my computer is having issues but i am going to download a document for my update

• Magically I got my computer to WORK! I'm very excited, not only about figuring out how to type in this little box, but about art! Partly I am just amazed that it was finally sunny today. It felt like spring and that sun renewed me more then sleep ever can. I'm actually considering buying one of those light boxes that replicate sunlight for people who dont feel energetic when the weather is dark. I'm one of those people--which makes it hard to live in Oregon during the winter. Anyways the other reason I'm feeling excited about art is because of a little at home research i have been doing. For Christmas i asked my brother (who works at borders) for a strange book about creativity. The authors main theory is that creativity is not something that either you were born with or you don't have, it is just a skill. The skill has a nice simple foundation: creativity is taking a drawing and then doing things to it until it becomes something else. The book is a series of little activities that represent different techniques that take a regular image or idea and make it "creative." The book was a little simple, and the ideas seemed boring enough, but it sparked a bout of creativity in me. I wrote down a whole list of concentration ideas that i am so excited about. I seriously cant wait to dive into two of them for my next concentration pieces. The third reason I am so excited is because of portfolio day last Sunday. I got great feedback that really made me proud of what Ive been working on and even more excited to delve further into my art potential.
  I can't wait to be back in the art room tomorrow

O and I taught myself how to make apple pie, what a great accomplishment.

I'm having some issues trying to download these photos, so i guess every one will just have to wait with bated breath for my "in progress" pictures. I should have done an in progress journal so i could have ranted and raved about how much trouble my jellyfish drawing was.

So i have a favorite artist who does amazing work. She takes drawings of people and abstracts them. Somehow she achieves twisting, writhing, milky effect so the subject appears as if seen through smoke. It's amazing. Her name is Maureen Gubia and this her website:
http://gubia.neurasthenic.net/
I tried some of her techniques, but they didn't quite work out for me. Her hair is alot of fun to recreate. t did an abstracted portrait of my little brother and the hair was by far the best part.
see you all at school!

concentration

My concentration is an exploration of surrealism with animals. I want to focus on a juxtaposition of two regular things that creates a new perspective on the objects. The original french surrealists had many methods of tapping into the subconscious to create works of art. These methods are the inspirations for my art work. My art work shed a new light on everyday things, and they force the viewer to think about things from a new perspective.

this is a very raw first take on a concentration statment. tell me if you have anyways to make it better? or any ideas of art that might fit into my concetration

Last night I had this terrible school nightmare, where i forgot i was taking a class i was enrolled in and i ended up failing it and not getting accepted into any colleges. And then today when i was making a sketchbook i had this horrible thought that i can't remember the last time i used one of those sticker prompts. so now on top of the insane school night mare i have the real one of getting half credit for who knows how many sketchbooks. great.

but in better news i found this great how to book in borders about accessing your imagination in drawings and I used one of its ideas for my sketch book. The idea is to look at something with random organic shapes (clouds etc) and then drawing what you see in the shapes. I did a sketch book off the water stains/ mold growing on my bathroom ceiling. I used gray pastel for the stain part and then clarified it using a pencil. (this counts as observational too right?)I thought it was a fun idea. I'm trying to get my brother to actually buy the book for me so i can use more of the quirky ideas, they were really fun.

self actualization

In psychology class prov is teaching us about self actualization, and reaching ones true potential. He gave us a survey that had all these strange questions like
do you see pictures in the clouds?
do you ever just sit around and look at every day things that you find beautiful?
do you spend time contemplating the world around you in abstract ways?

What I got out of it is that artsy kids must be more self actualized then every one else, well artists and drug addicts.

so as i was was searching for artists that inspire me i was asking around to get inspired. My mom suggested Georgia O'keefe. she is probably the most inspiring thing ive seen all month. this little old lady quit reality and moved into a little hut. There she spent the last 20 years of her life creating amazing vibrant and above all youthful paintings. They were mostly close ups of flowers, but depicted in a very sensual way. Personally i loved hearing that its never too late to do what you love, and even though i may nto end up doing art as a carreer i can always run off when im nice and old :)

so i just wasted another 25 min on farmville and now i am too sleepy to do a real post. so instead ill just post this link to a fun song that i promise will make you feel happy, no matter what!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhW7FLo6peU

also could i just do a concentration of artsy animals and things? or is that too boring