life’s not a paragraph

prague was incredible. i am sure you can see from the pictures that it’s a beautiful city. the architecture is amazing. the cobblestones are charming (although they are incredibly dangerous if you are wearing heels). the food is great. coffee was so delicious. czech people… ehh not the best first impression. but i met a few nice ones! overall i had a great time, and i always stayed super busy. i was all over the place… all the time. walking in old town, painting in the classroom, eating lunch, taking pictures, going shopping, making day trips. i think i packed more into those three weeks than i have in any other three weeks of my life.

even with the awful weather. i was there for about three and a half weeks, and there was probably about three full days of sun. i’m not exaggerating. unfortunately, the whole goal of painting beautiful czech landscapes didn’t really get accomplished. we actually attempted to go out one day and we got about two hours worth of painting in when it started to downpour… on our paintings. the effect on the paintings was cool, but not really what we were looking for. haha we did do a lot of stuff inside though. i got two portraits done, a still life,  a drapery study, and two half finished landscapes. so not too bad. and i’m a slow painter. haha so i have a had to do a bit of finishing up since i got home but that’s ok. and i am not nearly as bad as i worried i might be! hahaha i actually love to paint. it’s frustrating. tiring. dirty. but oddly satisfying. even when i have no idea what i am doing, it’s so great to experiment and get something right!

i really learned a lot– about painting, about prague, about eastern europe. it’s amazing how things are so different (and sometimes so similar) depending on where you are. i learned so much about history. i’ve realized that i really didn’t get enough european history in school. luckily i have a strange talent of remember random historical things, so i was able to follow along when people mentioned some of the more major historical events, but any more detail and i was lost. as a result, i learned some eastern european history. i didn’t learn that much czech though… it’s a really hard language. haha

it was a great trip. i really wouldn’t mind going back. haha but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. my classmates were some of the greatest people so at least i have them and we can reminisce whenever we get a little prague-sick.  🙂

look at those cobblestones!

i’m going to share some pictures first because i don’t quite know where to begin writing!

the road by our dorm.

a beautiful view of prague!

vltava river from the charles bridge

i really wasn’t quite sure what this class was when i signed up for it, but it turned out to be a really interesting class. basically it covers a bunch of stuff. the class starts out with field trips to museums and galleries around boston. it was a great way to learn about what’s going on in the current art world. i learned so much about different styles and trends and local artists. my professor also invited a bunch of people from the graphic design world to talk to the class.

it’s actually kind of ridiculous how little i knew about the design world. after just one speaker, i learned so much about some of the different elements of the field. graphic design really encompasses a lot of things. print, web, logo. there is so much. it made me realize how much i have to learn over the next two years.

the second half of the class we did a few projects that had to do with advertising. this class is only taken by graphic design and fine art majors so it’s kind of like we are dipping our toes into the gd pool for the first time. now i feel like i am ready to take on some of my graphic design classes next semester!

sorry its taken me so long to continue with these end of the year blogs. i just got back from a busy trip to prague (!!) so i haven’t really had the time to finish them. (and don’t worry, i’ll write about prague in a bit!)

so three-d was not a class i was looking forward to. actually, i kind of dreaded it. haha i have never really worked with three-d media before. i was really intimidated by the idea of plaster and wire and things like that. thankfully, i ended up really loving it. now i am not going to go out and become a sculptor, but i think i learned a lot.

it’s amazing how much you don’t think about negative space. i learned about two-d space last semester and one would think that it would translate over into the three-d world…. but it doesn’t really. obviously some of the basic ideas are the same, but sculpture is a whole different world.

we did just a few projects because three-d work seems to be a bit more time consuming than two-d stuff. we started off with a project that was two-dimensional but created the illusion of three dimensionality by using layers of cut paper (that was my favorite project by far!). then we moved on to geometric shapes to created an abstract shape that had air flowing through it. building on top of that, we used wooden dowels to build a sculpture that worked around/within the geometric one to interact with it. then we made giant narrative boxes, in which we had to choose and element of our life and make a three-d work to describe it (second favorite). and last but not least, we had to make a small sculpture out of styrofoam to convey the idea of speed (the messiest thing i have ever done). so on paper, or computer screen i guess, it doesn’t seem like a lot, but i spent a majority of my homework time working on these assignments, and i ended up doing really well in the class. all the work payed off!

drawing two was the first class that i finished this semester, and it was definitely one of my favorites. i have grown to love drawing so much. i was really sad to see it end. i have learned so much this semester. drawing two focuses more on color and figure drawing. i had a pretty good idea of how to draw in color before i came to the new england school of art and design, but i definitely have a better sense of it now. we started off with still lifes in black and white and then we slowly added color. we used a lot of charcoals and pastels (which are my favorites!), but we also had a few weeks of colored pencil. they took a bit to get used too. they are VERY different from pastels, but they are excellent for smaller drawings. later on in the semester we started with the master’s drawings of the human form and then we moved on to a live model. i had very little experience with the human form before this semester. so i was really intimidated at first. now, i am pretty confident in my ability to draw a model. …really what i have learned is that it is all about practice.

i don’t draw very much outside of school but that is definitely going to change. it’s taken a long time for me to get to this point. drawing is kind of like working out. you could work out really hard for a few months, but then if you stop, your going to lose endurance, muscle tone, etc. when you go back to it, you might be still be able to do somethings, but you have to build back up again in order to get to the level you were at before. does that make sense? eh i hope so. basically what i am saying is i don’t want my drawing muscle to get out of shape. haha during my final portfolio review (which went really well actually), the professors said that i need to push myself to try new things and use different techniques. now that i am done with my foundation drawing classes, i need to keep up with it in order to progress! i’ve got more free time now so its time to experiment!

i just finished my paper! my nine-page literature analysis in spanish is finally done. i cannot wait to pass it in later on today.

i can’t believe this year is over. wow. it has gone by so fast. and yet, at the same time, september feels like such a long time ago. i have learned so much this year. met so many new people. discovered so many new places. it has definitely been a roller coaster. i’m kind of sad its over though. i really happy all the work is done, but this means i’m a junior now. 😮 i’m halfway through college. gosh. that’s scary.

mmm… better not to think of it that way. how about i have two more years of learning, growing, discovering, meeting and greeting ahead of me! optimism is always better. hahaha for now, i’m just going to concentrate on the fact that i am leaving for prague in five (YES, count them FIVE!) days! and when i get back, it’s time for working in the summer sun and seeing all my lovely friends from home! 😀 i can’t wait!

and so begins the last week of classes. sorry i have been slacking on the blog-front lately. i have been super busy! the work just keeps on coming, but i can see the light at the end of the tunnel. right now i am stressed to the max. i have group projects, portfolio reviews, essays, and readings. thankfully, by wednesday afternoon most of the work will be behind me. i will only have a (large) essay and my final foundation portfolio review.

every freshman/foundation student has to have a final portfolio at the end of their foundation year. each review panel has a staff member and two peer reviewers. each student gets reviewed once and reviews others three times. basically, we are required to bring in at least two pieces of work from each foundation class-drawing I and  II, 2D, 3D, color- and at least one piece from any additional foundation classes- painting, imaging, design issues and processes, perspective and rendering. during the review, the panel and the student discuss the work. the panel gives feedback, asks questions, and gives advice on how to improve and prepare for your major/career choice. later on, the evaluations written by the panel will be sent to the program director and then to you!

it sounds a little nerve-wracking, but it something that everyone needs to get used to in the art world. i am sure that i will be nervous. it’ll be good, though, to get some feedback from some people i don’t know as well; they will be less likely to sugarcoat anything. sometimes it’s nice to hear constructive criticism because i know i am not perfect; i know i need to improve. hopefully it goes well! 🙂

it is exactly one month until i am in prague! exciting right? but there is so much stuff to do beforehand, i really need to focus on that stuff first. i can’t get too ahead of myself.

on saturday, however, my professor got most of us together to have a pre-departure painting course so we could practice using oil paints and make sure that we all have the right supplies. it was kind of a long day… almost six hours. but in the end it was really helpful. i figured out all the supplies that i need to get before i go, what i am going to be shipping to prague with everyone, and then what i am going to have to bring on my own. i also got to dabble in some oil painting.

my professor set up a still-life and then did a little demonstration. i felt pretty confident when i picked up the brush for the first time, but then it’s so different when you go to actually paint. only people who have painted will truly understand this, but every type of paint is different. it feels different. it coats the canvas/paper differently. and depending on how much and what water/thinner/medium/oil you add, the paint changes and you have to adjust.

so i really had no idea what i was doing. haha it was more of experimenting, kind of like a science lab. i experimented with my brushes, with how much thinner/linseed oil, and all the ways i can layer the paint on the canvas. i think i now have a better idea of how it all works, but the first few days in prague are definitely going to be a bit frustrating. i guess it’s a bit easier to fix mistakes with oils though. acrylics dry so fast you just have to paint over it. with oils, i can get a rag and just wipe it off. haha i have a feeling i am going to like that a lot. haha

gah! in about a month i will be on a plane to the czech republic! it’s strange how sudden this seems. i feel like i still have a few more months until i go! although, i guess that it’s all starting to come together. i bought my plane ticket a few weeks ago (which i am going to have to work my butt off this summer to pay for). i just got all of my art supplies. this saturday we have a pre-departure painting class.

i am so excited, but actually i am really nervous at the same time. i have never really painted before. what if i get to prague and i am an awful painter?! i am going to come home from this amazing place with ten poorly rendered paintings. okay, i know i am being a bit irrational. like drawing, painting is something you have to learn how to do. and i am sure the more i practice, the better i’ll get at it. but still, this little ridiculous fear has been nagging me lately.

i guess i’ll just have to try to be positive about it. i have done so many new things this semester! some have been more successful than others, but i don’t think i have ever failed… hmm. let’s hope i don’t start.

there are three weeks left before finals week, and things are going to get crazy! …what am i talking about? things are already crazy. projects, essays, apartment searching… the rest of the month is all going to blend together. i have one last project for 3d design and design issues and processes. i have to finish/touch up my drawing two portfolio. i have two essays for in latin american fiction and cinema. and not to mention, i am going to prague in a month and i have to move out of my apartment.

this time of the year is the one thing i really hate about college. the last few weeks of every semester is just pure, undiluted stress, and unfortunately, i am a stress-eater. haha not very good for my budget or the approaching bathing suit season. :/ haha

but i think i am handling it pretty well so far (if you don’t count all the food i been eating). i’m trying to plan ahead (something i didn’t do last year) and schedule my time wisely. at least it is nice outside today (a record 87+ degrees fahrenheit!!) so i can sit outside in my dress and sandals to write this, taking a little moment for some peace and calm.