nekked.

graphite and watercolor

charcoal on gesso'd paper 

 

graphite-10minute study at Mars Cafe

 

graphite-10minute study at Mars Cafe
(she did have clothes on, just used to models not)

 

acrylic and graphite

(I reveresed the thought process, painted the areas of light

and left the shadows white)

 

 

 

These are studys from my recent classes at the Des Moines Art Center and Des Moines Art Beacon event at Mars Cafe. Most nights it seems like it is a hit or miss with my abilities; need to practice more. Stressing a bit more, when I can actually relax to draw/paint it really helps.

Recent life events:

Added country number 16 to my list - went to Cancun, Mexico for Spring Break

Reading "The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg - hoping it guides me in some way to make changes in my life/routine that are necessary to live happier

tea

Well, it has been awhile.
I am officially in the 'big-kid' world now and trying to figure out what to do with the paper that says I am a graphic designer.



The art I have been creating lately is mostly latte art (it's not much but ehh)...

some sketching...

graphite

graphite

...and a few faces of Jeff from my art center class 

Meet Jeff, in color

2012 // chalk pastels

(first time working with chalk pastels!)

I do have a new show coming up this week, it is spur of the moment so do not have many new items, so far though, I have this

tea
2012 // acrylic, gesso & graphite

A four-foot by four-foot canvas awaits to be painted as well...which I have ideas for, mainly revolving around my recent trip to the West to see the SPIRAL JETTY! If you do not know, I love love LOVE the Spiral Jetty, and earthworks in general. It is located in Great Salt Lake, UT.

(me at the center)

 (Utah map photo)

I loved it; wish I could go there more often. Maybe I will stop there on my next road trip when I go to see other earthworks-cause I am an art history nerd like that. Anyways, along with crossing the Jetty off my bucket list, I also can cross off seven states on my list: South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska. Wanderlust got the best of me; 3,115 mile road trip in 6 days.



summer dreamin`

so last year I had this master plan of doing all these extravagant things such as obtaining an Irish passport and seeing earthworks...well none of that happened, for numerous reasons but probably most likely cause i am kinda lazy like that (aka have real world, boring stuff to deal with instead). I looked into those things just never actually went about it, maybe this Summer I will actually do them...maybe. I really want to see the earthworks (like the Spiral Jetty), a few things are holding me back though.


1. Mode of transportation: I do not know if my 'lovely' cavalier can honestly last going across the country. It is for sure on my to-do list to pimp-it out this Summer (aka make it decent looking, like get a thing called a muffler & Walmart hubcaps).

2. Companion? This is the sort of trip I wouldn't mind doing on my own at all but I am unsure if tiny, little me should venture to 'The West' on my own. But so far I have not convinced anyone crazy enough to go.

3. Bears & other sorts of beasts that would probably like to make me their snack: I have built up my survival skills with watching Bear Grylls and 'I'm Alive' on Animal Planet but I don't quite think I am up to par on the Not-To-Dos to camping. By all this I mean that I would want to camp in the places I go to. I mean one, I am broke and two why spend the money to stay in a not so amazing hotel when the great outdoors is so welcoming?! yeah exactly. This also would help me satisfy my qualifications for me traveling to all 50-states; in order for me to check one off the list I either need to spend a mass amount of time in the state (a day), explore a unique place/landmark of it, and/or spend a night there. This is where I lose people in joining me. But anyways I need to study up on camping and what to do to not attract unwanted guests. Oh also, I want a tent like this

As you can tell, I have thought and day-dreamed about this all too much. Maybe if I don't go anywhere I will just camp-out in my yard for the majority of the summer, but that seems like an incomparable alternative.