Argh. Snow.

I feel like I am in that Twilight Zone episode where the people are slowly moving further and further away from the sun...and then the woman wakes up from her dream and they are really moving closer and closer to the sun...or maybe it's the other way around. I can't remember. Either way I feel like we are in the part where they are moving further away.

It snowed again tonight! Argh! It's March! No more snow!!!

Well, I guess I can't control the weather.

Holy cow. I am trying to get as much work done before I leave for San Diego as possible. I want to get my paintings for the show done, and I want to get some paintings for my Etsy shop done, and I need to get home work done. I think I can I think I can. I know I can!

So that's what I have been working on, and will be working on up until Tuesday. I leave a week form today! SUN! yay!

So here are some pictures from my day. I posted a picture of my graphic design homework here to. It took me a total of 18 hours to make those six paintings...I think I can officially call myself a gouache ninja. I can mix and paint gouache like no one else.

You can see Chloe had a tough day...and yes she is sticking her tongue out at me :) She's probably thinking how silly I am for running around all day when it's so much better lounging on the pillows. What a life...

I Have to be Social!

So the first years are throwing a little party for the second years tonight in order to celebrate their reviews being over.

So I have to be social. eeks! I haven't really had to make conversation with anyone other than Michael or K.Trinks for quite awhile. How does one go about making small talk? Haha :)
I actually really hate small talk. Hate it. I also hate talking about myself, and rarely remember to ask people about themselves. God I am so bad with people...

Wish me luck. Oh! I got so much painting done today. Hopefully I'll be able to post some new paintings in my shop by Sunday. Fingers crossed.

I still have homework to do. I really hate it. I don't think I have ever hated doing homework as much as I hate doing this homework. In fact, I think I enjoyed doing Algebra homework more than doing these gouache paintings for graphic design. Argh.

I found this picture of Chloe and I was remembering how tiny she was when we got her...like a little hamster! Super cutes!

Valentines Day

Ok. I love Valentines day.

Well, I did until this year. I dunno. It seems like all the holidays since we moved here are just kinda blah. Not exciting. Christmas and New Years was fun, but that's because we were at my mom's house...

Michael and I always got to McMenimens and have a burger and a couple of beers. The Ruby is by far the best beer on the menu. Mmmm...Ruby....

Anyway, this year will be different. Michael is going to be working until late, and I will probably continue watching the L Word on Netflix. Oh well.

He did get me this really awesome book for Valentine's day. It's called Fingerprint, and it's a graphic design book. It's all about putting a hand made quality to the graphic arts. There is a lot of printmaking, letterpress, and book arts involved. Ultimately, as a graphic designer, that is the direction I want to go. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is also inspired by these things. It's pretty damn cool.

Homework

Wow.

Homework = not much fun.

So I've been working on this design project the last couple of days. Graphic design homework is so far from drawing or design homework. In basic design when the professor tells you to do 24 sketches, you just do 24 sketches. It takes maybe 30 minutes to an hour. When a graphic design instructor tells you to do 24 sketches you don't just do sketches. You measure, you mask, you use rulers...it takes more like 3-4 hours.

Oddly enough, it's really satisfying to me. I guess it's because I love to organize, and plan, and have everything tidy. Which is really weird, because if you've ever seen my studio or the way I create my paintings, you'd never guess that I was a neat freak. I guess that's how I keep sane. I have that one outlet to be completely unorganized and messy.

I also like the graphic design work because it almost feels like you get to make stuff using office supplies. I've always wanted to make art just using office supplies. It seems so contained and streamlined. MMmmmm...organization.....

I got a lot of work done for my upcoming show today too. I'll take some photos and post them tomorrow. I am pretty happy with them so far. I've been really exploring illustration in them. I have been itching to just draw and illustrate little aspects of my life. It's been fun. I forgot how much I really just like to draw, and drawing is so much like speaking a foreign language. If you don't practice you tend to forget and never improve.

Which brings me to another topic. In my class on Wednesday almost everyone came out and said they couldn't draw. That they thought it would be a computer class and that they don't have any drawing skills. I really don't like when people say they can't draw. Everyone can draw. It just takes practice and some people pick it up quicker than others. Like I said it's like a foreign language or math. I can draw, but that's only because I practice and I've taken a million drawing classes. It's not like I could draw portraits when I was two...you have to learn. I've worked really hard and put a lot of years in, to be able to paint, draw, and print, it isn't just a matter of talent.

Ok. That's my little rant. :)
I'll explain my photos. That's Angie and me at my first craft fair, and the older lady I am talking to was my first customer that day! I had an awesome day that day. I met really cool people and had great sales.

Juno

We went to see Juno today.

It was really cute. My only wish was that Michael Cera had a bigger part. He's awesome.
For those of you who don't know who Michael Cera is, he is the kid that played George Michael on Arrested Development. One of THE best television shows to ever grace the television screen.

Anyway, that's about all I have for today.
Oh! I started my graphic design class. It's just like basic design. All cutting and pasting and playing with gouche. Yay. Color wheels.

Pain.

The Crunchmaster 3000 has officially kicked my ass.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with said machine it is the ab-crunch machine from hell.
There is no way for me to describe this machine and I am not even going to attempt it. Just know that if you see a machine by this name walk away and don't look back.

I feel like I have gotten my ass kicked by Bruce Lee. I can't bend over. I can't laugh. I can't sneeze without feeling every muscle in my stomach. It hurts.

But those of you that know me well, know that I will probably use this machine again. Because when something kicks my ass this hard, it must work. Right?

Anyway. My first day at OCC started yesterday. I had my beginning digital photography class. I am so excited about this class. I get to learn about our new camera. The ins and outs. I also get to learn the ins and outs of Photoshop. I am really excited to learn this program. There is so much to learn and do. I think overall I am just happy to be learning again. There is something about being in a classroom and learning something new and useful that makes me all excited.

I am also excited over the fact that I have more to talk to Mike about other than Etsy and Chloe.

Tonight I have my advertising class. I am really worried about presentations. I know we are going to have presentations. It's an advertising class. That's what advertisers do. They present. I hate presenting. I don't want to think about it. My stomach hurts enough as it is.

Then Wednesday is my Graphic Design class. This is the class I am really looking forward to.
I had to buy my books last night. I haven't bought books for school in years. I couldn't believe how much they cost. My ad book alone cost 131.00 dollars. And that was used! Books should be free...

I am trying to get work done for my show in February for Pink Milk Studio in Ohio. Things are slow going right now. I just can't seem to find anything that I want to paint...I have to come up with something soon....I'm starting to run out of time. It's just so hard for me to be inspired here.
Oh well. Something will come. I hope.