slacking

I haven't posted anything here in almost a month. I'm a horrible blogger, hah. I've been reading a ton and I have several projects going at once. School really dominates my time.

In brief, sort of, not really--

Though, perhaps the imagery I was creating would have worked best with acrylic paint like this i.e. like Beatriz Milhazes, or if I were doing relief printing, perhaps? Perhaps. My dad mentioned that he wouldn't mind taking the numerous designs I made in order to make custom jigsaw pieces to lay down as centerpieces for decks. Very interesting. I haven't started any collages yet, but I have cut out a lot of paper in case I want to start doing that soon. Actually, I really will have to start doing that soon because I have to for class, haha.

In printmaking I'm working on etchings. The imagery for them is inspired by the microscopic world as well, but human derived rather than Earth derived. The process of etching has been very enjoyable for me, so printmaking this semester has become dedicated to that. I've been open biting, aquatinting, and using various kinds of crayons as resists to the acid to get different textures. I've also been doing a lot of burnishinggggggugh. I seriously need to read more about etching processes, because I want to experiment more. It's taken me too long to get back into the swing of things.

That's about all. I'm thinking about applying here (KSU) for graduate school. I like the faculty's work there.

fits and starts

This week I thought a little bit more about the potential winter quilting project (that, of course, knowing me, is likely to never happen haha). When surfing YouTube for tutorial videos on how to quilt, I ran across this video which describes a little bit about traditional English hexagon patchwork. After watching that video I thought, hmmmb, perhaps I could draw up a pattern for myself on paper, cut out the shapes, and then sew the fabric around the paper - just like one would if composing a traditional hexagon quilt? Who knows, it might work, or it seems like it would? The paper template idea makes a lot of sense in terms of composing the damn thing - mostly because the shapes are not at all regular ones. All that is angular is good here because I know that round is hard to sew.

bon idée

Maybe I should paint junk - a visual capture of the shit that people collect, don't need, and just throw away, or let sit around.

lately

Saturday we went to a junkyard in Bowling Green, Ohio so that my boyfriend Craig's band (The Fight Within) could get promotional pictures taken. Being there was rather inspirational for me. I thought about composing sculptures made of junk so that I could have something interesting to paint (I like to paint/draw still-life, I think that it might be what I like to do the most). This would be me exercising another level of creative control over my work, haha.

*I want to note that the junkyard owner is a drunkard with a thyroid problem (we think). The dude reminded me of the farmer who gets possessed by an alien at the very beginning of the movie Men in Black.

I'm working on collages with the maps and stuff that Sara gave me.
I've decided to give this one to her because she is my best friend:


I need to finish that painting for dad. I need to go home and visit dad.

those clouds are headed north-east

I really like the idea of having something painted, and then drawing into the paint, and then painting on it again, and then drawing into the paint, and then painting on it again, etc...

headache, bed following this

I have these pieces of acrylic which I did not break correctly. I didn't really want to cut them into squares, so I shattered them up intentionally. I like the way the acrylic broke to form these varied shape, it's more interesting. I'm wondering if it will have any affect on the image. To hell with squares and rectangles right now.

Tonight I worked on my test plate (etching), finished it and beveled it. Tomorrow I will print it and begin sketching for my 10x10 plate (etching, aquatint). I visited with Eric Howe and started to prepare a collage/drawing for another drypoint image.

The other night I tried my hand at doing monotypes with oil and mineral spirits. I only had one which turned out any good. Next time I know what I need to do though.

MYSTERY MOTH