Busy Drawing Away

I didn't forget my resolution to draw something everyday. I also wanted to start participating in Spartan Camp at ConceptArt.org. So here are a few of my drawings and doodles. I'm trying to make sure that I use up my notebooks COMPLETELY before I move on to a new one, so some of the picutres overlap a little.

Mid-Year Resolutions

Now that school is out and I have a small (very small) break before the hecticness that is grad school and directing a summer camp start, I've decide to inject and revamp my exercise schedule (which has become non-existant) and my eating habits (which have become junk filled)

I drove a different way to Whole Foods and discovered that there's an L.A. Boxing Gym right across the street. It's been there since January! Boy, that tells me that I need to "shake up" the routine occassionally. Anyway, I joined and I've been taking boxing classes. The instructors Donte and Ricky are very cool. That said, this class has been kicking my ass! But I'm sticking with it. I dropped the Weight Watchers membership and applied it to the L.A. Boxing membership. I think I'll get more out of it. The gym has lots of equipment, good hours and lots of bags. There are three classes everyday from Monday-Friday that my membership allows me to take. Watch out, I'm gonna be one lean, tough B---aytch!

Since I'm doing all this body work, I decided to resume my Pescatarian (Pesco-Vegetarian efforts). I already had Mark Bitman's huge book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. It was overwhelming trying to read this because it's HUGE and it has EVERYTHING VEGETARIAN (I guess that's why he chose that title). Anyway, I picked up that book again and I decided that I'm really going to try and use it.

I just finished making the Glazed Carrot Soup. I did the variation that includes orange zest and ginger. OMG! This soup is awesome. Plus it can be eaten hot or cold, which makes it the perfect summer travel soup. I really should cook more. I'm also reading Cooking Without Recipes by Cheryl Sindell which sparked the idea of making adjustments to the soup. I didn't have enough carrots, but that was okay. Next time I'll have at leat twice as many carrots. I think it will make the soup creamier. I also used a lot more ginger that the recipe calls for and a lot of black pepper. Thinking along Ms. Sindell lines, I think that I might make that soup again and mix in some tomato soup. I have a feeling that it would be really good; but it's got to be test!

ZENTANGLES!

I know I've been remiss. I have been so busy with school and the new job. I'm in that crazy "home stretch" time when you're uber-busy but the call of spring fever is too strong.

I miss doing all my creative stuff: writing, drawing, knitting, crocheting, sewing...

I definitely have NOT been doing my DRAW365, but I have been doing little spurts of doodling and writing. I really need to draw and write. I feel like I'm about to have a "creative explosion", it's like there's something simmering under the surface just waiting to get out but I just can't tell what that is yet. I figure I need to get back into the habit of free-writing and steadily doodling to help that "mind-wraith" pop to the surface.

In my google search for doodles I discovered ZENTANGLES!
This has got to be one of the coolest things that I've discovered. I'm not downstairs so I can't scan my examples in, but I'll point you to three different examples I found online (there are so many more, but I do have papers to write. Grad school is a B*@&%CH!) Anyway...

1. Maggie's Nest: Patty's blog looks very cool. It seems like we have a lot of the same hobbies. Her first attempt at Zentangles are here.

2. Daily Art Muse: Another really cool art blog. Susan just tried them too. Her review is here.

3. D.I.Y. Planner: Cool blog that makes you want to buy moleskine notebooks. Review is here.

James Gurney is Soooo Cool!

I just went to a James Gurney lecture at Montgomery College. I'm just so inspired and so excited. It was really a very cool lecture. It makes me want to see other writer/illustrators and hear about how they work. I'm really glad that he has a blog also.

I'm off now to do some mapmaking (a Gurney suggestion, but also a Lisle suggestion too!), while I wait for AAA. When I got home my Volvo had a flat tire. While that really sucks... at least I'm at home and have ALL the comforts of home.

Brilliant But Cancelled...NOT!

I was watching a doc about The Prisoner, and it made me think of a show on Trio that I used to watch called Brilliant But Cancelled. I really miss that network work and that show... so I decided to google it to see if it was online.

I ended up with TWO good pieces of news...

1)Brillaint But Cancelled is a blog, and 2)the latest post on that blog said that Dead Like Me is coming back! How cool is that?!

Star Wars Vs. Star Trek - DMP Edition HQ

Dr. E just sent this to me. Too cool! But I'm realizing that Dr. E,whoever editing this clip, and I have wwwwaaaayyyy too much time on our hands!

As If I Didn't Have A Lot On My Plate Already...

Being the insane person that I am always taking on more projects than I should, I just signed up for Zette's Two Year Novel Writing Workshop for 2009 over at Forward Motion. It starts at the beginning of 2009, so I have a little time to decide which of my story ideas to bring out of purgatory to use.

I'm also going to do Zette's Alternative Short Story Challenge. I had already decided to work on short stories in addition to finishing my novel for the 70 Days of Sweat Challenge. I guess I'll just add working on new short stories since Zette's Challenge uses prompt generators.

To finally round out my insanity, I'm going to start also doing Justin's Daily Exercises (aks Zette's Gym). I remember these from WWWWWAAAAAYYYY back in the day, and they're still doing them. These are GREAT for helping you to think outside the box. Some of my past story ideas have come from doing these exercises.

For example today's prompt is STRAIGHT TO THE NERVES... You can click on the link if you want to see the whole prompt. Sometimes I write out a scene or a snippet, or a journal entry from a character's pov using the prompt's situration.

I'm trying really hard to cement my writing habit before the start of next semester. With my new job, I know the semester is going to be a challenge. Plus, I'm going to enter a film short in the DC Short Film Festival next year. The deadline is not until summer, but I've you know how those creep up on you. I'll probably be using some of my short story ideas as short film scripts (lofty goals, I know). My goal in 2009 is 1)to have 6 short scripts to shot from but March, that should give me enough time to decide if I'm going to do animation or digital video; and 2)to submit at least two short stories a month for publication. I've been languishing, so I'm going to submit them and let the chips "fall where they may".

I'll be renewing some of my Associations memberships in January. Everything seems possible when you have a physical check in. Both Horror Writers Association and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have online seminars. Romance Writers of America has monthly meetings and online workshops. DC Film Alliance has TONS of programs all the time.

I'm going to try and stick with this.

Tales of the Not-So-Weird!

I'm writing and later on during Fringe, I'll be knitting or crocheting Idle hands and all that ;-)

I'm working on a short story, that I thought was going to be weird, strange, Lynchesque... but instead it's turning out pretty mundance and boring. While in life I don't mind being boring, I can't be boring in my fiction. That just seems like a sin. Part of me is thinking I should just put it up and work on another short story (I seem to be up to my ears in little story snippets), but part of me thinks I should work through it and finish it.

Actually now that I'm writing this, I think I'm going to finish it. I made a commitment on 70 days of sweat. Maybe I'll be able to fix it once it's done.

I've Finished NaNoWriMo 2008!

I've finally finished NaNoWriMo 2008. My novel isn't finished yet; but a HUGE chunk is done. I'm still doing 70 Days of Sweat, so I've still got work to do.

I'm a 15, 690 words

I woke up early this morning to throw myself into this writing. I do this every year. I think I can make the deadline of 50,000 words by Sunday; but geez... I do this every year. At least because this is NaNoWriMo, I can detour and experiment, go down plot paths that I might not try otherwise. At least I'm well past my goals for 1000 Club and I'm keeping up with 70 Days of Sweat. Sven would be proud. Well, I'm going to get back to my writing. I've still got 34,310 words to go.

Richard Matheson interview by William Simmons

Richard Matheson interview by William Simmons

Don't worry, I'm writing. I wish I'd kicked this writing into a faster gear sooner; but I do this every year. I was looking up something about premise, and then remembered that I wanted to look up Richard Matheson. He's written a lot of Twilight Zone episodes; and that's part of the feel that I'd like to have in this story. I was hoping he'd have some writing advice. I didn't realize that he's written SO MANY books that became movies that I love. Somewhere in Time, I Am Legend, What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes. All I can say is WOW! So I'm going to read this interview, then...

I'm going to watch FRINGE! I can't help it, I totally LOVE that show!

Electrabela y Dinachica

All thoughts of studying and writing have gone out the window!

Kimba The White Lion Opening Theme 1966

I know that I said that I was going to work on my novel, but I found KIMBA. I also used to watch this when I was five. I swear, Disney ripped this off.

Johnny Sokko

I should be be writing my novel. Actually, I should be doing homework, but I'm getting ready to go and work on my novel. I took a little detour because I found JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT. I used to watch this show when I was five. This show along with KIMBA THE WHITE LION and STAR TREK contributed to my love of all that is science fiction and all that is cheesy.

Why don't you take a look...

Writing and Sweating...FOR 70 DAYS

Okay, so doing NaNoWriMo isn't crazy enough... I'm writing and sweating for 70 days! Anyway you look at it this story is going to get written.

I'm INSANE, but at least I'm losing weight!

Yesterday's meeting at Weight Watchers was good. I lost .8 lbs! I've taken off 9.8 lbs total since I rejoined.

I'm still trying to get all of my school work done (painting, drawing, practicing piano-guitar-flute). I'm so nuts. I've added two more Joggles classes, so I have three total--Studio Journal--Sumputuous Fabrics--Personal Symbols. But this wasn't enough for me....

I'M DOING NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month). I'm posting it publicly, so I'll stick with it.

I really am insane.

Illustration Assignment

I'm getting better at drawing. For my illustration techniques class we have to design a book cover for a poet's (we had a choice of five) chapbook. The final assignment will be done in stratchboard. (Which is hard!) I chose Emily Dickinson. Here's my initial sketch that I'm going to base my scratchboard on. I'm pretty proud of this sketch.

The Sun Hat That Wasn't

In celebration of Spring and eventually Summer and in hopes of this crisis called school ending soon, I decided to begin making some clothes. It's been a long time since I've knit or crocheted. I find I think better when I do (maybe it will help me think for these papers and finals coming up). Anyway (because I'm already digressing), I decided to make some clothes. Besides I've finally been added to Ravelry (yeah!) and I want to join up with Refashionista this May.

So Saturday I decide to start out with a sun hat. Now that my hair is in braids, I figure I won't get hat hair.

I decided to go with the Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn, the color is "Jewels". I said to myself, "It's cheap ($1.29/skein). It's cotton. I can wear it in the Summer. A hat will be simple. I will be too cool." I picked up Knit Simple Spring/Summer 2008 (any excuse to buy new patterns right?) because they had a few cute patterns that I wanted to try.

By Sunday night I knew I had problems. Yes that hat looked cute, but I was already on the brim and this hat was CLEARLY too small. I checked my notes, I had been following the adult size, I did the extra rows for adults... Apparently I have a CHROMDOMIUS MAXIMUS head. The hat was wwwwwaaaayyyy too small. So I had a choice...

1. Finish a hat that is clearly too small and that I"ll have to give away...

or 2. Rip everything out and start all over again.

Which did I choose? Let's say that I'm NOT in a giving mood. So that's where I am. Starting all over again. The pattern calls for an H/8 crochet hook and the crown increasing finishes at 72 stitches. So I've decided to use an I/9 crochet hook and I'll continue increasing beyond 72 stitches. I'll have to keep trying it on until I get it to I size that I'm satisfied with. At least I know that I'm going to look too cool in my hat!

Anatomy Study

I know, I know... I haven't posted in a while, BUT I HAVE BEEN DRAWING EVERYDAY. When I have more time, I'll scan those suckers and post them. I think I mentioned before that I'm studying Anatomy with Goog.

Well, it seems that The Computer Graphics Society has a forum with classes and member help also. So I'm going to do some drawing there too! FUN!!

Day 14

Just doodles, not even complete.