some watercolors

I really like painting with watercolors. It's probably one of my very favorite things to do. Ever.

Some art supplies were donated to our school by a woman who's mother had been an artist. After she passed there were all these supplies that needed someone to love them, so she gave them to us. There were a lot of different types of supplies, among them a plethora of tubed watercolor paints. I died. They are the greatest. Today I played with them to create this mermaid: 

Lately...In Art World

Beginning Pottery

I have never taken a pottery class of any sort, in high school, college or otherwise. So imagine my somewhat dismay when I found out the my student teaching semester would be filled with not just one but three different pottery classes. I am learning so much about clay and ceramics these days, folks. I think it's my new favorite.

Although, if we're being honest, the gesture drawing in our advanced art has rekindled my love for all things charcoal and I just don't think pottery is cool enough to take the number one spot. But it is a dramatically close second place.

digital watercolor

modern jesse james robin hood

Iconic image: Jesse James
Storyline: misunderstood/wrong place wrong time kind of guy

the fake facebook profile took HOURS to complete. the magazine covers were easier. I'm not terribly happy with the tabloid cover, but it's serves it's purpose.

all images were found online. 

the wild child

In my digital imaging class this summer we had to compose an image made completely out of text. I took two country song (Wild One - Faith Hill and Wildflower - Janedeer Girls) and combined them in this picture.

This was the basic idea, but then I needed to get a little crazier, so I added a few things and changed the color more drastically.

And then I finished so fast that I only had to do some minor tweaking before it was sent to print. I'm pretty happy with it. Mostly because I am a wild child.

A Self Portrait of Sorts

So this digital imaging class started out to feel like one big long never ending joke of a class. Learn something new!? Never! We will only go over things that you already know how to do with your eyes closed and one hand behind your back! Ha ha!

Okay, so I was exaggerating, but on a more serious note, I'm actually incredibly happy with how my first project turned out. If I'm being honest, I think it's downright rad.

We had to use "found" objects, such as magazine clippings, found drawings, or things we came across laying about our homes. I tore through the only magazine I own ripping off pages like it was my job. And then I only used two of those pages, but you know. They came in handy.

Handy! Oh, I kill myself.

No? That wasn't as funny to you as it was to me? Okay, okay. It is Wednesday after all. The humpday of the week. Forgive me my bad joke - although I believe that bad jokes are the best jokes. You know it to be true.

But anyway, my piece is about...you guessed it! Hands. Hands are unique to a person and you can tell a lot about a person from the wrinkles of age, callouses, fingernails, etc. on their hands. The same with hand writing - every person writes letters differently. Fingerprints? Uniquely yours. This piece came out as more of a self-portrait of sorts.

I think it's some of my best digital work to date. But also I am completely biased.

I also wish I could wear my nails painted like the rainbow every day. I think that would make life a bit more interesting, but don't you agree?

Digital Imaging

In my digital imaging class that I'm taking this semester we are working primarily in Photoshop, a program with which I am very familiar.

Consequently, I am very bored most of the time. Today we messed around with an image that we had previously restored. I put the restored "original" in the top left corner. The other five versions are what I created from that original image.

This is something I learned how to do in high school...and it's not that much different to do it now even though the program was updated. Talk about being bored...

Hot Air Balloons At Sunrise

Poly-Litho For Dummies

You start by setting everything out, all your paper, your poly-litho plate, a sponge, bowl of water, ink, roller, and gloves.

Then you warm up the ink and roll it out in a square.

Then you sponge out some water on the glass plate and lay the litho plate over top while you cover it in even more water. Water is your best friend in this process. If your plate is dry the ink will stick to places that it shouldn't and really the only bad thing about too much water is having it overflow onto your shoes.

When you roll the ink out over the plate it only sticks to your water-resistant image, so everywhere that is wet won't have ink on it. If you look at your image from the side you can see where the ink is sticking.

Then you pull the plate up to drip the excess water off and place it on the press, putting your paper over top of your plate in order to transfer the image.

Run it through the press and then, presto:

Congratulations! You have just created your first print! Be excited! The rest is like shampoo, rinse and repeat.

(the entirety of my prints created today)

(the best four)

(the best one)

Bird Brain

the latest