capgar

Well, I've graduated college with a B.A. in Art.  I have so many things I want to do.  And yet, nothing much seems to be getting done...  Shame on me.  I'm trying to make my art a bigger priority, which is difficult when there are no deadlines and grades.  The new project I've started is illustrating my "creatures"; little characters that I made up when I was in middle school.  The main reason I'm doing this is to give me something to play with on my new art tablet.  I've never done much digital art, so I thought it would be an excellent starting point to mess around with these creatures.  So we'll see how that turns out.

So my senior art show is in a couple of weeks.  (Yikes!)  I've been going through my art and trying to make a list of the things to put in the show.  Which kinda made me realize that I don't have a ton of work that I'm super proud of.  I mean, I'm generally happy with most of my art, but there aren't a lot of pieces that I am REALLY happy with.  And all the art I have is from classes.  I've rarely done anything for my own personal enjoyment.  How sad!  But lately I've been working on a couple of pieces for myself.  Nothing fantastic; just a couple of masks that I'm painting.  I started a picture last semester and I'm doing it all in stippling (I know, what was I thinking?).  But I wanted to try something else that I haven't really done.  But my goal is to finish that in time for my senior show.  That gives me...roughly 3 weeks.  Aaahh!  So much closer than I thought.  Finish a stippling picture (which is reeeeaaally slow since it's entirely in dots...) and a couple of new masks in 3 weeks.  Can I do it?  YES!  ...we'll see.  
I started painting that new mask last week and I go SO HAPPY!  I forgot how much I love painting.  Which is really a shame.  After I graduate, I'm hoping I can try a periodically work on art more often, since I won't have homework hanging over my head for once in my life.  The problem is that I get so lazy that whenever I have some free time, I just want to goof around a do nothing.  My new goal in life:  make art.  ALL THE TIME.  Haha, okay not ALL the time.  But more often than I do now.  God gave me a passion for art and I need to use it to the best of my ability.

I'm in love with art.  
I just want to anything and everything art.  The more art the better!  Oil, watercolor, graphite, crayons, mixed media, fantasy, realism, photography!  If it's out there, I want to do it.  Which is really frustrating.  Because I can't.  Art supplies require money.  And who has ever heard of an affluent artist?  Hah.  I just want to do art for the rest of my life.  Whenever I die, I bet it will be by inhaling paint fumes.  Or chopping myself with a mat cutter or something.  Okay, sorry, that's a bit morbid.  I just want to create all the time.  Which usually doesn't happen.  Because I don't have time.  And such is life.

I am thankful for:
ART!  And COLORS!  And beauty and passion and creativity.

As I'm sure you (and by 'you', I mean anyone bored enough to read this, which is probably...no one) have guessed by now, my summer was rather unproductive as far as my personal goals go.  

Painting?  Nada.  I've got absolutely nothing to show for that.  Two black canvas sit in my room staring...blankly...at me.  
Frames?  Built.  But painted?  Nope.  That, too, is sitting bare and forlorn in my room.  
Etching?  All I've got to show is 2 tiles.  That's pretty pathetic.  And I can't really etch in the dorms.  It's waaaaaay too loud.  >.<
Tie-dye?  Yes!  I've accomplished something!  Though, honestly, I'm not crazy about how my shirts came out.  A dyed 4 of them and only    one of them I am satisfied with.  But such is life.  And tie-dye.  Live and learn.  Get creative.  There's always next time.
Internship?  Check!  And a wonderful experience to boot!  I am so thankful for the chance I got to work there and meet all the clients and employees.  Everyone was super nice and the clients were so sweet!  
Look up grad schools?  Uh, yeaaaah.... about that....  
Meet art therapist?  It finally happened!  Our schedules finally aligned, after a whole summer of crazy-ness!  I finally got to talk to her, which was fantastic and informational.

BUT, for all my summer 'nuts-o crazy running around like a chicken with its head cut off and accomplishing nothing artsy', I am working on a new project!  I actually started a new drawing for no one other than myself!  Can you believe that?!  I don't even remember the last time I drew for myself.  Which is really sad.  I forgot how much I love it.  I've been working on school projects for so long, that I forgot what it feels like to do art for my own sanity.  It's wonderful!  Haha.  I can't wait to finish it.  And start a new one!  

My classes  are keeping me busy, and will just get more time consuming, I'm sure.  There's a research paper I have to write somewhere along the line.  Not looking forward to that.  

On another note... I got engaged this weekend.   My thoughts on this?   !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And that's not even close to enough exclamation points!    My boyfriend...fiance? (that sounds so strange!)...is fantastic.  He is my best friend and my inspiration.  But I'm sure you don't want to hear me gush about him.  

Things I am thankful for:  
my passion for art
my encouraging and supportive family
kneaded erasers
my God, who is the best artist of all

Okay, that's all I got.  Though, I'm probably just talking to myself 'cause I doubt anyone reads this.

So it's summer break and I am soooooo busy.  I've got an internship on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I'm working every night folding laundry (I'm getting paid to fold laundry at a dry cleaners!  I am so excited about this).  On top of that I have so many things I wanted to do this summer!  that includes:

-painting... I even bought 2 canvases already and brought my paints up from school!  But I haven't been able to touch them yet because of my crazy schedule.  *sigh*

-etching... I was offered a job for next semester to etch gravestones.  Crazy, huh?  I have never in my life etched before, but the girl previously had worked there said that it would be fine as long as I practiced and looked up some videos or something.  And she showed me the basics before I left for the summer.  So I bought a dremel and some ceramic tiles to practice on.  And I only just started that a couple of days ago.  But it's super fun!  It's just kind of scary because once I make a mark, it's permanent.  No erasers, no painting over, no starting over.  :/  But I am relatively happy with my first attempt!  (I'll try to post pictures at some point)  Still getting used to different techniques, tough.

-photo shoot... I was hoping I could do some sort of photoshoot with a good friend of mine, but with my crazy schedule I don't even know if that will happen!  *sad face*

-make a frame or two... I asked my dad to help me build a frame for some of my paintings so I wouldn't have to buy as many late in the school year.  We've got one built now, but that was pretty much a crazy endeavor.  We could not, for the life of us, get the angles right.  His tools were so temperamental that the frame turned out much different that originally planned... Plus, I still have to prime and paint it!  Which I hope to do today!  But we'll see about that...

Honestly, I would be happy with a few more weeks in the summer where I could just do art.    But we all know that's not going to happen.  So, I'll try to cram in everything I possibly can!  And forcibly removing myself from the computer would be an excellent start, I'm sure.