So I know I've been absolutely horrible recently about posting, but I thought I would share the drawings I did for my family (and friends) this year for Christmas. I'm cheap, I don't buy real presents.
Butterfly for Mom
Sad Baby Polar Bear for Dad
Bonsai Tree for Gma and Gpa
Baby Deer for Spencer
Calla Lily for Traci
Daisy for Sunshine
Angry Tiger Face for Travis
Princess Leia for Penny
Han Solo for Zac (of course)
Hummingbird for Rachel
I am missing a few because I haven't been able to scan them in yet, but I will post them when I do.
I really liked the way that most of these turned out, so hopefully I will continue making them. I particularly like the animal ones with lots of fine detail.
So for Christmas I made portraits for mi familia as their presents. It was lots of fun and lots of work. I'm glad I got to work early on them, but even with that extra early start, I was scrambling at the last minute. I'm glad to know I still procrastinate, even though I'm out of school.
How is it December already? I've been absent recently because of a film that I was working on called MOOZ-lum. It was a lot of work but a lot of fun. I had no life, but now I do. The other day I went to the Shadow Art Fair and one of the booths was a guy doing portraits of people and it was a 'name your own price' kind of thing. I got him to agree to exchanging a portrait for a portrait, so I did his portrait.
Here are a couple of drawings that I did recently.
Obviously I'm caught up in the 'Where the Wild Things Are' craze. I'm going to go see the movie sometime this weekend. I'll get back to you whether it's as good as the trailer makes it look.
YAY! See what Michael's up to in his new 'video blog'
I'm starting to miss friends back home so this is nice to see Michael like he's right there with me. Also you really should check out his blog because he has some awesome drawings/watercolors/graphic design works up http://wanderingartist.blogspot.com/
Still searching searching searching for a job. I'm editing my CV (resume) today because... well because I want to make it better. Then tomorrow I'm gonna go back out and try again to find a job. Wish me luck.
Now, back to my tea and crumpets... well no crumpets I guess, but I do have some tea.
So, today I think is the first day that I've realized that I'm going to be leaving soon. The reason that I think this is because I felt like crying about 4 times today over stupid sh*t. At work I did end up crying, but because the guy on the other end did. I've been calling the old folks at work (1958 grads) and today I finally got one that had recently passed away. So recently that it was within the past week. Boy did that make me feel like crap. All of the emotions of everything going on in my life boiled over and I just broke out with tears. I think that may happen rather frequently over the next few weeks. (Hence the 'beware')
I've also been thinking about the fact that when I come back things are going to be extremely different for me and for Ann Arbor. The majority of my friends are going to be moving on with their lives soon after I return and the small hope that this town would be the same as the past four years will fall to pieces. I'm not saying that I won't like Ann Arbor, it's just going to be different, and as most of you know, I don't deal with change at all well. I adapt pretty quickly, but it's a rough stretch in between. I'm going to have to get a new job, what I don't know. I might want to work at a random place, or maybe I'll finally have the drive to do something with my life. I've felt a little useless since I've graduated, I don't really feel as if I'm doing anything. I've been busy hanging out with friends, which is definitely great, I love doing that, but at the end of the day I feel...well, pointless. Goal-less. Jobless. Career-less. I just don't know how I'm ever going to do anything good for the world. I don't have the drive, nor the experience to do anything worthwhile. People are telling me that going abroad is 'something' but to me it doesn't really feel like anything. I kind of wish I was working somewhere making a difference in someone's life...through art. Basically I kind of want my career to start, and this whole going to Ireland thing is kind of getting in my way. I think that it's going to be a great experience, but why am I doing it. I guess I feel like everything I do from now on has to have a point. There has to be reason behind it more than just 'well, I really want to do it,' because that's how I feel about Ireland.
I hate leaving things behind and that's what I feel like I'm doing right now. I'm going to miss all of my friends dearly and I really hope that they don't forget about me. It's always a fear, and a possibility. Change sucks, but is necessary and I know this. But it's hard...
Over the past month(ish) I've been staring at the stars every time I come home. It's so dark out here that I can see more than I've been able to see for a long time now. This reminds me of all of the things that I wish I could be doing...like working as an astronomer. I can't figure out why I chose the path that I did. No matter what I do, I always wish I was doing something else. I don't feel like movies are for me, no matter how much I love working on them. I just feel like I'm not that good at it. The problem is that I don't feel like I am good at art either. I do, however, miss art, now more than ever. I miss making art, I miss talking about art, I miss going to shows, I miss going to museums, I miss so much about it. But I'm starting to question how I am going to live. Do I work on movies? Do I paint? Do I go to get a completely different degree? Well for now, I'm just lost.
The only good thing about this? It's finally fall. I love that I can wear a sweater and not sweat my a** off. It feels nice outside, it smells nice outside, and I can't wait for the colors to finally change. It's my favorite time of year. I like orange, and I like berries, and I like fall.
Oh, and recently I've decided that Elephants are my favorite land animal. Cuddle Fish are my favorite water animal.
I have a proposal. Right now, all of my thesis paintings are just sitting on the floor at my parents' house, which is not at all where I want them to be. I would like to hang them up in the house, but our walls are old and falling apart already without a heavy painting on them...conundrum. So here's the plan, I am offering them up to friends and family to hang in their houses under one condition, that if ever I need the painting for a show (unlikely as that is) I will take it back for the duration of the show, then return it. I really just want them to find a good home, and not have to go to the happy farm (aka the barn). Let me know if you want in on it.
The Michigan Theater painting is already claimed, but I thought it would look odd without it.
So, I painted this mural for a friend's movie. The direction I was given was this; I need a guitar, minimal colors (no neon), needs to be big, and you know those abstract desktop designs that apple has as a default for macs? yeah that's your inspiration. This is what I came up with...
Let everyone and anyone know about this. We are looking for all kinds of art, everything from the smallest of small, to the biggest of big. We need to fill a house with art. Email me if you would like to submit, or if you know someone who wants to, forward them my address.
emilyemilton@gmail.com
The best part is that those chosen to show on screen will get film credit, and free publicity.
I love Charles and Ray Eames. They have so many amazing videos. It makes me want to be a better person, and artist. Makes me want to be lots of things. Mostly, makes me want to explore every aspect of this world. I hope I can live up to that.
So, I'm officially bored. Out of my mind. Doing a bit of sewing to keep my mind off the fact that I have nothing to do anymore, but obviously that's not working. It's been weird since school ended. I mean, it ended so abruptly. All of a sudden, everything in my life changed. And all the people in it. Friends are leaving, but I'm staying here. It's odd. Whatever, because of this boredom I've been finding random things on the interweb. Here are some of my discoveries.
Apparently, according to Urban Dictionary, a 'pfeiff' is a 'girl who is similar to a hermit crab'. Ok, what does that mean? I don't get it.
I do like this one though.
'pewpew' -a noise that laser beams makes (notice the grammatical error. Even with the error though it's still funny)
This is intense, how do people think up stuff to do like this?!
You have to admit though, this is kind of awesome.
Now I know this one's kind of a throw back but I still love it. And boy am I not coordinated enough to even try a stunt like this.
Ok yet another thing that I am just not coordinated enough to do.
This one's pretty amazing. And creative.
This movie looks beautiful, anyone want to go see it with me?
It looks like how my dreams are. Finally, someone who sees into my head.
On Saturday Meg and I are going to see these guys play. I'm really excited. If you haven't seen 'Once', it's definitely one of my recommendations. And not just because I love the land of Ire, which is where the movie is set, but because it's an amazingly inspirational story. Just go see it.
I think I may have over done this one a bit, but like I said, I'm bored. Give me something to do, please.
I've been thinking lately, and there's some things that I really do want.
I want to go back to Europe. I want someone to love me unconditionally. I want to love someone unconditionally. I want to be a great artist. I want to be recognized for who I am and what I've done. I want my friends to stay my friends. I want to stay ok. I want to live. I want to be. I want to go out and have fun. I want to sleep in. I want to sleep. I want to like who I am and who I've become.
These are the paintings I've been working on all year. Soon to be all done and showing on April 12th. There is where you can see them in real life, but for now, here's some pictures.
Farmer's Market One Farmer's Market Two Famer's Market Three Wave Field One Wave Field Two Wave Field Three
There we have it. There are three more for that I'm currently working on which I will put up later, if at all possible, before the show goes up. YAY!
So that thesis. Here's my introduction, just to give all you salivating salamanders out there a taste of what I've been working on.
'Due to my past and current frustration with understanding the 'true' meaning of contemporary art, I have decided to create pieces presenting others with the same frustration. However, with the word frustration comes a dark connotation; in my life, frustration leads to a learning experience, which in turn leads to a creative endeavor. My journey through the process of conceptualizing the concept of the conceptual artist has become a passion. I want people to look at my art, initially confused, but slowly have ideas come to fruition. My hope is that those viewing my paintings will create stories and narrations of their own, walking away with a very individualized experience. Geometric shapes of varying colors, sizes and forms make up my paintings based on three Ann Arbor-specific locations, the Farmer's Market, Maya Lin's Wave Field and the corner of State Street and Liberty Street. Each individual place has its own essence, therefore each painting will reflect on it. It's not my intention for my audience to understand every step I took to arrive at the final destination, it is however my intention to force them into a completely visual experience.'
