Secrets

Oh My Darling

2011-03-01T09:59:00.003-05:00

Darling is an imaginary line of craft supplies that I would totally buy if it existed. Clean, hip, feminine, and youthful, Darling is definitely not for grandmas or punk knitters.

I did a couple of spot illustrations, too. And wouldn't you know it, there's even a (very) little bit of process work!

I made a couple of teensy changes, most notably the shape of the thread is a bit more fun and organic.

Eventually, I would like to do some packaging experiments, too. I know what you're thinking, "But Adrienne my dear, won't you ever draw again?" Yes, yes. Don't worry. I'm using my thesis to explore things I never got around to in typical class assignments. It's amazing, but I'm actually enjoying myself :)

Love,
The Letter A

Wordplay

2011-02-27T18:29:00.001-05:00

Several pieces I've been working on lately focus on type, words, and language. I think it's because I secretly wish I was Ed Ruscha and Kay Rosen's love child. Oh well... Winners & Losers is a print I designed a couple of weeks ago.

I can't wait to see it in a huge frame on my wall. Here's a detailed view:

It's been really fun to work with words and letterforms; the challenge now is to make it more "illustrative." I'll let you know when I figure that one out.

Love,
The Letter A

Oh Deer

2011-02-24T15:49:00.001-05:00

It's true. I have been neglecting my blog. Graduation is a little more than two months away, and of course I've been busy, busy, busy. Instead of flooding you with one huge post (à la Brandon Graham), I'll just be posting more frequently until I'm all caught up. First off, a revisit of last year's holiday cards. I completely changed the deer card to something a little more refined (I think). Before, and after:

I'm still waiting to have the set photographed nicely, so I can add it to the "Things I made that turned out way better than I thought they would" category of my portfolio. Until then, here is a little photo I took earlier:

Cards are fun!

Love,
The Letter A

Two Birds, One Stone

2010-12-09T13:21:00.000-05:00

Classes are over! Well, almost. We had our final critique in illustration earlier today, and my final illustration project is a set of holiday greeting cards that I'll actually be producing and selling. Look!

For those of you that will be in Sarasota this weekend, I'm making an appearance at the 5th Annual Holiday Bazaar. The greeting card set will be available for sale, as well as some awesome t-shirt scarves and some other crafty goodies. There will be prints of some of my pieces, and original work, too. You should probably come visit me on Sunday from noon to 5:30 pm.

I hope to see you there!

Love,
The Letter A

Señor Portrait

2010-11-29T22:59:00.001-05:00

At Ringling, the seniors in the illustration department each create a self portrait for the thesis show poster. Some are good and some are bad, but it's pretty fun to see all the different styles people use. Today we had a critique on our senior portraits. Here's mine:

This isn't the final, just an in progress post. It's cute, but I think it' pretty silly. I think I might try to do a few different portraits before the final is due in January... One of my friends pointed out how different it is from the last self-portrait I did, right after freshman year:

What can I say? Two and a half years is a long time.

Love,
The Letter A

Who Farted?

2010-11-18T16:13:00.001-05:00

The fall semester is coming to a close. I have an atrocious amount of work that needs to get finished in the next three weeks, which means I have been spending most of my time doing this:

You know what I mean?

The above image is taken from my latest illustration project, a sequential piece about a cute farting bear. No, really.

This is based on a character I created as a maquette last year. He's pretty cute :3

Love,
The Letter A

Vignette

2010-11-10T03:20:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick little study I did tonight instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour:

It started as nice little drawing, then I went in with acrylic washes, then it went into the computer. This is more or less the elusive blend of digital and traditional media that I have been trying to cultivate. The best part is that it was a lot of fun to do :)

Love,
The Letter A

A Descent into the Maelström

2010-10-29T18:47:00.000-04:00

So,
I had Advanced Representational Drawing today with George Pratt.

Once a week, we meet for six hours. Sometimes we draw from a model or from film stills, or sometimes we go on field trips to zoos and museums and coffee shops. It's a pretty awesome class.

I wasn't feeling super productive today, I didn't really like the model and I don't really like painting. The funny thing is you can actually see my developing disinterest over the span of the class:

The last two remind me of the pieces I did when I was at MegaCon last year.

My roommate said he feels the next in the progression should just have been a tangle of kitty cats.
I WISH.

Six hours is a long time...
I hope next week will be better.

Love,
The Letter A

ELITIST OF ILL

2010-10-14T14:32:00.000-04:00

It's Illest of Ill time again at Ringling. This year's show was juried by the handsome and talented Josh Cochran. Fantastically enough, he picked both of the pieces I submitted :D

The first is a portraiture assignment from last year. John Hamm as Don Draper from Mad Men (which I've previously talked about), in a rare moment while he's not having sex with whoever crosses his path wearing red lipstick:

The second is a personal piece I really love, especially the title: Young Adult Friction

Both of these pieces were made before I stopped focusing on traditional media. It makes me think I should break out the pencils and paints again.

Anywhoozle, congratulations to everyone that got in. I hope you all come out on Friday for the opening, I am already planning my outfit.

Love,

The Letter A

From Russia with Fun

2010-09-27T10:18:00.002-04:00

Who said art school was all sunshine and kittens? I had a bad critique last week D:

Our second assignment in my illustration class was a concept illustration project.
I HAVE NO INTEREST IN CONCEPT ILLUSTRATION. NONE. AT. ALL.

I don't want to draw monsters/vikings or their caves/spaceships/coffee mugs.
Here is my finished illustration for Tetris, the least offensive of the choices:

Isn't it cool?

Well, like I said, the critique was painful. Not because everyone hated my piece, but because the teacher felt that I didn't follow the directions of the assignment. After meeting with him earlier in the week and going over what my plans for the project were AND getting the green-light, he took issue with the fact that I didn't do any level designs for the new game.

You know, because I'm a game designer and everything.

This is what the assignment said:

"The creator's of Tetris have asked you to come up with concepts and ideas to update their game. They would like to see any and all ideas or directions that your might be able to come up with."

So I read the phrase "update their game" and understood it to mean "make it look new and stylish". Apparently, this is an incorrect interpretation. So I got a bad grade and lost the opportunity to have control over my next project. Awesome. Am I in a bad mood? Not anymore. I really like what I came up with and anyone worth talking to will tell you that grades don't really mean anything anyway.

Love,
The Letter A

Before and After

2010-09-21T09:52:00.001-04:00

Here are the edits from the last piece:

It's like one of those "Spot the Difference" thingamajigs.

Love,

The Letter A

Always the Bridesmaid

2010-09-01T13:44:00.000-04:00

The first illustration project of the semester:

The assignment was open, so long as we stayed within the subject of fairy tales. I chose the Japanese folktale 鶴の恩返し or The Crane Wife. It's about a magical crane that turns into a beautiful girl in order to marry the man who cared for her after an arrow pierced her wing. When he breaks his promise to never watch her weaving, she turns back into a crane and leaves him. BUMMER.

You may not know this, but I love origami and I am a master at folding cranes. I wanted her dress to be really structural, and there's a paper crane hidden in the linework. The pattern in the background is even scanned origami paper.

The final is due Monday, so if anyone has any critiques I would really love to hear them.

Love,

The Letter A

All Choked Up

2010-08-20T16:38:00.000-04:00

Here's the next of the book covers, Chuck Palahniuk's Choke.
Four colorways this time:

I think I like the low contrast of the pink one. I think.

That's my biggest problem with working digitally, it's so easy to make changes that it's hard for me decide which variation works best. Of course, I could eliminate this problem if I did value and color studies beforehand, but seriously....

I hope to have another one of these fellas up later this weekend.

Love,
The Letter A

That's the problem with winning right from the start, thought Ender. You lose friends.

2010-08-18T02:49:00.001-04:00

Almost every blog returns from an extended hiatus with an apology and a promise to post more often. FUCK THAT NOISE. I've set quite the personal record going four months without a post, but I regret nothing. I almost always favor quality over quantity. Besides, do people really want to see my stupid doodles?

As my final year of art college is starting next week, I made an attempt to stop playing graphic designer and start playing illustrator. I've been reading a lot over the summer, and I keep getting really fun ideas for book covers. This isn't a theme I want to focus on for my thesis project, but it works nicely for quick exercises. As the title of this post would suggest, the first of these is Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.

Two versions:

The second one is my favorite. CHECK OUT THOSE COLORS!

I have to admit, I've seen a few versions of this in the past few months. One by one of my favorite illustrators, Sam Weber. The other by a very quiet kid in my illustration class. This is the only copy I would personally buy, though. Lisa Frank has messed me up for life.

It's taken some time, but I am finally ready to start school. I know there will be a lot of big changes, and I am finally ready to do it to it. I've been thinking a lot about the way I work, and how can I improve the quality of my work and ideas and the speed with which I implement them.

It seems to me that you can focus on quality, and as you improve your speed increases, or you can focus on speed, where your improvement is marked by higher accuracy. I don't know if one of these methods is better than the other; most people I know opt for speed and experimentation, making big, ugly mistakes and learning from them as they go along. You wouldn't want a surgeon or a tattoo artist working like this, but illustration definitely lends itself to this way of operating.

Time to get messy.

Love, The Letter A

What's Up, Tiger Lily?

2010-04-28T21:51:00.001-04:00

Did you happen to notice that I updated my blog header and changed some of the colors around? Change is good.

Here's my final project for my illustration class this semester, it's Tiger Lily from Peter Pan:

Isn't she cute?! I am slowly making my special brand of traditional magic and digital trickery "work". That's what this piece was supposed to accomplish, but I don't think I'm there yet. I have had so many projects this year that I have been proud of and really excited to show, and to me that's a great sign that I am heading in the right direction.

School will be over in a couple of days and I'm excited to finally have some free time this summer to rework some older projects and start on new ones. There will be design! There will be painting! There will be what George Pratt calls "drawing with a purpose".

I can hardly wait.

Love,
The Letter A

The New New Yorker

2010-04-24T21:57:00.002-04:00

A few of my projects this semester have been illustrations for The New Yorker.

SWOON!

The New Yorker is one of my dream clients. What can I say? I am totally East Coast. I went to a prep school and everything.

First, an illustration for David Sedaris' Loggerheads:

The original piece used for the story was done by the ever-frosty Jillian Tamaki. Brrr.

The next piece was for Javier Marías' While the Women Are Sleeping.

I really liked the story, it was ultracreepy and dramatic, somewhere between Hitchcock and Almodóvar. Talk about good times!

Finally, here is my own interpretation of Eustace Tilley, the magazine's presiding dandy:

I still don't think it's finished. I think there is a lot of flat color, even for me. My illustration teacher loves it and wants me to send it to Francoise Moully, the magazine's art director...

Is it finished? Should I send it?
I want to know what "my public" thinks.

Love,
The Letter A

Risky Business

2010-04-18T13:30:00.000-04:00

My most recent project was for the American Library Association's magazine American Libraries. They have a distribution of about 60,000 so it's exciting to know that my work has the potential to be seen by a lot of people. The piece was for an article titled A Literature of Risk, which is actually a dry sort of read. The take-away:

"Teens dealing with violence and other risky behaviors can get help from young adult fiction."

The piece came together fairly quickly. Here's what the final looks like:

My favorite part is the girls smoking in the background. I liked the drawing so much I double-dipped and used it for a gig poster for The Yours, an awesome shoegaze bang from Hong Kong.

I'm still trying to figure out the balance between traditional and digital that will make me feel happy and not like a huge cheat. That's the focus of my final illustration project for the semester, which I hope to have finished in the next week or so. Until then...

Love,
The Letter A

Immaculate Convention

2010-03-19T15:31:00.003-04:00

I am fortunate enough to have spend last weekend at MegaCon repping the RCAD illustration department. I'm really excited to have been offered a spot after I had originally flubbed the portfolio review last semester.

A NOTE TO MY PEERS: Your portfolio is an extension of yourself; take an appropriate amount of pride in its presentation. Copy paper is not a suitable portfolio cover.

I avoided getting into any fights about how superheroes–especially Aquaman–are awful. Most of my time was spent making pretty little things.

If you happen to be one of the people who so graciously bought a painting this past weekend, I would love for you to get in touch! I would like to say thanks one more time, and maybe get a picture of my work in it's new home.

The whole MegaCon experience was inspiring and a little bit ridiculous. I got to talk to Eric Canete and watch Adam Hughes draw Catwoman. I have a new little sketchbook and I am excited to fill it.

Love,
The Letter A

Rawwwr!

2010-02-28T21:39:00.005-05:00

Here is my latest illustration, based on this article from The Onion.

I personally haven't found The Onion to be funny in a good long while, and never having been a thirteen-year-old boy I wasn't terribly thrilled to be drawing dinosaurs or guns. Surprisingly, I'm pretty happy with the final image. I spent a REALLY long time making paper airplanes for reference. That was the most fun part.

Love,
The Letter A

20X

2010-01-12T15:24:00.004-05:00

New year, new decade, new post.

In weak attempt to tie up loose ends, here are the final two projects from last semester's illustration class. The first is a book cover for Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha:
The second is a "children's book" illustration of Little Red Riding Hood:

This is way darker than I usually care to get, but I really have no interest whatsoever in illustrating children's books. Sorry.

School has started up again and it seems that this semester will have plenty of opportunities for me to turn out quality work. Case in point, in Don Brandes Advanced Media class we've been assigned a pen and ink self-portrait to be completed in 48 hours. Expect that post later this week.

Love,
The Letter A

You are the Product

2009-11-10T08:35:00.003-05:00

Just in time for the Mad Men season three finale, I have a celebrity portrait of Mr. Jon Hamm as Don Draper for your consideration. Check it:

This is the only piece I have done for my illustration class that my teacher has genuinely liked; he even went so far as to call it a "knock-out". I am pretty pleased with it, too. It's more along the lines of what I want to be doing, for now anyway.

Love,
The Letter A

Radio Silence

2009-10-28T11:26:00.006-04:00

According to my friend Jared, people actually read this blog. Happy Birthday, Jared! Thank you for making me feel guilty and convincing me to show what I've been doing. Here it is, just past midterm and I am making my first post of the school year. Not that I have much to post, mind you.

The above is a painting I am currently working on in my figure painting class. This is the first color piece I have done this semester where it feels like everything is coming together. I am much more comfortable with value, and starting to get over my fear of color. My teacher said he likes my mark-making, which is always nice to hear. ( Carl Johnson, I love you.) Anyway, I really like the way I rendered the hair in this...

I have a lot of little, non-Ringling projects that I am juggling at the moment. Rest assured I will be posting them as they are completed. This is just a tiny post to restore some faith in yours truly.

Love,
The Letter A

I Will Possess Your Heart

2009-07-13T18:43:00.006-04:00

I started a new project. It's called I've always been drawn to you and it's a collection of drawings of people that I like for various reasons. Right now, there are only two drawings, but I'm working on that.
Today's is Chris Walla, Death Cab for Cutie guitarist and all around nice guy. We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes was an album that "changed my life" in a really "meaningful" way. I was fifteen and in private school and they were my big secret. A few years later, I met Chris Walla and Ben Gibbard, and it was clear that Chris was the brains behind the outfit.

Now that's what I call a "W".

He gave me a list of bands I should listen to and signed the CDs I had brought along. They are one of the few bands whose discography I physically own. I HATED Plans but I still bought Narrow Stairs, and though it took me some months, I finally listened to it today (thanks be to Genius). It was better than I thought it was going to be, with a few little charmers that were fairly unexpected. I might not be in love anymore, but I figured it would be nice show a little appreciation.

Love,
The Letter A

Dear Science

2009-07-09T01:57:00.008-04:00

I've spent the past ten or so hours pouring over all the old sketchbooks that aren't hiding at Casa Benitez in Orlando. I feel a little bit fried, like I was suddenly back in high school cramming for a test I was ill prepared for, but I suppose it was for the best. After all, everyone is their own favorite subject.

I managed to take notes the whole time, and now that I'm finished, there are a few pages of reoccurring images and themes that I still think are interesting and want to keep working with. Fun stuff I had forgotten about, like color blindness and unicorns, and more provocative things like cultural identity and exoticism. Yee-haw.

Here are a few interesting trends I found throughout the books:

There is significantly more text than images. This isn't too surprising because it's easier and faster for me to write down an idea than to devote the time to a thumbnail right away. Also, whenever there is a study for something I would like to develop further, there will be a metric ton of notes that go along with it. An example:
There is also a fair amount of pages that are just text. That's where I found this little nugget:
Keen observation, Sir.

I am more inspired by fine artist's than illustrators. Out of a solid list of 150 artists, the majority of them were fine artists and, what's more, quite a few were conceptual artists (shudder to think). Most people who know me understand that my inability to reconcile my love/hate relationship with post-postmodernism is why I ran away from Carnegie Mellon University. In spite of this–or perhaps because of it–I have more of an appreciation for reconstructivism than I thought.

I am so totally into feminist art theory. There are women artists listed on almost every page, there are notes on The Gaze and articles by Laura Mulvey, there are even studies based on Cindy Sherman's Untitled Film Stills:I knew this to be the case, but still, I had better start working towards communicating something meaningful rather than just drawing pretty girls. I'll leave that to the boys.

The biggest realization is that my sketchbooks are intensely private affairs, and if I ever quiet my nerves enough to hand one over to you, please disregard the weirdness, I'm trying to get the poison out.

As you might have guessed, there is a big update at HOT PROCESS with all the stuff from the newest book that I have yet to share. Go and look.

It was a pretty fun way to spend the day, but that's not to say that this was easy. I'd like to think that taking the time to go through and really study what I've been recording, is making me a more thoughtful illustrator/artist. Maybe that's why much of the work I see is conceptually bankrupt, because so few people are really willing to do the work.

Anyway, let me go ahead and thank Edward Tufte, otherwise I wouldn't have thought to organize and analyze the data.

I am such a nerd.

Love,
The Letter A

Happenings...

2009-06-21T04:35:00.004-04:00

Last Friday, I was part of a really fun local show with bands, live painting by little old me, and lots of hipster kids pouting and looking disinterested. Unfortunately, no one does "aloof" like Jordan Catalano, and despite all the posing, I had a pretty fun time.

I got to paint in a hot little corner for most of the night, but I made a few sales and some new friends. All in all, it was a pretty good day.

The set-up:

The highlight of the evening was getting to talk a little bit with "the band from Orlando" attachedhands. If I am plugging too much, it's because they are superniceguys and the music is dreamy and awesome, and that's not even including the projector show.

There is also a fair amount of web design that I'll be working on in the next few weeks too, including a redesign of my site (finally). I've been trying to think of a different way of showing everything, and I've been leaning towards a World of Wasco type of menu.

I've also been selected as one of the vendors for this year's Atomic Holiday Bazaar, and although it's not until December, I have to start thinking about what I'm going to bring (original artwork, prints, postcards, stickers, buttons, etc...)

The frontier looks particularly wild, let's get ready for adventure.

Love,
The Letter A

That Summer Feeling

2009-06-15T10:54:00.003-04:00

I've noticed that most of the student blogs that I follow have gone silent for most of the summer. Me too! I do have my fair share of excuses though, starting with my beautiful but stupid MacBook Pro going screendead which involved a week of checking gmail on my phone and a trip to IT to sort out.

Then I went to visit my family up in Orlando for a couple of weeks. I posted lots of pictures from the trip on flickr, including pictures of the new kitten, who is currently without a name:

I love him terribly.

Once I got back, I had a few days to throw together some work for the 2nd annual Summer Bash at the best dive in town, Cabana Inn. I've been trying to work within larger themes as a means of organizing my work and giving me a bit more wiggle room to do art/design/illustration. The collection I put together for the show was dubbed Love Letters.

Most of these actually were snapped up at the show. Surprisingly, the hearts didn't sell, but I'm happy that I can have it hanging up a while longer.
It's just too cute.

I also sold some older work that I had been hanging onto for FOREVER, and was happy to see them go off to good homes. I'll miss you, babies!

I have another show this coming Friday, June 19th at Crêpes Suzette in Sarasota. I'll be painting live and and there will be superstunning work from two awesome photographers, Brian and Tara, AND bands! Meteoreyes and attachedhands (looooooooooooooove) will be playing from 10pm onwards into the glittering night.

I'm so excited, I'm so excited, I'm so... Exactly.

Love,
The Letter A

Say Wat

2009-05-19T14:48:00.009-04:00

Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Thai Buddhist temple in Tampa that uses the proceeds from its weekly food bazzaar to the build, decorate, and maintain the grounds. The food is supposed to be delicious, and the review was the cover story for this week's Creative Loafing, which I got to illustrate.

The editor wanted a fat happy Buddha with a napkin tucked into his collar (btw, Buddha wears collared shirts), utensils in hand, ready to eat.

Ok, no.

Fat Happy Buddha is Chinese, not Thai, and even though I'm not a Buddhist, I know several (including my mother and my eldest sister) who would definitely not appreciate the mixup. Even if I was to picture a graceful Thai Buddha, there is nothing funny or charming about watching thin people eat.

I suggested a few ideas, the best being a big steaming bowl of Thai Shrimp Soup filled with ca$hmonies because it's such a lucrative fundraiser for the temple. Good idea? I think so... anyway here is some of the process:

Granted, the idea was changed at the last minute from chopsticks (too Chinese) to the more Pan-Asian soup spoon, but cultural senstivities aside I think it might have improved the image.

Here's the final artwork,

...and the actual cover.

It amazes me that I finished a fairly successful piece in such a short amount of time (about 48 hours) and I even did the process work. I am a better illustrator outside of school, I suppose...

Love,
The Letter A

End of Year Rave-Up

2009-05-04T22:54:00.003-04:00

Because I did so very little classwork worth posting this year, I figured I would get a little closure by ranting/raving about the teachers I had:

Mr. Hodges Soileau is a prince among men. I've never heard anyone say an ugly thing about him and with good reason. Not only is he a lovely human being, but he painted the covers for The Baby Sitter's Club and The Boxcar Children books. ZOMG! If you were a girlchild in the eighties there is no way you didn't own at least one of these books. He also did cover art for a decent number of Harlequin romance novels, which I know he is embarrassed about, but I don't care. I think it's pretty fucking cool. He's a painter through and through, and approaches drawing in a very painterly way. He's really encouraging, and always tries to be helpful. You get to know his sayings pretty quick, some of which can be a little folksy (in a charming way). My personal favorite? "Boy, I tell ya..." My Advice: Go to class? This man is pretty easy to please.

Ms. Cheryl Cooper and I have a special relationship. I go to her class and freak out because painting makes me nervous, and she calms me down with her very soothing voice, shows me some art books, then proceeds to talk about her personal problems. We made it through the entire year in this fashion, which is fine, because I love talking to adults about how real life can get. If you would rather not have to hear about her jerk of an ex-husband, just jump in and paint, paint, paint. She appreciates those with a strong work ethic, regardless of talent. Don't be afraid to ask for help, either, although she will probably say something along the lines of "Dark to light, muted to bright, and easy on the white". That having been said, I did gesso over all of my paintings from that class. My Advice: She is incredibly forgiving and a little absent-minded at times, so try not to take advantage of her. Talk to her once in a while, too; she is a human being, after all.

Dr. Robert Lovejoy is a weirdo, plain and simple. He's a lovable weirdo, though not as lovable as say Gonzo the Great, but he is a weirdo nonetheless. Maybe it's his unfashionable straw hat, or his obsession with his cats, or the way he makes countless references to his "wife" like Corky from Waiting for Guffman, but he fills me with a certain pity, the same way thirteen year-old boys whose mothers still buy all of their clothes tend to. I can't say I am a fan of the inappropriate jokes, but it's obvious this is how he attempts to connect with "the kids", and I can't really blame him for trying. Personality quirks aside, he is a very intelligent man who knows a great deal about Illustration (note the capital "I"). My Advice: If you plan on writing your research paper on someone in the comics industry, be prepared to work for that A, even if you are a spectacular writer. He knows so much about the subject that he will find all the holes in your research and point them out in the most fanboyish way possible. Make your argument as solid as a brick shithouse, or better yet, write about someone he has never heard of (good luck with that, by the way).

Ms. Lisa French is probably the single most misunderstood, misrepresented, and mistreated instructor in the entire Illustration department. There, I said it. The most diplomatic among us will say something along the lines of "She's very particular", while the less tactful will usually sneer in disgust and launch into some rant about how she personally wronged them. I find it hard to believe that Ms. French could wrong anyone though, she's incredibly sweet and genuinely invested in the growth of all of her students, even the terrible ones. She's refreshingly West Coast, and will occasionally say disparaging things about the state of Florida (which I, as a transplant, find hi-larious). She also uses words like "chintzy". She is one of the least confrontational people I have ever met, but don't let that fool you. It is impossible to pull one over on Ms. French. She has been teaching for a long time, and has heard every excuse imaginable. My Advice: DO YOUR WORK! Each and every project I had in her Illustration II class was completed at the very last minute. Needless to say, all of my work was awful. Yes, we all hate process work, but if James Jean has taught us anything, it's that once you're famous you can sell your process work for lots of money.

Mr. Steven Taft is one of the only teachers I have ever had that likes to play on YouTube as much as his students do. Just don't do it during a lecture or a critique. He defiantly gives lots of good advice, but he is a fine artist by heart, and I think he has more fun posing questions than providing answers. Incidentally, this also makes him a great teacher, if somewhat cryptic at times. While teaching graphic design to illustration majors has got to be a drag–most of the students don't care, and you have to look at the awful graphic design they produce–Taft bears it with a smile. My Advice: Try your hardest to develop a love for graphic design before you take his class. Not only will Taft be ecstatic that at least one of his students cares about what he is doing, it will make you a better illustrator, or desistrator, and my friend Tyler likes to call it.

So there you have it. Sophomore year is officially over and I'm trying my hardest not to break out into "School's Out" at the top of my lungs. We ain't got no class, that's all I'm screamin'... I hope this little exercise was helpful to some of you, or entertaining at the very least.

Love,
The Letter A

Dlej korajin gratulonjn' al la kuristo.

2009-04-29T21:44:00.011-04:00

For my painting class, we had an outside assignment where we were supposed to create a series of twelve 12" x 12" paintings that explore a common theme. I chose desserts. I'm sure this comes as a huge and terrifying surprise to most of you.

Unfortunately, I did not get to eat cake after delicious cake. Most of the images were pilfered from across the interwebs, a few of them stolen from Bakerella, an two (guess which) are based on a 1971 lithograph print by Wayne Thibaud (if anyone wants to buy me this book, I would really appreciate it).

Here are some detail images of each canvas. These are not the best photos, but you can see each piece a little more clearly:

I like about two thirds of them, and feel that with a little more work I can sell the whole series off for a tidy profit.

School is almost finished and I have been stupidly busy the past few weeks. I even had to turn down the chance to do a second cover for Creative Loafing.

Aside from wanting to punch everyone in the face, I guess I've learned a good amount, although I don't have much to show for it. One of my many loves, Alex, proposed the great idea of redoing all of his media and illustration assignments over the summer. While I know I lack the patience to attempt that, there are several projects I would like to take a second crack at, Cheryl Cooper's White Painting being at the top of the list.

As we speak, I am finishing up my last illustration assignment of the semester, a reinterpretation of the classic fairy tale Cinderella. The best description I can muster is "Rococo Comic Book". I'll probably post the finals if they turn out well. If.

Love,
The Letter A

For the Record

2009-04-08T15:43:00.008-04:00

So I have been loving my Intro to Graphic Design class, maybe a little too much. Alright, not actually going to class, or even doing the work for that matter, but Steven Taft is such a kind, gentle soul. Plus, I like knowing that without taking any real graphic design classes I capable of doing a halfway decent job.

Case in point, our Packaging Design project. I thought, Album cover art, redesigned to look awesome on a tee-shirt, stuffed into actual record packaging. Genius!

The idea was based in part by a set of R2-D2 Underoos I found at a thrift store when I was fifteen, and CandyKaraoke an art show where,

"Over 70 of Ireland’s leading illustrators, photographers and designers were asked to contribute a piece that would re-imagine or re-design their favourite album covers."
– from Drawn.ca

Take two fantastic ideas, mix them together, and you get something like this:

Can't you just see some hipster douche paying far out the ass for this sh*t at Urban Outfitters? Do I know my audience or what?

The original packaging that I defaced to make the prototype was by far the coolest ever. Ladles and Jellyspoons, may I present to you the Happy Gospel Singers.

The colors! The colors! Also, check out the track listing.

My favorite is the guitarist, who looks like an ex-con and is named–I shit you not–Sid Slaughter. That ranks up there with Johnny Thunders and Richard Hell as one of the greatest rock'n'roll names of all time. Ever.

The next project is a dummy magazine layout, which I plan on turning into my own little Sarasota version of ANPQuarterly. It's fun to play art director...

Love,
The Letter A

Hey Baby

2009-03-05T13:05:00.003-05:00

Another school assignment, this time illustrating a figure of speech. We were to illustrate both the literal and figurative meanings of a given idiom, I chose "Tickled Pink". WhoaMG! I'm actually including my process work. First the thumbnail:

The tight sketch:

And the final artwork:

I used pastel dust for the color rendering, and although I'm all sniffley from the massive amounts of pink fallout, it was a really straightforward process with a pretty forgiving medium. I'm fairly happy with the way it turned out. I think the line drawing is my favorite, and I'm trying to think of how I could use for a less-precious personal piece. Hmmm... we shall see.

Love,
The Letter A

Not-So-Secret Identity

2009-02-18T06:43:00.000-05:00

New business cards? Sure.
Front and back:

Love,
The Letter A

High Society

2009-01-30T14:47:00.008-05:00

Last night all the little Ringling honeys submitted work for the annual Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Competition. For a mere $30, I entered six pieces into the contest, hopefully I'll win some prize and see a little return on my investment.

The pieces, in no particular order:

Apple

Ooooooo

Too Many Feelings

It's for Your Own Good

Deer/Hart

Your Ex Lover is Dead

There was a hella long line that a little angle let me cut (thank you Allie!), and lots of jive talking by some playful adults, which has led me to draft an open letter to everyone's favorite illustration media teacher, Mr. Don Brandes:

Dear Don,

I know you're upset because you're not as pretty as me, but please stop teasing me in front of large groups of students. I will still talk back, and it just makes me look that much more awesome. I look forward to taking your Advanced Media elective, where I will continue to dominate.

No Hard Feelings,
Adrienne

Anyway, keep your fingers crossed por moi.

Love,
The Letter A

Please bear with me.

2009-01-28T12:26:00.002-05:00

Ch- ch- check it!

It's a bear playing the accordion!
This is the cover art for an imaginary cd of Eastern European folk music. Isn't it exciting?
This is the first time I've actually done all of my process work for one of my assignments. It made the process so much less stressful, I feel silly for not bothering to do it in the past. (Sorry Ms. French, I am stubborn and lazy.)

There are still things that I'm less than pleased with; I wish I had gotten my act together sooner so I could have had more time to work on the final artwork. I am learning, little by little, how to do this whole "illustrator thing". Please be patient.

Love,
The Letter A

So This is the New Year

2009-01-15T14:57:00.008-05:00

So Adrienne, what have you been doing, besides not updating your blog?
Well, how's about the cover of Creative Loafing:

There will probably be more opportunities for me to grace the paper's cover in the coming months (Thank You, V!). Exciting.

My Valentine paintings are on off to Detroit for Dirty Show X, and I have lots and lots and lots of work to do for upcoming shows, competitions, freelance jobs... fuck yeah.

Don't expect me to show you any work from last semester... I wasn't that pleased with any of it.

I've updated Hot Process. It's work from old sketchbooks (the cupcake one, the glow-in-the dark one, the Andy Warhol wrapping paper one) for now. When I get through those I'll start sharing new things.

La la la la la la la la la.

Love,
The Letter A

Midnight Karaoke at Memories Lounge and other Tales of Small Town Glamour

2008-12-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

I've spent the past weekend incredibly dehydrated–there is something about Florida tap water that is an awful turn-off–and as such feel a bit of a swoon coming on as we round the corner into December. It should prove to be an interesting month, with lots of educational, social, and emotional show-downs. Nothing too serious, just the after-school-special, character-building kind.

I have a new sketchbook and a renewed sense of adventure and excitement, so I am just about ready for anything.

If anyone remembers, I maybe sort of hinted about a secret project soon to be in devlopment. That was way back then. Now I realize that TBA means January the first of the new year, Anno Domini 2009, which is at once both a ways away and steadily approaching. It is something that is salaciously personal as well as profoundly stimulating, and something we should both look forward to.

Note: After re-reading this, it seems like I am predicting my own fortune... spooky.

Love,
The Letter A

Hot Process

2008-11-22T00:23:00.004-05:00

New sketchblog:

Why? Because I said I would, and I'm a lady of my word.

Love,
The Letter A

Ten Thousand Years

2008-11-09T11:40:00.004-05:00

First off, I make no apologies for not posting in the past almost two months. Life has been fun and busy and electric to say the least and I haven't been too good about documenting it until now so...

Anyway, a couple of shows, Illest, Tata Gala, and what else?
My Sketchel is up for sale, filed under A (for Adrienne, duh). Because it's series 2 and a little bit smaller, it's a mere $130:
Someone buy it now! If you do, send me a picture of you totally loving it and I'll draw something else for you, too. Now that's a sweet deal!

Also, I've been recruited to make fliers for Soap, the best little indie dance party from here to the ocean. Here are the first two:

This has been a fun side project and I've meet some terribly cool people through it. The kids really seem to like what I'm doing, and it's always been about the kids.

I'm thinking about starting a real sketch/process blog with image dumps at regular intervals. I hope it will get me into the habit of drawing/scanning/posting more. I'll still be posting work and lengthy unwanted explanations here for my bigger projects, we will just have to see how it works out.

Until then, I'm back, and still as classy as shit.

Love,
The Letter A

There's nothing to see here.

2008-10-15T11:43:00.000-04:00

A secret, between me and you.
I slipped in this entry, while no one was looking.
I was tired of being reminded that I didn't post a single thing during the month of October.

Now at least I won't be reminded by the archive in the sidebar.
I wonder if/when someone will call me on this...

Love,
The Letter A

License to Ill

2008-09-14T12:01:00.005-04:00

So...

Ringling's annual student-run illustration show is speedily approaching. I have somehow managed to finagle a tee-shirt design:

They will be available online at some point, so all my negroes living far, far away from SRQ will still be able to purchase one and show some love.

I met with Francis and Andy, who in addition to putting together this year's show, assured me that my work is supercool and offered me a poster for the event (which I am working on as we speak). Big deal, right? It is a big deal. It's a colored version of my Cinderella piece, which proves my take on fairytales is a good way to go.

I am excited to have my work be a part of the whole Illest thang. I know I am being bratty, but I refuse to help in physical labor type ways. I am not washing dishes, canvasing shops, putting up fliers, etc. Maybe when I'm heading Illest I will view it differently.

I decided that I actually will submit some pieces for the show, which is exciting/scary. I hope Sam and Jillian love me. I am such a HUGE fan of their work (especially Jillian's, she's fucking incredible), that the thought of them maybe picking something of mine for the show makes my penis hard.

Now I just have to work on getting Paul Pope to jury at some point in the future. Then maybe I can convince him to make out...

Love,
The Letter A

“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.”

2008-09-01T12:32:00.003-04:00

Holy shit, it's September!
Where does the time go?

The first week of school has just wrapped up. I feel like there should be some interesting projects coming up. I am finally cool enough to have some secret projects in the works, and there will be sneak peaks before the big delicious unveiling (TBA). Excitement!

Also, Curbs & Stoops is in the process of preparing a limited edition print of one of my pieces, Apple:

I know that I have mentioned this before, but at the time some of the details were a little hazy. This time, we should be ready to go. There has even been some interest from random people that I have never met. Wild!

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but I actually got my act together and opened a little shop to expedite the sale of some original pieces. So definitely go and buy something, support your favorite little cheerfully macabre brown girl.

Love,
The Letter A

Nesting Instincts

2008-08-12T23:07:00.002-04:00

I've been busy moving!
I'm back in Sarasota, living in the cutest house on South Shade Avenue. I'm geeking out over my new room; It's so nice to have a real space of my own again

Look, see:

It still needs some work. Also, these lamps from Ikea (in turquoise) would be nice. It is supercharging to have a whole new space to work in.

Love,
The Letter A

Who Needs Candied Island?

2008-07-27T13:49:00.004-04:00

I think I'm in love with Will Cotton. I could just curl up into these landscapes and die. I imagine this is what Flapjack and K'nuckles are after...

Love,
The Letter A

Electric Youth

2008-07-19T15:05:00.005-04:00

Ultragraphic Studio Ultragraphic Studio Ultragraphic Studio Ultragraphic Studio Ultragraphic Studio

Finally! I finished the redesign for my portfolio site. There is some new work, but what I am excited about is simple layout. I tried to keep it easy to update, and hopefully it will have some staying power.

There is also a shop so you can support your favorite gleefully macabre young illustrator. Get out there and be somebody!

Love,
The Letter A

Love and Death

2008-07-11T14:39:00.003-04:00

Your Ex-Lover is Dead 2008 Graphite and Ink on Paper, 6" x 6"

To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be unhappy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down.

Love,
The Letter A

Street Cred

2008-07-03T00:29:00.001-04:00

A very good friend of mine from my more youthful days has started a gallery/boutique/studio. Curbs & Stoops believes in emerging artists and the accessibility of art. What could be more noble than that?

I currently have five, limited edition giclee prints for sale here.
You should probably go and buy them all up.

You know... for the kids.

Love,
The Letter A

I Feel Too Deeply

2008-06-29T18:11:00.007-04:00

Too Many Feelings 2008 Graphite on Paper, 3 panels each 6" x 6"

Pretty straightforward. I love drawing hands, sign language was logically the next step.

Love,
The Letter A

Make Me Blush, Why Don't You?

2008-06-21T16:44:00.000-04:00

New Painting!

Ooooooo 2008 Acrylic on Paper, 6" x 6"

Inspired by a conversation between myself and J. L. about silly tattoos.

Also, the blog I Miss Cigarettes had this to say about little old me:

"This girls is bananas! Another sick artist Adrienne's work is definitely a mixed bag of lollies with every treat being sweet and sour with a drop of lemon. I was really blown away by the work she had done with each painting representing her tasteful twist on 'The Seven Deadly Sins'. A must see, everyone needs to watch this spot because Adrienne is definitely going to set fire on the art world with her dangerously eye candy appealing work."

What's superfantastically awesome is that this was written by another brown girl. I feel... validated.

Love,
The Letter A

Friendship is Following Around Someone You Love and Righting the Bar Stools They Have Drunkenly Knocked Over

2008-06-15T23:35:00.017-04:00

Five years goes by v. fast when you are young and not looking forward to your high school reunion. Next thing you know, you are hungover and boarding a plane headed for home wondering What just happened?

My posse reassembled a few days prior for reminiscing, Kimball's ice cream, trash tv, and mutual support. There were a few boys who somehow became men, and more skinny girls who got faaaaat than I was expecting, but meeting up with the rest of the class can be described by this rather simple equation:

Open Bar + Catching Up / Queasy Feeling = Fond Memories

While I love to gossip, the best part by far is tipsily hearing outrageous things from the actual people involved. I never knew that D.S. had a thing for brown girls, or why P.K. was expelled. Now, I know.

When we rolled out of bed and checked out of the hotel, we were greeted by an unseasonably chilly New England day, which everyone agreed was the only suitable weather for our departure. The tearful goodbyes were made outside of Dunkin' Donuts, where they should be, and we all went upon our separate ways.

It's nice spending time with people you once loved then subsequently forgot existed, only to be reminded of why you loved them in the first place. It's even nicer to have witnessed "that girl" puking on the shuttle back to the hotel, and passing out in the hallway.

Ah, memories.

Love,
The Letter A

My Life as an Internet Detective

2008-06-07T13:25:00.002-04:00

Being the unapologetic, self-hating narcissist that I am, I recently Googled myself. The results were typical: my website, the list of prom couples from senior year(I still love you, Adam), Facebook listings, etc.

Then some surprising results, YEN Magazine had me listed as a contributor for Sketchel@Curvy 08.

Yes, that's me third from the bottom. Just how I like it.

I submitted so long ago, that I kinda forgot about it, well not forgot about it, but figured that after I mailed it, the plane went down and it was eaten by a shark. Anyway, I realized that I might as well share it with you:

I do get some ca$hmoney from the transaction, so if you like it, buy it. They don't have the shop up for series 2 yet, so maybe you would have to contact them directly about purchasing my Sketchel.

So, that's exciting, and it kinda makes me feel like I should be submitting more work to shows. An extra-special "Thanks" to Jeremyville for telling me so I didn't have to find out from Google...

Also, I found a sweet little miss named Kate had my artwork all over her MySpace page, not claiming it as her own, but proclaming her love for me to the whole wide world. She has me listed as one of her favorites after Fafi and before Siloette, which I am completely fine with at this point in my life. It's way better than third from the bottom.

The most interesting discovery? All of this love and good press is from Australia, everyone's favorite country/continent. Maybe I should pack up my bindle and head Down Under, you know, like that kid from that terrible, horrible no good very bad book. I love marsupials and Nick Cave, and suppose, after councelling, I might even be able to forget that awful movie Wolf Creek.

How's 'bout it?

Love,
The Letter A

D- D- D- Don't Shoot!

2008-05-25T15:33:00.001-04:00

Shoot to Thrill 2008 Graphite and Acrylic on Paper, 5" x 8.25"

I love it, but I'm not in love with it... not yet. It seems like something is missing. I can't decide if I want to put anything in the banner tails at the very bottom.

Oh well.

How Am I Not Myself?

2008-05-20T15:45:00.004-04:00

For those of you who seem to think that art theory can be self-indulgent at times, I'd like to share this with you:

"A critical difference from myself means that I am not i, am within and without i. I/i can be I or i, you and me both involved. We (with capital W) sometimes include(s), other times exclude(s) me. You and I are close, we intertwine; you may stand on the other side of the hill once in a while, but you may also be me; while remaining what you are and what i am not."

—Trinh T. Minh-Ha DIFFERENCE

Knock Knock

2008-05-15T19:27:00.002-04:00

Orange You Glad To See Me? 2008 Acrylic on Paper, 5" x 5"

I like the colors, very summery.

I hope when you come, the weather will be clement.

2008-05-09T05:00:00.006-04:00

The 30-second re-cap:

- I finished freshman year, again.
- I moved back to Orlando for the balmy summer months.
- I trimmed my bangs, to a near disastrous effect.
- I rediscovered the joys of working alone in the middle of the night:

Untitled (Ready? For Love) 2008 Graphite and Acrylic on Paper, 4.75" x 7.5"

This came together fairly quickly. I hope that doesn't come as a shock to anyone. I like flattening space and playing with composition and disembodied hands. Expect more things like this soon.

Sois Sage!

2008-04-21T13:05:00.000-04:00

School is almost (almost) over!
I'm not too thrilled whith any of the work I have produced for school this year, but this little beauty was finished just as classes wrapped up:

It's For Your Own Good 2008 Graphite and Acrylic on Paper, 10" x 10"

I am superinlove with this drawing, though it does little justice to the actual sculpture; Falconet is just too awesome.

Master of My Domain

2008-04-15T15:15:00.002-04:00

I finally managed to get my act together enough to put together the new and very slightly improved Ultragraphic Studio site.

The latest version has been up for a bit (as you might have noticed) and has even found a way to incorporate this very blog into the rest of the site, however unsuccessfully.

Though I am not completely wild with the way the design turned out, it was fun to be knee-deep in CSS, for a little while at least.

NOTE: I am a dork.

Anyway, I do plan on changing the site once again in the near future, i.e. when school is finished and I have time to code in my undies like a real web developer.

Until then, courage.

The Indpendents

2008-04-09T23:49:00.003-04:00

I took M. to see the most superamazing documentary last night:

From the film's website:

"Beautiful Losers celebrates the spirit behind one of the most influential cultural movements of a generation. In the early 1990's a loose-knit group of likeminded outsiders found common ground at a little NYC storefront gallery. Rooted in the DIY (do-it-yourself) subcultures of skateboarding, surf, punk, hip hop & graffiti, they made art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Developing their craft with almost no influence from the "establishment" art world, this group, and the subcultures they sprang from, have now become a movement that has been transforming pop culture. Starring a selection of artists who are considered leaders within this culture, Beautiful Losers focuses on the telling of personal stories...speaking to themes of what happens when the outside becomes "in" as it explores the creative ethos connecting these artists and today's youth."

Aaron Rose, the director, came to Ringling, and has been the most relevant person they have wrangled into speaking here. I had high expections, and the movie was a thousand times better than I thought it would be. It has everyhing: love, death, bright colors...

It is heartfelt and wonderful.

It's slated for limited (v. limited) release this summer, and if it manages to make it to a crusty art-house theater near you, please go and see it.

Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary

2008-04-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

On a Wednesday in the Eighties, Mr. and Mrs. Jorge L. Benitez were blessed with a eight pound bundle of awesome. This little girl grew into a beast with unmanageable hair who took to headbutting those who dared to picked her up. Years later, after an expensive education that is still not quite complete, she has learned to make and keep friends, but is still prone to sudden violent outbursts of hilarity based on observations of a society afflicted by a deep cultural malaise.

I've lived a full life. It's actually been pretty bitchin'. I suppose we'll see where the next year will take me.

So, Happy Birthday to me.

I just noticed how many posts there have been without any pictures...
I'll have to fix that.

Something New, and Soon

2008-03-29T17:00:00.002-04:00

I've been working (an excruciatingly slow process, but nevertheless) on a NEW WEBSITE!

The Ultragraphic Studio site, having not been updated since last July, was in desperate need of attention. Also, I decided to use some of my CSS programing talent, honed in my previous Introduction to Web Design class, because tables are a thing of the past, and it is something new to try.

If anyone is interested in things of this nature, I have found some helpful sites in my electronic wanderings:

A List Apart http://www.alistapart.com/ web magazine for people who make websites.
SitePoint http://www.sitepoint.com/ web design tutorials and insightful articles.

Enjoy.

Crybaby Cry

2008-03-20T23:07:00.001-04:00

To her who had laughed so much, crying was delicious. All sorrows became her sorrows; She was Tenderness. She would cry long and softly over newspaper accounts of kidnapped babies, deserted wives, unemployed men, strayed cats, heroic dogs. Even when the paper was no longer before her, her mind revolved upon these things and the drops slipped rhythmically over her plump cheeks.

—Dorothy Parker Big Blonde

The Secret Voice Which Talks to Us in Our Own Hearts

2008-03-15T19:23:00.003-04:00

"It is madness in all women to let a secret love kindle within them, which, if unreturned and unknown, must devour the life that feeds it; and if discovered and responded to, must lead ignis fatuus-like, into miry wilds whence there is no extraction."

—Charlotte Bronte Jane Eyre

My life right now is all about "miry wilds". I suppose that's what makes it so terribly exciting...

The Only Thing that You Owe the Public is a Good Performance

2008-03-07T15:25:00.004-05:00

A little drawing of Bogie:

Believe the hype; Casablanca is one of the best movies ever.

The Hater's Club

2008-03-03T17:55:00.002-05:00

"There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more I am dissatisfied with it; and everyday confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense."

—Jane Austin Pride and Prejudice

Lonesome Dove

2008-02-27T11:09:00.001-05:00

This little creature has become quite dear to me:

This dove has built her nest in the overhanging timbers just outside of my apartment. I have affectionately named Ermengarde, a ostentatious Victorian name with cobwebs all over it.

Sexual Taxonomy for the Eighties

2008-02-21T12:32:00.002-05:00

"I've seen how the mythology of romance contradicts the reality of coupling and perpetuates a definition of love that creates dangerous expectations. This mythology doesn't allow for the ambivalence that's natural in any sustained relationship. The friction between the fantasies and the realities of relationships can lead to alienation, or violence....Sex itself is only one aspect of sexual dependency. Pleasure becomes the motivation, but the real satisfaction is romantic."

—Nan Goldin The Ballad of Sexual Dependency

Stupid Cupid

2008-02-13T11:19:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day.

These have been done for a while, but they have been hiding away from my gentle mother's eyes.

Valentines: From and Valentine: To. Again, these are teeny tiny, only six inches square, but I love them.

And I love you.

From Me, To You

2008-02-03T16:59:00.001-05:00

When I stumble across little golden passages, I am reminded how much I love reading. I promise to share them, starting with this:

"The one thing that astonished him now was that he should have stood for five minutes arguing with her across the room, when just touching her made everything so simple."

—Edith Wharton The Age of Innocence

Snow White and The Madness of Truth

2008-01-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

"She went into a secret chamber, where no one else ever entered, and there she made a poisonous apple."

The bird is my favorite.
He sings a sad, sad song.

Every Mile is Two in Winter

2008-01-21T05:15:00.000-05:00

Once in Massachusetts, my sister and I decided to take a shortcut through a park on the way home from school.

We were in the middle of this huge ice covered field. About halfway, we broke through the thin layer of ice and a foot of snow to the grass underneath.

It wasn't snow exactly; it was twelve inches of slush that soaked our little shoes and froze our little feet.

We had to walk through the rest of the field to get out again, and we both started to cry when we realized how far it was to the house.

So we cried for our frozen toes which would surely turn black and fall off, and we cried most bitterly for not staying to the side walk and taking the long way home.

My feet have been cold ever since.

Stay warm.

Hang On Tightly, Let Go Lightly

2008-01-13T21:00:00.001-05:00

This is Deerhart. A little pencil, a little acrylic, a little deer.
While researching, I came across this striking bit of information:

"Massive hemorrhage is necessary to bring the deer down quickly. The better the hit, the quicker the loss."

There's more here.

A, plus...

2008-01-09T17:00:00.001-05:00

To My New English Teacher,

Hi.

I liked our class today. You made me remember how much I love English classes.
You're very nice, and I happen to think you look like a young Sally Field. Also, you have thick arms; I identify with that.

I am looking forward to class with you, but I do have one piece of advice.
It's really not necessary to ask "Does that make sense?" after every important piece of information we discuss. You're very thoughtful, and you choose your words with care, please have confidence in the fact that what you are saying is understood.

Sincerely,
Adrienne

To My High School English Teachers,

What can I say? Thank you for making me a bitch-ass awesome student. I will totally smoke these r-tards with my superior knowledge of criticism, grammar, and literary tropes. Also, thanks to you I read wicked fast. I hope you are enjoying this cold New England winter.

Love,
Me

I am the New Year

2008-01-01T15:15:00.000-05:00

This little niche is for artwork and secrets.
I'll try to update as often as possible, while still maintaining my cleverness and integrity.
I'm a little excited...

I've never had a diary before.

T. sent a picture of a snowy Chicagoland suburb:

It's like a quiet little world inside a snow globe.
All that's missing is the glitter...
I think it's quite lovely.