finish friday - oil paint

this is the first painting i've finished for my painting class. it is oil on canvas, 30" x 28" and a still life of neutral colored objects set up by my teacher.

it was my first time working with oil paint, on canvas (that i stretched myself) and with real brushes. i actually liked it! and i like how my painting turned out.

more to come... i've already started on my next still life....

thursday thought - i'm really busy

yep. this is my thought today (and every day for the last couple weeks).

i sat down with a good friend, who happens to be really great at organization, and we wrote out all the things i need to do with my time. we included class time, homework time, feeding myself, showering, etc.

i was glad to know i actually have enough time for it all...

i made a huge weekly calender, divided it down to the hour, colored it in with my sharpie's and stuck it to my wall.

 
now i have a big fat reminder of what i should be doing (if i find myself procrastinating) and i can relax knowing i don't have to remember all that stuff at every moment. i can just look at my wall...

thank goodness for the support of great friends!

finish friday - dyeing fabric

one of my first projects for fibers II.

i did a 9-step gradient dyeing process between 2 colors. then, i did that 3 times resulting in 27 different colors. i will end up sewing this fabric into something to turn in, but the result of the fabrics is exciting enough to post.

this is a picture of all of the fabric marinating in their dye baths overnight. i brought them home in a big plastic tub so i could keep a close eye on them.

my mom came to the studio to help me rinse them all out. it was quite a job and i was glad to have the assistance and company. we hung them on the line in color order, and it was so awesome looking i had to take a picture.

i was standing on a stool to snap the shot and about fell on my a** when getting down. suppose that would have added some humor to the day...

monday's motivation

 

illustration by mary engelbreit

friday finish - self portrait

for the final project in my figure drawing class our assignment was to create an alter ego.  we were to pick something that occurs naturally (not manmade), so animals, plants, minerals, etc. then we had to impose some or all of our features onto our object of choice.

i did a drawing of a seadragon (closely related to a seahorse) and i imposed my iris in the place of the original eyeball. the contrast of the blue eye is striking next to the yellow and oranges of the body. the background is a deep purple, which is the compliment of yellow, although it doesn't show as well in the photo.

i used chalk pastels on bfk reeves drawing paper. it was my first experience with pastels and i found i really enjoyed the materials. i only used red, yellow and blue pastels (and white to get highlights) to create all the color in this piece. i have to toot my own horn in this case because i think the colors turned out amazing, and i mixed them all!

this piece is currently at the frame shop and there is an empty space on my wall waiting for it....

willy-nilly wednesday - exhaust

for this wednesday treat i have a random thought.

while walking from one side of campus to the other, with only 15 minutes between classes, my breathing space was filled with cigarette smoke (from the girl in front of me) and, later, gasoline exhaust from a campus atv....

if i had to choose between the two....i pick gasoline.

happy hump day!

tuesday tribute - ajean ryan

i took a figure drawing class over the summer....and i suffered a lot. mostly from my own resistance though, i will admit. once the class was done i actually missed it. it was as if i had finally gotten into the groove of it and the 8 weeks were over.... now i'm back to trying to self-motivate drawing in my sketchbook. needless to say, that hasn't been so successful.

i also have to say that my teacher was a great sport despite me being difficult. she is a wonderful teacher and has an incredible passion for both teaching and drawing...and art!

she recently had an art opening in denver that i had the privilege to attend. there is nothing quite like experiencing great art with the artist standing right next to you.

ajean's work is beautiful and definitely worth seeing in person. she works with ink and chalk pastel, which i have to say is an intriguing combination. i've never seen it used together before.

'The Hidden and the Haunted' : pastel and ink on mounted board

her work is delicate yet powerful, and it comes from her soul. it comes from the part of her that every artist has. it's the part that calls out, longing to be expressed, and will quite possibly make life miserable if it is ignored.

'Just Until Tomorrow' : pastel and ink on mounted board

ajean is deliberate in her process and what she wants to convey with her work, and she is very articulate when describing her intentions. that is an area in which i wish to grow as an artist.

'Summer Snow' : pastel and ink on paper

thank you, ajean, for sharing your passion with the world.

to view more work by ajean:

www.ajeanleeryan.com

info on her current show can be found on the gallery website:

www.icecubegallery.com/current-exhibit/