Drawing Structure and Expression II:
We started and finished a two session drawing. Gabe allowed us to stray from pastels because the composition was so complex. Instead of drawing one model, we had two. I chose charcoal, which I hadn’t used since freshman year. It was a bit difficult to get started because we didn’t do any gesture drawing, and being a bit rusty with the charcoal didn’t help matters. I couldn’t be as methodical as usual and ended up just reacting more with the medium. While I have not yet been able to photograph my earlier drawings, I did take two shots to show process and will upload them as soon as I can.
Note: my photography skills are pretty bad, but well, here they are…
Advanced Painting:
Last week, I complained that I wasted six hours of my life. As per usual, my peers and professor disagreed. This time, I concur. A week provided some emotional distance. When I put it up, I found out my composition wasn’t as stiff as all my other paintings. I think they were stiff because I was planning them all out and being too methodical about it. With that one, it was completely improv and I had to work with whatever accident I created. Linda liked it. She said the piece was much fresher, though she said I should hold off forcing representations.
So, for last week, I used the acrylic to do an under painting. As I mentioned before, the Water Mixables I had weren’t doing what I wanted them to. I wanted to be able to drip and splatter my paint. The Acrylics mixed with mate medium, retarder, and the occasional use of water did. I sort of imitated Pollock a bit, just playing with the paint. I used a lot of red and water at first, picked up the entire board, and let the excess drip off the board. I let myself play with the paint and made an absolute mess. Starting thinking about fire and added a lot of yellow and orange. Then I strayed from fire and ended up imitating the pattern on one of the fluorescent lights above my head. Eventually, it turned into yet another cave interior. This one is much more dynamic than the last, though, and progress is progress, even if I’m not allowed to really have any control of it. As per usual, the right side of my brain just won’t conform to the desires of the left.
Ideas of Western Art II:
We had a museum trip this week. I was late (I hate being late) and missed the Rococo part of the lecture because I didn’t leave my English class early enough. I ended up choosing Courbet’s “The Quarry” and pumped the rough draft out the same day I took notes (this is unusual for me). However, I have seven papers total hanging over my head (the museum paper for this week, the museum paper for next week, rewriting the research paper statement, the research paper itself, my English essay, and my social ethics paper) before the end of the semester. So it’s pretty much Alice in Wonderland White Rabbit Syndrome.
English Literature II:
My English Professor was irritated I had to miss his class. I can’t blame him: I wanted to be there for the analysis of The Prophet’s Hair (it was really really cool; read like Arabian Nights and the ending is fantastic)-and now I’m stuck with second hand notes. Worse, with my luck, it will be on the final. Anyway, I fortunately have the luxury of going on the next museum trip on either Tuesday or Thursday of next week. Tuesday in English we’re going over outlines, and both of us agreed that would be the best day, attendance wise, so I (hopefully) won’t miss anything else important.
Social Ethics:
We discussed Capital Punishment a bit more and finished Nicomachean Ethics. I still have to use the text in my Aristotle Lab, but now I’m free to write about anything that strikes me instead of answering certain questions. As for the Presentation, I just barely managed to squeak mine into the 27th. If I hadn’t, I would have been presenting this coming Tuesday, and that would have meant trying to write three papers during the same weekend as my brother’s birthday (which is impossible, I never get work done when I go home to my family). I’m going to focus on Euthanasia as a topic. After discussing Capital Punishment, discussing mercy killings shouldn’t be too difficult and everyone will be in the right mind set for it. Plus, I’m honestly curious. Also, Professor Fried told us to treat the presentation like a work shop because the class will be discussing it and the paper should come after. Anyway, I’ve printed out about eight or nine articles to read over in preparation. I should have plenty of time if I’m careful.
Apartment Hunting:
After looking at one expensive apartment on Boylston, I finally had enough. I picked up the phone and finally called a realtor. I told him what I was looking for and asked to see everything they had to offer that fit that description. On Monday we spent most of the day on Beacon Hill. My roommate liked this; she’s not a Nesad student and would prefer to stay close to campus. I found it a complete waste of time. It was the same exact street I lived on during freshman year and I had no desire to go back to it. I left because the commute was too long and towards the end I had to start dealing with mice. Clearly, the mice were still an issue because I found a loaded mouse trap in one of the apartments we were looking at. Considering my roommates severe allergies, I doubt she’d want to live there either. Also, we only looked at one apartment in Back Bay; that one seemed nice but I wasn’t sold. The Saturday after next we’re going to head up to North end. Before that, I should call and ask if they had anything else in Back Bay. Things aren’t looking good from a time stand point. My roommate has to fly back to New York, so she needs to find something by the beginning of May before the term ends. So far, I haven’t seen anything I want and I don’t want to be pressured to settle.
Summer Classes:
I tried to order books for both my Chemistry class and the Art on the Silk Road (?). I found neither in the Suffolk Book store. This was extremely unusual. Luckily, I happen to have Afsan for the latter class. According to her, the books aren’t up because not enough people are enrolled in the class, meaning that it might get canceled. Which is bad. Very bad. I want to get these classes done with. I have to in order to obtain my creative writing minor. And I still have not set up an appointment to discuss it with an English advisor. Crap. I guess I should go talk to Audrey, see if she can do anything…
