Friday, November 29, 2013

BUFFALO

After packing up all of our stuff and being in San Diego for a week, I'm going a little stir-crazy for my workstation at home...which no longer exists. The following was an older practice, again using Sharon Montrose's WORK  as a reference. This was the first one I did of her work, and remains my favorite. Bison remind me of Christmas in New Mexico near the Jemez mountains, which is always a good memory.

Happy Thanksgiving.


Saturday, November 23, 2013

SUSHI FISH

For one of our last night in Tempe, AZ, Nick and I went to a cheap sushi place, the same that we once "celebrated" Valentine's Day. I think it was our second date. The sushi isn't phenomenal, but it isn't $300 a meal, like Jiro Ono's sushi restaurant from JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI. It seems like a sin to go eat cheap sushi after watching such a masterpiece, but alas!

Moving is going well, but I feel like a crazy person, so it's nice to have my watercolours to keep me semi-calm.

Here's to moving to Austin, where FOOD IS ALWAYS BETTER.


Friday, November 22, 2013

TWO HORSES

I felt compelled to follow with the rule of three, based on my TWO FRIDAS and TWO URSAS. Today will be my last day for a week or so since we're packing up and moving to Austin(!); I'm eager about our new prospects in the Lone Star Republic. Speaking of which, Sid Mashburn had some excellent TEXAS-INSPIRED GRAPHIC DESIGN on their webpage right now.

Millie and Trace, my mother-in-law's dog-like horses


Cheers,

Alli

Thursday, November 21, 2013

CONSTELLATION: TWO URSA MAJORS

If you were to walk into the room I grew up in, turn off the lights, and look up, you'd see dozens of green-yellow glow-in-the-dark dots arranged in a handful of the most recognizable constellations: Orion, both Ursas, Serpens, etc. As a kid, I had an unspoken obsession with astronomy; I would nerd out in my room with these little information cards about red giants, asteroids, black holes, and all sorts of moons.

This painting was done this summer, inspired by a lovely print of a starry Buffalo in an Apartment Therapy post, but I can't seem to find it again which is very sad.

Enjoy.


And since I'm in the mood for throwbacks, I think this MOUNTAIN GOATS SONG compliments.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

TWO FRIDAS

One of my best friends through middle and high school introduced me to Frida Khalo. It wasn't until college that I actually considered her an artist I could enjoy for myself because her work had, in my mind, somehow belonged to the girl I rolled with. This is similar to the phenomena of teenagers trying to own bands and music to their persona; this is especially true for kids growing up in a place like Austin, TX, where your playlist becomes identity. If there's one truth to glean from Khalo's work, it's that identity can be tortuous. Identify is about self, and it separates the we from the they. Recently, several amazing ladies and I discussed identity as a side effect of pride, and how, when you set aside the importance of your identity, you are able to make peace. I liked the conversation simply because my world has seemed quite loud and busy recently, so I enjoy things that re-center my life and allow focus into the hustle and bustle. Painting helps, too.

Hope you enjoy.






Tuesday, November 19, 2013

PROMOTIONAL POSTER: THE LORD LACKBEARDS

I did a series of posters to promote my friend's theatre company, THE LORD LACKBEARDS, out of Wellington, NZ. They're currently mounting their summer school tour of two plays, R&J, and Bedtime Monsters. I love that their summer is actually during the fall and spring terms for us, being on the opposite side of the equator. My friend would always come back to the states from Christmas break tanned while we were all white as ghosts.

This was a fun project and brought me back to my salad days of undergraduate theatre group posters.

Break a leg, Lackbeards!


Monday, November 18, 2013

SHAKESPEARE AT WINEDALE WATERCOLOR MAP

Time becomes elastic when you live and work in the same place, uninterrupted, with nothing vying for your attention except words, words, words. My summer of 2009 is a non-linear memory of specific locations or buildings (all within a two mile radius) where great things happened with my favorite people. This homage is not only google-mappingly sound, but it represents a private story that brings back good times - and can for most Winedalers. Enjoy, comrades.



SHAKESPEARE AT WINEDALE, affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin
est. 1970


Sunday, November 17, 2013

ALEXANDER POPE WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU

Today, I was inspired by HARK! A VAGRANT's misquotation shenanigans (see row 3...oh! harhar). There is a need for more poets in the gym.


The unbastardized version:

"To err is human[e]; To forgive, divine." An Essay on Criticism, 1711

Saturday, November 16, 2013

THE BEST OF THE SOUTHWEST

Weekend Edition

My travels through the southwest have sent me to a lot of cool places since 2010, although I wouldn't consider Coastal California a part of the southwest (my husband Nick does, but I imagine San Diego is too burnt-out surfer to hang with cowboys and Indians). Eastern California, however, definitely qualifies.



#1: TEXAS
Barbeque, tacos, rolling green hills, cold rivers, huge oak trees, and lots of sunny people. Also, the No. 1 Volleyball program in the Nation (Hook 'Em).
Austin, TX


#2: NEW MEXICO
If New Mexico was the answer to a personality test it would mean "loner" and "prickly." Its soundtrack is IMPOSSIBLE SOUL by Sufjan Stevens. It is my favorite place to be.
Shiprock, Navajo Nation


#3: ARIZONA
I have a love-hate relationship with this state. It has redeeming qualities, like Flagstaff and Tucson, but it's too difficult to see past the brutal nine months of summer because I can't really enjoy the winter reprieve because I dread: "Oh God it's only three months of this till it heats up again," and when it's actually summer all I can think of is how I need to get away from the heat, but that takes a lot of energy and it's so freaking hot so then I break down like an overheated iPhone: completely useless.
Phoenix, AZ




#4: CALIFORNIA 
 An Arizonan's way to escape (seriously).
San Diego, CA + San Francisco, CA


Friday, November 15, 2013

RELATIONAL CURRENCY IN THE 21ST CETURY


I've recently taken a hiatus from Facebook. These are two reasons why:

#1: My long-distance friendships (coupled with my inability to sit and compose letters, send a postcard, or pick up that fancy phone/tiny computer and dial them) get reduced to shallow monkey clicking on the photos that stimulate the most visual feedbacks to my brain or on the statuses that are much more clever than my own. I need to do more to connect to my fellow man, especially ones I'm actually friends with. I'm hoping that axing this fast-food version of correspondence will promote healthier, more meaningful connexions.

#2: There are  SEVEN WAYS to be insufferable on Facebook. I've been culpable of a few of them, like posting lots of food pictures and cutesy relationship or shameless pet pictures. I've never done the most annoying one: No. 5, Oscar speeches: "I just want to say how thankful I am for all of you who have touched my life. Your support means everything and I couldn’t have gotten through a lot of things in the last year without you!" barf. Most of the time it's the "bragging" posts I see (No. 1 on the list), from all sorts of friends and family members - you know the ones: instant eye-rollers. Is life truly that great for you? Or are we all constantly deluding ourselves? Or are YOU trying to delude ME into how great your life has turned out, like Romy and Michelle? 

And look, I don't think I'm being cynical. If there's one thing I've learned from Winedale and being a teacher, you enjoy life regardless of the sucky bits, accepting things without cynicism. But there's something so calculated, robotic, and unhuman-like about these kinds of brainless cries for attention. I can't stand reading them over and over again, even from people I admire and respect and especially from people I don't. So I'm putting earplugs in.

On a more positive note, non-complainy note: I do believe THIS SONG will put a bounce in any pedestrian's step and an extra lift in any cyclist's commute.

Cheers!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

FLY FLAMINGO

Inspired by Sharon Montrose, whose PHOTOS seem to show up in every living room and/or baby room I see on Apartment Therapy.

They're great photos to use as watercolour/gouache exercises because there's a lot of subtle color to be played up, and the blinding white backgrounds is exactly my style. 

THIS ONE and THIS ONE are my favorites!
ORIGINAL stock image.