hi

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Saturday, May 30, 2009

way too much sun for seattle

Woke up at 8, got up at 8:40, and was clean and dressed by 9. Good thing I got an early start because I was informed that the Illustration Juried Show pieces are in a location possibly in danger of getting the ol’ End of Year Schoolwide Dumpster Drop. Mostly it is the classrooms and 3D building that get emptied. Anyway, yeah. Got my stuff together real quick. I was just out the door when I realized I was leaving an hour ahead of time and could probably bike to school and back and not have to deal with lugging my suitcase an extra mile and a half. Good thing too because it was hot out and even being in a light shirt dress and short pants got me over heating.

The pieces were not in the Illustration room. I checked the flat file drawers twice and looked all around but they were not there. Asked other people but no one had a clue. Vanishing juried show pieces! I just had to accept that if they get trashed today, they will. And hope they are hidden enough to survive a couple weeks. Maybe Jen will grab them. The security guy said that they probably won’t get trashed as it is mostly class rooms that are getting emptied and if they are tucked away. Hmm. I just had to accept it and leave because I couldn’t wait around any more minutes.

Power biked home, grabbed my suitcase and backpack and left! The street car was just a 3 minute wait. Perfect timing! A minute more at school would have forced me to walk all the way down to Glisan. Just to street car and from there to the train had me way too sweaty. Bleh. Checked my bag, got some Gatorade, and waited with plenty of time. Better to rush and find you have too much then to rush and keep rushing till you sit down. I don’t do well with sudden compacted stress. Now I am waiting for the train to start so I can go to the dining cart and get an almost proper meal.

The order of the streets in the Alphabetic District, as best as I can remember them:
Ankeny
Burnside
Couch
Davis
Everett
Flanders
Glisan
Hoyt
Irving
Johnson
Kearney
Lovejoy
Marshall
Northrupp
Overton
Pettygrove
Quincy
Raleigh
S?
Thurman
U?
Vaughn
WXYZ?

The hotdog and chocolate milk are sitting quite well in my stomach. At first I was a little queasy, probably because I skipped breakfast and then had to do all these errands. But now, mmm delicious. Watching Forrest Gump and enjoying the ride.



Got to Seattle safe and sound! The 73 was right there when I got to the express tunnel. It didn’t get quite packed but still I made sure that I wasn’t one of those jerks who set their bags next to them to avoid human interaction.

Chris Peeler and I planned to get together for a little bit. He arrived in the U District about 10 minutes after I did. I dropped my bags off at Llyw’s and walked up 43rd and there was my old friend looking all college like in his plaid shirt. We had iced beverages at Sureshot (which advertised air conditioning in the window) then ice cream at Hagen Daz. I had the caramel cone flavor. It was delicious. Gave Chris a copy of my comic and a Lucky Luna and walked him to his bus stop.

Llyw and I went out for Pho. I had the kind with beef. Very delicious. It was a really beautiful night; still warm from the high 80’s sun but not sweaty heat. I wore my new shirt dress I got on my shopping expedition with Karen a week ago. Llyw is going to Ireland for a month and a half! It is through his job and all that. Way cool. Wish I could tag along but I have, ya know, art and stuff to do.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

swears and mad stacks of comics


Final round of screenprinting!

Cherish was in the studio with visiting family members. She was doing a print for them based after pictures that the kids drew. A nice little bunch. The design was cool. A little array of kids drawings and adults work.

When I was returning the emulsion to the fridge, I dropped it! It didn't tip but there was a long drop of it that went into the screens. Could have had more that spilled. Just a half cup. It mostly sprayed on the edges and I was quick to wipe it up and wipe it off. When I dropped it, I said a bad word. I don't think the kids were old enough to catch it (and it was more of a cry then a full swear).

One of my screens got water on the emulsion before it had dried so I had to do that one later.

Used a nice blue to do the back cover. No loss of comics there. I didn't loose any with the cover. Enlarged a different panel and made a new design. The copier and computer room is open in the library, just a different set of doors is open.

While I was waiting for the second screen to dry, I used drawing fluid and created a poster for free Yoga on my other screen. A long design to go on these scraps I found. Could have been neater but it does stand out as handmade. I printed the posters while waiting for Matt to show up. Got the covers done in what seemed like record time. Printed so many of the Yoga fliers. I'll put more up when I come back to Portland.

I have 82 total comics to sell once again! Hurray! 82 comics x 8 different images needing to be printer = 656 pulls. Probably closer to 700 based on number of prints that didn't work out.

When Matt showed, I cleaned my screen. I was just giving him a little screen demo. He is borrowing mine for a little bit while I'm out of town and needed to be refreshed on wear and care. Or something. Anyway, he bought me Quizno's in exchange for the brief screen loan. Whoo!

Rode home. I inflated my tires last night so my baby is like a dream again. Packing my suitcase. I'm not bringing my whole portfolio up. Next time, when I am up in August I will bring my work. I do have some comics stowed away for people with $2.

Tomorrow I take the train up to Seattle. Supposed to be in the 80's. Nice!

6/8

Another day mostly spent in the lab (well, I say mostly but what I mean is only 7 hours).

The emulsion was filled! Brand new, pretty and pliable. Spread it all across my screens. I was feeling a bit rushed so I did rush it a little. Exposed and then washed them before they were really dry. It only caused some minor rippling on one of the screens and so one of the pages has some slight imperfections. Oh well.

Tricia was printing some cake boxes and business cards. Someone took one of her Thesis books because a sign said take one and the take one was indicating her business cards, which were all gone. Dang!

Some dudes printed some portfolio covers and posters. They were nice. I think one was named Justin.

Ali printed some patches for Last Thursday.

I just print, print, printed. The numbers are looking to be the high 80's. Pretty good. The last color turned this hideous poo color instead of this pink. I should have changed colors when it became clear that it wasn't going to look good but I kept with it. A lot of them had blowout (too much ink went through the screen). Oh well, I'm selling hand printed comics for cheap so no one can complain. Hear that!

I want to redesign the cover for the second printing, but that just means getting access to the copier. If it can be done, I'll do it.

Worked for so long with just some smart puffs, chocolate milk, cookies, and root beer to keep me going.

Gabe made a lovely little pasta dinner. Mmm!

Finishing up printing tomorrow. Then packing!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

still only $2! (or should I raise it to $3?)

Gabe hand made some pita bread and for breakfast I had a chicken, tomato, lettuce, mayo, pita bread sandwich. Mmm it was quite good! Well it was more like a late lunch. I didn't eat it till I got to school and was waiting for my screens to dry.

I left my main keys at home because Katie was gone and Gabe needed to get in and out. He was going to be around the apartment all day so no big thing. Dominic offered to help me print, so that was awesome. Yay.

The emulsion was down to a half inch worth of viscous dregs. I barely got enough out of the tub to fill the width of the trough spreader. Most of my screens I had to apply the emulsion with a piece of card. See, to put the emulsion on the screen you first pour it into a little handheld trough and then it evens out and with one swipe you can get it nice and covered. But it needs to move and not have chunks to do it easily. I managed to get just enough to cover my three screens. Took some work but I did it.

Used my old transfers and it all went on okay. Dominic stopped by to help when I was in the middle of my first page. He printed the second page and when I used up my pile of paper I printed on the ones he printed and when he finished printing his pile he did the ones I did. We met in the middle and we got about 90 comics done in about an hour and a half. Well 2 pages done. Hurray!

Michaela, Dom's gal, stopped by. I offered her a Luna but she said she already had one that someone have left behind! Well so sad for that person who left it but great that it is found art! Ali was also in. We all talked zines and selling and buying and plans for the symposium.

I did the third by myself and that was very much slow going but not so bad. 3/8 pages done! The second printing looks to probably be about the same number as the first (70). Lost a couple here and there. This one has more green and blue in its colors and I might change the cover. Include a little subheading that says second printing. Boast how well it sold. Heh.

Plan to do another three tomorrow. The emulsion is out, sure, but I think there was a little canister of the green variety. Well I saw it, I just didn't know if it belonged to anyone. No name. I'll give it a shot, I won't use that much as I tend to scrape as much back into the tub as possible. Some people are very wasteful and just wash out the trough with it still mostly full. Bah!

There was a second reception for the MFA Thesis Show so I grabbed some snacks. Talked to Matt and wished Andy a happy birthday. Then I went home. Gabe lowered my keys down on a fishing line from our balcony. Tom was visiting. After printing I was pretty wiped out so I just ate and kicked back. More printing tomorrow! Want to get another 3 pages done. Then 2 the next day. That way I can return and sell plenty back to my dear family!

Monday, May 25, 2009

come June 1st, I'll be rocking Puget Sound.

My first sleep in past noon!

Today was a lovely day but I wanted to get a start on printing so I tried to round up someone to assist me. Jason was foolish enough to agree to learn how to print. Hahaha. Anyway, he came in from Beaverton and walked down to school.

And it was one of the two days of the year that campus is actually closed! Memorial day! Argh! What a scam. It is also Towel Day for all the hoopy froods out there.

So we went and got ice cream and watched all the kids play in the fountain. I had a root beer float and he had the hazel nut type. We walked down to the waterfront and walked down waterfront park. The Rose City Festival is going on but the rides didn't look fun and we didn't feel like paying to get in. So we just walked past the festival. A late lunch was enjoyed at Rock Bottom Brewery. I tried the Morrison St. Stout. It was creamy and delicious. With it I had the Sonoma Chicken wrap. Tasty also. Good fries. We sat in the outdoor area and shared a time people watching.

Nice little day, even if I didn't get to print.

And I heard back about the internship, sorta. Rustin still wants to meet and see how the internship would work, but he is in Queens for the next few weeks. Just as well because Trillian is coming home to Washington! I'll be up in Seattle for a couple days then on Monday I shall hop the ferry over and return to beloved Seabeck.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

almost like a cliche afternoon

I had a cup of tea very late last night and couldn't get a good wink of sleep. Argh! Oh well. Just read from my Encyclopedia of Death and watched bits of the sunset. It was pretty.

Oatmeal and tea for breakfast. Mmm.

Jen and I got together to watch The Brothers Bloom, the new movie by Rian Johnson (he directed Brick). It was the early showing. A brilliant beautiful day. Almost hate to waste a part of it inside, but hey I got to see it for free with a groovy chick so yay.

Brothers Bloom was as good as I expected it to be and even better. When it was delightful, it was perfectly so and when it was serious it carried that well. It had the right blend of characters and reality while suspending disbelief. A lovely little romance story. It is about two con men brothers, Stephen and Bloom (Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody, respectively) who plan one last con on this rich shut in (Rachel Weisz). They travel the globe and have an adventure with their silent Japanese demolitions expert. It was really nice. Highly enjoyable but not fluffer. The color was nice, the costumes were impeccable. I just want to watch it again!

When I walked back along the park blocks I saw:
Three young boys skateboarding and one of them was working up the courage to skate down some stairs.
A small group of outdoor yoga enthusiasts.
Lots of chalk art.
"Capitalism allows creative freedom" written in chalk.
Old folks taking a slow meander.
Young folks playing guitars.
People staring at the clouds from a spot on the grass.

It was all very serene.

Then I ate a bunch of ice cream! Yay!

Rested a little and then went to check out the BFA/MFA Thesis show. It was crowded and I was anxious from almost the first minute being there. Lots of people drinking free wine and mingling in nice clothes. I just sweated and had a hard time focusing and didn't really want to talk to anyone. Lots of neat work, lots of confusing conceptual stuff, and of course a few, "Lookitme I'm breaking the barriers of sexual identity!" things. It was far too crowded to properly enjoy. So I got outta there (talked to Jon and Jim a little) and rode home as fast as I could.

Talked to mom who has some bread from San Fransisco that she is going to eat all by herself in Seabeck! Someone, quick, visit her!

Watched No Heroics, a show Colin suggested. Real life lazy super hero type show. British people, the Nathan Barley crew.

So tired. Time for night night.

The Road. So good.

It is 2:20 am and I had to force myself to put down The Road. I am like, 230 pages into it! I knocked off well over half of it in a day. I'm such a slow reader and it is hard for something to grab me this much to just keep going no matter how long I take reading it. So good. I was up late reading it and just the morning I spent reading. I had a stuffy nose so I took a decongestant but it made me way too drowsy and I fell asleep for quite a few many hours.

I didn't plan to do this little today but then again, I didn't really have plans.

But I'm having fun not focusing at all. Tomorrow there is the opening of the thesis shows so I'll have to leave for that.

Gabe's friend Chaz visited and we all hung out and talked about British TV, comics, travels, and whatever else came to mind. Sat about enjoying a mild night.

And eating ice cream. Mmm. Mini drumsticks rock!

The tension in The Road is insane. Right now he is just scavenging this boat and the tide is coming in and he just keeps looking for more and more! Sometimes they stay for so little time in one place and too long in others. It is a post apocalyptic tale about a father and son going across the burned land and trying to find the coast. It is so tense and I know that next time I sit down to read it, I'll finish it.