bagels

I have been meaning to write for several days, but computer access has been limited. Right now, I am using the darling Elyse's computer, while she is at church.

You see, I recently required a part time job via the internet. The jist of it is this: every 48 hours, I post apartment listings to craigslist on behalf of a real estate agency. It is pretty easy, but definitely requires regular computer access. Right now, for the 2nd time, craigslist isn't allowing me to submit the last of my posts, due to their "servers being busy." Yeah, right.

Here's the cool part though: the amazing Tiffany is letting me borrow her netbook until I can get a computer of my own! It should be here by Wednesday. It is actually a cute little computer (I helped Tiffany set it up with iTunes when she bought it), and will be VERY useful to me. Now, I can have a functioning internet social life!

...and do homework, or "research", I guess.

humbow

I just ate a delicious BBQ pork bun at Yak's in Fremont, and it was only $2.52 (tax included). So. Good. With Sriracha/Teriyaki sauce/Spicy Chili sauce it is amazing. I wish I had got two (my stomach is a bottomless pit).

photo credit: lachance

Updating my art corner is difficult, mostly because I do not own a computer. I have often been asked, "Heaven, how do you survive school without a laptop?" I often answer: "I don't." Literally, my grades suffer severely, not to mention my social networking life. And, probably most importantly, it is hard for me to be able to "on a whim" google an artistic subject matter.

In my Western Traditions II class (aka Art History II), I often see people, laptops out, quickly typing away their notes and speed-googling various art-topics, or artists themselves. I always peek at what they are looking at, and this stuff looks amazingly helpful in terms of the class, and just personally applying the ideas of the masters to a modern perspective...I'm pretty jealous.

I will have a computer. Someday. I will have a 13.3 inch Macbook pro, in fact. I'm holding out for it. No Dell computers for me. HP? Maybe...but no, no, I need my Macbook pro.

Ok, anyway. My friend Vanessa found this lovely designer on etsy. This stuff is amazing, and I really like what Vanessa had to say about it: "...her pieces look like music for your eyes!"

It's true, her pieces are very lyrical. The line repetition is really pleasing to me, as well as the different washes of color layering each other. Even though some pieces seem sort of dreamlike, and maybe chaotic, they are at the same time overwhelmingly peaceful!

Check out her website: www.yellena.com

Her blog is quite adorable as well. Wish I had a computer so I could persistently lurk my favorite artists. Sucks.

Three

There were three things that made my day yesterday slightly less than nightmarish.

1. Thai food with good conversation.
2. A 21 minute and 10 second phone call.
3. Being able to talk to my mom.

Kim McCarty

For my first addition/critique/commentary/whatever, I decided to filter through some names that my art teacher mentioned to me last week. In preparation for this blog, I have been jotting down any names that sound interesting. I went through a few...and they weren't as stimulating as I thought they would be. I guess that is the purpose of this blog though, to find out what I dislike in addition to what I like.

Anyway, the fourth artist that I researched seems to strike my fancy. Her name is Kim McCarty, and she works in watercolor (my first love).

Her style seems very loose, uncontrolled, and delicate. This, according to my watercolor teacher, is how watercolor is "supposed" to be handled. She argued that the paint must be allowed to mingle and flow with the water, and react as each pigment uniquely does. While this point can be debated, its obvious that this is one unique aspect to watercolor and should probably be experimented with.

While I love her pieces, especially the nudes, upon reading her "about me" I discovered that:

"...Kim McCarty's watercolors depicting adolescent and preadolescent children..."

Wait. What? These nudes were gorgeous and tastefully done, not too graphic, and yes, they have a childlike innocence to them, but I never thought that they were, in fact, of children. I thought they were just stylized.

Is this ok? Or is this a form of child pornography? I don't know. I still like the paintings though. Tell me your thoughts.

http://www.kimmccarty.net/

Now, on a personal note:

If God had wanted to be a big secret, He would not have created babbling brooks and whispering pines.  ~Robert Brault

This was going to be about art...but...

Things have changed in my life, dramatically, and traumatically. I guess I don't want to go into detail, that isn't the purpose of this blog. But I wonder how it will effect my artistic abilities.

Will I be more creative out of these intense emotions? Or will I be even more stunted? We shall see.

Why, Heaven? Why?

Here's the deal: The art world, and creative sphere in general, is incredibly daunting to me.

When a new artist is presented to me, say in class or in my own searching, it is both very exciting and discouraging. I tend to think, when learning about an artist, "how can I reach that level of competence?" (in terms of my own creativity, and ability, and knowledge.) I guess, everyone is their own worst critic, yes?

When asked about my creative influences, I can certainly think of them in my mind, but cannot name or label the artist, or their style. This is bad. I need to shape up my knowledge of all of these creative geniuses out there, and borrow from their influences. I want to use this blog as a tool to overcome this cluelessness that I have, and sort out what I "like" from what I dislike.

So. The main purpose of this blog, or mission statement even, is this: To help Heaven define and expand her knowledge of her personal likes and dislikes within our world's creative past and present.

That's not to say that I will not post on other subjects. I like to talk a lot. It is inevitable.

But please, to whoever comes across this blog in their internet travels, feel free to suggest/critique/inform/encourage me. I am totally open to new discoveries and understandings. If you have an artist that you like, a product that you create, or a song that you enjoy, I would like to hear about it. It helps me continue to broaden my knowledge.

Here goes nothing!

P.S. I'm working on the overall aesthetic feel of this thing. It takes time. I am notoriously picky.