Books I'm Reading

1st- Glacial Period by Nicolas De Crécy
       • A miniature graphic novel given to me by my sister and brother-in-law for Christmas. Taking place thousands of years into the future where human history has been forgotten, a team of archaeologists discover the Louvre while exploring arctic land. They question the many paintings, statues, and other artifacts that are still intact, and they come up with silly interpretations for the pieces. Featuring talking inanimate objects and animals! 

2nd- How to Brew by John J. Palmer
       • Said to be the best guide for brewing your own beer, this was given to me by my boyfriend for Christmas because he knows I'm curious to give it a shot. This summer when I move back home and live with my parents, my hope is that the 3 of us will spend nights looking at the stars while sipping my latest concoctions!

3rd- Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
       • Given to me as a Christmas present by my dad. This is a story about the Vel' d'Hiv' Roundup that took place in France during WWII and how this event connects a young girl arrested in the roundup to a modern-day journalist. A book that is totally interesting and that hurt my heart.

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Right now I'm cozied in and listening to Abner Jay. Goodnight!

 

 

Today

Today is the start of the new semester! Snow has been falling all day, so the campus is nicely covered. Pictured is the now up-and-running Art Building West, having been empty since the 2008 flood. I will be here twice a week for my painting class, and I couldn't be more happy about that. It is beautiful and tranquil and has a complex inner/outer layout. Perfect!

Right now I am listening to a mix from my boyfriend which is also perfect, especially during the snowfall. Here's track #11:

Tonight I have a Methods of Education course and then I am going out for ice cream to celebrate day 1 of the semester. So I leave you with the words of Patton Oswalt, "I  like ice cream. Yeah, that would be cool if I had a dish of ice cream".

Attn: Fort Update

If you refer back to a previous post, you will see that I've been photo documenting this fort that I built back in November 2010. It is located along the west side of the Studio Arts building, south of campus. My teacher at the time said that it wasn't necessary I take it down, so for curious reasons involving Mother Nature, natural crumbling/fading, and personal construction skills, I leave it up and slowly watch it fall. 

I realize that each time I visit my fort, something has changed or was left behind. Last winter I noticed a variety of paw prints and fur scattered atop the snow inside the fort. In the summer I noticed that the 3 tree stumps I originally placed as outdoor seating were placed in the fort. This time, I found a big, hollow, fake "rock", along with a tin printmaking ink container tied with a red ribbon that held a dead, delicate mouse wrapped in golden cellophane. Also, in the front yard of my fort was once a weed-infested pit, and it is now an icy pond.

These 3 photos were taken 4 days ago, a few hours before a good deal of snow fell.

Friends Sharing

Another Art Ed. Studio assignment- make a toy with an interchangeable part. This is my toy, "Friends Sharing". They are figurines with interchangeable heads made possible by Velcro. One, a reindeer in honor of Christmas, and the other, a sweet girl wearing a dress. Flip them around and you have two friends sharing. 

Materials used: cardboard, hot glue, acrylic paints, fabric scraps, and Velcro. A perfect project for a classroom of younger students to learn about personalization, design, cultures, stereotypes, recycled art, and storytelling. 

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It's going to snow tonight! I will be sitting in a hot tub drinking Belgium beer when it comes. 

Coasters

If you like adding your personal touch to just about anything like I do, here's a way to do so with coasters for your home or as a gift! I found these photo coasters for cheap $$ at a second hand store. Like the example insert photo they came with, I didn't want to scatter faces around my table or hide them under my drinks, so I replaced the happy family and their smiling dog with designs of my own and gave them as a wedding gift. 

To preserve your work, envelope in plastic sheet before placing in the coaster photo slot. 

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Spent the start of 2012 in Kentucky, and here are some photos from that time. We drove the Old Frankfort Pike, visited horse farms, covered many acres in a terrain car in the countryside, drank beer, bourbon, and moonshine, and touched noses with animals. 

There is one week left of Christmas break before I start a semester of education and studio classes such as ceramics (throwing), jewelry & metal arts, and painting. I look forward to sharing my work here!

Until then, I am back in my apartment at school, and I plan on listening to records on my new player, riding my bike until (if) the snow comes, reading, sleeping in, and hopefully dancing a lot. 

Happy new year to all! "Ring out the old, ring in the new..."