Update!

I've been away from my computer for too long. Went home for Thanksgiving and thoroughly enjoyed it. But then I had to come back to school and start projects again. Midterms are coming up, so I'm going to be busy studying. I will try to post more often, though.
Survivor update! It's Friday, and you need to know my thoughts on Survivor. I'm glad Bubba got voted off...he acted like a nitwit. Next to go should be Rory, and I would love to see Scout go soon. Don't like either of them. Sarge definitely picked the right team! I like John, I think he's a lot smarter than others realize. Chad is a good guy, too, as long as he doesn't continue the "places by the fire" argument. How stupid is that? But it helped that Bubba opened his mouth, and then acted so stupidly on the new team. He would've been voted out by either team.
I am struggling with my design class. It'll be cool, eventually, though. Right now, I want to throw gouache paint against the wall and forget about line, value, shape, texture, and colour! Those are the five elements of art. Won't go into the 7 principles of organization. The instructor is all about creating according to strict elements. Boring! Got a dreadful presentation to do in typography. The actual presentation is fine...it's the subject I don't like. I got the name of a designer who developed a mathematical principle for design. Colour me excited. Can't understand it, don't work that way, hate the constriction of math...I am going to have to be very creative to get around this one. The guy sitting next to me in class got a name of a designer who does movie titles and posters...very cool. I wish I had that name!
Going to an art show tonight. Time to clean up my apartment. Ahh, the mundane trivial details of my life. I have some sketches and photos to post, so that will happen soon. Loved visiting the Mendel when I was home...I really do miss that place! I think I would like to continue working in an art gallery. I love the atmosphere of working with artists and people who aren't consumed with rules and principles!
La-de-da...off to clean!

update on my marks

It's been awhile since I posted, but I've been really busy, people! If any of you are students, you know what I mean. I've got a drawing assignment, an English essay about Hamlet and Oedipus, typography, two design assignments and a quiz on value and line, all due Friday! aaaaaggggghhhhhh! Somehow, though, I still manage to catch my favourite television show, Survivor. For those of you who are fans, as well, I am going to try to post some updates each week, so if you don't get to watch it, you can still find out who got booted!
This past episode, it was Mia who got voted off. Which I'm very glad for. She was probably the most selfish, volatile, manipulative, angry woman I've seen yet on Survivor. She deserved to be booted, even if it was just for the stupid faces she'd make at tribal council. And I, personally, like Twila. I wouldn't have a problem with her reticence to share her entire life, and I think she's one tough lady that I could totally relate to. I love her comments about the cute girls! She might not last too much longer, but at least she outlasted Mia. Can we talk delusional for a moment? What was Mia thinking when she said Twila didn't have the social skills to last? Um...Mia? She's still there and you're not! She obviously thought she was more powerful than she really was. And Eliza...please shut up! You are giving pretty women all over North America a bad name! People are going to start to believe the old myth that pretty women aren't too bright, based on your performance so far! I've also grown to appreciate Scout. I think she's pretty useless in the challenges, which will eventually cause her ouster, but she's also very knowledgeable about people and how to read them. If she can keep the heat directed at some of the younger hotheads, she may make it to the merge. Julie, Leann, Ami: not much to say. They haven't really made an impression on me. As for the men, I'm rooting for Sarge and Chad the amputee. I happen to think Sarge is a smart man, and I like his take-charge attitude. Since he obviously knows what he's doing, the other guys should listen to his orders and get the job done! Rory is gone, very soon. He's just not fitting in, he's a loner, and he's chosen the wrong time to assert his independence. So, you don't like taking orders from Sarge, huh, Rory? He's been winning challenges and you haven't, so the others are going to keep him around. Chad's determination, skill, and smart strategy have totally impressed me. It would be interesting to see him in an individual immunity challenge against Brady.
Enough about Survivor. I received my first marks for design class. C+. Not great. The instructor assured me that was very typical for the first project, and talked with me about what I needed to do to bring my marks up for the next one. I'm not happy with that, though. I will need to push myself harder to make sure I get better marks. I'm not going to graduate middle of the class!
Next week is Thanksgiving, and I'm going home to visit my hubby, and my kids. And go see Annie Lennox and Sting, with my good friend Fay. Can't wait!
Oh, and I no longer miss my treadmill so much. I've been using the free gym membership, and they have awesome treadmills. So I can still run...which is a great release after a tough class.

rough day

Hello all. So I've experienced my first two weeks of classes, and I'm getting a real sense of what to expect, and what my instructors are like. I love the drawing class. We're working in charcoal, and doing exercises in linear perspective, tone and value. Just being able to draw for six hours a day is wonderful! I love typography (that's developing fonts and letterforms) and I've been told by my instructor that I do have a skill for it. English is okay, more enjoyable when I get to write, and Art History is a bore. But not difficult. 2D Art Fundamentals is a nightmare! I thought I'd like it, because it's design, but I'm struggling with it. My instructor, Dean, loves to lecture the class about being on time, acting mature in class, and the evils of carbohydrates and sugar. Yes, people, he spent 15 minutes in class one day telling us what we should and shouldn't be eating. I've been feeding myself for a while now, I don't need a mommy to tell me to eat my vegetables. If I want them, I'll have them. If I want chocolate, I'll have that, too. And if I want advice, I'll see a nutritionist. Don't waste class time that I'm paying for to tell me what to eat! Dean is big on mathematics and art, and when I tried to explain my particular situation to him, he said, "you'll never get a job as a graphic designer if you can't do this. Why are you here?" Because it's compulsory, and I'm paying for my education, so I have to be here, you twit. I spent an hour in the bathroom, crying my eyes out. (yes, big tough corky does cry sometimes!). When I got back, he lectured the class on proper behavior. Tantrums aren't acceptable when you're working, blah blah blah. He might as well have said my name to everyone. I was angry...since when did I have a tantrum in class? I went off by myself, and dealt with my problem, then returned and didn't say anything to anyone. I feel like I'm back in high school when I'm in that class. And my old confrontational nature begins to appear. It doesn't help that the guy is at least ten years younger than me. I want to tell him off, demand that he treat us with respect, and learn to be more understanding of the differences. This is the same man who said there was no purpose to life, why believe in anything? He knows I'm a believer, so maybe he's just making my life difficult because of that. I pray that God will help me with this challenge and not strangle this idiot in front of the whole class. I love art and I value my education more than his opinion, so I'll put up with it.
And God does tell us he only gives us what we can handle.

A sketch I did last night, while trying to avoid doing my Design class project. Done with 2B and 4B pencils.