My Art

Final Post on here

2009-07-16T18:12:00.000-07:00

I went to Charleston. It was wonderful. Absolutely ideal. Okay maybe not ideal. If I was living in the apartments downtown that face the water, that would be ideal. Instead I would be living in Mt. Pleasant, about 7 minutes away from downtown. But it was pretty incredibly close. Obviously, I'm not there yet, and right now it just seems like a dream, then it will be real life. There's an entire street of art galleries. Walk five minutes from those art galleries and you'll be under these incredible trees sitting on a bench looking out at the water watching boats drive in. I mean, it was seriously incredible. I can drive over there after work, and just have my moment of relaxation at the end of the day, then I'll drive home fix some dinner, and sit down to make some art. It was such a gift to be able to see that much art in one weekend, I can't imagine living there and constantly being able to see new beautiful work. After this weekend, I also can't imagine art not being my career. So that's where I'm at right now. I need to find a job that I can support myself with so that I can then paint at night and sell my artwork. I looked up receptionist jobs in Charleston last night and found so many. I believe its too early to start applying at this point, but its good to know that there are several right now, so there will probably be some in the next couple of months. I'm so excited about life after college, I'm struggling with the idea of going back to school to do senior project. I feel like I've moved past that when in reality, I haven't. That's a problem. I won't go there right now, right now I'm going to tell you that Kate helped me revamp my sketchbook blog. I think if I keep that one up, it will be a good selling point. This blog is so uncreative, and as a working artist, that is not okay. So I've got a new blog. I'm going to add my images of my sketchbook along with writing on it. So I'm combing the two. So, I think I'm going to get rid of this one. I'll also continue to work on my etsy site so that anyone who wants to see my actual paintings can then go to Etsy. So, check out my sketchbook blog which is now called "What I Did and Said". Hopefully, I'm really moving in the direction of turning my artwork into a business. I also looked at creating a page on facebook for my artwork. I'm going to wait until I feel like I actually have a lot more artwork that I want to sell until I do it, but that's what's coming next! I'm excited.

What I've Done this Summer

2009-07-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

My studio this summer:

The one painting I've finished this summer, with two detailed shots.

And the two paintings I am currently working on:

Inspiration Overload

2009-06-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

So, its been a good day. Its like, being at home with Mom and Ann, both mothers, and helping out with Ellie, Luke, and Andrew, I forgot what it feels like to be a college student. I've been loving it. I love helping out with Ellie and Luke, I honestly feel like I thrive in that, and I wish away where I am right now sometimes. I've gotten so consumed with that lifestyle though, that I've forgotten that I am a college student, and its a good place to be.

Today, I was a college student, or a single adult. I woke up to an empty house and after returning from the dentist, I made some fresh coffee and spent and hour or two blogging, e-mailing, and looking up art. Then I spent a little time in the studio, ate some lunch and then went to Huntsville. I stopped by Hobby Lobby to get a couple of supplies, and then went on to Barnes and Noble. Barnes and Nobles is my happy place, my haven. Books are period, but Barnes and Noble specifically. So much so, that when I hydroplaned in Birmingham, my Mom instructed me over the phone to go to Barnes and Noble to recoup. Today, I went and looked at books about Charleston. Our visit is coming up. I made note of restaurants and art galleries. I then went over to the art section, was very disappointed by the selection and started to leave when I saw the magazines. I bought an art magazine, and I came across a magazine about blogs!! Check out these that I made a note of:

creativeeveryday.com
sadieolive.com/theblog (my favorite!)
mammothmen.com
artopiaupdate.blogspot.com
sparrowsalvage.blogspot.com
littleblackkitty.typepad.com
thedecoratedhouse.blogspot.com
hollyscharmedlife.blogspot.com
mayamade.blogspot.com

Check them out and be inspired!

I'm inspired, that's why I'm on here for the second time today. That's also why I'm thinking I should combine this blog with my sketchbook blog. What do you think? This one just isn't creative enough. That one is extremely creative, but no one checks it because I only add to it in bulk. So perhaps I should combine them? And work on my etsy page, making it more appealing, and I'll be looking so much better as a working artist.

When I got home, daddy was here with the steak out, I fixed some new potatoes, poured myself a glass of wine, and enjoyed it with Harry Potter on the back porch swing. Nicest day we've had in a while. And now, I'm checking out the blogs, drinking some coffee and eating my dark chocolate.

I found this quote on one of the blogs, "St. Augustine, Charleston, and Savannah are all amazing cities for walking and discovering art, beauty, architecture, and food."

I'm just itching to be an Auburn graduate, living in Charleston, working some job during the day, and coming home at night to make the kind of art I want to make.

I'm going to go be creative now out in the art studio. First though, I'll give you a little music tip. I love Radiohead. I've always heard of them, but I guess I haven't heard them. Turns out, they're really good. Also, I LOVE Missed the Boat by Modest Mouse.

Good night everyone!

All Over the Place

2009-06-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

These two weeks have gone by without me realizing it. I feel like I just blogged. I think that if I created a blog in which I simply recommended books, movies, and music, then I would blog constantly. Would anyone read that? How cool would that be if I started one, and it became really popular to the point where it could become a job. Maybe that could be my way of becoming blog famous :) On that topic, I've discovered the two best radio stations on Pandora. The Weepies station, and MGMT station. Give me those two stations and I think I would be completely satisfied musically.

Continuing on that topic, I've finished some of my books. The easy ones:) I got about a fourth of the way through Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil when I decided to put it down. It was very entertaining, simply describing characters from Savannah. It just started to get too dark for me. I often question where the line between being legalistic and enjoying things that aren't glorifying to God lies. Does that make sense? That question definitely came up in this book.

I also finished Northanger Abby. Very enjoyable. Jane Austin is my favorite author so I always know I will enjoy her books. Having said that, its probably my least favorite of all of her books that I've read so far. There just wasn't anything really interesting about it. Girl meets guy, and the guy eventually goes against his father to ask her to marry him. There are a few slight hindrances between beginning and end but not much. I also didn't get extremely attached to the characters. It was the first one that she wrote, so it makes sense that they got even better after that.

I read Savannah by the Sea. By the way, did ya'll notice that the author commented on my last blog? That was exciting! It makes me a little nervous to say what I really thought :) I enjoyed it. It took place in Seaside! I think, unless I'm forgetting something, it was the first time I've read a book in which the setting is a place that I know well. That alone made it worth reading. She also approaches marriage, commitment, and forgiveness in a way that I really appreciated and enjoyed. Which made it sad to find out that she got divorced after writing it. Obviously though, I don't know the story or what happened. The only thing I felt was lacking, was that I didn't know why the guy loved the girl. All we knew was that he was ready to marry her, and he never really expressed why he loved her. What we got was that they had sparks. Overall though, good book.

I read the next Katie Weldon book, Coming Attractions. Good. It was especially enjoyable since it was about her last semester in college. That was cool. I always enjoy the simple truths in Robin Jones Gunn's books. They are a great reminder of God's grace and control in our lives. Other than that, I don't really know what to say without ruining it.

I've gotten started on Hidden Art. Its good, but it seems to be written more for people who aren't already being creative in their lives.

I've also started the sixth Harry Potter. I actually kind of feel like I'm forcing myself to read it. Could it be that I'm burned out on Harry Potter? Honestly, I might be, but not so much that I won't be excited about a new movie.

Before I started talking about books, I actually got on here planning on talking about how encouraging the dentist appt. that I just came from was, the fact that I'm wondering if I should be a nanny in Charleston, and whether I still want to go to school to be a librarian because I'm beginning to feel like I want art to be a bigger part of my life again. So look forward to blogs on those topics!

Summer Reading List

2009-06-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I've created my official reading list for the summer, and I'm very excited about it. So, I thought I'd share. Hopefully I'll read as much as I did last summer. Last summer I didn't have nieces and nephews coming over, or a television with cable, so it might not work out as well, but I'm going to give it a shot.

So here it is:

Reading List:

- Savannah Comes Undone, my roommate's sweet sweet mother lent this to me at the end of the school year. I was too busy at the time to read it, but I've just finished it and thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt like a small connection to Charleston, which was fun. Its a cute, christian, chick lit book.

-Savannah By The Sea, Savannah Comes Undone is part of a series, so of course I had to get the next one. I used my swagbuck amazon gift cards to order this and I'm waiting for it to arrive.

-Northanger Abbey, any reading list without Jane Austen would just be incomplete. I have no doubt that I will really enjoy this book.

-Calm My Anxious Heart, This is a book that I've begun several times now and for whatever reason haven't finished. One, I hate to not finish a book, two as I prepare for senior project and moving into the "real world," I need all the help I can get when it comes to overcoming anxiety and worry. I've really liked what I've read, I just need to make the time to finish it.

-Summary of Christian Doctrine, We were given this book when we left Marannook. Its not exactly a sit down with a cup of tea and read for a while kind of book, but I'm going to try to go through a couple of chapters before I go to bed each night. They're only a couple of pages. I'm reminded so often of how much more knowledge I need to have of what I believe. I'm no Tim Keller, but I would like to be able to explain why I believe what I believe.

-Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, The only John Piper book that I've ever read is Life is A Vapor, and its been a long time since I read that. This one is a small book that a friend gave me a few years ago. I could probably read it in one long sitting.

-Coming Attractions, the next book in the Katie Weldon series. It comes out July 1! These books are such a treat. Wouldn't recomend it if you aren't already invested in these characters, because it is pretty cheasy. However, if you're invested in the characters, its so much fun to be able to continue reading about them.

-Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, This is what I'm currently reading. This is from my mom's collection of books, and I've had my eye on it for a while. After reading the Savannah Comes Undone, I wanted to continue reading about the town of Savannah. I've also seen the movie, or parts of it at least, and the story seems very intriguing.

-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, We are now 37 days away from when this movie comes out. I'm not keeping a countdown, I just decided to count really quickly and see. Anyway, of course I have to read the book before seeing the movie. Gotta be prepared.

-Anne of Green Gables, my book club is reading this over the summer. I will be joining the rest of them in Auburn on the week of July 15. We'll discuss the entire book at that time. We will also be having a Harry Potter movie marathon and going to see the new movie. Back to Anne, this will be the third or fourth time I've read this book. I'm very excited about the fact that its our next book club book. This could be my favorite book, either this or Pride and Prejudice. If you haven't read it, you have to.

-Anne of Avonlea, whether my book club decides to join me or not, I know I can't read Anne of Green Gables without reading Anne of Avonlea after.

-Hidden Art, I found this book by Edith Schaeffer a few years ago at a wonderful used book store in Montgomery. Unfortunately they closed, but I bought some great books when I was there. I never read this though, and I think now is great time. I need to see art from the perspective of glorifying God, and I believe that is what I will find in this book.

I think thats it. This makes me feel a little anxious to get started, its quite a list. Its the most wonderful way to spend the summer though, on our back porch swing with a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine at night reading. Might be the best part of being at home, that back porch and swing.

Next post, I'll fill you in on my music list for the summer.

Since I Was Here Last...

2009-06-02T07:01:00.000-07:00

So, since I've posted last I've gone to the beach, had a couple of friends up to go to a rehearsal dinner and wedding in Chattanooga, started an Etsy page fairly unsuccessfully, and gotten a job, sort of.

The beach was wonderful! The weather was absolute perfect. We stayed for three full days, four nights. We ate really good seafood, and just hung out. My parents took Kate and I, which is a quieter and smaller group than usual. It was good, but we still often talked about what Ellie, Luke, and Ada would be doing if they were there with us. It was very relaxing, a lot of lying on the beach, reading, watched a couple of movies. Just good.

Almost as soon as we got back from the beach, my friends Claire and Anna Lucy arrived. I had about two hours total after getting home to get ready and leave for Chattanooga for our friend Kelly's rehearsal dinner. It was a lot of fun. A couple of other girls from our pledge class were there, and we sat together and just had a really good time. They are one of the most seemingly in love couples I've ever met, and it seems completely genuine on them.

On Saturday I spent the morning showing Anna Lucy and Claire around Scottsboro, taking them downtown, and of course to Unclaimed Baggage. I think they enjoyed. Its always so interesting to me to hear people's reactions to places that are so f amiliar to you. Like hearing what they had to say about our house, our yard, and then Scottsboro in general. I think their reaction to Scottsboro and how beautiful it is made me appreciate it more. Not that I want to continue living here, but it is a beautiful area. Then that afternoon we drove back over to Chattanooga for the wedding. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, the church was gorgeous, Kelly was absolutely gorgeous, the service was very well done, and well the reception was absolutely incredible. They had it at the groom's home. Most beautiful I've ever seen with the most incredible view. It was rolling hills and green woods. So, once again a really fun night and really beautiful wedding.

Sunday I pretty much just crashed at the house after church and enjoyed being home after the beach and then wedding/friends weekend. Yesterday I wanted to be productive so I took on two projects: selling books online and starting an Etsy page. I sold about $15 worth of books, not huge, but something, and have about seven other books on Ebay waiting to be bought. We'll see if that happens. The rest of the day I was taking pictures and measuring all of my paintings in the art studio. I figured I could put everything up and maybe just maybe get some more space in the studio and a little extra cash. I thought the paintings from painting 1 I would probably put up for just like $30, and the few that I'm really attached to I would put up for 3 or 4 hundred dollars to make it really worth it if somebody wanted to buy them. Well, I got my Etsy page up and had taken all the pictures and then when I went to load each painting onto the page, the pictures were too big. I don't know how to fix that on my computer. So, I only have 5 paintings on the site which I happened to already have pictures of. I do have an Etsy page though and hopefully soon I can figure out the picture thing. The site is http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7131887. Its not much, but its something.

Now I have to head to the church, I'm going to be doing a few odd jobs for them during the week. It will only be about ten hours a week at the most, but that's good since I need to be working on senior project. Its perfect actually. Okay, I'll try to start posting more often so that its not just catch up when I do post.

Weekend Recap

2009-05-20T09:16:00.001-07:00

I realize its Wednesday, but it began on a Friday and has just gone long, so it still feels like the weekend. Well, Coldplay was absolutely incredible. Having already told people, I realize its sort of hard to communicate, but I'm going to try anyways. They are just so insanely talented, specifically Chris Martin. He plays the guitar, piano, has a beautiful voice, and I believe I saw him playing the violin at one point. They, again specifically Chris, seemed to be having such a good time up there. Chris at one point did a back flip on the stage, and at another point he was wearing a giant dragon head that you see in Chinese parades. He was just adorable and really involved the audience. It felt like we were a part of the concert. During "Lovers in Japan," paper butterflies came flying over the entire audience. It was incredible. I haven't even acknowledged the fact that simply hearing their music live was enough. It was so beautiful. Fix You, the Hardest Part, and Viva La Vida. Amazing!! It made me think about how you form relationships with artists, musicians, songs. He was playing "Yellow" and I could immediately go back to the first time I heard it, which was the first time I heard Coldplay. I was sitting on a bus on the way to a cross-country meet. Must have been in jr. high because apparently it came out in 2000. Alex Hodges had burned a cd for me, which was a brand new thing. My first burned cd ever. I put it in my discman, and I heard "Yellow" and was just amazed at how good it was. Obviously good enough that I still remember that moment. It was crazy to think back to that and then be at a Coldplay concert about 9 years later hearing them play it live. To top it all off, it was raining, well drizzling, which I swear it just makes everything better if its raining. It was one of those moments where I was just really grateful and appreciative of the fact that I am 23, single, and able to just go to a Coldplay concert with some friends over the weekend. I think it will be one of the most memorable moments of my twenties. I realize that our generation is never going to have a Beatles, or Elvis Presley, but I think that Coldplay is a band that will continue to be listened to. Maybe I will tell my children one day, I saw them in concert! Or maybe not, but it was fun!

Back in Auburn for the Weekend

2009-05-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

I'm in Auburn, at my duplex, and it kind of feels like I'm camping out. Maybe more like the first night when you move in and everything isn't settled yet. I walked in and one of our chairs and our coffee table were missing. The room feels so empty. Then I checked out Rachel's room, which is now Sarah's room. That was certainly bizarre.

As weird as the duplex is, I just love Auburn in the summer. As soon as I drove into Auburn, it was obvious that the whole atmosphere is just different. Auburn just seems to get congested during the year. It feels more personal in the summer, like its all mine, along with the friends I choose to share it with. Its also more laid back. I went to dinner at Amsterdams with Rachel, her sister, and Claire around 6:30 and only had to wait about 15 minutes!

Being here makes me realize that I'm getting used to Scottsboro, because it doesn't feel like routine here anymore. These past few days at Scottsboro have begun to feel a little more routine. Maybe because we've begun to make progress in cleaning out the art studio. I've either spending the afternoon in Huntsville or working on the porch/art studio. So while I've still had a lot of free time, I've also had a big chunk of my day filled, which is always good.

I'm looking forward to the rest of my weekend: wedding/Coldplay! Right now, I'm having a hard time putting together sentences. Its way too late.

So good night.

"Look at the stars, look how they shine for you and all the things that you do." Coldplay, Yellow

The Summer Has Begun

2009-05-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will have been home for one week. I'm going to be at home (Scottsboro) for the majority of the summer.

However, on Friday I will be traveling back to Auburn where I will pack up some more things, and then drive with friends to a Birmingham wedding on Saturday. My friend Jessica Webster is getting married. She is a college friend, best friends with my sophomore roommate. I remember when they began dating. Its so much fun to see an entire relationship play out. Its especially fun when you're literally there to see them meet. I didn't see them meet...

Then I will be going to a Coldplay concert in Atlanta Sunday night! I'm so excited! This has been an exciting year for concerts for me. First Celine, now Coldplay. I have to admit though, as much as I adored Celine, my favorite concerts are those in which you're only 10-20 feet away from the performer. The really intimate concerts, with only about 100 people there. A Griffin House/Matt Kearney concert in downtown Birmingham stands out. Probably my favorite ever was a Bebo Norman concert in downtown Chattanooga. It was one of my first. My parents dropped Kate, a friend, and I off. He's really great in concert. I went on a date to see him once, didn't go anywhere, but really great date because I got a Bebo concert out of it. My perfect date definitely involves a concert.
One of the things that I look forward to the most about living in a city is the idea of having concerts to attend often. We don't exactly have a lot of those going on in Scottsboro. I would think Charleston probably does. It just seems like Charleston will be very inspiring in every way possible.

Back to my summer: after the concert I will be visiting a friend for a day or two, then returning to Scottsboro for a couple of days then heading to the beach with the family! Then, the day I get back from the beach I will be going to Chattanooga for a wedding rehearsal and dinner that Friday, and wedding on Saturday. Then the two months of my summer where I am just in Scottsboro begins. Except of course, the week the new Harry Potter film comes out. I will in Auburn to celebrate :)

The plan is to spend the entire summer preparing for senior project in the fall. I need to work out all the kinks of what I want to do, what I want to say, and how I'm going to say it. Mom and I will be cleaning out her art studio over the next couple of weeks so that I can use it to work all summer. That's exciting to have my own studio for at least a couple of months!

So that's my summer. I'll try to also become better about blogging, and blogging with a purpose.

The Goodbyes Have Begun

2009-04-25T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's weird being a senior knowing I'm going to be back in the fall, but so many other people are leaving. I think its just starting to hit me how much is about to change. I'm lucky in the fact that several of my good friends will still be here, but the greater majority of people I've known since being at Auburn will not. Wednesday was senior chapter. Our last chapter ever. Crazy. My friend Caroline had a candle light, perfect way to end. They've been dating for six years I think, so we were all glad to be able to see a candle light knowing that they would get married. I may never see several of those girls again. We had had Jewel Degree the week before, making us all ADPi alumna. The next night, Thursday, I had an art show with one of my classes out in Opelika. It was a lot of fun, but at the end of the night we realized that we may never see some of the senior project people again. More goodbyes. That same night was the last crusade which sadly I had to miss, but Tuesday night is Crusade's senior dinner.

Its so weird to think about how you can see a person almost once a week for about four years, and then you just don't. I haven't even thought about saying goodbye to my good friends yet. Luckily we've got several weddings coming up, so we'll have several opportunities to see each other soon. I'm trying to imagine what its going to be like in Auburn in the fall. Like I said I still have several friends that will be here, so its not like I'm going to be here alone. Its just going to be a different Auburn I think. Then after only five months back, I will be leaving, saying goodbye again, and starting over. Scary, but exciting. So exciting. I'm at a transition point in my life, a stretched out transition since I'm not graduating until December. I'm just rambling now and I need to go study for a final. I think I'm getting back into this blogging thing.

2009-04-21T11:04:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting at the DRL in the library, frantically trying to scan in my sketchbook. I don't know if you've been checking it, but I'm finally updating my sketchbook blog. Out Intermedia class is having a show on Thursday out in Opelika. My sketchbook blog is one of the things I am going to show, but our sketchbooks are due today in class at two o'clock. So I'm trying to get it all in, but its probably not going to work. I'm sure she'll let me take the sketchbook back so that I can continue to scan it. This sketchbook has really been one of my favorite things I've ever done. I think what I want more than anything in my art is for it to be personal, and I feel like this sketchbook has been the closest I've come to that. And its me. Everything else that I've done, sometimes I wonder if its what I wanted to do or if I'm doing it because I think that's what the teacher and my peers want. I honestly have a hard time knowing the difference these days. My paintings have changed quite a bit in the past year, mostly the past semester, and I honestly cannot decide whether its a good thing or not. I just don't know. But this sketchbook feels a little untouched.

Yesterday, I did some drawings for class of myself. I bought a couple of pencils to use. I never use pencils anymore, I always use charcoal. It meant I was able to get a lot more detail, and basically just draw like I did in high school, except I think I've developed my ability more. I really enjoyed it. It seems I forget how much I really love drawing people, in detail, until I start doing it again, and it just fits. The thing is though, as much as I love doing it, I don't find it that interesting to look at. I need to figure how to make it more interesting.

Our intermedia teacher told us that we need to find where the magic comes in in what we do as artists. That sounds cheesy doesn't it? Funny thing, she sounds so far from cheesy saying it.

I started out this semester absolutely terrified of her class, and of her. For good reason actually. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some things in that class that left me in tears, and stressed like crazy over the projects, and sometimes I think she is so incredibly arrogant. Not only that, but I think we're just about as different as two people can be. But she really is an amazing teacher. I feel like I've learned more about art, and how to think about art, and how to judge art in her class than any I've taken at Auburn. She didn't teach about the process of the actual production, she taught about where the art comes from, the thought process. It's been a good but stressful class.

By the way, its now 10:43 at night and I'm sitting around waiting for the scanners to become available again so that I can continue to scan in my sketchbook. I'm so stressed out right now, and its one of those horrible kind of stressed outs where I'm thinking I should have taken care of all of this before and now its too late, and its all my fault. Its so much worse when you realize too late that you should have taken care of this, but there's nothing you can do now. So yeah, I'm stressed, but in a week and one day, classes will be over! I don't think it could possibily get here soon enough!

The Studio This Semester

2009-04-12T21:49:00.000-07:00

So, this is where I'm working this semester. And these are the majority of my paintings.

So that's a catch up on my painting for the semester, sorry its late so I'm not going to do a lot of describing right now, but I hope you enjoy the images :)

Favorite Time of Day

2009-04-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

Is it weird that a lot of times my favorite time of day is riding back on the transit? I really love it. Its usually around five oclock. That time of day that is getting close to night but not quite there. Its at the end of a long day, and usually it gives me about 30 minutes total to just unwind, put my ipod on and listen to music, and write and sketch in my sketchbook. Its me time. Prayer time, and music time. Its wonderful. Can anyone relate to that? Today, when I got off the transit, it was raining. I got out my umbrella but I still was getting wet. So, I decided to just put the umbrella away and walk through rain. It was a good quarter of a mile. How often do you get the chance to do that? It was a lot of fun! I suggest doing it all along. It was a wonderful end of the day!

Perfection

2009-03-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

I am currently sitting on a balcony overlooking the ocean with a couple of my best friends. Its absolutely amazing here. We're all a little sunburnt, actually, extremely sunburnt so we're hanging out on the balcony with our legs covered by a towel, haha. Both Rachel's are reading. I was joining in on the reading, but it was a book about a lady who has early onset Alzheimer's. The book said her children had a 50 % chance of getting it also, and since my grandfather had Alzheimer's, I began to get a little freaked out. I decided it would be best if I put that book away. It was the forth book I've read since I've been on spring break, and the rest of the girls have been the same way reading nonstop. The guys have made several comments about how they can't believe we're reading on spring break, and how they avoid anything school related while on spring break. I tried to explain that having the chance to read is my vacation. Its the definition of a vacation if I have time to read. Believe me, I don't normally finish four books in one week. It got me to thinking, what would life be like if I didn't read. I just can't imagine all of the stories that I know and love not being there. You know what I mean? What if I didn't know about a Mr. Darcy? All of the Jane Austin books, Mr. Knightly and Emma? I think those books have changed what I want out of a relationship, I mean, I want a guy to want me the way these men do. I don't want him to want a girlfriend, I want him to want me,fight for me, even if fighting for me, even if that's just getting over their fear and asking me out without hinting that he likes me then seeing if I make a move. Mr. Darcy would never. What about Anne of Green Gables. I think her adventures make me want that so much more from my life. I can't even begin to imagine not having that. Harry Potter, life without Harry Potter, sounds crazy! More specifically, life without Ron Weasley :) Christy Miller? I can't imagine life without the escape of a book. Maybe that's not good, maybe I don't need to escape so much, but I can't imagine not having it. I know that sometimes they can give me unrealistic expectations, but life without stories just seems so... sad.

I wish ya'll could see the ocean right now, its incredibly beautiful. I know I'm so blessed to have had the chance to be here at all, but I just dread the moment I have to pull away. Rachel Stark and I actually were planning on leaving this afternoon, but the guys talked us into staying until the morning. I was pretty easily persuaded :) I wonder if people really live like the people in the movie Message in a Bottle. Because if they do, then I want that life. Where was that? I want to find out, move there, be a librarian, and live on the beach, make art, until I'm successful enough with the art that I could live simply off that, and I would split up my days making art and reading on the beach. Now that sounds like heaven. Does anyone live that kind of life? Is it possible? Can I have it? Oh yeah, even his wife in the move was an artist. My plan right now really is to move to Charleston after I graduate, and I hear that its on the beach. Its definitely closer to that life than Auburn is. Okay, I'm on someone else's computer and I think I've had it long enough.

By the way, for the Lost viewers out there, how disappointing was last night's episode?

Coming From Destin Florida

2009-03-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

My freshman year, I wrote on zanga for a little while. I knew about two other people that wrote on zanga, so for the most part it was just this thing that I was putting out there. It was so freeing to me, to be able to write something that I wasn't writing for anyone specifically. It was just exciting to me that someone out there might read it, and relate, or understand. Not someone who knows me so well, knows everything about me, what I'm doing right now, what my favorite activities are, who my family is, all these things that add to what they think when they read my words. Instead, they just got my words. Writing this knowing that there are a few people who will check this and read it who know me, makes me for some reason feel like I have to write about my life. Specifically what's going on in my life. It just changes things. I want to be able to just write. I've been keeping this sketchbook all semester and was really enjoying it, and felt like it was very honest and very authentically me. Now I've published it on a blog and want to continue, and I'm frozen. I can't write anything in there without thinking about it being on my blog. I hate that. Knowing other people will see changes everything. Our current assignment for Intermedia is to create a piece of life art. The whole point of it is to do something that we experience for ourselves, that won't be about what is created for people to see. I want to know how to get back to that, how do I stop thinking about the fact that people are going to be reading? The other day, some friends and I were sort of cyber stalking this guy, basically we were just reading his entire blog. He wrote in a way that I wanted to write. I'll tell you this, I've been reading non - stop since spring break has begun! Its been wonderful! By the way, a little update on my life: I'm going to be a librarian! At least that's the plan. I haven't started that way yet, first I have to get done with my bachelors degree and then I'll start working towards my masters in Library and Information Science! The other half to my plan, move to Charleston and get a job to save money before starting my masters. I'm trying to not get too excited about the next part of my life, and enjoy where I'm at right now. Okay, now I'm going to go since I've gotten all of that out there. Don't you love my rambling posts?

New Blog

2009-03-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I've got a new blog. It would like I'm going blog crazy, I'm now a member of four, even though I never post. However, this blog is actually a class project. I'm simply scanning my entire sketchbook in. I'm creating an online sketchbook, which by the way is also a lot like a journal at times. So, if you want to take a look, I'm adding it to my list as my sketchbook.

Hallelujah

2009-03-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

I'm on the verge of tears right now because my classes from 9 to 12:30 (two classes, one teacher) have been canceled for today!! I'm already at the studio, but it means that I can get my work for tomorrow done and not be up insanely late tonight. I had one of those nights last night, where you realize that your emotions are irrational, but there's just nothing you can do about it. I just don't handle not having sleep very well, and I had been up since 4:45 yesterday morning because my half-marathon was yesterday!

It was so much fun! All my cross-country meet rituals just came flying back to me. The half was in Seaside, but we were staying in Destin, so we had to leave our place around 5:15 to get there an hour early. I was kind of freaking out inside when we didn't get away until closer to 5:25 and then were taking longer to get there than I anticipated. However, we got there about 5 after, with plenty of time! I just knew we had to have an hour before to get sufficiently prepared. I immediately started running everywhere to get my body "warmed up" just like at the cross-country meets, and was downing the water, and therefore running back and forth to the bathroom nonstop. It was all like the meets, and it was so much fun to relive that. The race of course was just ten miles longer. Which is funny for me to think about, because I'm not in nearly the shape that I was when I ran cross-country, but I thought 13 miles sounded impossible, and I now know I could have done it easily, but oh well. It was so much fun though! Its amazing how much difference it makes having that many people running around you, and my competitive side definitely came out, which is a great motivation! We both ran it a little under two hours and thirty minutes. I'm ready to find another one to start training for, after my legs recover of course. Meanwhile, we missed the blizzard back in Auburn. It sounded crazy, and I was really sad to miss it, but we at least got to see the leftover snow, which in some areas is still quite a bit.

So, now I'm going to try to get some work done during these few hours off, so that I can get a good night sleep tonight!

Tagged!

2009-02-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to get back into my blog, I'm going to answer these few questions. That's simple enough. Its not really that I don't want to blog these days, its just that when I don't have as much time to blog everyday, I feel like I need to catch you up on stuff and I can't narrow anything down to what I want to post. But these 25 questions are a good place to start :)

THE RULES:Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own. Step 2: tag—eight other untagged people.

Make a list of things you can see without getting up? Scrubs on the television, my glass of wine, the can of pringles I just finished off, and the rest of my living room and kitchen.

Favorite Football Team? Obviously, Auburn. I still have one football season left here at Auburn! Lets hope it goes better than the last.

What are you wearing right now? My pajama pants, an orange tee, and my sister's brown sweater. I just took my jeans off and put on my pajamas pants with the rest of my outfit when I got home at 5:30.

What color is my bedroom? A pinkish/purplish color. I've found that whenever I have to pick out paint colors (including in my paintings) I always use some form of pink or purple. I just can't stop myself. With anything else, I never gravitate towards pink, just in paint.

What is the last thing you read/are currently reading? I'm reading Lies Women Believe. I think this may be the third time I've started it. Its a wonderful book, I just was really distracted the other times. Very convicting, but good. I recommend it!

Do you nap a lot? Not these days, it depends on the semester though. Actually, its been a while since I did very often, but I enjoy it when I can.

What was the last movie you saw? I went to see He's Just Not That Into You and it was very good! And let me tell you, its hilarious how on the ball they are with some things. Of course, it is a secular movie, and there are secular ideas in it, but what current movie doesn't?

What's your current obsession/addiction? Postsecret blogspot. You have to go to it if you haven't. This guy started a blog, which he calls a community art project, on which he posts postcards that people have sent in with their secrets. He posts new ones every Sunday. I've been considering what I could send in. Also, dark chocolate.

What was the last thing you said out loud? Honestly, also dark chocolate. Does anyone else do that? Start saying out loud what they're typing?

What websites do you always visit when you go online? Tigermail, Postsecret, Facebook if I've gotten anything, and Colonial.

What was the last thing you bought? A tall caramel macchiato with skim milk at Starbucks.

What are you listening to right now? Dixie Chicks, Traveling Soldier, on youtube. Its really a beautiful song.

What is something you wish you could do more? Right now, run. I'm training for the half marathon that is on March 1. I'm on top of the long runs, but don't run enough during the weeks, so that when the long run comes around, its soo hard. I feel like this is a really good question, and there's a much better answer out there, but I can't think of it right now.

What gives you hope? Obviously Christ, and His control in my life. Definitely that He has control of my life. Right now, when I'm approaching a transition period in my life, its wonderful to know that He is in control of my life.

What is your favorite weather and why? I would have to say the fall, and sunny. When its just a little bit chilly, so that you can wear a light jacket, but still flip flops. Perfect. Although, if you don't have anything to do, a thunderstorm in the afternoon is wonderful!

What time do you usually get up? This semester, between 6:30 and 7:30.

What is your most challenging goal right now? Honestly, making myself get up an hour early to spend time studying the word. Its been a busier semester, and I know that starting my day in the Word would make such a difference, but I have a hard time thinking that way when I'm woken up by my alarm at six in the morning.

Say something to the person who tagged you: Laura Beth, I miss you and your little girl. I'm trying to remember when I've seen Ada and I think its been since Christmas! Wow, that's way too long. Also, I'm really enjoying your sweater :)

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? Right now, I'm stuck on the idea of Charleston, but I've always held Boston as the perfect place in my head. The thing is though that I've never been to Charleston, and I've only been to Boston for one full day, so who knows whether those would actually fit or not.

Favorite vacation spot? I haven't been many places, so of the places that I've actually spent much time, definitely the Seaside area. However, I've spent about a week in the New England area on a school trip, and if I could do a vacation anywhere, that's where I'd want to go.

What is your favorite children’s book? Ish by Peter H. Reynolds. Its a book about a little boy who learns to love creating artwork without worrying about how it turns out or what other people say, he just loves creating.

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: Gossip Girl

Have you ever met anyone famous? Well, when I was in the fourth grade maybe, I went to the Space and Rocket Center to meet Mary Kate and Ashley. We waited for a few hours in line to walk by them at which point they handed us a sheet of paper I think, said hey, and then we were forced to move on. I can say though that I have seen Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

If you could have any job in the world , what would it be? Be a mother, but other than that to own a used book store/coffee shop. If the economy would get better, I would really like to work towards doing that one day.

Who is the last person you talked to? My roommate, Rachel.

What was the last thing you ate? A hershey's dark chocolate truffle.

I also tag anyone who would like to do it :)

I Need Your Help

2009-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Recently in my Intermedia class, we were asked what our passion is and what defines us as artists. She said that this should be where I our art begins and what keeps it going. She began to name all the things we could do, whether it be instillation, painting the human figure, or I don't remember what else, but she said if you're passionate about painting the human figure, then great, paint the human figure, just be passionate about it. That was amazing. This professor is very intimidating and is an instillation artist and talks about her art in a completely different way. I've never felt like my art was really very acceptable. So, I stopped to think about what my passions are. I am passionate about the human figure. I could spend hours drawing the human figure and be happy. I'm also passionate about highlighting the true beauty and redemption in the world through my art. Art should be honest. I think all artists will agree with that. I do. The teacher did. So usually, it seems art becomes about the negative in our lives, in the world. I'm guilty of it. Its easy to go there when you're searching for something to make art about. I never enjoy making that art though. I believe that beauty, redemption, and hope are just as honest and real as the hurts and disappointments. I want to focus on those rather than sit and dwell on the fallen part. I don't want to make up beauty though, if that makes sense, I want to highlight what is already there. So I was looking back at the figures I usually paint. I usually paint actresses and models. That doesn't fit what I'm saying. They aren't real people. Their pictures aren't. They are fixed photos of a woman who already has a professional makeup artist, hair stylist, personal trainer, and someone to pick out these incredible clothes that only they can afford. So, I started thinking about real women when they are beautiful. I started thinking about when I feel beautiful. I thought of when I am exercising, which I think is a universal thing, girls feel good about themselves when they're exercising. I also feel good about myself when I'm in the studio, creating something, and covered in paint. I asked my roommate Claire when she feel beautiful and she said when she's with other people, with friends. So, I would love to hear when ya'll feel good about yourselves, when you feel most beautiful. I need it for research to create my next set of paintings. Please anyone who reads this, I would love to hear. You don't even have to have a blog to answer (Rachel :)) Thanks!

Celine Dion

2009-01-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow afternoon I will be traveling to Atlanta to see Celine Dion in concert. You'll have to excuse me if I get a little cheesy. I have literally been giddy today when I think about the fact that in 24 hours I will be at a Celine Dion concert. Actually, in 24 hours the concert will be over, that's just sad. So, I have been listening to Celine Dion since I was in the 4th grade I believe. I grew up in a family that only listened to Christian music for most of our childhood. I slowly began hearing more secular music as my two older sisters entered Jr. High and High School. I remember Tim McGraw's Don't Take the Girl, John Michael Montgomery, and Celine Dion as the first secular music that I knew . I still love that one record by John Michael Montgomery, but Celine Dion has been the one that stuck. When I was in the seventh grade, Kate came home from school saying that her teacher, who was a family friend, had two Celine Dion tickets that she was trying to sell. Ann and I were going to buy them, well my Mom was going to buy them for us, and we were going to go to the concert. Unfortunately, someone got to them before us, and we couldn't go. I was heartbroken! Soon after Celine announced that she was no longer touring, she was only going to perform in Las Vegas. I can't quite explain to you how sad I have always been that I just missed getting to see her in concert. When I found out she was going to be on tour again, I knew I just had to see her. Its actually happened, and God willing, I will be at her concert tomorrow night!! I've been listening to her music all day long, and I literally break into this giddy laughter every once in a while. She is the greatest vocalist of our time, and while she might not be the most artistic musician of our time, is there anyone else a group of girls would rather blast on a road trip? I don't think so. Her songs and her voice are just powerful. I think she is someone that is most definitely worth it to see in person. Sooo excited! In about 20 hours I will be seeing Celine Dion perform live!

First Week Back

2009-01-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

Today is the second day back at school. Its my last spring semester, and also my last semester as a full time student. I will only be doing senior project and one or two other classes next semester. So I went to classes yesterday and they were basically the typical first day of class. I had two: Issues and Criticism of Contemporary Art, and Painting 4 (again). Classes went well, I think its going to be a much more challenging semester but I'm hopeful that it will be challenging in a good way. Last semester wasn't and it was just frustrating. So on a typical Wednesday, classes will last from nine to one. Today I was supposed to have two classes: Ceramics 1 and Intermedia. Let me just include a quick clip from an e-mail the Intermedia teacher sent.

I look forward to working with all of you. This is my absolutely favourite class to teach and the one that is closest to my heart, and that I am best at teaching. Because of this, I urge the faint of heart, the lazy, those not willing to expand their ideas about the world or those not ready to be sincere about who they are to drop out now. If you work really hard, your world will never be the same again. Seriously.

Seriously. So I'm looking forward to my world changing, but for now its the same because almost the entire art department went to New Orleans. There's a big art show going on right now, and its a pretty big deal. Unfortunately I don't have the money to go to New Orleans at the moment. Only a handful of the students did, but all of the teachers went. So no class for me today. Finally, I thought I would have Issues and Crit tomorrow at nine but he informed us on Wednesday that we will only be meeting on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I will not be having Friday classes once again this semester. So I've gotten back from three weeks of not really doing anything and ready to get started with school to only once again not really have anything to do.

I did, however, get up at 5:15 to go to a yoga class. I don't think I've shared this on here, but I'm training for a half-marathon. So my running partner wanted to go to this yoga class at the student act. We both have 8:00 classes, so it works out to leave after yoga to go immediately to class. Well, when I woke up at 5:15 after only about 4 1/2 hours of sleep I wasn't so sure about yoga. I'm still not completely convinced. I actually enjoyed it. It seemed like extreme stretching, which I think my body needs right now. So that's good. It wasn't cross-training though, so we then had to do the elliptical after. It was also hard not to laugh when she's telling us to think of our happy place. She didn't really say that, but we did have to picture wherever we would be happiest at the end of the session. It just seemed a little like self-empowerment and finding inner peace. I just prayed instead. Most of it wasn't like that though, and it seemed really good for my body. I'm just not a morning person, to say the least, and I'm not sure if I can handle it or not. We'll see.

So, that's pretty much where I am right now. Just waiting to get back into the groove of school. Ready to get back into the groove of school. I'll give you an update on classes when I've actually had a full week.

It's Been A While

2009-01-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've posted and even longer since I've posted any art on my art blog. I finally took pictures tonight of a lot of the art I made over the semester. I used my Mom's camera, and they might and I couldn't figure out how to do a lot with it. Its not quite the camera that Ann Fleener's is, which is the camera that I usually use. Anyway, these are mostly paintings I did this semester with a couple of figure drawings and one drawing from my Advanced Drawing class. I wish I could post more from my Advanced Drawing class but they just didn't photograph very well. So here they are.

This painting, I described in an earlier post. Our assignment was to paint anything deriving from the word freedom. I let the word kind of sit in my brain for a couple of weeks before I began to paint anything. Basically, I knew I was painting freedom that comes only from Christ. I was thinking of the complete freedom that Adam and Eve felt before the fall of man the freedom we will once again feel when we are in heaven. I can see hints of that in nature, so that's where I was coming from.

This is a drawing I did for my advanced drawing class. I was working with collage. I had no exact purpose except that I was working without trying to please anyone. I was simply using images and medium that I enjoy and am inspired by. I did several of these and wish that I could post them, but they didn't photograph very well.

These two paintings were a part of a set sort of. I was attempting to paint the idea of the common need for companionship that connects every person. I guess I'm drawn to the mother and child.

This is my final drawing from my Figure Drawing class. I'm not sure what to say about it except that I love this class. I get lost in looking at the details of the human figure and trying to capture that with my pencil. To be honest, being an art major seems to get more and more frustrating with each semester, but this class reminded me of why I chose this major. There was no big purpose or meaning behind each drawing, just the beauty of the human figure and the enjoyment of drawing it. (I actually had two drawings, but I accidently deleted one from the blog, and I've spent too much time on this slow computer and I'm not going to go back now, too bad, haha)

This was my final painting. The assignment was to do something we were very familiar with and do well and combine it with something we haven't done. So, I of course did the human figure. However, I actually brought in several changes. I attempted to use a different kind of color scheme than usual. I don't know if the picture communicates it well, but I tried to use louder, brighter colors than usual. I also used the paintbrush for the first time since the beginning of painting 2, and I actually liked it. I also layered the figures rather than try to put them in a certain setting.

So there it is, you're a little bit caught up on what I've been doing. That's a quick summery of my last semester.

Song Lyrics

2008-12-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

Hi. I'm supposed to be studying. Its finals week. Of course since I'm a fine art major, I only have one final: 20th Century Art History. However, its tomorrow at four and I've barely studied so far. So I need to get on that. Instead of studying though, I was going through my e-mails deleting old ones. I keep everything, including e-mails, so my mailbox is almost completely full. I came across an e-mail I sent to myself with song lyrics. I don't remember why I sent it to myself, but they're wonderful and I haven't posted in a long time so I thought I'd share.

Cause love took her hand like a thief,
took her heart like a robber
and the feelings that scare her
become her relief. - love affair, copeland

Its like a book elegantly wrapped, but in a language that she cannot speak...just yet.
I will possess your heart - death cab

You may feel alone when you're falling asleep
And everytime tears roll down your cheeks
But I know your heart belongs to someone you've yet to meet
Someday you will be loved
- Someday you will be loved, death cab

What I am to you is not real
What I am to you you do not need
What I am to you is not what you mean to me
You give me miles and miles of mountains
And I'll ask for the sea
Damien Rice: Volcano

I remember it well
The first time that I saw
Your head around the door
'Cause mine stopped working
Damien Rice- Remember

So I'll check the weather wherever you are cause I wanna know if you can see the stars tonight, it might be my only right. John Mayer

I write on another blog with my sister and a good friend. We use the blog to encourage each other, specificially in the area of being single :) Its funny because about half of our posts are songs. I think I could do a blog with only song lyrics.

An update on my life, I turned in my final painting today, I'll take my test tomorrow. Saturday I'm going to do a lot of cleaning, and then that night I'll be going to this Christmas thing out in Opelika. All of the really beautiful old homes will be decorated and I don't know what else, but some friends and I are going. Then Sunday I'm going home for Christmas break! I'm really excited for the break. SO there we go, a random post I know, but hopefully its better than nothing.

So, worst day ever?

2008-11-29T09:53:00.000-08:00

First of all, war eagle! The Iron Bowl is in two and half hours. I'm excited! Some of the guys I was hanging out with last night had complete confidence that Auburn will win. I'm afraid I don't have the same confidence but I do think it will be a good game.

Anyway, the subject of my post for the day. I drove back to Auburn yesterday and managed to have two accidents before I got back to my duplex. Let me just say, that other than parking lot deals I've only been in one accident in my life, and I was rear ended. So yesterday, the first accident, I don't know if I can even really call an accident because I was able to drive away without a scratch. However it was the much scarier and more dangerous one. I was in Birmingham on I-459 headed towards the Summit and 280. It was raining steadily and so the roads were very wet. It was my fault, I started to get over but was going to cut someone off. They honked, I turned very quickly and all of a sudden I was spinning across the interstate (I hydroplaned). I landed in a ditch without a scratch to my car. It was seriously a miracle. It was fairly heavy traffic and I went across three lanes without hitting another car, and I went right between two light posts. The sweetest lady and her son stopped to check on me and to help figure out what I was doing. They were such a blessing because I was very shaken up and the mom was very comforting and they were both very helpful in figuring out what to do. The first thing she said to me was that I had a guardian angel that carried me through that. My dad said that he had been praying for Kate and I right before Mom called him to tell him what happened. I have no doubt that God's hand was in that. It was crazy, amazing.

So, I pulled over at the Summit for a little while after driving away just to kind of catch my breath. I left around four-thirty and had to then drive back in the dark and the rain. As you can imagine I was pretty jumpy and nervous. I get to Auburn, and I'm really about 10 miles from my home when someone goes too far past a yield sign. I panicked and rather than swerve to miss them, I slammed on my breaks and for the second time that day my car slid over the road and hit their car. It was very minor damage, but we did have to call and report the accident. The guy in the other car really didn't want me to, then completely blamed me although I'm pretty sure it was his fault. He didn't yield when he should have. Oh well, we'll see what the officer decided. It was the perfect ending to that car ride. Its really pretty humorous, I mean what are the chances?

Its pouring today, and I'm not about to go drive in that. Good thing its Saturday and I don't have to :)

Weekend Recap

2008-11-17T08:36:00.001-08:00

I don't know about ya'll, but I feel like I always have weekends that nothing is going on and I can't find anything to do, or its completely jam packed. This was one of those jam packed weekends, and it was a good one. The weekend started on Thursday night this week. We had Mallard Ball, my last Mallard Ball, crazy! For those of you who don't know, Mallard Ball is an ADPi date social. Its pretty much our biggest thing during the year. Everyone wears camo and dances to Trotline. Guys get excited about the camo! So, that was Thursday night. It was a lot of fun. Our "group" from our pledge class all went together and we all took guys that are really good friends. That always makes it more fun if your dates are all friends. So, that was a lot of fun! Also, my friend Laura who transferred to UGA sophomore year came for the weekend and was able to stop by Mallard ball!

So that was Thursday, Friday night I went camping for the first time! I know its a little late in life to have never done that, but I finally did it! It was fun! I'm pretty much all girl, and would be grossed out without a shower and bathroom for more than one night, but for one night, it was a lot of fun. Ann Fleener, Adam Sleeper (two friends from my Marannook training staff) and I went out to Chewacla for the night. We just hung out trying to start a fire, taking pictures, reading Narnia, and enjoying the beautiful area. It was supposed to be freezing that night, but it really wasn't too bad. It started raining during the night, but we had a tarp over us so rather than it being horrible it was wonderful! So, all in all, a good first camping trip!

Saturday was of course the game. Wow, what a game. So intense. Very sad that we didn't win, but after the season we've been having, that was the most I've enjoyed a game in a long time. We gave a good fight. Our last home game this year. It was so much fun. We were around a good group. We even became friends with the Georgia fans sitting in front of us. But wow it would have been great if we'd won. After the game we kind of went all over campus. Cambridge, to warm ourselves up, then a couple of tailgates, and finally finished it off at Amsterdam's with a little waiting time in Gnu's Room (the used bookstore in Auburn). We ran into one of the guys from our Mallard Ball group as we were leaving the game and he was able to hang out with us. He took this picture that I just had to share because I love it. This was while we were sitting in Gnu's Room waiting for a table at Amsterdams. We finished the day relaxing at the duplex with Kate and Rachel.

Finally, Sunday we went to a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert in Atlanta. Rachel had seen on television the day before that were going to be there and we just decided to go. We got there just in time for the concert that night and left immediately after, but the concert was soo good! They are a rock orchestra and they played mostly Christmas music. They played O Holy Night, and I just thought that is how the angels would have sounded singing that night. It was incredible! So, if you don't know them, look them up, they're really good.

Now, I have to go write a ten page paper that is due Wednesday since I didn't work on it at all this weekend.

Song Recommendations

2008-11-11T18:38:00.001-08:00

While I'm having a hard time thinking of things to write about lately, this is something that I can most definitely talk about. First of all, I am currently listening to How Firm a Foundation by Fernando Ortego. It just makes me happy. Second, I am getting into the Christmas mood early this year. Usually I'm the person who insists on waiting on anything Christmas until Thanksgiving is over, but for some reason, I just don't want to wait this year. I've already pulled out my Amy Grant Christmas cd. I've also been listening to some NSYNC, which being a part of the Nsync generation, their Christmas cd is just as much of a classic. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, so good! Those aren't my recommendations though, this is: The Wexford Carol by Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Krauss. Its beautiful. Alison Krauss's voice is like a musical instrument so she goes perfectly with him. If you go now, you can get it for free at Starbucks. For those of you who don't know, each week they have a new free song. They have a pile of cards at the cash register. Each card has a code on the back that you redeem on I-Tunes. I got that one on Saturday. You should try to get it before its gone! That's all I've got for you right now, I hope you'll enjoy!

My Halloween Weekend

2008-11-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've been reading my sister's blogs about their Halloween weekends, so I thought I'd share mine. Its been a pretty good one. I guess my actual Halloween celebration happened on Thursday night. Halloween social :) I'm not a fan big of socials. Freshman year, sophomore, and even a little bit junior year, I felt like I had to go because that's what my friends wanted to do and I am in ADPi. However, senior year happened and I decided if I didn't want to go I wasn't going to go. I love formals and that kind of dancing but I'm not a fan of dancing to rap music. If I'm going to drink, I'd love just a glass of wine. And you can't hear anyone! So, I freed myself from this senior year, however for some reason I once again felt that need to go to the Halloween social, besides I haven't seen the girls from my pledge class a lot lately and it was a chance to hang out with some of them. I threw together a quick costume: an artist. What can I say, the supplies were easily gathered. I threw on my painting apron, smeared a little paint on my face and arms, and threw some paintbrushes in my apron and behind my ear and I was ready to go. Well, I went and stayed for about 30 minutes, haha. I tried. My sister and roommate stayed in and watched Scream. That sounded good.

Yesterday, Friday, three friends and I joined my roommate Claire in Dothan for the National Peanut Festival! It reminded me a lot of the county fair that we always went to in Scottsboro except it had a lot more booths and festivities outside of the ride area, and maybe a few more rides. It was a lot of fun. We rode the Ferris Wheel, and swings, and the Himalaya, and so many more wonderful rides. I even got to eat some cotton candy. It was so much fun! I'd forgotten how much I used to love those rides. These are a couple of pictures from the night at the petting zoo, group shot in front of the peanut, and on the ferris wheel.

FYI

2008-10-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd let ya'll know, I got to class around 8:23 thinking that today was for sure the day I would be late. Only about half the class was even here! Its now 8:30, and we still haven't started :( This is getting slightly ridiculous.

Class starts in 9 minutes....

2008-10-30T05:51:00.000-07:00

So, my figure drawing class is supposed to start at 8:00. Well, on Tuesday, we started at 9. We never start until at least 8:15. I always get there around 8:05 thinking I'm going to be late and there will only be about two people that have even showed up. So, I'm not leaving today until 8. I'm lying in bed writing this rather than leaving. It still makes me a little nervous, we'll see how it turns out. I was going to blog about all the lasts that I'm experiencing this year, like the last rush, or the last ADPi Rolling Plains Bike Ride, etc. However, I went to http://firstimportance.org/ and I just had to share this quote.

“Jesus Christ is stronger!”
“Ready for some good news? . . .
Jesus Christ is stronger!
Stronger than my fears about the future or my shame over a past that cannot be altered though I wish so much I could do some things differently.
Stronger than my tired prayers with well-worn phrases and weary pleas.
Stronger than my need to know now, and have the trial terminated.
Stronger than the enemy of my soul who would discourage me with my own failings and disillusion me with the faults of others.
Such a simple truth—Jesus Christ is Stronger. ‘Stronger than what,’ you ask? Stronger than whatever would cause you doubt or discouragement today.”
—James McDonald, “Jesus Christ is Stronger”

Such a simple but great reminder! As I've posted before, I'm becoming scared of the future and not knowing what I'm going to do exactly. What does my future hold? I know that I am staying in BFA, which means an extra semester and a senior project. Then I think grad school, but its time to turn that into a reality rather than just an idea, and that's kind of scary. God showed me that I need to stay in BFA though, and I know He'll show me the rest. So, I hope you enjoyed the quote, maybe I'll blog about my lasts some other time!

Waiting

2008-10-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

In the past, I've felt like God has worked in my life by simply placing me in situations that I wouldn't have ended up in unless He put me there. Does that make sense? Like going to Marannook: I was so homesick my first semester at Auburn and I had never heard of Marannook until I got an e-mail at the beginning of the spring semester. Yet, despite those things by Valentines day I was interviewing to be on training staff. I remember on several occassions thinking, what am I doing, am I really going to Marannook? I've never been a great prayer, and I've never felt like I've had to make incredibly huge decisions. I don't really remember switching back to art. Isn't that funny. I don't remember exactly what led to that decision, except that I missed art, and I had a really challenging week with third graders during my summer at Marannook. That is probably the biggest decision I've ever made. Everythings always just felt pretty obvious and automatic. Right now, I'm faced with making a huge decision and quickly. My roommate said last night that this is probably my first adult decision that I will have to make. I'm coming to the end of college, and I'm not headed into marriage. So, I have make decision about what I'm going to do next. What am I going to do next? I've considered Teach for America, grad school to be become a teacher, or even just becoming a secretary and painting at night. I'm realizing that I don't want to have a college degree and then become a secretary, and I don't know if I have the personality or qualities that it takes to pursue a career as an artist. I'm okay with that though. I've always wondered what the point of my year in elementary education was. I think now, that it was to help me see that I could be an art teacher. I'm realizing that I really did have a desire to teach, it was just directed in the wrong way. I've always had a desire to teach. My roommate also said last night that the way I talk about my highschool art class and teacher makes it obvious that I want to do that same thing, that being an art teacher wouldn't just be a job for me. So the decision, do I stick around for an extra semester to get my BFA and do senior project next fall, which I would have to take the spring off because I can't start grad school then. Or, do I go with a BA and graduate in May and go ahead and start moving in the path of teaching, beginning grad school next fall. All I know, is that I can't make this decision on my own. Maybe for the first time in my life, I have to stay in prayer and trust that God is going to show me what to do.

7 Facts

2008-10-19T22:46:00.000-07:00

I actually have a lot I could blog about tonight, but I'm going to stick with the seven facts since I have been tagged twice now, and because I need to get to bed.

1. I went to Destin this weekend with a few friends (I'll blog about it later) and while I was there, I died my hair brown! This is something I always thought I would like to do but never thought I really would. Well, my wonderful friends convinced me to do it, and I think I like it! I've always thought the dark brown hair, pale skin, and red lipstick look was so beautiful. I've got the pale skin and brown hair, now I just need to go buy some red lipstick.
2. In high school, I ran cross-country and we won state every year. At Scottsboro, it was a year round sport. The cross-country team was basically required to run indoor and outdoor track. We also had summer practices every morning. It paid off. Our coach has had around 40 state titles during his career.
3. Part of me wishes I could start college over and go to school to become a librarian. Going to work at a library in a big city every day sounds absolutely wonderful to me.
4. Continuing on the book theme, I want so badly to have a book club, but so far none of my friends have wanted to join me in the endeavor. One of my friends wanted to have a Jane Austen book club this summer, but I had finished Pride and Prejudice within a week and I'm not sure if she ever finished it.
5. I usually feel like I am a younger female version of my Dad, but I'm beginning to see ways I am like my mother. She is an artist. We both love coffee and enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day. She told me she always rearranges the dishes in the dishwasher after my dad has loaded them. I do this all the time with my roomates. I've found other things as well.
6. The thing I hate the most in this world is washing dishes.
7. I really enjoy angry music. I know this sounds horrible, and it makes me wonder about myself, but its just really fun to sing to. Like Kelly Clarkson's song Never Again, Pink's So What, or the Dixie Chick's Not Ready to Make Nice.

I don't think I'm going to tag anyone because my family already has been tagged, and I don't have a ton of friends who blog just yet. I'm working on it though.

Aliens are Coming!

2008-10-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

Have ya'll seen this? Apparently this lady in Australia has said that aliens spoke through her to say that they will be planting their space ship above several states, but the only state they said by name was Alabama. They are called the Federation of Light, and are coming to help. They're all about coming out of love, and trying to get rid of the people who have bad intentions. I just think that's hilarious! I feel a little bit like I'm in the movie Signs. My roomate and sister are watching Psycho, which adds to the creepiness. Well, just thought I'd share the rather unusual news.

Exciting Thoughts for the Day

2008-10-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have a few things to be excited about at the moment. One, I have a test today, not so exciting, but I feel prepared and at 3:15, it will be over and I will no longer have to think about it. That's exciting! Besides, for an art major, there's a lot less pressure than with a project. I certainly want to do well, but if I make a B or C on my 20th Century Art History test, I won't panic and think I'm in the wrong major as compared to making a B or C on a painting. While I can't really say I've enjoyed studying, it is kind of nice to switch things up a bit.

Second thing, immediately following the test I have an appointment with my advisor. Schedule planning time. I always feel like a geek because I get seriously excited about this. There's just so much opportunity for a fresh start in a new schedule. Plus, I'm at the point where I really see an end in sight. This is exciting too, I'm only going to have two studios! Which means that I will have normal hour classes. Like the two hour class I am taking will only actually take two hours, not four.

Next exciting thing, similiar idea, I just got word from my Dad that I will still be under his insurance next fall even if I'm not a full time student! The reason I'm staying next fall is because I have too many classes left to take and also do senior project next semester, but I don't have enough classes to fill up my semester next fall. That is pretty common to not take a full load while doing senior project. So yay, I'll only be doing senior project and one other class next fall!

Onto a none school idea, I ordered the newest book in the Katie Weldon series, and according to the UPS tracking system, its riding around somewhere in Auburn on its way to my duplex! Perfect timing, my reward for getting through the test!

Finally, I have new music on my blog, enjoy!

Final Pieces From the Summer

2008-09-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

None of these are anything I've done this semester, but I finally took some pictures, so I thought I'd publish. The first two images are monoprints, and the third is a painting I did of Ann holding Ellie.

Freedom

2008-09-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

In my painting class we have been given the assignment to paint freedom, whatever that means to us. Since I haven't written a lot about art in my blog lately, I thought I'd share what I've written for that assignment. Its not always the best grammar because I was just trying to get my thoughts down quickly, but here it is :)

Friday afternoon, I sat outside in my backyard. The weather was perfect; literally I was not at all cold and not at all hot. There was a wonderful breeze blowing which refreshed me in the perfect way. I sat there enjoying the breeze and looking out into the woods behind our house. I considered the fact that usually, my moments of greatest contentment are when I am outside. It seems the light breeze has a calming affect on me. What I feel in the breeze is God’s presence. It feels like God’s hand pushing me on saying He will carry me through. As I sat enjoying this, this perfection, I realized, this must have been what Eden was like. When the world wasn’t a fallen place and everything was as it was meant to be. Man and woman lived for God’s glory and walked with Him daily. That is freedom. Knowing Christ is freedom, and we can’t yet know complete freedom because we are still sinners, but he has freed us from the guilt of sin and the debt of sin and restored the joy of a relationship with Him. He gives signs and hints of that in nature. I see it in the beauty of a sunset, the woods in my backyard, a gentle breeze, a sky full of stars, or waves rolling in on a beach. He has given me freedom to accept myself as He created me, not because I’m so great, but because He is. He has given me freedom to love others because I don’t have to fight to gain things for myself or prove myself. I know He will give me all I need and I know that my life has no validity apart from Him. He frees me from the power of my vain and worldly idols. He shows me how insignificant and powerless the things of the world are in comparison to Him. He is freedom. I don’t always live in that freedom, I try to carry the weight myself, but when I come humbly before Him, He is willing to give me all of that and more. Ralph Waldo Emerson said “Nature is too thin a screen, the glory of the omnipresent God bursts through everywhere.” I believe nature is a visual of God’s grace. How do I paint this? I want to paint the present day walking with God. No, we cannot physically see God, but He is still just as present, and some of my greatest conversations with Him are when I am walking outside. Hints of Eden are still very much alive in our modern world. So, I want to paint the beauty of nature, yet with hints of the fact that it is modern day. Like a very metal, very ugly walking sign or buildings in the background. I’ll paint a figure walking in this, with bright colors and lights and hints of a breeze signifying God’s presence. I want to paint the experience of walking with God and the freedom that comes in that action.

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

LSU Game!

2008-09-20T09:49:00.001-07:00

War Eagle! Today is the LSU game, and I'm so excited!! This is kind of random to write about football two posts in a row, but I thought you might all enjoy being taken back to the days of football gamedays :) I looked up the LSU/Auburn statistics last night, and it was kind of crazy. For the past 8 years, the home team has won the game. Five of the last six years, the winner of this game has represented the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game. The winnner always wins by about a touchdown or less, and apparently we both have very strong defenses. So, this has gotten me really pumped up for the game! I went with a friend last night to stake out a tailgating spot for her sister-in-law, and it was crazy. Everything was taken. There's a difference this week compared to just every football game for sure. I woke up this morning to watch GameDay on ESPN in front of Auburn's stadium. So cool! I probably should have been there, but my friends and I don't really do that kind of thing. It was fun to watch on television though, and know that I was only about 10 minutes away. While America has guessed that LSU will win (it was only about 48% to 52%), the men on the show chose Auburn. After last week, I think we're all a little nervous, but excited! Auburn always seems to pull it together for the tougher teams. Well, I better go hop in the shower, I've got some tailgating to do. By the way, Aubie is in second place in the Capital One Bowl. Go vote for him! http://www.capitalonebowl.com

Saturday Afternoon Football

2008-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Its Saturday afternoon and I'm in McDonough(sp?) Ga babysitting Ada. Laura Beth and Scott (my sister and brother-in-law) went to Swanee (again I don't know how to spell that) for a Dave Ramsey seminar. Ada has just fallen asleep, and while I should be working on either the reading that I have to do, or the paper that I have to write, I've sat down to watch a little bit of the GA Tech/VA Tech football game. It makes me really miss high school Saturdays. Growing up in the Rhodes family, its a given that you are an Auburn fan. Seriously, almost every aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, and sister went there. Everyone in my immediate family went to Auburn. So, of course, I've always been an Auburn fan. It wasn't until high school that I actually became a football than though. I distinctly remember sitting in my art class and a guy friend challenged me to name three football players from Auburn's team. I couldn't do it. It made me really mad. It made me mad that I couldn't argue back. I knew he was right that I couldn't argue with him, an Alabama fan, if I didn't even watch the game. So, I decided to start watching football with my father. I really loved it. I ran cross-country and would go to meets in the morning. It was always such a relief when the meet was over, and I never did homework on a Saturday in high school. That was what Sunday night was for. I just loved those afternoons. They were the epitome of relaxation. The school week was over, the meet was over, and I could just relax on the couch and watch Auburn football with my dad. It was a great time to become a fan too, just a year or two later we had the undefeated season. Honestly, unless its a really big game, I'd still rather watch a game on television. I loved going to the games freshman and sophomore year, but I think last year kind of messed it up for me. It was such a busy semester that by the time Saturday came around, I wanted a chance to rest or get caught up on things I needed to do. Going to a football game isn't exactly relaxing. Usually I went to the game anyways, I just didn't get as into it. This year has been much better though, and I'm certainly enjoying my Saturday afternoon football games today! Well, Ada has decided to wake up early, so I better get back to my babysitting duties.

2008-09-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hi! So as I've mentioned, I think, I've been very unmotivated to blog these days. I just don't feel like I have a lot to tell; I have a pretty monotonous life so far this year. I want to break through this though, because I loved it this summer, and I love the idea of it being my senior year journal. It kind of makes sense that I'm getting bored, because my entire life I've started journals and not finished them. I always start out so motivated and excited about it but slowly the interest fades. Sophomore and Junior year I was actually pretty consistent, but one night I read through it and noticed that all I wrote about were guys. I became very annoyed with myself and stopped writing in it that night. It's a shame, because its the cutest journal I've ever had. So this seemed to be working better, but here I am again, bored.

I need to share some more art. Its more just left over things from this summer. Although, I have finished a drawing project recently. We were required to draw one object many different ways. I chose an engagement ring. You see, its senior year, and it seems that that means everyone has permission to get engaged now. It's so exciting. I'm not lying when I say that it was so much fun when my friend Kelly got engaged and had a candle light. Such an exciting night! However, all of the engagements led to a week or two of panic for me. I'm not kidding when I say I panicked. Its kind of humorous now. I was practically thinking I had to find someone right then to get engaged to. I think I've passed that moment of panic, I hope. I think it just hit me that I had always thought I would get engaged senior year, and that's not going to happen. I panicked over the fact that my life wasn't turning out the way I had always envisioned. Of course, that's okay, but I wasn't convinced of that for a second. I think the project honestly helped. I drew a lot of rings, all kind of chaotic, haha. That's just my style :) It led to a lot of discussion, and I'm definitely not the only one feeling that way. Of course my teacher, who is an artist and from the north told me, don't worry, I didn't get married until I was 40. I've started to joke and say maybe I'll just be that crazy, single, artist aunt. That would be an okay life, I am pretty obsessed with my nieces and nephew(s?). Everything in life has its ups and downs doesn't it? Because I'm not getting married, I could practically do anything I want when I graduate. That's so wonderful and exciting, and also extremely scary. I've lived a pretty safe life so far. It might be about time to do something kind of crazy, like Teach for America, or going to school in Chicago, or maybe I'll go to UAB. Who knows. I'm completely rambling. I'm sorry, I feel like I do that a lot. I'm going to end now, and just say that I'll try to post my engagement rings soon.

I have called you preacher; I have called you son. If you have a father or if you haven't one, I'll do anything for you. I did everything for you. - For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti, by Sufjan Stevens

The Other Side of Being an Art Major

2008-09-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

After writing for an entire summer about how much I love art and being an art major, I'm suddenly having very different feelings. It was a good summer. I basically painted whatever I wanted and only had two classes with plenty of time left over to get work done but also just hang out. Also, I think the teacher I had the past two semesters had a similar taste in art as I do. For the most part, I look at art to see beauty and an escape from the world that isn't always beautiful. I use it to escape as I'm creating it. I could spend all my time just painting tons and tons of people. I'm not looking to make a huge statement. I just want to bring a smile to the viewer. I think my teacher from this summer was okay with that. He had also encouraged me to continue building on the style I was creating. So that's what I'm used to. Also, he let me paint whatever I wanted.

This semester, I've been finishing up my final painting from the summer. The teacher never really said anything, so I assumed I was fine. I've become spoiled after this summer. I had an idea though, and was ready to begin my next painting on Tuesday. The teacher came up to discuss what I was beginning, and in the nicest way possible, pretty much let me know that I wasn't getting my point across at all and I needed to keep working on a better idea. Its good. I need that, I know. That's the point of school right? To be challenged. In fact, I often complain about the fact that the teachers in the art department are too easy. Now that I'm actually being challenged, it doesn't feel so good. I have to come up with something completely from myself: some brilliant idea, when all I really want is to paint people laughing together. I don't want to completely challenge the viewer. I want the painting to be a break from everything. Its times like these, that I just wish I had something to study. Its also times like these that I think I just need to be a high school art teacher, not a struggling artist. I'll figure it out, and once I do, I'll love being an art major again. I'll keep you updated!

I'm Back!

2008-09-03T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, its actually been two weeks since I posted. I've even had a couple of people tell me I need to update! I just haven't felt very motivated to write. Actually, I've been unmotivated period. I haven't done a lot of art other than the bare minimum. My room is a mess, I just haven't felt like cleaning. I've even been pretty unsocial, spending a lot more time just at the house, not really wanting to get out. I haven't been a hermit or anything, I went to a birthday party last night and then over to my sisters. I've just especially enjoyed nights at home. I've overslept like three times in the past two weeks. Basically, I've just been kind of blah, you know what I mean? I was driving home from my cancelled class today feeling very frustrated with how lazy I've been and my inability to get past it, when I realized what it was. I haven't been in the Word lately. Honestly, this is the longest I've stayed out of the Word in a long time. This is how I work. I miss one day, the next day is easier to skip, the next even easier, and all of a sudden I've formed a pattern, a habit. The longer I don't spend time with God the more ashamed I become and so I stay away. I guess I think God is going to be mad at me. Which is exactly what the Gospel says, right? :) So, as I was driving home, it became so obvious that of course I'm lazy and unenergized. He is my life. He is what gives me purpose and hope and motivation for everything I do. So if my relationship with Him is off balance, well then, of course the rest of my life is going to be as well. I've been a Christian for most of my life, and I still find myself amazed when I see that what the Bible says is so true. He is the reason for my life, and apart from Him, I just don't work. I don't like who I am without Him. I'm not a nice person, I mean can be good at faking it. Which is why I think I'm writing about this, because so much of my Christianity is about putting on a good front for others, holding on to this lifestyle and image that I've created for myself. That's so wrong though, because Christianity says that we are messed up, fallen people graciously saved by God. So why make it about the good person I am? I want to be honest about how I am struggling. The great thing is though, that no matter how far I go, I know I'm a Christian and God will complete what He finishes, and I continue to see Him drawing me to Himself when I deserve it the least. He's even using my sin to show me that I have to have Him in my life, I don't work apart from Him. I still know that there is hope in Him. So, that's where I am. I'm not going to become an atheist, I'm not severely depressed, I just wanted to share what God is gracefully teaching me in spite and even through my sin and disobedience. I wish I was a more eloquent writer, but there it is :)

You see the depths of my heart and you love me the same, You are amazing God. - Indescribable, I think Christ Tomlin gets credit for this song.

And the First Day of Senior Year...

2008-08-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

I'm noticing that each year, I gain this new level of confidence or familiarity. Today was the first day of class, and I drove up to College Street, put the quarter in the meter, walked down Magnolia, and crossed the street to the ground floor of Biggin Hall, the only building I have classes in anymore. I then walked to the end of the hall, room 005, the art history room. Its the fourth class I've had there. I didn't even look up my classroom number. As I was sitting down, I began to ask the girl next to me whether it was definitely 20th century art history, and I realized it was Whitney, my printmaking friend. I sat down beside her and saw a friend that I took drawing and design with freshman year and waved. As I looked around, I realized I knew more than half of the people in the class. After class, I immediately walked over to J & M to buy my used book, and then walked back to my car. Its become such an easy, and familiar routine. I belong in Biggin. The unsure and insecure days of freshman year, and even sophomore year are so far behind me. I noticed that last year, and I feel like its even greater this year. I feel like a senior. It still seems insane to me that I'm already here, but at the same time I feel like a senior. Its a good feeling. I know that God has brought me so far in these three years. I was talking to a friend last night about how amazing it is to know that God is moving and working in our lives, so that whether we can or can't see how He has used certain things, we know he has used them for our good. What a gift. I think He has taught me to be more comfortable with who I am, and the relationships that I have formed. I'm learning to appreciate my quiet personality that I've been so insecure about in the past. I'm learning to appreciate my relationships for what they are rather than trying to manipulate them into being what I wished they were. I have wonderful friendships and a wonderful family. Its only by God's grace, because I'm not doing anything differently. I'm so excited about the year to come. Can't wait to see what it holds!

This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my Father's world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; his hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father's world, the birds their carols raise, the morning light, the lily white, declare their maker's praise. This is my Father's world: he shines in all that's fair; in the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere.
This is my Father's world. O let me ne'er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. This is my Father's world: why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad!"

Final Day of Summer

2008-08-06T15:25:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day of summer before senior year begins. Pre-rush starts tomorrow at 5:00, and after one day off, classes will begin. I can't believe it. I know that everyone says it, but it really is crazy how each year, or each summer, goes by faster. I'm not ready for it to be over. I'm kind of in mourning. I'm in my new duplex, and its wonderful, but I miss my roommates. I know that I'm going to love living with these new girls in this amazing duplex, but I'd gotten comfortable in the apartment, and its hard to leave comfort. I've gotten comfortable with the schedule of my summer as well. I wonder what I will remember when I look back at this summer. This could be the summer that changed my career path, that's a pretty big deal. Its the summer that I lived with Ann, Casey, and Laura. The summer that I got to read like crazy! The summer I started my blog, haha. Its been a good summer. I don't think I've been outside enough, but I much prefer the fall. Summer nights on a back porch are good, but I didn't have that here. Anyways, its been a good summer, and I know that I'll look back on it as that.

So now what? I do get really excited as I begin a new chapter in my life. What will happen this year? A few friends will leave, I'll make a final decision for my concentration, I'll live in the duplex, friends will probably get engaged, my sister will have a baby, and the ones that are already here will become a year older. What else? A job maybe, crossing my fingers, perhaps helping out the youth at covenant. What does God have planned for me? What trials, and what joys. The possibilities are so huge, and that's so exciting, but even more exciting, is that its not random, God is putting it all together. Its funny, writing the first paragraph was making me very sad, and now this paragraph is making me very excited. Good way to end :)

Song lyric: "How I wish you could see the potential, the potential of you and me. It's like a book elegantly bound but, in a language that you can't read....just yet." I Will Posses Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie.

I just love that. I love his confidence that they would be wonderful together, and his confidence that she will know, even if she doesn't know, just yet. There's something beautiful, romantic, and fitting for the guy to know first. And what a beautiful way to phrase it.

Will I Ever Learn Patience?

2008-07-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

In one week, I will be living in a brand new duplex! Stopping by tonight has led me to do a lot of reflection. After three years in the dorm, you can imagine how excited I must be. Freshman year, I lived in the lower Quad. As far as I can remember, I handled the actual living in a dorm okay. I lived with an old friend from home. She was a great roommate, and I was completely comfortable with her, but we didn't hang out a lot. I didn't really click with my suite mates either. Because my car was out in c-zone, I felt very trapped in my little dorm room. I am an extreme extrovert in the fact that I need to be around other people, and I remember many lonely nights there. Sophomore year was a completely different story. I moved onto the ADPi hall, and was surrounded by wonderful friends there. I loved my roommate and suite mates. There was always someone around, keeping the extrovert in me very satisfied. I felt like my college experience was set, and it was going to be perfect from then on out. About halfway through the year, we began discussing living situations for the next year, perhaps getting an apartment or house for several of us. At the same time, another friend suggest I be New Member Coordinator for the next year. To my surprise, I felt God leading me to be NMC. That meant a third year in the dorm. To be honest, the day I moved into the dorm for a third year, I was feeling quite depressed. I couldn't believe I was going to have to live in that tiny space again that never felt clean, had no kitchen, and no convenient way to do laundry. It was a challenging year. I loved being NMC and forming relationships with all of the freshman. What an amazing pledge class, but most of the time I felt very inadequate and like I had no right to be in that position. I know that God placed me there, and I trust that He was able to work through me, but I struggled not to become weighed down by my weaknesses. At the same time, I stayed very busy and didn't get to see my friends often. The second semester, when I was no longer NMC, I was taking four studio classes, and literally spent all my time in the studio. That entire year, I would make out schedules for my day from 6:30 to 11:00, leaving very little time for seeing people. I often questioned why God would choose to put me in the dorm that year, why once again I rarely got to see friends. I don't think I ever question that God is control or has a reason for what He does, but I know I often struggle not to believe that I know better how my life should go. In moments like this, that idea is humorous to me, but as soon as things aren't going that well, I loose patience. Well, God carried me through the year, and I've had an amazing summer living in an apartment with three wonderful friends. It truly has been wonderful, and in one week, I will be moving into a brand new duplex with two good friends, and three friends next door! I'll say it again, its brand new, and I have my own bathroom, and a driveway! You can't get a much better home as a college student. God has truly given me more than I deserve. I thank God that He isn't satisfied with leaving me the way that I am but continues to work on me so that I might look more like Him. I pray that I am a more patient person now, and can see that He is always working and moving in my life.

"Bury my head for the shame, you pick me up, you say I look like you" Sing, by Jars of Clay

A Night out in Atlanta

2008-07-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

I just had the best night with my wonderful roommates. It was one of those nights that makes me long to live in the city! It was a delayed birthday celebration for Ann and Laura, and Casey and I, not wanting to be left out, realized it was also our half birthdays, almost to the day! So, we left Auburn around 4:30, looking very nice by the way, and drove two hours over to Atlanta. Our first stop was the aquarium. Friday nights are Jazz nights. I think we were imagining jazz playing, wine glasses, dimmed lights. That wasn't quite the atmosphere. The jazz was kind of a Caribbean jazz, and the drinks were sold in plastic cups. However, the aquarium was really cool. I had never been to an aquarium and it was very enjoyable!

After the aquarium, we drove over to Virginia Highlands for dinner at Murphy's. It was a suggestion from Laura Beth, and she did a wonderful job. It was perfect! Virginia Highlands is so cool, and we wished it wasn't 10 o'clock at night so that we could look around. It was ten o'clock their time by the time we got there, so we were literally their last costumers, which was great. I've never gotten my food so quickly, and it felt like we had the entire restaurant to ourselves! I got trout by the way, with green beans and grilled potatoes. Delicious. I also splurged on a nice glass of wine, which was wonderful! It was such good food, and we laughed so hard :)

Laura had the brilliant idea of asking our waiter if there were any good jazz clubs nearby. Well, he went and brought out another waiter who seemed to know the jazz clubs around town very well. He suggested a place called Churchill Grounds next door to the Fox Theater. It was so cool. My kind of bar. It wasn't exactly Sky bar. We just sat at a table and listened to really good jazz. Auburn doesn't have that, or at least I've never been to anything like that here at Auburn. I certainly don't know a lot about jazz, but I was pretty much blown away. I loved watching them interact as they were playing the music. I really want to do a painting now of people making music together.

So, that was our night. Pretty much amazing! Happy birthday to Laura and Ann!

Lyric for today:

"So I'll check the weather wherever you are, Cause I wanna know if you can see the stars tonight, It might be my only right" John Mayer, Split Screen Sadness

Its Been a Week...

2008-07-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's midnight and I've just gotten back from three hours at the studio. This may sound weird, but all along, I'll have these moments where I'm just amazed at the fact that I'm an artist. Tonight is one of those times. I'm just blown away by the fact that God has allowed me to have this in my life. Its just this feeling of being so lucky that I actually have some talent and ability that enables me to spend hours painting. To actually major in it, well that's incredible. It kind of blows my mind to know that at one point I actually changed from art to education.

I've been slacking off on time in the studio lately, so today I decided that on MWF, I will make myself spend at least 5 hours painting, and on Tuesday and Thursdays 2-3 hours. I'm going to start treating it more like a job rather than just going when I feel like it. It worked today, and I felt very productive. I'm continuing to work on the painting of Ellie and Ann. I think I made a lot of progress today. My professor has encouraged me to try to break out of my typical color palette with this one. Apparently I always use similar colors, but its hard to change because I can't even really see it. So, its been a little difficult, but I really do think I made progress. I also started a new painting tonight. A friend asked me to redo a painting of a print she has of a couple dancing. I always feel productive when I've started a new painting.

So I've been thinking that I need to start an actual website to sell my paintings. Its funny most of the paintings I've done this summer have either been bought, or I painted them for a specific person. Its certainly not a bad problem to have, but it doesn't leave me with a lot of paintings to put on a website. I guess I could just put up images of those paintings, and maybe people will continue to request paintings of one of their own images. Since, for now this is my website, if there is anyone out there who wants to buy the couple eating cotton candy, it is available :)

As I've mentioned before, I love music! I've decided to finish my posts with a favorite song lyric. This is probably more for my entertainment than yours, but maybe you'll enjoy it as well.
Tonight's lyric is from "Such Great Heights" by the Postal Service, a classic.

"When you are out there on the road for
Several weeks of shows and when you scan
The radio, I hope this song will guide you home"

I love the visual of that line: imagining her driving home, lonely, and the song actually coming on the radio!

By the way, since I've mentioned it before, I've just begun book 5 of Harry Potter. Its kind of like watching TV on DVD. Its like one big book, and I can't stop. Its so great!

I think that's all for tonight. Maybe soon, I'll actually have more of a purpose to my post. Good night.

Growing Up

2008-07-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

So, I got my hair cut! Its right at my chin. She even had to shave my neck a little bit! I love it. I'm really glad I've waited as long as I have to cut it this short because I was so ready for short hair again that I have absolutely no regrets. Yesterday my roommates were commenting on it, and they told me that I look so much older. They were trying to figure out how old I looked and finally decided on 23. It made me laugh because they were going on about how old I look, and that's only one year older than I am. Which means, that before I looked much younger than I was. Of course, its kind of like the single thing, I've heard it so much at this point that I just laugh. However, there was one time I was renting a movie, and the lady couldn't believe that I was old enough to drive. That was this year. So basically, she thought I was about 8 years younger than I am. I found it harder to laugh that time.

I also bought a piece of furniture yesterday! That definitely makes me feel grown up. There is an antique shop, Gidgets, out on 280 that is going out of business. So, it was a nice piece of furniture but majorly marked down. Exciting find for me. Its a cute little wooden end table. I think its something I can use for a while now. I think thats what makes me feel old, when I'm buying things that I know will be in my apartment or house after graduating and starting my life out in the real world.

Its so weird to me that I'm 22 years old. I know for a lot of you, that sounds pretty young, but for me, it sounds really old. I thought I would feel more grown up by now :) At the same time, I'm starting to feel a little restless here in Auburn. I'm ready to do something new. I'm ready to be in a city. When I say city, I mean anywhere from Birmingham to Chicago. I've lived in a small town my entire 22 years, and I'm much more of a city girl. The fact that I'm actually beginning to feel ready to leave makes me feel older. In a year and a half, I will be out of college, and I think I would consider that being officially "grown up." Considering I've only been here three years, I know that year and a half will fly by!

Haircut!!

2008-07-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

So, I know I'm posting for the second time today, but I had to fill everyone in, even though you probably don't care. I made a hair appointment today for Wednesday!! I'm so excited. I've gotten so sick of my hair. After Wednesday I will have much less of it to deal with. This is the cut I've decided on except with more bangs and maybe just slightly shorter. Yay!

Update

2008-07-14T08:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a quick update on what I've been working on. First, the painting of my parents is nearly completed. I almost hate to call it a painting of my parents because as happy as I am with the painting overall, it doesn't looks like my parents. Other than that, I'm pleased with how it has turned out, and so glad that I'm almost finished with it! The next painting is one that I've started of Ann holding Ellie when she was much younger. I obviously have a long way to go, Ellie doesn't really have a face. The third image is a picture I took outside of the studio. I'm certainly no photographer, but I really liked this picture, so I thought I'd share!

Auburn Public Library

2008-07-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

I've found a new favorite thing. I've decided to begin the Harry Potter series again from the beginning. As big as a fan as I am, I believe the only book I've read more than once is the sixth one. Since the entire series is completed, I think its a great time to start over. So, I took a trip to the public library today. I loved it! First of all, they had so many wonderful movies that I wouldn't normally think to rent, but once I saw them, I had to get them. One example was a documentary entitled Scottsboro, An American Tragedy. The fact that there is a movie titled that made me laugh so hard. It made laugh even harder to imagine watching it with my roommates. I'm sure it would paint a wonderful picture of Scottsboro for them! Of course, its a very sad story, not funny at all. However, those thoughts made me laugh really hard! I was going to rent The Way We Were, but it turns out since I was getting my library card for the first time today, I could only rent one thing. I had also found a Francine Rivers' novella. They had so many great things. Also, I can try out new authors now without taking a risk by spending money! Needless to say, I will be returning to the Auburn Library. Oh, sadly, they only had books 4-7 in the Harry Potter series, but I rented the movie Rebecca, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and enjoyed it very much!

A Long Weekend Home

2008-07-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm at the end of my weekend home. I came home on Thursday, and I'm leaving early enough tomorrow morning to get to my one o'clock class. I should be asleep, I'm pretty obsessive about getting my 8 hours every night and begin to panic if its not happening. But, alas, I'm wide awake. There's nothing worse than lying in bed when you aren't at all tired. I'll let you in on something that I don't think many people know about me. I always want to talk like I'm in a Jane Austen novel or Harry Potter book. I love the words horrid, rubbish, dreadful, alas, etc. Just a little fact about me :)

It was a good weekend. Plenty of time with my nieces and nephew, and of course the rest of my family. It gave me the chance to discuss a couple of things with my parents. I'm beginning to reconsider some of my future plans. After this summer, I have such a desire to continue my education as a painter, and to perhaps actually be an artist. I've really fallen in love with painting in a whole new way this summer, and I've gotten a lot of great feedback. I have another year and a half at Auburn, and I've considered doing Teach for America after that. Teach for America would take me to a city to teach for two years. I could then get instate tuition somewhere else, and go to a slightly better art school to get my masters in painting instead of teaching. I don't know. I've got a year to pray about it. I know I don't do that enough. Talking it over with my parents reminded me of how glad I am to have an artist for a mother. As I told my dad, I could see graphs of time and money and practicality forming in his head. Which, I love him for that, he's always taking care of me and looking for the best for me. However, I told my Mom, and she was basically like, of course you should do that. She understands that need to create, and the desire to always work and push myself to take it further. She was a graphic design major, and I think if she could go back, she would have been a Fine Arts major. I kind of feel like her second chance. Having an artist for a mother also meant that I was able to get six free canvases out of her studio! Yay!

I also went through my work from the past three years while I was at home. I could barely stand to look at my paintings from last semester. I enjoyed looking at my drawings though. All I did in high school was draw, and now I never do. That makes me a little sad, but luckily, I'm taking Advanced Drawing this fall.

I also went to Bridgestreet in Huntsville today. I hadn't been since Christmas; it had come a long way. Its so fun and nice. I got a dress for recruitment, and a soup bowl from Anthropology. Its almost painful to go into that store; its so cute and so out of my price range.

That was basically my weekend. My dad grilled hamburgers, and my Mom and sister added to the meal, and it was delicious. I saw my sister's house that is coming along beautifully, and I heard my brother-in-law preach. That is always a treat. So, back to AU tomorrow!

May I Have This Dance

2008-07-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

So, third day in a row. I just finished Tim Keller's book The Reason for God, and I want to share some things from it. I highly recomend it. In the book, he addresses the most common doubts about Christianity. He acknowledges that there are good reasons for those doubts, but then goes on to explain why none of them actually disprove Christianity, and why Christianity actually makes more sense. In the final chapter, he describes the Gospel in a way that I had never heard before. He compares it to a dance, and I thought it was beautiful. So I wanted to share some of that with you.

"The inner life of the triune God, however, is utterly different. The life of the Trinity is characterized not by self-centeredness but by mutally self-giving love. When we delight and serve someone else, we enter into a dynamic orbit around him or her, we center on the interests and desires of the other. That creates a dance, particularly if there are three persons, each of whom moves around the other two. So it is, the Bible tells us. Each of the divine persons centers upon the others. None demands that the others revolve around him. Each voluntarily circles the other two, pouring love, delight, and adoration into them. Each person of the Trinity loves, adores, defers to, and rejoices in the others. That creates a dynamic, pulsating dance of joy and love. The early leaders of the Greek church had a word for this-perichoresis. Notice our word "choreography" within it. It means literally to "dance or flow around."

"God did not create us to get the cosmic, infinite joy of mutual love and glorification, but to share it. We were made to join in the dance. If we will center our lives on him, serving him not out of self-interest, but just for the sake of who he is, for the sake of his beauty and glory, we will enter the dance and share in the joy and beauty and glory, we will enter the dance and share in the joy and love he lives in. We were designed, then, not just for belief in God in some general way, nor for a vague kind of inspiration or spirituality. We were made to center our lives upon him, to make the purpose and passion of our lives knowning, serving, delighting, and resembling him. This growth in happiness will go on eternally, increasing unimaginably (1 Corinthians 2:7-10)."

"When Jesus died for you he was, as it were, inviting you into the dance. He invites you to begin centering everything in your life on him, even as he has given himself for you."

Copeland is one of my favorite bands, and from what I've heard they are all Christians. This is one of my favorite songs by them, and I've always liked to think of it as an allegory of God. They probably didn't write it with that intention, but after reading this chapter, I will definitely think of it that way.

May I have this dance?
Saw you sitting lonely, I hoped you would say "Yes"
May I have this dance?
Look into my eyes as I offer you my hand, my hand

Dance forever...

Stretch out my hand
To dance with your inviting, warmth providing hand
And I'll stand out facing me, embracing me
Into my companion for a dance

Dance forever...
Dance forever!

When we dance, I'll whisper nothing in your ear
Speak in words you'd never hear
This, my love, it will not stop or start
And, you know that in your heart
You know that in your heart...

You lift your hands to me!
You lift your hands to me, and hold me so close!
We will dance forever!
We will dance forever!
We will dance forever!

So Frustrating!!

2008-06-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry to be negative again, but I'm so frustrated with my painting! My Mom didn't answer her phone, so my frustration is going out to all of you. I've been working on this painting of my parents for longer than any painting so far this summer. The more I work, the more I love my Mom, and the more I hate my Dad. (In the painting of course :) I've worked, and worked, and worked, and my Dad just looks creepy. He doesn't fit the rest of the painting, which I'm loving. I thought maybe this morning my teacher could give me some advice. Well, guess what his advice was. Fix the collar. Yeah, to make my dad look better, he said to fix his collar! I'm thinking maybe I just need to stop. Take a week off and then come back to it. I'm beginning a painting of Ann holding newborn Ellie first. Maybe this one will go better.

Just Enough

2008-06-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

My Mom has always said about my sisters and I, I guess mostly Kate and I, maybe all of us, that we are like her. We have just enough (art) talent to keep us frustrated. I am feeling very frustrated these days. I said I wanted to really learn to love painting this summer and really dig into it, and I have. At the last critique, everyone else had one painting from the summer, and I had five. Its been great. I really do love painting so much more now and feel like I'm really creating a style for myself. Here's where the frustration comes in. Even with that much painting, I've still had a lot of time left over. In fact, I'm starting to feel kind of bored. (However, I'm so thankful because its rare to be bored in college, and I'll feel refreshed for the fall semester). Here's the obvious answer, spend more time in the studio. Here's the problem, it costs money to make paintings. I would love to just create, create, create, but it costs money to buy canvases and paints.
Thinking about that has just gotten me frustrated about a lot more. I'm very disillusioned with the idea of being an artist. My roomate has told me that she wants to buy my painting of the apples. I love her for that, and I'm very excited to sell something. However, its not very much money that I'm selling it to her for. It should probably be a lot more, but I know that college students aren't going to spend that much money on art. Also, notice she picked the apples. Painting apples in about an hour is fine, but I don't want to spend most of my time painting apples. Apples mean nothing to me. I want to paint people. I want to paint relationships, and the beauty of connecting with people. No one cares to buy paintings of random people. So, do I paint things to sell them, or do I do what I love, what makes an artist an artist, and paint what I care about?
This is a huge reason why I plan on being a high school art teacher. I really do want to be a teacher. My high school art classes meant so much to me, and if it hadn't been for those classes, I probably wouldn't be in school to be an "artist." I love the thought of creating that setting for more students. There is a part of me though, that dreads the day when my schooling ends. I want to continue to become a greater artist and keep painting and working and learning. My selfish side wants my career to be that of an artist, but is that really possible?
I'm sorry, this isn't a very happy post. On a happy note, I've added some new music. Jason Mraz, I typically don't like that much these days, but I love his newest song. Its so relaxing. Its like a lullabye. I also added a song from Beauty and the Beast. Recently some friends and I had a girls night and watched old Disney movies. We watched Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite, and rewatching I decided that Belle and I could be kindred spirits. Her love for books, and her longing for a new adventure, not being satisifed with the usual. Finally, her choice in guys. I've never liked typical guys. A guy has to be quirky for me to like him. By the way, have you ever noticed that Disney characters always have parental problems?
So, I know this wasn't the best entry ever, but I kind of like to think of it as my journal, and this is what I felt like writing about. Sorry for pulling you into it :)

Studio and New Paintings

2008-06-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

I got slightly camera happy with my roomate's camera. She has this wonderful camera, and I was in this mood to take a picture of every angle of the studio in order to remember each corner 30 years from now. The studio is called Biggin Hall, and it's located on Toomers Corner! Isn't that amazing? I basically live on Toomers Corner. Its also slightly dangerous, because it means that there are three coffee shops very close by :) I love my studio. I love being there. I couldn't have a better building in a better spot on campus. So, I've included an image of the building and an image of my corner of the studio. This is the Painting 3 classroom. It changes with each class, but for this summer, this is my spot in Biggin Hall. I've also included three paintings. The first painting isn't finished. It's a painting I'm doing of my parents, and I have a lot of work left to do, especially in the faces, but I've definitely gotten a good start. The second painting is for you Laura Beth. I have final touches I want to make to it, but there it is. Don't worry if it doesn't work for your living room! Finally, the apples. I had some extra time in class, so I did that in about 2 hours. Its actually pretty small, maybe a 1 1/2 ft by 1 1/2 ft. So, there's a visual for where I do my work, and an update on what I've been doing!

The Ultimate Pursuer

2008-06-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

I had lunch today with a friend's family after church. It was so much fun, and so sweet of them to have me. As a college student, I feel like its always a treat to spend some time with a family. While I was there, one of the sisters asked if I was dating someone or whether I liked anyone. I laughed to myself later thinking, is there ever a time when a girl doesn't like someone? They later discussed setting me up with their cute, apparently amazing, and rugged cousin! Ah, the life of a single girl. Now Rachel, I'm assuming you're reading this, and I hope you know I so don't care that they asked these things; everyone asks, and I just smile and laugh to myself. My favorite is when people ask if I'm dating someone and then express their confussion, with "well I don't know why not," like there must be something wrong with me, a reason that I'm single that they've missed. Its the universal thorn in the side of single college girls, and I'm not the exception.
I certainly don't consider myself as being less of a person, or feel like my life hasn't started because I'm not in a relationship. I've certainly never been someone who has to be in a relationship. I feel like I can say that I trust that God will bring someone in His timing, if that's His will. However, I certainly have my phases where its harder to trust. I can't wait to be in a relationship, and sometimes its hard to see my married sisters or dating/engaged friends and not be slightly jealous, or crazy jealous :) That's the reality of being a girl. We have this area of our lives that we constantly have to turn over to God. I once had a very wise, married, woman tell me that the girl is always waiting on the man. We wait for him to ask us out, wait for him to propose, then wait to be married, and once you're married you wait for him to make decisions. After the fall of Adam and Eve, God tells Eve that, right? Correct me if I'm misinterpreting, but God says that her desire would be for her husband and he would rule over her. But you know, I think that this time makes my relationship with Christ more intimate.
I've had several reminders this summer of how God is our ultimate pursuer. I recently watched both Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea. As the movie ended, I basically felt like I couldn't be happy unless I married someone just like Gilbert. Of course, I feel the same way after finishing several movies, such as Pride and Prejudice. So I began to think about it, why did I want to marry Gilbert? Because his love for her doesn't end. He doesn't have a great reason for liking her from the beginning. She's horrible to him, and no matter how much he tries to make amends, she refuses to give in. He loves her anyways. His love is so enduring, no matter how imipossible it seems, no matter how little she deserves is, he's always there, ready to accept her. After disecting it, I realized that everything about Gilbert that is so appealing, is a description of Christ's love for me. He has no reason to love me, and yet He does. No matter what I do, he will always love me. It was humbling and beautiful when I realized this. A man will never be able to love me in that way.
My roomate and I were recently discussing the fact that God's love is so much more intimate than a man's will ever be. We both shared examples of how God had provided for us, and shown us His love in a way that a guy simply couldn't do. He knows what we need, often times when we don't even know. Last semester, I was driving back from the studio around midnight, I was so tired. I lived in the dorm last semester, and the parking was impossible. There was no way that I would be able to find a spot, and I would probably get a ticket. I began to argue with myself over whether or not to ask God for a parking space. Practically, I know that God wants us to come to Him, but I struggle with asking God for physical things because I don't want to turn Him into santa clause. So, I was arguing with myself, and finally went to God just saying that He knew my heart and He knew how tired I was, and how much I would love a parking spot. Keep in mind that it was hard to find a spot at 11 a.m. I pulled up to the dorm and there was an open spot directly behind it. Nothing any man could do, could ever be more intimate or romantic than that moment was for me, as simple as it may seem.
I know this is long, but I feel like God can really use my writing things out to remind of truths sometimes, you know? Let me finish by saying, please listen to Vito's Ordination on my playlist. Its an amazing song, about how God has always known us and taken care of us. Even the music kind of surrounds you as if you are being held. God really used this song to comfort me fall semester when I was going through a hard time. It goes perfectly with this blog. Well, I'm going to go paint now, thanks for listening to my thoughts.

Hair Cut

2008-06-18T22:14:00.001-07:00

So, here I am, again, battling over whether or not to get my hair cut, probably for about the tenth time this year. Actually, I definitely need a hair cut, its just whether to get it short or not. The battle is over really wanting short hair but really thinking that I look better with long. Do I get over my vanity and enjoy a cute short hair cut, or do I stick with what works? In high school, my senior year maybe, I cut my hair really short for the first time and really liked it. I got it cut fairly short over Christmas, but never really liked it. I kind of think it wasn't short enough though. You know, it was that slightly awkward, in the middle length. Not good. So what should I do? I'm thinking I'm going to go for it, and these are the cuts I like. What do you think?

On a different note, I started a "sort of" job today. I babysat between 11 and 6 for a 4 year old boy and 7 year old boy. It was definitely a long day, but for 7 hours, it went by fairly quickly. It wasn't easy, but could have been much worse, and she paid pretty well! I think its going to become fairly regular for me to babysit on Wednesdays and Fridays. We'll see how regular it becomes. I know I said I couldn't handle a job, but I've gotten a lot of work done and have still had plenty of time left over, and the money will be nice. I already went and spent some of it. I went out to Tigertown with my roommate Ann, to buy a lingerie shower gift for one of our fellow Marannookers. Well we went to World Market and spent about an hour. I bought two pillows for my bed, and I'm so excited! The pillows I have now I bought freshman year. My style

has definitely evolved since then and I was ready for something new.

Let me know what you think about the hair! I would love your opinions, and I'm going to try to an appt. for next week!

Latest Painting

2008-06-17T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of the latest painting I finished. I just realized though that the flash has reflected off of his suit :( Its actually a much darker navy than that. But, there it is. I really had a fun time with this painting. I saw the image in a magazine last semester and saved it. I just loved the playfulness of being in a suit and formal dress and then sitting on steps eating cotton candy. I also loved the blues and pinks in the image.

The painting in my title is the first painting I did this summer. It was a very quick and relatively small painting that I did in about a weekend, but I enjoy the "freeness" of it. The lack of details was a change for me, and I enjoyed it!

I basically just took a week off because I was sick, but I'm now beginning a painting of my parents from when they were dating. I just love the picture, and I hope to put a lot of time and effort into it.

I've recently done a couple of prints that I really like, and I'll try to post those soon. After all, that was the point of the blog right?

Audio Adrenaline

2008-06-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are actually taking the time to read this probably know that I love music. There are few things that I love as much as music. This love for music makes me very picky about what I listen to. I know what I like. However, simply for the fact that I love Kelly Clarkson and Justin Timberlake, just two examples, I wouldn't consider myself a music snob. I allow myself to like stuff on the radio. At the same time, I'm not going to like music simply for the fact that its on the radio. One of my biggest pet peeves, is people who listen to Christian music simply because its Christian music. I guess I shouldn't care, it doesn't affect me, but when I see people have listed about 30 christian bands in their favorites on facebook, it drives me crazy! It shows that you are simply listening to it because that's what you're supposed to listen to as a Christian, but God formed us with creativity. We should use that creativity to consider what we like and allow ourselves to not like some Christian music. Don't get me wrong, there are Christian artists I really enjoy such as Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, and Jars of Clay. It just seems like a lot of Christian music uses the same catchy phrases over and over, and I believe we have a greater capacity for creativity than that.
My tastes have developed and changed over the years though, and once I have liked a song, I'll pretty much always love listening to it. There's nothing as fun as listening to something that you haven't heard in years. Well, I'm on my roomates computer, because I still don't have mine. On her i-tunes she had Audio Adrenaline. It reminded me of junior high, and I've had to listen to the whole thing. Its so much fun to hear and go back!
Let me end by saying, who cares what I think, listen to what you want to listen to!

Artist's Quotes

2008-06-10T20:12:00.001-07:00

I'm at the library trying to work on my artist's statement, and I decided to try to look for a quote that might express what I'm trying to say. I don't know if I found that exactly, but I did find many that I could relate to but never say in such a beautiful way. I had to share them with someone, so enjoy :)

The music that really turns me on is either running toward God or away from God. Both recognize the pivot, that God is at the center of the jaunt.::: Bono :::

There's no retirement for an artist, it's your way of living so there's no end to it.::: Henry Moore :::

"A good painter has two main objects to paint, man and the intention of his soul. The former is easy, the latter hard as he has to represent it by the attitude and movement of the limbs."Leonardo da Vinci

+ My opinion is that the best thing would be to work on till art lovers feel drawn toward it of their own accord, instead of having to praise or to explain it. - Van Gogh
*this one is my favorite, I think

+ I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say 'he feels deeply, he feels tenderly.' -Van Gogh

+ It's on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.
Monet
*Isn't that beautiful?

+ The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.
- I'm not sure who said that one, I think maybe Michelangelo

While I'm writing, we've been singing this song at Covenant over the past couple of weeks, and I just think its so beautiful.

Sovereign grace o'er sin abounding!
Ransomed souls, the tidings swell;
'Tis a deep that knows no sounds;
Who its breadth or length can tell?
On its glories, let my soul forever dwell.

On such love, my soul, still ponder,
Love so great, so rich, so free;
Say, while lost in holy wonder,
Why, O Lord, such love to me!
Hallelujah! Grace shall reign, Hallelujah! Grace shall reign.
Hallelujah! Grace shall reign eternally.

Good night.

Two Days in a Row!

2008-06-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends. Its funny I say friends because I don't really know many people other than my sisters who blog, so this is much more about getting thoughts and ideas down.

So I'm developing quite the routine. Painting studio between 8 and 11 and then to the computers for about an hour after. I'm on my 3rd or 4th month without a computer of my own :( My computer won't stay "healthy," so I just use the computers at the studio. That's okay, though, I really love being in the studio. Right now I'm wasting time until I meet my friends downtown for lunch. The same friends picked me up for coffee at Starbucks this morning. Its turning out to be one of those ideal college days. I've been thinking lately that I really need to enjoy and take advantage of this time in my life. God willing, my life won't always be so centered around me. I can't wait to be a mother or a wife, but as a mother my time won't be mine. Does that make sense? I found out yesterday that my sister is pregnant, again! ( I'm counting on the fact that nobody she would want to tell herself is going to be reading this.) I'm thrilled! After talking to her, I was just thinking how lucky I am, that that is only good news for me. I know that Ann is ten million times more excited than me, she's going to have a child! However, at the same time, she has to deal with morning sickness that lasts all day, and being tired but still having to take care of her two children, and all the rest that comes along with pregnancy. I just get to be excited. Which got me to thinking, I'm at a pretty good age. Also, I'm really glad I'm a one of the younger children :)

God's really been teaching me to enjoy my life, simply because this is where He has me. I'm such a control freak and perfectionist, that I tend to analyze the fun out of my life. My life is never going to be perfect, but I think I miss out on enjoying so many things because I focus on the imperfect parts of my life. God's been gracious in giving me more of a peace this summer. I have wonderful roommates, a major I love, time to read, and I get to see my niece this weekend, life is good!

5th Attempt

2008-06-08T11:01:00.001-07:00

So, I honestly have tried to post another blog about 5 times now. The first time I accidentally deleted the whole thing, so I gave up. Another time I tried to post an image, but it wouldn't work, so I gave up. The last time, I was using a computer at the studio, and it froze, so again I gave up. Maybe I'll make it through this time :)

My classes are going very well. It has been such a blessing to take two art classes and actually be able to put in the time needed to do well. Last semester I took four studio classes, each class took six hours a week just for the class. Meaning 24 hours of my week I spent in class. One of the classes was sculpture, which takes an especially large amount of time outside of class. So, I spent as much time as I could in the painting studio, but it was never enough. So, I'm loving my painting class this summer. I've already finished one painting and I am close to finishing my second. I am at such a wonderful place in my painting. I'm beginning to feel more confident about painting so that I can enjoy it more, but it is still new enough that I feel like I'm discovering new things each time I go to the studio. The teacher has also given us complete freedom to choose what to paint, and so I am really enjoying what I'm doing. I've used these two paintings to enjoy playing with style and having fun with color. I'll try to post them soon. I don't know why it didn't work the first time.

This summer has been such a resting and enjoyable time. I've been able to paint, and still have time to spend time with friends, and read! I haven't read this much since high school, and its been so much fun! Its been quite the variety. I reread Pride and Prejudice, my all time favorite. I began the Katie Weldon series, so fun! I finally read Addicted to Mediocrity, and a couple of others. My next goal is to learn to play tennis. I've always wanted to do that, but I've never had the chance to try. Its been a wonderful summer so far, and I've got almost two months left!

Beginning of Summer

2008-06-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I've been reading my older sisters' blogs. I've loved reading them, mostly because they usually talk about their children, my nieces and nephew, who I pretty much can't get enough of. I never thought about creating one of my own though, because I didn't feel like I had anything to write about, and I don't exactly love to write, but here I am beginning my own blog.

It is about two weeks into the summer vacation before my senior year. I am taking two classes, Painting 3 and Printmaking 2. I had planned to also get a job, but after going to my first painting class, I nixed that idea. The very first assignment we were given was to write the proposal for our senior project! I panicked because painting still feels very new to me, and senior project is the final thing you do as a fine art major. I felt like I should feel more secure about painting if I'm already headed in that direction. So, I decided to forget the job, and spend all my time in the studio painting, with a little printmaking and ceramics thrown in. However, after a very busy, long, and often stressful year, its tempting to simply use my time to relax and hang out with friends.

This is where the blog comes in. I've decided to begin a blog to keep myself accountable. I'm going to use this space to talk about my work, my inspiration, and even show what I have done. I'm also learning that writing is an important tool for an artist whether I like it or not. This will be a wonderful chance for me to practice that and to think through my ideas, and maybe even come up with one or two. So here we go, I'm going to give this thing a shot, and hopefully it will work out very well!