End of Week One

Week one is over, I'm into week 2 and here I am again, another Sunday, my only free day and I din't get started until 3pm. I waste six hours watching tv and hanging out online and am no wiser because of it. Another 2 hours doing laundry leaving me with a sad four hours to clean my rats nest of an apartment, start the second part of my drawing homework and make another mug for ceramics since the ones I busted out quickly in class didn't have handles. Ms. Lee says she expects more from me. Why? Just because I'm an art major? That doesn't mean my ceramics skills are any good.

I had a chance to talk to Sean, who was sporting some very new bling (many congrats). It went well. I was fully expecting him to be disappointed at my not taking portfolio prep but he says he's willing to help me get my work together.

Although things are just starting I'm feeling overwhelmed already. I busted out two quick designs for a couple of folks this week. One sweet 16 invitation which was a quick turnaround for too little money which I had to overnight to them because they waited too long to get them done. To be fair, I didn't set the parameters of the deal. An 8 day turnaround is pretty good in my book, but I still received several voicemails in a very annoyed tone demanding that I get them their stuff. C'est La Vie, I won't make that mistake again, favor or no favor. I also 'borrowed' an illustration for a beer label design which I'm fully admitting is wrong but had I the time, I would have come up with something of my own. The drawing is awesome and I love the artists work, so let's call it a homage since the beer won't be sold and I wasn't paid for the design (well, I'm hoping to get at least one beer out of it.

School-wise, ceramics is the kicker. I don't have time to work in the studio so I need to get better at finishing assignments during class time. My vase is very complicated and I don't know when I'll be able to work on it before class on Saturday for any real time. It already started drying and cracking. To start over now would be...well, I can't start over now. We'll figure it out. The only option is to sacrifice my skeleton drawing which I also have to go to school to finish.

We'll see what happens. I'm pretty sure they'll be no bowling for me tomorrow.

It Hurts!

It's really been a while. Since I've posted and since I've been in the studio. After, literally, a few missteps in the beginning of the day, it started off well. I recognized two people and managed to get a fair amount done on my first drawing. After lunch we met at the Rodin museum, well outside of it, to draw trees. It was a fantastic change of pace from how I have been spending my Thursday afternoons. Cooped up in an office breathing in stale, recycled air. The air outside today was warm and fragrant, and the trees rustled gently in the summer breeze. Even the traffic on the Parkway seemed to be humming along without too much effort. Sitting on the grass and having a moment to take it all in was a nice treat. I don't get outside as much as I should.

It was a slow decent downhill from there however. I just could not get it together. Maybe if I was standing to draw it would have been easier to get into a groove but that old familiar frustration crept up. We said hi and I asked how Frustration's summer was. Frustration spent the summer working for it's dad but did get to go to Spain with a few friends for 10 days. Best trip ever Frustration said. I told Frustration to go fuck itself. We're no longer on speaking terms. I'm hoping to work it out. After all, we're best buds, me and Frustration, that cocky bastard.

Whatever. I'm not going to let it get to me. I'm more mature and able to accept the setbacks and my own limitations. It's only one day. One day after not having drawn seriously for 15 months. So no worries. I'm going to go set up my homework.

Oh, and First Friday is tomorrow. Yay!



PS: Maybe it's just because it's election season and I've got a real political fever going but I've been listening to Fleetwood Mac like crazy (thanks Karl!) and "Don't Stop" brings me right back to the summer of '92 and the utter euphoria that seemed to be spreading all over the country. Oh, the hope we had. We were really going to change things. Oh, to be on the winning team for once. Ah, Bill Clinton, how we loved you!! On that note, please please PLEASE vote this election. You have until October 6th to register to vote in PA.

National Portfolio Day

I sacrificed part of my Sunday to lend moral support to the CCP crew at National Portfolio Day at the convention center. It was packed. So many high school kids with their parents and friends in tow, hoping to hear that those magic words: you're really good. Some did, some didn't 'tis life. For the jaded transfer students, like Derrick and Steve, they knew the deal before they got there. Their work is good, but let's see some more personal pieces. Their prospects look really good. I was surprised to see Sean and Terry Peterson down there lending support as well. I ran into Anthony Black who I knew from FPG. He was there representing Temple. He had some interesting info, namely that they rarely accept transfer as juniors. So if I get my AA at CCP and transfer to Temple hoping to start as a junior I shouldn't hold my breath. Which sucks. My timeline of finishing all this school stuff by 33 (35 at the latest) depends on transferring as a junior. I'm now wondering how true this will be for other schools. All in all, not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I now have a little more motivation to dust off my easel and do some drawings, I had a pretty good roast pork and cheese from DiNick's AND the Eagles won! A miracle in and of itself. Almost as big as me actually posting.

Taking Some Time

People have been pestering me about not posting. You guys need to relax. Besides, I needed some time to sort a few things out. Making a big decision is hard and I had to cut out all non-essential activities, ie blogging, so that I could concentrate on changing my mind.

Last semester was hard. I moved, couldn't draw and turned out generally crap work in all of my classes. I talked to Sean and decided to not work during the fall semester and really focus on turning out portfolio pieces. But I couldn't get the numbers to work, not in any comfortable way. It's very possible that things would be fine, but I couldn't do it. My job was driving me to my very limits just when an opportunity knocked on my door. Twice the money, tuition assistance and the company had a conscious.

So I took it, deciding to take the next year and really figure out what I want to do, in earnest. There's a real fear, and I know for a fact others feel this way, that I may not be good enough to make money designing and maybe I should do something else and save myself the heartache. It's only been a month at the new job but I already know that I don't want to work in the administrative field and it's been helping me focus on design. I've actually been having ideas for a couple of small projects I'm helping people with. I've been working on my hand skills, flushing out ideas before I turn the computer on (I've been having a lot of time to doodle at this new job). I'm also trying to read more; more of everything and to cut myself a break. It'll come, I say, relax.

I'm still taking classes, online and on Saturday, just no studios this semester or next. But I'll still be around for First Fridays (big plans in the works) and any other department events I can make it to. So no worries, it's better this way. Right?

So, to you impatient blog fiends, relax. Just relax.

::Next, new logos a poppin'::

WOW! I Got Something Done...

Between Here and Home, Performance Flyer

First Friday Flaneurs: July, event flyer

Shocking, it is. Now to get it printed and posted up before first friday.

Time is a matter of fact, when it's gone it'll never come back

Another week has gone by. On the positive side, I made it through anothr week of work. On the negative side, I've done nothing once I arrived home. Maybe it's because I walk home from work now. I need that half hour/45 minutes to decompress from the day. I get to blast my music, take a few pics and work on my tan.

I'll try my best to get something done before the weekend is over. I'm going to try to try. Either that, or wait unitl I get back from Connecticut in July. Yeah, let's just plan on July.

Feist - So Sorry

Should be called So Good! powered by ODEO

Time Goes By Like A Broken Record

Well, a month has gone by since school has ended and I miss it already. This whole working all day, 30 minutes for lunch, 'what do you mean I can't come in at 9:40 everyday?' thing is getting pretty tired. I like the money, but there's got to be a better way. On the positive side, hating my job has forced me to be busy when I get home at night. Not looking for another job, however, but busy on semi-personal projects. Other people's personal projects more acurately.

Between Here and Home
Pop-punk trio out of Belen, MN
t-shirt/poster design

Something Like That
Between Here and Home lead singer, Freddie Kane, solo project
logo design 1

Jus "N" Kredible
DJ extroidinaire
CD booklet and Logo Design

Next on the agenda is portfolio pieces. I've been thinking about making a book, but need to narrow down my content choices. I'm also working on a digital "self-portrait" and a huge drawing, but I don't want to over sell the drawing (or even sell at all) because in all possibility, it might not get done. We'll see.