Alyssa Liles

Self Glorification

2011-12-08T20:18:00.001-08:00

One of my finals was completely open ended so I've explored a topic that has been stewing in my mind for awhile. Our only specification was that it needed to be printed out at 30" x 40".

The working title has been "Self Glorification" so I'm gonna roll with that for now.
My goal was to investigate the notion that people glorify and gloss over their past. In essence, we create dual versions of ourselves in our minds.

I had a lot of fun with this and even surprised myself. Completely different from anything I've ever made. My professor encouraged me to take one of my in process "experiments" and scan it and go from there. I had a blast slopping all types of mediums around when I was in process and that showed through so he wanted me to capitalize on it.

Disappear Zine

2011-11-19T20:09:00.001-08:00

One of my first project of the semester was extremely open, our only guideline was to illustrate the word "disappear". I love open ended projects, it really lets me work outside of the box and get a little more "artsy" which always feels good in a design class.

I was inspired by National Geographic's documentary "Moment of Death". The whole film talks about what happens to our consciousness during death, how it can death can be manipulated and asks the question, "when is someone really gone?". I was most interested on the segment about therapeutic hypothermia and it's ability to improve statistics in sufferers of heart attacks and how oxygen is some cases can cause your cells more harm then good.

I created these illustrations as a sort of "zine". I haven't quite perfected the book because I introduced vellum overlays which complicated the structure. Hopefully I will have some photos of it by next week. These illustrations were drawn with graphite, scanned, and colored digitally.

Printshop all the time

2011-09-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

I started worked in the MCAD printshop over the summer and it's been a real treat! I don't know what it is about that space but I am content to spend hours and hours either working for my boss or on my own art. All those big old presses and type cases, mmmmhm!

This is a little something I printed up for my favorite persons birthday! I went for vomit inducing cuteness this year and made a whole brigade of paper boats to decorate the room. It was pretty stinking adorable and so full of love!

You can buy one on my etsy if you so please!

Body Study

2011-05-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

School is over, got to keep my studio, got a part time job in the printshop (which means I can have access and make prints!!!) and getting ready to make more stuff. I'm really excited about this summer, I don't feel like all the art has been drained out of me like last summer. I'm ready to roll.

For my figure drawing final I decided to do a study of myself. I have never really drawn myself and thought it would be a good opportunity to explore what make my body, mine. The way it folds, droops, curves, feels, etc. It was a great way to end my finals, I got to hang out in my room with a couple full length mirrors and throw some charcoal washes around and listen to some music. Very low key.

To get myself started I did some gestures.

I threw down some powered charcoal that was mixed with water to give a nice ink/watercolor effect. I really loved working this way, so happy my professor introduced me to the medium. To loosen up and do some quick studies I took a stab at my eyes (I can never capture my eyes...) and my nose.

Just when I thought I was done and thinking about going to bed, I got the urge to go to my studio and do some experimenting. Good thing I did cause I really like this weird little thing I doodled that came of it.

This is just about my most favorite thing. It's totally creepy, paper dollesque. We discussed how it is specific, anonymous figure. Kind of strange but I dig it.

I have had this paper that I made (either out of cotton, flax, or abaca) in my studio for ages and took one look at it and said to myself "This needs gouache on it, right now." Strange thing is, I hardly ever work with gouache, its such a weird medium to me, but I felt like the chalky nature would be absorbed by the paper instead of sit on top.

Shabam, it did, and I really like it.

Oh my word!

2011-04-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

Goodness gracious! One week left of school, I'm so excited to be done and to spend a few days resting up and cleaning my dirty house. Documenting work at the moment, thought I'd post a few things I had been working on this semester!

     Gotta click on this for the larger version, its a huge drawing, roughly 32"x40". I could not get a good shot of this thing, it so so stupidly clean and intricate. I suck at documentation, someone teach me?
     This was an assignment from my figure drawing class. We worked on this for about a month and it was such an intense process. We began by drawing the model in using some measuring methods and over the weekend we were to lay the skeleton in using the ones we have on campus as reference. Such a pain in the butt, took me all of the next class period to get things proportional and for things to relate properly.
    Then we had to lay muscle in by identifying its origin and insertion. That was probably the toughest step for me because I had a hard time finding the points of origin/insertion on my drawing and I had been so careful and clean up until that point so I was a little overly cautious. Also, I had spent FOREVA on the skeleton and didn't want to cover it up! But alas, I got away with puting the mininmum amount of muscle in.
   Last step was to put drapery over the figure. I dreaded that part but I made it a ghostly transparent gossamer as to not lose the drawing underneath.
Pretty proud of this beast, probably the most cleanest and most precise drawing I have ever done. Hopefully I can get a higher quality up.

Vegetable Lamb

2011-04-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

I feel bad, all I have uploaded are my prints! It's just so much easier to run to the scanner and wait five minutes than to reserve the photo studio and shoot my paintings/drawing (always poorly). I'll get on that though!

I did this print last and it is so darn simple and took no time at all, but I love the little thing. Our class is doing a print exchange on paper that is 4"x3" and the theme is "Creature". My copper plate is about 3.5"x2.25 and I did an edition of 22 (large class!).

I liked the little guy so much I cut myself a nice big 8"x8" piece of BFK and made myself a print to take home. He is The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary. A friend recommended I look it up out of a list of mythical creatures. I loved the imagery and description of the little critter and had to do it.

He's just so darn goofy, I love him. I have been thinking of starting up an etsy shop this summer and selling some prints and books to keep myself busy and hopefully, make a few bucks doing it.

Color Tests

2011-04-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

In my intaglio class I'm testing out the different methods for printing color. It is stupidly time consuming but the end results can be pretty cool! I spent roughly 2 to 3 hours mixing my inks and it takes about 2 hours to pull anywhere from 3 to 7 prints. Ugggh!
Anyway, here are a few so far!

I kind of goofed up on this guy and did it all backwards but I like the

effect so I'll be trying it some more. I started with a very transparent gold

relief rolledlayer that I could hardly see so I decided to print over it with a

method called a la poupee. You take some q-tips and smudge the color on

in justthe spots ya want it. It came out very watercolor-esque.

Then, I did a normal intaglio print in a green over the a la poupee.

I am really happy with this one! I inked my copper as if I were printing

intaglio, then I relief rolled this awesome, insanely gooey, messy, disasterous

gold over top!

I'm having a bit of a love affair with the metallic inks, so prepare to see more of the gaudy love soon.

The world of Intaglio!

2011-04-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I uploaded anything. The semester in nearing an end and I am beginning the oh so joyous task of documenting my work. Here are some piece from my intaglio class! I've loved the process, time consuming as it is, you can make some really attractive images.

This was my first assignment, a test plate to try out different techniques.

This includes hard ground, soft ground, aqua tint, and dry point.

I decided to do two simultaneous plates for the first assignment to get

a better grasp on the process. The same four techniques were used.

This is my print from the 4th assignment. We had to rework one

of our 3 plates. I chose plate 3 (not shown) cause it was super ugly.

I chopped a few inches of copper off the bottom and aqua tinted the

crap out of it. Also did some sugar lift and white ground.

Much better!

Fresh work

2010-12-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

In the process of documenting! Here are some images I got today from my Tools of the Trade illustration class.

"Playtime" Gouache on illustration board

"Swinging London" Ink on illustration board

"Target Interior" Cut paper on illustration board

"Moving Out" Collage on illustration board

More stuff coming as the week goes on!

All about prints

2010-12-04T17:04:00.000-08:00

The semester ends next week, it flew by so fast. It actually got off to a pretty rough start, I was really doubting my abilities and desires but I feel rejuvenated. I have probably learned more this semester than ever before and feel like I am capable of improving the quality of my work.

I am in the midst of making a handbound book and a series of 4 mixed media illustration. Chaos.
For now though I have a few images from my print, paper, book techniques class. It has been my favorite class this semester and has without a doubt consumed most of my time but it has been the most rewarding.

Linoleum cut on mulberry.

Three layer woodcut print on canson. This beast took ages to carve.

Screen printed accordion book on Rives BFK. This was our second project and my favorite.

I believe there are 5 layers on the inside. I used my drive through Montana this fall as a jumping off point.

That is all I have documented at the moment. I am shooting more work on Monday so hopefully by next weekend I can load the rest of the goods.

Living in the passive

2010-06-13T00:19:00.000-07:00

I feel like I am at a very important point in my life. I could take twenty-million different routes and be in an infanant amount of places but it is a matter of finding what is right. Over the years I've tried to live as presently as possible, my greatest fear is to become a passive person; yet I tend to slip back into that lifestyle when things get complicated.
I am home for the summer but this place isn't the home it once was. A good friend of mine that attended school with me had a nice talk in the park today. He told me that these past six months he has spent in Montana have felt like time wasted. "I have never felt like I have wasted time before." He was so upset that he hasn't created any memories or met new people, and trust me, this kid always has the best stories. We agreed, there is nothing here. He's leaving in a week and I wish I could go with him. I feel like the month I have been home has been such a step back for me.

But I need a solid thousand, or better yet two thousand to leave for good. I have a pay check of two hundred and fifty bucks coming for three weeks of work; I can't get anywhere with that kind of income. I miss Minneapolis and I miss having my own place and my broke-ass lifestyle in the city.

Oil Paintings

2010-04-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

I am nearing the end of my intro to painting class. It's probably been on of my favorites this semester, my professor gives us a lot of free range when it comes to homework assignments. My final is to complete 50 sq ft of painting....it's going to be crazy.

This was our first in class painting.

This is part of one of our first homework assignments.

We were to compete a high key and a low key painting.

This was our indirect vs. direct painting assignment.

Grided into sections of painting directly or using glazing.

We had to "tie" it all together in whatever way we found fit.

This was our most recent homework assignment. Excess & Economy.

I used color and mark to express economy and excess.

The week prior and during economy & excess we were working from a model.

Here is one of my finished studies.

Making of Books

2010-03-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

This has been an interesting process. Making a book with a linear narrative. I didn't get to finish the cover how I wanted but now that I have paper and book board I can finish it up. I'm not happy with the nonlinear web-component of this project, the pages keep running in circles and coming back to one another too often. I spent hours and hours mapping out connections and making plots but I still have pages that recur too often. Needs work. Check it out.

I made a little book for a little someone. I got this awesome paper at Paper Source and I want to use this same design for my linear book project.

I'm so proud of me, I've never been crafty or been able to make nice looking 3 dimmensional things. Maybe art school is teaching me something? Yay

Books books Books

2010-03-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

I forgot how much I love books, and have always loved them for that matter. Making them as a kid, reading stories that made the wheels turn, wanting to create books of my own. I wish I had more energy to read instead of falling asleep after five pages. Here are some things I have read in the past month from Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close that I love and that have made my wheels turn again:

I like to see people run to each other. I like the kissing and the crying, I like the impatiences, the stories that the mouth can't tell fast enough, the ears that aren't big enough, the eyes that can't take in all of the change, I like the hugging and the bringing together, the end of missing someone, I sit on the side with a coffee and write in my daybook, I examine the flight schedules that I've already memorized, I observe, I write, I try not to remember the life that I didn't want to lose but lost and have to remember, being here fills my heart with so much joy, even if the joy isn't mine. (Foer 109)

"Young friends, whose string-and-tin-can phone extended from island to island, had to pay out more and more string, as if lettings kites go higher and higher.

"'It's getting almost impossible to hear you,' said the young girl from her bedroom in Manhattan as she squinted through a pair of her father's binoculars, trying to find her friend's window.

"'I'll holler if I have to,' said her friend from his bedroom in the Sixth Borough, aiming last birthday's telescope at her apartment.

"The string between them grew incredibly long, so long it had to be extended with many other strings tried together: his yo-yo string, the pull from her talking doll, the twine that had fastened his father's diary, the waxy string that had kept her grandmother's pearls around her neck and off the floor, the thread that had separated his great-uncle's childhood quilt from a pile of rags. Contained withing everything they shares with one another were the yo-yo, the doll, the diary, the necklace, and the quilt. They had more and more to tell each other, and less and less string.

"The boy asked the girl to say 'I love you' into her can, giving her no further explanation.

"And she didn't ask for any, or say 'that's silly,' or 'We're too young for love,' or even suggest that she was saying 'I love you' because he asked her to. Instead she said, 'I love you.' The words traveled the yo-yo, the doll, the diary, the necklace, the quilt, the clothesline, the birthday present, the hard, the tea bag, the tennis racket, the hem of the skirt he one should have pulled from her body." "Grody!" "The boy covered his can with a lid, removed it from the string, and put her love for him on a shelf in his closet. Of course, he never could open the can, because then he would lose its contents. It was enough just to know it was there. (Foer 220)

Little bits

2010-03-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

I've got a lot due this week so here's just a quick update.

This was my second illustration assigment. It's working with the metaphor of "Going out on a limb"

Here is a color study for my third illustration project. It's about playgrounds, anyway you want to take it. It will be 10 x 30 so this isn't a true sketch but I like where it's headed.

Sorry for the awful image quality. Just took some snap shots by lamp light. (eewww)

Speaking of image quiality.... my mom and dad bought me a lovely Nikon D3000 and mailed it to me. Thanks for being a gem! Someday I will reserve the studio and take proper photos.

Read Between the Lines

2010-02-04T01:06:00.001-08:00

For my media 2 class we're working on a linear narrative accordion book. We selected a piece of narrative of our choice, and shot photos in response to that, not to depict/illustrate it. After going over my ideas and pictures with my professor I've decided to take a slightly different route but here's some of my favorite shots.

Here is the excerpt I am working with, it's from Jonathan Safran Foer's book Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. I've just started reading it and I can already tell it's going to be one of those books that sticks with you. This man knows how to write.

She was extending a hand to me that I didn’t know how to take, so I broke its fingers with my silence, she said, “You don’t want to talk to me, do you?” I took my daybook out of my knapsack and found the next blank page, the second to last. “I don’t speak. “ I wrote. “I’m sorry.” She looked at the piece of paper, then at me, then back at the piece of paper, she covered her eyes with her hands and cried, tears seeped between her fingers and collected in the little webs, she cried and cried and cried, there weren’t any napkins nearby, so I ripped the page from the book – “I don’t speak. I’m sorry.” - and used it to dry her cheeks, my explanation and apology ran down her face like mascara.

I had an additional line on the end and it threw my professor and the person next to me off. We went through it a few times, tried adding more to the beginning and the end and agreed on what I have now. My problem was that I had a bias and understood what the context of this little narrative was, but to a new reader it was too challenging.
I probably wont use many if any of the 400 + pictures I took, but I'm actually excited to re-shoot. This new selection really opens the doors for interpretation and I'm really interested in what it has to say.
To me it speaks of communication, vulnerability, embarrassment, barriers, walls, ect.

I'm seeing some themes thus far this semester...

Soon I will be deconstructing my narrative to create the non-linear web component of the project....now that will be interesting!

Reorder

2010-02-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

Just when you get a few moments of rest, it all begins again. My month off flew by. It was such an amazing month too. Being back home surrounded by my mountains and my people. Part of me wishes I was still there, but the other part is so happy to be away form it. I'll always have such a wonderful place to return to and call home.

I really have to get into my groove this time around. I am making sure I am entirely involved in my assignments (mentally, psychically and emotionally). Try new mediums, try new aesthetics, new concepts, new ways of thinking, working and living. I've picked up the pieces that sort of fell apart last semester and reevaluated and readjusted.

Concepts and Metaphors

Illustrate "Forrest Rendezvous" and incorporate a shadow.

I'll shoot my final painting soon. During crit we decided the rose in his shadow isn't necessary, he should have a real one at his feet.

My current assignment is to work with a metaphor of our choice from a list given. I chose "Go out on a limb"
I wanted to avoid the typical motifs associated with that metaphor and apply to something I could relate to. I was thinking a lot about how people interact with one another and just how much of a risk we take by depending on those we surround ourselves with.

I went through the motions and thought of my situation and what I see around me. Moving with nothing, leaving things behind, long distance relationships, trusting new friends, trusting new lovers, ect. I thought of how vulnerable we allow ourselves to be when we enter a relationship, when we truly love someone and trust them, and when we open up to someone for the first time.

I'll be working with the first sketch there. We decided to lose the hearts and add a second figure meeting that person halfway. Trying to instil some of Egon Schiele into this piece. I've been looking at a lot of Klimt and Schiele lately. Absolutely amazing artists. There is a beautiful Schiele at the MIA that I drooled over for awhile and plan to visit again very soon.

Its over and done

2009-12-15T02:16:00.000-08:00

Finally, the semester has ended.
What a semester that was!

All finals week I didn't sleep during the night hours. I either stayed up all night and took a 4 hour nap in the afternoon when I got a chance, or slept and hour or two at 6 am and worked more before class.

So I documented my stuff at 2 am in the studio with a few people and it turned out awful. My roommate's camera was set to a dpi of 180 and not the required 300 and we only had 1 tungsten light.

Intro to Illustration class Editorial assignment. We had to make an illustration for an article on organic/green clothing.

Intro to Illustration - Pattern Assignment.
I chose to make a pattern of Missoula's "Octopus" Greg Nowak. Look the man up, he's awesome.

Intro to Illustration - Box Design
We had a few items of products to work with and I chose Tube Socks

Intro to Illustration - Final
For our last piece we had to make a scene with 8 things wrong. I chose to do one of those old school Highlights style pictures where you have to find the hidden object. Really hard to do in color may I add! I made this piece all about home cause I'm freaking excited to get back to Montana.

Andrew Bird....

(There was a lot of press there. Shots (c) Josh Behm really nice article there too)
I just have to rave for a moment about how absolutely beautiful and fantastic his show was. It was in a big Gothic cathedral, it was freezing out but once we got in me and finagled our way into the first pew.

Holy Crap...

We were literally front and center. A good 15 feet from him. Oh man. The whole set was just him, 4 mics, a violin, xylophone, and guitar. Mike Lewis played bass and saxophone on 2 or 3 songs but the rest of the time it was just him and his magical loops.
He uses the loops to record a riff and layer more and more on top of it to create this entire orchestra of sound and then he sings with absolutely no effort. It was beautiful. Most amazing show I have ever seen. If ever you get the chance to see this man go!

I found this little video someone at the show took. Looks like they were about 3 rows behind us and to our right. So good!

End to an Adventure

2009-12-09T03:09:00.000-08:00

Well, it's finals week and I've become nocturnal. Pulled an all nighter last night finishing my 3D Foundations final. Accidentally feel asleep on our bathroom floor for 45 minutes two hours before class started.....don't ask.

The piece visually and technically was a complete failure but I was working with the concept of making a moment timeless and not just "capturing it." I'm documenting all my work on Friday so I'll have much more.

I have a history test in 5 hours...why am I blogging when I should be studying? James is graduating Friday night and I bought tickets for us to go see Andrew Bird perform at a cathedral just 15 blocks away. He is one of our favorite musicians, absolutely amazing. Check out his performance of Why?.

Youtube him. Anonanimal, First Song, Cataracts, Imitosis...all great songs. He is amazing.

On another note, I had my best friend from home Lauren here Nov 20th - 27th. We celebrated her birthday and cooked Thanksgiving dinner together. Pretty proud seeing as neither of us cook.
I've had this weird fear/hatred for raw meat. Mom you must be so proud, since I've moved away, I've learned to overcome that a tiny bit. Here I was looking at this gross artery popping out of my turkey breast.
Lauren and her green bean casserole. Yumm

Our lovely center piece. The burnt toast lives on in this apartment. James joined us for our lovely dinner. It was just about as perfect as can be.

It's been snowing all day here. Hoping for a snow day so I can postpone my test. People do always forget how to drive on that first snow after all...

Brrr it's cold out.

So on other notes, The Boy gets here next Wednesday with his friend to visit me and James. The four of us are gonna romp around town and stay warm in the apartment. By Saturday we'll probably be starting the 18 hour drive back to Missoula. Hopefully the snow stops!!!

Wanting Mountains

2009-11-13T00:49:00.001-08:00

Whoa, it's been a crazy couple of months! Last week there was a three day period where I got a collective of 9 hours of sleep. Exhausting! The boy came for 5 days this last Saturday though. Such a nice little vacation without having to go anywhere. Currently working on an illustration project that is due tomorrow, a website, and a wood project. (Thinking I'll make a chess table)
Haven't posted any work and I still have tons more to photograph. James is going to take me into the studio and show me how to use the light meters and set up the light. For now though I've got a few new things.

(Mid-Century furniture project - Intro to Illustration)

This piece needs a little work. Hadn't used acrylics for awhile. Currently doing touch ups in Photoshop.

(Slice of Minneapolis - Intro to Illustration)

I had way too much fun with this assignment. I decided that James was my little piece of Minneapolis. He told me all about it all summer long and has shown me the ropes and been a great friend. I just thought of all the goofy little things that remind me of him. After speaking to my teacher we discussed doing a pattern.

Here it is in pattern form, try having that on your walls!

Plenty more to come soon! I'm missing the mountains and my little hometown of Missoula.

The College Life

2009-09-20T10:19:00.001-07:00

So I've been out here in Minneapolis for almost a month. Feels like home already. Even though I spent a year at the University of Montana, this feels like my first real year of college. Being away from home, new people and actually liking it.
I love all my teachers, they are so different here. They are young working artists, they love to bullshit with you and don't have a problem telling you to shut up. They are harsh when they need to be but they feel like your friend the rest of the time.

I have only photographed one of my projects. The critique went well but the funny thing is, is I hung my tiny little "test" painting that took like 5 minutes along side this and almost all the class including me and my teacher liked it better. When he asked why I didn't turn this in i said that I felt bad because it only took 5 minutes. He just said "As long as it looks good, who the fuck cares if it only took 5 minutes." Score for me!

Me and my roommates are doing ok. I get along really well with one, her name is EV. We've had some crazy adventures together. We started a fire in our oven while trying to make a nice spaghetti dinner with our friend Akshay.

(Proof of the fire)

Here's just some pictures from my time thus far at MCAD

(My school is really pretty inside)

The worst part of leaving Missoula has been leaving the boy behind. His best friend is out here at MCAD so he's watching out for me.

More to come soon!

2009-08-03T00:34:00.001-07:00

Well the money came through, I'm off to Minneapolis. I have exactly 2 weeks and 4 days till I fly out. It has been hard for me to process all of the coming change but it's getting easier. Still have some ends to tie up. I am really pathetically bad at good-byes and these are going to be the hardest ones.

Even though it is all very bittersweet, I am excited. I've worked so hard for all of this and I'm going to give it my best shot. My boyfriend's best friend is graduating from MCAD this winter so he is going to show me the ropes and show me a good time.

(Sunset at Georgetown Lake)

I just spent 3 days in Big Fork and at Flathead with the boy and his friends. My whole summer has been like that, no where near home and no time to make art.
There is a lot percolating though so once school starts I wont be able to put the brushes down.

The Times They Are A-Changin'

2009-06-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

My Mom has been getting on my case about updating my blog. Mothers know best I s'pose...

School is over.

I loved my figure drawing class.
Here's some of my favorites.

To see all my work from that class check out my transfer portfolio

That is really all I've seriously produced lately.
Small little project here and there.
Lots of ideas I'm toying with........

Starting to get a little worried about this fall at MCAD
Where's the money coming from?
And I haven't painted too much lately....I wonder if I still got it?

This is a little doodle I've been working on.

The end is in sight

2009-04-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

More good news! I was accepted into both SAIC and PNCA and received scholarships from both of them! But.....I got an even better scholarship from MCAD! My decision is final, I'm going to Minneapolis.
I've been really unproductive lately. Knowing that I get to leave the U of M has caused passing classes pretty unimportant. I have 2 weeks of class left though so we'll see how it goes. I have been seriously A.D.D. with artness too. I start something and get half way through and just stick it in my closet. It's made doing my figure drawing homework impossible to do.

I've just been celebrating and having fun with my friends for the past two months. I want to enjoy what I have here while I still can. Summer is going to be amaaaazing.

Here's a little something that I started and never finished. I like it so far...just got kind of bored.

It has paid off

2009-02-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I got my letter of acceptance to MCAD! I am so excited, I just want this semester to be over so I can head out and move on. I'm still waiting for responses from SAIC and PNCA but I'm hopeful!

All that paper work I did and binder making kicked my butt and I'm officially exhausted. So much so that I stopped a painting right in the middle and stuffed it away in my closet. My figure drawing class has been really great so far, I have always loved drawing people and now I get to do it for an entire semester. :)

Seems like I have a lot going on lately too, nothing of importance just things. Birthdays, silly parties, homework and tests and trying to find a job.
I've decided to only take 9 credits this semester so I can work more and save up for next year but we'll see how that goes. No art today, just saying I'm alive and well and trying to stay awake for a surprise birthday party tonight...who has surprise parties on a thursday seriously?

All I want to do is head up to Lolo hot springs this weekend and soak my stress away!

Patiently Waiting

2009-01-24T18:12:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!
I thought I would start a blog to post my random updates and ideas. It happens pretty often that I have a good thing going and it gets lost in the plethora of papers in my room.
This will be a good place for me to keep thoughts and be productive. I hope you enjoy my art and please visit some of the people I've linked on the side, their very talented and near and dear to me.
I also have a website but I want to keep that very simple and free of my random blabberings.

In News
I am mailing off two college applications tomorrow, one to MCAD and the other to SAIC. I got really into making the portfolio(presentation is everything) and covered some binders and put everything in nice plastic covers.....I must admit its pretty classy.

I'm also sending one electronically to PNCA mostly because it's free to apply and I didn't have time to make another binder...and funds are running a little short.
Wish me luck....

Here is a piece that I just kind of up with the other week.

Whilst digging through old papers i found the beginnings of a portrait. There was just a few washes of a skin tone and I just wanted to just play with it.
I also wanted to wing it a little so i skipped any drawing and just went straight to paint.
Kinda came out as a crazy clown lady...and I like it.
I'm hesitant to paint her eyes...I like them as they are but she definitely needs something. I'll have to play around with it more.

Advice?