Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Inspiration

Today, I want to share some blogs that I really enjoy reading.  I subscribe to several blogs, but am often deleting those that don't do much for me.  It has become a bit of effort to manage looking at so many blogs!  I've actually unsubscribed from several that update too many times in a day for me to keep up with, because I just get too behind on the action.  More and more, I feel like it's important to discard the non-essential (or just non-relevant!).

I look at a variety of blogs - crafty, funny, foodie, book blogs, friend's blogs, etc.  Since I view these on my blog reader, I focus on the content rather than blog design, which I usually just find too busy/distracting.  Here are a few favorites:



A Beautiful Mess, the blog of Elise Larson (previous Flannigan, she just got married!), a very inspiring independent business owner with great fashion sense and business suave.  Oh yeah, and she has some pretty great tattoos, too.



Awesome People Hanging Out Together.  Because who knows what celebrities were/are secretly friends?  Seen here are Robert Redford and Paul Newman.



Dooce, the blog of Heather Armstrong.  She's a mom, she's a professional blogger, she owns dogs, she is helping the world, and she is also HILARIOUS.  When I am having a bad day, her blog is almost always my first choice.



I New Idea, because inventions are cool.



Yes and Yes, a feel-good lifestyle blog with lots of variety.  Sarah Von makes readers feel like longtime pals. And finally...



Zen Habits, by Leo Babauta, a minimalist who focuses on living simply and without distraction.  I like to read Leo's blog when I'm feeling stressed and hectic and need to calm down.  He is a pretty incredible person who has made major life changes and really hits home the idea of living (and being happy) with only the essential.

These blogs get me thinking creatively, or help me chill out and laugh a little then get back to work.  Blogs are like magazines for me, I love to browse.

Feel free to share some of your favorite blogs, friends.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

40 days!

I've reached the 40 day mark!  Look at me go.  :-)

Today's challenge: What can you do with yarn?  You don't have to know how to knit or crochet; you can try yarn painting or just experiment.

Well, guess what, day 40?  I know how to crochet!  For today, I just took some pictures of me wearing a hat I made.  It's not my most favorite hat and isn't really even a great hat, it's just oversized and comfy and feels a little like sticking your head in a hole - a good hat for hiding.






Going outta town for the weekend, probably won't be posting much.  Actually, I don't think I will be planning on completing a challenge everyday from now on.  I have some other projects I'd like to get started on and can only devote so many hours a day to creative things before I need to sleep.  I might post occasionally about those projects instead, still unsure about how I want to work it all.  I won't fall off the face of the earth, I promise.

More next week!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Haiku? Youku!

Day 39: Write a haiku about something that happens to you today or is in the news today.  Bonus: illustrate it!

I don't really follow news much and I'm feeling a little "me" today, so here are some haikus that I am writing just now, but first a cool picture of me and my pals Erica and Sam and a craft fair last fall (we don't typically look like that, it was SO cold), with a little added embellishment from Erica to jazz things up:



Went to library
In the town I live in now
Found an awesome book.

(it's true!)

Six-hundred children
Signed up for Summer Reading
My feet kind of hurt.

(well, 600 over 10 days.  Still a lot.)

That place, P. F. Chang's
Plantar Faciitis Chang's?
Not appetizing.

(Was treated this morning for Plantar Faciitis, all I could think of was P. F. Chang's)

Sugar afternoon
Not helping the strong feeling
To take a long nap.

(Cupcake or ice cream sandwich?  Answer: BOTH)

Don't bring me down, Bruce
Plays on radio a lot
I can't turn it off.

(Either it gets played a lot, or I'm great at finding it on the radio.  Regardless, I love this song!)

You interrupt me
One more time, and I will say
Shut your mouth, out loud.

(I keep thinking that one day, I'm gonna fly off the handle and do it, but I never do)

So those are some haikus.  As much as I love bonuses and would love to illustrate some of these beautiful poems, I am beyond tired this week and need to turn in.  I hope you enjoyed some of my haikus.  I could really go on all day writing these things if I had to, so much fun.

Now enjoy this great VH1 classic video:


Tuesday, June 21, 2011

38

Day 38: Work underwater.  Fill up a large bowl, vase, or old fish tank with water and create something inside of it.

Today, I filled up a small globe vase with some water and put a little ceramic skull into it.  Once upon a time, I had a full ceramic skeleton hanging from my rear view mirror, but he got a little smashed in a car crash and I only kept the head.

I thought about adding other items, but really enjoying taking pictures of the distorted skull, so I kept it simple today.  Look at this mellllllting faaaaace:




A bubble in the eyeball:



I was wishing that I had some food coloring to add, but worked with some carmine watercolor instead.  I was really envisioning some trippy Grateful Dead-esque kind of water swirls to take this project to the next level, but the watercolor didn't really work that way:


Goodnight!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Sojourn

Whoa, so much for trying to post everyday even though I didn't plan on completing any challenges this past week.  Things got a little more intense than I thought, but I'm back now.

I did actually have a few moments where I considered working on a couple of the challenges. but then I checked 'em out and was really disinterested:

Day 35: Create instructions that others can use to make something and then have someone try it out.

BRAIN DOES NOT COMPUTE.  I rarely work subtractively OR collaboratively, so this challenge turned me off instantly.  Some part of me is thinking, "But Liz, you create instructions for other people all the time!", though that's usually just for work-related stuff, and not even the creative kind of work stuff.  So I opted out.

Then I looked at the next challenge:

Day 36: Take something old and make it look new.

This challenge really does appeal to me, but I actually enjoy that most of the old stuff I have that looks old. plus I couldn't think of anything other than cleaning.  I like being organized and even enjoy cleaning from time to time, but I wasn't thinking creatively about this one.  Thus, I opted out again.

I was beginning to feel bad at this point.  Am I just not thinking creatively enough?  Then I saw the challenge for Day 37: Make something with a stapler.  You can staple things together or, heck, just work with the loose staples.  Even the stapler itself can be transformed.

Alright!  I had an idea right away.  Here are some pictures:



I cut a leaf shape out of some cardboard as a template, traced it onto some of my past projects (and failed attempts I've never posted), cut 'em out, overlapped and stapled the pieces, and here is the result.  I don't always know what to do with the stuff I've already made and am a recycling advocate, so this flower is perfect.  This was a simple project, which is a great feeling to have when reintroducing the challenges into my brain after taking some time away.

I'll be back tomorrow!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Let's talk books

I get inspired when I research ideas about motivation and creativity that embrace people as human beings and not machines. 
I read the book Drive by Daniel Pink last year and recently was told by a coworker about a video on YouTube that visually explains some of the concepts from the book, and several others.  The RSA, a group dedicated to new ways of thinking about human fulfillment, has put together several videos that I am  also interested in viewing, just haven't had a chance yet.  Their video about Drive helps me remember some of the concepts I enjoyed so much when I first read the book:


I also read a book a few months ago called The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor, which I believe shares some similar themes but from a more psychological than economic standpoint.
I run into a problem with the great information I come across: I find it difficult to retain all of it.  I don’t like owning lots of books and will often make copies of certain pages or jot down important lines, but I still don’t know how to best organize those messages with which I really identify or just want to keep in mind.  I’ve kept a bulletin board, but there are just too many great things I could put up to choose which is most important.  I’ve buried printouts of great messages on clipboards, in files, and in plastic totes, only to forget about them.  On my computer, so many great things become buried under bookmarks. 
I am welcome to hear ideas on how people keep important messages organized in the forefront!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Week off

I didn't have a chance to complete any challenges this weekend, and it looks like this week is going to be pretty busy too.  I've decided to let myself have a week off from the 365 project, unless I find a bit of unexpected time.  I don't want to feel obligated to stick to completing all of the challenges on time and end up doing them halfway and not feeling good about it.

I am still going to try to post everyday, different inspiring things or works I've done in the past.  Today, I wanted to post a few pictures from my time studying abroad in Italy in 2006.  I was there for one month total, staying in Florence most of the time with side trips to Rome, Siena, Bologna, Venice, Fiesole, and Viareggio.  It was a really great experience for me and think that people, especially young people, can learn a lot about life from going to foreign countries that are drastically different from their homeland.  I would love to go back and do a little more traveling throughout Europe.

Here are a few pictures from my experience:


Piazza San Marco, where all of us students would meet up with our teacher almost every day to walk to various locations to draw for a few hours.


San Miniato al Monte, one of the locations we visited to draw.  I remember this being on the outskirts of Florence, taking a long time to walk there and get up all those stairs, but I really enjoyed my time visiting this place.


The kitchen of the apartment I shared with several other students in Florence.  I think there were 8 of us altogether in our apartment.  We drank a lot of wine (it's so cheap there too!), ate a lot of food with yummy olive oil, read books, talked about art, and had a great time.

I remember returning from Italy and experiencing a lot of weird feelings.  I almost didn't want to talk to anyone about my experience except people who had been there before, because I couldn't do justice to all the great things I saw and felt.  I think it's really important to travel while you're young, even if you're in debt.  That's doesn't sound like a very responsible thing to say, but I don't want to wait until I'm old to live my life.  My parents were incredibly generous and took out a loan for themselves in order for me to go on this trip.  I still owe them a bit of money, but it was so worth it.

Grazie!

Friday, June 10, 2011

Wirey

Day #34 Challenge: Work with wire.  Thin-gauge wire can easily be bent by hand, so no special tools are required.  You don't even have to buy wire if you have some paper clips handy.

I have some wire, so I made a skeleton!!!  It was hard to bend with my hands, so I did a very loose design.


Just look at these awesome shadows!  Probably my favorite part of the whole project today:


And I got a little bit playful with skelley and some t.p. here:


In full view, just chillin' on the floor:


I like making skeletons! 

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Day #33

Challenge: Use pens as your material/inspiration today.  Draw with them, use them as construction material, or...?

What a cinch!  I am comfortable drawing with pens, but then I felt boring.  I decided to pair drawing in pen with painting with watercolor, something I am not comfortable with at all.  Lately I've been looking at a few loose paintings with pen drawings underneath and I really enjoy the effect.  I'm generally a big fan of layers.  I especially love this work by an artist I just happened upon today, I think it's all those fine lines and a bit of a retro feel.

So I drew a little picture of a tree and did some watercolor over it, then highlighted some painted areas with pen again:





So I wasn't 100% thrilled with this picture, and I really wanted to play around with the watercolors more, do I did a second painting with an base drawing in pen:


So I know that her features aren't proportional and there are a lot of light and shading issues, but I wasn't thinking too much while I was painting her.  Mostly, I was having fun using different brushes, strokes, and blending colors.  Here are a couple detail shots:



I find that I can be both very gestural and controlled, and I have to find the right balance to execute a piece to my liking.  Maybe this is why I stuck to sculpture!  I don't seem to have that issue when I throw an extra dimension in the mix.  

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

300 club

WOOHOO!  Today my blog reached over 300 total page views.  Thanks, readers!  Fun fact: People in 5 other countries than the U.S. have checked out this thing!  Cool.


Today's challenge: Make something ephemeral.  Can you create something using a material that will dissipate quickly, like soap bubbles, smoke, butter on a griddle, or cream in coffee?

First, let me just say that I really like the word “ephemeral.”
Now, I’ve been thinking on this challenge for a good 24 hours.  I thought, “Oh yeah, something will come to me later” and put it off.  Later came, a few times, and I couldn't think of anything other than the ideas suggested in the challenge!  So instead, I've decided to share this awesome video I remember seeing a while back:

So, yeah, I didn’t make anything today, I was totally stumped – BUT JUST LOOK AT THOSE BUBBLES.
I already have a few ideas a’cooking to tomorrow!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Path

Day #31 Challenge:  Make a path for people to follow and invite people to try it out.

No.  No, thanks.  This challenge really doesn't interest me.  I am a little antisocial when it comes to being creative, despite creating an large interactive piece for my BFA thesis a few years ago.  I am not comfortable with this challenge as it's spelled out, but I was thinking of something I could do instead that relates to the basic idea of it.  My mind directed me to map-making, so I made a map.

First, I thought of everything I'd love to see on a map, if time period and geographic location were not considered.  I made a list of things I wanted to see, drew a rough sketch, then started my map.  To begin, I crumpled a piece of sketchbook paper then un-crumpled it for a rough effect.  I lightly stained it with some tea, dried it with a hair dryer, then started drawing:


This map has no supposed treasure, but does have a nifty tire swing!  It also features a Farm House, chicken yard, crops, Fairy Flower Garden, an apothecary's hut, Shipman's Cemetary, Spooky Woods, sheep pasture, mud pit, North Castle, Lake Louise, and Lake George, which was supposed to be River George but I messed up and didn't know how to undo the writing without things turning out icky.

I had a pretty good time drawing out this map!  I remember being fascinated by the maps included in books growing up, namely in the Chronicles of Narnia and Winnie the Pooh books.

Here are a couple detailed views of my map:



Monday, June 6, 2011

No time left for you

Hello!  Between work and concert-going, I have little time to complete today's challenge, so I hereby summon the power of Locust House to hold interest, circa 2007, where three heartbroken girls lived, laughed, and drank to cure the blues.  Oh, and listened to Dolly Parton:



Here is a photo of a mantle to a (fake) fireplace, outfitted with several personal items and candles to create quite an impressive shrine, if I do say so myself.  You will find in this picture (and have I never mentioned my keenness for lists?):
  • One framed photo of Dolly Parton, surely from sometime in the 1970s, wearing a cowgirl outfit with a beer in one hand.  She is pretty much our hero, and if you think I'm joking, think again.  She might have a ton of plastic surgery, but her songs are full of positive messages and I have a feeling she lives life to the fullest.  Plus, she does great things to promote literacy and reading.  End Dolly promotion. 
  • The letters S O S tacked above, which stand for the super secret name of an stupendous society (gettin' crazy with the alliteration) that's still floating around these days.  I can't divulge the details, didn't I say it was super secret?
  • Four (4) short figurines of The Beatles, in Yellow Submarine style.
  • No fewer than five (5) framed photographs of who-knows-what.  I think one is of me and my dad dancing, and one is of me and my roommates.
  • The very first bronze sculpture I ever made that I almost sold once but am quite glad I never did.
  • A tall ceramic vase, made by one of my high school Art teachers, purchased for me as a gift from my parents.
  • Various candles.
  • A small golden ceramic bowl that I made in pottery class, which I later gifted to my good friend, Samantha.
  • A string of small decorative lights, because any time of year/holiday calls for small decorative lights.
  • A tiny snow globe of the Duomo in Florence, a little souvenir from my Study Abroad trip in 2006.
Thanks, former roommates, for being so great.  We had some really fun and memorable times (here's a link to Erica's blog too).

These fabulous girls and I still hang out from time to time when I have the chance to visit their city (I'm the jerk that moved away for grad school).  I will post more info about upcoming craft sales that we are signed up for once the dates get closer.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Big 30

Challenge: Play time.  Work with toys: if you don't have any, borrow some from a friend with kids, and maybe even work with the kids.

Yay, play!  I brought my sister's Legos out to our living room to keep in a corner for easy accessibility.  I didn't have a lot of time today, so my short-and-sweet creation today is the letter L:


L is for Liz, yeah, but I've also been watching a lot of Laverne and Shirley lately.  I love those gals!



Saturday, June 4, 2011

#29

Challenge: Make a disguise for yourself, a friend, a pet, or an object.  See if you can fool anyone with it.

Of course, where does my mind naturally go to but here: kitty mustache.

I drew a mustache on a piece of paper, cut it out, and taped it to a toothpick.  Then, I took pictures with the kitties - yep, there's 2 of 'em at my place.  Here's Lola, whom I've mentioned before:


I'm totally fooled!  Who is that cat!  I don't even know anymore...




Finally, we nabbed a really good shot.  I was cracking up the whole time I was taking pictures of her, and my sister's cat, Stimpy:



Stimpy looks a little bizarro because she was laying in a chair, so I rotated the pictures to show the mustache right-side up.  Seriously, this challenge was super easy and totally fun, even if I didn't really try to fool anyone with this awesome feline disguise.  

Thursday, June 2, 2011

School days

Challenge: Back to school.  Use traditional school materials like number 2 pencils or lined paper notebooks to make something nontraditional.

I started by sketching a leaf onto a piece of blank white paper.  I don't actually have any lined paper, or I would've used it!  With clear scotch tape, I loosely taped around the outline, colored inside the tape with crayons, then removed the tape with the hope of seeing some really cool leaf with a sort of funky outline, but it turned out kind of just ok.  So I didn't take a picture of it, I tried again instead with painter's tape.  I know, it's not really a traditional school material, but by this point, I was determined to make my tape-outline-colored-leafy project work.

So here are some pictures throughout the process:




I wasn't super thrilled with the outcome, though I really enjoyed the concept and the process.  I think that the first image might actually be my favorite, with just the tape outline.  I decided to outline the leaf with green marker, still didn't love it, so I cut it out and liked it a bit more:



I don't know how to really make this more appealing to me.  I think maybe the un-crispness of the crayon lines might be the thing that isn't working for me visually, maybe colored pencils or markers would've been better, or some kind of pattern instead.

I don't think I'm going to be able to post tomorrow, busy day ahead.  Goodnight!