May

Hey everyone! I literally was gone all weekend at black Butte with some of my friends. So exhausted....uh, school??? Well, now the showcase is done with, we get to work on our portfolios and the O'Keefe paintings. I'm gonna try to share the canvas, but it's scary. Also, I went dumpster diving (didn't actually dive in) and found some cool things with K-So. I might try to make a couple little things with our spare class time at the end of the year. Sorry, I don't have much interesting to say, but the showcase was fun and I had a great weekend.

April 17th

So, I'm pretty behind on this month's concentration pieces. I'm still not 100% sure I NEED to do them because I already have enough work don’t, but...I have like half of one done for this month so far. Ack! Um, in other new, I finally got my permit!!!! Yeah...I'm driving...stick. Super cool, I know. Haha, well I haven't killed anyone yet. Oh, and Natalie, you were in my dream the other night (not to freak you out). I think it's just my subconscious getting super stoked for SFAI! WOOT!!! WOOT!!!

This is pretty much what I'm driving, really BA....

And this is pretty much where I'm living next year.

April 11

Hey guys, so I don't have any really new and exciting art updates but....I was talking to some employees of some wine tasting places...all that random stuff, haha, and they were saying they may want to hang my art up for like a month and I could have it for sale maybe even, so I'm thinking more and more about the possibility of displaying my work. Also, I went to Mark Terry's gallery in Newburg, he does sculptures of nude women, and the woman there was talking to me about this thing where artists put their work in a 12X12 box and someone will buy it for a $100 without knowing what's in it. Sorry there isn't anything to exciting, but that's what's going on for this week.

SFAI

So it's official, I'm going to SFAI. I was choosing among schools such as MICA, Pratt, CCA, Cal Art etc. but I came to the conclusion after talking to many artist and friends that yes, I am going to the school that stole my heart over this summer. There is no other answer. It is where I belong. I feel like a dork, but "I left my heart in San Francisco" and I'm going to school to get it back. I have felt somewhat empty since returning, yearning to be "home" again. I fought it and tried convincing me that all the prestigious schools on the east coast would be better for me, but I have decided that it isn't true. I'm going to San Francisco (and looking forward to seeing Natalie and all my friends that are already down there when I get back). I'm done fighting it. And it feels damn good.

Bye Bye Break

Maia:

Hidden:

Okay, so this Spring break I didn't do anything productive academically apart from my 2nd concentration piece of March. I think I might be able to go to SFAI! They might just have given me enough money to pull it off! I'm really excited but am still considering CCA, MICA, Alfred, and Cal Arts. Oh, and I was in Portland yesterday and decided to go to a lot of the local galleries. There was a lot of bad work in my opinion (no offence Portland), a bit disappointing, but I did find a great artist. Her name is Alexandra Becker-Black. She does great graphite drawings of nude people, especially women (way to be predictable Ashley...). I recognized her work and have seen it around, but seeing it in real life and putting a name to the work was great. Here is one of her pieces, and here are the two I did this month so far, (they're not done).

Deliverance:

beautiful....

March

Hey everyone! I feel like not much is really going on with me and art compared to usual, but I've made 4 facetted bowls and a coil vase this week and am going to start making 6 mugs. Yeah, I'm trying to do not nude women for once and try out some everyday stuff. And I'm pretty sure I am going to do one charcoal drawing and one prisma color pencil drawing for my concentration pieces this month. One of my friend hiding her chest, and the other of my belly dancing instructor (if she'll let me). I'm sure she will. She's so confident with her body and has inspired me so much! She was the first and only person to ever ask to buy one of my pieces. She has just been a great inspiration and belly dancing has been good therapy for, keeping me in touch with my body and always making me leave feeling beautiful. I thought I might mention a few of my favorite artist as well since I have been asked a few times recently. Right now I'd say some are: Jenny Saville, Egon Schiele, Lucian Freud, Ana Theresa Fernandez, David Park, and Marina Abramovic. Great work. A lot of this is pretty realistic work, but I also love abstract. I'm just waiting for the right time to start expressing my self with simply color and texture. Here is some of their work:

Ana Theresa Fernandez                                  Marina Abramovic

Egon Schiele                                                      Jenny Saville

Lucian Freud                                           David Park

Like Continued...

Well, everything has been really exciting recently in my art world. I had a great time at the OCAC showing and it was really great being acknowledged and appreciated by all of the really nice people at OCAC. Thank you for all of your congratulations. It made me feel really happy! I blushed so much this week! Haha, well anyway...College! I've been accepted into 16 schools so far. Way to freaking many! And right now I think it's between CCA, SFAI, MICA, and Alfred. Though I really don't know. It all depends on money. Alfred was really awesome and gave me to portfolio scholarships. Really exciting! But it all depends on money for me right now, because even with that, I may need to figure things out. Who doesn't? I mean...besides rich people. Well thank you all for your support so far. I really appreciate it. Oh, and my concentration, I think I might do a piece on belly dancing, yes! WITH CLOTHES!! (some what) I'm probably going to use color pencil. (Though I really want to try out encaustic!) I need to officially learn how! Well, thanks for reading and I'll keep you posted (literally).

Done.....

So I'm really freaking tired and have been working on college essays....still. An I'm not sure if the concentrations are actually due next class because of the snow day, but they're "finished" (ish). Oh! And it was super fun winning those awards from Scholastic! Thank you everyone for congratulating me. It really felt good and made me feel special. (Though you totally should have gotten an award Claire). Ya, so I'm going to bed now. Sorry for Being boring. Oh! And here's one of/ actually I'll show you both of my pieces. And I don't know how to rotate those, oh well...

So....

So I don't know if a blog update or comment is due, but I'll do when anyway. I'm so tired...well, I am coming close to a finish with my charcoal piece and like the progress that has been made. I really missed drawing, but believe me, I miss painting just as much. And I'm going to have a photo shoot for my other piece that will incorporate my barbie as a self-portrait. Oh, and so far I've been accepted to SCAD, CCA, SFAI, LCAD, CalArts, Alfred, and Otis...but have no idea where to go as I have only been on the campus of SFAI. FML. I don't know what to do! Still....HELP. -Love, Ashley

Currently...

Currently I am working on a charcoal piece, yes, charcoal, not oil pain...shocker! eh? Well, everyone seems to be hatin' on the oil paint, or at least the lack of diversity, so now I am going to use different mediums. Anyway, I kinda missed drawing. But now that I am drawing it is killing me inside to not be painting the luscious colors of the human flesh, but I think I can make it. I am also using the Barbie project to my advantage and am doing a photography piece self portrait comparing the Barbie and I. My concentration is turning in a different direction than expected. I'm not really sure if I'm happy about that, but apparently I need to show growth by trying new things (by doing thing I did before painting). Oh well, I think it will work out and my portfolio is already in. Oh! And I got merit scholarships from CCA, SFAI, and LCAD so far. So, just waiting to hear back from the others, but I would be happy going to any of those schools, the trouble is choosing. I'm so nervous! Gah! TTYL- Ashley