oh, oh, oh, for the longest time.

i've neglected this little page of mine.

but,
since i've last posted...SO much has changed.
for the better!
lots of growing experiences, and a few growing pains.

i finally switched my major to Printmaking after taking an Intaglio that class I fell in love with!
i have never felt so committed to my artwork and my studio practice before.
it becomes stressful and very time-consuming, but nothing has ever felt so rewarding.

i'm left feeling as though i truly have ahold of the reigns in my life.

so exciting. so grateful.

the beginning of something

here is the start to my painting.
this is the beginning of something--
a new style i'm trying to cultivate and make my own.

the beginning of something...
a phrase that i see becoming a reoccurring pattern in these near days.
i must admit...
i really hit the bottom this year.
now, i'm trying to make new choices that will make things feel
fresh, new, and resolved.

the first step:
changing my major.

more to come.
more life to be lived.
and more smiles to grace this face.

sentiments. thoughts. sporadic.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

au revoir simone's music fuels my dream of creating a girl band
i wish i had the guts to share my own music publicly. summer sounds so nice right now.
i can't get over alliteration.
i can't grocery shop at the merc without being distracted by the good looking cashiers. everything sounds better with headphones.
i miss new mexico. i miss green mountain falls, co. i miss san francisco. i miss new york.
my heart is in all places. but, my heart is in lawrence too. i love my apartment here.
i love this community.
i love the record stores, downtown, the coffeeshops, my family here.
i miss my best friends in AZ and NY.
they know my heart-soul-mind inside and out.
i know their hearts-souls-minds inside and out. i need to visit.
i have felt like a disappearing act lately. it makes me feel like i'm detached from what's going on. but, there is some liberation in being away.
and away is where i may be someday in the near future.
but, for now things are still and content.
the thoughts are continuously running. my heart is continuously pounding.
sometimes i get in these really sentimental moods and gush. just keep gushing.
and i feel silly afterwards, but at least i'm being honest--and i think that's important.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .

recent inspiration

Diebenkorn

Diebenkorn

Thiebaud

Diebenkorn

Diebenkorn

Thiebaud

Lately I have been so inspired by the cityscapes of Wayne Thiebaud and the cityscapes and abstractions of Richard Diebenkorn. Maybe it's this beautiful spring weather in Lawrence, but, at the moment, the pastels and low saturation of these artist's color palettes looks particularly appealing. The places depicted in these artist's works look familiar, and I believe any viewer can relate to them.

Diebenkorn and Thiebaud have been influencing my own artwork lately--which I'm excited about. I love exploring the connotations of rural and suburban life--portraying the nostalgia attached to these places, and the sterotypes attached to these places. I like to question the American Dream...do these places represent the American Dream?

My own upbringing felt comfortable and family-oriented, with an emphasis on appreciating nature and the outdoors. I think this has made me an optimistic person, with the characteristic Mid-Western passiveness, politeness, and niceness. I appreciate where I've come from--but it makes me long to experience the world outside of my comfort zone, even though it is a life I know and love.

My recent travels to New York City gave me a taste of a fast-paced, urban lifestyle. The memory of this trip has provided me with a symbolic gateway to a new beginning outside of Kansas. I fell in love with the city, and even felt a part of it.

Still, I took with me my Mid-Western roots. They will always be a part of me, and always represent home.

I'm interested in the connection that people have with places. We often become so attached to places we've been. My next painting in my Painting II class will explore this connection.
I'm looking forward to sharing some of my work.

the city has changed me--i am no longer the same.

a night at studio

i know what wonderful is. i would like to see it again.