Ok...so I've done a really shitty job of updating this blog :S But in my defense I've been extremely busy, like, crazy busy.
It's amazing how this semester just zoomed by. At times I felt like it would kill me but now that it's coming to a close I don't feel ready for it to end. Next semester will hopefully be a walk in the park since I'm only taking 8 credit hours and I'll only have homework in one class but again, that's what I said about this semester.
I'd like to find a better job in January as well since I'll have my weekends free. It's a bit of a bummer because the job I have now is really easy and I generally like the folks I work with but the pay just isn't cutting the mustard. I really need to scrimp and save this upcoming year so I can get the fudge out of Arizona. Mentally, I'm already in Washington. I'm SO over the desert. To be honest though, the prospect of moving again on my own is pretty scary and causing me a bit of anxiety...Ok, a lot of anxiety. When I moved to Oregon I at least had quite a bit of savings built up so I had time when I got there to formulate a more solid plan. However, this time I won't have as much money and I'm still not sure what direction I want to take with my career. I still intend on continuing with my comic strip but who knows if they'll ever become commercially successful so I need to figure out someway to put food on the table. Ideally, I'd like to get a job in illustration but I have no clue how you even get into that field. Plus there are so many talented people out there to compete with...Ugggghhhh...>.< That's why I've been trying to just live one day at a time and not worry about the future so much. I'd like to think that everything will just work itself out if I continue to work hard.
Let's switch back to the present though for the time being. This semester I've been working on a series of drawings that have turned out to be my best work to date. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos to post of them since two are still in progress and the other two are on display in the School of Art Building, but I plan on showing them in my senior exhibition so I should have photographs of them in the not too distant future. This semester, like last semester we had to do a series of drawings that were all tied together by a common theme. Last year I did a series featuring birds and since I enjoy doing illustrations that involve animals so much I chose cats this semester. It's been quite a battle with my professor though since she's more of an abstract artist. Since I first proposed the idea for the series she's been giving me hell and teasing me daily in front of my peers. It's funny that she gives me such a hard time when I know I'm one of her favorite students. I wish she could just have faith in me and trust my instincts. I'm not a slacker and I put a lot of thought and energy into my work; so she should know that I'm not going to produce any shitty, half-assed drawings. I don't see why drawings featuring animals are looked at as being "cliche". Personally I adore animal art, specifically cat art. Cat art has existed in every culture in every era for thousands of years. They're very respectable creatures in my humble opinion so I don't understand how cats as a subject is any different from trees or flowers or portraits or anything.
Despite all of her bitching though, she gave me A+s on my first two drawings and during our last critique gave me quite the compliment. She said, "These drawings are a perfect example of what you can accomplish with just a piece of charcoal and an eraser." I felt very proud after hearing that since I've struggled with my confidence as an artist for so long. I feel like I'm finally starting to get comfortable with my style and that my artwork really is something special.
I just hope that I'll continue to be motivated after I graduate. It's so easy to get distracted and caught up with your "day job" and life's everyday stresses. But I digress...
Time to get back to work and finish up these drawings :3
Later interneters!
~Courtney~
