The end of my advanced drawing class

Today is December 11, 2012 and at 1:30 my advanced drawing class will hold its final critique. 
I chose this picture of a cast because she is somewhat somber looking. 
I am glad my class is over, but at the same time I want something to keep me busy.

I had my portfolio reviewed for the second time this year with Amanda at Art Access Gallery. 
I am going to be working with a professional artist doing watercolor paintings.  I am excited.  This is suppose to happen late December or early January. 

I am signed up for an an advanced watercolor painting class this spring with Salt Lake Community College.
I am looking forward to it, but it meets early on one day, so I wonder if other students are going to be able to make it a priority or if I will be doing the painting at home.

I was called as ward photographer this month for my singles ward.
For an activity we went to the lights at temple square.  It was a cold night. 
I was lost from my ward and I wondered if they even showed.   

At least I got some really good shots in of the lights of temple square. 

Fall Semester

Fall semester is almost over.  I have been taking advanced drawing from Professor Adamson the last few months.  He has really pushed me to draw slowly, more academically or accurately.  I have seen changes in my art for the better.  I especially liked the selected focus assignment and the cross contour assignment. 

I have been ill and missed a few days of school, so now I will be catching up. 
  

Jordan Trailways

I was biking this morning along the Jordan trailways in West Valley on my bicycle.
It was sunny and the way the sun lit up the river was beautiful. 
I liked it alot.  I will have to get my bicycle out more often.

I signed up for another semester at Salt Lake Community College. 
I am taking advanced drawing.  I am hoping to get drawing and in a nice work flow as an artist.
I found some great pictures of other artists that I am drawn to. 
I may do some imitation of their work in my sketchbook. 
I have 100 pages to do for an assignment. 
It has to be academic art-so I mostly look at what I am drawing.
I can do some blind contours.  They take a lot of time.


I look forward to this semester.  Rob Adamson is my teacher.  

Two Medicine Lake

On the boat, Sinopah over the lake called Two Medicine Lake.  

I rode a boat over the lake to get to the guided tour.  At the end of the hard hike there was a gorgeous waterfall which was rewarding.  

The end of the guided tour.

Trail of Cedars

Avalanche Creek on the Trail of Cedars inside Glacier National Park.

The most common cause of death in Glacier National Park is drowning.  That fact reassures me that maybe I will not get eaten by a bear while I am up here in Montana.  One of my family members keeps telling me that bears eat berries.  The huckleberry is their food by choice.   

In fact I have rarely seen any animals while I have been in Montana.  I seen some cows and horses on the way up.  I seen some bullhorn sheep and mountain goats.  I have been bitten by mosquitos.  Seen a few spiders and webs.  

The Trail of Cedars is partially a walkway made of a wooden boardwalk.  

This was the easiest walk or hike I have tried all week.  It is 0.9 miles long.  I met a nice couple who asked me to take a photo for them.  It was unusual because I never been asked to take a photo with an I-pad before.  The photo area took up the whole area of the 7x9 computer screen.

Glacier National Park

Here I am up at Glacier National Park, near the Trail of Cedars.

This bus called a jammer shuttles visitors throughout Glacier National Park.  Ford rebuilt the busses to a truck chassis, switched the busses to automatic and made it run on propane.  They were called jammers because they use to switch gears and it would jam.

Glacier National Park

A large sheet of ice, called a glacier moved through this valley in Montana leaving a "U" shape.  It is the middle of July and I was hiking past snow, a cloud descended like a thick fog and it begun to rain heavily.  Good thing I was wearing lightweight shorts and a t-shirt.

Oil Painting Class

I have mixed feelings about the Salt Lake Community College's oil painting class being cancelled because there were so few students.  I'm a little sad about it because that was my summer and fall plans to go to school and work on my associate's degree. 

On the other hand, my schedule has opened up.  Now I can concentrate on watercolor paintings for the art access gallery.  I will be doing the partnership with art access gallery in October. 

If Jenna is reading this, I have sent you some texts!

Institute

This summer I signed up for an institute class.
I came on time and then learned that the teacher retired.  Why am I not surprised? 
At least I attended institute in the Spring.  We read third Nephi and the beattitudes of Jesus Christ.
 
Now I am waiting for time to pass for my beginning oil painting class to start. 
I am a bit excited.  I have been watching videos of how to paint in oils during an Illustration II class last Fall. 

This month I am signed up to do face painting, art activity with kids and help at an artist's booth during the Utah Arts Festival near the end of the month.
 

Summer Plans

I went for a long bike ride today and enjoyed the sunny weather.


There has been changes from art access gallery's partnership program with me. 
It will now begin in October 2012 instead of exhibiting this year in August.
I have mixed feelings about this and I know it will be good to have more time. 

I can't wait for June to come. 
I start an oil painting class on Monday, June 4th. 
My teacher is Brad Slaugh and he has his own website. 

In the later half of the month, during Utah Arts Festival I have signed up to paint children's faces, do art activities with children and attend an artist booth; all on different days.
I printed out a three page volunteer agreement from Utah Arts Festival. 
I will read it and find out what I am agreeing to.

Dear readers,
Enjoy your summer!!

Partners program at Art Access Gallery

Today I met with Amanda at the Art Access Gallery to discuss the possibility of partnering up with an artist to exhibit my art.  The exhibit is in August and I will have to work fast to complete some watercolor paintings.

Amanda said my strength lies in watercolor painting.  She invited me to participate in the watercolor workshop tomorrow.  I am very thrilled.  I will get to meet with Jean again.  

Amanda will be looking for an artist to work with me for twenty five hours.
This really feels like I am dreaming.  I love art and may get to exhibit some of my work.

Family Art at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

April 14, 2012 I volunteered at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art during their family art on the Second Saturday of this month.

The activity was mail art decorating envelopes to send our art anywhere in the world.
I was in charge of assisting children with stamping to ensure no color mixing happened.
I helped set up chairs and take down chairs and tables.

I was able to decorate a few envelopes to send to my brother Roger, and friends Brad and Elaine.
I had a good time.

Summer and Fall Classes at SLCC

I am now registered for an begining oil painting class this summer at Salt Lake Community College for the summer.  This fall I will be doing a head studies oil painting class.  I can't wait.  I already have my oil paints and have been experimenting.

I really like how easy it is to paint all at once and not wait for the paint to dry in areas; like watercolor paints take.  I bought some mineral oil and have been thinnning down the thick paint with it. 

I painted a portrait of my niece and intend to enter it for the Nami art show.  In the painting she is only a year and a half old.  I finished the cupid's daughter painting size 18 x 24 inches, done in watercolor painting.
The last entry I will do is of a wavy color abstract painting I call Moody Blues.

 

Apple-store

I really like mac computers.  I am using the apple-store's macbook pro.  I was riding my bicycle around the lower level of Gateway mall.  Some friends of mine were going to watch the movie "Push", but my friend is held up at work tonight.

I signed up for an oil painting class for the summer, starts in June.  Maybe I can figure out how to paint with oils before then.  I keep thinking about how I would like my painting to look like and when I work on it is nothing like I was imagining.  The date for the NAMI art show is April 21.

I tried painting "Cupid's Daughter" in watercolor but the color is very dull and the piece is so large,19x24 inches.  I don't think I can afford to frame or mat that size.  I do have lots of 11x 14 mat boards leftover from last years NAMI art show.  I want to finish the watercolor version and then make an oil edition of the piece.

Things keep coming up before I can get up to working on my art.  On Monday I was so sick to my stomach.  I couldn't keep anything down.  I was so weak today from the lack of food or water.

 

Illustration Now

I have been reading the book, Illustration Now.  I am really impressed with the illustrators Jason Brooks, Simone Legno, Satoshi Matsuzawa and Karen Oxman.  It's too bad the library owns it.
Simone Legno is Italian.  His art has it's own style and easily recognized.

The days are passing by and I haven't picked up my brushes, taped down the watercolor paper and get cracking.  The Cupid's Daughter piece lays on my couch waiting for my attention.
Tonight I will take that step and get started.

I walked six miles around liberty park this morning at 9 A.M.
The pine trees are enormous and line up along the sidewalk.
My calloused feet have blisters now.  It's not as painful as it sounds.
My legs and feet are sore now.

Internship

A friend of mine suggested that I do an internship with a publishing company to get started towards my dream job as an illustrator for children's books.  It would be great to get some experience.

I had my drawing of a  girl with a bow and arrow enlarged at the local fedex office on 200 S downtown Salt Lake City.  I then put the enlargement in the window with some watercolor paper over it and traced my original drawing.  I have yet to decide what the background should be.  Do you have any suggestions?

I still have three paintings to complete by April 21 for the NAMI art show.  I am excited to enter.

First Friday of the month at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art

Artist Elizabeth Tobias will showcase her art April 6 at 8 P. M. at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art  20. S. West Temple.
I will be volunteering that night.  I invite you to come join me.

I found out to get a word program on my ibook G4 laptop it would cost twenty dollars.  I just have to upgrade the operating system which would cost four hundred and ninety-nine dollars.  I am not going to do that.

I missed the deadline to submit a form for the Utah Arts Festival.  I guess I will try to enter my art next year.  This year I will be volunteering at the Utah Arts Festival on a Saturday.

I have to wait until April 2 to sign up for the oil painting class that I am very interested in learning.

This morning was sunny and beautiful while I walked down and up stairs at the Gateway Mall.  It's funny that since the new City Creek Center mall opened there has been less foot traffic at the Gateway Mall.

Tumble Weed Film Festival

I volunteered last Saturday at the Rose Wagner Theater for the Tumble Weed Film Festival for children through the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art.  I was rewarded for my good deed-free t-shirt, free tickets to Sunday's Amazing Animation (short films), free pizza and free soda.

The Amazing Animations were really well done.  I liked the Android named Floyd.  He was trying to screw in a light bulb on the top of a sky scraper building, when he falls and gets a grip on a rubber chicken and falls nearly to the sidewalk when the chickens beak opens the air fills the chicken like a balloon.

Another short film was about a pigeon.  The pigeon sabotages the CIA because he wants the whole bagel an agent is eating was hilarious.  The agent had a briefcase that held controls to mass weapons of destruction.  The bird ends up in the case and starts wreaking havoc over the city.

I have been working on some art to enter the Nami show.  I scanned my art onto my computer and played with the use of color.  I printed out two pictures and they came out strange looking since the color ink was too low.  The blues came out looking pink and green came out looking brown.:(

I need to check the rules for the Nami art show to see if computer generated art is allowed.  I am also planning to do traditional artwork for the show.

I am debating to use oil or watercolor.  I may end up doing both.  I have more experience using watercolor.  I like the vibrant colors that oil paints provide.  After the Show I will upload some pictures of the artwork.

I really liked these roses a few weeks ago and had to capture their beauty before they died.
 I hadn't used my digital camera for a long time.  I have had the same camera since 2003 thanks to my brother Christian who bought the camera from HP, while he was an intern for HP several years ago.
Thanks Christian!!!

City Creek Center

 Downtown Salt Lake City's new mall City Creek Center

 These two are views of the Sky Bridge between the old malls ZCMI and Crossroads

On March 22, 2012 my uncle Steve joined me to the grand opening of the City Creek Center.

I found a cute dress at Macy's, but I didn't think the dress was worth sixty dollars.  I think I will be sewing more dresses.  I already have made three dresses and one skirt with a matching tank top.

I beat my artist's block (instead of writer's block) and pulled out my sketch pad and drew a girl dancing in a poofy dress.  I made up some shoes that look like Mary Jane shoes.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

My niece and nephew chose to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas over Mary Poppins and Mars needs moms.  My niece said she didn't like mary poppins.  I guess my mom singing the songs to me gave me an appreciation of the movie.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas was good and it was short.  I remember it being much longer when I was a kid.

So, my motivation to paint has been pretty low lately. 
There is a Nami Art show I want to participate in. The deadline for the art show is April 21 so I have a little less than a month to wake up and start to draw.  Maybe I will continue the banana kyak picture with a story board or something. It is fun making up stories.



 
 

Sunny weather

Today was at least 60 degrees.
I am excited to watch my nieces and nephew tonight.
We are going to jump on the trampoline, color some coloring books and watch a movie.

I just want to mention my brother Roger's birthday was really fun.  We went to Golden Corral.  I got to sit by both brothers.  I got him a huge box and filled it with crumpled newspaper, a photo of his first truck a blue toyota that had a baseball stick shift,  a photo of our mother after I had curled her hair, photos of our old parent's home and a book about not sweating the small stuff and how everything is small stuff.

The art I posted that is of a man smiling is a portrait of a real person with the last name williams.
I think that is the one that someone wanted me to explain.

I'll have to get out my brushes and do some more artwork.
Lately I have been drawing on my computer on the corel painter essentials program.  I like the way the water brush diffuses on the paper over washes.

Tuesdays

Tuesdays are not as bad as Monday but close enough.
I have been running around paying bills and going through paperwork five inches thick. 
Its hard catching up on mail when I haven't opened any mail for three weeks.

At least I did fit a workout in today.
I like working out at Murray Park Center at 5130 S. off of State Street.
They have a nice indoor track, swimming pool, basketball courts, weight room and lots of treadmills, etc.
I think I will try swimming next Thurs.

This Saturday I will be volunteering for the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art @ the Rose Wagner Theater.  If you'd like to check out  U.M.O.C.A. their address is 20 S. West Temple.
The museum is free, though they do ask for donations.

www.utahmoca.org

 

 

Las Vegas, Nevada

Last Years Las Vegas Trip
My uncle steve and I drove to Vegas and stayed with his friend who has a house there.

Here's some of my artwork.

The last picture is of a man wearing a banana suit, kyaking down a river, unaware of the treacherous waterfall.  I call this piece, "All on a Dare".  I thought up this picture that a guy was doing something on a dare during my Illustration II class around 2010.  The assignment was left open to what we wanted to draw, but we had to experiment with watercolor.

March 18, 2012

It's Sunday afternoon and I am struggling to find out how to post some of my art and photographs.
At least I was able to reserve a computer here at the library.  It has been rather busy.

I have some photos from last year's Las Vegas trip I want to share. 
The palm trees were beautiful. 

I will be trying to find some videos to share with Ammon and Michaela this week.
I like to entertain my neices and nephew.
Monsters Inc was too scary. 

I bought Mary Poppins at Deseret Industries for one dollar.
I watched part of it and the picture runs in lines. I don't know why people donate things that cannot be fixed.

Looking forward to the weekend

   With 11 minutes left at the library I just want to say I am looking forward to this weekend.
I get to see my brother Roger on Saturday for his birthday dinner.  I can't give away what is inside the box I am giving as a present, but I will say it is a large box.

I get to see my brother Christian on Sunday afternoon. 
It is a half hour drive on the freeway to his house when traffic is going well.

Today I went for a walk to Harmons downtown and bought some chobani greek yogurt.
It's really good.