in this class. Ugh, I can't explain these ideas very well... I guess that's why I'm a visual artist.
Other than that panic it's just been basic homework time. Above is my Drawing II Homework in progress. We had to draw the leg bones in a frontal, side and back view. Then on parchment paper, draw an overlay of the leg muscles and label everything. This'll be something I'll be doing through the semester with other limbs and body parts...
Well back to more research then off to work for the night.
cover of the moleskine i've been jotting ideas down and doodles in.
The semester began today. My productiveness over the summer didn't work out the way I'd hoped. I am content with it's out come though. For the most part. The saving up money thing just did not happen. It's a miracle that I JUST made it financially, at least when it comes to the tuition and course fees for this semester. I'm still in a panic for living expenses but...yeah.
I'm jam packed with classes and I'm already super excited about jumping back in.
On Mondays I have Drawing Workshop w/ my DrawingI teacher from last semester. Drawing Workshop is a bit hard to explain. It's an advanced course [mainly only for Juniors and Seniors. I'm the only freshman] but it's pretty much an open drawing class. There are assignments/projects our teacher gives out but we have complete freedom to do what we want with it. The point is to experiment and most definitely step outside the box. Mixed Media is very much encouraged and emphasized. There is also no models involved. Some still life but, mainly our creative mind. I am so happy about this. This is what I've been wanting and waiting for. I can not wait to see what I create out of this class. I'm eager to share it with all of you too.
Finished up all my classes before noon this morning. Rock on! Time has flown by!! I think I've done really well. My Art History and Structural still a bit up in the air though... I'm sitting on a 3.34 average not including those two classes :/ Art school is harder than you think...
THE SHOW is tonight. THE SHOW is the student exhibition which goes through the summer and, in some locations, through out the next semesters. Tonight is the opening of the exhibitions as well as the Senior Fashion Show and Animation Thesis'. My cookies are on displayed up on the second floor of the B&E Building on the CCAD Campus is you're interested in checking them out sometime. It's a relief to think I can just chill and party tonight. Tomorrow is also my first Saturday off in a long while. I'm taking advantage by sleeping in and then going to AGORA in the afternoon.
I have so many summer projects in mind. Nothing but good can come of this summer break.
This is the wall in my studio space, taken this morning. Current works in progress and other papers relating to. I've grown a habit of taping the projects to the wall as not to misplace them and/or damage them when not working on them. I have plenty of space in my apartment just not a lot of table space or storage areas at the moment.
I've progressed on most of these. The major focus tonight will be finishing up my self portrait for Drawing class. The critique is in the morning.
So we're winding down the first semester! This is the last week. Then I can finally get to work on all these little projects inside my head! :D
Less than 3 weeks left of classes. As I've been saying constantly, there's so much work to be done. 3 Self Portraits. Final Drawing Portfolio. Final Oil Painting. Manikin illustrations. Art History final. Make-up work for Structural.
Arg.
Not too mention the scramble for money. The state of Ohio dropped grants from private colleges so I'm not getting anything extra like I expected to. I have to write up ANOTHER appeal letter.
I have my schedule for next semester tho. 18 credit hours. My thursdays are going to be ridiculous once again. 8am to 9:30pm. At least I'll have my short Fridays again.
Mon- Drawing Workshop Tues- Draw II Writing and the Arts Digital Design and Type Wed- Art History Drawing Workshop Thurs- Draw II Writing and the Arts 2-D Painting II Fri- Color Con Art History
Pile it on. The quicker the better. Also figured I'm going to most likely take a majority of my basic pysch classes for my art therapy minor over at Columbus State . It'd be cheaper and I can take them over the summer or whatnot to speed up the process. Doing this will save room for more of the fine arts course I want too.
This is the silverpoint drawing I've been working on. Model Katie again. Lovely. I've decided to make silverpoint a goal of mine. I'm way too heavy handed and this is a lot darker than it should be. You need an intense amount of patience to do silverpoint. Soft, smooth lines are the key. Erasing is pretty much not an option, hence the need to take your time. It forces you to think before you make a mark. I actually liked silverpoint a bunch. back to work.
Overwhelmed! It's awesome and upsetting at the same time. Putting my schedule together for next semester. Tweaking a few extra details. The real issue though is finding a way to pay for it all next semester...
Went to the Tolstedt show the other day with Christopher and Katie. First off the gallery was far from your ordinary set up. This house in a quaint house in the German village. All the artwork was hung around the place as one would just hang art in their home. I kind of liked it in that setting. It really added to the whole feeling of the work.
I have to say. Seeing the images I've posted here on my blog is NOTHING in comparrison to seeing these drawings live and right in front of you.
Most of his drawing are done in colored pencil but a few are drawn in Silverpoint [which we're going to learn starting tomorrow! *glee!*] Yeah, drawing with actual silver.
Also showing at Keny gallery was Ray Kleinlein who actually studied under Tolstedt. He does still life work as well but in oil. And he cakes that stuff on! Amazing though.
So now, my attempt.
Here are some progress shots of the long, tightly rendered still life assignment for Drawing class. Cookies! done in prismacolor pencils.
Not completely finished yet. I'm actually finishing it up right now. Have a pre-portfolio review in class tomorrow. Going to go over EVERYTHING I've done for the class to prep for the finial portfolio review and assignment.
Here's the set-up for the Cookie Still Life. Had the cookies stacked up in my kitchen cabinet. Safest place for them so they wouldn't get disturbed for the few weeks and no worry about if Eevee would eat them or something :( Set up a small lamb IN my cabinet to give light. I sat pretty much in the kitchen sink to draw the still life. What artists will do in the name of art... The cookies are beyond stale now. Sad since I've been holding back from eating them since I set up for the drawing.
I'll take a final photo of the drawing as soon as I can. I'm also going to try and get some scans of some a few of my other works.
i have a table top to work on now. Whoo, going up in the world! Few things I've been working on this afternoon. Above is the beginnings of my painting for Color Con. Yep that's the AZ mountains again...
My red acrylic pant exploded suddenly, thankfully in the ziplock bag and not all over my floor. Only the Phalo Blue Green suffered as witness to the carnage.
Add going to the supply store for another tube to my TO DO list for tomorrow.
I have never been so overwhelmed! In a good way though. We're coming down to the last month or so of the semester and I have tons of projects to work on. I'm really trying hard to get things together.
Art History Paper.
Triad Painting for Color Con.
Bunches of Structural.
...and that's just the start.
I better get back to work.
BTW, Lowell Tolstedt [the colored pencil artist from my last post] has a gallery show here in Columbus at Keny Gallery in the German Village going on now through May 4th. I think I might stop by in between my pile of work tomorrow.
Went to Gallery Hop over the weekend and enjoyed myself, per usual. I think my favorite artwork of the night was over at Rivet Gallery. Sannon Bonatakis was showing there and I really loved what I saw. I got a chance to meet her at the gallery Saturday night. Discovered that not only did she go to CCAD but, she's also originally from Orlando. Altamonte Springs, specifically. Fancy that.
There's hope for me yet.
The next couple of days I have off from classes for the Junior/Senior evaluations on campus. I'll be trying my best to cram tons of work into the next few days. A lot of projects are due in the next week or two before spring break. Meh...
I really love CCAD and school in general but, I'm ready to just work on some of my own artwork right now... :/
My unfinished interior drawing for Drawing class. She said I could continue to work on it and turn it in again later. Good, since there are so many things wrong with the perspective and the only thing that's complete is my hookah [hence why it's popping out of the image so much]
Thursday, CCAD had the Major Selections open house. wandered through the Illustration and Fine Arts departments. Met an alumnus of CCAD at the illustration opening,Eric Fortune. His paintings were marvelous.
Glad I went to the fine arts opening. Met senior, Jon Stommel, who was having his Senior Thesis show in the Acock Gallery. He was telling me how he majored in Illustration but took tons of Fine Arts courses so he could get a balance of both [which is what I'm trying to get at] It's nice to see that it's possible.
The work is really piling up. My time management skills are not that great. I'm hoping I get blessed with enough money from the government, or from anyone, to not have to work and just focus on school.
One day.
Tara McPherson is doing a talk at CCAD tomorrow morning. I'm super excited.
btw, I finally got me some glasses. YaY! I can see!
I was right about the busy weekend last post. My restaurant had it's highest sales on Saturday.
I know my place is great but who waits almost 3 hours for a table somewhere?
The art history exam went better than I thought. 78 B which means the tests were curved but, I'll take it! Have a paper due for that class next time.
Finished up the painting for Fundamentals of Painting. Just a simple still life, nothing magical. [Ignore the poor qualiy this photo, it's taken w/ my cell phone.]
This was my first time using oils, ever. I'm eager to master them because at the moment I hate them. I can't manage them the way I'd like. I think I'm just too impatient for them. I want to get back to my acrylics and master them first :P
TaDa! Wire figures!
Harder to make than you'd think.
The subjects I made were a light bulb, my cell phone [sort of...], a cupcake, a sandwich without the top slice of bread, and a beanie baby bear.
All the objects had to be make of steel wire and made by using a visual reference [nothing off the top of our head.]
The bear was the only one I truly like. It bobbles around because of it's spring like body. By the recommendation of a classmate, I might just use it as a bobble guy for my car, [whenever I get it working...]
Sandwich. What more do you want? The cupcake. It had one of those lil candy hearts on top of it. It was delicious.
Here's a couple of those drawings on toned paper from class. I need to learn to not go so hard on my lines. Work softer. :\
Our first homework assignment for drawing class is to draw an interior space with either light going into dark or dark into light. Needs to be done on the toned charcoal paper with the back and white Prismas just like what we've been working on in class.
Had our first Exam in Art History today. I don't think I did too well.
Have to also finish, mount, and wrap the border project for Color Con. As well, draw up, mount and wrap a drawing of an object in 2-point perspective for Structural [have I mentioned that I don't enjoy that class much? :P]
I'm wondering when I'm going to find time to do these. Not this weekend. It being Valentine's Day tomorrow and scheduled doubles at the restaurant because of it, there will be no time. I know it will be crazy.
BTW, did you know that it's National Condom Week? Have happy and safe sex this weekend!
Kicking off the final week of the semester. This past weekend was CCADs winter student art sale and Juice and I shared a table to test the waters. Did alright actually. Got some ideas of what people are into and not for next time. I have some little pieces left over which I'll probably be putting up on Etsy over the winter break.
