---Pattern Painting

This painting was done for my Painting II class,  inspired by the Pattern & Decoration Movement. 

The pattern was inspired by a patterned arrangement of bricks outside of my apartment complex--- which is the first thing I see every day as I get up to my place.

 I am naturally drawn to pattern, it's something my hand automatically moves to create. What I'm really interested to work through and discover in the next year is how to incorporate some of my figurative work (like below) with some of this pattern work. 

self-portrait in a doorway & more

the above painting is from this past summer,

i'm a big fan of the color of the door,

 and would also love to do another painting with more stacks of chairs

Wires and Walls

A few old ones & a few new ones

It's taken me about 6 months to finally take pictures of some of my paintings,

but at long last, I've done it!

So, over the next week or two I'll post a few old ones & a few new ones.

Today's is from my Life Painting Class that I took with Jon Puls back in June, during Summer School. It was our last in-class painting we did for the course-- and definitely a challenge to paint someone reclining who is lying below you.

Lately I've been really missing getting to paint people--and this image makes me miss it all the more.

we all need a bit more wonder in our lives--

Friday:: Escape to the Ocean

Kathryn:

This summer Kathryn asked me to take her senior photos.

So exciting, but also a little intimidating---

I had never done something like that before:

senior photos just have such an expectation of how they're supposed to look, & what sort of style they're supposed to be. And of course the basic fact that Kathryn is such a friend of mine made me feel even more pressured about how they would turn out.

However, Kathryn is approximately the easiest model ever. She loves pictures and she has the most joyful smile ever--making things that much better. Aside from nearly getting stampeded by a pregnant cow, the photo shoot was a success.

Megh:

Meghan Mapes,

delight of my life,

non-stop jokester,

& BEAUTIFUL person

when light, color, glass, & church floors meet--

stained glass windows, more like stained glass magic

-- taken inside an old Lutheran church in Guben, Germany

first day of my trip & this is the beauty I got to behold

seriously breathtaking

Sitting in Windows

The month of July for me was spent mostly in the wonderful country of Germany, on a missions trip, with five other wonderful people from my school.

During the last week of our trip, my team stayed in a hostel, called The Three Little Pigs--- coolest place ever.

Things that I loved about this place:

1. the name

2. the fact that it was an ex-convent

3. the fact that it was attached to the most amazing hidden little catholic church with the most beautiful, quiet inside-- I discovered this one night with Amber

4. the windows in our room had the most wonderful view and were perfect for sitting in--which leads me to these

Michael--

this is Michael:

large personality, & large belly.

so much fun to paint.

24"x32", Venetian Ground, Limited Palette

Sheri-----

more paintings-----at last!!

ah,

and at long last,

more art to post!!

---these past few weeks have literally galloped, leaped, & sprinted past. (okay, okay--- maybe not literally)

I am two weeks into my summer life painting class, only one week left to go. Class is 8 am-2 pm, five days a week. So intense, so amazing, so fun... so intense.

With homework, we're painting about 8-9 hours per day. I didn't know that was possible.

And yet, somehow, I still love it... & I want some more of it!!

So, the next series of posts will be thoughts & pieces specifically relating to that class.

first up,

my hand---

child rock-stars.

life well lived

hair in the shot

as most of you know,

my hair is everywhere,

everywhere!

all the time,

in people's faces,

on my clothes,

in my own face,

and in this case...

in front of the lens--

in the shot

However, in this case:

I like it the most.

I like that you get an impression of how windy it was in the car driving up the coast.

Asia (yes, my favorite continent... but also, the name of the model)

How I photographed all my drawings:

just taped it up on the outside of the painting studio,

the best idea ever, because:

1. natural light, 2. efficient, 3. fun

I like the repetition of the lines, a lot

on the building, on the edge of the paper, on the drawing

repetition, geometry = my cup of coffee

and here it is!

medium: charcoal pencil

(p.s. I really like charcoal pencil)

Raymond;

5 Head Studies: 5 Self-Portraits

old train rides up the coast

I found this old photo tonight, from a year ago, of my cousin Aleksander (who lives in Norway!)--

it was taken on the train ride up the coast, from San Diego to LA, last spring break.

Things this makes me miss:

1. Aleksander

2. train rides

3. the ocean (it's been a long time)

4. Spring Break (here in a week!!)