Graduation

 

 I did it!  

I stuck it out, I saw it through, I finished college and graduated with a BFA in Fine Art! 

I was a long morning but a fun one.  Having done my degree 100% online I felt a little lonely at times, but the energy in the room was so exciting it was easy for me to find people to talk to.  

The ceremony lasted about 2 hours.  I was so nervous and excited I was shaking! I made it across the stage and down the stairs without tripping thankfully. 

Sitting in the crowd.  Can you find me?  Hint: I have a decorated cap on :)

Outside the arena, after the ceremony

My family and me

So what now?

 That is the question, isnt it?  

The question every college graduate dreads.  

You spent x amount of years on your degree so what are you going to do now?  

My short term goals: 

I plan to work on commissions, 

build my business, 

and grow my portfolio. 

I want to be represented by at least one gallery in the next year. 

There is also a local co-op gallery I want to join and start volunteering at.

I am excited for my future and the good things that it holds :) 

Graduation Cap

9 x 9

acrylic on 100% polyester 

Painted for my graduation.  I figured 1) I am graduating from art school so why wouldnt I paint my hat and 2) I wanted to stand out in the crowd from the other 1,000 graduates who would all be in black caps and gowns.  My family said it was very helpful when they were trying to find me :)

Love Book

Love Book

5.5 x 8.5

davy board, handmade paper, book cloth, cardstock

For Book Arts.  My final project.  A simple pop up book of mine and my husband's love story.  

  Love is a single edition.  Designed, constructed, and written by me. The silhouettes are hand cut and the typeface is Calibri.

-I would like to thank Christine Rolik for her guidance, direction, and positive critiques.- 

You can see a mock up of this book here.  

Moments, Half Clam, Love WIP

Moments

9.5 x 15

ink, gouache, watercolor, charcoal, sanguine on cellucllay

For Mixed Media.  Experiment with additional techniques. This was done on Celluclay, mixed with green tea, and dried in the oven at 200* for 2 hours.  The green tea gave the paper a nice tint and I like the way the tea leaves are embedded in the "paper".

It is super fragile.  As I was peeling off the aluminum foil, the edges cracked off, then as I was painting on the "paper" more of the edges cracked off.  If I was to do this again I would make sure to make the "paper" thicker as it seems to be a bit more sturdy.  My husband thinks it looks like a giant potato chip :) 

The one on the left is thicker.  I painted on the thinner one as the thick one wasn't dry.

Half Clam Tray

3.5 x 2.75 x 2

davy board, decorative paper, glue, book cloth

For Book Making. The case wrapper and liner are done with a decorative marble paper, and the tray is done with a black velvety book cloth. This was surprisingly fun to do.  I really love the way it turned out.  I may make more of these in the future.  

I created it to house my "Me Book"

L<3ve WIP

8.5 x 11

cardstock

For Book Arts.  Mock up #2 for my final project. Here is my first attempt at this project. This one is much more successful then my previous try.   I plan on using the pop up shapes as "bases" and then attaching black paper to add contrast.  The pages will have white card stock behind them.   

Bound, Slip Cover, Love WIP

 

Bound

9x12

wood, wrapping paper, card stock, glitter, modge podge, twine, yarn

For Mixed Media. Experiment with assemblage. Scraps and failures.  The wrapping paper, glitter modge podge, and twine are scraps from various other projects.  The card stock cut out into mine and my husband's silhouettes are from the book making mock up that went wrong. 

Some of the modge podge is still wet.  I really hope it dries clear.  

Slip Cover

5 x 5

davey board, book cloth, handmade paper

For Book Arts.  Create a slip cover for one of your previous projects.  I created a cover for my Leaf Scans book.  

L<3ve WIP

8.5 x 11

cardstock

For Book Arts.  Mock up for my final project.  Thank goodness I did a mock up.  As I was putting it together I realized my structures wouldnt pop the way I wanted them to.  I an going to do another mock up with the pages vertical. 

Travel

The travel bug has bit again.  I absolutely love to travel.  I would not have know how much I love it if I had never done it.  There are so many places to see in this world and I want to see them all! I saw this pin on pinterest recently and thought that is what I want to do.  

 And then I realized I have done this! I like Lists so here is a list of my travels and when:

2002 Mexico -1st time out of the USA

2003 Arizona

2004 Caribbean

2005 Mexico, Cross Country to Georgia

2006 Catalina

2007 Lake Mead, Azores, Portugal

2008 Luxemburg, Germany, Mainland Portugal

2009 Spain, Italy, England, Greece

2010 Channel Islands

2011 Lake Tahoe, Catalina, Scotland

2012 Alaska? 

2013 Germany?

I am thankful for all of the travel I have done and I am super excited for all of the travel that awaits me.  I would love to go back to Europe, Egypt, go on an African Safari, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, etc etc etc.  Some day!

In other news I am on Spring Break right now, thus the lack for art posts.  I have some projects I need to work on but I have just really been enjoying my time off.  I have 5 weeks left until I am done with school forever! In May I will graduate with my BFA!!! This is been a long long process but I am really proud that I have stuck with it until the end.  

California Golden Poppy, Me Book

California Golden Poppy 

12 x 9

wood, watercolor, venetian plaster, image transfer, gold leaf, antique solution, gold metal paint, matte medium

For Mixed Media.  Experiment with multiple media.  Playing off of the name of California's state flower, the golden poppy.  I thought it would be interesting to make the golden flowers gold.        

Me Book

2 x 3

card stock, screw, nut & bolt

For Book Arts.  Create a book in sequence inspired by past present and future.  Each page has a number 87-24 and in years where something important happened there is a word- 87 birth, 01 high school, 09 move to California, 12 present, etc.  This book can be read in the round, as seen above, or as a flip book, as seen in the video below.     

My book in action.  I recommend you mute the video as my camera picks up sound easily and my breathing is oddly loud.

Monday's Art- Candle Light, Self Nov2010, Seduction

 Title: Candle Light

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 11x14

Inspiration:  For Head Painting.  Lit from below. I did something different with this where I didnt draw it out first and just concentrated on the shapes.  I think it worked.  Not perfect but good.  Reference.  

 Title: Self Nov2010

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 11x14

Inspiration:  For Head Painting. I love the right side of the face.  The left side gave me a bit of trouble. 

 Title: Seduction

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 18x24

Inspiration:  For Clothed Figure Painting. Bigger canvas was interesting.  I need to use much more paint then I am used to.  Reference found here.  

Previous step:

 

Female Profile, Spring Ali, Self Portrait (wip)

Title: Female Profile

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 12 x 16

Inspiration: For Head Painting. Love love love this!  Lots of work.  Beautiful finish.  Reference from CuriousPeaches

Previous step began in class with Lynn Gertenbach:

 

Title: Spring Ali

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 14 x 18

Inspiration: For Clothed Figure Painting. Working on successfully depicting a pattern.  I need to adjust the arms but overall it looks good. 

Title: Self Portrait (wip)

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 12 x 16

Inspiration: For Head Painting. Initial block in of the darks.  I love that the face finder on my camera recognized this :)

Sea Star, Red Fabric, Self, CA-118, Winter Wear

 

Title: Sea Star

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 12 x 16

Inspiration: For Composition and Painting.  Reference. 

Title: Red Fabric 

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 11 x 14

Inspiration: For Clothed Figure Painting.  Reference found here. 

Title: Self

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 12 x 16

Inspiration: For Head Painting.  This was a HUGE struggle for me. I worked on this for 3 hours, fighting with it all of the way.  

 

Title: CA-18 (wip)

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 11 x 14

Inspiration: For Composition and Painting. Under painting for Midterm. 

 

Title: Winter Wear (wip)

Medium: oil on canvas

Size: 18 x 24

Inspiration: For Clothed Figure Painting.  WIP for midterm.

Day 106- Shawna's Aunt Commission

Title: Shawna's Aunt Commission Work in Progress 

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Size: 9x12

Inspiration: Over a year ago my friend Shawna asked me to do a portrait of her Aunt who has breast cancer.  I have been really afraid to work on/ finish this painting.  I am really intimidated.  I think the more I work on it and the more it comes along the more I will like it.  Originally I was going to do this in acrylic but when I started it I didnt like the way the colors were working so I decided that I would finish it in oils. Below is the step before this one where you can see more of the acrylic underpainting.   

Day 5- Self Portrait

Title: Self Portrait
Medium: Watercolor on smooth Bristol paper
Size: 9x12
Inspiration: A photo I took of myself they day I got my new bangs. It took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.