Sunday, June 10, 2007

Three Rivers Arts' Festival

So, I made my way downtown yesterday and went to the festival. AMAZING! I can't believe that I've never gone before.

There was so much neat stuff to look at and interesting artists to meet that I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. I aspire and hope that I get to be one of those artists some day.

There was photography and painting and jewelry and woodwork and ceramics and papercuttings (if you've never seen papercuttings, you don't know what you're missing. They're totally sick: origami/winter snowflakes on speed, crack, and steroids all at once) and textile arts (I bought myself an awesome pair of mittens) and handmade instruments and furniture and hand blown glass and gorgeous handwoven baskets, etc. Let's just say I was glad that I had given myself a budget or else I could easily have spent my entire savings account. Ouch.

Although, I did acquire (thanks to my dad who was in town to take Matt and me to the festival) a beautiful sterling and enamel ring by artist Jenn Parnell.

I think all I really have to say about the afternoon is that I had a good time, and that if you're ever in the area when the Arts' Festival is afoot, you simply must take the time to go.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Drawing II: "midterm" update

So, it's true... I'm taking summer classes at CCAC. Not really as terrible as you would think... although I have class twice a week for five hours each. Blah.

BUT, I have been making some fine drawings. Here's a sample:



I've been working mainly in pencil and charcoal so far, but I'm hoping to use some India Ink as well. I've never used that kind of ink and it sounds like a good time. So, we'll see.

ALSO, since I'm in Drawing II, our teacher wanted our projects to be more self-motivated. So, I'm working on a series of equine portraits (all of my pony, of course:). And last week, I took a break from that for some portraiture. The portrait drawing that I included was based on a photograph by Richard Avedon.

So, good times. Enjoy.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Up Before Dawn


So, for reasons I don't feel the need to explain at the moment, I found myself up at 4:30 this morning... and by the time I got back to bed at 6:30, the sun had risen.

Now, this may come as a shock to many of you, but I am not an up-before-dawn kinda girl. I love sleeping-in (although, I rarely do these days). I love sleeping in almost as much as I love ice cream... but that's a really tough comparison, because I can count on one hand the things I love more than ice cream: hence the modifier, "almost."

Anyways, I had always thought (foolishly) that dawn was just dusk in reverse. Not true. They have nothing on each other. Dawn and dusk are as different from one another as the conditions that they separate.

In the morning... there is no glorious blaze, no showy display of color and brilliance... just a lightening: a cold glow and a soft haze... as if the light had forgotten about itself in the darkness, as if reemerging was its own cautious surprise.

I had no idea, but I'm glad that I know now.