Champagne and Bacon Bits

It's almost 2008. I don't get it. I'm gonna celebrate a good year tonight, hopefully with friends, and champagne (and bacon bits). You'll understand the reference if you come over. Thank my mom for all the yummy snacks, and I am bringing a little bit of Ireland into the new year as well.

It's nearly been a year since I left for Ireland, which blows my mind. Life is speeding up from about 25 mph to around 38.5. What happens when time starts going 55?

Schedule

For whatever reason, I wanted everyone to know my schedule for next semester just so you know I'm not ignoring you, I'm just really busy.

Monday:
8:30-11:30 IP Studio time
12-1 IP Professional Practice Workshop
1:30-3:30 IP Class time

Tuesday:
10-11:30 Ancient Egyptian Religion and Culture
1-2 Discussion section for Ancient Egyptian Religion and Culture
5:30-9:30 Work

Wednesday:
8:30-11:30 IP Studio time
1:30-4:30 IP Class time

Thursday:
10-11:30 Ancient Egyptian Religion and Culture
5-6:30 Lecture Series

Friday:
1-4 Screen Arts and Culture 423

Saturday:
2-6 Work

Sunday:
Homework

I believe any free time that there seems to be in my schedule will not actually be free time, but work time. I'm sorry in advance for not being able to play.

I'm Done, but in a good way

I'm done with classes FINALLY. I just took the Buddhism exam and I'm almost positive I got an A on it. Oh man am I good in the times of cramming information into my head. Now that I am done, I plan on doing whatever I want for a long time. Right now, I want to sleep. So I'm gonna. You can't stop me. Later, we're gonna have some funs, all of us left in Ann Arbor. Fun I tell you! That's the plan.

I quit.

I quit school, I quit art. I'm done.

Weddings and Funerals

Does anyone else find it strange that wedding invitations are now being sent out on Facebook? I do. I also find it slightly disturbing to have been invited to a funeral just now on Facebook. What is happening to the world?

The British Are Coming!

Schoolhouse Rock is one of the greatest collections of anything ever made.

My favorite part of this one is the map of the US at the end. It's so accurate.

Times-a-Changin'

I've figured out a lot of the logistical problems with my project recently. I finally have a good idea of what I am doing and why I want to do it...which is definitely a step up. I wrote up my grant proposal tonight...well last night and this morning (notice the time). It's back to weird sleeping patterns again for me. Overall my project is progressing even though I haven't painted for a while.

I registered for classes today, for the final time. It's a bit odd, but oddly relieving. Next semester I am taking IP, our weekly lecture series, a one credit minicourse that ends in the middle of February on Planets and Moons, and Ancient Egyptian Religion and Culture, where the required course reading is the Book of the Dead. I may actually read for this class (which will be a first). I am not taking a studio course so that I will be able to work solely on IP and then be able to do little projects on the side. I also realized today that I won't have Friday classes or even morning classes. The earliest class I have is at like 10. This is going to be a good semester.

Ohio State Game sucked. That's all I got to say.

Thanksgiving rocked. That's all I got to say.

I am now a frame building, canvas stretching, gesso priming master. Be proud.

I still think I may be Buddhist.

Tryptophan

I'm ready for my turkey coma. It's almost time. Happy Thanksgiving (a bit early).

Did you just spit?

I stole this from Zac but only because it's amazing.


Shameless plug:
All Student Exhibition opens today at 6 and runs until December 15th. There is work in the Robbins and the Slusser galleries in the art school and in the Work gallery on State St.

One more shameless plug:
My work's at the Work, downstairs. Go look at it.

Love You

Ha.

My number 4

This is my reaction to the number 4. I don't think it's done yet. I have to do some mock ups and or models.



Each of the canvases are 4inx4in. There are 16 of them all together (4x4). There are 4 squares in each of them. And the symbol that each individual grid makes is the original glyph for the number. Also I used the colors CMYK which are colors that printers use to print (if you've ever had to change ink cartridges you should know this). It's all about the number 4.

Do you think I'm done? Do you have any suggestions? Please help!!!

4

When I say the number 4, what do you think of?

Here's something to think about: 4 is the natural number following 3 and preceeding 5.

Have you ever tried to define a number? I find it interesting because I never have thought about the definition of a number before. I have always just had the understanding of them. Numbers are the same as symbols. No matter how much we think the letters of the alphabet are letters, they are really just symbols, abstract and don't mean anything. ABSTRACT!



That's the evolution of the number 4 as a glyph. I am completely boggled by the fact that none of the glyphs mean anything to me until I reach the end, and then it seems to be instinct of numbers that kicks in. It's so embedded in our brains that 4 means a number to us, it's a representation of a number, that's all.

It's weird to question something you think you have such a grasp on.

I'm gonna go back to thinking about numbers.

Blech

I feel kind of sick, and I think it has something to do with all of this stupid technology. My stomach hurts because I spend so much time in front of my computer. I want to go out into the world and forget about this so-called interweb. It just makes things more complicated, most people think it makes things easier, but that's a lie. I liked it better when I had to look words up in the dictionary and read my encyclopedias. Why is the world moving at 5,000 miles per second? I am going to slow down. Kthnxbye.

I don't know what this means...

I had a conversation with my mother the other day.

"Mom, I think I'm Buddhist."
"Yeah, I've always wondered about you."

This makes me feel funny, but kinda special.

I only needed to make six tentacles, because I already have two.

Lots and lots of things are going on right now. Nothing to do with my IP, and I'm ok with that. I made my halloween costume this week and I think it's awesome. It's the first real costume that I have ever made for myself, and I think I did a damn good job with it. I am an octopus. I have six artificial tentacles because I already have the two legs. Sara and I were sea creature friends, we had bubbles last night, but they did not work so well. I think it was the temperature. I think that this really is the first halloween, at least in the past few years, that I really loved my costume. It has always been a last minute thing and I have always been upset with the result. But that's mostly because I don't think through what I want to be so early on. Juliana was little red riding hood and Genevieve was Pocahontas. We were the best group walking around the streets of Ann Arbor, better than all the girls with their butts hanging out, better than all the guys dressed as some form of beer product. We were totally the best. Ha. Basically this was a great halloween weekend and the fun isn't over yet. I'm going trick or treating with the family at the Natural History Museum soon. I haven't seen them in a long long long time and miss them. Especially my neice, she's going to be a butterfly. I hope she doesn't get scared and fly away when I come up. I think I need to start getting ready for that actually. More dressing up...gosh halloween is so cool. Can't it be every day?

Can't everyday be like today?

Today during IP, I was trying to do research and brainstorming about my project. I needed that time to think and really process what my work is about. I'm still a bit confused, but less so than I was. I know why I am doing it now and I understand what is important to me about them. I am less interested in the process than I am the final paintings. I need that gap of understanding to be lost on the audience. I like the fact that they won't necessarily get the correllation between the data sets and the paintings. I talked with Anne (one of my IP professors) and she reiterated the point that I should be researching phsycological aspects of these, e.g. why am I so obsessive, how do I think of these things, what makes me do the things I do. I agree with it fully. I am back on track and feel really good about the project again.

Also, when I was doing research today on Agnes Martin, I stumbled upon this woman named Xylor Jane. She is my salvation. I have felt so lost for so long about my research from other artists. I mean, I can find people that work with color, I can find people that work with grids, I can find people that work with mathematical formulas, but never any that did all of it. I thought I was the only one. WRONG! And never more glad to be wrong. Xylor Jane's work corresponds so well with everything that I have been working on, not only recently, but the entire time I've been in school. Here's her artist statement:

"Xylor Jane's work draws on mathematical algorithims to make intricate and staggering installations. Deriving her patterns from often basic arithmetic exercises (such as the Fibonacci Series or prime numbers), she deals in both complexity and simplicity, finding hidden curiosities and subtle patters amidst swarms of numbers. Her rigorous execution highlights the personal touch and commitment she brings to each piece."

I mean, wow. She is me. I emailed her asking her for, well basically her biography, and I also asked for help with my project, hopefully she will be able to. I am so totally back on track. I feel so good about my project and not so lost. All in all, today was a great day.


Here's Xylor Jane's website if at all interested:
http://www.xylorjane.com/index.html

This is seeming more and more appealing

https://www.workandtravelireland.org/home.aspx

Can't I just go back now?

No,
wait,
got to finish school first.
Geez, I keep forgetting that.

Wow, just wow

I feel the need to introduce this to everyone. We used to watch this every day in Ireland. I want you to notice the odd forms of seduction and affection throughout the entire video. It's so good.

Confused much?

Yesterday I had my midterm critique for IP. It didn't go too well. I'm frustrated because my professors are not giving me the feedback I need to proceed. They keep talking about my presentation at the final show, when in fact, that's months away, and I need them to ask questions about my project. About my concept. About the form. I need them to ask me questions so I can find the right answers. Well anyways, I was frustrated to the point of not being able to do anything yesterday.

Today I sat down with my painting professor and told him why I haven't been giving my all in class. It's mostly because when I'm in the art school, I feel guilty not being in my studio working on IP. I think I'm brainwashed. He said he understands and really helped me find a way to apply my IP into the painting class. I'm finally motivated to work on these paintings for his class. Also, I asked him to look at my IP work and he helped me loads with that as well. I mean, I feel so much better now that I have talked myself through things, and I think I am just going to have to get outside help from people sometimes...or most of the time. This is not a bad thing.

Also one of the reasons I was feeling bad about my paintings is that I am planning on making 15, when in fact I have yet to finish my first one. This is partially because of the paint that I was using. To counter this, I went out and spent nearly $200 on new paint...I need to find a grant. If anyone knows of any organization that is willing to fund something like this, I need it.

Or, if you want to help me fund it, that would be great as well. HAH!

Some like to call her Reg Spek

So on Tuesday, right after my nap and right before I had to go to work, I checked my emails and happened to have one from my brother. In said email, there was the offer of free tickets to see Regina Spektor on Wednesday at the Fillmore in Detroit. So I was like, alright yeah totally. So on Wednesday Juliana and I went to see Regina and it was so great. We only kind of got lost trying to get there...oops. The show was amazing, without all the special effects that most singers usually use. The whole show was just her, a piano and sometimes a guitar and her wonderful voice. Basically it was simply awesome. During the encore she finally played Fidelity, which is about the only song that I really know of hers. Juliana and I wanted to get out before the huge crowd so we were leaving as this other song came on. So, this song, I have been trying to figure out who sung this song since I was in England, being placed on hold by Vodafone, where a song was repeating over and over. I liked the song but didn't know who it was by and tried to find out, and I finally have...I can't explain how much I was freaking out. It's a good song.




On another note, I am currently watching the Matrix, and finding correllations to Buddhism all over the place. I mean, pretty much the whole movie is about the Buddha and his lives. Just a discovery that's blowing my mind. Apparently this week is full of those.