Update

Did work on the mountains today

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Wow...

It's October. I'm pretty sure I hadn't meant this to be a MONTHLY blog!

I have stopped working on that painting of the buildings on the water, mainly because I was getting too agitated over it and had to just put it aside. I won't do good work if I tweek out.

So instead I am working on this in my spare hours (when I am not at work, or in class, or studying for that stupid bio class that I am totally getting A's in only because I study at all hours.)





It's so not done. And that is a turned away face not an awkward phyiscally incorrect face, there will be far more hair later. The last shot is a zoom in on an area I most recently improved on.

Kristin gave me canvas!

Kristin gave me two 24X36 inch canvases that she said she'd "Never get around to using them because I take so long to paint"

You bet your ass she does, she does glazing, and like, once a month, on giant canvas, and moves very... very... slowly... Look at how often I've been painting since I moved, now consider that she thinks I paint a lot. >.>

I'm turning 26 on Sept 22. :O

So Monday is officially declared Painting Day, last week I finished (save for a few more highlights now that its dry) the water portion of a pic of Copenhagen that I am doing for my parents. (No pic yet, sorry.) I've posted WIP shots before.

Mondays are pretty much my only days off, ever. Since I don't always have time to paint I do a lot of drawing, so you're going to see more posts on the I <3 Ink blog I have (see link in side bar). Aly finally sent me writing, so I am finally drawing panels for our graphic novel collaboration. :)

I have two 24X36 inch canvases... now I just have to decide what to do with them. I haven't done a portrait in a while, I may do that. I wonder if I should do a self portrait or another person. Dunno. I'll post tomorrow with some pictures (and a shot of that water).

Settled and Enrolled

Well it was a late enrollment due to some technical issues with my application (that UofH took forever to write me back about when I kept emailing them...) but I am now enrolled in school, financially aided (I think, it looks like everything has been covered for the semester), and quit one of my jobs so I just have one during the semester. It was hard to find classes that I need that weren't full.

Taking Art History II (Can be taken before Art History I oddly enough) and Biology on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and US History on Saturdays. So I at least made it to 12 credit hours, which is full time, which fulfills my promise to FAFSA.

Also, Andrew got his social security card in the mail and can search for a job. :) Yaaaay! He's going to apply for UH for the spring semester as well.

I didn't get to sign up for any painting classes, I tried. They were ALL full! :( I do get art history though. I have about 5 hours between Tuesday and Thursday classes to spend doing whatever on campus, so that's like, drawing and study time. I've decided, if I do all my schoolwork then, then I have any days off (and generally I will have daytime off and not be working till 5 in the evening) I can paint.

2 weeks from now, classes start!!!

Moving Day!!!

Ok, so its happening! The green card is with Andrew, along with a packet of information labeled OPEN AT BORDER! My curiosity is piqued... I am flying up to Edmonton this Wednesday, I hope to spend 1 day packing and then the next day loading the van and cleaning and I have to go by the vet and have the health certificates printed up, then we'll meet some friends for Indian food and then the next day hit the road, and I'm not willing to stop at a hotel until we're in the states again. I expect this trip to take 5-7 days and I'm bringing my camera so I can update blog/facebook along the way. :)

Other life stuff, retail job cut my hours by over half, boo. Restaurant job gives me as many hours as I want, yay! Called University of Houston and was told my application was blank on the previous education area, stupid internet form didn't save that section, AND my transcript went to the wrong campus. BOO! Got a new transcript in 10 minutes, went in person to UH and corrected situation, getting what should be an acceptance letter in 7-10 business days from this previous Thursday. YAY! Classes start Aug 24 so I'll have to go register as soon as I get back, and find financial aid.

Gonna quit Coldwater Creek and just work at the restaurant. We have new management at Coldwater Creek, and I do not like the changes at all.

Will have time to paint more often from now on (once this is all over) and will finally have painting classes, which I think will make for some great improvements.

Also, went full vegan as of July 1, lost 6.3 pounds. Sister in law got engaged and wants a Hawaiian wedding in 8 months, goal is to lose 39 pounds before then. Making some good progress! 32.7 pounds to go!

28- Waterlilies

Waterlillies, oil on canvas
Looks whiter in the picture than it really is, its actually greener. Not sure why.
Maybe because its wet?

When the river was too full for me to go paint the area I originally wanted to paint, what better for a substitute than to attempt to paint waterlilies on an easel named after Monet?? :)

So I have bronchitis in the left lung, and I was packing my paints in the dark and forgot my good (bright) yellow, so the only yellow I had was naples yellow to go with veridian, french ultramarine, burnt sienna, and paynes gray.

This was a hard one, with all the pads and grasses around I had trouble pinpointing my subject sometimes and I took liberties with the placement of the pads. The wind was moderate and the flowers and pads that rose above the water bounced around a lot. I gave it my best shot.

Here's some detail shots from the painting:


I learned I have little grasp on exactly how I should render a giant, flat, smooth, leaf without it looking like just a shape and more like a leaf. :/

Pictures of the lilies on the water and the surrounding neighborhood, welcome to my childhood summers:

Last post in May?? No wonder Dan got worried!!

I haven't had time to paint for a while due to being so busy at work. I'd lamented this fact to a few friends, and explained to Dan via email.

Then we get two new managers at the store, and my hours are cut. Less money, but more time for painting!! :)

I got an email today from Jerry's Artarama, they are doing a steampunk theme contest.... Cash prizes and all! :) I am now working on sketches to do a painting (or a big drawing, haven't decided) of a steampunk setting for Goldilocks and the 3 Bears.

I am also going to the lake again this weekend, and I have intentions to go paint the lake.

For their June sale, Jerry's had Monet easels (normally $269 bucks!) on sale for.... wait for it.... $39.99!!! XD And I had just gone in for a tin for turp and brush cleaning!! So yes, I have a proper french easel for plein air now! I am leaving the one from Dan set up in the garage as a studio easel and I'll be taking the wooden one out with me because it has the built in art box and can hold my palette for me while I work. Now I just need a big sunhat, its been over 100 degrees daily here in Houston, the heat has actually made me congested. :/ Which sucks.

You know what doesn't suck? Andrew, my hubby, got approved for his green card! The embassy is mailing it out this week!! XD YAY! I am flying up to Edmonton on July 22 to go get him and we're going to drive down together. He should have his card in the mail any day now. :)

I'm a happy girl.