When I made the decision to go back to school for graphic design, I was anxiously elated to dive headfirst into Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. To make posters, brand companies and utilize all the programs I had come to think that graphic designers used exclusively to craft the visual designs that permeate our eyes on a daily basis. I was seriously disappointed...at first.

Nearly all semester, all three of my classes strayed away from the confines of the computer. Instead, we used our hands. We painted and inked. We swished watercolor paints into both large and small brushstrokes. We ventured outside and took pictures. We bought a lot of expensive paints and materials (quinoa, chives and stencils, to name a few). And we created art! Beautifully unique pieces of art utilizing the basics: line and shape. Because little did I realize just how closely connected art and design are, kind of like conjoined twins and mullets & European men.

It was the best thing for me.

It slowed me down and forced me to hone my basics, which I honestly have lost some of since finishing my last art classes in undergrad nearly six years ago (yikes! SIX years...I can't even).

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class  Design Fundamentals
what  The Golden Rectangle

01  to create a b/w composition using the principles of the Golden Rectangle
02  to explore both line and shape
03  final composition will be made on an 11 x 17-inch white mat board using black ink

There are things I learned from this project. One, working with black ink is hard. Two, I am really really indecisive. And three, whether or not I like my composition (and I do really like this one), if my mom wants to frame it and put up in my parent's house, that's when I know it's successful.

This piece of art represents a lot for me.

The haphazard marks of black ink and gouache and my own Xeroxed hair were my first foray back into art. A craft I've loved deeply for so long but seemingly forgot about after leaving school for the "real" world where practical skills seemed of more value than art. But working in state government was only bearable for so long, before I yearned for creativity and a colorful world that strayed outside the boundaries of the rigid expectations of politics. I missed coloring and doodling and drawing and writing and putting it all together to create something of my own.

So I quit.

And now, at age 27, I am going back to school for graphic design. The feeling is calming. It is simple and right. To explore my artisitic vision and improve myself in all of the endless areas of design makes me ungodly giddy. I may have just peed myself thinking about it just now. Everyday, I get to draw, photograph, code, sketch, glue, paint and doodle. This is what I am paying for (and hopefully one day, going to get paid for). It's kind of awesome.

Because I am a scatterbrained and often unorganized mess, I started this blog as a way to document what I am doing in AND out of class. School projects. The freelance work I've started. The doodles I do when I'm supposed to be listening to how financial aid works. The photography I take. And all the other little things that inspire the little world around me on a daily basis.

Here I am...at the beginning...starting all over... and whew, it feels good.

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class  Design Fundamentals
what  Line Exploration

01 to create a b/w collage composition that expresses power, interest, variety + beauty of line
02 to explore a wide range of line making
03 final collage will be built on a 14 x 17 inch sheet of Bristol + mounted on a black 15 x 20 presentation board
04  use any and all media: pencil, charcoal, pen, brush but also explore more exotic instruments, such as string, straws, sticks, ball bearings, etc.

This was the perfect first project. Honestly, I had absolutely no plan going into this project other than to just have fun. I used bottle caps, hand-drawn textures, kitchen sink mats, rollers, paint brushes, crumpled up paper bags, ripped paper, fresh chives and my own hair to create this composition. The result is chaotic, funky and bold. And I love it.