On the Beaches of Florida

Holidaze

Currently I am sitting on my sister's couch in St. Petersburg, Florida. My parents and I drove down here with Nathan Miller to move him in with my sister and Mike. 'Twas a long trip, but I'm happy to be here.

Leading up to this moment, as the boys install the washer and dryer and Domini and Mom wander about the house, much has and hasn't happened. Leaving MCAD was a bittersweet event. My parents drove up and then we went to Little Ts with the whole gang: Charlotte, Ethan, and Peter; Sara and Marissa; Sara with Erik, Alyssa, and Michelle; and Carl. After being filled to overflowing and some awkwardness in the table distances, we headed back to my place to finishing rearranging and packing up. Sara and I switched rooms to make room for Audrey, and I got a new desk and chair. I said a very short and unsatisfying goodbye to Marissa and we headed out.

Home was a little less exciting than I was...expecting. All my friends were still in school for the first week and then family festivities took over for the remaining days before Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful to be home, but I guess I just wanted a little more hangout time with the pals. We DID have one evening of fun, eating at our fave, Red Robin, and then exchanging Secret Santa gifts. I miss my friends so much. It seems like we all have less and less to talk about as the years go on. I don't know. It's a weird transitioning period.

For Christmas I got lots of goodies:

• A set of 8 wooden salad bowls, 1 big wooden bowl, and a set of wooden cooking utensils.
• Raving Rabids Wii game.
• A device to hook my guitar up to the computer for recording.
• A delicious hardcover, color-illustrated edition of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
• Legit headphones.
• Flip videocamera.
• WALL-E pillow.
• A mirror/frame my sister made with a little inside joke on it.
• Paper Cement.
• World War Z audiobook.
• 30 GB iPod
• Oh and the Wii....

Reflecting on that -- I had a damn good Christmas! Granted the iPod, videocamera, and Wii were all used. But hey, I'm not complaining about that!

So now we're in Florida with lots to do. My sister lives about three houses down from the water's edge and the sunshine is mighty. After we got in last night, we opened presents and then had a jam session. It was great! My dad got a hold of the bass and -- let's just say I never knew he was THAT GOOD! Wicked awesome. Phenomenal. Farout! He was all of the above. I think I gained a new appreciation for the man, and maybe, just maybe, that's where I got all my musical talent. Did you know he played baritone back in the day too? Yeah, I'm my father's daughter.

Pictures to come,
Sarah

Missing Missouri Thunderstorms, Comparing Muic and Art

I miss Missouri thunderstorms REAL bad. After a super humid, hot yesterday, it rains and the ground steams, making the air like a sauna. And the raindrops are warms and refreshing. MAN I would trade that for snow any day.

I remember when I was younger and my sister and I would spend entire days watching the Lord of the Rings Extended Version WITH all the extra features. We'd go out and play in the rain, getting completely soaked, and then come in and cuddle in warm blankets, watching all the behind-the-scenes of LOTR. What a great feeling.

In other matters.
Whilst finishing my last drawing of the semester last night, I was listening to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on audiobook. SO FUNNY! I can't wait to read it for real. Zombie stories are always enjoyable, considering one's self amidst the zombie apocalypse. But considering ladies and gentleman brandishing a sword after an extremely polite ball? SO much better.

Furthermore,
I was considering the countless similarities between music and the visual arts.
Instruments/Tonality:Mark-making and Line Weight
Tempo:Rhythm/Movement
Composition
Mood
Emphasis

Thinking about one really helps me understand the other in a new light. It's really exciting to be building my comprehension of art the way I used to pursue music. And to have that 'family' aspect again. Mm.

Harry Potter 7, Finals, Thanksgiving

I can't wait for the next movies! And I'm super thankful I get to see one with my MCAD pals and then finish it up back home with my quidditch team!

So.
As of right now I'm amidst Finals and on the brink of the last week of the semester. Super stoked and super hyperactive. I'm pretty excited about all my projects. I wish I could work on all of them simultaneously, but priorities are overtaking!

Drawing:
Marissa is modeling for me. I'm trying to portray a heaviness and strong sense of weight in the image. Strong directional lighting and whatnot. I'm really loving it. Possibly my favorite drawing all year. Good way to end, eh?

Animation:
FUCK. I'm super behind. I'm only about 2/3 of the way done with the rotoscoping and I still have to do all the 2D animation on top of it. But it'll be great!

Ideation:
Super excited! I'm turning all my blogs into physical books. I'll probably only get Volume 1 done, but it's a start! I started when I was 13, and it's been really interesting to see everything I used to think and to watch friendships grow and fade. Even the way I typed was different. Super thought-provoking.

Sophpmore Seminar:
I think I just have to do my submission and I'm totally done!

Illustration:
I'm REALLY excited to do this. It's a cut paper "What's Wrong With This?" image of a yeti roasting mallows in a cave. I can't wait to get into it. For once I'm not dreading the class. Finally!


And now for a Thanksgiving review!
Domini bought me a last minute ticket to Kansas City, so I boarded my plane and was on my way home. I had a lay over in Denver, and when I finally boarded the plane to KC they said something wasn't starting so we'd have to pull back into the gate for about 15 minutes. Well 15 minutes later they said the plane couldn't fly, so we'd have to switch planes, and it wouldn't get there for another hour. Sorely disappointed because I only had one night in KC before we left for South Dakota, I looked at my options. The people I was sitting next to mentioned there were other planes heading out to KC at the gate next door, so I got in line for my chance to board another plane. A lot of people didn't go on because their checked luggage wouldn't fly with them, but I had thankfully packed a smaller bag at the last minute, so that was no problem for me! I anxiously waited in line, and just as they were about to close the door, they let me on. Last passenger to board. I was so thankful!

When I arrived at the KCI airport, I was greeted by Taylor and Erin. So wonderful! We got in the car to go home and party. We were so happy that we started singing Disney songs and weren't really paying attention. Half an hour later we realize we're going in the wrong direction and drove north instead of south, almost ending up in Iowa. An hour after leaving the airport, we were back where we started, and began heading home in the RIGHT direction.

We finally got home at midnight, where the quidditch team (Janessa, Jill, Beves, Erin, Taylor, and Frances) gathered. I cuddled with my dog and cat and caught up with le parentals and pals and was unbelievably happy! Then we decided pizza rolls and Mean Girls were absolutely janessasary, so we headed to WalMart, got the goods, and came home to vedge out together.

The next morning my parents and I drove to South Dakota to celebrate Thanksgiving with my grandparents, aunt and uncle, cousins, etc. It's always bittersweet because it's good to be family, but I don't know my relatives all too well, so it's just a lot of listening on my part. Rarely could I join in on conversations, all of which were set in 60s South Dakota. It's nice to hear family history, yes. But. You know.

I ate lots of food and played lots of darts and pool. Everyone always went to bed 3 hours before I was ready, so often stared at the ceiling, thinking about all the homework I had to do. It was a very restless vacation, but better than being at school, still. OH! I got a wii too. :) My cousin's wife's stepdad was selling his for $200 with 3 controllers and guitar hero, so I jumped on it. When I got back to MCAD, Sara and I played it for 3 hours after a delicious meal of Quang's with le parentals.

And that's about it!
I couldn't believe how excited I was to see my MCAD pals when I got back. It felt like forever since I had seen them. I can't imagine how Christmas break is going to go this time around. I know I'll be plenty busy and happy with my friends back home and visiting my sister in Florida, but I have a second (or third?) family now! It's as if wherever I am, I'm always longing for somewhere else. Honestly -- it feels great to have so many loved ones! Can't complain about that! :)

Christmas List

It's that time of year, folks. What do you want for Christmas? What do you get your parents for Christmas? My family has started the Christmas gossip already. "I know what she's getting you, but I can't tell!" 'Tis a love/hate relationship, but mostly love because my family gets ultra jolly around this time of year.

A list has been requested, thus I shall post it here.

1. I always ask for movies for Christmas and rarely get even one. Regardless, I'll continue to ask for more, struggling to complete my test-of-time movie library. This year's titles include:

(Not the digitally remastered version!)

2. I would also like various guitar toys such as:

This device for hooking my guitar up to le computer to record.

Either and ebow or real bow to make string effects.

A guitar slide. But brass, steel, glass? I'm not sure.

3. Some legit headphones, to listen to all my movies and beautiful recordings. Either Bose or Shure brand, I think. Preferably Sound Isolation as opposed to Noise Reduction; the latter uses a microphone and batteries to inverse the outside noise and adds it to your music. Boo!


4. Zombies!!! Le board game.


5. And if wii really want to get crazy...

And...

Mouthy Experimental

A video by Peter Steineck and Hannah Delon.

Today I started my last in-class assignment for Drawing 2. Feels great! It's a 4'x4' piece all done with my left hand. So far so wonderful! Other than that -- I handed in stuff for le art sale. Nothing too spectacular, but hopefully I can make a quick buck!

Princeton!

For being their #1 fan, the Avenue Q crew gave me Princeton. I'm pretty sure it was more because Peter didn't want it, but at least they thought of me! :)

Now Princeton and I will have many adventures...watch out Sara and Marissa!

New Blog, New Work

This was a piece I made for our Illustration patterns assignment. We could just take a theme and go nuts, thus I chose space/creatures. The background is black and white acrylic paint, and the shapes are all cut paper. I really enjoyed working on it and it's probably the only piece I'm proud of from that class. Let's keep it up!

Also, I have officially started my new blog, presenting my ideas, process and finished artworks. Hopefully I keep up with it. Find it here.

As for today -- I am making a ton of art for the art sale and researching for my final drawing assignments. Perhaps I'll see Avenue Q again. I saw it last night and was completely captivated. Fantastic!

"Beat It", Process Blog

Came upon this video. Not too bad!
It just reminds me of Erin, so I thought I'd post it.

So I thought I might start up another blog strictly posting photos of my in-process and finished work as well as compiling project ideas. This could be fun, eh?

In other news -- the week has been long, but had a pretty solid outcome. It started off with a shaky F in Drawing along with the rest of the class for not following directions. But our next assignments should be pretty fun, so I'm excited for that.

Tuesday was Registration day -- supposedly the best day of the year. It's a bit hard to commit to that when you're in the last group for registering. After a bit of panic, this is what it came to:

• History of Animation
• Intro to Type
• The Writer's Workshop
  
• Stop Motion Animation (wait listed)
• New Worlds: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writing (wait listed, but I know le teacher)
• Sound for Filmmaking

I really wanted to be in Travis' Web + Screen class, but they wouldn't even let me be wait listed. Thus, my persistence urged me to talk to Travis -- and I did. Without any reluctance he said I could be in his class and that he'd take care of any of le paperwork. Just another reason I love the Trav. When that gets taken care of, I'll be out of Type and into a more manageable class with 18 credits. 'Twill be a hefty semester, but I'm really stoked for my classes.

Wednesday I had animation and it was a short day. I have MUCH to do on my animation, and hopefully I stay on top of things. That's one thing with animation -- we have long work periods between projects and if you don't manage your time well -- well, I see why animators don't get any sleep. Later that night Carl and I had a homework sesh and I got a ton done on my illustration project.

Thursday was okay. Ideation was a typical day, but I felt good because I participated in each person's critique. I feel guilty when I don't, and the week before I remember I had said nothing about anybody's projects. I suppose sometimes I just don't have anything to say! Such is the day.

After class we went to a lecture by Alex Kirwan, who contributed to shows such as "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends", "The Mysterious Misadventures of Flapjack", and "My Life as a Teenage Robot". He had a lot of good things to say about the animation industry along with a bitter attitude towards Disney's and other studios' directions. I empathized with his opinions on Disney and their close-mindedness, and it confirmed my current disinclination to work there later in life. I have a feeling I'm more of a Nickelodeon girl, if not even Cartoon Network or Adult Swim. And the again -- I might not even want to work on a tv show but rather do independent projects or work on feature films. We'll see, kids!

Later that night Carl, Michelle, and I had another homework sesh and watched almost all of the first season of Flapjack. None of us had watched it before, but we're now in love. It's very Spongebob-y whatwith its art, humor, and general feel. It's refreshing! I'm sick of all these over-simplified, obnoxious, dumbed-down cartoons. A little texture and cut paper goes a long way!

Needing to finish my illustration, I came home around midnight, painted Space on my paper, and headed to bed for an early rise.

And that I did.
At 7 am this Friday morning, I woke up with gooey eyes that begged close. I turned on the shower and waited for it to heat up to a tolerable cold, then tried to wash the sleep off me. With a solid amount of time before class, I cut out a few more characters for my assignment and then headed out the door. Our apartment closet was overflowing with kickballs, so I returned them on the way to withdraw from my Online History of Advertising class. I was about 7 assignments behind and was nowhere near turning in my final assignments. I hadn't gotten anything out of the class and wasn't interested in trying to catch up. Thus. I withdrew. I can take another class some other time. I'm not concerned.

For Sophomore Sem we had a visiting artist: Gregory Eudclide. I had seen his work at the MCAD Art Sale last year and was mega impressed. To hear him talk was a delight. He had funny moments and valuable advice, but I was tired and it seemed to drag on. You know, it's interesting to see different artists' personalities. To see optimism and pessimism. To see someone striving for success and to see someone trying to settle and work the system. This class, though I hate to admit, was very helpful in the shortest of ways.

Afterwards I came home and glued all my cut-paper pieces to my outer space paper. I was sufficiently satisfied, and so I celebrated with some Heroes and a delicious sandwich for lunch. The college center was hosting and Avenue Q Preview, so I gathered the buddies for the sneak peak. I think the show is going to be great; it sounds REALLY good. What's most impressive is their ability to pull something like this off with such a busy MCAD schedule. Passion can make anything happen, I've begun to notice. :)

Illustration was one of the least stressful classes all year, and I think it was because I was finally proud of my work. I feel like I was one of the few people who took advantage of such a fun project and just WENT for it. And the results were there. My teacher said it was his favorite piece of mine all year, and I agreed. I suppose I'm so proud because I've cried over this class all year, feeling dissatisfied with my own work to the point of embarrassment. I hope he sees that I'm trying really hard. Illustration just hasn't seemed to be my thing, no matter how much I want it to be.

I came home tired and hungry, and am ending the day on a very lazy note. Tomorrow I'm hosting a Saturday Morning Cartoons fest in our living room for Ideation. I hope just enough people come to make it reputable, but not so many that I actually have to do anything. Wow. Talk about lazy!

This weekend I have much on my To-Do List including making everything for the art sale, documenting all my work and start redoing my website, researching artists for my drawing final and write a proposal, video the live footage for my animation, and turn in all my late sophmore sem assignments. I get excited about crossing off physical To-Do lists, so this should be a good weekend for that. It's like making a worksheet in grade school; you take it one question at a time and once you answer all of them you're done for the day! Hooray!

This is long, but I just felt like writing,
Sarah.

Final Animation Sound Clip

Below is a song clip I made for my final animation project. It was fun to make, but I feel like there still might be a few tweaks available. Let me know what you think!

I call it "My Sleepy Beginning" because it was inspired by:

• "My Girls" -- Animal Collective
• "Sleepyhead" -- Passion Pit
• "The Beginning After the End" -- Stars
  

Reza Rasoli, End of the Semester, Cartoons, HIMYM

So for a quick update on life:

I asked Reza Rasoli (blogger of Rezatron and team member of Three Legged Legs) for an interview for my Sophomore Seminar class and he agreed! I was so stoked I didn't know what to do with myself! He's the middle guy in the image below along with the other guys from 3LL. Very talented folks!


Other than that, I've been just alright. Ever since I found out I won't be going home for Thanksgiving, but rather to my grandparents' in South Dakota -- I've been a little bummed. I was looking forward to seeing my friends and to celebrate all our Thanksgiving activities together. Nonetheless, I will get to see my relatives and especially my parents. AND I don't have to do an 8 hour drive home and back. Plus there are only 2 weeks of school after that, which always fly by thanks to finals.

Speaking of classes,
I'm still kind of at a loss as to what I'll be taking next semester,
but it'll work out....

Recently I've also been watching a lot of cartoons. Not only because I've been excited about going into animation, but because it's just really fun to go back and watch shows like Pepper Ann, Rocket Power, and Hey Arnold. Cartoons just aren't as good these days! I'd say Spongebob is, but even past the 3rd season -- things went a bit downhill.

I've also been exploring cartoons as an animator.
Stuff like Russian masterworks, the Triplets of Belleville, and older Disney Movies.

Plus I watched all of How I Met Your Mother Season 4 in about 4 days.
Solid, solid solid.

HP6 Redub

"And as the ginger's true love passed by...."

"The scene became awkward as the ginger ratio rose to 2:1...."

Put A Wood On It, Three Legged Legs, Rezatron

Beyonce and Fleet Foxes


Also:
Three Legged Legs



'Tis an animation studio based in Santa Monica, CA.
I found it via the Rezatron blog,
which I stalked for zombie doodles. Check it out!

The Brothers Bloom Soundtrack

The Brothers Bloom is probably one of my favorite soundtracks now. There's something about it that I just can't pin down. It's a very longing soundtrack, filled with both contentment and dissatisfaction. It's funny, it's serious, it's genuine.

Here's a short track from it: "Double Dutch Queens" by Nathan Johnson.

Fall, Fall, Fall, Halloween!

This has been quite a lovely fall, folks! Finally October is over, Daylight Savings is over, and the semester is halfway over. The month has been a most vomitable roller coaster, but has ended atop with a great overall view of things.

For example, this house across the street from our apartment. In the summer the owners grow beautiful gardens of flowers, and in the fall they rake their leaves and keep their lawn beautiful. In a neighborhood of filth and a general disregard to upkeep, I am very thankful for this view.

Our school is putting together something for the new viewbook and they set out a whole bunch of supplies and let people go crazy. This was my solution. I was in a very happy mood when I was making this. Marissa made the 'have' part. :)

Our annual pumpkin carving contest was this last week. I knew I had to outdo last year's pumpkin, thus I came up with this zombie pumpkin solution. I turned the stem upside and carved a brain into it. I had so much fun with it, and it took my mind off of other not-so-awesome things that had happened earlier in the day. And thus I won, for the second year in a row, 1st place. I'm gonna try to make it 4 for 4 years, but the pressure is so on now!



On Halloween the girls and I hit up Chipotle for some free burritos. By the time we got them we were a bit ravenous, and after a crunched car ride back home, we devoured those burritos as if they were going to disappear if we didn't eat them fast enough. So fun!



Sara and I were a bit undecided as far as costumes went this Halloween. Thus the old headdress made an appearance once again. We acrylicized ourselves with war paint and made legit spears. Pretty baller, if you ask me.


And here's some drawing class projects. The first two are from a three part series, making a collage of a master's work then drawing a still life based on it, and then the next part is doing a figure study based on said still life. I'll post that up when I'm done with it.



This last drawing is an in-class portraiture study. It probably the first portrait I've drawn besides my own and I'm pretty pleased with it. It has a little touch-ups to do, and Ryan isn't wearing his classes so he looks a little different than some of you my recognize, but hey. I like it. :)


Other than that, classes have been getting better; they aren't so overwhelming and I'm kind of excited about my work again. I showed my illustration teacher my pumpkin and he suggested I do 3D illustration, which I had been coincidentally thinking about ever since I DID do that pumpkin. Thus I have discovered Red Nose Studios and have decided to look into 3D illustration.

Also in Illustration on Friday, I picked up my Registration packet! I was so thrilled! I came back to class all hyped up and people didn't know what to do about me. Registration time is seriously almost as good as Christmas. Especially now that I'm declared.

I haven't figured out exactly what I want to do, but I notice the required courses look SO much more fun than the other majors I was considering. As of right now I'm looking into taking Animation Collaboration, Sound for Film, and either Stop Motion or Photographic Lighting. And then I'll have History of Animation and a Humanities and Sciences class...so it's like cartoons ALL THE TIME! I can't wait. I have so many ideas it's great!

And finals are starting! We just got assigned our final in animation and I couldn't be more excited for it. It's 30 seconds of whatever we want, which is both overwhelming and freeing. It's cool to think that once I finish this, I'll be done with the class. It's also crazy to think about the fact that I'll only have 3.5 animations by the time this class is over. Sheesh! Which brings me to another point, I've been kind of picking out classes according to what I'd like to include in my Junior Review next year. It's scary to think about all that happening so soon. Sometimes it feels like there's no end in sight at MCAD, but alas, it's approaching WAY faster than we realize.

The only other thing I can think of to mention is the fact that my mom has been getting familiar with the doctors again. She's had some intense pain in her hips/legs for who knows how long. And recently she found out that her hip is broken. It's frustrating because before she was just told that her one leg was longer than the other, not that her hip was broken. And now the surgeon says it has healed, so I'm assuming it healed wrong. It's been a little trying here, thinking about it all. But I can be thankful that we now know what's wrong and that it can be fixed.

Also -- I want to write about my Ideation Class the other day.
We were having a pretty blah critique on our Language critiques. We only had a week and nobody's was particularly amazing. After a long while, we went on break with two projects left. When we came back to class, we were in a state of monotony. Then Rachel had her performance piece. It wasn't a phenomenal performance, but it definitely triggered something in all of us. She told us the story about her love affair with her violin. How she saw it in a store at age 5 and wanted it immediately. How her mom finally got her lessons. How she learned how to make words out of the notes on a staff. And ultimately, how her mom made her choose between violin and comics. And then she played us a solo piece which she said she hadn't played in 3 years -- since she quit. And then it was over.

And after a long silence McMeans asks, "So what'd you think?" Nobody in the room said a word. We wouldn't even look at one another. The mood was so heavy we couldn't even formulate words -- until Gina finally spoke. She started saying, "I know how you feel because I played Suzuki violin for 10 years too." And then she started crying. Had she not let go, I would've burst. I tried SO hard not to cry. In that moment, as I was looking around the room. I realized that we had all given up something very dear to us to get to MCAD. It sucks! And even more -- a lot of us gave up music specifically. For the first time, I really felt like other people were feeling the same things I've been feeling. I stunned me. And my throat was tied in knots. I didn't say another word during class.

And on that note,
let's get back into the things we love.
--Sarah

Riff, Wild Beasts, Bauer Letter, Animation, Zine

Below is a new riff I made and am playing with. It's a rough bit, but I like where it's going. Mostly I enjoy how these things really do hit me like an epiphany. So take a listen!



In addition to that stumblage of good riffage, I was introduced to the Wild Beasts, whom I have not stopped listening to since I first heard their song "Hooting and Howling". They have a very warm sound, but are definitely jammin at the same time. Check out their video!



Now for the mass of feel-good news!

It all started on Monday morning. As I was finishing my drawing something inside me clicked back to its normal state of optimism. I was ready to go! I went to Drawing class and fully enjoyed working in there, which doesn't always happen. My portrait of Ryan turned out pretty splendidly, and I left in a chipper mood.

Walking home, I noticed the boys rolling on the skateboards behind the apartment buildings. 'Twas a gorgeous evening and the sun was balancing on the edge of the world, thus I decided to take a seat and bask in the fair weather while I could. Carl and I had a short heart-to-heart and then Fowler joined us. After a an urging to check the mail via a phone call from my mother, I headed in.

A week earlier my dad had called me and asked for my address and website information. I inquired on the reason, but was left quizzical. I didn't think on it again until I checked the mail on this flouncy Monday, and when I held the letters in hand, it suddenly dawned on me.

Now, one must know that my dad works in a twenty-story condominium, whose residents are the millionaires and billionaires of Kansas City. Since he started we've been furnishing our house with their leftovers and attending baseball games with their extra season tickets. I really believe his good character and giving personality has made a huge impression on these sometimes haughty people.

And thus the letter.
It had no return address and was not in my parents' handwriting. On the back it had a green embossed "Bauer" in the center. This was from one of the residents from my dad's building. I thought to myself, "Man! It would be so awesome if they randomly decided to give me some money!" (Before they had opened a scholarship fund for my sister and she made bank, so my thoughts were kind of there....) And so I opened the letter with no real expectations. I read the note and in essence it said that his daughter (34) had passed away and that he thought she would have liked this money to go to me to help with my education. And behind the note was a check for $1,000.

I was a bit caught off guard, to tell you the truth! Also in the envelope was, what I'm assuming was, the card given out at her visitation, a newspaper clipping about her, and another paragraph of information about her life. It was cool to learn about someone I hadn't even heard of before, and to have been blessed by her life even after her death.

Following this shocking mail, I got a lovely letter from Erin, complete with mixed CD, kreeture doodles, and letter. It was a perfect start to my good week. I love her so much. She really knows me, in ways that she herself is the same. Sometimes I'm in disbelief at our likeness to one another. And it boggles my mind that we have spent more time apart than together in the entirety of our friendship. That's really something.

So later that night the pallies and I played some Catch Phrase for Recess Club. It's been dwindling, but that's partially my fault, not being able to make it the past couple of weeks. Tomorrow night, however, we're playing our annual Halloween costume Ghost in the Graveyard in the MIA courtyard. I can't wait.

Tuesday was one of the best days I've had in a long while. It was sunny and warm and I had no classes. I woke up at my leisure, signed up to work the art sale, had lunch with Charlotte, sent out some mail, and began my animation. I worked from 1-8 and then headed over the girls' for a bit of a retreat. I ended up bringing my workstation there and we watched The Brothers Bloom whilst finishing homework. At midnight I came home and kept working until about 2 and then headed to bed, really satisfied.

This morning I woke up and added some finishing touches on my sound animation. I wanted to do a few things differently, but that's usually how it goes. All in all, I'm very proud of it and am even more reassured that animation is for me. You can watch it below. The assignment was to take the provided sound clip and make an animation based of it.



And then tonight I had to do my Language project for my Ideation class and came up with the solution of a zine after many Plan Bs. Basically I used the phrases and lingo of my friends and had them each draw the word and whatever else they wanted on one page (as to give it their own "voice"), and then combined them into a zine. It's not my favorite piece of work, but it'll do. Eventually I want to combine these and more into a book (which was my original idea) and make it more polished. Below are some images from that.

Things I Like

I'm going to take a break for a blog.

Because I wanted to share my satisfaction of grape soda and curly straws.

Also, to share my satisfaction of chillin' with the girls and taking silly photos.


And also to record a few things.

1. Marissa is starting violin lessons and she just got her instrument yesterday. Being the hospitable roomie she is, she let me try it out. Now, I'm no violinist, but I did enjoy using her bow on my guitar. That's some Sigur Ros business right there! Now I dearly want a bow or this 'Piranha Guitar Bow' thing, which is like a mini bow in the palm of your hand, and it doesn't have the Rosin of a regular bow on it, so it won't make my guitar all nasty-nast. I would also like to get some sort of device to connect my acoustic-electric with my computer to record stuff and experiment. That's about $80 of equipment. If only...

2. I saw Eisley on Thursday night. I met Eisley Thursday night. I got Eisley's autographs Thursday night. I was starstruck. I was awstruck. I was wonderstruck. I bought their EP. I bought a v-neck brown and gold shirt. I got a litho print. All in all I was overwhelmed with happiness. Station 4 in St. Paul is a small venue, but it's perfect when you want to see one of your favorite bands up close and personal. I found a nice spot on the stairs, right next to the stage, and could have drummed along with Weston if I so wished. They were less than two feet away from me and I couldn't stop smiling. After their set, the three girls went to the back of the venue for a meet and greet before Say Anything went on. I nervously (and very straight-faced) approached the girls, litho print in hand, and introduced myself to them. I shook their hands and talked with them a bit. I wanted to get an interview from Sherri for my Sophomore Sem. project, but she denied her artistic abilities and talked about her creative side. Unfortunately I was so wiggin out over the fact that I was conversing with them that I can't remember for the life of me what she said. I wanted to talk to Chauntelle and tell her how much I adore her playing, but I was so nervous that I couldn't look at her! I was kind of upset at myself for that. But she was so sweet. Sigh. It's fun to relive that moment in my mind.




3. Lots of people have been dying lately. It's kind of overwhelming. Nathan's uncle Lanny, Jessica Hutton, Mr. Morlang, Michelle's friend's best friend. Add that to the list of all the celebrity deaths and my grandma's passing and you just have a poopy 2009. Then mix it in with the daily stresses such as homework, finances, and my failing computer...shwew. To say the least, I've been in a funk as of late. It's hard to talk about it with people because they can't really do anything about it, and I don't really want pity. However -- a break would be nice. I've skipped all my classes once now, and in the past week, but I'm still a bit unsettled and just have little to no motivation to do any of my work. I'm not interested in any of my work. I know that's a bit of the ebb and flow of school, but fuck. Shouldn't I be able to grasp on to something here and there? I suppose I've just been having second thoughts about things as of late. Although -- I don't know where else I'd rather be. That in itself is almost more frustrating. I'll figure it out someday.

Until then,
Sarah

Slow Down Influenza, Get a Flu Shot

Disregarding the seriousness of my previous post,
here's something I couldn't pass up posting.

CrazyCrazyCrazy

I'm just going to dump here. So. Here's the forewarning. I really hate openly confessing the worries in my life, but I feel like if I don't get rid of it, it's just going to boil up inside me. In fact, I dislike my own negativity so much that I'll probably end up turning this into a positive post....



Starting With the Now:

Last night Nathan came into the cities and brought me back to Annandale, MN (about an hour, twenty west of Minneapolis) for his uncle Lanny's funeral. To be out of the cities and in an actual home was healing, but the pain in everyone's eyes was a bit emotionally overwhelming. When we stepped in the house around 11 or so, Roxanne (whose home we were staying in) immediately offered me "bars" and leftovers. I knew this wasn't going to be the first offering of food during my stay, but I indulged anyway. Then I slunked into bed and had one of those wake-up-in-the-same-position-you-fell-asleep-in sleeps. Wonderful.

This morning I arose to people moving furniture around me. But nevermind that. We all got ready for the funeral and headed in early for a final goodbye. During the service I couldn't help but thinking about everything at home. (And at that moment, home encompassed Minneapolis, though KC slipped in here and there.) There were many words shared on love and God and pretty typical, comforting words, but the parts that really stuck out to me were about Friendship. They kept saying things like "Never underestimate the value of a good friendship" or "Tell your friends you love them because it might be the last time." And yeah, those are the kinds of sayings that you like to think you adhear to, but the next day they're kind of lost again.

I suppose I'm saying that I'm really thankful for my friends right now. As it may have been predicted, I am much more settled in at MCAD this year. I feel like I know who I am, who my friends are, and where and with whom I want to invest my time. It seems kind of vain to long for those things so much, but it's just where I am right now. Even last year, when I thought I was getting really "tight" with people, it's not the same as it is this time around. I feel like the few people I've been spending a lot of time with have been really worthwhile. (Not that people weren't last year!) But they just make me light up when I see them. And isn't that how it should be? I think so.

I know so.



Continuing on with the Past:

The last few weeks, I have been stressed, yes. More than I can ever remember being in the past. It's not a nervousness, but an intense, constant anxiety. It's like I'm tripping over myself and can't catch my footing. I keep trying to escape or to distract myself, but when it comes down to it -- I think I just need to deal with it. It sounds like a "duh" kind of thing, but it's easier said than done in my current state of mind.

I was doing some reading the other day and came across the quote, "Work for love's sake, not for work's sake." I love that. I love Love. And I think I've said that many times before. But I wish I could just get a 4 year degree in loving people because that in itself seems to be my greatest motivation. I know I don't talk about God directly all that much, but all that I know about life and living comes from the Word that I know. And I am so thankful for it. It brings me peace when I'm emotional. It reminds me of the power of love. It gives me strength when I can't seem to push through the day. It supplies my every need. And that's that. I just want to show that same stability to others.

Feeling extremely gushy,
Sarah

Fixed, Fire Kite, Plans

My computer is fixed! After getting the keyboard, faceplate, and track pad replaced, I had wipe it clean and get it re-imaged. Then the Air Port decided it didn't want to turn on, so I had no internet and consequently couldn't use any of my Adobe programs. After totally perplexing the technicians at computer support, the head honchos said a software update might be all that was needed and SHAZAAM! My computer is fixed completely. I have now reloaded all my music and and am working on a fresh new build. Exhale.

In other news, the new Eisley EP is here! They released one version of the Fire Kite EP for iTunes and will be selling a different one on tour, of which I will own as of next Thursday when I see them in St. Paul. They're also working on their third LP and I'm totally stoked! I don't know what it is exactly about Eisley that I love so much, but I can't help myself!

Below is a garageband demo of their song "Away We Go" on their iTunes version of the Fire Kite EP. I have listened to it at least 10 times today.



This weekend is going to be boss, to say the least.
Thursday = Midnight premiere of Where the Wild Things Are
Friday = Adventure to Redwing with Amara and Michelle
Saturday = Meg visits for the evening
Sunday = Teach fellowship and finish Space/Time project

From there on out it's Art Sale, Art Sale, Art Sale, where hopefully I'll make some big bucks again this year. I could definitely use it. Thankfully I haven't had to spend any money on my laptop, so I feel pretty good about the money I've spent thus far. :)

Feeling quite upbeat,
Sarah.

*¤O**o¤*¤O¤*¤*o* Snowflakes!

It's snowing outside! And boy is it beautiful. I woke up, made some apple cider, and started listening to some of my favorite Christmas songs.

Mariah Carey "All I Want for Christmas is You"


Coldplay "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"


Death Cab for Cutie "Baby Please Come Home"


It's kind of the perfect day. I'm not feeling very well, so Drawing class will have to wait, but it's oookay -- I would love to be stuck on the couch on a day like today!

Zombies!!!

To say the least, I've been a little involved with the world o' zombies as of late. Above are all the movies I've watched in the past week. If I had to rank them:

1. 28 Days Later
   
2. Zombieland
3. Dead Snow
4. 28 Weeks Later
5. Evil Dead 2
6. Dawn of the Dead
   

I'll post some zombie doodles when I get the time. Also -- I think I've found a way to incorporate zombies into my illustration assignment: Government Surveillance on Private Citizens. Aaaand we're probably going to be celebrity zombies for Halloween. Oh and I really want to own the game "Zombies!!!"

That's a lot of zombies....

Success!

This last week was a super bummer. It seemed to be a snowball of bad mishaps. First, I spilled water on le computer, causing the keyboard to be "fucked up". And then I was all stressin about homework cause some of the stuff I was doing was digital. And then I thought my final piece was due for Illustration, but it turned out only the final drawing was due (and half the class missed that one!)

But it turns out all is swell.

I have an extra week to work on my illustration.
I took in my computer and they're fixing it free of charge.
And I have little homework due this week.

Feelin' better,
Sarah

uyqgahjkl

m 'y 'com 'p 'u 'ter 'is'messed ' 'u 'p
i 'sp 'lled 'wtr 'o 'n '.it

When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.

God that was strange to see you again
Introduced by a friend of a friend
Smiled and said 'yes I think we've met before'
In that instant it started to pour,
Captured a taxi despite all the rain
We drove in silence across Pont Champlain
And all of the time you thought I was sad
I was trying to remember your name...

This scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin
Tried to reach deep but you couldn't get in
Now you're outside me
You see all the beauty
Repent all your sin

It's nothing but time and a face that you lose
I chose to feel it and you couldn't choose
I'll write you a postcard
I'll send you the news
From a house down the road from real love...

Live through this, and you won't look back...
Live through this, and you won't look back...
Live through this, and you won't look back...

There's one thing I want to say, so I'll be brave
You were what I wanted
I gave what I gave
I'm not sorry I met you
I'm not sorry it's over
I'm not sorry there's nothing to save

I'm not sorry there's nothing to save...

-Your Ex-Lover is Dead
Stars


That song is so awesome. I think one can relate to it in many ways, friendship, relationships, etc. I fall in love with Stars monthly. As well as Death Cab. And Feist. And Eisley. They're my defaults.

Life has been pretty incredible lately. Every time someone asks me how I am, I answer with a "Phenomenal!" or "Really great!" Can't ask for much more than that. I have been much less homesick than last year, so that's great. In fact, I can't get enough of hanging out with my ladies and doing solid homework assignments.

In fact, I have felt much more confident of my projects this year -- or at least, I like my ideas. (I need to work on my execution a bit; I get lazy there sometimes.) I've really come to terms with the fact that I love having fun and being lighthearted. I can see it in my work and I can see it in my life. I'm constantly inspired by the ones I surround myself with, and I love giving to others. My teachers are constantly saying, "Where can we see YOU in your work?" And now I see that the more fun and loving my work is, the more personal it becomes. As I've said before, I just love Love. And I want to put as much love into my work as I do investing in others' lives.

Recent news:
Declared Animation. ScaryScaryScarybutAwesomeAwesomeAwesome. Made a fort in 301. Durnk. Durnk. Haven't slept much because I don't want to miss anything. Loving life a ton.Forget to eat sometimes. Super thankful for the few new good friends I've made in the past month. Missing Pongolicious, DVS, and everyone else back home. Want to start reading again.

I think we forget how much time makes a difference in any situation.
And with that said,
goodnight.

Frustrations, Threadless, Obama

I've been pretty overwhelmed mentally with my illustration class. I never thought it would be that way. Perhaps it's just this assignment? I sure hope so. I don't want to give up on it, but animation has been thrusting its way into my view. Frankly, animation has been sounding mighty appetizing, and I totally lost myself in the studio the other night. I suppose I'm just fearful of the rumors. Other than that, classes are fine. Drawing isn't as unbearable as it was freshman year; I don't literally run out of the Morrison anymore. My schedule is actually pretty wonderful because I never have to set an alarm, thus I always get as much sleep as my body wants. So far so great.

Current songs stuck in my head:
15 Step by Radiohead
Wake Up by The Arcade Fire
Single Ladies by Beyonce
White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes

Got my 9$ 9/9/09 Threadless Tee in the mail today (see Left Image). It's called The Helium Menagerie. It's super soft and comfy. I love the pen work and it makes me want to buy/make more similar shirts.

Today I sat next to a girl who smelled really bad. I was told she hadn't slept in 4 days, and if she was that busy -- how long has it been since she showered? She also had a mega runny nose. I couldn't concentrate. And I feel like I can still smell her.

Also in the mail: 101 Dalmatians and Four Rooms. Can't wait to watch them. I'm pretty convinced I need to own 101 Dalmatians, though. It's my all-time favorite Disney movie. I just decided. Whenever I think of animation -- I think of that movie. And Finding Nemo, but that's for another time.

In other news, we saw Obama last weekend. It was my first big political experience. We got up at 5:30, caught a bus at 6, stood in line til 9, waited in our seats til 12, and listened to Obama until 1 or so. Whilst waiting in line we wrote a rap, which can be seen here. There was a lot of hype and I didn't agree with everything Obama was saying. He still hasn't explained everything about Healthcare and it bugs the crap out of me. But as an experience -- I'll give it two thumbs up!

In the future: Tonight 2550 is watching the Mighty Ducks and eating free pizza. Then the Office is premiering with the Finer Things Club in the College Center. Then tomorrow Karen is visiting and I'm going to hug her until her insides squeeze out. I'm so excited; it's totally craycray.

The end!

Just sayin...

505 was boss.