Arianna

This is how I've felt today.

Becca Polinski

March 30 2:41am

Its amazing how a place changes as time progresses, and how you perceive the space as that time moves forward. Last week if you had told me that I would spend 4 nights in a row (which is probably still a growing number) in Harder hall until closing...I would have cried on the spot and guesstimated that this moment would find me in complete misery. Surprisingly enough that would have only been true last night. Tonight even though I found myself in the studio nearing 2am I feel jittery, ready to get the rest of this week over with. Now that might be the eggs and toast I just scarfed down and the numerous cups of coffee I've been drinking all day talking. Or it could be the sleep deprivation telling me my thoughts don't make sense any more and I should go to sleep and talk about perseption of place and time another day...I think I will take the latter on this one, Good night!

Alexis of sleepless nights

yesterday was a waste, I couldn't get a thing done. I decided to sleep it off several hours ago. I haven't slept a wink. Right when yesterday was turning into today I started getting all these ideas for what I wanted to do with today. I wrote things down and lay my head down to rest. Unfortunately I was to razzed about what I want to do. My head won't stop, its like an amusement park with gigantic loop-de-loops and that ride where you stand inside this big cylinder and spread your arms out as you press yourself to the wall, and then it starts to spin and the centrifugal force keeps you pasted to the walls as the floor comes out from under your feet. Best ride ever. Anyway, you can imagine how hard it is to sleep with something so exciting going on in your head. Now my stomach feels like its coated with acid, and overall i feel like a word on the tip of the tongue. I just want to get this day going but I know I need the sleep, 0therwise I would make my day start right now, at 2:3o in the a.m. I'll play my go to lullaby music and hopefully that will work like the whole pavlov's dogs association thing.

Arianna

I am not and will not feel bad about anything on a day like today.  There's nothing to feel bad about, so why can't I help it?

Snow, you can just suck it.

the new look

 

sigh....

I am sitting at the library. Thinking, looking, talking to people, doing anything but the work I need to do. I want to get this paper done early. I don't like the stress of waiting until the last minute. It makes me hurt all over. Listening to the library noise, it sounds a little like raindrops hitting the windshield of my car. But I guess it's just the sound of the heater. I put my glasses on so I could see what I'm staring at out the window and "Holy Crap!" the blurry line on the hill turns out to be a parking lot full of cars. Oh, look! It's time to go! I didn't get anything done except to think of nothing in particular and to watch the picture outside the window.

Becca Polinski

March 23, 12:08 pm

I sit in my bed wrapped in blankets coddling my Kleenex box with wishes that an illness was something college students never got. Since I have seen everyone I have started feeling fantastically worse. Needless to say I will not be joining everyone for class, but who wants a fever and throaty cough for company in class? I know that I certainly don't, but they are here. Like the unwanted In-Laws, Mr. Cough and Mrs. Fever have pushed their way into my dorm and have set up shop. My only hope is that they get the back-sided comments out of the way quickly and be on their merry.

Arianna

On Saturday I bought bagels at Wegmans.  Normally, you wouldn't need to know this, except that the last one I had went stale a couple days ago.  My roommate threw it in the freezer to at least prevent mold from stealing it away from me.

After a quick search of the kitchen for the obvious brown bag, I find it in the door of the freezer.  Strange how even paper bag gets cold when it's in a cold place.  My fingertips warm little dots on the surface, making the bag feel damp in my hands.  I crinklecrinkle open the bag and pull out the thoroughly frozen, already stale bagel.

I stand there.

And think.

"This wouldn't be an issue if I wasn't craving bagel this morning."

I try plunging a knife into the side, and miracle of miracle, it works.  But then I can't move the knife to split it, so I just pull it out.

I open the door to the toaster oven, (squeak-SLAM), then set the bagel in the middle, turn it to medium toast and wait.  The toaster counts down the minutes in typical clock fashion while I get a plate and the cream cheese out.  I take a glob and slap it on the plate, using the edge of the plate for resistance.  

Waiting takes too long, so I walk away and get distracted, but soon I hear a distinct high pitched ding, head back to the kitchen and hope that it worked.  The bagel comes out piping hot - too hot to touch, though I try.  I plunge the knife back in, try to split it again, but I rush since it's so hot and cut through the back.  I decide to try the tear and dip method, which works out well.

The bagel doesn't really taste all that bad.  The heat helped with the inevitable chewiness, the "everything" on top still leaves that garlicky aftertaste, and the cream cheese helps.  A lot.

Craving satisfied.

Katherine Lin

Stayed up late last night and woke up early this morning to prepare for my group presentation. It's a 559 paged book report for my history class. We got 7 people in the group and each person speaks approximately a minute. Even though the personal presenting time is short, I still got nervous.

I practice when I need to give a presentation in English. Last night I stayed up late, attempted to re-read the chapters I'll be presenting. I woke up this morning on the living room couch, and went on Google to research pronunciations for the Roman/Greek character names to make sure I do everything to avoid embarrassing mistakes.

There are 15 slides we were showing in class, mines are slide 9 and 10. The class ended before we got to slide 5. Professor says there's no time for the rest of us and we don't need to do it.

This strange frustration still occurs when I have to use my English in public. Critic, class blogs, presentations, and class discussion. Still have to get so paranoid just to make my language sound a little less awkward.

rain

the weather is grey.
is it time to feel the earth?
many are reading.

It's late. Well not late but I am tired. It was a long day from Friday noon to Saturday midnight. I need to to catch up on sleep. I should have done my art history homework but I'm going to wait until morning. That will probably be a mistake. Anyway, I am going to recommit to the blog. I promise. Starting tomorrow......

Victor D. Franco

03.18.10

Its kind of empty here *desert cactus rolling sound effect*

Today, I led the first official Creative Arts Therapy Club meeting...I'm excited! There, we came up with potential events for the rest of the semester in order to get our name out there and promote an understanding of what art therapy is and what it can do.

I ate...salad again. Oh, and reluctantly, a sweet potato fry -it was crunchy, sweet, and salty at the same time.

Today was a busy day. And, the days will probably only get busier as it gets closer to the end.

I need sleep. I need to get to sleep earlier than 12 am. Signing off now...

Victor D. Franco

03.17.10

So, I forgot about the blog for a while there...

I can't believe this weather -why is it soooo good? I can wear flip-flops again! Alfred better not be decieving us. I really hope it stays this way beyond this week (which is the supposed duration of the sunniness).

I've been trying to be catch up on my New Year's resolution and eat healthier/go to the gym. So far, I'm golden. I really hope I keep it up.

Nothing really peculiar has been eaten these past few days for lunch: salad with tofu, lasagna, salad, salad, salad with tofu again.

Oh, well...there was that noxious aquamarine colored 'pistachio pudding' today in celeb. of St. Patrick's. It looked gross but was actually pretty good.

Ooh, and yesterday I saw a Chinese acrobat show in Holmes! My favorite part was when the power ranger ninja outfitted guy climbed up a rediculous stack of chairs almost touching Holmes' ceiling and stopped to show off his superior felxibility and balance with every chair added. I should have...brought a camera.

Arianna

Warm sun submerging into my skin, and I can already feel my batteries recharged. We, as human beings are most definitely solar-powered.

What a day. Not much happened, but everything happened. I got to wear a skirt and shoes without socks for the first time this year. I got to have lunch with a friend who had graduated last year. I subsidized the small fine on a patron's account because he donated money to the library without me asking. I got to vent about something that happened not too long ago, but now I have prospective on it. I did things right today, all over the board. The day isn't done, though. I guess I could still screw something up.

But now the sun is down, and I'm a little chilly. It's a little daunting to know that I'll have to walk back up two hills with a sleeveless shirt, a skirt, no socks, and a thin coat. I'm shivering just thinking about it.

Like Becca said, today is only one day of many left to be lived.

Becca Polinski

March 17, 12:36am

There is something about absolute exhaustion and complete frustration that will just bring you down. I suppose going to bed late and waking up early doesn't help and seeing as 1:00am is nearing, this is gonna be short.

Tomorrow: I look forward to another beautiful day to bring up my spirit.
Tonight: I hope for a lasting deep sleep
Today: Was exhausting but it is only one day of many left to be lived.

Good night-

Arianna

There are few words for today.  I've been out of it anyway.  

My brain is thoroughly shut down.  

I hope it wakes up for tomorrow.

I just rediscovered Cindy Sherman's photography.

Becca Polinski

March 15, 11:05 am

Today I decide to skip the poetry for once and just write. Write about my observations of life, and how things work. Trying to figure out what it is I'm doing here, striving to ready myself for what ever life has to throw at me next.

As any other person will tell you when you ask them, "whats on your mind" I would say a lot. I suppose there is all ways something on my mind, after all there are plenty of thoughts to think and there is a never ending supply of things to keep me up at night. The other night I was talking with my room mate and she asked me the very same question. I found her reply to my answer to be almost funny in an unfortunately ironic way, she said to me "...jeez Becca, when are you gonna catch a break?" The answer to that, I'm not sure, but I found it ironic for her to say that mostly because I really don't think a "break" is something that I can get. I'm not really sure if anyone will ever get one. After all from what life has shown me thus far (which I suppose isn't very much) instead of getting a break, you just learn to live with what ever has happened and then move on to what ever is next. People hope for things to get better, they feel that if they can do this or have that, that life would be so much easier, and once they get there they find what they thought would solve all their problems just makes entirely new ones. I have been realizing maybe that is because life is a series of lessons to be learned and you can't learn the lesson before you've experienced it. I guess what I've decided is to just take life in strides, take what comes to me and deal with it the best I can. As for catching a break, I'll settle for treating myself to a nice cup of coffee, going for walks in the woods with no one around, reading a good book next to a rainy window while listening to Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis or playing blood-thirsty card games with my Grandmother over a big bowl of popcorn and an ice cold Coke.

Katherine Lin - A Strange Experience

I was drying my hair after showered last night. My sister was the next one to use shower room so she came to get ready. My heart beat gradually raised when I dried my hair. First I thought it was because of the hot shower.
I finished drying hair and quickly brushed teeth. My stomach tightened and felt like to vomit when I rinsed my mouth. My view suddenly went black in a second or two; I was scared and tried to call for help but couldn't assemble words. I could barely hear my own voice. Then I couldn't hear anything but a strange humming sound that rhymed with my heart beat. (could be the water that got in my ears during showering)
I felt dizzy; I ran to the couch and fell in it. My sister didn't know what to do, I told her to get mom. The humming sounds were gone when I saw mom. I asked mom to stay while I fell asleep because I was still trembling.

I realized later that I probably held myself back from fainting.
I've been staying in front of the computer to work on a research paper for most of the day, and didn't go out to take walks. The fact that I tend to take long showers might also add to the cause. (the evaporated chlorinated water and things) We were thinking of asking my doctor but it was the last night before I take bus back to school. I probably should ask the health center when back to AU.

Katherine Lin's question

My question for the study is related to my working process. I haven't had much sculpture experience, and so, this ceramic course is quite new to me.I enjoyed making straight edges and rigid shapes from the previous assignments, so I started with a simple triangular form.When it came to slip painting, I began with geometric patterns that followed the sculpture.Later, after seeing the test tile, I realized the white slip was likely to blend into the clay color after firing. I got slightly frustrated since most of the design was white, and stopped working for a few days.The clay body was dried when I came back. I spent more time smoothing the surface and decided to differentiate white patterns by carving.As a result, the clay dust that came from carving covered the entire piece. I wiped it with sponge to blend the patterns more, now it has a sense of being worn-out.I want to know what kind of relationship the patterns and the piece itself present; and if the fact that I kept changing my mind shows in the work.

Arianna

I completely forgot to mention this in class!

The Bergren Forum is on Thursday from 12:10 to 1pm in Nevins.  Everyone should go!  The first student lecturer, Liz Wager, is presenting this week, and she happens to be my roommate.  She will be talking about and reading her poetry, which is excellent.

Gogogo!

Kathleen Rabe

Sometimes I make food and when I eat it I have no idea how I made it taste so good. That sounds ridiculous, but it's true. I was eating lunch I made today; garlic, onion, rice noodles, broccoli.. simple enough. Some chilies my roommate picked in Croatia, a piece of danish rye I learned to make in Copenhagen.. maybe that's it. What a multicultural lunch.

My boyfriend is a chef. He runs a restaurant in downtown Austin, very hoity-toity (do people still use that?). It's Italian. When he cooks for me it's literally like eating art. Ha, imagine putting a painting in your mouth and it's gone. I feel like that it kind of, actually. He has devoted his whole life to this art, and in an hour I eat it all. How rude. I would be mortified if he ate my teapot that is sitting on the table.

Maybe it's the ultimate art. Food transcends generations, certainly. It makes people happy. It torments. It's interesting that it's kind of a language everyone is willing to speak, the same guy who is making racial jokes at the dinner table could easily have had taco's for lunch and udon for dinner. Food is so easily accepted. Certainly more so then religion, cultural dress, even more then architecture.. or art for that matter.

Kathleen Rabe Midterm Q

In the manipulation project I made a small egg for the word laminate. More then the feeling of protection has come from that egg. It sparked something in me and now I have egg drawings, prints, paintings.. maybe it's about fertility and spring and my ache for home..

From the drawing of that egg I made a small sculpture. And from that sculpture a large piece, which is no longer quite so literal; it has flat and curved sides, the original inspiration of an egg somewhat abstracted into a 5 sided form. I then made stamps and stamped drawings of eggs all over the finished piece. The first egg and the final piece were distant relatives at this point and I wanted them to come back together. My question is: Did putting the original inspiration of an egg all over the outside of the piece create a cohesive result or does the form and the "clothing" seem like two ends to one idea with no middle ground?

Thanks.

Dave Mykins Midterm Question

Would you say that it's necessarily a bad thing that I didn't "strictly" follow the assignment on the 4 elements project, or is it more important that I pursued the project with my own interests in mind? Also does the fact that it sort of looks like an elephant take away an element of seriousness from my work and make it seem tacky? I feel like it almost looks TOO much like an elephant. 

Also, someone told me it looked phallic... this isn't something I want it to convey.

Dave Mykins question on "stratocumulus"

Looking over the questions about the piece to see if the question I had in mind had been asked already, I notice that a lot of people stated that it reminded them of clouds. Not knowing what stratocumulus meant, I was confused at first. visually I did not read it as "cloud" but as "slab of clay". My curiosity led me to look up the definition for "stratocumulus". After learning that it had to do with clouds, it began to make sense. But now I am left wondering whether or not this was a word that I should have known to begin with, or if everyone else looked up the definition before making a post.

With that said, "stratocumulus" is a fitting piece for this assignment. Being that the first time I saw it I made judgments before fully understanding it, (which I still don't, so I should say "understand it better") but now that I know the meaning of the title, I begin to actually think about the piece as more than a slab of clay with cracks in it.

So my questions for you are:

1) Did the title come before or after the piece was made? (and what do you find to be your way of creating? do you typically come up with a concept first, or do you physically make something and assign meaning afterward?) 

- last semester in my sound/ video class, Andrew Deutsch went off on an interesting tangent about that debate

2) Was this piece something that was planned out before you made it, or is it just something that you made and then built an idea around? ( sorry, I realize that this question is very similar to my last question)

3) Is the exact definition of the word "stratocumulus" important to the piece or is it just important that it has to do with nature?

-stra·to·cu·mu·lus

   [strey-toh-kyoo-myuh-luhs, strat-oh-]  Show IPA

–noun,plural-lus.

a cloud of a class characterized by large dark, rounded masses, usually in groups, lines, or waves, the individual elements being larger than those in altocumulus and the whole being at a lower altitude, usually below 8000 feet (2400 m).

Origin: 
1890–95; strato- + -cumulus