owls

these little guys were the inspiration for my owl print "buddies"

this print is really the only one I completed in my screen printing class that I actually like.. sad, but true.

a little of the process:












the finished print:

rain

inspired by the rain...


first the scanned image:

second, a photographed/unframed close up of the image:

third the photographed/framed image (still working on it):

I'm still figuring out how to best "display" work I've done/works in process.. baby steps.

materials boards

for our final senior studio project, we we were asked to design the first floor of a hotel (including the lobby/reception, a restaurant & lounge, gift shop, business center and gathering rooms - ie. ballroom/auditorium, etc) and a floor of guest rooms/suites.

we had a lot of fun coming up with an overall theme, and these are the three materials boards we used in our final presentation:

restaurant

lounge

guest rooms

this is me

this is me
this is my work
a collection of things I've done
that I hope represent who I am
and what I love


***
self-portrait project in my relief printmaking class, 2008

Who is Your Google?

My grandmother writes a monthly newsletter for the Sunday School class she and my grandfather are a part of. She told me she was writing this months based on something I said about my dad: 'You are my google."

My mom forwarded the article to me this morning:

WHO'S YOUR GOOGLE?

A few weeks ago I fell victim to the “Facebook”craze, thanks to my granddaughter. I now have friends around the world – some I have met and some I haven’t. Since I am still trying to remember how to get into that site, I can’t say I am growing by leaps and bounds into that techie part of the world, but it is challenging.

One of the things they request is that you list 25 things about you that maybe everyone doesn’t know or that you just want to share. My granddaughter honored me and her mother by listing us as 2 of her favorite people. Her mother I could understand but I felt very surprised that I was there also. I know we are alike in many ways. We both love shoes; she is very smart – I am OK; we both love shoes; she is very disciplined – I am fly by the seat of your pants; but we both love shoes; she is very talented in music, art and following directions – I on the other hand am not; but did I mention that we both love shoes?

Because anyone and everyone can read these entries, I wasn’t surprised when I saw her dad’s response – such as “What About Me?” Her answer was priceless. “But Dad, you are my Google!!”

And he is and always has been. He has always been a hands-on dad, but kept 2 steps back. He seems to know something about everything and has directed his kids to learn and follow their heart, but that education is very important. Not just school education. Education about life. Everything from training the dog (which drives me nuts), to golf (he beat Gus and Pastor Fred at the Convey of Hope tournament), to religion, to music, to checking the car, to always trying to be the best you can but don’t let someone else’s goals be your driving force.

Some of you may remember a few years ago when she came to class with me. She was here for a vacation with my other grandson and had gone to Shasta Lake on a houseboat. She was supposed to go back home to Oregon but on their way back, the car she was riding in skidded, whipped across the 4 lanes of the highway, rolled 5 or 6 times down an embankment and stopped upside down. Cars immediately stopped, helped them out and sent them all to the hospital. By the time she got to my house she was very upset. Not because she was hurt or because of the accident, but because she felt her dad was mad at her. When I talked to my daughter, she could understand Jennifer’s concern because Terry had sounded very abrupt – not because he was mad at anything she had done, but reality had set in regarding how fast your whole life could be turned upside down and he hurt for his daughter.

I have thought of this “Google” status and realized that we all need a Google in our lives. Someone we can count on. Someone who uses wisdom when needed. Someone who can think very clearly and not judge. Someone who wants us to succeed as much as we want. Do you have a Google?

I also think we need a couple of other people. We all need a ‘Red Skelton’. Someone who will make us laugh and sincerely say at the end of our conversation, just as he always said at the end of his show, “And May God Bless.”

We could also use a ‘Mother Theresa”. Someone who sees what needs to be done and goes about doing it. No questions. No judgments. Just get the job done.

Who are you to others? Who are your friends to you? Every friend fills a need we have and hopefully we do the same for them. Think about who you are – and set out to be better.

See you in class. Have a great week.

Harold and Jo Ann Juhala
(I really do like shoes!!

halloween 2008

generally speaking, I don't dress up for halloween. I wasn't planning on doing anything special this last year, but one day inspiration struck me... and once that happens there's really not much you can do to stop me.

I decided to be a raspberry.



I think it turned out well :)

just for me

I rarely keep any art I make.. I tend to give it away. That's the best part, but I suppose the "giving" is the best part of anything..

When I started to dream up ideas for illustrations or small prints I could sell on etsy, and started to create them, I decided I wanted one for myself. That's okay right? :)


so this one is mine:



and it lives in my room as a sometimes good and sometimes annoying, but always constant, reminder that I enjoy creating, and should continue to explore new mediums and new content.

[still learning how to photograph framed art. the glare is beyond difficult to deal with...]

sketchbook

I love notebooks. Sketchbooks. Paper, in general, I suppose..
I tend to collect them... write my to-do lists, packing lists, grocery lists.

I've tried to designate specific "sketchbooks" or "inspiration" books or even "art journals" but they never stick.. until recently.

I bought a really nice leather graph paper notebook, that lives by my bed and is filled on a semi-regular basis with all of the sometimes inspired, mostly absurd notions that fill my mind at the exact moment I'm trying to empty it before I fall asleep.

I sort of love it.

cut&paste digital design tournament

a few weeks ago, my cousin Dom was a competitor in the 2009 cut&paste digital design tournament in Portland, OR. my family and I were able to attend and cheer him on.. it was a lot of fun!
he didn't win, but he really should have.




Dom discusses his work:
[video to come]

I'm drawing again.

I woke up completely inspired.. created a new etsy site, which will hopefully launch by the end of this month (maybe even within the next two weeks, depending on how motivated I can keep myself).. started working on a portfolio website and pulled out my art supplies and let my brush lead the way...

and today has been the best day of my week :)