Memorial Day.

Memorial Day picnic food, poppies, and Maggie's birthday party at Grandma and Grandpa Rickard's. Grandma said that she's worn the same red and white striped shirt to every Memorial Day and 4th of July parade in downtown Medina for the past thirty years. My family has kind of a thing for traditions. This is the second year now that we've taken pictures with Grandma's beautiful poppies. Her garden smells of mint leaves.

Three Down One to Go.

School is over and I couldn't be happier. This past semester was alot of work, but definitely worth it. I made some of my best work yet and I'm really excited to get going on some projects this summer that will be the beginning of my thesis show for next spring. In the mean time I've been going out to eat at way-too-expensive restaurants with friends and having picnics to celebrate the beginning of the next three months of summer.

Kait and Megan at our Junior Seminar sound installation. There were 40 cd players going at once playing homemade recordings of "city noises". It was loud. Their faces sum up how I felt about it.

Two of my pieces made it into the 130th annual student exhibition. Here they are all finished and hanging in the gallery. When hanging this group of paintings I pretended like I was measuring, but really I just guesstimated.
It looks kinda straight?

Happy Treeeees.

There's nothing like waking up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning and watching The Joy of Painting on PBS (I couldn't sleep). I forgot how awesome Bob Ross is. It's not like his painting style is revolutionary or anything. He's definitely not Matisse. And it's all pretty kitschy, but in the best way. He knew what he was doing and it's extra amazing that he could execute an entire painting with the same giant brush! Bob Ross and Mr. Rogers make up a large part of my childhood television viewing memories. And even though I'm in art school I still think of Bob and the Ninja Turtles as being the art icons of my youth. I'm so cool.


"That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news." - Bob Ross

Mother's Day.

It's not even noon and already I've had the best Sunday. I slept in, made lemon poppyseed muffins, and called my mom to wish her a happy mother's day. And it's super sunny! My sister got my mom the same mother's day card that my mom had sent to my grandma. Isn't it strange when that happens? I guess when you're related everyone kinda thinks alike. Often when we're going out somewhere Maggie, mom, and I all end up spontaneously wearing the same outfit.

My mom and I like the same pretty things, so I got her a photograph by my friend Christa Kimble. Christa's photographs are so delicate and beautiful. Looking through her portfolio makes me want to go pick wildflowers in a really cute sundress.

See Christa's lovely work on her website and her Etsy shop

Fact:

Nothing makes me happier than calling home and talking to my whole family on speakerphone.

One Year Older.

I started this blog a year ago, somewhat skeptical that I'd keep up with it. I've never been consistent when it comes to journaling. But it's been a quite a year. I've learned alot, made some art, and met lots of interesting people. I'm happy to have this record to help me remember.

Today I'm painting and watching game 7 between Miami and Atlanta. Here are some of the projects I've been working on recently.

Oil, 10 canvases finished, one to go.

Mixed Media and Found Stuff

Graphite Wash

Watercolor and mixed media on paper

Fabric and mixed media, about 8'x8'. There wasn't enough floor space in my apartment to sew this, so I nailed it to the wall.

May Day.

True to the saying (April showers bring May flowers) it's been raining alot. And now it's May so I'd like the rain to stop please.

I've been really really stressed out lately with work and school, I have so many papers left to write and projects to finish that I'm not sure where to start. Curling up and weeping seems like the best option. Ten more days of class. Ten Ten Ten days to get through. ugggggggggggghhhh.

But today is my Dad's birthday. So I called him this morning, which was really delightful! He's not the kind of person to make a big deal about birthdays, but he said that "old dads sure love birthday phone calls". When I asked if there were any festivities planned, he said he was getting a haircut.

Maggie, Dad, & me May 1, 1994