henna is a fun process

Okie doke, the time draws ever closer.

Was late to my meeting with Martin, later than I intended but I thought I had an hour (because I asked for a spare hour, and he said at regular time, he may not have noticed that I said hour). But he gave me a fair amount of time. Anyway, I ran through my speech for the first time before meeting and it was more bumbly that I expected. Ran through it again. It still needs organization and depth. Just a lot of work. And more practice.

After class I tried to meet with the thesis paper help guy in the library, but he wasn't there. Still, I worked on my own paper a bit. It is amazing how much a simple read through can edit and break things apart. I didn't even read through the whole thing. Blimey. Anyway, did that. Then I went to Safeway and got some conditioner and took out some cash to change into laundry quarters. Changed the dollars into quarters. Went to Lush and got another brick of henna (each one is good for three henna treatments) as well as some other Lush treats. Mmm Lush, it is always all so good. Anyway, went home and slathered my hair up with henna and wrapped it in saran wrap and got to doing what needed doing. Laundry, dishes, trash, writing, that sort of stuff. I left the henna in for a long time, because you can do that with henna. Right now I can't tell the difference. I'll see how it is come morning. I pick the subtle auburn shade, because I just want that extra red oompf as opposed to BAM RED. I like that it gently fades, and so no roots show. Also that it is more a healthy hair treatment than a damaging awful chemical one. Yaaay.

I'm feeling pretty tired because I got up early. So I think I'll go to bed and try to get up early again. Nathan and Rubie are in town, so I need to be productive if I'm going to hang with them.

Todays Portrait Is: Dylan Moran.

our slothiness

Goody goody, Thursday. The best day of them all because I have to get up early and do stuff mostly all day long.

So I got up. Had a mediocre breakfast. Got to school a couple minutes late but didn't miss much. Class was filled with work time on a sort of thank you collaboration for the people who came in and talked to us during the semester. Kristen W and I walked to Quiznos and I got a sammich. Then we returned to class. After lunch Martin came in and fielded some questions about thesis week. Kristen RB brought us cookies and showed us some of her current work, which as cool to see. Then it was early out of class time. I went to the screen printing studio and printed some Save the Sloth bands. The Sloth is PNCA's mascot and there is a vote to change it to, like, a narwal or something. So Karen, Morgan, myself, and many others are lobbying for the continual presence of the Sloth. Tradition! Heritage! And it isn't that bad of an image, considering how long sloths have stuck around despite all the odds. Reason would dictate that an animal that metabolizes food so slowly and thus moves so slowly would have died off ages ago. But it still prevails! Sloths are almost against the laws of nature and survive. Just like artists. Anyway, so I cut up some old shirts and printed on them. Some of the bands were a bit short, but they work for arm bands as well. I printed 30 and by the time I left school, I had given them all away. Only one person wasn't in support of the Sloth. They were in the "everything changes" camp.

I wore my headband with pride.

Yoga had a very long final pose and I just went into it. It felt so very good. Last yoga till after focus week. Hung out with Karen afterwards. Then went home. Watched Community (which was FANTASTIC) and Parks and Recreation (which was adorable).

Now I'm extra tired and have a long day ahead of me. The thesis speech practicing begins.

Todays Portrait Is: Tamsin Greig.

you only need three toes to make art

Slept in. Felt pretty icky all day though. Stomach problems and exhaustion problems. Had another draft meeting with Joan. We mainly talked about the language of my paper and unpacking some of the ideas. Went back home afterwards and chilled. Ate lots of carbs. Worked on paper outline. Cut up some old shirts to turn into "Save the Sloth" sashes. The school wants to change the mascot, or rather some EVIL STUPID LAME FRESHMEN want to change the mascot because Sloths apparently are lame. So we seniors are going full force campaign to save the mascot (we have a costume and everything). Karen and Morgan and that one kid who is Morgan's friend have done posters. I'm going to print some sashes. Maybe make a poster as well.

Tomorrow is class, printing the sashes, yoga, home, finish the outline and maybe practice a couple times. Mmm hmmm.

I wonder what type face I should use for my save the sloth bands? Hmm.

Todays Portrait Is: Stephen Mangan.

uh huh

Okie doke. Today, I don't think I accomplished all that much but I guess I accomplished something.

Got up before noon. Hell, got up before 10am! Sort of. I mean, 9:55am counts? But yeah. Way earlier than normal, which is very good.

Uhg I'm so tired.

Worked on paper. Went to school. Printed it out. Turned it in. Talked to Karen in the studio. Went to yoga. Came out of yoga. Listened to Beth practice her thesis shpeal. Went to Yur's. Drank. Played pool. Chilled in print studio, and by chilled I mean sobered up. Now I'm just plain old tired.

Tomorrows a new day.

Todays Portrait Is: Robert Carlyle.

right?

Slept waaaay in. Didn't get up to much today. I deserved a rest? Except whoops I have to get cracking on my paper and my defense. Crumb cakes. But thats all I got to do now, but since it isn't drawing and tangible...it is hard to structure.

Talked to Madeline about how awesome Game of Thrones was. Had some oatmeal. And then later some pasta. And then later some salad. Went to Trader Joe's and got stuff. Watched tellie. Thought about all the stuff that I'm not doing and continued to not do it.

I'll do better tomorrow. I've been working really hard, right?

Right?

Todays Portrait Is: Ioan Gruffudd (yes, that is how you spell it, I checked).

FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today I finished printing all 17 posters for my Senior Thesis at Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Y'all know how much labor this is. I wish I knew what my final project would be at the start, so that I could have had, say, 30 finished posters. Just show something really really epic. Just art and color and posters EVERYWHERE. But this amount is pretty damn awesome. I love it. I'm not tired of my thesis at all. In fact, I just want to do more art. But nope, have to do my speech. Have to do my paper. So that will be what consumes the next days and weeks of my life: paper and defense. But honestly, I'm not too panicked about my speech. As Martin says, I have all the stuff there. I just need to organize it.

Anyway. I got a slower start than I wanted. Woke up with my hands hurting. I need to be in better shape to get through all this printing. Got the portrait done. Had a little breakfast. Got the text done. Went to school, scanned and edited the text. Went to the studio and emulsified my screens. Went to the library and printed my text. Exposed my screens. While the screens dried, I went to Chipotle and got a burrito. Ate half that burrito. Then I got to printing! Listened to That Mitchell and Webb Sound, a very funny radio comedy sketch series. After I finished the four color layers, I ate more of the burrito and talked to Robin. Then it was back to printing! I did the drawing fluid for the second print layer and then the emulsion. This guy I didn't know spilled tons of emulsion while emulsifying his screen and then left. A big freaking puddle! I was really pissed. Why leave that on the ground? It doesn't exactly dry fast and no one wants to step accidentally in emulsion. Also, generally you shouldn't emulsify a screen if you don't plan to expose it the same day. But it was obvious by the guys screen emulsifying technique that he didn't know jack diddly about the method. I cleaned up his mess for him. Grrr boo. And it only took a minute to wipe down and wipe away the spilled emulsion.

Anyway. Continued printing and it all went really well. Switched to listening to Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz (I finished Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest yesterday, the third in the Millennium Trilogy, the book made the least interesting of the three movies but as a book it was phenomenal, I think because the content plays out better in writing, where as with the first two it is told better visually, and also when it comes to the third movie they edited out some great moments from the book). But now I won't be listening to so many audio books. I won't be printing anymore.

I got out of the studio at 1:20am. Pinned up my posters. Now I am home and waiting for Game of Thrones to download. I don't care that it is 3am. I'M WATCHING IT.

Todays Portrait Is: Christian Bale.

defense is on the calendar

Woke up feeling refreshed and ready to print. Ate a scramble. Got my affairs in order and headed down to school to print. Emulsified two screens. Printed the lineart on Lacey, and that went wonderfully. The Asha layer didn't go so well. A lot of them overflooded. I think it has something to do with the tension of the screen that I'm printing on, because that one isn't all that taut. The DeAnn layer printed fabulously. Then I got a nice slate color and printed the color layer on Madeline, and then the lineart. The lineart went really well. And then at 9pm I was done printing the final four portrait layers of my thesis! Only four text layers to go and then I'm done with the art. Whoo! The posters are looking so good.

After class Dominic in the studio gave me his old Verizon Samsung. Apparently if I go to Verizon, I can ask them to add that phone to the line in place of mine. Or something. So I'll give that a try.

Hmm what else happened today?

Oh Kristen watched Spice World for the first time!

OH I also got my thesis time. Wednesday the 27th. 9am. WHOO! Now I know. T minus 11 days. Egads. But I'm not worried. It is the paper that is the hurdle. But once the art is out of the way, I can focus on just that.

Todays Portrait Is: Ewan McGregor.