Just started my second semester at Indiana University of Pennsylvania! I'm taking Painting, Drawing, and Graduate Studio Critique. I am excited about all of them. For painting, we have to have a binder of 70 art historical/other images that influence our work. We have to write a proposal for what we intend to accomplish through painting this semester. I recently wrote an artist statement for a show in Louisiana and in it I stated that I believe that art is a documentation of an artist's experience with and ideas of a particular time and place. So in my proposal I am going to say that I am documenting my life as it is now and as it was. Common themes will be me doing things accompanied by my dog, dating and relationships, and serious events that have shaped me into who I am. I will use a simplified, flat, yet realistic style like in the painting of Bella and me that I painted for my mom over Christmas break. I have to have 14 paintings completed by the end of the semester.
In Drawing, we have to have 10 drawings per three credit hours, so that means 20 drawings for me. I plan to continue to work on my graphic novel, my brother's graphic short story, and screen printing life events on soft storytelling objects. (Printmaking is included in the Drawing department here.)
In Graduate Studio Critique, it's all about our experiences and how our research shapes the work that we create. We're doing "field work" to gather fodder for our artistic endeavors. Everything is a possible source for inspiration. The point is to go and do and make!
It's going to be a busy semester. I can't wait to see what I make. In the Interlude between moving back for the semester and starting class, though, I did get the chance to watch Netflix's Jessica Jones and Narcos. Both are great. I will probably rewatch Jessica Jones as soon as I'm done with Narcos, which is going to take me a while longer now that school is back in session. I also watched the Tribeca Film Festival Choice Goodbye to All That on Netflix. It was great. It gave me a whole new perspective on dating. In it, Otto Wall, the main character, goes through a divorce and jumps right back into the dating pool. It's funny and genuine and good. I've watched it several times already. Now to build my watch list as I make all the art!