AsTallAsGiants

Tumble...

2010-11-18T17:33:00.001-05:00

Dear Blog,

I'm sorry I have been away for a while.

Rome is winding down...

Which means work is starting to pick up up up!!!

I'm going to try and be more vigilant with my updating...

In the meantime, I got a tumblr!

Which is basically like a picture blog... so feel free to check this from time to time too!

(Picture Tumblr!)

Ty-Jack...

2010-11-08T15:33:00.002-05:00

So this is the final piece I submitted for the Drawing show we are having here at Temple Rome in conjunction with a group of Italian Art students.

I chose to do a portrait of my best friend Tyler based on a self portrait he took of himself a few weeks ago. I can't really explain it, but I was so drawn to the photo upon seeing it that I knew I wanted to draw it myself.

I have to say I learned a lot through this piece and while it's not completely proportional, I really am pretty pleased with how it came out; especially the shirt.

40in. x 40in. Vine and Compressed Charcoal.

A Cut Above...

2010-11-07T17:22:00.002-05:00

This is the first state of a Linoleum Print I'm working on in Rome.

We have to have at least four colors in it; with black and white not counting as colors. The image is a photo booth picture of my friends and I at Knobels amusement park last summer.

A Hint of Tint...

2010-11-01T19:31:00.001-04:00

Sneak peak of the aquatint I'm working on...

Here's the etching state of the plate.

Tomorrow I'll print it, then start the aquatint.

Back to School, Back to Work...

2010-10-31T18:35:00.003-04:00

Gotta Love Those Late Nights in the Studio...

I have so much to do this week!

-2 or 3 24x24 drawings

-1 40x40 drawing

-Make two posters for Gianni

-Aquatint by Tuesday

-Propose my final project for Rome Sketchbook

--Figure Modeling

-Italian Quiz

-Send out Postcards and Letters

-Grad Talk

-Help Kristin with her project...

(Most of it takes place Monday-Wednesday too! Busy Busy Busy!!!)

White Walls...

2010-10-29T10:52:00.002-04:00

Fresh Start...

Needed a change. Cleaned my studio and rearranged a few things. Hopefully now I can focus on this upcoming drawing show.

Gina's Studio.

Dan's Studio.

Coady's Studio.

Natalie's Studio.

Masks On, Mask Off...

2010-10-27T18:03:00.001-04:00

My Printmaking class in Rome right before the aquatint demo.

I love this class.

Just Like A Prayer...

2010-10-27T14:58:00.002-04:00

Today in drawing class one of my classmates asked if we could pose the model as if she were the Madonna so that she could use the studies for an upcoming piece she's working on. It was actually pretty comical seeing this Italian woman holding a bundled up blanket with shear cloth draped all over.

Trends According to DooDee...

2010-10-26T07:37:00.005-04:00

I received this comment from my friend Dee the other week. Thank god I have such wonderful friends to keep me up-to-date on American trends while abroad...

hey all you abroad peeps!
ive decided to compile a list of all the things on trend this year so when you all come back you arn't total freaks hahahaha jk

3D movies.... stillll
Militaty jackets and Boots
Big Time Rush
Feathers
Girl Scout Cookies...only this month though
small crossbody handbags
nail polish
older men with accents
corrie
colored eyeliner
temple football
colored corduroys
jeggins

She's probably one of the coolest friends I have...

Porta Portese...

2010-10-24T10:42:00.005-04:00

Currently listening to this wonderful gem above in my studio.

Woke up early and headed over to Porta Portese this morning with Dan to go to the flea market that's held there every Sunday. It is pretty much a magical place where you can hagle and barter and just get lost in a labyrinth of Italians and knick-knacks.

I spotted Dinah pretty much completely by accident, but she was on the very top of the cd pile and I knew it was fate... 3 Euros later it was official.

Italian comics might become my next obsession.

Each Dylan Dog book cost me a euro, but the graphics in it are sooo cool. Definitely giving me some new inspirational ideas as far as compositions go.

And I found this lovely little leather bound book of Italian poetry on top of this equally amazing old-school explorer's map of the world written in Italian. I love this market... I hope that when my friends come to visit from London we can take them there because I'm pretty sure they will pass out from excitement.

p.s.- thanks to Dan and her awesome hair cutting capabilities.

80 Years Young...

2010-10-14T13:09:00.009-04:00

BUON COMPLEANNO MIM!!!!!

I hope you have a wonderful 80th Birthday!!!

Sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate with you all, but have a great time and I can't wait till I see you all! Miss you all!

Happy Birthday MIM!!!

p.s.- Some of the video is of the Temple Rome campus and the art studios.

Ja Picu!!!!

2010-10-14T13:09:00.008-04:00

Last night I went to go get chinese food. That's right, chinese food... in Italy. Two of my friends in the program are both Chinese citizens so they found a place where we could go and get some Chinese-Italian food. And it was soooooo good! I had shrimp lo mein, spring rolls, vegetable fried rice, and chinese fried ice cream.

My main dish.

Gang and Dan both ordered for us in Mandarin, which is one way of compensating for our lack of knowledge in the Italian language.

Rae and her pineapple chicken and Dan's black bean chicken.

Brutta Figura...

2010-10-12T10:34:00.001-04:00

This is how I feel about this week...

Mainly due to the overload of Midterms.

3 down. 3 to go. Then off to Tunisia!

Friday can't come soon enough.

Circolo Show Video and Flyer...

2010-10-11T13:48:00.007-04:00

So we had a show in Rome yesterday! Which was pretty hectic, and time consuming, and a little draining. But in the end it all pulled together and was pretty amazing. Not to mention the fact that I can now say I've shown artwork internationally.

(Here's the flyer from the show!)

And here's a video from the morning before the opening yesterday!

Cicrolo Degli Artisti from James Dunn on Vimeo.

-To see the Link that I posted on the Temple Rome Art Blog, click HERE!

Electric Slide...

2010-10-07T17:16:00.002-04:00

Late night in the studio!!!

Check out Natalie's amazing portrait of Rae that incorporates all kinds of intricate electrical elements that culminate into a huge hat-like contraption.

She's kinda a big deal.

The model with the piece.

These are the start to my paintings for the show this Sunday. I'm kinda freaking out!!! I'm super behind, and by no means a painter, but it kinda feels nice to try something new from printing and drawing all semester.

When In Venice...

2010-10-07T07:29:00.005-04:00

Weekend Trip To Venice... from James Dunn on Vimeo.

This is a quick little movie of our weekend trip to Venice!

Which is absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend to anyone considering taking a trip there. I still can't get over all the colors, the water, and the fact that even though it is ridiculously hard to navigate, you can't get mad because everything is so beautiful.

It also had some of the best food I've had in Italy so far. (Sorry Rome.)

p.s.-The video doesn't start till about 15 seconds in... my editing is a little rusty.

p.p.s.- The song is Masquerade from The Phantom of the Opera, which the orchestra is playing at the end of the video and for Alex, who requested it.

Aperto Studio...

2010-10-05T15:41:00.002-04:00

Last night we had a gallery opening for two artist downstairs in the main gallery, a grad show in the upstairs gallery, and open studios. Needless to say it was pretty hectic, starting at 7 am and ending close to 10pm. But there was an awesome turnout so that was pretty sweet. Not to mention it was kind of cool having my classmates that aren't in studios, faculty members, and Italians walking throughout the studios and checking out my work.

Here are some photos from my studio as if you were here.

In Sync With Zinc...

2010-10-05T15:32:00.003-04:00

Pulled my first etching in Italy today.

It's based off of the Italian principle of bella figora/brutta figora...

Which loosely translates to outward appearances and how people perceive you.

It's pretty interesting learning all the differences between American techniques and those used in Italy. For one, we etch in zinc plates rather than copper. And it goes by sooooo much faster. This is the first state, and it only took me about 45-50 minutes in the acid, which would have been closer to 3.5-4 hours with copper.

Etruscan Villa...

2010-10-05T15:24:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of homework from Rome sketchbook...

Today for class we went to Villa Giulia, which is this amazing Etruscan museum and botanical garden. The best part is that it never gets too crowded so I basically got an entire room to draw in all to myself!

This is a picture of Venice I drew...

I'll have to tell you about my weekend there in another post!

Holy Moses...

2010-09-29T07:32:00.002-04:00

Here are some photo's from my Rome sketchbook class yesterday morning.

We met in front of San Pietro in Vincoli which meant we had to take the metro from Cipro to Termini; get the free interchange, switch to the B Line, and ride it one stop to Cavour. I think I'm sort of starting to get a hang of the metro here. And the ride from the residence (Cipro) to school (Flamino) is pretty nice whenever it rains or I'm running late.

Anyways, once at San Pietro, we went in and drew from Michaelangelo's depiction of Moses, which is sculpted out of marble. It is this massive sculpture located to the right of the altar and roped off with the red velvet ropes you typically associate with movie theaters and movie premiers.

The statue is pretty breathtaking. And I think I'm getting more used to people coming up and randomly taking my photo while drawing (without asking)... or at least as used to it as I'm going to get.

Overfriendly Faun...

2010-09-26T16:39:00.002-04:00

Drawing Assignment: Reinterpret/get inspired by a piece of Italian art.

I chose the Barberini Faun, Caravaggio's "Seven Acts of Mercy", and I think I'm going to add some cherubs from a few prints by Ribera.

Here are some in progress shots so far. I started on the ground because the size is pretty huge, but eventually put it on the wall so that I could work out the perspective. I think it's probably close to 9ft tall. I've been talking to my professor about how I feel like I need to break out of the "completing assignments" role I've gotten into the past couple of semesters, and start actually making art I'm proud of. She suggested I try and get a little more complex in my compositions... I have a lot of work left on it. And crit tomorrow night... wish me luck. Any suggestions?!!!

That's not Tripe...

2010-09-26T16:33:00.003-04:00

So Dan and Gang Gang invited me over for dinner the other night. It was absolutely delicious. We had pork chops with pasta and tomatoes with scrambled eggs. I may or may not have mistaken the eggs for tripe (we bought some at the grocery store and I just assumed that's what we were having.) but it all turned out fine. I love how everyone here really enjoys cooking. We've all been taking turns inviting different people over.

Also, I'm super jealous of their apartment. So so so nice.

Ketchup, Catchup...

2010-09-22T06:20:00.004-04:00

Saturday I drew giant heads.

Sunday I drew out in the Villa Borghese with Natalie.

Monday I ate gelato.

Tuesday I pulled my first drypoint.

And today I went to the Villa Chigi in Trastevere with my art history class and saw some Beruzzi and Raphael original frescos.

I love Italy.

Drawing Crit...

2010-09-22T06:14:00.002-04:00

Had a drawing crit Monday. Went over alright. I got some pretty constructive criticism and feedback, but I'm still working things out in my head as to how I want to continue with this. (If at all.)

Top: Me. Gustavo. Coady.

Bottom: Natalie. Kamille.

Studio Sunday...

2010-09-19T13:26:00.003-04:00

It rained today!!!!

Finally!!!

Just some pictures from the studios today...

Everyone's working on drawing, painting, and printmaking homework.

Busy busy busy!

Coady's Studio.

Dan hard at work...

Dan's Chinese Inspired Landscape Drawing.

Kamille's Drawing.

Natalie working on her drawing of a statue from the Villa Borghese.

And the model posing with her portrait.

Oh! And before I forget...

I moved studios so that now I have a huge wall to draw on rather than having to constantly bend down! Soooo nice!

Looking Up...

2010-09-19T13:04:00.004-04:00

So I've been feeling a little stuck in terms of what to do when it comes to my studio classes. I guess you could call it a funk, or mind block, or whatever. I don't think my problem is lack of inspiration... more like over stimulation. Everything is just so breathtaking or amazing in its own right that I feel like I have too many ideas and concepts forming in my head that when it comes to putting them down on paper, it just gets lost in translation.

That being said... my drawing assignment for this week is to do a large scale drawing. Totally open. Only criteria is the size... Which normally I would love, except for the fact that I had no idea where to even begin. Enter my wonderful friend Natalie. Who told me to challenge myself... that's why I'm here in Italy anyways. So what's more challenging than people. Particularly portraits.

So here is my work in progress shots thus far...

I'll upload the others and the final product when I finish!

-I'm going to rework the face and try and bring out more tones/greyscale in her features.

I'm also going to duplicate her silhouette and faintly wipe it out.

Edit: This is the finished piece as of right now...

Some of my classmates conviced me to leave it as it is until after the crit.

What do you think?

Any suggestions?!!

Studioooo.

2010-09-13T09:36:00.003-04:00

So this is my studio while I'm in Rome. It is absolutely perfect. It's also a little strange coming from a major (printmaking) at Tyler that doesn't have individual studios. You basically get a drawer and maybe a locker. Here I have a WHOLE studio, a drawer for prints, AND a locker!!! I love just being able to come up here and listen to the traffic outside. Do some work. And bond with my classmates.

It's wonderful.

Todi...

2010-09-12T08:54:00.006-04:00

So last Sunday we were fortunate enough to visit the town of Todi, located in the region of Umbria. It has been a longstanding tradition at Temple Rome to visit and explore the town in the morning and attend a wedding style Italian feast in the afternoon. First of all, Todi is absolutely beautiful. It is a tiny medieval town located on top of this tiny hill that overlooks miles and miles of farmland. We saw fields of wheat, watermelon, and ironically enough sunflowers; which are harvested and used to create oil. I kept thinking about my mom anytime we’d pass an acre or two of huge yellow and black fields of flowers. There are also tons of sheep, goats, and horses freely grazing throughout the region. We went into a few churches which are filled with beautiful pieces of art. And in the one we walked in to find an orchestra and opera singer practicing for Sunday’s mass. I just sat in the pew for half an hour and listened. The churches here are mind blowing. I could have sat in that church for hours just listening and looking around.

Todi.

Walking through Todi.

2nd church in Todi.

This was one of the most beautiful churches I've ever been in.

It was also the one with the orchestra.

Natalie!

View from the courtyard.

Coady outside in the courtyard.

Alex and Laura!

View from the second floor dining room.

Then the afternoon came and it was beyond describable. Sooooo many courses, so little time in between courses! Soooo wonderful! Everything was served with fizzy mineral water and white, red, and sweet desert wine that are all grown and made right on the property. I slept the whole way home.

First Course were these apertif's that I didn't get a picture of... but out in the courtyard they had blood orange juice (so good) and a variety of small finger-sized pizza's! Sooooo delicious.

2nd course: I'm not entirely sure what each type os meat there were...

But I think it was salami, ham, and wild boar.

3rd course: Cheese Pastry.

4th course: Risotto.

5th course: Wild Boar and pasta.

(My favorite.)

6th course: Venison.

(Way more appetizing than my picture leads you to believe.)

7th and 8th course: Potatoes. Chicken.

9th course: Salad.

10th course: Tiramisu

(My second favorite.)

11th and 12th course: Sweet Desert wine. Biscotti. Fruit.

13th course: Esspresso.

Birthday Girl...

2010-09-12T08:32:00.003-04:00

Happy Bleated Birthday Lou!

Little sister, let me just start of by saying I apologize for

posting this two days late.

Then let me tell you how much I miss seeing you all day err'y day.

Now let me wish you the best belated birthday ever!

I am so incredibly proud of you. And Friday, on my class excursion to Tuscania, I kept telling my classmates about you and your birthday!

I can't believe you are 19... what a geezer!

Top: Mim, Gram, Laur, and Mom.

Middle: Gram, Laur, and Mom.

Bottom: Laur and me working on one of my drawing finals.

Internet in Italy!

2010-09-03T09:08:00.004-04:00

Italia!

So It is official! I made it to Italy!!!

Rome is absolutely beautiful and completely surreal. I still don't feel like I'm actually living here. I keep waiting for the alram to go off and wake up in my room back in Harrisburg. I just got connected to the internet at school (which is where I'm currently blogging from), but still don't have any internet at the residence. I've attached a video from the first two days in Rome. We have a week long orientation, which I am soooo grateful for. So far I've already gone to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Villa Borghese, and Campo de Flori, Piazza de Poppolo, and the Vatican! All of which were pretty breathtaking. Our Residence is super nice too. And way more spacious than they made it out to be. I'll post some more later.

Hope you are all doing well and being safe!

The Villa Borghese is this huge park where people go to eat lunch, walk around, exercise, play with their kids, and walk their dogs. We sat on some benches and ate our pizza in front of this little arcade pavilion.

Pizza is considered the fast food of Italy.

The three kinds I had for lunch yesterday are from front to back:

Zucchini and bacon, mozzarella and spinach, and potato.

On our walking tour we passed by this statue which is said to

bring good luck to anyone that rubs the man's butt.

Ciao Bella...

2010-08-30T11:44:00.002-04:00

Oh.My.God.

I leave for Italy in one hour.

I don't even think I can describe how I'm feeling right now...

But I'm going to miss my friends and family soooo soooo much.

See you in Rome!

Pitt...

2010-08-23T11:22:00.004-04:00

I can't believe the day is here.

Today is the day we pack the car till it can't be packed anymore.

And drive the 4 long hours of PA Turnpike that we've driven so many times in the past.

But this time's different.

Because Laur's starting college.

And my little sister isn't so little anymore.

I'm so incredibly proud of you baby girl.

And I know you are going to have an amazing time.

And I still reserve the right to call you MooMoo.

Or buy you mcflurries.

Or brag about you to all my friends.

And you can bet we'll have more days filled with

Stuffed animal fights

Trips to Shipoke

Midtown Scholar

Lake Tobias

Late night sequence games

and walks with Trey.

And don't forget, Mike and I are just a click away.

Love you little Lauren.

-Jem

Alley Shark...

2010-08-23T03:40:00.004-04:00

Alley Shark... from James Dunn on Vimeo.

Takin' a stroll down memory lane...

This is a 1 minute silent short film that I completed senior year of high school at CASA. It also happens to be the only actual video I shot over my year at CASA, the rest being hand done animations. In this piece I got to actually utilize the entire PM theatre class, which was pretty exciting. It's pretty surreal being in charge of directing 15-20 people at a time.

Among the talented cast are:

Jelly Fish: Alexandra Peter

Shark: Steve Sudia

Scuba Diver: Zack Moser

Fish: Alison Weisburg, Caitlin Weigel, Kevin Whitmire, and the rest of the film and thetre classes.

Breath...

2010-08-22T13:50:00.000-04:00

So here's a quick little video of some of the wonderful things and people I've come in contact with over the past few months. Hopefully I'll remember to take some more video now that I can edit it.

Alumni Show...

2010-08-22T13:24:00.003-04:00

Capital Area School For The Arts.

Harrisburg Gallery Walk.

So Brielle and I attended the CASA visual art alumni reunion a few days ago. Even though I wasn't in visual art, Kagle still let me put a few pieces in the show.

I ended up putting a whole bunch of etchings from this past semester.

I got to catch up with all the teachers (except Smith), some of my former classmates, Mrs. Hoopes (who I LOVE!), and Anne Alsedek said she wants to possibly buy a print or two!

It's pretty exciting to have stuff hanging up. While it hasn't happened a lot to me, I always feel pretty honored when I do. And they will all be hanging up until December, not to mention that there were some other really great pieces hanging too.

I'm a little disappointed with how this one turned out in the picture.

It is sooo much better in person.

And I really enjoy Brielle's painting of Sean too!

I really miss CASA. I always get a good vibe whenever I walk in there.

Everyone's always smiling, giving hugs, and happy to see you.

We need more of that other places.

Quite Quotable...

2010-08-11T02:21:00.004-04:00

Gotta love late night hangouts with the siblings...

Writing our favorite quotes on the chalkboard wall and just laughing...

Good times.

(p.s.- I know I've been slacking on the logging department... I'll try and get better! Rome in 19 days...)

[Also check out this Blog... it's where I got the idea for the rat-crow. He's pretty sweet.]

Trippin: Gettin Hitched

2010-07-20T04:09:00.009-04:00

Third Stop: Operation Wedding

Next Stop: Back home to Harrisburg

For the final leg of the Road Trip,

my cousin Steve and his beautiful fiance, Steph,

were getting married.

The wedding was held at Saint Anne's

(which coincidentally is where my cousins

on the other side of the family went to grade school).

The ceremony was beautiful

and the reception afterwards was pretty sweet too.

I hadn't seen this side of the family in soooo long.

It was nice to catch up and hear about what everyone was up to.

I couldn't get over how grown up everyone was...

This also happens to be the cousins to which Ellen and I share.

(Even though we aren't technically related at all.)

There was sooo much dancing, including Ellen (crutches and all)!

Below is a video of my youngest cousin Kevin

giving the best man speech.

I love how family comes together to celebrate one another.

p.s.- Hopefully I'll get some better pictures from the ceremony. The two of them are seriously some of the nicest people you will ever meet. I'm so happy for them.

Trippin: Squirrel Hill and Warhol

2010-07-20T03:39:00.015-04:00

Second Stop: Squirrel Hill

Next Stop: Steve's Wedding!

I'm a little late on this...

But I'm getting back into the swing of things since moving home...

Went to Pittsburgh to visit Eric and Tyler...

(This is Eric's beautiful house in Squirrel Hill)

CW took us to a lovely little cupcake shop called Dozen.

Then we ate lunch in the hottest restaraunt everrrrr...

But it was delicious and this sandwich only cost me $3...

We walked around Laur's future school for a bit...

Nice... but I'm still partial to good ol' TU...

Chilled in Schenley Park for a little...

Went back to Tyler and Derek's...

Where Tyler made us Buffalo Chicken Lasagna in the crock pot.

Sooooo good.

Caught up with everyone and what our summer plans were...

Eric's teaching design. Tyler's leading orientations. Derek's working at the Zoo. Kelsey's working/hosting her own radio show. CW's interning at XPN. Chrissy's interning at a magazine.

Met up with Cait's relatives.

Got to see the always hilarious Cwisteeen.

(Love this girl. So silly.)

Went to the Warhol museum...

Which was absolutely ridiculous!

New found respect for that man...

Silver Clouds piece...

Cheesin sooo hard!!!

Passed out as soon as i got in the house after heat exhaustion and the dance party with Juan, CW, Chrissy, and Eric.

Big Juan DJ-ed...

Then made delicious Spaghetti for lunch with CW and Chrissy before saying goodbye and heading off to the 3rd leg in my Pbgh Road Trip.

Trippin: 717 style...

2010-07-07T23:21:00.002-04:00

Let the road trip begin!!!

First stop: the 717!!!

Next Stop: Pittsburgh to visit Eric and Tyler!!!

4th of July

2010-07-04T21:44:00.010-04:00

This is long overdue...

But here's how I spent my 4th of July in Philly.

FREE Matt and Kim concert in Northern Liberties.

Seriously, soo sooo soooo good.

CW whipped out the candy cigarettes, because let's face it...

none of us actually want to smoke real cigarettes.

Jr. came to visit too!!!

I was so glad she came to visit and brought Matt and Truc!

Patriotic jello molds with Stacy and CW...

The all blue brigade...

Awkward elevator rides with these three lovely ladies...

Visits from Tracy...

Fritatas and Watermelon...

Breakfast by Merchadz...

Sooo many eggs...

These lovely four...

Strolls through Center City...

Celebration on the Parkway...

With free drinks, hats, and food!

And to cap it all off...

A dip in the Love Park fountain before Chrissy and I passed out in my apartment and missed the fireworks.

(Luckily we saw some the next day as Scott and Tim's neighbors illegally set some off in the empty lot down the street!)

U.S.of.A.

2010-07-03T11:33:00.003-04:00

Almost everyone is here!!!

We are having a reunited in Philadelphia weekend

to ring in the Fourth of July!

Complete with gregor tag, miniature tanks,

tours of old city, $5 all you can eat ice cream,

and fireworks!

There Are Giants in the Sky...

2010-07-02T03:37:00.010-04:00

There are great big terrible giants in the sky...

I can't believe I forgot to upload my drawing final from two semesters ago... Anyways the assignment was to create a life size or larger black and white self portrait. That's it...

So naturally I chose to depict myself in one of my favorite pastimes: Sleeping.

You can't tell from the pictures but the drawing

is actually 6 feet wide and 7 feet tall.

Way smaller than my last drawing final, but still pretty huge.

I don't know what it is, but there's something about working on such a large scale that really excites me. I love it.

These photos were taken by the very wonderful and talented

Jenni Kowal.

Hoagie Heritage Day...

2010-07-02T03:14:00.003-04:00

So yesterday was one of those "only in Philadelphia" days...

Played tennis with Scott.

Had a lot of fun.

Realized how much I miss tennis.

And how out of shape I am.

Then we met up with Tim and Chrissy.

Biked to the PMA for what else...

Wawa Free Hoagie Day!

They gave out over 1300 hoagies that stretched over a mile long to anyone that was willing to wait in line. Being the frugal college students that we are we had no problem passing the time. Especially since we were able to get seconds... There was Wawa Idol, (which was basically Wawa employees competing in an American Idol contest), a Wawa cover band complete with a menagerie of Wawa jingles, a Rocky Balboa lookalike contest, and speech from Mayor Nutter.

To top it all off we waited as night approached and sat on the famous PMA steps and watched Rocky on a giant screen. There's something pretty surreal about seeing the place where you are sitting being displayed on the screen with Sylvester Stalone running on top of it.

Just an ordinary day in the city of brotherly love...

Argan...

2010-06-28T17:23:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago KB and I got together again in center city to catch up. It just so happened to be the same day as the Philly Pride parade so we watched as tons of people gathered between locust and Penns Landing. It was nice to see so many different types of people out and about in the city. There's just something about being in the presence of a large crowd that are just celebrating life.

Anyways after the parade went by KB and I decided to catch up over some lunch, which is starting to become a pattern with us. But definitely a pattern I enjoy, because it seems like anytime we go out together we find a great new restaurant. This time we ate at Argan Morrocan Cuisine, which is located in the lower level of a building on 17th street. (I actually have to duck to enter.) I had originally heard about it from Christine who said they had a really great variety of vegetarian options, but I ended up getting the lamb which was seriously soooo soooo good. And I need to find out what kind of bread they used. I'd liken it to a cornbread type pita, but even better. And warm. Sooo good. And at $6.50 a sandwich I was pretty pleased!

Monica...

2010-06-27T21:07:00.010-04:00

Here's a charcoal drawing of Monica I did today on

18x24" Strathmore paper.

(I sprayed the final piece, which I don't normally do, and it really killed all the lights.)

Drawing

*Click the box above to see some in-progress photos of the

drawing above from start to finish.

(Once you follow the link hit the "slideshow" button in the top

left to view in slideshow form)

-And if you would like to see some of Monica's amazing

work click here!

Reunited and It Feels So Good...

2010-06-26T22:07:00.001-04:00

Tonight I get to see you since school has ended.

I am beyond excited!

Here's to hoping you'll scratch my head.

Park It Right There...

2010-06-25T14:26:00.004-04:00

Jane Jacobs...

I just had my last day of summer class today, Hallelujah!!! But it's weird to think I still have two more months of summer left. Especially knowing that in two months I'll be on my way outside of the country for the first time.

In the meantime, the last book we read was Jane Jacobs' Life and Death of Great American Cities. I found this book to be probably one of my favorites from the class due to the fluidity to which it read and the subject matter itself. The book focuses on Jacobs' viewpoints on what makes a city, in particularly a neighborhood, successful or unsuccessful.

She narrows her focus down to neighborhoods and parks talking about how parks are a crucial part of merging public and private space among individuals. It is at places like these that we establish bonds with not only friends, but also strangers and other city dwellers that become important in maintaining safety and a working diverse society.

When I think back to my summer here in Philly, a lot of my time has been spent in parks doing just that. Especially in Rittenhouse, to which Jacobs mentions as probably the most successful park in Philadelphia.

Here we are playing a game called miniature tanks.

Soooo fun. Soooo ridiculous.

Completely pointless. ha.

All photos courtesy the lovely CW...

Padre...

2010-06-21T19:21:00.003-04:00

I know I'm a little behind.

And I know I wasn't home to say this in person...

But it doesn't mean I mean it any less.

I love you dad.

I love the way you make crazy eyes when taking pictures.

Or how you cook breakfast in your boxers.

How you taught me how to play sports...

Catch a fish, swing a golf club, draw teeth...

I will always remember our father-son dinners.

And how 9 out of 10 times we ended up at Chef Wongs.

Sesame Chicken, Shrimp and Cashews, and Seafood Delight.

Family style.

I remember all the drives to and from Pittsburgh.

The tunnels I made wishes in.

I remember playing tennis at Brightbill as lightning lit up the sky.

And I remember how grateful you were whenever you'd come home from work at night and I'd have dinner for you.

I love how you fall asleep in front of the tv.

And even though you still till this day say you don't snore,

I love that too.

I love how you have the ability to befriend

anyone you come in contact with.

And are perfectly content either being the center of attention

or an intent listener.

Your stories are unparalleled,

In fact, I'd like to think that's something you passed onto me.

And even though I may not always see it

I secretly love whenever anyone tells me I remind them of you.

Happy father's day dad.

Top photo: Dan-O, me, and little sister circa 1993ish.

Bottom Photo: Mom and Dad in Chinatown, Philadelphi circa Mothers day 2010.

Con-GRAD-ulations...

2010-06-14T22:53:00.002-04:00

Some pictures from Laur's graduation.

I still can't believe she's done with high school now, but we are all so proud of her.

Sibling shot.

Three generations.

This was one of my grandma's photo taking attempts.

It just so happens to be Laur's and my favorite photo also.

Here's a nice family shot with both grandmothers.

I had a really nice time home, even if it was less than 24 hours.

Mike and I had some nice conversations to and from Philly, lunch was excellent, I saw some friends, got to catch up with the grandmas, and even have a 11pm steak dinner.

What more could I ask for.

Graduation Day...

2010-06-09T05:43:00.004-04:00

Hey soul sister...

You did it! And I couldn't be prouder.

See you tonight!!!

(Next stop PITT!)

Oh Chrissy...

2010-06-08T00:32:00.005-04:00

I mean LOV3BABBZ..

Just wanted to say I love this girl! She is seriously one of the most hilarious friends I have--and the best part is she doesn't even try to be. Tonight we spent two hours walking around South Philly in search of a place to eat before we settled on Govinda's Vegetarian Restaraunt. I had the Zucchini Melt and Chrissy had the Chimichanga, both of which were delicious! We ate on her roof with a beautiful view of the city and created an internet dating profile for CF (hence lov3babbz). So many one liners. So many zingers. So much fun.

*Photos from this past Halloween at Penn.

Long Overdue...

2010-06-07T17:13:00.007-04:00

Ok-- I'm officially a bad blogger. It has been far too long. And I really don't have an excuse other than every time I go to update my blog my camera is either not charged, at Caitlin and Christine's, or back in Philly.

(So I guess those are excuses... lame ones, but still.)

Anyways; here is what i have been up to!!!!

(In reverse chronological order because blogger uploads photos strangely.)

Caitlin Bought a dress at the Kinetic Sculpture contest and art fair in Kensington!

Greg came to visit!!! And we creepily stalked Eric from "The Tim and Eric Show" for about 45 minutes.

End result: We didn't meet him, but definitely out-creeped our usual selves.

Lizabeast was probably making fun of CW here... most likely.

Laura Jane was also in attendanceeee!

Love this girl. AND she's from the 717!

Almost had to amputate.

It was badd--with two d's.

Luckily a bag of frozen pea's did the trick.

Next up: Thai and Laotian food with Liz, CW, and Chrissy.

The restaurant was beautiful, and very reasonably priced.

Exploring Passyunk.

(Note CW in the window)

This was the first week Chrissy moved into Italian Market.

We walked around to get our bearings and had lunch.

Dinner of champions.

CW made me peas and macaroni with an Arizona Ice tea as thanks for helping her clean the apartment.

And beleive me when I tell you...

It was soooooooo disgusting.

Still don't believe me, click here.

But look at how beautiful it is now!

Such a nice space, except for the no air conditioning.

Oh this night was great.

Cait and Dee made me spaghetti...

I ate it ALLL it was soo good.

And the two of them made extra because they knew I like to eat.

So considerate. Then we got sucked into HBO movies.

Mother's DAY!

Madre and Padre came to visit! Such a good day.

Pad Thai.

2010-05-27T17:42:00.002-04:00

Ritten House Square is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to eat lunch. Especially when that lunch consists of pad thai and the company of the wonderful KB. We both made a promise to hang out more this summer in Philly and I'm pretty excited about that.

On a different note, I'm going home to Harrisburg either tonight or tomorrow morning. I am beyond excited!

To Do...

2010-05-17T05:54:00.006-04:00

I start my first day of summer session in about 3 hours... I wouldn't say I'm exactly thrilled to be taking the class, especially over the summer, but I know I need too. And if nothing else, at least I know I'll be reading this summer... In the meantime, I've decided I need to do some more things for myself, such as:

1) Wake up and attend every single class.

2) ~~Go grocery shopping more often, even if it's just browsing...~~

3) ~~Make more meals, especially dinners.~~

4) ~~For god's sake, stop putting off laundry.~~

5) ~~Return library books.~~

6) ~~Get lost in the Paley Stacks Art section.~~

7) Get some guts and ride my bike off campus.

8) ~~Sit in Rittenhouse.~~

9) Draw more. Especially the city and from observation.

10) ~~Call and check on internship...~~

11) Find a job/apply to other places.

12) ~~See if I can use the Tyler printmaking studio over the summer.~~

13) Get lost inside the PMA.

14) Visit Mike and Trey.

15) Find a subletter.

Two Decades Later...

2010-05-08T14:10:00.001-04:00

So I still think I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have been alive for 7305 consecutive days on this planet. Leap years included. And I can't help but think about how today seems completely insane as far as growing up. I don't feel older... but who knows, I still have 364.5 more to change my mind and blog about.

Images via my 8th grade graduation art project/book.

26 Years and Counting...

2010-05-08T08:57:00.003-04:00

This is a day late, but yesterday my parents celebrated their

26th wedding anniversary!

I am beyond proud of them and everything they have done together. Building a business. Working hard everyday. And putting up with all Mike, Laur, and my shenanigans. I seriously couldn't ask for better role models or better parents. And to show my appreciation I included two pages from a book that my 8th grade self had to make in art class at Holy Name. And while I'd like to think my vocabulary and grammatical skills have improved in 7 years, the overall message still holds very true.

(Images via my 8th grade graduation project for art/Miss Mahoney. 2003-04)

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow...

2010-05-07T18:53:00.002-04:00

So cutting my own hair might not have been the smartest idea I've ever had. Actually, in the scheme of things it doesn't really rank on my "why did I just do that?" list either... but it does make honorable mention.

Right side.

Aka: The side with a million bald spots.

Left Side.

Aka: The horseshoe side.

Back View.

(This doesn't have a nickname because there aren't bald spots... surprisingly. But it is super uneven; you just can't tell from the picture.)

-Hopefully Steve Sudia can work wonders and fix it. But I'm pretty sure we might just end up shaving it. And this may sound stupid, but the only thing I'm really worried about is the possibility of sunburn.

I dont wanna miss a single thing ya do....

2010-05-04T06:31:00.004-04:00

Equality Forum

2010-05-04T05:59:00.010-04:00

Sunday Liz, Don, and I headed over to Northern Liberties for Equality Forum's Sunday Out! event, which marks the end of the weeklong festival advocating LGBTQ awareness in Philly.

(I got soooo sunburnt. Not fun.)

The Equality Forum is a weeklong event that showcases conferences, meetings, discussions, question and answer sessions, meet and greets, film screenings, seminars about health and safety, and a variety of other events pertaining to LGBT issues. To learn more check it out here.

We had breakfast at Darlings.

And I had almost forgotten how much I missed omelets.

We ran into Sarah Scholl and her friend Rachel at the commitment renewal of vows. And Mike and Joe and some other Drexel friends over at the stage with bands.

Anthony Rapp from Rent was a celebrity guest, and he sang a few songs with the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus that was a dream come true for Sarah.

Ciao.

2010-04-28T01:16:00.001-04:00

I'm ready.

Final Fantasy...

2010-04-26T00:10:00.004-04:00

I love everything about this man. He is witty, intelligent, creative, musical, Canadian--the list could go on and on. And tonight I fell in love with him and his music all over again thanks to the lovely CW treating me to an early birthday present. Two years ago I had the pleasure to road trip to Philly with CW, Liz Jr., and Kim to see him play at the same venue (but in the lower level basement); this time he had the whole main level sanctuary in the First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. It was inspiring... huge stain glass windows, lightning flashing from outside, and the entire place filled to the brim completely silent except for the amazingly beautiful sounds of the violin. I think what makes me love Owen so much is that every time I see him or listen to him on my I-pod I'm immediately taken back to these great memories with great friends. Seriously great night.

Cassowaries...

2010-04-25T04:16:00.005-04:00

In the Studio...

Tonight I was in the studio working on some color prints that utilized stencil work. Here are a few of the variations I ran...

I used anywhere from 3-7 colors in these prints. And started by creating a stencil for each area out of mylar.

The majority of colors were run through the press individually and placed on the drying rack where they dried before I could print the next color. It took longer than I had expected.

These pictures don't really do it justice... (the colors are darkened/weird on here) but I think I may have gotten my scanner to work now. So hopefully I'll be able to scan prints from now on.

Luckily I have Natalie to keep me sane while I'm printing. I am beyond excited she's going to be in Rome at the same time as me!!!

And this is Nat's beautiful Peacock monoprint. She used etching inks mixed with linseed oil to paint on the plate and then run it through the press.

My Letter...

2010-04-23T07:03:00.007-04:00

I recently had an assignment in my Education in Society class to write to someone involved in education about an issue I am passionate about. Little did I know, that I would end up emailing my letter to my entire high school school board, school district school board, and the superintendent as requested by my former art teacher. I've already heard back, and while some of the responses may have been vague, they were all relatively (and in some instances overwhelmingly) positive... which makes me feel like in my own little way, maybe I did make a difference. And at the very least, I put some ideas into their heads. Below is a copy of the letter:

To Whom It May Concern;

My name is James Dunn and I am currently a sophomore Printmaking major with teaching certification at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. I am also a recent graduate of Central Dauphin high school, having graduated in 2008 as part of the National Honor Society, captain of the varsity boys tennis team, Vice president of the art club, and sports editor for the yearbook. I am writing in connection to the proposed budget cuts that are currently being discussed all around the school district, many of which would result in huge cutbacks to the art and music programs. As a future educator, and more importantly someone who not too long ago was still in high school, I urge you to possibly reconsider alternative options or other potential areas in terms of cut backs. I’m currently enrolled in an education class at Temple that is focusing on schooling as an institution in society and the power it has on shaping who a person can become over time. Ever since I was little art has been a huge part of my life, whether it be doodling on the walls with crayon when I was three or sitting in my intro to psych class last week drawing out models of psychological theories because I’m a more visual learner. Art has been an outlet for me to convey things that I otherwise may not have felt comfortable enough expressing. It has unlocked a passion for teaching that I would not have found if not for the art program at Central Dauphin and the opportunity to study film and video my senior year at the Capital Area School for the Arts. But more importantly I felt like the art room was the one place in high school that I could go to and feel safe; feel understood.

Freshman year I had the opportunity to apply for a certification program here at Temple regarding arts in healthcare and community-based settings. I submitted a portfolio of mostly work completed in my senior year of high school and CASA and watched, as I was the only freshman admitted into a program where the majority of my peers were either in their third or final year of undergraduate studies. I strongly believe that the concepts I learned through my time in Central Dauphin’s art program allowed me to compete and learn with people three or four years older than myself. Not to mention the motivational push that I as a student felt after realizing that people had responded so positively to my work; and how that motivation carried on not only in terms of my art, but also in how I perceived my other academic subjects. I began utilizing art in math with geometry and proportioning, illustrating my short stories and essays for English, and even creating projects that centered around the history of art and society when it came to geography or human studies classes. I couldn’t and still can’t get enough of it, and ever since adopting this philosophy of utilizing art in other forms of academia my grades have continued to flourish.

I’ve spoken with educators in both Philadelphia and Harrisburg regarding arts and music in schools and the overwhelming response across the board is that they all view art as a means to enrich and reinforce what is taught in every other class. Art can be a vehicle to gain a deeper understanding of a certain period in history and the actual process of figuring out how to make or create helps students develop problem-solving skills that can be used in other classes as well as every day life.

The school district of Philadelphia has been participating in a test program for the past 4 years called the Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership or PAEP that utilizes the philosophy I just mentioned above in my own experience, but rather than rely on the student figuring it out on their own, they recognize this need for alternative learning methods and the power that art can have on unlocking a child’s preconceived notions of school and learning as a negative thing. They have begun working with teachers in all subjects and seeing how simple things like writing a short story in English and then illustrating it later in art class can increase class discussion and student comprehension remarkably. The program also utilizes teaching artists, colleges and universities around the city, as well as arts and cultural organizations throughout the region to foster this excellence in arts-in-education practice as well as create a sense of community building. It’s a program that brings arts-based learning experiences into students’ lives, while encouraging this newfound love for education as a whole.

It is this new love for education and this passion to learn based off of art-based learning that I believe could have a monumental affect on the students in our district. I urge you to strongly reconsider the budget cuts to art and music programs across the Central Dauphin school district; looking into alternative measures to save money rather than sacrifice the critical need for departments such as these, that foster creative and academic pursuits both inside and out of the classroom.

Sincerely,

J.D.

My Ticket Outta Here...

2010-04-19T01:00:00.010-04:00

It's official! Got my passport in the mail!!!

And as strange as it sounds...

I still don't think the idea of Rome has really sunk in yet.

In other news:

Studio finals are all next week.

So im busy busy busy.

Handyman...

2010-04-16T00:24:00.003-04:00

So I had a really good crit today in ceramics. We put all the dining sets on a table out in the courtyard and had our critique outside which was a nice change in pace. My classmates had some really nice things to say about my set, so that was pretty sweet. I didn't get to take pictures yet because Matt still needs to grade them, but when I get it back I'll update the blog. In the meantime here are some in progress shots of my final.

Pie Day...

2010-04-15T14:24:00.003-04:00

So here's a recap of Spring Fling this year.

-Dee pied Charlotte in the face for pediatric aides research.

-Painting was cancelled.

-I hung out with friends all day.

-I did no school work... and now I'm regretting it.

-It rained a lot.

But all in all.... it was a pretty sweet day.

"Somethings"...

2010-04-15T00:06:00.005-04:00

So this past Saturday Brielle had her art show opening, "Somethings", at South Philly Comics.

Our friend Emily's brother owns the store and has started showing art there as part of the "Second Saturday" campaign.

And even though B was stressed out, I'm proud of her. (As was her dad!)

Afterwards Keiran and I took a tour of South Philly via her life saving I-phone's gps. And stopped to get some pizza for dinner and have a lovely catch up session.

Tea For Two...

2010-04-09T12:37:00.002-04:00

Assignment: Create a Dining Set for Two.

Two Tea cups.

Two sushi plates.

2 Sake Cups.

4 Cups.

(Today I find out if anything blew up in the kiln... wish me luck!)

Another Sunny Day....

2010-04-09T12:19:00.002-04:00

So earlier this week I had a lovely impromptu lunch out on the beach by the bell tower with Mercedes, Kelsey, Corrie, Dee, Keiran, and Julie.

They were even nice enough to find a place that was half in the shade so I wouldn't get too burned. (They're good friends!) The weather has been sooooo nice lately.

It seems like all of Philadelphia has been outside this week.

Photos Courtesy of my Cell Phone...

Senegalese Soup: Heaven in a Cup...

2010-04-05T03:07:00.002-04:00

Sweet Christ Almighty! Caitlin was not lying... last week I tried this soup for the first time and I am hooked! It is absolutely wonderful! And to be honest, I sort of fell in love with it even before even trying it. Read Cait's own blog post about this cup of heaven and you'll see what I mean.

Identity...

2010-04-04T00:16:00.004-04:00

So we had a class crit on the 6 portraits we were to do for painting class. I'm still not sure as to how my paintings were perceived, because out of the entire class mine weren't really discussed. I guess I'm a little frustrated with that because while they seem like rather straightforward paintings, they each actually have a pretty particular reason as to why I chose them. Frank's going to talk with us individually on Tuesday though, so hopefully that yields better results.

My particular series focused on perceptions and how what you see isn't always necessarily what you get. I related them all back to me directly in terms of what society dictates as the social "norm" and how I and most people I know don't actually fit into these unachievable molds; as well as made sure they were all Pennsylvanians.

Celebrity: Bill Cosby

-Challenging the idea of Bill as the archetype for American fathers and a success story,

but downplaying the recent scandals about cheating and sexism.

Seduction: Pink

-Challenging the societal view that women are seductive and can increase that seduction by showing cleavage, despite the fact that I (and many others) have no attraction whatsoever to this archetype.

Stranger: Calley

-Challenging the idea that while Calley and I share the same last name we are not, at least to either of our knowledge, related at all. I also wanted to explore the idea that you could have an entire relationship over the internet with someone without ever actually meeting them in public.

Familiar: Lauren

-I chose my sister to represent the idea of a unconditional love relationship. We often fight and disagree, but when push comes to shove, she probably knows more about me than any other person in my life.

Critical Comment: Self Portrait

-This is a critical comment on society's perception of me as an individual. I am a firm believer that a person is made up of a multitude of different attributes that contribute to their identity, but society is constantly defining people by one aspect of their life.

All works are Acrylic on paper.

Last Week...

2010-04-03T23:32:00.007-04:00

So last Saturday was National Passport Day. Meaning that post offices around the country were making it easier to apply for your passport. Seeing as how I have never been outside the country, and upon the recent mind boggling news about study abroad, I was in need of said identification. So I headed back to the lovely 717 where I had a really relaxing and fun weekend.

Laur and Ash picked me up from the train station with Trey in tow and we headed over to Wildwood to catch up and get Trey to blow off some of his energy.

I made them pose next to flowers just like my mom used to makes us do when we were younger. Looking back on it, a lot of my childhood was spent walking the trails and boardwalks of this park.

After getting my passport, Laur and I headed into town to see a sculpture that had been accepted into the Susquehanna Art Museum's Central PA H.S. show.

I am beyond proud of my little sister. I couldn't believe how nonchalantly she mentioned it to me at home... I made sure to tell her a thousand times how much of a big deal it was. And how I never got to show anything there when I was in H.S. And then after we headed over to Neato to split a burrito and celebrate. We got the Cowboy Crunch and Laur was way more impressed with the food this time around that she said she could finally see what I've been talking about all this time...

I took Laur into Midtown to explore and see if we could find Chickey's new gallery. We couldn't, but ran into Mr. Smith in the newly renovated and absolutely beautiful bookstore/cafe: Midtown Scholar. Seriously, Laur and I were talking about it, and if we ever decided to open up a store together this would be it.

Mr Smith and Moviate were hosting a concert there later that night and told us to check it out, which we did and it was soooo sweet. The main band had actually opened up for Sigur Rosa few times before. And we ran into Val and Chickey, who showed us the new space forMANTIS, which is actually next door to the bookstore.

Other activities included:

Dinner in Hummelstown.

Jimmy Buffet family Sing-a-longs in the car.

The Dreaded Girl Scout Mass.

Spontaneously sitting next to Terry on the train back to Philly.

Poster design courtesy Moviate and Tara Chickey.

"Woodn't You Know It"

2010-03-25T03:01:00.005-04:00

So Saturday night I spent 12 hours in the printmaking studio working on my woodcut... 12 consecutive hours. Here are some sneak peaks. Better pictures later.

It was actually pretty sweet. Around 8pm the last person left, so I had the etching studio all to myself.

Today we had a work in progress crit on both the woodcut and our aquatints.

Let me first start off by saying... aquatints are mad hard.

But I think I may know how to do them now. Emphasis on may.

And this beautiful weather seems to be putting everyone in a good mood. I even got a few compliments out of Dan. So that was just icing on the cake.

Long Lost Shaker of Salt....

2010-03-18T00:25:00.003-04:00

I can't believe I kept these pictures and videos on my camera!

I thought I had lost them when my computer crashed! Here's some line dancing from winter break where Cait, Beth, Lyndsay, and I learned how (or rather attempted) to polka.

Say Whatttttt?!!!

2010-03-17T00:19:00.002-04:00

So I've got some pretty exciting news. And it's going to affect you in the near future dear blog. It turns out that I'll be in Italy come August 30th, studying at Temple's Rome campus next semester. I can hardly contain my excitement. This is unreal.

Saw Dust Shmaw Dust...

2010-03-16T05:38:00.002-04:00

Just got home from the studio. Had to piece my rocket ship back together for the crit tomorrow. The idea is to fill the empty space with glue-soaked saw dust. Let it dry. Sand it. And then paint it in order to fix the vessel. And after I did that, I worked on some handles for my mugs.

Spring Break Recap #2...

2010-03-16T04:59:00.006-04:00

Recap #2!!!

Trip to Pittsburgh with Sarah and Aaron!

(sorry I slept some of it Sar.)

1st stop: Permanti Brothers!

Pastrami: Soooo delicious.

Sarah and Arron both got "The Pittsburgher"

2nd Stop: Copeland Concert!!!!

so so so so good!

3rd Stop: South Side. To visit with Ty-Jack, Derek, Neil, Sam, and Carrie.

South Side reminds me a lot of South Street in Philly.

Bookstore we said Liz Til will one day own.

4th Stop: I explored the city and drew a little while Tyler was at work.

This city has such a beautiful skyline.

5th Stop: Photo Shoot walk with Marcus and Tyler!

Squid!!!

Marcus!!!

Seriously, the buildings were prettier than Philly's.

Tyler's photo on exhibit.

I'm so proud of him that I made him pose in front of it.

6th Stop: Lunch and people-watching.

Why did I think Einstein Bagels was just in the SAC at Temple?

(p.s.- This one was sooo much nicer than the one in the SAC.)

7th Stop: Back to Harrisburg, where I was on dog-sitting duty.

Mom and Dad saved me some salmon

(my third time having it in the week, I LOVE salmon)

and I learned how to cook it on the grill.

Spring Break Recap #1...

2010-03-16T04:43:00.003-04:00

Spring Break Recap!!!

I was so happy for this break.

Sometimes I get in a funk and need a change of scenery to get me back on page.

And the lovely 717 proved to be an excellent choice.

Sunday I helped my mom sort files in the office.

And then we went out for lunch.

Shrimp Scampi.

Laur and I took Trey into the city

and we walked along Front Street and the river.

I missed cooking.

Rice and Beef Stirfry.

Laur treated me to Qdoba.

And then got me into see Tim Burton's "Alice and Wonderland"

FOR FREE!!!

(She's the best.)

Cilantro.

2010-03-08T20:54:00.004-05:00

I LOVE NEATO BURITO!!!

Almost as much as I love this girl!

Seriously... she is by far one of the best conversationalists I know.

She gets me.

Monday's Burrito of the day is "We Salute You Cilantro"

And it just so happens to be my favorite of the neato variety.

After lunch, Dax and I headed over to Dauphin to meet up

with the always lovely Ally Coy.

And as mentioned, it was lovely.

We drove over Peter's Mountain for ice cream and got lost in the country.

I love spontaneous trips.

Before Break...

2010-03-07T00:36:00.007-05:00

Let me tell you about my Friday before spring break using pictures:

Had lunch with Liz and Corrie. And Don.

Awkwardness ensued.

Then Liz and I ran into J. Carr outside Club Tech.

Heated debates were had.

Then I made my way over to Tyler.

Where I ran into Sarah Dixon and Brielle.

They were both ready for break...

Then I headed into the printmaking studio

to pull some proofs of my woodcut.

They were out of black so I used this kinda nasty blue.

Which in retrospect I probably shouldn't have used because it was

really dray and sticky. And was sooooooooo hard to clean up.

(As far as the prints go... it was my first attempt at a woodcut.

I'm not 100% happy with it, but i LOVE this type of printing process.)

Then I threw some vessels in the ceramics studio.

I think if nothing else comes out of this class,

I am beyond happy that I have learned how to throw pottery.

It's something I find really relaxing and until I tried it,

really had no previous desire to attempt it.

Then after dinner with Dee, Corrie, Alex, and Josh

I headed over to the library to do some research...

I swear Miss Gibson was a librarian in her past life.

I have never seen anyone find books as fast as she can.

Spring Break...

2010-03-06T10:29:00.001-05:00

Goodbye Philadelphia!

Hello 717!!!

(Well at lest for a week)

Robo-Cop...

2010-03-04T04:43:00.002-05:00

I've been pulling a lot more all nighters this semester.

And while I forgot to take pictures of the school-wide student show that just came down, a few things are still up greeting visitors.

Like giant 14 armed two story printing robots...

Covered in glitter.

Outhouse water fountains.

This is probably one of the most underrated projects on display... mostly because everyone walks on it. But the artist used a cylindrical tool dipped in ink to create this really ornate repetitive pattern the entire length of the hallway...

I actually really love it.

Clear waterfalls...

And I even got to catch up with the lovely and very talented Sarah Dixon.

Where she showed me some work that she's currently working on and I got to pose for some pictures.

It's Like Pulling Teeth...

2010-03-04T04:24:00.005-05:00

Painting Assignment: Create a still life with some sort of alternate meaning.

So for this assignment I decided to tackle a fear I've had ever since 1st grade. My parents own their own dental practice so my siblings and I have basically grown up in that office and have seen teeth and the world of dentistry ever since I can remember. I love the dentist office, I actually find it sort of soothing... as long as I'm not getting my teeth checked. Enter 1st grade when I tripped over a coffee table and broke my jaw; causing me to get oral surgery and have my mouth wired shut. Ever since then I have had this irrational fear of people touching the inside of my mouth. I guess in a way I may be nervous of loosing my voice. My ability to communicate and share my thoughts and ideas. And to me the very concept of being able to take something like that away from a person is terrifying to me. Hence the teeth: Representing a constant pull in my life between comfort and anxiety.

Molars.

Oil and Acrylic.

Masonite. 24''x24''.

(The 1st two images are close ups. This was my first actual attempt at oil...)

Lunch Dates...

2010-03-04T03:51:00.005-05:00

So I know I've been slacking on the blogging situation. But I swear it's not because I didn't want to... I've just been sooooo busy! Spring break is just around the corner and honestly, I couldn't be happier about that. Here are a few photos of the wonderful ladies to which I've had lunch with this semester...

Sarah always knows how to make me smile.

Not to mention boost my morale and get me in a better mood every single time.

These ladies say they hate my pictures.

But deep down I think they are lying.

Even though Chrissy hides from them...

The food this one makes me is like heaven in a bowl.

And these two brave the bitter cold when I want to get a late night, 2 am snack at Sev.

Because they love me.

I know--I'm lucky to have them all in my life.

Bookin It!

2010-02-16T05:35:00.001-05:00

BIG NEWS!!!

My MACbook came yesterday!

It is beautiful, and wonderful, and so nice to have a computer again.

Hopefully now I'll be able to post more steadily.

Now off to sleep for a few hours...

Michael Patrick.

2010-02-09T05:42:00.006-05:00

Brother-

Seems like yesterday mom was having me call you in for dinner. You of course are outside shooting 3's in the dead of winter, snow all around. Wearing your heavy coat.
Seems like yesterday I thought I was going to die of exhaustion due to you chasing me all around the car after I peed on your leg when I was 6.
Or the bloody murder screams from when I slammed your finger in the dresser when I was 4.
Or the time you sneezed cereal on me at breakfast.
From across the table.
Twice.
I remember going to your CYO games and eating HNJ fries almost every time.
Or when you shot your thousandth point and they put your name on the banner.
I remember getting to school late every single day of freshman year because you drove.
Or how you, dad, and I went golfing when we were younger.
I remember when you lost Rocky in the woodpile...
and he lost his tail.
Or how Mr. Thom yanked that box turtle off your chest.
Your bunny shorts will forever be immortalized.
Not to mention the numerous Mcflurry, Frosty, BigMac, and Arby's runs we've made.
I remember when you left for school.
And when you graduated.
Part of me wants to go back to the simpler times.
Back to 949 Penna Avenue where we could play countless games of cops and robbers, capture the flag, and whiffle ball.
And then there's the other part of me...
the part that says here we are:
23.
Grad School.
My 2nd year of college.
And Laur's last year of high school.
And I can't help but think about all the times we laughed.
And how you were responsible for 95% of that laughter.
And it makes me less nervous about the next 23 years.
Because regardless of what happens...
Laur and I will always have you there.
To make us pee with laughter.
And play midnight games of Sequence.

Happy Birthday Mike.

Because You.... (#9)

2010-02-09T05:28:00.004-05:00

Christine.

Because you are from New Hampshire,
where you "Live free or die trying."
You are wicked funny. Most of the time without even trying to be. You introduced me to New England. I love how driven you are to become a writer... and how I brag to all my friends that you write for an actual magazine. And how you always dress so professionally.

Our awkward moments are some of my favorite. And I really don't know if I would survive school without you. Even if we do creep each other out from time to time. Parties are always better when Krizzy's present. And I can't think of a single time in my two years of knowing you where you've had a bad hair day.

Not to mention you share a birthday with my brother!
Hope your 20th was wonderful!!!

Cassowaries...

2010-02-08T19:45:00.003-05:00

Etching: Today I pulled my first print in Etching. (This is actually a picture of my second attempt). Basically you cover the copper plate in a tar-like substance called gamsol, etch into the tar exposing the copper. You then drop it in acid for various amounts of time to get the different line qualities. This being my first etching, I was actually pretty surprised at how well it came out. But now I have ink all over my hands...

Wheel of Fortune...

2010-02-08T00:13:00.003-05:00

Fact: Ceramics may quite possibly be the death of me. Particularly wheel throwing. I want to be good at it, I'd even settle for being halfway decent, but I have a feeling I'm a far ways away from reaching that goal. Oh well, I still have a lot of fun while working on it, and in all actuality find it pretty therapeutic. Not to mention how completely awestruck at how easy my professor makes it look in the demos. Photos: My attempts at making the "perfect cylinder"

Fort Nam...

2010-02-08T00:04:00.004-05:00

This weekend was all kinds of crazy. Mostly because of the ridiculous amounts of snow the East coast received. Philly got about 20+ inches... Back home they got over 2 feet. CRAZY! This first picture was taken around 7am. I went to the ceramics studio the night before and ended up sleeping/working there all night, which was fun because I was apprently the only student in Tyler that late. So the security guards and I got to talk a little bit, which is always a nice surprise. This is where most of my Saturday was spent. Since the entire campus was closed, Cait, Corrie, and Alex built a fort in their apartment. We dubbed it "Fort Nam". Movies were watched. Food was eaten. Naps were taken. And countless conversations were had...

Oh Fort Nam... where dreams come true.

Nanners and Mangos...

2010-02-05T14:03:00.002-05:00

Went to the new Fresh Grocer the other day with Mer, Chrissy, Corrie, and Mary. It is absolutely beautiful! I'm all about having a full grocery store in North Philly!!!

(Naturally I bought Arizona Ice Tea.)
I met up with Dee and Corrie after I got my hair cut.
(Which I am soooo happy with and it feels sooooo good. Not to mention lighter!)
It was my first time getting Master Wok in a longggg time. But it was a special occasion, I love those two.
Now I'm off to the Microfinance meeting with J.Carr that Brianne's holding in the Tech Center!
I'm all about helpin others when I can. And J.C and B-Murph seem super enthused for it...
Which is always really refreshing and gets me feeling optimistic and motivated.
HUZZAHS all around!

Ellen.Harvey.

2010-02-03T11:44:00.006-05:00

Today it snowed...

I found my second etching plate idea...
Learned about Native Americans in Education...
And cognitive and developmental behavior in Psych...
Now off to lunch with the roomie and Dee.
Paint two paintings for Frank's class tomorrow.
And potentially hang out in ceramics later tonight?

Happy Birthday Fam.

I hope you get all the pirate paraphernalia your heart desires.

Because You... (#8)

2010-02-02T01:08:00.003-05:00

Kim.
Because you are one of my oldest friends.
And have managed to stay one of my closest. I never have to censor a single story or fact or opinion, because 99% of the time you agree with me. And that 1% that you don't, is usually because you say I'm not giving myself enough credit. You are always there living life to its fullest. In fact it's that spontaneity that I truly admire and try to emulate in my own life. You know you make mistakes, but are the first person to admit that, and learn from them.

You are the only person I know that can rock a ponytail on the top of your head and bright orange and blonde highlights. You would buy a lizard out of nowhere. Know every single Filipino on the East Coast. Share a SYTYCD obsession. Introduce me to a Finish exchange student. Fantasize about living in NYC together. Go on midnight mcflurry runs. And wear rompers.

And even though Tyler and I give you a hard time about going to school in the midwest, know that we really only do it to mask the fact that it means we miss you that much more. On the 24th you celebrated your 20th birthday, and while I look back on the 15 years that we've known each other, I honestly couldn't have asked for a better friend.
Happy Birthday.

Blast Off!!!

2010-02-02T00:36:00.003-05:00

This weekend I...
1)Worked in the ceramics studio for over 6 hours.
2)Reunited with old CASA friends.
3)Spent a day in the city, while it snowed.
4) Visited PhillyAides Thrift for the first time.
5) Caught up with Chelsea. And set plans for Phillagraphicka.
7) Spent time with the beautiful Brianne.
8) Slept a ton.
photo: My coil pot spaceship... unfinished.

Every Now and Then...

2010-01-29T00:51:00.004-05:00

To Do:

-Classes

-Pay Electric Bill

-Money Order

-Haircut

-Ceramics

-Etching

-E-mail Nicole

about Painting

Anchor's Away!!!

2010-01-29T00:43:00.003-05:00

Oh Pennsylvania Farmshow...

You are one tradition that never disappoints.

I wish you were longer than a week though

Because I could really really use a milkshake

not to mention a canoe ride.

Photo's Courtesy Caitlin and her MiniDiana.

Ty-Jack's Words to Live By...

2010-01-29T00:17:00.006-05:00

Sometimes when I get down... I look at things friends have written or shared about me. It may be something as little as a post-it note or a whole blog post. Either way, it gives me a little bit of extra motivation at times when I need it. Below is a paper I have read and re-read multiple times since it was written a semester ago. My best friend Tyler wrote it for an art appreciation class he took at Point Park... and honestly, it's reasons like these that make me appreciate why I create art and have such amazing friends.

"When it comes to art, there are very few artists and artistic pieces that I would consider myself to enjoy; but the piece of art that I love the most comes from one of my favorite artists and my best friend, Jimmy Dunn. This piece of art is a portrait of me tht Jimmy drew for my birthday, using pencil and water color pencils. Firstly, this portrait amazes me, because not only does it look exactly like me, which most would expect it should, but it is also perfectly colored and amazingly well done. But my main reasons for loving this portrait lie outside its artistic qualities. One of the main reasons I love this portrait is because it was a gift, from one best friend to another, and one that I will probably keep the rest of my life. Jimmy has always been known for drawing of his friends for gifts, and for as long as I've been asking him to draw me one, I almost thought I wouldn't be lucky enough to receive one. But now I have an original, one that will probably never be reproduced, and that belongs soley to me; and I enjoy this; because it is a reminder that Jimmy appreciates me enough as a friend to personally take the time to create a piece for me and about me. But as a whole, this portrait will always remind me of the friendship we have, how much I appreciate that friendship, and how much I miss my best friend everyday while he's off making himself into the artist he's always dreamed of being."

-Tyler Jackson

Glitter in the Air...

2010-01-21T23:32:00.004-05:00

"Have you ever thrown a fistful of glitter in the air.

Have you ever looked fear in the face and said I just don't care..."

I've never intentionally thrown glitter... but I'm starting to think it's one life experience I may need to make a reality. In Rittenhouse square perhaps? Anyways back to my day: So I'm definietely no master potter or anything, but I am really thankful I had ceramics right after painting today. Normally I'm not too fond of having two studios right next to eachother, but painting class was a little rough. And while I started out saying the only reason I was taking ceramics was for my teaching certificate, the more classes I have, the more I'm starting to actually enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still god awful at it, but I'm improving... today I pretty much doubled my pot size which probably doesn't mean that much to too many people. So you'll just have to trust me when I say it's kind of a big deal. I'm making a spaceship and some type of outer-space smelling concoction to put inside of it. I'll let you know what happens, but until then...Blast off!

*Since I'm still computer-less and therfore cannot upload any new photos... I'll leave you with some pictures of a few friends and I at the Farm Show over winter break. I'm sculpting butter in the top one. Yep-only in central PA.

Temple's New Branch Campus: Zombieland

2010-01-20T22:22:00.003-05:00

Today I had my second round of first day of classes. If that even makes any sense? Anyways--Education seems like it'll be alright. My professor is from the Bronx, a "very proud New Yoooorker", and seems like a pretty engaging speaker. As far as content, I kinda feel like a lot of the education classes here are pretty similar and just elaborate on their prerequisets.

Psych with Dee is probably going to be the bain of my existance this semester. Seriously, the only good thing o forsee about this class is not having to suffer through it alone. Dee is wonderful company... even if we do whisper loudly. That and the section about all kinds of mental diseases-- I'm looking forward to that part of the course. More and more I'm itching to get into art therapy... and while I thought I wanted to work primarily with kids, now I'm not so sure. I blame it on shows like Criminal Minds and Bones.

I'm also going to have to adjust to this HUGE lapse of time I have before my next class... Etching. Today I took a 2.5 hour nap and still had an hour to go get lunch... crazy, but could be a good thing come mid-semester when I start to get fewer hours of sleep per night.

Lastly: Etching. I am in love with this class. More specifically I am in love with Dan Dallman. He is soooo cool and the best part is he doesn't even try. This may seem weird, but I can't tell you how refreshing it is to finally see someone who is successful, follows the rules, stays on everyone's good side, holds a high status of power, respect, and work. Plus he's a super nice guy and really dedicated teacher. Today he just whipped up an intaligo print in about 15 minutes as part of our demo. He's doing a very good job selling me on the printmaking department. Add to that the fact that I have two pretty close friends in the class too and I seriously couldn't be happier.

Sidenote: Saw Zombieland at the Reel $2 movie theatre. Reaffrimed a few things: I hate zombies. I hate clowns. I hate gunshots. Scary movies aren't exactly my thing... But I love popcorn. And my friends. And the low low price of $2.

And So It Begins.... (Again)

2010-01-19T22:18:00.003-05:00

First day of classes...

Painting: 2.5 hours. We went over the syllabus, Frank scared the crap out of me with this workload. And then we watched a documentary about cinematography and compositions for an hour and 45 minutes. And while I'm mildly terrified of the amount of out of class work... mainly because I haven't seriously painted since my senior year of high school... I think I need this.

Positives: He's strict, and slightly reminiscent of Helen Bailey, who I loved. I feel as though this will force me into working harder in order to impress him. Also, he covers both oil and acrylic, which thinking about it more is probably a really good thing for me.

Ceramics: 2.5 hours. We went over the syllabus. Took roll. And played a name game. I'm not too sure what to expect from this course, I've never done ceramics before. In fact, until today I had never actually even been in the ceramics studios at Tyler.

Positives: Class was only 15 minutes today. My professor seems super cool. He's a grad student, so I kinda feel like he's going to be a little more open to all kinds of projects.

Tomorrow: Education, Psych, and Etching.

(First education assignment! To decorate a posterboad that depicts the different types of schools you've attended.)

Positives: