Collecting Thoughts

Happy Tuesday!

Today, I'm feeling particularly introspective. I have a fairly massive all-nighter ahead of me tonight, and I swear I didn't procrastinate! I don't even really need to stay up all night but I've become the type of person who needs to get everything done right now. You see, I am a recovering procrastinator, and when I came to college I quickly realized that my methods from high school would no longer work. 3 years later and I'm still battling it. Now, because I know I have work to do I won't just let myself plan out my time, I have to freak out and do everything really early.

I think you would probably agree with me when I confess that I'm a little nuts.

I'm sure most people can relate when I admit that I have a hard time staying organized. I have an even greater respect for my mother ever since I moved out. I find that as soon as one thing is finished, I remember everything else. I can't even keep my room clean for 5 minutes. I feel like I've been in college for too long (which probably sounds ridiculous) but I feel that all I want in my life is stability and routine. Rather than the constant running, stressing, and freezing that seems to come with college life Philadelphia. 

My life. 

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the opportunity I have to be in school and to be 21. Things are great, but sometimes all I want is a permanent space, where I don't have to plan on how I'm going to get my dresser back down the stairs in the 3 months. I want a place of peace and comfort. But I guess, isn't that what everyone wants? Do we ever really achieve it? 

What do you think? 

Jen

Just the Beginning

Happy Monday!

I can't seem to keep myself organized for 5 seconds so far this semester! This new year's goal is going to be harder than I thought. I think things will calm down though once my gallery show opens this Thursday at YorkArts in York, PA!

One of my paintings is right in the display window! It's a proud feeling :) 

Speaking of Painting! 

Here's my little tutorial of the week: 

I wanted to continue this week with another surface tutorial. Last week I explained the idea of primed plywood, this week I'd like to show you one of the laziest shortcuts you can make as an artist while still avoiding pre- primed canvases. Stretchers bars! 

All they are are pre- measured/cut pieces of wood cut into perfect interlocking 45 degree angles

They are relatively inexpensive, come in most standard sizes, and can be purchased at Dick Blick, A.C. Moore, or really any art supply store. Except Michael's I learned this weekend! 

These really are quite idiot proof to assemble, it goes a little something like this:

1. Select your canvas size (remember to get 2 of each size to make a complete shape)

2. Apply a small amount of wood glue to the joint

3. Wiggle the bars together, they should fit perfectly! 

Now you have a quick and easy frame on which to stretch really any material you like! Examples: canvas, linen, silk, anything! Just make sure to prime the surface in order to avoid absorption and warping. 

Now, here's the truth about stretcher bars:

They are very useful for a quick stretcher. But they are not always the best solution. I really would not recommend using these for paintings bigger than 24 inches because they are not as sturdy as a hand-built frame and could crack under pressure. These work well for smaller paintings. One annoying thing about them is that they only come in certain sizes. So this makes super precise sizes difficult. Stretcher bars can also become pricey, they are by far more expensive than lumber. But really, you are paying for convenience with these. There are some varieties that come with connecting joints in the middle of the bar, do NOT get these. I have seen them prove to be disastrous on multiple occasions. Basically, if you would like to make a small piece and do not wish to spend the extensive amount of time to make a stretcher from scratch (I don't blame you) these are a great solution! 

In other, not-art-related news, the Superbowl happened! Anyone who knows my boyfriend and me, knows we are not sports fans. It's just not something I ever got into, I'm a dancer so I'm much more interested in Dance Moms :) and Zach is much more interested in being athletic than watching athletes. He loves to mountain bike and run. But, because it was the ravens, we tuned in! 

My Aunt Sam had a party so we joined the festivities :)

We had a ball but I had to get back to Philly this morning, I had class! So Zach dropped me off at the train station, it was rather stressful to be honest. Thankfully my last class for today was cancelled for some reason! So I got a second to get it together before dance practice tonight! 

I hope this inspired you to give painting a try! 

Jen

Painting 101

Happy Monday!

So, to continue with my artsy Mondays I'd like to start posting about something I love very much: Painting! I love it so much I'm majoring in it at Temple University. One of the reasons I created this blog is because of an interest shown by the people around me. I find that lots of people are interested in painting but find it too daunting or inaccessible to try themselves. So they settle for mass produced, cliche, "wall art" at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I'm not saying you need to be the next Rembrandt, But I'm hoping to share some knowledge that will help break down the idea of painting and make it more approachable!

The first place where I find some confusion is the surface. Most people assume that the first step is a stretched canvas. But honestly, they can be very  complicated. There are so many varieties and sizes in the pre made variety, and they are exorbitedly expensive. But building a stretcher from lumber can also be a daunting task. So here's one method I've used for a cheap, accessible, and easy surface for any painting.

Plywood!

I bought a full sheet of plywood for about $10 at the home depot and asked a sales associate to cut it down for me with the panel saw. It's free! And they'll cut it to any size you like! So from that sheet of plywood I got about 20 small surfaces, that's about .50 a painting! 

 

Plywood is also much easier to transport than a stretched canvas! Just make sure to prime it.  I use a product called Gesso. You can get it at any art supply store and can use it to prime any surface. When using gesso, apply 3 layers (letting them dry in between) and sand when finished for a smooth surface. Also! be sure to apply 1 layer to the back side of the plywood to avoid warping. 

 

And now you're ready to paint whatever your heart desires on your blank canvas! 

-Jen

Getting It Together

Happy Saturday!

I don't think I'm normally planning on posting on Saturday, but this week has been pretty nuts so I might as well! Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just can't get on top of things? No matter how much you accomplish there's still something around the corner? That's me. Plus I had the flu all week. blegh. I finally caught a break this afternoon so I wanted to get a jump on some cleaning, homework, photos, and of course blogging. Tonight is going to be one for the books because all of us are going to Public House restaurant in center city Philadelphia for two of my room mates 21st birthdays! This is the kind of stuff I imagined myself doing when I moved to the city.

Pretty much Sex and the City :) 

But there will be many pictures later for that! 

Today I've been going through my photo catalogs and uploading and printing things that have been on the bottom of my priorities list (instead of homework, of course) and here are some gems I found: 

I'm a catch.

 So is Zach :)

Soldiers, friends, brothers

Hopefully everyone can have a productive weekend! I'm really excited because tomorrow is my first day back working at the Philadelphia Museum of Art! Hopefully I manage to get all my homework done... 

Jen

Phila-Frozen Tundra.

Happy Tuesday! 

Hopefully you chipped yourself out of your igloo today in this freezing cold. Actually, NO I really hope you didn't have to leave the house today like I did.

 

No amount of knit wear could have prepared me for the first day of school. 

On a better note! I'm getting really excited about my classes this semester and the work we will all be producing! 

Try your best to stay warm! Unless you live somewhere other than PA where the earth isn't hating you today... In which case, I'm sorry, but I hate you... a little. 

Just Kidding! 

Jen

Let's Make This Place Homey!

Happy Monday! (Kindof, Sorry this is late!)

Sorry for my posts being fairly few and far between lately. The last week has been crazy! I worked what felt like a million hours including training our newest waitress (a.k.a MY younger sister!) and on top of that I had to prepare for my first ever gallery show in the states (more news on that later!) as well as pack and move to Philadelphia! Can you tell I'm a recovering procrastinator?

In stead of accomplishing things I was busy running around with this lady! (My best friend, Tori)

Coincidentally, she inspired my craft/ art tutorial this week! 

Although I have not had as much time lately to blog as much as I wanted, I want to uphold my promise to post an art/craft related segment every Monday (ish). SO! This week's crafty idea comes from my BFF. This girl is the MOST organized person I know and her room looks like a pier one imports. Unfortunately, we were not all granted the gift of having it together, so I tend to follow in her foot steps in an effort to figure it out. She is now helping me uphold 2 of my new year's goals: to keep a blog and to get organized! 

Tori gave me the idea for these beautiful shelves! Which were SUPER cheap and are now acting as my DIY vanity :) 

I was really searching for inspiration for my new place in Philly. When you're in college you are constantly moving every few months so it is hard to ever really get comfortable. But I want to use this new semester to open up my creativity, organization, and patience to feel at home. These shelves are perfect because I feel like the "dorm" way of life always leaves girls doing their make up on the floor or taking up the already crowded bathroom. 

I purchased these shelves and wall mounts at the home depot for about $25 total! 

Luckily I had my handy dandy men to help put this together :)

Clearly, I was extremely helpful.

SUPPLIES:

• Stud finder
• tape measurer
• drill
• level 
• all screws and attachment came with wall mounts

I mean really, it was simple, they just had to measure and drill them into the wall. But they were so quick, easy, and effective! 

Tada! 

...if only unpacking were so easy

Zach was thrilled to help though!

I hope everyone has a happy and productive Tuesday! And I'll get myself into my new schedule in Philly so I can hopefully post everyday! 

-Jen

Midtown Scholar Book Store

Happy Monday!

I like to commit my Monday's to artistic tutorials and ideas. So this one channels my nerdy obsession with art history books! My dear friend Amanda has been talking about taking a trip to Harrisburg to peruse some amazing books and drink some coffee. Sounds like a lovely afternoon to me! Today we both finally had a free afternoon to make it!

Amanda! 

This magical coffee shop/gallery/ creative book shop is called the Midtown Scholar Bookstore (http://www.midtownscholar.com/) and it is definitely worth a few afternoons! Now that this place has entered my life I plan on going back as often as I can! 

I love local art! 

And I even found this! 

 

The reason Amanda wanted to bring me here was because they have a marvelous art history section that spanned shelves and shelves and will probably take me years to pick through, but I don't mind. I got myself a large cup of jasmine green tea, in an adorable ceramic mug made by a local artist, and filled my arms with books on Turner, Kahlo, Klimt, and Cy Twombly. Amanda met me back at our table with her handful and we spent hours comparing methods, paintings, and lives. 

I love figure drawing! I found this in a book on Gustav Klimt

I even found this incredible family photo album from 1901! 

Basically, this place contains many of my favorite things: Tea, coffee, books, art, and even a few dogs :) 

Can't wait to make another trip back! 

I hope everyone has a happy Monday! 

Jen