Stormy Skies

Without question, there's been some stormy skies this week. My heart goes out to those directly affected by the tornadoes in Oklahoma and elsewhere. I'm so happy that things aren't worse here, despite the initial scare/potential. It's hard to imagine what losing everything must feel like. This year, there seems to be an overwhelming sense of loss and it is all too easy to feel hopeless - but there is good in the world and I must constantly remind myself of that.

So, tonight I am quiet. It's been raining all day and I'm taking comfort in the little things. I'm thankful for my family, my brother, night night stories, watching good new movies, having amazing books to read, being able to text my friends that are safe and listening to Candle by Sonic Youth. Life can be so good, despite it's drawbacks.

If you're interested in donating to the Oklahoma disaster, several ways have come to my attention. You can donate directly, of course. You could buy this cute $15 OK tank by Hello Merch (100% of the proceeds go toward the cause). You could buy a state love piece from RiffRaff (20% of proceeds go). Or if you're a NWA local hit up my favorite cupcakery ever and buy a red velvet cupcake (100% of red velvet sales go towards the cause). I'm sure there are countless ways to get involved if you wish and I encourage you to look locally!

Much love

Currently

(moved out of my apartment last week)

Watching: Hemlock Grove. I just finished up Vampire Diaries season 4 and all the Netflix episodes of How I Met Your Mother, so I was in need for something new in which to occupy my time. Since Hemlock Grove has been much buzzed about and appealed to my love of things supernatural, I decided it was worth a shot. Though I'm only a few episodes in, I'm still undecided. I want to like it so much - but I find myself being entirely confused through large parts of it. Still, I think I'll stick with it for now.

Reading: I picked up The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter - And How To Make The Most of Them Now by Meg Jay and The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell. I hope to read them simultaneously, but so far I'm only a few chapters into The Defining Decade which has been a really interesting and relevant read. Since I've turned twenty, I find myself obsessed with all things surrounding twenty-culture, so this book is really feeding my obsession. The Other Typist is a non-fiction book revolving around a typist for the NYC Police Department named Rose, set in the year 1923. It looks to be filled with lots of interesting plot twists and turns as a glamorous new typist named Odalie arrives on the scene and drags Rose into an underworld filled with speakeasies and other such mischief.

Listening To: Sirius Alternative Radio and The Great Gatsby soundtrack. Hello.

Eating: Since I'm back at home and have the shelves stocked, I'm enjoying lots of breakfast foods and fresh strawberries. Yum!

Looking Forward To: Vacation! Getting away for a week will be just the thing. Late June could not get here fast enough!

Mourning: The loss of a sorority sister. The main reason for my absence since finals ended in addition to moving home and unpacking. The unexpected death of a beloved sorority sister has deeply touched me and sent our whole sisterhood into grieving. It's made me think so much about death and the preciousness of life.

That Time I Made A Wire Dress

I know I don't share a lot of school or personal art work here on the blog, but I'm trying to change that. There are some things concerning art that I'd like to think I'm much better at than others. However, I knew from the start that sculpture and anything 3D was not, I repeat - NOT, up my alley. I've never had the desire to build anything with my hands, so I put my Three Dimensional Design foundations course off until I had literally taken every single one of my other foundations and art histories. All I heard were negative things about the course. For example: "It's so expensive!" "The teachers are brutal!" "All of the architecture students will blow you out of the water!"

Well, for the record, the class was kind of expensive - but I actually had a really great instructor who lessened the pain of me taking this course...and the architecture students were no more apt (except maybe in the wood shop) than I ended up being. 

For our final, the assignment was to redefine our bodies in the world. Essentially, we were supposed to represent ourselves, change the meaning of our body, and create a concept for a sculptural piece in line with the equivalent of wearable art. I struggled for the first two days coming up with an idea, so I began to research. It was only after reading this article comparing the woman to a black hole, that I began to get solid footing. I wanted to turn myself conceptually into a black hole - making a statement about exactly what I am, a modern woman. I wanted to be a natural force.

To create this dress, I used chicken wire, beading wire, pliers, nippers, spray paint, and light bulbs. I quickly learned that this dress doesn't photograph nearly as well as it looks in person. I created a classic feminine dress shape, with structural elements encasing me. I wanted to center of the dress to disappear, making me the black hole. 

Ultimately this project could've been pushed farther and I would've liked to added much more, but overall I am happy. I'm happy with the statement I attempted to make, happy with concept, and feel like I made decisive decisions about it's construction and meaning. 

Here's to finals week being over! Hip-hip-hooray!

Study Breaks

Finals week is upon me. With three finals Monday and one on Tuesday, it's safe to say that I'm mildly stressed out, but here in the past week among the chaos, I've actually made time for a lot of fun. We had one of the most fun sisterhood events of the entire year. Complete with a slip-n-slide, bounce house, snow cones, cotton candy and a little live music from Backroad Anthem - we turned the lawn in front of our house into a carnival like atmosphere. I felt like a kid, hurling myself down the massive slip-n-slide with my sisters. It was the best study break I could have ever dreamt up.

I feel an amazing sense of growth in my friendships and sisterhood as this year comes to a close. I feel like I've strengthened and grown in a lot of my friendships as we've navigated the ups and downs of the first year of really being close friends. I'm excited for what the future brings.

I have lots of studying to do, but I thought I'd share the most epic of study breaks with you. Four more finals and 2 more days, then I'm home free. Hoorah. 

Cycles

Do you ever find yourself doing the same thing? I don't mean, the normal everyday routine we all have. I mean, unintentionally do you ever look up and realize - hey, I always end up painting in the spring and writing poetry in the fall. I don't mean to...it just happens.

Spring is like some big revival in my life. Everything that once culminated in the fall and winter, is designed to be stripped away. Relationships end - two springs running - and I find myself throwing myself into work and painting. I never paint - only in the spring - only after a breakup it seems. It's weird to look-up and realize that my life keeps like a cycle in ways beyond the mundane routine of everyday.

So here's painting in the spring and starting all over again.