An Art Update

Hey guys! Here's some of the things I've been working on for school.

Slip Cast Sculpture

In my sculpture class we learned how to make molds and then cast our objects in slip. We had to create a sculpture with some type of surface treatment and a pedestal that complement our object. I tend to favor pedestals that appear to be a part of the sculpture, so that's what I did!

Drypoint Print

I'm still working on this series, but here are some of the prints that I've made so far. Stay tuned for the final three prints!

  As always, if you have any requests for posts or questions, let me know in the comments!

How I got Organized for this Semester

College is in full swing! The key to staying ahead and creating as little stress as possible for yourself is being organized. One of the ways to do this is to use a planner. Now, if you're like me a traditional planner usually gets shoved into a drawer and forgotten about until the end of the semester.

Enter the Bullet Journal. You can read more about the original system here.

It can be as minimalist or as elaborate as you'd like. It can even be both! I know my spreads are more elaborate when I have more time. When I'm pressed for time, I stick with a simple design with some washi tape to liven things up a bit.

The great thing about this system is that you make it as you go so if you miss a week you haven't wasted paper.

Instagram is a great place to find inspiration!
I saw a layout like this one and am finding it useful so far.

Using this system to keep track of my projects for classes is a great help. It's also really rewarding when I check off a task, because it helps me realized how much I've accomplished that day. It doesn't even have to be a big thing like finishing a piece, I've definitely written down a task reminding myself to do my laundry. Write down anything and everything - it really does help.

Don't fret if at the beginning of the week, you don't have anything to write down for every day. I usually wait until the day before, or even the day of to write down what I have to do. Of course you don't need to wait this long, especially if you have pre-planned events. Finding what works for you may take a couple tries, but when you do find what works, run with it!

You can also add whatever you want in the journal. I have monthly and weekly calendars, but I also have a place to store my shopping list for Blick.

The Bullet Journal is really customizable to your needs. There's also tons of ideas on Pinterest already, so I would start there for inspiration! This system has really helped organize my life and took away a little of the stress too.

How to Survive a Long Studio Class

The majority of studio classes in art schools can range anywhere from three hours to six hours. To incoming freshman that length of time can seem intimidating. You do get used to it, but there are several things that you can do to make a class that length of time more comfortable.

1. Get Enough Sleep!

You never really realize how important sleep is until you get to college! When you are taking a long class you have to make sure you can handle it mentally. This includes getting more than a couple hours of sleep at night.

      2.  Eat Breakfast (or Lunch)

This is also part making sure you are mentally fueled up for the day. A good filling meal will keep you concentrated on your work and not daydreaming what you would order at your favorite restaurant. Also bring a snack and water. A snack will hold you over until your next meal and water will keep you hydrated (and your throat free of charcoal and pastel dust).

     3. Make Sure You Have What You Need

Make sure you have all the supplies you need. This means art supplies, homework, and any other things that will ensure that you will be successful. If your class is in the morning, I recommend packing everything the night before. There's nothing worse than oversleeping and then having to rush around to pack things and not be late.

    4. Schedule Your Classes Smartly

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Schedule your classes when you are most awake and productive. This piece of advice may be more helpful for your second semester, but when you do it is a big help. Another thing to consider is if your college gives breaks and for how long. Moore has and hour long lunch break and a half hour long dinner break. That did play into my decision to schedule most of my studio classes in the morning. Finally, try to get classes with your friends. Having someone you know in the class makes it seem to go a lot faster (also if you forget due dates you have someone to ask).

    5. Don't Go Into the Class Worrying About the Length

When you're occupied, six hours goes much faster than you might think!


I hope these tips help! Good luck in your college endeavors!

A New Way of Working

Hey everyone! Whew, finals are over and I'm home for summer! I'm sorry for the radio silence the past couple months, but I had a lot more work this semester than I anticipated. Anyways, that turned out to be a good thing, because I discovered a new way of working in my flat art.

My drawing II class was intense. The smallest sized project we had to do was 18x24in. My final ended up being 8x4ft. However, this taught me something very valuable. I work really well when the space I'm working with in is very big. My final included creating a diorama of a space that we then would translate on to paper using mixed media. This was a great experience for me. I often hesitate to draw things from my head, because I can never get them just right. I found making a diorama really helps me visualize what I am trying to draw.

Now on to the pictures! My final was to create some type of space. I chose a sacred space and based it off of Stonehenge.

A picture of my diorama

Several pastels were killed in the making of this drawing. 8x4

This piece was created using pastels, watercolor, and acrylic paint. I am currently in the process of recreating this piece in oils.

I'm thinking of creating a series of these types of paintings/drawings. What do you think?

Long Time No Blog (Art School Series)

Hey guys! I can't believe it's October already! Well anyways in the last post I promised you pictures of some of my projects I've been working on.

Design I is a 2D design class. During the first half of the class we work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. The second half of the class is dedicated to hands on work. Our first project involved making repeating patterns.

Hand drawn repeating patterns

Created with Illustrator 

Created with Illustrator

Created with Illustrator

Drawing I is a class where we learn about all the intricacies of drawing from value and shading to perspective. We start out with still lives and near the end of the semester will begin working with models.

Garlic
Graphite

A drapery study
Vine Charcoal

Visual Thinking is a class that prepares us to create our thesis when we become upperclasswomen. We are given a prompt and from that prompt we have to create a piece of art. We also have to do research to support our piece.

Wilderness/Wild
oil paint and pastel

I've also had time to create some art for myself.

Owl Eye Study
Colored Pencil
3.5"x2"

Owl Beak Study
Colored Pencil
2.5"x2.5"

Riptide (photo by Kelly Cosby)
Black and White Charcoal
9"x12"

Some of these will be up on my Etsy store in November so keep an eye out!

Two Weeks In (Art School Series)

It's been two weeks since I packed up and left for college. I've been to all of my classes and enjoy them all. I've also been exploring around our campus and have found my favorite place to relax and sketch - The Academy of Natural Sciences.

I'll post some of my completed assignments when I get a chance!

In a Week...(Art School Series)

This Saturday I will be moving into my dorm at Moore College of Art and Design. Needless to say, I'm thrilled! Throughout the summer I've been getting stuff for my dorm. Yesterday my mom and I went through all my things to see what I still need.

The Art School Series will chronicle my experiences at Moore as an Art Ed student.


We took over my horse room and spread everything out on the table. We grouped it by dorm room storage and supplies, office supplies, hygiene, clothing, first aid, and miscellaneous. My mom and I got most of this from Staples, Target, or Five Below. Staples was running a promotion where you get 20% off of your total purchase if you could fit all of your stuff into a canvas bags provided in the store.

my favorite thing I got at Staples

Earlier this summer, maybe in late June or early July, I found my bedspread for my dorm (it was a really good sale!)

picture of the store's display

While at Five Below, I found this guy -

he feeds my owl obsession and matches my bed spread!

And I got this guy for my birthday -

So these two are going to be joining me on my college journey! While in Chincoteague I was able to go to the Blueberry Festival (if you get a chance, I highly recommend going) and was able to pic up so pictures for my dorm room.

yes...I have a birds of prey obsession

There are no art supplies in this post because we get a foundation kit when we get to school. Exploring my art kit my spawn a separate post in it's self! Six days...I can't wait!