So, as promised, here's my second drawing for the week. I mentioned earlier that I've been on birds lately. Well, I've also been on birches. I think they're great. This one turned out a lot moodier than I intended. I painted the background with this lovely teal blue colour I have in my Marie's Chinese watercolour set. Then I went in with some black-ish brown, intending to just add a bit of shadow. In all fairness, the colours are much lovelier in person, and this one was scanned with my crappy all-in-one (proper scanner and high quality printer hopefully to come in the next few months).

Now, tomorrow I have to hand all the drawings I've done this semester for my drawing class. Problem is, I've been working small - as you can see - and the drawings I submit for class have to be on full sheets (22" x 30" I think) and I'm in a small drawing state of mind. Second problem is, I haven't really kept up on those drawings too well. After my show in January I felt really burnt out and haven't been up for doing much drawing, so tonight I'm faced with the daunting task of making up for lost time. I've had a cup of coffee and a handful (or two) of chocolate chips and I'm ready to face the big, blank sheet of paper staring up at me from the floor. Here goes.

That Drawing

Here it is- I said I'd add it. Another soon to follow, I swear.

One New Drawing, and a Love Letter to Photography

I have a new drawing this week, but the scanner I use is on campus. I'll scan it and post it later today. I wanted to post now because, frankly, I'm late. After only three posts (excluding this one) I don't feel I've earned the right to be all "sorry I haven't posted in so long, I've been busy blah blah". But I'm sorry I haven't posted. I've been busy. Blah Blah.

I've been busy because the school year is coming to a close. It's scary because I'm graduating. In about a week and a half, I'll be done with undergrad. Any excitement I may feel at the prospect of being able to put letters (BFA!) after my name is overshadowed at the moment by due dates that creep closer by the minute and hang over my head like angry, angry clouds.

A further reason for my business and subsequent neglect to this blog project (bloject?) has been photography. I have one assignment left, and I want to make it a good one. I have studied analog black and white photography for every school year since 2005 (with the exception of 2007 - digital photography, pffft). This is the final year I'll be able to do it and my last assignment is due a week from tomorrow. I'll miss it. Not for the taking pictures, I can still take pictures, but for the process. I'll be hand-processing my last ever roll of film this afternoon and printing thorughout the week. This is my last week of coming home smelling like vinegar and death. Goodbye, darkroom. We had a good run.

Am I getting sick or is it just art school?

Today is my university art department's open house. Everyone was allowed to install whatever they wanted and the walls of the art building are plastered with student work, for better or worse.
I was at school taking advantage of studio space until 12:30 last night (that's 12:30 in the a.m.) Wednesdays are my 10 hour work day. 4 hours in the film library, 6 hours in the darkroom. I'm tired, but at least my jobs are cool.
My 60" x 44" pen, ink, graphite, and watercolour drawing is done. So are my 2 five by sevens, as per my weekly deal. I used a better scanner for these ones, so they oughta look better than the last two, scanned in my old dell all-in-one.

On the flipside, I think I'm getting sick. I usually get sick this time of year, and I blame daylight savings. Yes, the days are longer, but at what cost? My head is cloudy, my nose is stuffy, but at least I feel I've accomplished something in the last 24 hours.
Also? birds. They're everywhere this week. In my drawings, I mean. Both of my drawings this weeks are birds and the aforementioned 60" by 44" drawing is of birds too. Maybe I like their beady, lifeless eyes.

That "end-of-the-weekend" Feeling...

I have it.
You know when it's Friday afternoon and you're all fired up about the things you're going to do on the weekend? All of the procrastinating you're finally going to make up for? I have a class on Fridays from 2:30 until 5:30 and I often spend it daydreaming about the hyper-productive and efficient version of me that is going to take over for the weekend and not only get tons of homework and reading done, but make art, healthy breakfasts lunches and dinners. Where does that me go? Now it's Sunday night and my well crafted to do list sits there with nary a checkmark (well, aside from "blog post"). But that's okay. Technically, it's Monday - 12:55am - but for me, I'm still riding on that wave of weekend optimism. I've done my drawings, I'm posting, and I'm getting ready to start moving on to the next of the many items on my list.

Oh, and my 2 new drawings! See?

So, here I am

I've started this blog in an attempt at trying to trick myself into being productive. It's my goal to post two new drawings on this blog once a week, hence the name "two per week" and the url: five-by-seven (the drawings will be that size).
A little about myself: My name is Tori. I'm in art school, for the time being. I'm all set to graduate later this spring. I'm waiting to see what the wide world has in store for me in the coming year - I've applied to graduate school with some small hopes of being accepted. We shall see.
At school, I study visual arts, with my focus on photography and drawing. I'm also an English minor. My drawings have been leaning more toward illustrations lately, and I'm going to keep going with that. So, here I am.

I'll get the ball rolling with a couple of images that though they weren't done this week, are indicative of what I do and what I'll be doing.