Done.

I've finished my last assignment at art school. 4 years, and I'm done with homework.

These are finished concepts for a children's video game. The theme was a Test Your Strength booth at a monster carnival. Enjoy.

I've been at school for 15 hours. I'm going to go pass out now.

Pectasaurus Rex: plays bass, chills at the Test Your Strength booth

His collection of sweet basses.

The Booth
A selection of different hammers


DONE.

Summer Air and Optimism

Tonight was my big senior show for the illustration Degree Project. It was lovely - there were so many people there, and I ran out of business cards on my podium very quickly! I wore a pretty dress and got to talk to everyone and show my parents around. My friends Savannah, Marissa, Pat, Chris, Dave, and Luke came (along with all my MassArt lovelies), and Marissa brought me flowers!! <333 Thanks to everyone who came and to everyone who was there in spirit. Your support means the world to me. <3

I also may be making a cameo appearance in an upcoming show at Space 242. But nothing solid yet so I can't telllllll yoooouuuuu. OOH SECRETS

I ordered two more sets of postcards tonight because I re-decided that I want to represent my painted work along with my digital work. So critical! And I'm waiting for my promotional keychains to come in so I can epoxy them together and love them. (They're the squirt gun ones. I actually bought squirt guns at Target yesterday. Yay almost summer!)


Aside from that, I'm just finishing up my last couple of assignments before the schoolyear is over for me forevs. Then I just have to make 4 paintings for June 16th, start and finish my comic by June 1st, make a role-playing costume for a friend before July, and make a cover for the Dig before June 21st. THESE ARE MY PLANS. I MUST KEEP THEM.

Little update.

Just wanted to mention that I have a couple more little pieces up on etsy, including this little guy here. I've been keeping myself busy between the times I work by doing little drawings and paintings - I've been doing art every day, and it's helping me stay focused. I've had good company around too (see: Alex and Lindsay) to keep me motivated and to have some fun without assignment stress.

I've completed the color comps for my first 3 degree project pieces, and I'm looking forward to starting/finishing them. I'm strange - most of the time, I need to do a painting in one go, because I need the feeling of being in that moment and having that kind of relationship with the colors I'm using and the way I apply the paint. I'm very attached to my materials - I'm in love with heavyweight hot press board and paint that comes in plastic tubes. It soothes me.

But! Lindsay Small came over today, and we were supposed to paint but didn't, so we watched stupid online videos and looked at stupid websites instead, which was also very good. I missed her! She's one of my favorites. :)

So I'm just pushing through until school starts up again, I guess. Can't wait until reviews are over!!

Stuff I've been working on.

So these are a few of my final pieces I've been working on. I'm happy to FINALLY be done with some of these. So enjoy.

Dracula cover-A modern take on an old classic - this will be featured in Andy Fish's graphic novel about Dracula, so that's very exciting!

Johnny Cupcakes ad
-We were to do a mockup for a potential Johnny Cupcakes ad. I wanted to do something cheesey and sparkly and pink and really digitally nauseating, so here it is.

Little paintings
-Little gifts for friends I've been doing just to keep myself from going insane.


Life is hellish right now. But good things are keeping me going.
More interesting update later.

Getting there

As per Sylvia's good example, I ordered some business cards off of overnightprints.com. They cost a lot of money. Money I do not have. But this is important, dammit. Ask me for one!

Looking forward to the gallery opening on Saturday, featuring the work of such wonderful people as my favorite, Lindsay Small, Alycia Garcia, Mark Reusch, and quite a few others. There's gonna be a Kaiju Big Battel suit and everything! And Andy Fish's Batman cowl.

Looking forward to that, getting finals done and trying not to spend too many nights in the studio past midnight. But I usually do my best work past midnight, so whatever.

Had a fantastic day today, and I'm feeling like the rest of the week is going to go really well. Yay for finishing work and making everybody proud!

NEW LIST OF THINGS TO WORK ON:

-Degree Project Due 12/8
a. Superimposed book layout printed
b. Label explaining my piece
-Illustration 4 Due 12/9
a. Putting my Juxtapoz piece into context
b. Color Johnny Cupcakes piece
-Black and White Illustration Due 12/10
a. Finish Gorilla, Unexpected piece
b. Scratchboard film noir piece (sketch + finish)
-Fashion History Due 12/10
a. Coat of Arms
-Poetry Due 12/18
a. 3-page analytical essay
-Detour Due 1/1
a. Bio page
b. Comic (not even started)

FINALS FINALFKS FINAFKLLS

I spend most of my nights with lots of quiet. And lonely. Lots of quiet and lonely.
But I'm not so sad anymore - it's time to buckle down for finals and pump out some sweet artwork. These are some things I'm working on:

-Degree Project DUE 12/8
a. Quail Dobbs rodeo clown painting DONE
b. Quail Dobbs rodeo clown background painting 30%
c. Finished sketches for Bozo the clown painting 0%
-Illustration 4 DUE 12/9
a. Johnny Cupcakes ad 40%
b. Dracula pinup 70%
-Black and White Illustration
a. Gorilla block print 0%
b. Gorilla painting 0% DUE 12/3
c. "If The Cement Shoe Fits" final sketches 0%
d. "If The Cement Shoe Fits" scratchboard piece 0% DUE 12/10
-Fashion History DUE 12/10
a. Personal coat of arms 0%
-Contemporary Poetry DUE 12/18
a. 3-page analytical essay 0%
-Christmas Cards
a. Sketch DONE
b. Coloring/printing out/distributing 0%
-Coat of Arms Christmas present
a. Sketch 0%


I have a loooooot of work to do! Time to buy a bunch of low-carb Monster drinks and some more Cheez-its and live in my studio for a while. I've picked up some more hours at work as well, so it's going to be busybusybusy for Bamcat for a few weeks.

But!! Once reviews are over, I get to enjoy some time off and head up to Maine for a bit to hang out with some good friends and one particularly excellent, wonderful, and attractive friend who's gonna take me on a date. <3 I'm very excited!!! I'm also dying my hair brown soon. The red is too hard to take care of, and my hair needs time to relax, I think. So look out for that! Time to get some sleep so I can work my ass off all day tomorrow! Night!

(The awesome Christmas lights up in Portland during the winter! Part of my motivation to work hard and get this stuff done! I can't wait!!!)

Success! (mostly)

I finished my zombie/ghost picture today.
I think it's around 22" x 28", which is the largest painting I've ever completed using mostly a #2, a #6, and a #14 round brush. It looks amazing. I'm incredibly proud of myself. It took around 20 hours from start to finish, the same amount I've spent on much smaller endeavors in the past. I'm becoming more efficient! *pumps fist in the air*

SO, ART I NEED TO FINISH:

-Birthday present for Jessica (my sister, her birthday was today)
-Flyer for field trip to the Rockwell Museum
-Flyer for the t-shirt contest (everybody enter!!)
-Email Andy Fish new sketches of global warming project
-Start pen and ink project for black and white illustration
-10 thumbnails for degree project on Monday
-schedule interview/field trip for degree project for Monday
-sketches for new black and white illustration project
-Montana spray paint demo flyer for Blick

I' can't believe that this is the shortest list of things to do I've had in about a year.

But because I've caught up on my work, I can go see Jerry this weekend!! Yay!


So go see my painting! It's up in my studio until I can spray varnish/get a hi res photo of it. I'm so excited! I'm on the path to becoming a legitimate artist. :)

Lots of love! Goodnight!

Tuesday night.

I should be working on my black and white pieces, or studying for my fashion history exam (ha), but I'm going to just take a moment.

My sister's birthday is tomorrow. I'm not going to be able to see her, but hopefully we'll be able to make a day trip to go to Salem next weekend. My mum wants me to come home this weekend for cake and presents. I told her I can't - I have too much homework.

My boyfriend wants to come up this weekend, hobbling with his cane on the T. I told him I really want to see him - I'm terrified that he'll trip and fall on the train, but he's willing to risk it, and I miss him unbearably, so I won't argue. I'm going to have to kick him out after a day or so, though, because I know I'll need to go to my studio to do work. *sigh*

I want to get all my work done on time, the best it can be done, better than anybody else's and still actually like doing it. I feel like I made an asshole out of myself in my Illustration 4 class today because I didn't have my work done. The first assignment of the year, and I didn't finish it. I can't even believe myself. I'm usually the person who has it done within a couple days of the assignment; I don't usually trail behind. But I'll catch up, and maybe get ahead of the game. Let's hope, and pray. And stuff.

So this week, starting tonight, Tuesday night:
Tuesday:
-finish black and white editorial piece
-make final sketches of new black and white assignment
-study for fashion history exam
-cut out magazine examples of Egyptian/Mesopotamian inspired fashion from magazines (?)
Wednesday:
-fashion history (9:30 - 1:30)
-fashion history exam
-SGA (1:30 - 3)
-black and white illustration (3 - 7)
-work on homework, any homework (until they kick me out of the studios)
Thursday:
-poetry reading homework
-work on other homework
-poetry class (1:30 - 4:30)
-walk for cancer in Boston Commons at 5
-meet with my mum so I can pay my rent (fucking student refund checks won't be out until October 24th - not like I need books or supplies or rent money or anything)
-pay my rent
-homework?
Friday:
-work (9 - 5)
-homework at the studios all day
-degree project interview
-have a drink to stay sane
Saturday:
-Jerry comes up!
-have a wonderful dinner
-spend time with my wounded potato
-beat Final Fantasy X
Sunday:
-force Jerry to leave :/
-spend the day in the studio until they kick me out
Monday:
-homework in the studios
-degree project (2 - 6)
-homework homework homework
Tuesday:
-homework
-illustration 4 (2 - 6)
-work (6:30 - 10)


I got off easy with work this week - we hired a bazillion new kids (which I'll have to train), so it gives me a little more time to work on my stuff.

ALSO.
*DRUM ROOLLLLLLL*
I'm pretty sure I made the cover of the dig! With my autumn picture! If they don't run it this week, they might run it next week. I'm not sure. All I know is I talked to Tak and he asked me to send him a headshot and a little bio about myself and a high res file of my autumn picture so he could send it to "the layout people." So yay! I don't know if there's pay or what, but, of all the art I've had printed without any pay, this has got to be the best! I'm so excited! So look out for it!!!

And just so this isn't text-only,

It's a binturong!!! :D

So yeah.

School is already making me crazy.
I feel like I have ZERO free time. As in, every day I wake up early and either go to class, go to work, or go to the studio, only to return home around 11 or midnight each night from either being at work or at the studio. Every freaking day. It's EXHAUSTING.


Though I did finish my clown doll prototype of Koko the clown. I was going to do my entire Degree Project in 3D, but upon seeing how much of a pain in the ass just one doll was, I'm probably going to stick with 2D. I think it's more consistent with my style, anyways. I'd rather make something for my portfolio that's refined and shows off my skills instead of something that's poorly constructed that I had to learn to make.

Either way, yeah, school's driving me pretty much insane. I didn't get to visit my boyfriend this weekend (for those who don't know, he broke his femur a couple of weeks ago, and he's stuck at home), so I was really sad. I mean, it was payday, so I COULD have gone to see him, but I didn't have any time between making that doll and going to work and doing other homework/homework prep and going to a sudden meeting with my surgeon on Friday. Speaking of: I'm getting surgery in the next month to get my cyst on my hand removed! Yay! I'll never have pain in my wrist or have to wear a stupid arm brace again!!! I'm so excited!!

I'm very tired - and I have to get up early to do some work (and hopefully laundry?), so goodnight.