The last official Drawing class project.

This piece contains 250 of my (super-neurotic, I admit) motherly life lessons. I wanted to create something that could in essence be used to teach my daughter in my absence. I need to play with the presentation of the order of the drawings at the bottom, but this is pretty much how it will be until I create more of them.

The backing is 100% pale pink cotton, and the drawings were done on tracing paper with colored pencil.  I wanted to get it home and take some detailed shots of it, some close-ups, but don't see that happening for awhile, so here it is the way I presented it at school last Tuesday.

I haven't measured it, but I estimate it to be 40 x 55", including the drawings at the bottom.

The following photos are from my sketchbook.  They contain the plans for the above piece.  The kind-of 3-petaled upside-down raindrop mark is the one I ended up using throughout the piece.  This is the part that is very difficult to see in the above photo-I am sorry about that...

Later in the week I will be getting my Printmaking portfolio back, and will share my drypoint, etching, and aquatint works with you.  They are all learning pieces, but I kind-of like what ended up happening with them anyway.

I'm finally finished with my undergraduate studies!  Thank you to all of you who have supported me all these years.  Next Saturday morning, December 10th, I will be donning that weird flat pancake graduation hat, and the gown, too, the whole 9 yards.  I honestly feel like if I died tomorrow, at least I can say I achieved this ultimate dream.  Cheers!  I've done plenty of jumping up and down with Bella Bee since turning in my final Print portfolio yesterday.  We are happy.

My first solo show...it went well.

10/26/11, night before the opening, around 8:00pm

I had some trouble with the lighting. 

My 12x12" mixed media on wood panels.

You can see the details easier with natural light.

Monochrome instants, Polaroid film + Impossible film.

Impossible Project Integral film.

Polaroid 600 film

Polaroid 669 film + emulsion transfers/lifts

Drawings on paper.

Watercolor and thread on paper.

Mixed media on paper.

Watercolor, colored pencil on paper.

Colored pencil on glassine.

Bella at the reception.

Me and my friend Susan at the reception.

I'm so glad that I can move forward now.  It was hard work getting everything out, sorted, and up on the walls.  It's great to see everything all together.  Finally, graduation is right around the corner.  In 6 weeks I will be walking in my black cap and gown, with a tassel that says 2011.  Yay!

The last little bits of summer + this Sunday.

Summer was just a really long blink for us.  I can sum it up in two three four words:  broken, arm, snow, cones.  I like to save 4-5 rolls of film up to send them out for processing, but since I have not been shooting as much lately, I couldn't contain my urge to have this roll of Kodak Portra developed at the Walgreen's down the street.  It's nice to remember how I was able to find the time to relax a few months ago.  I shot these with my Pentax ME Super.

I just got home from a very early morning photo-excursion/adventure, and it truly was an adventure this time, as I decided to stop at a flea market in the ghetto.  I say ghetto all the time-it's a slang word that gets a lot of use around here.  Ghetto=very poor area of town yet full of character(s) and color.  I usually don't stop at flea markets here in El Paso, because there's hardly anything good being sold (aka junk), but the piles of shoes and toys/stuffed animals are pretty interesting to look at.  Also, local farmers sell their produce.  I almost bought some zucchini squash, I was close...but then I saw this scary clown doll, took a Polaroid of it, and ran away.  Just kidding, I didn't run away, but I did leave.  

Polaroid Spectra, Polaroid Image Softtone expired film.

Polaroid Spectra, Polaroid Image Softtone expired film.

Polaroid Spectra, Polaroid Image Softtone expired film.

This is how much stuff I have going on.  It's time to clean and organize.  Creativity has come to a complete stop, as it does when everything starts piling up.