It's time for a little vacation.

Today I am going to head out to go camping for Memorial Day weekend. I'm excited to finally get back to the outdoors after what felt like an eternity stuck here doing work for school. This weekend will be the bridge back into the dolly hobby, my site, and my artistry. I will get back to focusing on what I really like to do now that I have some more time to do it! I've been looking for inspiration and I believe it's working out. I can't wait to get started.

To my surprise, this semester ended up being a success. I was very anxious about it because I took classes with heavy work loads, and I knew one professor demanded quality work for a top grade. I stressed myself out so badly that I was doing homework that should have taken 6 hours in a week for more like 16! Thankfully, I got out alive with an A in their class! It was then that I knew that maybe I need to calm down a bit and not be such an overachiever, for the sake of my well being. During the final class we critiqued our final project along with our whole portfolio of projects done for the class. Our final had to be a life-sized portrait. I thought I'd die first before finishing (I've never done something that big), but it is now one of my favorite fine art pieces I've done. That's when you know you're in a great class. Well, until next time! Have a great weekend everyone!

Taking the time.

I finished all my homework so that I had time to relax on my day off, and here I am at 2am taking the time to write a new post. I thought about me reading this blog in the future and regretting having such a huge gap in posts, so I felt compelled to write asap. My main reason for ever starting blogging was to document my life in a fun way (to be shared with others) and have something to look back on. What will this blog become if not stay the same? I cannot be too sure, but I'll start with what's most important right now. Art!

Things are going pretty well for me so far. I'm getting inspired and encouraged at school (could not ask for a better learning environment), finally applying for BFA this semester, and discovering fundamental things that I should have learned ages ago that are allowing me to feel confident in creating new work. To the left is a little ink illustration I made for class 3 weeks ago (the style/subject is a bit out of it's element here I know) that I had so much fun with. The Ood (Doctor Who) painting below, which is somewhat unfinished, was done last semester. As you can see I have two conflicting sides of interests when it comes to art. Horror and kawaii are two genres that coexist just fine in my universe, apparently. Hahahah! However, for some BJDs and other dolls may also fit in the "horror" so maybe they're not too far off. 






Speaking of BJDs... I miss them, as I do Blythe, but I still do not have the time nor money for either. The feeling comes and goes, but I know for sure I will be starting back up with the hobby sometime in the future. I know this for sure because I absolutely panicked when I thought my DoA account was deleted! It's still there thankfully. What I think I still can do is make tutorials, and I really do want to continue ones that I have started. But I feel like I need questions to work off of. I must think on that further and see what I can come up with.

Next post I hope to make one pertaining to video games. There are a lot out now, and more coming, that I'd like to talk about. (And also cry about how I don't have enough time to even think about Pokemon let alone get my own copy). So until then! 

Things I'm excited for.

Tomorrow is my last school day technically. All day tomorrow I have to work on a take home final and then I'm free. I'M FREE!

I am so excited to; get commissions started and completed, give my best friend her present, to celebrate my other friend's return from Korea, to celebrate the holidays, play video games, and calm my mind before the hectic Spring semester. Commissions are being worked on all day SATURDAY! Woo!

Wednesday was my last day for Life Drawing I class, and all semester long I could not wait for that day to come. The class was great, but it really drained me. Now that we're done I miss it. What the heck if wrong with me? The professor said we were to still have a model session on our last day after we did final project critique. It was the kind of news that made you force out a heavy sigh and roll your eyes. However, yet again I was fooled and changed my mind while we were working. I've come to realize that my lack of wanting to draw stems from a huge anxiety of being disappointed/disappointing. This goes along with doll commissions too. It really needs to stop. That's what I'd like for Christmas.

This is the result of that last model session. I can really see how much I learned and how my professor helped me understand drawing. So, here's to stop being afraid and to keep trying.

Face of Doom!

Painting with gouache is insane. I have fallen into a love/hate relationship with gouache. The illustration class I had this semester had a wonderful professor who introduced me to GOUACHE! What a strangely spelled word. It should have gave clue as to how strange it would be for me to use for the first time.
The semester was set up as if we had 3 months to create an illustration for a client. So besides the first loose project we just had the one major project that we had to have finalized at the end of the semester. Sounds like the most wonderful, free and easy class ever right? Well what I learned is that I would be horrible at managing my time for this class! I spent all day yesterday and today finishing my final painting. I was incredibly lucky that I was able to finish well enough, and my professor approved. The "Face of Doom" as I like to call it is my friend Catherine in a clear old lady mask, hence why it looks so strange and glossy. It was my main focus and ended up having the most detail. I was not able to get much detail into anything else because of time, sadly. I hope to really finish it one day. Tomorrow is my last design class, and then there is an art history final on Monday. Party on!

She's a "Scrape", half "Square" half "Drape".

I've been incredibly busy since school started. Right off the bat I had art projects that took up a lot of my energy and time. My illustration professor did this purposefully and he wanted to see what level we were at in production. We had two weeks to create drafts and sketches and then a final piece. Once I was working on my final piece I couldn't stop. I was so immersed into working on it, almost to the point of calling it an addiction. I've never really gotten that way about drawing before. I was always afraid to draw. I actually thought I was a horrible drawer. I realize now I was just inexperienced, unfocused, and insecure. Good to know some things are changing as I'm aging.

The project was to illustrate something you remember from your childhood. I chose a nightmare I had when I was a kid about my brother. It stuck with me because, well, let me just show you...

Now that I have some down time I'm going to work on dolls. Finally.
Random hair update for today. The purple is almost exactly the color I want it, and I'm definitely having fun with it. Also random information is that I realized I have a free gym at my college. I almost joined a gym. Sometimes I don't know where my head is at. So psyched.

Wishes to come true.

Recently I finished doing a face up on a MD Ryu. Now this sculpt is one that I have worked on a lot. I think it's even the one I've done the most. Also recently, a Ryu was put up for sale on DoA with a face up I did 4 years ago. When I compare then and now I'm confused and embarrassed!

Now (July 2011)

Then (Dec. 2008)

Then (Sept. 2009)

However, I'm also extremely happy. Doing face-ups is something I really stuck to, or has really stuck to me, and besides guitar it's something that I have watched myself actually get better at. Also, because of it I have gotten better at drawing and thinking in an artistic way. It "cleared my mind" so to speak. Now I know what they mean when you "find work you love doing". How can work be fun, ever? Well when it's painting resin dolls for people. I only get worried that the constant exposure to resin & solvent (sealer) is going to hurt me. I already feel like I might have some problems. I need a better work space.

Canon Powershot S95

I also need this, like really, really, really, really bad. It's wonderful. I will also be able to take hi-res videos. Hello! Tutorials!! Not to mention it's pocketable! Oh the wonders. I could take more photos like I used to! Too bad Prise (Supia Hael) is taking up all my funds!!

A great first half of Summer!

I had fun this past week. Thursday, the day before we left we watched some fireworks in our town. Then Friday we headed down to the campgrounds. I had to bring my dog Molly with me as a last minute emergency, but it wasn't too bad. The next day was pretty awesome. We did everything I was hoping we'd do; swam in the Delaware, shot BB guns, bought and lit a whole mess of fireworks, and made s'mores, ALL IN ONE DAY! I was lucky we did so much in one day, it's normally not like that. Everyone was willing to do a lot so it all worked out. It made the actual holiday (today) kind of lame in comparison. I took little photos because I felt like enjoying life with my brain camera. Haha. I need to get a smaller camera that I won't be so anxious about.

Anyway, now it's back to work and I'm actually very excited to get it done. The weather is great tomorrow, as the forecast says, so commissions all day!

View from my backyard tonight.

Video of attempting to video tape fireworks. Lol.

Excited!!

Just bought an...

Well I'm really wanting one of these...

Holy cow are these a lot of money. I really do need one though. I want to move into more modding in the BJD world of beauty-a-tizing......

Heading off to the camper until Sunday afternoon. I will start finishing those commissions as soon as I come back!