Crazy Ears

I'm some kind of officer in my school's chapter of the Art Student Association. We need to vote again now that about half of our officers graduated, so that's why I'm not really anything yet. I was once the Treasuer. 

Anyway, I made this poster for our meeting.

It's pretty dope.

I thought you'd want to see. yes. 

Nashville and thoughts on cities

I went to Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday with my friend Ann and saw a lovely art show at Vanderbuilt by Xiao Xin Lu. It w

as a series of monoprints that had been drawn back on, sometimes  collaged, sown back in, anything that you could name. She had a very lovely control of mixed media. 

It was fantastic and has inspired me to try more things with my own printmaking, and maybe stray from the edition-able print. I know that i'm not a 'printmaker', I know I'm a drawer/printmaker who is influenced by form of printmaking. I am really excited about trying to explore this direction that my artistic vision wants to take. I've been thinking about it a long time, b

ut it wasn't until I saw Xiao Xin Lu's show that I realized how beautifully mixed media informed by the printmaking process could work. 

I just need to find a way to make it work well for me.

...and I'm pretty excited. 

Ann and I talked about how sometimes unexpected things are the best.  For example: not expecting a birthday present and getting one makes it so much better than if you were expecting something, no matter really what the gift was. 

I can't remember how it came up, but it made me think of

 New York. Which brings us to my second 'things I just like looking at' 

 

This photo was taken in Chinatown when I was in New York a few weeks ago. It's not just Chinatown that I visually enjoy, even tho I picked this photo for this topic

 (because of the colors and is one of my more favorite pictures I took on my New York trip). It's the hustle of cities that I like and am kind of uncomfortable with. You can be around so many people and be totally alone, and there is some appeal in that to me. At the sam

e time I really love random happenings you'll find more often in city places, which brings me back to my talk with Ann about unexpected things. While I was in New York one of my favorite experiences was getting off a subway with a friend and seeing some people breakdancing one direction, and a guy who played a mean guitar/foot drums (He was playing Tom Petty's 'You got Lucky', actually. I remember because I really like that song.) in another. All while lots of people are streaming around me going about their business. 

There was just something just visually great about it. (While leaving Grand Central Station we saw a squash tourney, too. This was not as visually awesome or moving etc., but was pretty out of the blue and cool too.) 

Maybe it was because I'm sheltered and just didn't expect something like that. 

I'm sure if I lived there, those kind of thing would quickly become old hat to me.

but just that the experience of all these people going about their own lives all around me and how I got to experience some things they enjoyed doing (playing music, dancing, playing squash) filled me with a wonder and a calm for the people who are around me. 

I think I like cities for the same reason I like living in the dorm. It's comforting to be around people, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't like them. I'm not a huge people person, and will openly admit to really not liking most people I've met in my life, but the fact they are around going on with their lives and having their own adventures and stories around me that I  will never know fills me with warm fuzzies in my stomach. It's just full of so much potential. 

A Very Short Post

This has to be short and without images, I'm due to a class in about 15.
I'd just like to state on my internet record that:

1. My trip to New York was wonderful.

2. I feel more comfortable in my own skin now than I ever have.

and that I'm just in a fantastic mood, and I'm actually very happy.
So much so, to shout it from the internet-blog-rooftops, I guess.
I can't remember a time in my life that I was this happy before.

...Now to eat my Ramen and run to class.

<3 Lindsay

2008

Sometimes there really feels like nothing to draw,
but in reality you've got a lot of things you'd like to draw
and you sit and think about it.
Then give up and do a self portrait.
and find you drew those things anyway.


2008, you will be good. That's an order.

The New Year's party I went to was really fun, so that's a good start.

I saw Juno today. I liked it. Belle and Sebastian were in the soundtrack, which probably made me forget it's shortcomings.


Happy New Year.

some books

Pink Lady apples, jasmine-green tea, and books is generally how I've been spending the past few days. I got another copy of The Handmaiden's Tale (by Margaret Atwood) from my father for Christmas, I loaned my other copy out and never got it back. I've really enjoyed re-reading it a lot.
Books are always different the second time, or at least the ones that make you think are. The fact that I read it for pleasure this time, and not as schoolwork, might have affected it too.
The first time I read The Handmaiden's Tale it terrified me. Less terrified this time, but still moved. and angry. and sad.
It's one of my favorites.

I also read Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere this week. I think I enjoyed it more than the other novels of his I've read. (Not including Sandman) Neverwhere had more of a fairy tale feel? I can't describe it exactly, but it connected me on the level that you want the world to be more fantastical than it is, and a bit of you really longs to be a part of that fantasy world.

I'm glad I'm reading books again. and crocheting. and generally being the recluse I know myself as. Recluse is not the word, maybe low-key?

But I find myself wanting to read again for fun, which hasn't really happened for about a year and a half. I was afraid it was never going to come back. ha.

Merry Christmas.

American Elf!

I doubt anyone is really bored this time of year, but one of my favorite online comics changed it's format in the past month.

Previously American Elf required a subscription to read any comic but the one he put up last.

It's by an artist named James Kochalka who has inspired me in my sketchbook and comic pursuits, and racked me some overdue fees at my library for checking out and keeping his collected comics for weeks at a time.

Anyway, now they're all free and if you have any spare time, you should read them.

He does a comic of his day, almost everyday, and puts it up.
It's kind of boring sometimes, but addictive.
Mundane but nice.

Yes. I'm pretty pleased out it being free now. So should you. Check it out.

But I think I got some linseed oil in my ear...

It's kind of disturbing how much I miss my sketchbook.
I've just left it at a friend's house, but I'm already frustrated and missing it.
I actually want to draw.
It's feels weird that it's not here with me. It's existence is comforting.

I painted for about 6 hours or so today. It was (generally) good times.

I gesso-ed the back of a painting because I didn't put enough gesso on it the first time around, and the back looked stupid with the paint showing thru. (I think this will also eventually destory the canvas) Little white spots showed up on the painted side, and I had to match colors for several hours trying to fix my painting. It actually turned out better than it was before I had to rework it, so I'm pleased.

The RA (I assume) put up signs in the bathroom stalls with names of funny cities.
I wanna live in Chicken, Alaska.

and because I hate putting up entires with no pictures...



I drew that for-freaking-ever ago. Like, at the beginning of the semester. It's kind of like this weird thing my roommate, her boyfriend, and I were talking about one day at the Mellow Mushroom.

Finals and Whatnot.

Well, it's getting about that time again.
Last week was dead week, the week before finals.
I've got two paintings to finish by the 12th as well as bits and pieces of metals and ceramics I need to finish by the 11th.
This is one of the first semesters I've had where teachers have opted to have our final critique actually during finals. Usually art teachers will just make final critique the last regular class day.
I am so happy this isn't the case. I need all the time I can get with three studios. (two of the three being 3D art studios, which I lack skills in.)
But I'm really not that stressed, which is nice. The most work I have to do is painting, and since I love it, it doesn't really feel like work. Right now I'm stalling more to let my Ipod charge than anything else.

Here's what I'm working on.













Hope everyone else who has finals does well.
Yay for a break soon.

This semester has really flown by for me.

Punjab's

More proof that the world is coming to an end.
My favorite place to eat has burnt down.
Punjab's was one of the best resturants in Richmond, KY, and to be honest I think one few remaining fantastic things in Richmond.
The people who worked there were always the sweetest people you'd ever meet. They had the best and kindest service in town.

Anyway,
I was there with my friend Shae, and my roommate Megan.
It started to smoke from the ceiling and we all left...
You read my roommate's (the journalist) entry here.
It's much more thorough than mine. Pictures and everything.


Needless to say, I'm depressed over it.
So close to finals week, right when I need Saag Paneer most.

Groovy

I did this little drawing this afternoon.

If I had a website, I'd have something like that in flash for the homepage. With actual links instead of random sayings...

Hope the Thanksgiving holiday was nice for everyone.

Things I'm thankful for at this second:

• The RA on our floor has really good candy in the bowl in front of her door. (she sets it out there for us. Mini Butterfingers and Mini Crunch bars.)
• Lifetime shows Frasier late at night.
• Holiday Breaks.
• House shoes
• People who I can talk to anything about
• The cheap pack of markers I bought
• My yellow hat
• My family
• Being able to see my high school friends over break. and it not feeling like we've been far away too long to be able to talk.
• Walking in the dark down my street
• Yellow Ginko leaves on the ground from the tree next to my window.
• Nachos

I braved the cruel day called Black Friday this year with my friend Emily.

The dark grip of capitalism filled the air...

I bought some stuff. I kind of wished I could have made everything for Christmas this year, but it's hard to do that. Some people hate scarves, and really like DVDs and video games. oh well.

Yep.

Whispering your secrets to the goat.

"Whoever wants to know something about me... ought to look carefully at my pictures and try and see in them what I am and what I want to do."
--Gustav Klimt











This is my sketch for a painting I'm working on. We had to take elements of a still life and compose/change/add/whatever to them to make something interesting to us. Maybe tell a story, I can't remember....
Mines about death and grief.

It's been a rough semester for me.
I can't wait for it to be over.

BFA and paintings.

I was accepted into my school's Bachelors of Fine Arts program in Painting and Printmaking a few weeks ago. I only get the one degree, but they'll let you explore two concentrations.
You have to apply and they make a bit of a thing over it. Application and deadlines and whatnot.



The painting above is of my friend Morgan and a victorla. And swirly things. It's better in real life. That's an awful photograph.


My letter says

"During the portfolio review the committe made the following observations and suggestions:

...use of color is interesting. However, she needs to venture out of 'tube' colors...
...exhibits nice compositional skills...
...needs to 'lock down' her vision -- her work goes in too many directions...
...shouldn't rely on outline so much -- this needs to be discussed with her painting instructors."

We had to paint a still life with colors different from what they are in reality. It's my elephant statue, my crab toy and my flute.

I asked my painting teacher about that last one. He thought for a second before he shrugged told me it was something I shouldn't worry about. He makes me smile.
I'm happy he doesn't mind.
The strong outline around figures comes from my learning to draw from comic books, and my undying love for the form.
Superheroes don't really interest me, but I like the form a lot.
What can I say? I'm a comic book snob, although I've not had time or the resources to read as much as I would like to. Comic books or otherwise.
I've not even made my own lately.
I think that needs to change.

This is what my life has come to.

This message appeared to us out from the night.
The Gold Star Chili sign holds many secrets to the universe.
This is what my life has come to.

Hat Comic

I like my hat. :)
Click on it to make it bigger and to read it.

Sketch Pages

Jokers and Owls.
The fortune says"Birds are entangled by their feet and Men by their tongues."







Some sketch pages.
I'm gonna post art here more.

Louisville TMBG Pictures.

I went to the They Might Be Giants' Concert in Louisville Kentucky recently. I took some pictures. Enjoy!

Happy weekend.
I'm posting some paintings from my painting 1 class.

Happy Father's Day

This is what is going to be part of a postcard printmaking project. I am doing seasons, and this is fall. It is also a father's day card.

Happy day for fathers, grandfathers, would-be-fathers, men who inspire people like fathers, uncles, nice boys. Anyone who is deserving. I know it's a hallmark made holiday, but it doesn't mean we don't love you.

The truth is, we don't know anything.

I drew a self portrait this evening.
I think it's.... okay.
I forgot how much I like to do them.
That sounds vain, I know. Oh well.

"I paint self-portraits because I am so often alone, because I am the person I know best."
~Frida Kahlo

Judy dreams of accordion androids.

Yeah, here are some more lino prints.
Full paper sized ones, not the tiny ones.
Anyway, this is judy:

and this is creepy scifi accordion dude:

They both say hello!