...aaand fifty!

Here we are, post number fifty, and I'm excited to announce my two new weekly features:

Top Three Thursday is going to feature little lists of threes based around a chosen theme for the week. I've already been doing this from time to time but I've decided to make it official and finally create some focus for all the time I spend mindlessly searching the interwebs.

My mini weekly goal will be just that - each week I want to set a small goal for myself and achieve it by the time I introduce the next goal. I hope this might prove to be fun and interesting, and I intend for my goals each week to span many different topics - personal, artistic, practical, and just fun. I'm not sure what day of the week to feature this, or if it should just be a sort of...whenever thing like my art posts. Either way, I came ready to do posts on both features today. I'll start with my goal for the week: Decide which schools I want to apply to for MFA programs and begin the applications. It's not the most fun, I know, but it's something that's been on my mind for about a year and a half now and I want my applications this year to be well planned and thought out.

Now for today's Top Three Thursday post.
The very first list of things I posted on this blog was of things from around the internet that inspire me. So I've decided to kick this feature off with my top three favourite blogs (that also happen to keep me inspired).

The first is A Beautiful Mess. I check this blog a few times weekly and am always pleasantly surprised by how often Elsie is able to post! There is always, and I mean always, new content and it isn't just quantity. She has a few fun weekly features (a clear inspiration for me to begin mine) and great photos. It's a craft, art, and lifestyle blog that I can't get enough of and she has just begun a new one to keep her readers up to date on her wedding plans.

The next is Velvet Pony. I've mentioned it before and the reason why is because it's one of the first blogs I ever read on a continuing basis. I found it when looking for some photo inspiration for a class assignment a year or two ago and even though the blogger doesn't really write anymore she always manages to find beautiful photography from Europe and across the world.

The next is Julia Pott Illustration. I know I've also mentioned Julia Pott before, but I love the way she is able to extend her illustration and style across so many media - from totes and zines to illustration and marketing. I don't know exactly what I'm working towards as far as my career goes, but I know for sure that I would love to have such a clean, consistent style and be able to learn the skill set that would allow me to do seemingly everything!
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So that's post number fifty. I'll be back soon with new art, updates on my goal this week, and updates for my other blog. Thanks for sticking with me for this long and here's hoping for another fifty (at least!)

forty-nine

This is my forty-ninth post - which is completely meaningless, save for the fact that I have some plans for my fiftieth. As in, there are two new weekly features that I want to introduce and will do so as part of my fiftieth post. This is, of course, in addition to the fact that the blog itself is a weekly feature, showcasing my new work week by week. That's not going to change, I promise.

Now, I knew that today was not going to be my day when it started. The first indication was the icy blast of cold weather as I left the house to walk to the gym this morning. Yesterday was so mild, I just wasn't expecting it. No big deal though, it's November and Canada - I should have seen it coming. The next thing to go wrong was when the guy at Starbucks called me "Sir" as he handed over my tall bold. I mean, granted, I was wearing a toque and a black softshell jacket (nothing girly) but really? Sir?
Moving on, my next discouraging moment was when I finally got to the gym and realized that due to the worsening cold that I fear has now made it's way into my lungs, I felt dizzy and completely unable to face the treadmill. I hadn't even taken off my coat when I decided to turn back, head home, and hope that my body is ready for a workout tomorrow. At least I got 20 minutes of exercise walking there and back.

Now for some art-

Here's another spread from my Sketchbook Project book. It's coming along, but to be honest, I kind of wish I had put a little more thought into designing something a bit more cohesive. I also wish my scanner, which is otherwise awesome, seems to overexpose all of these scans. It's probably a settings thing that I just need to figure out.

I decided to photograph this page instead of scanning. I bought this really cute letterpressed receipt book (made by drop around) from The Paper Place and though I'd use it for real receipts (if I ever sold anyhthing) I am also enjoying using them in things.

Speaking of The Paper Place - I went in last week and in addition to the drop around letterpress stuff, I also bought some more patterned Japanese papers and the beautiful robin's egg blue linen tape pictured above. Just thought I'd mention it. Isn't it pretty?

And finally, I'm in the process if getting the installation images from my show in August edited and colour corrected. Here's one of my favourite pieces. The bird is puffy and quilted and the piece is framed in a really sweet shadowbox. It's 5" x 7" (and totally for sale).

sketchbookin' 2

Once again, I've decided to do some more quick sketchbook drawings. Between working on my book project and the sketchbook project I've been doing some more serious work lately and this morning I just wanted to do something fun.
It'll be a quick post today: not much is new here, and I'm still (as always) getting a grasp on how fast time seems to be going. I still (as always) feel like I'm being crushed by to-do lists, but I am helping myself out with better time management. Now I just need to get a grasp on my breakfast. It's just after 10 am and all I've had so far was five mini reece cups.

Pink Blah Blah

I usually get Sundays off, but today I covered for a friend. Nevertheless, I came home and then went on a date for crepes at Crêpes a GoGo. It was a pretty great afternoon, but now I've got a total case of the blahs. You know when it comes out of nowhere? When you feel great and then you feel tired and like your brain's not working anymore? I've got that going on right now. Ah well. I've decided to post a few pink things from around the nets in an effort to jump start my evening. I'm really, really not a pink person but I figured maybe, just this once, it'd do the trick.

I saw this journal from Blackbird Letterpress on Craftgawker quite a while ago. Brittni from Papernstitch had originally posted about them and that's how I came across their site. I'm entranced by letterpress and their designs are gorgeous.

This chair was posted on Ink & Spindle. I think it would totally go with my fire engine red couch - I need one!

And finally this lamp.
It's a little too girly for my apartment but it's really neat. And they have lots of other cool designs.

New Art & Art Toronto

Another two pages for my Sketchbook Project book. I've been chipping away at it bit by bit, but it's tough - I really need to hunker down on it in order to get it done in time to send away in January. Luckily, I've decided on a more effective way of organizing my time (much needed, given the fact that I'm currently balancing two jobs). I've assigned each of my four ongoing projects (my class, my grad school applications, this blog, and the sketchbook project) a day of the week that I force myself to dedicate to that project. If I happen to have that day off, I can dedicate the whole day and get a bunch done. If I only have a couple of hours before/after work, then a few hours it is...it's better than nothing after all. Fingers crossed that it helps me get more done and feel less overwhelmed.

I loved the little bird in the batman-ish mask last week so I decided to do a little repeat.


In other news, I got to go to Art Toronto over the weekend. I went for a specific reason, but on both Saturday and Sunday made time to walk around and check out most of the galleries. Just to explain, Art Toronto, or the Toronto International Art Fair brings galleries (and their featured artists) from all over the world into one place. Artists set up booths that act as mini galleries and people flock to see (and buy) the art. I wish that I had thought to take some notes or write down some of my favourites. I have no idea why I didn't think to, I usually write down everything, all the time. On my hands, in a notebook, on the back of a crumpled receipt...

That said, one piece I do remember (and knew would be google-able) was this one by Damien Hirst. I'd heard of him and his diamond crusted skull before but never really looked into his other work. The gallery representing him in Montréal had a large display of several of his pieces, the one above included. There was another one with it that was more pink and green and it's impossible to tell from the picture but all of the red in this one was glittering with diamond dust. If the print didn't cost more than a year of my university tuition, I would have brought one home. There was also a painting that was about 18" x 12" (give or take) of multicoloured circles...for $200,000. Ah well. Maybe one day I'll be able to throw some paint onto canvas and legitimately charge more than most people make in a year.