Hey Guys! It’s been a while.

I’m bringing artmaking back to this blog again.

I know it’s been a while, and I apologize for being so neglectful. I was busy knitting a lot and not leaving the house.

Last time we spoke I was at the end of the semester. Now I am well in to summer. Here are some of the things I’ve been doing art-wise this summer.

first, I set up an Etsy shop!

I’ve been making stuff to go up for sale on there. Stuff like these scientists as saints mini notebooks:

Or this coffee cup printed notebook:

I’ve also been working on a project that I hope to carry over in to next semester, but I’m not really ready to talk about it yet. Because I have this large complicated project that I’m working on, I’ve been doing silly little prints as a kind of art procrastination, like this mock up of a book cover for John Green’s new book:

and I’ve also been making gifts for friends in my haphazard studio/living room

Gifts which subtly reference doctor who.

 

I use notecards now. Notecards are cool.

 

 

 

Catch you guys of the flipside,

Em.

Things that are good

There is no format today, I just wanted to share a couple good things with you guys.

I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it before, but my absolute favorite part of my entire apartment is the built in cabinet in my dining room.

Its just so adorable. It is also where I keep my tea (inside that koala are about 7 boxes worth of tea) and vegan cookbooks. It’s just one of those things in my life that makes me happy.

Another thing that  makes me happy is this camera:
Its a Kodak Duaflex II and I’ve had it for about 3 years (my friend Kate got it for me for my 18th birthday.) I have moved it from philadelphia to chicago to philadelphia to maine and I have never used it. I am sick of not knowing what to do with it, so I’ve decided to figure out how to use it and print some sick photos this summer.

I’ve been reading The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for the past month in my down time and I am in love with it.

I love the atmosphere, the strange short mysteries, but mostly I love the vocabulary. I always knew that the term “Pub” came from the phrase”Public House” but I had never heard that phrase used in context until Sherlock Holmes. It sounds so lovely. I’ll see you, I’m just going down to the public house to engage a man in a round of fisticuffs etc. Love it.

Lastly,

SPRING BREAK IS ONLY A WEEK AWAY. Sweet Jesus thank God praise Allah Sh’ma Yis’ra’el Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad  etc.

Oh how badly I need this break.

Not that I’ll actually have much time for rest as I have projects for all six of my classes due the week after break, but at least I won’t be in classes all day everyday, and Dan and Kate are visiting me! So Excited!

Day 27

A problem that you have had.

Jesus, thats a huge question. I’ve had a lot of problems.

I mean, physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual. You name it i’ve had an issue. My back is constantly screwed up, I have to wear wrist braces because I rode my bike too hard for too long, I’ve got more anxiety related quirks and tics than I have actual personality, and I really have no idea what I’m doing most of the time.

I guess my current problem is that I can’t seem to get the things that are going on in my mind out on paper.

You see, I’m writing a novella instead of taking English102, and I have this story in my head but every time I go to write it down I get maybe a page out and then it just stops. My ability to write just goes out the window and I devolve in to someone with a 6th grade writing level and a fondness for commas that far exceeds their necessity.

I keep telling myself that I’ll just sit down and write it, but the problem with that plan is that the product wouldn’t be good. I need what I produce to be good. Art, writing, cooking, speaking, I have the constant driving need to be good at these things.

This is problematic, because I am imperfect and cannot be exceptional at everything I try. Actually, I guess that is my problem. I expect perfection. I expect perfection and I cannot follow through. For example, I had a 3.48 last semester and I was incredibly unhappy with that GPA since I’ve been used to a 4.0 at Temple. Even though I know on an objective level that I should be happy (especially considering I take an overloaded schedule) I still kick myself for not having a higher GPA. It’s so stupid of me, but I can’t help it.

That problem of expecting perfection is an overarching theme in my life. It is a constant driving force in everything I do, and has honestly created some disordered behaviors that I have had to work hard to get past.

At the same time, it is a driving force in my life, and if I were to overcome that problem completely I don’t know if i’d be able to make art or write or do anything besides lay around being content with myself.

New Work: Embossed Rats Print.

Sold my first piece in Portland the other day:

A set of 20 white-on-white embossed rat prints, one of which has been watercolored grey. Mated and framed by yours truly.

You can see my copy of LotR very clearly in the background of this photo, I am either really lame or really awesome.

Procrastination Station

I am really bad at snow. Really bad. I suck at driving in it, I hate walking around it, I pretty much become a ticked off hermit whenever it starts to snow (even more ticked off when I have to move my car so the plows can come through and do NOTHING.)

Because of this I have been putting a lot of things off, and chose instead to bake some cookies today.

You guys like my oven mitt?
Sorry about the gross greasy paper towel, I was using it to grease the cookie sheet.

Despite the positive outcome (cookies) , I really really should be doing other things.

In order of deadline:

-Mat and frame a piece to sell. Seriously, I need to have it ready by monday and I can’t keep slacking off.

-Drawings for Morgan+Matthew’s prop book (in exchange for them letting me use their lot to park during the snowstorm.)

-Time Travel Novella.

-Finishing Rosemary’s very very late giftmas present.

-GOAT CALENDAR

the first two need to be done within the next week. ugh.

In which I prove that my attention span is approximately the same as that of a gnat.

Well hello there,

*Giveaway announcement at the end of this  post*

Sooo, The weekly update thing was a nice laugh, but it’s not really working for me.

I believe that this is due to my intensely disorganized thoughts and my unwillingness to order said thoughts in to an easily readable, logical format.
OH WELL.

I’ve been working on a project that I cannot show you yet. I can, however, tell you what it is and show you some heavily cropped sneak peaks of the pictures I’m working with. You ready?

Can you tell what it’s going to be?
It’s a calendar full of ATTRACTIVE VEGANS WITH GOATS. Actual title to be announced in the future.

Essentially I’m taking these pictures and making lovely little watercolors (or drawings) of them and turning those in to a 12-month calendar.

now, you may be asking yourself why I’m not just using the pictures, and am instead making them in to watercolors. I am making watercolors (or drawings) for several reasons. They are as follows,

First and most importantly: These are not my photos, and just taking a bunch of other people’s pictures and throwing them together isn’t really a thing. I mean, it’s a thing, but it’s not really a “project.”

Second reason: They are all different sizes and quality, so if I want this to be cohesive at all I’d have to alter it anyway.

Third reason: I love the shit out of watercolor.

Seriously, I love it.

When this is all done and printed, I’m going to sell them and donate all profits made (after printing) to Farm animal sanctuary . I know, I know SO VEGAN.

Unfortunately, I am currently separated from all my art supplies by about 7 hours of driving. Until I return gloriously to the cold dark north I’m just going to sit around and read this book that Jocelyn lent me (okay, in reality it will probably take me a couple hours to finish.)

It’s called The Year of Secret Assignments and it’s one of those books that is often favored by girls between the ages of 10-13. Are we re-living our adolescence? Perhaps. Who cares? Those journal-style young adult books were so great. I personally was a fan of Angus, Thongs, and Full-frontal Snogging.

Jocelyn makes music, and she is awesome. She is working on a CD right now in a real life recording studio, and you guys can expect me to pimp it really hard when she finishes it.

In honor of these horrible short days and to perhaps stave off some of the depression that comes along with the lack of light I’ve decided to do a small giveaway. Nothing too exciting, unless you live somewhere that doesn’t have… CANDY CANE JOJOS

I stole this image from http://www.laziestvegans.com/ click photo to get to their site.

too enter the giveaway, please write your favorite summer activity in the comments.

 

See you guys later!

Up the Week (1)

Current art-making: no current art making, unless you count the pile of tissues in my trash can as some sort of modern art sculpture addressing the themes of illness in our dystopic modern world.
Mostly I spent the last week lying in bed, wondering if I could die from nasal congestion and fevers, and reading crappy magazines.
Magazines that just happen to have my gay boyfriend on the cover. This is my “I’ve been coughing for 24hrs” face.

Happenings: This past week (since last sunday) Rosemary (see photo) came to portland, and we drove from Maine to Philadelphia. Annddd then I got horribly sick. Its possibly the flu, maybe the plague, maybe I’m not long for this world and a couple weeks from now someone will find me in a pile of tissues, my cat having eaten half of my face.

Art Obsession:
Wanda Ga’g
I am just in love with her illustrations, particularly those in Millions of cats.

Music/Other : The Paul Baribeau/ Ginger Alfrod version of Thunder Road

I jam out SO HARD to this song every time it comes on my car CD.

see you guys next Saturday!

Update:New Format.

Attention all 25 of my readers,

Starting Sunday December 19th I’m going to be switching to  weekly update format. It will be all the rambling and art and ridiculousness, but a (better) thought out,  weekly update as apposed to periodic mindless rambles.

Xoxo your friendly tyrannical blog overlord

hoot hoot hoot

Hello all,

I am officially done with my first semester back in art school. This is a very strange feeling. Its particularly strange because last time I finished a semester at art school I wasn’t planning on returning ever. Now faced with the fact that I have not only completed a semester but will be returning in the spring, I am ecstatic. I am really really happy with my experiences thus far at MECA. I am learning a lot, and I honestly respect my teachers to a point that may mirror reverence.

2,000 pieces of rolled up tape, displayed in a window.

Plus, I had a really great final review. like, REALLY great. I was a nervous wreck before I went in there (The president, my faculty mentor, and an alum who owns their own business were going to be judging me, can you blame my nerves?) but it turned out well, and at the end, I even had one of my critique-ers (the alum) offer to buy one of the pieces I was selling. I am obviously psyched about that, plus it’s a crit, not a show so it’s not like I was expecting to sell things.
However, I suck at pricing my work. Obviously that prospect was a little anxiety producing, so while I was doing some math in my head I whipped out my old prismacolors and drew a silly little owl for you guys.

what? I didn't say it was a GOOD owl.

ah, mindless drawing is always good.

I told myself I would spend today cleaning and running errands. I have actually spent today pretending to be a narcoleptic and taking naps on every piece of furniture I own. It is now 6, and I have to go do errands and all I want to do is keep sleeping. I think my body is rather unhappy with me because of what I put it through this last week of crits. I’m sorry! don’t make me go in to a coma!

I have some really exciting prospects lined up for the winter break, a good amount of which I will be spending in Philadelphia! Mutter museum, oh how I have missed you!  Oh cranky people and smelly streets! hooray!

In parting I’m going to leave you with a silly little plate I made for my dad last summer (I may or may not have only just yesterday found my card reader and gotten a whole bunch of photographs off of my camera.)

I’m going to try my hardest to update more regularly over the break (now that I am out of the dark abyss of work that is final crits.)

Give-away winner, updates.

The winner of the rat print is (drumroll….)

Momo! with her simple and elegant response:

When I see people being thoughtful and not selfish. Something as simple as opening a door or helping someone carry a heavy item. The little thinhgs like those always make me smile.

Momo, Please e-mail me your address  Tofuisgrood@hotmail.com  and I will send the print your way!

thanks everyone else for your responses, they were all great and thoughtful, and I will probably have more give-aways later this year.

Today I got my rat necklace back!
and a close up of one of the eyes:
Some day I will get non-webcam pictures of it, but for now this will have to do.

In other news: My upstairs neighbor is listening to Only the Lonely by Roy Orbison on repeat, and has been for about an hour.

I feel like they may have just broken up with someone and I want to bake them some cookies. Poor dear.