Valentine's Day

Eric and I weren't supposed to see each other yesterday (because of our late work and class schedules). However, we both got out a little earlier than expected and raced over to our Monday night trivia hot spot to visit our friends (because we love them). We were both a little late and therefore did not get to be on an actual trivia team (there is a six person limit and the game had already started). So, how did I spend my valentine's day? Well, there is a pacman arcade game in the back of the bar, and Eric and I alternated playing and watching the other play for about an hour (so many quarters lost). My valentine's gift was a big, gooey blister on my middle finger from holding the joystick to tightly. I don't know if anyone of you remember how I obsessively played pacman in college, but I get pretty into it.

Also, my "Art and Special Education" class was very cool this week. We were doing and lesson on blindness and my professor put blindfolds on everyone in the class, handed us an item and then some clay. We got about 15-20 minutes to sculpt what we felt (smelled or tasted, etc.) and upon the great reveal I was pleased to see that my mini pumpkin looked exactly like the one she had given me (I ingeniously counted how many ridges were around the pumpkin's physique). Next, we got a partner and had to lead the other (blindfolded) around the school. That was really fun. My partner and I tried it two different ways. 1) As the blind person, we held onto the arm of our guide and walked at their pace through the school. 2) As the blind person, we did not hold on to anything and, instead, touched and felt our way around the school. Number 2 was a little scarier, but my partner and I both felt as if we had more control that way since we were setting our own pace and translating the space through our finger tips instead of depending on the voice of someone else.

Also, sorry for the serious lack of updates. I am working about 5 days a week and have 6 classes and my sanity to manage this semester.

Love,

Monica

An Introductory Exercise: A found-materials exchange project...

...based on the following passage from A Friend of the Earth by T.C. Boyle:

"Finally, though--and it must have been late in the afternoon--he pulled her up out of the mud and slid her over one shoulder, nothing heavier in the world, nothing, not stone or lead or all the mountains marching off in the neat ranks to Canada. Down the trail then, down the trail to the trailhead, and out to the road and the car and the hospital in Whitefish. He brought her back, all the way back, out of the tall trees and the wet and the sting of the everlasting day, but it didn't matter to him or to anybody else, because he didn't bring her back alive."

Read and respond to the above narrative using materials you find for image and text. This should be completed on a single base sheet of 8.5"x11" copy paper in landscape format. May be done in color or black-and-white.

Domestic Violence and Divorce

That's not what this post is about (but that IS what the homework I'm supposed to be working on is about). You may be asking yourself, "Monica, aren't you getting a degree in Art?" The answer is, yes, but none of that matters in my "Sociology of the Family" class.

And none of the aforementioned matters, either, because it's three in the morning (AGAIN, I know!) and I am procrastinating. I found these photos from May and they made me laugh. What am I even wearing (a dress and jeans at the same time)?

Pumpkin Carving

Eric came over today and we spent a lovely afternoon/evening carving two, giant pumpkins (by one get one free at Safeway). It was really fun and messy (we saved all of the pumpkin seeds and got all slimy in the process). He described my pumpkin as something out of a Tim Burton film (which I think is a compliment) and his pumpkin was really cool (he did the surface carving where one carves away the bright orange rind and leaves the pumpkin meat really thin so that candlelight can be seen through it). I don't think I did a really good job explaining it, so you can just look at pictures that I will post in the next few days.

Tomorrow is Monday night trivia. I can't wait because my team won for the first time EVER last week (and I wasn't there to share the glory because I was sick as a dog at home). So one might deduce that my team won BECAUSE I wasn't there to screw things up. Anyway, that means that I have to prove my worth to my teammates tomorrow but helping them win instead of causing their downfall.

In other news, school is great. My grades are good. Teaching is great. Because of scheduling issues I had to stop working as a therapist and am currently looking for a new job (but I have an interview for a cool position this week). So, work is potentially great too. And I am also moving in exactly one week to a new place that will be much more close to school and work (wherever that may be). Woohoo!

The only way that life could get any better would be if I could get inspired in the medium of metal. Raya introduced our next project and objectives and I am officially uninspired. Copper? Aluminum? Any ideas? What should I do for this project? I have to make two sculptures and all I can do is punch holes into things, bend and roll metal and cut into it. I just don't know what to do. The gauge of the metal has to remain relatively thin too, due to the machinery and equipment we are using. Gah! Any ideas? Someone inspire me, please!

Wood is good

Here are my finished pieces (better photographs to come):

I am SUCH a big fan of wood now. I have all these ideas for wood and clay projects it's not even funny!

Knock on wood

I've got my first studio critique tomorrow and I am super excited. My professor, Raya, has ordered a cake for the class and is bringing in lots of coffee and all us girls (and the one guy) are going to sit around and enjoy ourselves, talking about how awesome our first projects in wood have turned out. I'm going to take lots of pictures (in the really bright lighting of the studio) tomorrow, but here are some pictures from today (works in progress):

So...

...this blog is NOT dead. I've just been very, very busy. Even though grad school, work, friends and the new boyfriend are keeping me plenty busy, the thing that is keeping me the busiest by far is commuting to the four aforementioned items. I can't wait until November 1st, which is the day that I get to move into my new studio apartment (much, much, much, much closer to school and work). It is soooo efficient that the kitchen is kept inside of a tiny closet. You know you are jealous. In other news, I am having extreme clay withdrawal. In the MAT program, we need to have taken specific types of studio courses to earn our licensure for D.C. public schools. Because I studied ceramics in undergraduate school so studiously, it is, unfortunately, NOT one of those studio courses that I need. Instead I need things like printmaking, painting, digital art, sculpture, metal-smithing and textiles, among other things. So, I am officially saving up for a kiln, wheel and clay (it'll probably take me ten years). My life is simply fantastic, but amidst all the joy, excitement and new obstacles, I have begun to realize that something is missing in my life: THE CLAY, MAN! I am the poorest I've been in years and, yet, I am 100% positive that I would take a block of clay over United States currency any day these days.

Black Swan

Sorry that the video is cut off a bit and, um...I'm scared:

via The Debonaire

On a lighter note, I have a job interview set up and, cross your fingers, another one on the way. One is for an after-school art teaching job and the other is to be a Special needs instructor through an applied behavior analysis organization for children with autism. Oh, and there is that grad school thing that is happening soon too.

Peace!

I'm in su, su, su, su, su, su, su-su-su-su-su-suuu Sugartown

Today is a wonderful day. It just rained and what follows are pictures of post-rainfall pollen art, accompanied by good, random facts about why today is such a good day.

The weekend is almost here.

Today David and I are going out for dinner to celebrate our two years together.

While practicing piano today, I made a breakthrough and the Bach piece sounds beautiful (to me at least). I'll post a video soon so you can decide for yourselves.

Best of all, I got accepted into the Corcoran College of Art and Design's MAT program, was awarded a Dean's Merit Award and have decided to accept and enroll.

This means I'm going to graduate school in Washington D.C., babies!

Love,

Monica

"That was Yoko Ono's sister."

Lucky tries to figure out how to get a hamster out of its cage...to do what?

I know that my spring break isn't over yet.  It just feels like it is.  I think it is because I am back at school already, working on my thesis and other homework as if my last weekend of spring break didn't mean anything.  

Over the break, I spent a couple of days at Elon to volunteer, teach and work in the ceramics studio before helping my parents pack up the things in my room that I wasn't actively using.  I was kind of bummed that my cool blue Ikea bookshelves would be leaving, along with the books on them because I thought I would miss them in a room left with only the basics.  But, after moving tubs and boxes of books, clothes, shoes, odds and ends, and carrying a heavy chair, a bookshelf, a chest, my electric guitar (I kept my acoustic), my keyboard (don't worry, I kept my accordion), my television and my twelve foot long art easel, getting three hours of packing out of the way then instead of later, seemed like a very good idea.

Now I suspect that I have unpacked, give or take, three-quarters of my room!  All that's left are my spring/summer clothes, a guitar, an accordion, some lights and the artwork on my walls.  And my room still manages to look like a happenin' place to be.  

That night after moving, I went to my parents' hotel near Duke.  My dad had a meeting the next day and my mom, Lucky and I took the free day as an opportunity to walk around Chapel Hill.  I took my mom to the University Mall to show her where I taught Art-to-Art in addition to the gourmet grocery, Southern Season.  I also took her and Lucky on a complete walk of Franklin Street to Carrborro.  I pointed out Cat's Cradle, the hip place where I saw Tegan and Sara two years ago.  Then we walked back to Med Deli and met David for lunch.  We got the lebanese lunches to go so that we could enjoy them with Lucky, sitting in a park.

A sweet view from the school of the monument

The next day, I drove home with my parents for my interview at the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington D.C.  I've applied to the MAT in Art at the school and will hear back from them in one to two weeks.  I think my personal interveiw went pretty well, and I got to sit in on two classes with students from the program.  One was on museum and community arts education and another was some kind of seminar with four students that had prepared practice lesson plans.  I actually got to participate in the latter and got to feel what it would be like to be part of a class!

One side of the Corcoran

Also, you might find it cool to know that while I was being led through the halls of the school by the Director of the program, I held the door for Yoko Ono's sister.  She had her hands full and I didn't think twice, holding the door for someone like that.  When the woman had left, the Director turned and whispered to me, "That was Yoko Ono's sister".  I sillily blurted out, "Oh my gosh!  I HAVE to tell my mom!"

After my long day came to an end, my mom and I took the metro back and drove home.  While my mom and dad had dinner, I drove to College Park to visit Rachael and friends.  It was convenient that my friend, Jeremy, was stopping by for dinner.  I haven't seen him in a few years and was horrified to see that he too, like my brother, was now much taller than me and with a deeper voice than I was used to.  Reunion photo below:

Vote!

Now I'm back at school.  I just met with Mike about five hours ago to start another batch of sculptures.  By Sunday night, I will have fired twelve sculptures leaving one last big one and six or seven mini-sculptures to be fired the remainder of next week.  Speaking of next week, my cousin, Sarah, has decided to spend three days and two nights at my apartment for Easter weekend.  It should be fun, but I hope she realizes that we will be hanging out while completing lots of homework!

Love,

Monica