Basketball Boys & Possible Future Projects!

So I've been running around like a crazy lady for the past week or so, well not really running as I'm finally getting over the pneumonia and am in no rush for it to come back due to over exertion.  Anyway, the point is my goal has been to post once a week on my new creative endeavors, however it is the week before finals week, well I guess now it's the weekend before, but regardless for those of you that remember your college days or are still in them, that means sleepless nights, and way more hours spent in a library than is sane! (even for a bookworm like myself haha).  So because of the need to actually keep up with my studies, yes mom and dad I actually am studying, I've kind of neglected the blog, my apologies.  

Now that I got that out of the way, there is something about needing to finish an essay that makes you want to clean your room, do laundry, heck even clean the bathroom to avoid writing the darn paper, oh procrastination.  While the paper is getting written, slowly, like snail speed slowly, I have taken advantage of my desperate desire to do ANYTHING but write my paper to catch up here.  

In my previous post I talked about the gallery show that I had my UW sports quilt in.  Well, I am talking the same class that puts on a gallery show at the end of quarter, this up coming spring quarter.  So of course in true procrastination fashion I have been thinking a lot about what kind of project I want to do for the Spring IVA Exhibition. 

 I think I've narrowed it down to two options:

1.  For those of you that know me well, you know that I am a bit of a sports fanatic, and when I say fanatic I mean camping out the night before a Pac 10 basketball game at the arena entrance to ensure that I get a good seat for the game the following evening.  I mean after all who else is going to support my basketball boys? That being said I am also friends with several of the guys on the UW basketball team and they are the inspiration behind idea #1.  This year they won the Pac 10 Championship for the first time since the 1950's, so Congrats Boys & Go Dawgs!  Because of that and because I like doing portraits so much I'm thinking of painting a large canvas, like 5 feet x 4 feet large, that says Pac 1o Champions 2009 or something to that effect in graffiti style writing at the top center with black and white portraits, in the same style as those on my quilt, surrounding the text with the coach's portrait cutting down the net in the middle center 

below the text.  I think it would be fun, and enjoyable to create as well as meaningful to the guys.  Since I know a couple of them I know they will be 

able to see my lovely creation and would consider giving it to the basketball program if its something they would be interested in keeping, if not I would gladly

 hang it on my wall for eternity!  Here is a couple of images I have started to sketch of some of the guys on the team.

2. While I love the idea of number one, I'm not sure if a month is realistically enough time to finish the painting at the high and perfectionist level that I would like.  Also, I'm loving the paint and fabric dynamic and want to continue exploring that.  So idea #2 would be again working with both fabric and paint and incorporating them into fashion.  I have been thinking about making a high waisted 1950's style skirt in a solid or floral pattern with contemporary urban iconography painted on it.  For example, I would make one to fit myself, one to fit my little sister, and one to hang on the wall, (sizing will probably be based on my room mate Cody as she is readily available for measurements). My lil sis, Mak, is a HUGE Lil Wayne fan and thus would make a cute little above the knee high waisted skirt with a small built in petticoat possibly in the color tourquoise with Lil Wayne's head shot painted on the left side/bottom of the skirt.  For mine I would simply have some graffiti like images, referencing Seattle, painted on side, and the imagery for the final one is undecided.  This project makes me nervous because I have never created a high-waisted skirt so it would be a learning process as I go.  I have sewn clothes before, but that mainly dealt with altering found clothes, like making a XXXL basketball jersey into a cute little jersey dress.  Anyways, I will of course post what I decide and my progress.  

IVA Winter Exhibition!

Whew,  it has been a quite a while and for that I apologize.  The bronchitis I last talked about turned into pneumonia and that not only put a damper on the creative energy but pretty much everything else other than laying in bed.  Anyway, now that we're on the tale end of that there is some exciting that have happened since my last post.  The quilt that I have previously posted was in the University of Washington School of Art IVA Winter Gallery Show.  The gallery show was last Friday evening and turned out great! Around 400 people turned up for the opening and the show looked great!  I just want to congratulate everyone that was a part of the show for an exemplary job! It was also fun seeing fellow artists out of their creative, art making clothes and dressed to the 9's.   The works pictured were two of my favorites!

For those of you that were able to come out and see the show, I hope you guys loved it as much as i did... and for those of you that didn't shame on you, although i suppose it's probably helpful to post about the show before it happens, next time i'll keep that in mind.  There will be another IVA show, the Spring Exhibition, as soon as the dates are finalized I will make sure to let y'all know.   Oh! While I'm thinking of it, the Winter show is still up in the Sand Point Gallery space on N 74th St. & Sandpoint Way NE for those that are just dying to see some lovely art this weekend.  The show runs this weekend only: Friday 5-8, Saturday 12-7, and Sunday 12-5.  

Well now I'm off to the store, it's E Turner's birthday tomorrow and he requested an apple pie, of course, who wants a good old fashioned birthday cake anymore? If i feel so inclined to get creative with the top, i'll make sure to share it with everyone!

Quilts & Treats!

It's been a couple days, sorry all but this being sick thing has caused a bit of a slow down... I finally sucked it up and went to the doctor, I have bronchitis, good news I'm on meds, bad news according to the doc it could take about a month for me to be completely back to normal and probably another week or so before I feel like doing anything again... AWESOME.... NOT - anyways... the silver lining in this whole ordeal is I've had some free time while laying in bed and was able to finish the binding on my UW quilt, its DONE, like completely finished and ready for the opening! That was quite the stress relief, now I don't have to take it to Vegas with me and worry about it getting spilled on during the plane ride, hmm not sure what I'm going to be doing on the plane now but oh well, its done!   Anyways, now I have to find some more fun stuff to do.  

As most of you know, it's Valentine's Day on Saturday... lets just say it not my favorite holiday, in fact you could go as far as saying its my least favorite holiday... that being said my mom is somewhat of a holiday nut, she loves holidays and while the Christmas season is no doubt her favorite its not by much.  Due to her love for the holiday's which has rubbed off on me as well, no holiday is complete without themed decorations, some sort of baked good that matches whatever holiday is being celebrated, and presents, yes, even on Valentine's day there is a present or two in the morning on our respective spots at the kitchen table... 

So being like my mom and loving all holidays, yes even though V-Day is my least favorite I still love it... And that being said I must celebrate in some respect, my celebration of choice is baking.   I have a couple recipes that I'm just dying to try, I just hope I feeling up to baking all of the goodies I have my eye on.  On the list to try are Chocolate-dipped Shortbread Cookies, Meringue Ice-cream Sandwiches, Chocolate Heart Eclairs, and good old fashion Sugar Cookies, frosted of course!  As I try out these heart shaped goodies I will be sure to include the recipes and let you know how they turn out!

Step by step

Goodness gracious! This whole cold/flu deal is really putting a cramp in the creativity!  And the studying... fortunately today I was at least able to drive myself over to the drug store and get some cough meds, the down side, cough meds and studying really don't work so well, which wouldn't be a problem except for that art history midterm tomorrow morning... hmm... that could be a problem, such is life, I guess timing can't be good all the time, on that topic know what is good all the time? Jell-o! Seriously, you can't go wrong with jello, and since I can't eat the chocolate cream pie with a toasted coconut crust I made before influenza decided to take over my life for several days I still get my sugar fix!

Anyways, on to the artistic stuff... since I haven't been creating while i've been sick I'm gonna put up some more stuff from the past couple months... lets continue the printmaking trend and throw some zinc etchings in here... These are a series of etching, some are 11in x 15in and others are 22in x 15in. 

Creative brain freeze due to cold medicine...

Today was another day spent in bed,  I must say it becomes increasingly boring as the hours in bed pile up!  Today I was lucky though, a friend of mine was kind enough to bring me jello and risk contamination even though he can't afford to be sick with practice and everything, regardless it was much appreciated :)  

However, since I spent the day in bed hopped up on cold meds, the creative juices have not been flowing lately therefore I'll continue with yesterday's post and put up some art work from earlier this fall/winter... in honor of the up coming NBA All Star game and slam dunk competition next week I'll show basketball portraits... the first two, for those not in tune with the sports world or pop culture (or just modern times for that matter!) is Lebron James, basketball player extraordinaire, and a looker if i do say so myself.  

The other is of a good friend of mine, Justin Dentmon.  That name is probably not familiar unless you are a fan of Pac 10 college basketball, specifically that of the University of Washington.... for those of you that think you might have seen this image before, you probably have if you've read my first post, he's on the quilt too.  Anywho, the ones of Lebron are prints made from a carved linoleum block while the one of Justin (JD) is a simple ink drawing.  Hopefully by mid next week I'll be all better, out of bed and I'll have some new projects or works in progress for y'all, until then enjoy!  

Oh How I Hate Being Sick...

Good morning, well I guess afternoon to those have have normal lives and sleep schedules... well i've been flirting with a cold since Monday and now i've decided that it's the flu, which would be why I thought it was morning when it's actually not.  My mother insists that I go to the doctor, I guess even when you've grown up and moved out the motherly worrying doesn't stop... I however am a firm believer in not going to the doctor unless you are dying or broken, I just hate doctors offices, they are plain white which is apparently supposed to be soothing, i disagree, they smell funny and ever since I was too old for the pediatrician I try to avoid them as much as possible, if I still feel like I've been hit with a truck come Monday I'll give in a go in.  

While it has been nice laying in bed and drinking sprite for the last 2 days, it gets boring!  I tried to work on some new projects, even just a charcoal sketch but whenever i'd get started my head would hurt or i'd have a coughing fit and I just had to give it

 a rest... since actually making art wasn't happening I decided to go through the photographs of all the art I've made since this past fall (the start of the year for those of us still in school).  Since I wasn't rambling to you all this

 fall I thought over the next couple days, since I can do this while in bed, I would put up some pictures of some of the stuff i've done this year - Thank you Nan for suggesting that I start blogging about my work

 and creative endeavors, if  I hadn't I don't know what would be keeping me sane today.  Nan has her own amazing blog dedicated to quilting and cooking, you can find it at http://potsandpins.com  she is absolutely amazing 

and truly and inspiration! 

  Today's pieces are monoprints, each is 15" x 22"... They are all titled Beauty's Form (followed by a number) and were influenced by my love of

 fashion and sewing.

Well hello...

Well hello! Since this is my first post I suppose I should introduce myself.  I'm a college student and a Seattle native.  Despite most peoples' distaste for the weather in the Pacific Northwest, more specifically the rain, I quite enjoy it.  It leaves ample time for rainy day projects, like the ones I talk about here for example.  I'm an art major, sports buff, fashionista, and ballet dancer, all of which pertain to what will come up in my posts.  In fact, I will take a moment to say Go Dawgs! as I watch a little husky basketball while creating this bit of light reading.  

Well on to the projects, I am currently working on a quilt.  While this isn't my first quilt, it's my second, it still feels like my first, especially since that was four years ago.  This current project is commemorating my 3.5, soon to be 4 years at University of Washington.  Somehow Husky basketball and football seem to be common themes among quilt squares, but I

 guess I shouldn't be so surprised considering the many hours that have been spent

 tailgating and waiting in line to get in to Hec Ed for the coveted front row of the Dawg Pack... i'm sure it's somewhere around the same amount of time spent studying... just kidding mom & dad! 

The cool thing about this quilt is it's a t-shirt quilt, so I cut up my husky pride (and a article of Hilary's husky pride) and sewed them into a lovely quilt top.  But, what's even c

ooler is the addition of jerseys, I was even lucky enough to get a couple buddies that happen 

to be student athletes put their signature on there for me, making it a little extra special!  But of course I couldn't just leave it at that, I had to put a little

Karissa flair and throw some portraits in there, so the room mates that have had to deal with

 me for all for years get a little tribute spot... 

And for fun I threw in JD and Alvin because I felt like athlete

portraits too... so now that you've heard about it, here's a couple pictures in case my run on babble wasn't coherent...  

Incase you were wonder ing I don't silkscreen, so the portraits are handpainted -  anywho, I finally finished the quilt top amongst stud

ying for midterms, class, work and all that other stuff that goes along with being a college student so here's the top... when its all quilted i'll make sure to put up a pic of the final product!