#3

This is a little bird I did tonight in oil pastels. It's not my favorite thing I have ever done, the background is ugly and he looks pretty mean but I guess the important thing is that I did it-and I don't hate it, I just won't be hanging it on my wall. This is the first thing I have actually completed in oil pastels so I am looking at it as a learning experience. I plan on taking some stuff with me tomorrow to my practicum and try another bird. This little guy just isn't doing it for me. Until then....goodnight!

Flora

I began this a couple of days ago and just finished it. It's white conte on black paper and measures about 14 x 20. For those who don't already know I got a little kitty in August and this is a drawing of her sleeping. I have always loved animals and one day I want to have a house full of them. Specifically, I would like to have 2 cats, 2 dogs, a sheep, goat, miniature horse and pig. That is no joke. I think animals are one of the greatest gifts on this earth and can give us so much. I know that my kitten Flora has brought so much joy into my life these past 6 months. From the first day I got her I was in love. I remember giving her her first bath the day after I got her and finding tons of fleas. I completely freaked out because I couldn't stand the thought of these nastly little bugs on her precious little body. I immediately began crying and ran to the vet to get Frontline. After that experience I knew I was completely attached and smitten. Everyday I love her more and there is nothing too good for her and nothing I wouldn't do for her. When I get back to my apt. after a long day I can't wait to open the door and see her run up to greet me after a long nap, with her eyes squinted and letting out a pitiful meow so I will pick her up. This may sound stupid but I have always wondered what kind of mother I would be and having her makes me realize the answer to this question because if I have this much patience with and love for this little kitten I can only imagine what I would be like with my own child. But for now, she is my child and I just wanted to do a drawing of her, kind of in her honor, that will last forever.

My first completion

I couldn't start this blog without having completed something so here it is. Excuse the horrible pic, but I have really limited lighting sources right now and not the best camera in the world. Actually it's making me kind of mad just looking at it on here because it looks so bad....

Anyway, I just finished this painting which was started approximately 9 months ago-yes, a very long time, at the request of Brent. He saw some paintings done in a style similar to this at an art show and asked me to paint him one. This is a scene from Brook street here in Louisville. This place holds no significance to me aside from the fact that I Googled "Louisville street photographs" and chose this one. It's not a large painting, 16 x 20, and it's done in acrylic-my favorite. In real life, the colors are much bolder and it has a lot more detail. When I paint I love to include and focus on a lot of detail. I think it gives me a feeling of control or something. Plus I just like looking at something knowing someone invested a pretty good deal of time and effort into it. Not to sound arrogant but I'm pretty proud of it, mainly just because it's finished! I had never painted this subject matter before and liked it very much. Considering this took 20+ hours to complete, this will probably be the last time anything else like this will be posted! Ahh....it feels good to have an official start. 199 more to go!

The beginning

Over Christmas break I watched the movie Julie and Julia. It was a really cute movie; very funny, sweet and most of all inspiring. The more I watched it, the more I found myself relating to the main character and her feelings of frustration having to do with.....just life I guess and the way it can suck the soul right out of you if you let it. Julie did something about it. She got off her ass and found her passion which gave her joy, purpose, pride and above all gave her back what was most important...herself.
Lucky for me I already know what my passion, or that thing that makes me feel alive is. The problem is that I for some unknown reason avoid it almost all of the time. That thing I keep referring to is ART. I have always loved and appreciated art of all forms but I especially love to create it visually. It's something that I can't really explain. All I know is that when I'm involved in the creative process something changes. The world goes away and I suddenly feel calm and content. I find that I become at peace with myself and everyone and everything else in this world which is something I rarely experience at any other time. And there's also nothing like the feeling of satisfaction upon seeing a finished product that is uniquely you. I'm not claiming to be any great artist, but that really isn't the point. The point is that I don't have enough of this thing I love in my life and that is a problem. I have recently found myself becoming extremely burned out. It started with school, but I have noticed for the last several months, or maybe even a year now, that this boredom and lackluster attitude has been affecting many other facets of my existence as well. I know the cure, but something keeps me from allowing myself or motivating me to take advantage of what I consider to be the gift of art .
Therefor, in an effort to reverse the effects of everyday, mundane life, I am setting out to create a blog that will track the progress through my own form of self therapy. Basically, I am going to give myself no other choice but to create artwork in the hopes that it will change my life. And if art therapy has any of the healing power, many, including myself, claim it has, this plan will work. Like Julie, I have to set a goal for myself, otherwise, I will just slack off and get on facebook/internet for hours like I currently do every night. After some serious thought I have decided that my goal will be to create 200 "artworks" over the course of one year-starting today- 1/14/2010. This evens out to approximately 3-4 works a week. I don't know how you readers are reacting to this number, but for me, that is HUGE, especially considering how many pieces I have completed over the previous year-a whopping 2. However, I made this goal very difficult on purpose. I want it to be a challenge because that is the only way I feel that this experiment will really be of any benefit. These pieces will vary greatly in subject, size, medium etc and will not be masterpieces by any means, but they will all be complete. I know there are some risks and obstacles involved including lack of time, lure of the television and the internet and especially the risk of this just becoming one more task, thus taking any enjoyment out of something I claim to love. At times, I know I will probably hate myself for thinking up this idea in the first place, but this is not something I just thought of on a whim, but rather, something I feel that I really need to do and have thought out carefully. My hope is that through this journey I will learn tons about who I am and what I really want out of life, which is perfect because in many ways I feel like my life is really just beginning. If nothing else, it will be a really cool diary of a year in the life of me. Maybe I can show it to my grand kids one day. So anyway...here goes nothing. Wish me luck and enjoy!