weird weather = beautiful sunset

design lessons from nature

"Learn by heart the forms to be found in nature, so that you can use them like the notes in a musical composition."  --Max Beckmann

I was unable to get any of the art or graphic design classes that I need this semester... too many students and not enough sections being offered of each class.  So, I have been taking my art education into my own hands.  I recently checked out this book by Benjamin Debrie Taylor.  The first assignment is to draw a leaf.  Stay tuned to see how mine turned out.

THIS guy

I have been sharing my tomato harvest with this little guy and a few of his friends...

you gotta have faith

No matter what your problem, the universe already has an answer for it. Your job is to download the answer, not sweat the problem.  Your worrying reflects a core lack of faith that there's an answer, which will delay its appearance.  Be still and know that the answer is already speeding your way. 

                                                                             -- Marianne Williamson

Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak Americano

window shopping

work in progress

Shamelessly stolen from this awesome blog called live and let live.

hollywood bowlin'

the girl and the sea

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Still don't know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets and
Every time I thought I'd got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I've never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I'm much to fast to take that test

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Turn and face the strange
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time...

Complete lyrics can be found here.
Listen to the song here.
**There seems to be some confusion about if it's "turn and face the strange" or "strain".

♥ them

My nephew and niece; Bruce and Annabelle (ages 1 and almost 3)

don't posterize me

post·er·i·za·tion -noun  Posterization of an image entails conversion of a continuous gradation of tone to several regions of fewer tones, with abrupt changes from one tone to another.


Final Product:

The Process:

This posterization project was one of my favorites!  I loved it from the moment I found the magazine image of the girl with short hair.  Then, through the process of tracing and transferring my traced lines onto a stack of black, white and gray paper I became very familiar with every curve in her face and each change in value.  The project ended with careful cutting using a very sharp exacto knife, and gluing into place each and every small strand of hair.