Color Takes Form

What a crazy semester!!! I have been so occupied with reading and writing that I have not had the time to do any art work...I know there is no excuse...but I have managed to take all of my creative energies and channel them into a huge 10 ft sculpture that will be installed in the Fine Arts courtyard!!! Sebastian, Sara G (my art school sidekick) and I have put a ton of hours sanding and sculpting...chances are you have heard us the past two weeks??? The finished piece will be up and installed on Nov 24th...Stop by and see our piece and everyone elses work in Concepts II. Hope everyone is doing well!!! Three more weeks and we all get a nice break!!! Then back on the grind again...the good thing is that I have two studio classes that will be keeping me up and at them at the studio!!! There is no love like the love of working in the studio with your friends or by yourself and making art...I love being an artist!!!

Close up of the tip of the brush

The piece in the courtyard: Color Take Form
My art school sidekick...Sara G.
Sebastian has had enough of the sanding..."Do I have to Dad?"
Rocking the Darth Vader Mask...

Sebastian sanding away...on a paint drop!!!

Recent Insane project that leaves no time for living.

Neil Bender gave us 5 very large (44" x something) sheets of watercolor paper and basicly told us to go to town on them for our final. He had us collage first and told us to create a universe.

I've chopped these papers up into 90 smaller pages and have been obsessively illustrating a wordless narrative. I'm on page 48 of 90. They are inked up to that point but some arent shaded yet because I plan on sitting down with a brush and doing several at the same time for that part.

How is everyone? I hear from people sporadically but I really am curious. I know I'm not one of the ones who grew close to everyone since I wasn't in the painting room when you all were at night and my bitching and moaning over oil paint made most of you want to smack me upside the head, but I hope you didn't write me off...

Anywhoo. I'm trying to tear through this so I can get my Real world journal done because I haven't paid enough attention to that, and then I decided to create a 15 foot scroll documenting my vizual thoughts for Julie Weitz's class thats going to require as many if not more time than Benders project so I basicly need to stop doing anything else in life. I'm not whining, i'm almost bragging. I fucking love making shit complicated.

Anywhoo, here are pictures. It's not everything and the cell takes bad quality pics but it's a hazy idea of the current work and classes.

<:3 Peace out peoples...~

Why So Serious???

So with the semester almost over...I have been so busy with writing papers and reading...that I have had no time to make art...which I think is a poor excuse...but I do pride myself on my studies...I was able to break away from the vicious cycle of grammar and punctuation rules to carve a few pumpkins for my job. After my recent obsession with the Dark Knight...I couldn't resist some creative carving of the Joker! I made positive and negative stencils of the pictures and then had a fun time carving on the circular surface!!! Hope everyone is well and surviving the last few weeks of the semester. Everyone keep your eyes on the Fine Art courtyard...the Concepts 2 class is rocking it out in a few weeks with some kicking public art pieces!!! I'll post more info later!!!

Alter Ego

Hello friends. I wanted to post some of my photographs from my digital photo class. Our objective was "Alter Egos". I decided that mine would be these glamorous women from the 40's, 50's and 60's, something that I am not, nor willing to change who I am to become to this ideal. However, being one of these ideal women is something in the back of my mind. As for what I've done to create these photographs, I've manipulated my face onto these women. Yes, that's my face you're looking at. One of these photos will be in the center gallery from Oct. 18-31 for the photo club show. The closing reception will be on the 31st for who ever would like to come. I hope you all have a chance to stop by and see it and support the photographers in the club. I miss you all and I hope and pray that everything is going well with you guys. Keep posting your work! I want to see what you have been doing!!! I'll be posting some paintings soon.
~Ashlee
ps- sorry this post is so large. I had to use a "large format" since the photos are made to print as 5x7 on 11x14 paper, leaving a huge border around the edge.

Hey everybody!

I can't tell you how much I miss painting. Even the late nights and crazy painting day-in and day-out are dearly missed compared to this creation-less, sad, studio class-less fall semester existence. I'm feeling David with the whole no studio class thing. The only art-related class I'm taking is Art History 2 and its kicking my butt. Never in my life have I felt so drained and helpless as days go by like minutes and the ability to create things disappears before it ever presents itself. I have some free time, but I feel so stressed and burnt out that I'm just never inspired. The best I've managed is a sketch of a tree. Pretty sad, right?

The best I can do is take some photos...so here are some that I've taken recently. David said I should post them. =)

Rabbit Progress.

I'm so in love this the progress of these things. I wonder if anyone can recognize who his inspiration is. I don't doubt that many of you have seen him even if he's not someone you gave a second thought to. Don't worry, I did.
I'm trying to decide what else to do to the larger one. It's a little trickier because there aren't rhinestones bigger than what i've found and the version i'm keeping is going to be allowed more fantasy than the miniature. Literally, it's a softer natured version.

...Finding the giant red rhinestones that are the eyes for both of them made me drool... It's the way his eyes sparkle when he talks about himself. At least that's how i feel to me.

Anyhawey...

This is the second in that line of drawings of myself i started....It fought me. I fought it. I don't think either of us won...

Oh How I Miss Burning the Midnight Oil...

1. I Officially I hate not taking a studio class this semester...never again will I do something so foolish...never again!!!

2. Concepts 2 does not count as a studio class...simply because I'm not a architecture major...nor do I understand a project that has 5 different parts to it...that has nothing to do with each indivudial part...

3. I hate the budget cuts of USF...and all of the ridiculous schedule nonsense that they have brought to our school...but Hey at least we have a brand new Marshall Center to study in...Right???

4. On the schedule topic...what good does it to have class on Friday for an hour??? Hell I'm an older student...who doesn't party...and I think it doesn't make sense...Do you???

5. I'll be glad when Mid Terms are over...because that might free my schedule up for a few days to finish my painting!!! Which is...another huge self portrait...that stares at me in my living room...screaming..."Finish Me...Please!!!"

6. I'm craving to do some of my own artwork...mainly a video piece...about some old topics from the past...funny how certain things come back around...life moves in circles...

7. Speaking of the past...how does fear translate into space...??? I didn't know that answer till this semester...and I'm not sure I still have the answer...

8. On a positive note...I have gained so much respect for Egyptian artwork...Man...the riddles that they put in there work...symbolism...it's so great!!!

9. On another positive note...I have found that Plato is a great artistic inspiration...then again...I'm sure there are a lot of artist who have...???

10. I miss the summer classes...especially Painting One...with my kick ass class classmates and teacher...that gave me the energy...support...and fuel...to help me reach my best as an artist...

Miss all of you guys from the summer...I miss the late night painting sessions...I miss the small group we had...This summer rocked!!!

Hope everyone is doing well...and keeping the Arts Alive and Kicking!!!