Tag Archives: art

Personal Blog

Day 3

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Furnace building good so far. I think a lot of the heavy lifting is winding down, as Tuesday I was tossing bricks out of a dumpster, and today I was merely mortaring them.

(Regarding the dumpster tossing bit. Our dumpster was so heavy after we’d thrown out bricks from the old furnace that the dumpster truck man couldn’t lift it. Yes, we shut down the dumpster guy. Curiously enough, whenever I tell someone about this, the general response is of enthusiastic congratulations, often accompanied by a cheer, as if the dumpster man were some great symbol of human repression, and we defied him by making the dumpster too heavy. Our reward was to have to climb back in the dumpster and throw bricks out to lighten it ¬_¬ )

Projected results of this term:

good–I’m going to be so buff that I’ll be able to lift cars over my head on a regular basis

bad–I think I’m going to end up with permanent respirator lines in my face.

Personal Blog

Day 1

Well, the first day of the winter term is over and the second one beginning, and so far my judgment is…it’s going to be a loooooooooong three weeks.

Don’t get me wrong, rebuilding this furnace is going to be awesome, I learned so much in just the first day! But it’s going to be physically taxing, and I can see myself thoroughly exhausted by the time it’s all over.

On the upside, my theory about all physical labor and no outside work was correct. I work from 9-12 in the morning, and often 1-4, but after that, nothing else. No homework or papers to fret about, and the evenings are devoted to rest and play. That time will probably fill up with my stage management duties to D Flo’s plays, but I have no real worries there.

In other news, someone is visiting Centre this week, someone I’ve missed very much since they graduated. Everyone’s favorite demon-llama, the one and only Ian Jones is back on campus for awhile, and I got to see him again for the first time last night. It was a joyous reunion.

Stay tuned!

Games and Game Development, Personal Blog

2002

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2002, what a weird year. Well, I suppose I’ll do a little recap, for me more than anything, I suppose. I have a tendency to think in terms of ‘school years’ as opposed to real years, so it’s helpful to do little things like this.

– 2002 kicked off with my study-abroad trip to England, where I traveled from Manchester to London and many places in between, and saw 30 plays in 3 1/2 weeks. My birthday had its ups and downs, the down being I had to sit through a Pinter play, the up being that I got to go to Riki Tiki Tavi’s, the most awesome restaurant in Manchester, and have the best vanilla milkshake in the world.

– Spring term of 2002 was a rough one for me. I’d flown in from England late one night, and the next day had to move back to school. The lack of rest and busiest term I’d had so far wore me down quite a bit. I was really unprepared for the stresses of taking 2 studio art classes at once, but I managed through.

– On the up side, I had a lot of fun that spring term. I remember my Monday night 9-midnight glassblowing slot with Ian. Neither of us had class the next morning, so after our blowslot we’d drive over to Jen’s apartment, where I would make pancakes and Dr. Mario tournaments would take place.

– I got to be really good friends with Andrew that term. Seeing my beloved senior friends graduate was tough. Ian, Andrew, Liz, Nate, Sara…everyone, I really missed them, but had great times with them

– Summer 2002. Not quite as eventful as the summer before. I did manage some visits to see my friends, and it was the first summer I actually sold art. I did rather well, selling quite a bit of my glass, I was very excited!

– Fall 2002. Junior year started off rather strangely. I solidified and grew strong friendships with different people, namely D Flo, Brendan, Ken, and Squirt. This year has been eventful and fun-filled, if not DRIPPING with DRAMA. I remember being terrified of having an independent study in glass with Woody, Arijan, and Ken (who are all way way talented), but it turned out for the best for me.

– 2002 wrapped up with New Year’s with friends. I’m glad I got to see kenmoore before he goes off to Italy. My resolution this year is to expand on my other talents, especially getting over my fear of playing the piano.

Have a great year, everyone!

Personal Blog

Oy! Decisions

I hate it when things get so busy that you *have* to sacrifice one responsibility for another. It’s unpleasant, and is similar to having to choose which kitten you let plummet to its doom, since you can’t hold onto all of them as you struggle to drag them back up the cliff.

The predicament: my comp sci lab, I have to finish it. Options for the sacrifice…

1) Just don’t do it.
–theoretically, I could just turn in my lab unfinished and move on with my life. But, I’ve already missed a second lab which Dr. Shannon has graciously let me make up on my own, I shouldn’t take that for granted.

2) Bail on Jeff
–the big reason I can’t finish the lab is because I have to rush over to the theatre right after class and help hang and focus lights. No way I can bail, judging from last night’s run through, we have oodles to change and fix, and cue-to-cue is at 6. We’ll be working like ants, and I can’t leave Jeff hangin.

3) Painting
–this would be the easiest thing to do, just slip out of painting an hour early. It’s tempting, but my need to work on this current project and my devotion to Sheldon keeps me from doing it.

4) Lunch
–this is starting to look like the best option. That’s strange, too, because normally I’m the first person to give up higher responsibilites to satisfy a need on the base of Maslow’s triangle. However, it might have to be done, and that would not be pleasant.

5) Bail on weekly glass studio cleaning
–and face the wrath of DH and Ken? No way

Stay tuned for updates

Personal Blog

Huzzah!

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Sheldon (of painting professor fame) is awesome.

Our painting class trecked down to the Speed Museum in Louisville to see an exhibition on 18th/19th century French painters, which was pretty good. Anyway, there’s this one little Cézanne that’s in the permanent collection there. It’s a small thing, of some apples and a plate, not terribly exciting to the average passer-by-er, but Sheldon can go on and on and on and on about it for almost an hour….and does so each time we make a trip to the Speed.

The interesting thing, though, is every time he starts his Cézanne-athon blurb, I learn something new and different. Sheldon is an encyclopedia.

I like looking at paintings, but the lighting and atmosphere controls of museums leech my energy like……..um….like a leech. Which doesn’t do well when you have to rush back to Danville to hang and focus lights until midnight. I haven’t decided when I’m going to do my Comp Sci lab, I need a few extra hours in the day.

Speaking of plays, I think a certain pair of UK kids should wander down here next week to see Joe Egg. I’d feed you and everything ^_^

Personal Blog

The moral of today’s story is..

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Today I learned several things..

1) Regardless of how miserable and rainy the day is, if you refuse to refer to it as a “bad day” and instead just call it a “wet day”, it gets better quickly.

2) the 3×4 ft panel I’m making for this year’s extended figure study is a helluva lot bigger than the 2×3 ft one I did last year, and it’s intimidating me. This will be the biggest painting I’ve ever done.

3) Tony II, of England adventure fame, said that I am “the deepest of the bunch” and that I have “a lot of interesting things rattling around up there (points to head).” Tony is wise and a good mentor, it flatters me that he has so much faith in me.

4) The days go by quickly, so you must milk them for all they’re worth. Every day, even the bad ones, even the dull ones. Make it the best time of your life each moment.

I’m going home for the weekend, I miss my cats.

Personal Blog

Typin with the left hand tonight.

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I burned the crap out of my hand today in glass. The first time was when I grabbed the pipe too far on the wrong end where the metal was still hot. The second was when I accidentally bumped my thumb against the hot glass itself. And yet I kept working, I *had* to finish the piece. I would be as the great artists, sacrificing my body for my art, for my creation. And through the experience I learned an important lesson…

…Sacrificing your body for your art is STUPID!! Stupid stupid dumb dumb dumb.

::lathers aloe all over her fingers and whimpers incredulously::

Personal Blog

Drama, Colored Pencils, and Road Trips

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This has probably been the craziest, messiest, drama-filled schoolyear yet, and it’s only a few weeks into the year! Madness, all the time. It’s terrible, but every time I feel a little sad or lonely or confused, I just look up and around and say “Ye gods! I’m glad I don’t have to deal with *their* problems!” O.o Ultimately, I’m trying to do my best to keep out of the fray and provide relief, comic or otherwise, for those involved.

I’m also getting back into my art swing, slowly, and I did the unimaginable and picked up some colored pencils. I’m terrible with them, very sloppy and impatient, but I took my time with this and it turned out better than normal. Next up, I want to give these markers I try, they’ve been laying around untouched for years.

https://www.wertle.com/gallery/v/art/finished/cpwert-02.jpg.html

The weekend wasn’t dull at all, and I haven’t heard much on the enviro-theatre crew’s trip to Tennessee (except a phone call saying “We’re in Gatlinburg!!”, when they were certainly *not* supposed to be 5 hours away, and another one later saying “We’re in North Carolina!!” O.o;;; They got home safely, so all is well).

I also got an extension for my comp sci project, which I now have completely under control. A good weekend, but over much too quickly, as always.

(starfallz-you still up for that sock?)

Personal Blog

Wanted: One Sock

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So I was going through my sock drawer, looking for a sock without a mate. I need a sock to cut up and transform into a protective forearm covering for glass, and you know how there’s ALWAYS that sock in the drawer with the missing pair. Well, not today, every sock was perfectly mated, the first time in nearly a lifetime. What the hell is up with that?? Fates playing games with me again.

Anyway, I need a sock. So if anyone out there has an interesting sock with a lost mate, but just *can’t* throw it away, I can give it a good home and a noble job protecting my arm from the heat radiated by molten glass.

The only qualifications, it has to be 100% cotton, as any polyester will melt and adhere to my flesh, which is generally considered a bad thing. It also has to be long enough to cover most if not all of my forearm, so long socks are good. And if it’s an interesting or cool lookin sock, that’s a bonus.

In return, I’ll make you a little sumpin-sumpin in glass, like a cup or a little animal or something. Any takers?

::sits against the wall with a sign, “Will blow glass for socks”::

Personal Blog

I hate leading zeros

Ultimately, I suppose it’s been a good week. Discounting a few things, of course, like the fact that I did not finish my comp sci project that’s due tomorrow. When I have to make a decision between pulling an all-nighter to get something done and not getting it done, I opt for sleep, it’s more important. No worries here.

Meanwhile, Kay, the hard core grad assistant at the studio who happens to be my glass partner, convinced me that instead of dividing up 4 3-hour slots to half an hour each, we should each take 2 slots and work the whole 3 hours. My first long slot is tomorrow, we’ll see how it turns out x_x

This weekend has potential to be very nice or rather dull. A large chunk of my friends, namely Sam, Will, Meghan, and Flora are going to be off to some enviro-theatre conference, while Ken and Evan go to Louisville.

I’m trying my hardest to convince Brendan to have a sketchbook party with me Saturday night, since we’ll be the only ones about. Brendan is my hero.

Friday, even he will be gone, so I’ll be all by myself. No worries, though, i need some time to myself to get some things done, me-time is always nice to have. So it seems the weekend will balance on the thing line between pleasant, calming rest or boredom, we’ll see what happens.

Meanwhile, Ken has joined the fray.