American Junk

It's the book I got for Christmas. It is fun.

Ouch

Sorry for the delay in postings.
I didn't really get a chance to scan in my final projects yet.
Christmas was lots of fun. My mom took over the responsibility of Christmas Eve dinner from Grandma this year and my dad made some sushi. It's not really Italian but close enough to tradition as it includes fish. I'm glad I got a chance to see my grand parents again as well as my friends Sarah and Dan, my parents, Jaron's parents and my younger brother and sister (I love you guys) .The Holidays were pretty much a mad rush to see everybody over the course of a week. So right now I'm recovering from about five holiday parties and a seven hour flight in addition to four final exam projects. Really, taking four studio classes seemed like a great idea until final projects. At least there's light at the end of the tunnel. Next semester will be my last at Hartford!
I'm supposed to be doing some sketches for my senior thesis project over the break. Right now I don't even want to think about drawing but I'll start doodling a bit and maybe get some thumbnails worked out over coffee tomorrow.
Oh and Jaron and I are in the embryonic phases of planning out wedding. We've narrowed the date down to "Summer 2011". Lauren has helped me pick out a dress, which is a bit backwards as we haven't booked a location yet. I'm just glad I settled on a groom. That part seems to take the most effort :P

Boxy

Made from thrift shop wrapping paper, a box, some beads and a Victoria's Secret catalog.

Finals

Trying not to fail any classes. >.<

Barbie girl

The blue floral hair comb is Jaron's creation. The Large Barbie head comes from his mom and the smaller one belonged to my younger sister.

Sketchbook

These are a few pages from the "brainstorming" note book. So the drawings aren't as rendered as the ones from the figure drawing class sketchbook. Hopefully the subject matter makes up for that a little.

First up Doodling in Poli Sci 101

Some ideas that came from the Art Nouveau fascination with the pleasures and perils of mind altering substances.




The mythological twins Thatanos (death) and Hypnos (sleep) make an appeance with a vase of poppies.

Works in progress

Biomimicry Principals (according to Janine Benyus)

Nature runs on sunlight.
Nature uses only the energy it needs.
Nature fits form to function.
Nature recycles everything.
Nature rewards cooperation.
Nature banks on diversity.
Nature demands local expertise.
Nature curbs excess from within.
Nature taps the power of limits.

Jewlry box

Things I Want to Do

1) Finish reading a book, cover to cover, no skimming.
2)Landscape studies, lots of them.
3)Figure studies, lot's of them.
4)Paint a still life with birthday cake in it.
5)Finish a writing a story.

Make your own sushi container soap dish!:

Directions:
-remove clear plastic cover
-eat sushi
-rinse container
-add soap

Things to do

-Finish design for University of Hartford summer course catalog.
-Finish design for University of Hartford summer course catalog.
and Finish design for University of Hartford summer course catalog.

I really just want to get this over with XP

Annies Mac and Cheese Mod

ingredients:
One box of Annie's white cheddar macaroni and cheese
two tomatoes, chopped
two cloves of garlic, chopped
thyme and rosemary

Combine Tomatoes and Garlic in small sauce pan, then cover and cook on low heat.
Add Rosemary and Thyme to the tomato mixture
Meanwhile prepare the shells as usual.
When it comes time to add the sauce, simply pour the cheddar cheese mix into the tomato mixture and pour the whole thing on the macaroni.

Halloween Picnic

today...

I spent the past three days being an utterly shameless fan girl.
James Gurney liked my headband...
I really like his books and um....
He liked my headband...
did i mention that I really, really, really liked Dinotopia?
I hope I didn't look too stupid. O.O gulp
Anyway he was here because there's a fantasy art show at our school with some of his dinosaur paintings in it. They've also got two Kinuko Craft paintings (squeals with joy) and some artists who i didn't even know before but now absolutely love. Including this one landscape painter who some how managed to mix Hudson river school with Chinese landscape. Which is just so cool and inventive and REALLY REALLY COOL!!!
Ok I won't make you sit through much more of this. I'll just come back later with some more names and titles from the show and then you can google them and you know understand my heartfelt admiration.

Salvaged item: old laptop case+ old bag= new laptop case

I sewed some fabric and foam from an old worn out laptop case into a messenger bag as lining. The designs on the pockets were done in black sharpie marker during a particularly dull high school assembly.

Character sketches

I drew these up to help Jaron out with an animation project. He need some characters so I loaned him one of the stories I wrote for fun. I was partly motivated by love, and partly motivated by the chance to see the people I designed moving about on a screen.
You can see Jaron's animations and drawings here

salvaged item: Cardboard Organizer (carboardinizer)

Item Type: pink cardboard box (labeled good luck fortune cookies) and lots of advertisements from local take out restaurants.
Obtained through: The box was lying on the lid of a garbage can by the university bookstore. The restaurant ads get left on our doorstep by people who can't read the "No fliers or Menus" notice taped to the front door.
Modifications: I folded the adverts into origami boxes and placed them in the cookie box as compartments. Then I cut some flowers shapes out of the left over scrap and glued them to the lid with some bits of ribbon and plastic beads for flair.
Current Use: I gave it to my friend Rayna who is using it to store extra pieces from her collection of anime figurines.

Frog and Mouse

Sketches from my "Frog and the Mouse" book dummy. Every year the seniors Book Illustration class make picture book versions of traditional folk songs. This year we're doing an old English version of "The Frog and the Mouse". In which a frog and a mouse court, marry and through a big party with lots of food.

salvaged item: Monkey Ballerina

Item type: stuffed animal
Obtained through: moving out day salvage.
Modifications: removed t-shirt with company logo printed on it added home made tutu and bow.
Current Use: decoration. It looks really cute with my other dolls :)
Notes: I got the material for the tutu at a church yard sale. I was volunteering there and the woman in charge said I could take home as much crafts material as I wanted since they weren't selling too well anyway.

salvaged item : pink plastic crate

Item type: two pink Yaffa brand storage containers.
Obtained through: moving out day salvage.
Current Use: shoe rack
Notes: Found lying by the dumpster on moving out day at U.H. dorm. It seems like about half of the junk that gets left behind on moving out day falls under the category "plastic container"

Dinner at my parent's house.

Quiet day

The top of my roommate's dresser. She had this idea to open up a tea shop. I think if she ever does I'll help with decorations.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Ok, everybody Listen up!
October is Breast Cancer awareness month. Serious business jah? This is a message to everyone out there who wants to buy key chains, snacks, toys, shoes or any other amount of various stuffs with little pink ribbons attached. It's great that you care about cancer patients, it's heartening that corporations know you care about cancer patients. But in all honesty their main job is to sell you Barbie dolls and yogurt, not provide health care and research to help people suffering from serious illness. In actuality a sizable portion of your purchase will go toward making more little trinkets with cute pink ribbons. So do your homework! Find a legit charity that benefits breast cancer patients and send them a check. No you won't get an adorable teddy bear or delicious fat free yogurt, but that wasn't the important part anyway.

... uhhh

I had a lot to do today. And this weekend will be busy too. So I'm spending tonight staring off into space.
Oh and J came over for hot chocolate. He's a pretty awesome guy and we should hang out more but he forgot to take my phone number when I wrote it down for him.
I also saw some cute raccoons on the walk back home. It was over by this little stream that connects to the Hog river. Three of them, a mom raccoon and two kits, ran across the path right as I was going by. I guess they were trying to escape the rising water level. It's been raining all afternoon.
I like it though. Rain is relaxing and the cold didn't bother me too much because I had my wool coat and the scarf that Mom knitted for me. I actually really love the fall, when everything is just winding down and getting quieter and colder everyday. there's a peacefulness to it. Especially when you can stay inside through the worst of the rain.

24 hour illustration

here it is again after another evening of photoshop.

Me, wearing leg warmers,in the met, with a head cold.

yeah that's pretty much it

Figure Models in Clay

yes it's been a while since I posted any naked ladies. This one is a study from a figure modeling class

Advertising illustration project 1 "winter carnival"

Brains?

electric bicycle

here is a bicycle we found in Bloomfield town center. The owner worked at the Bloomfield bicycle repair shop.

500 words or less

I don't think I could ever have a twitter account because
a) I am a very slow typist when it comes to text messages.
b) I can't describe what I'm doing/thinking at any given moment in short phrases. Right now for instance I'm sitting in my bedroom eating a banana, typing and watching the traffic go by. I'm also analyzing the pattern of shadow created by light coming through the screen on my window. It looks especially lovely matched with the note I scribbled out on the back of a bright pink expired coupon. Oh look a goose just flew by. Back to the coupon, I'm really glad that I started tearing up old bits of paper to use as notes instead of relying on a dwindling supply of post it's. I keep on loosing the packages before I get a chance to use them. Loosing post it's is a minor tragedy because I actually have to spend money on them. Of course it's less stressful to lose little bits of torn up copy paper. I've been saving bits of paper that are too dark to write on as well, for art projects and admittedly horrible attempts at making paper cranes.
I rest my case...
here is a picture of a dove with some baby bunnies.

creative process

A work in progress for a school assignment illustrating the concept of "brainstorming"
It needs a few touch ups and some more texture. I'll post the finished product next week.

I think it likes you <3

collaboration with Jaron. He designed the creature I colored him in and added an environment.

the Lovely Lauren models headbands

Reduce

reduce: buy products with less packaging