Recycling the Roses

It is crazy insane how fast a bolt of creative lightning can strike one's mind...or maybe it is just my eccentric and random self thinking up new ideas. We may never know. Well, yesterday, during my 2D design class I came up with this exciting new idea for an art piece to hang in my apartment this fall. It really had nothing to do with the lecture yesterday, which was about color theory and color practice, but it is very colorful, so I guess it wasn't purely just daydreaming.

A while back my boyfriend surprised me with a dozen red roses. They were beautiful. They smelled wonderful. They lit up the room. Wanting to make them last as long as possible I took a picture of them...with my phone. I guess I figured that there would be more to come in the future, so I didn't even bother dragging out the camera (hopefully there are more!). The picture went up for everyone to see on Facebook and I played around with it in Picnik so that I could make it look swanky for a background on my iPod. My new project will use that same picture 13 times in 16 sections. I am so excited! I created the project on the computer using Picnik, Paint, PowerPoint, and Shutterfly...I really should invest in some sort of photo editing software. Anyhoo, the final piece will be constructed out of canvas, some acrylic, and a lot of collage. So pumped about this! No worries...you will one of the first to know of the finished project, but for now, I am going to only give you a snippet of it.

So just remember that you can almost always get more than you think out of something you have already made beautiful.

And remember...it's the random reasons.

Jack-o-lopes and Rainbows

When googled one will discover that jack-o-lopes are described as North America's rarest animal...a rabbit with antlers. uh-huh....right. Maybe they are real, but most likely and in my opinion they are purely fictional. However, that does not stop me from informing all of you that there is such thing as a Uni-jack. Let me explain...

My sister, Kaitlynn, loves PillowPets. You know, "it's a pillow, it's a pet...it's a pillowpet!" Anyhoo, with my amazing discount at work (haha) I purchased a unicorn pillow pet. After leaving the store, we headed over to the wonderful oasis of fun, a.k.a. Hobby Closed-on-Sunday Lobby. When we left Hobby Closed-on-Sunday Lobby we had rabbit ears, a ducky patch, and some red fur in our possession. That night I sewed the ducky patch onto the rump of the unicorn, and attached the rabbit ears on the top of the unicorns head. Then used the red fur to make a turban-like hat for the pillow. After all of that, I used ribbon to sew the phrase, "It's so fluffy" onto the belly of the unicorn, and feeling as though the project was not yet complete, I attached a few buttons to the unicorn's horn. When finished, the pillowpet looked absolutely magical. I was a little bit in shock with the success I had with sewing (seeing how I usually end up stapling things instead of using a needle and thread). I was so excited to see the reaction that Kaitlynn would have when she received the pillowpet...and I think she loved it. It has been on several speech trips and track trips with her, so it is safe to say that it is being well loved.

So as you go about the rest of your day, just remember that even something generic found in a technology store can be crafted into something full of fun and adorability (new word).  Remember, it's the random reasons.

Imagination Express.

Wow, it has been a while since I last posted. Sorry about that. It has been crazy busy here with a ton of work and homework, and it really does not help when it is nice outside. All I want to do is go out and enjoy the weather! However, the last few weeks have been wonderful! I was able to see my sister and BPA friends in Tulsa, then I was able to go home and see my family during Spring Break. These last few weeks have also been very creatively productive as well! Yay! It is super exciting!

My last design project was an assignment to use a metaphorical window to explore the concepts of perspective and space....it was fun...sort of. I had fun with it while painting--but the rest was a tad bit tedious. Maybe it did not help that this project was assigned to be completed during Spring Break which automatically means that it was going to be created the Monday and Tuesday before it was due. However, I did start drawing it on Saturday night...so not a ton of procrastination, but not exactly overachieving either.  The idea behind my piece was to capture the use of imagination that children have when they play with cardboard boxes. I have always loved the idea of making empty cardboard boxes into fun things, so this concept was at least interesting to me--which is always good. The left side of the work reads as very gloomy and gray, this is meant to be the "real" world, void of color and creativity. Then when the eyes transition over to the right they are taken through a cardboard box, where they are able to peer through big pink flowers to see a bright and fun land with a pathway leading to a castle. It is playful. It fit the assignment. It made me smile. All aboard the Imagination Express.

So, as you go about your day and your week, remember that with a little imagination you can turn frumpy into spunky. Or you could just make something ugly into something really awesome.

Remember...its the random reasons.

Big Fluffy Armadillo

It's the middle of the week, and so far the week has been both productive and not stressful. Amazing? I think so. I suppose the big topic for today would be the new acronym in my life--BFA. Contrary to what the title of today's entry leads you to believe, it does not mean that I now have a new pal in my life. It also is not referring to the Balloon Federation of America, which by the way is pretty swanky. Definitely something to look in to! (http://www.bfa.net/) The BFA in my world has to do with college and art, yes I have officially changed my major. Yay!

With the whole "artist" label being sewn back into my life, I have decided  to use the blog as a random reason to showcase some of my creations, once I figure out just how to do that! Art has been a big part of my life since the third grade and it just seems right to be serious about it once again. I am also bracing myself for the reactions I will now most likely be getting when I am asked the ever-so-popular question of  "What are you majoring in?" With my first major being Architectural Engineering and the second being Strategic Communications, Studio Art just doesn't have the "importance" kick to it. That is just fine with me though. I have finally realized that it doesn't matter what the world thinks you should do, what matters is that in your future you can find multiple random reasons to smile throughout your day. That is why I need, not just want, art.

In honor of finally making a decision about my major I have posted my very first oil painting. Brings back so many memories and so much excitement for the future.

So as you go about your day just remember that no matter what everyone else thinks, it is completely up to you to find your happy.

 Remember...it's the random reasons.