Tumblr Takeover

I have completely neglected this blog.

As a college student, and an art major it is too difficult to keep up multiple blogs. Tumblr is also much more convenient for someone who focuses on the visual and not on the literal.

So here is my tumblr: The Cottage in The Woods
That's where I'll be most of the time (at least until my darling Jo is back with me and I can take outfit pictures once again)

-Brenna Kathleen

2011

WOW! It's 2011!

What has happened in my life?!

I survived my first semester of junior year! I made so many amazing friends.
Seriously, this semester I think I've had so many friendships grow than all the others. Part of that is branching out in the art department. I was able to make friends in the graphic design area because of my illustration class. And friends in the film department from animation. Jojo introduced me to the lovely staff of The Point magazine, and I will continue to grow in those friendships because I'm a staff designer for next semester!!
 I also said a physical good bye to my beloved Jojo for 8 months, as she is off to D.C. to become the best journalist the world has ever known. But her departure just means that I will be even more inclined to facebook, text, call, skype, and pretty much attempt to get in contact with her any way possible. You hear that Jo?! Your snail-mail box is going to be packed, because there is no escaping me. ;] 

I'm taking a bookmaking class next semester! I am so excited to see what that's all about. My interest in books has been growing since I started using them in my art and it has led me to look not only at paper art careers, but also being a librarian or a book restorer. But we'll see, I still have so much more of life to go through before I settle on something like a career.

I have also been greatly influenced by Disney's 50th animated feature film, Tangled.
I swear they based the character of Rapunzel on me. Just in the very first song of the movie she does:
-chores, sweeps, polishes, waxes, laundry, mops, shines, and sweeps again
.......okay maybe that part doesn't sound exactly like me.
But then she:
-reads a book (or maybe two or three), paints, plays guitar, knits, cooks, solves puzzles, plays darts, bakes, makes paper mache, practices ballet, plays chess, does pottery, practices ventriloquy, makes candles, stretches, sketches, climbs, sews a dress, rereads the books, paints some more, and then brushes and brushes and brushes and brushes her hair.
Fwew! That's a lot to do in one day, but if you were locked in a tower for 18 years, you would probably be looking for things to do too.
I know that I don't have much hair to brush and brush and brush, but I will! Like many other girls out there, I have been inspired to grow out my hair.
All because of Claire Keane, who did the concept art for the film:

See what I mean? Scissors aren't coming near my hair for a loooooooong time.

But seriously, the art from this movie is almost more beautiful than the film itself. And this, folks, is a beautiful film.

But what of my fashion shenanigans? Well, that's all still going. I've been hit pretty hard by the poor-college-student and the all-nighter-grab-something-cheap-and-24-hours-oh-wait-that's-fast-food slices of life, so personal fashion has not really taken a back burner. But it's not as fabulous as it could be. 

That hasn't stopped me from continuing to keep my eye out though! Like this beauty...

Sweet Visionary Dress

I adore this dress with every fashionable cell in my body. If only I had the $159.99 of pocket change to actually own something this beautiful. My mom saw it and said that it would make a good "going away" dress for a wedding. But there isn't room for anything remotely close to wedding talk on this blog or in this year...

So here's to a 2011 filled with unknowns and undiscovered adventures!

-Brenna Kathleen

She & Him Paper Art

I know I haven't updated in a while, mostly because I've been working on school things like this:

I made this gig poster for She & Him in my illustration class. I've been getting closer and closer to getting the paper art things right, and developing my own style. I'm also trying to work paper into my next project for sculpture class, a kinetic sculpture.
That's it for now, more will be updated when these next two weeks are over and I have Christmas break.
toodles!
-Brenna Kathleen

Still out on The Seas

Let me tell you, a new blade on an exacto makes ALL the difference. It was cutting through paper like it was fresh butter you bought just so you can have it on freshly baked bread...mmmmmmmmmmmm.

I wanted to make a better detailed ship on my first project, but it was too small and I thought that my exacto wasn't up to the challenge (but with this new blade, it might be). So I made this guy

The pages are from Shakespeare's "As You Like It" and it's about 3 3/4 x 5 in.

There's a book sale at our library today. I'm hoping it will be old books and not newer ones. I'm also making an office appointment with the head of our Art Department so I can talk to him about where my art is going and what I should do to further push myself and if I should get a studio space on campus.
For the pushing myself, this project was a bit of a beginning for that. I've been making my designs and drawings more detailed and intricate, so it takes more skill and precision to cut out.

In other news, it's been rainy and cloudy here!!! (she says as the sun's rays start to break through the clouds.. stupid sun.) I wore a sweater yesterday, and today I'm wearing two! I only hope it will stay cool enough. I still have an entire drawer full of sweaters that have been waiting for cold weather (and the sun just went away again! YAY!).

I've been thinking that I need to start getting more into photography. I will need it to be able to document my work as an artist. The first thing would be to get a good camera. The one I have now is pretty bad, even cheap newer point and shoot digital cameras are better. We'll see, right now I've been getting help from my photographer friends, but I can't rely on them forever....

I think I'll play my ukulele now. It sounds like a wonderful thing to do.
-Brenna Kathleen

Sailing Away

This year I wanted to start focusing on my own personal art and figure out what exactly it is that I want to do with all the stuff I've been learning. I know that I love paper. The ways that it can be made into something amazing, delicate, simple, and whimsical all at the same time. I get genuinely excited when I see really cool paper art.
So I've been trying to incorporate that into my school projects now that I've done all the basics. So far my illustration class is the one that I've been able to do the most paper art in, but I'm also looking forward to the things I'm learning in my sculpture class and how I can incorporate that into my work (can you say bandsaw?).

This is the first project I've made just for kicks, with no class requirement. It started with appreciating one of the best noses and profiles I have ever come across in my Contemporary Art Trends class on Friday. That led to some sketches, and some ideas, and more sketches, and soon it became art.

It's all black paper and an exacto knife.
I still don't know how I'm going to finalize it yet. Should I mount it on nice white paper and frame it? Does the paper 'frame' I made need to be re-done? Should I just ditch the paper frame and get a nice oval black frame for it?
I know it's not the best, but I'm learning, so I'll get better.

I also need to figure out a way to transfer my sketches to the black paper to cut out.
So far I make a black copy of the sketch, go over it with a white charcoal pencil, and then burnish the image onto black paper. But I loose a lot of details that way that I had in my original sketch. Perhaps I could find a way to print with white ink onto my black paper?

Now I just need to find out what the best exacto knife is for really detailed work. Even after replacing the blade it still isn't the best. 

This isn't the last of this, more will be coming in the future. I love it too much to not make more.
-Brenna Kathleen

Amen

I was going through my inspiration folder, thinking about my various art projects I'm working on, and came across this image. I think it sums it up what I think about art pretty well.
-Brenna Kathleen

Just like Harry's first ride on the Knight Bus...

My third year started out with a bang!

The roommies and I arranged our room so we all have a sweet set up. All lofted beds so we have our own space under them for our desks and various sitting places.
I have room under for my desk and the perfect amount of space for my thrifted chair, Jane.

Popsicle loves sitting in his little spot by the window and watches the people walk by outside.

What I've found most exciting (besides my awesome prof for Theology 2, my illustration, and Animation classes), is a project that I actually have only had a small part in.
At the end of summer, my dearest Amber came over and helped me with making a new sketchbook. I had an old book cover, extra paper, needle, and thread. Problem was, I didn't know how to make that into a new sketchbook. Amber did. So the darling took it from me, put it all together, and then presented it to me a few days ago.

Ladies and Gentlemen, My new sketchbook...

Yup, that's right. It's in an old hardcover binding of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
After Amber handed it over to me, I quickly got to work "pimping" it out.

What you see in the picture above is a pasted in Ravenclaw stationary page (I put in several of those), my own penned version of The Jabberwocky poem by Lewis Carroll, a pasted in red envelope that reminds me of a howler, and one of the original pages from the book( several of those are also put in).
There are other things I added like lined paper, and a ribbon bookmark. Amber had sewed in not just the brown pages, but also pages form my old stash of drawing paper and watercolor paper as well.

Want to know the BEST part? It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts. It's my third year at Biola. And what an adventurous year it will be.

Happy back to school everyone!
-Brenna Kathleen

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall...

Who is the nerdiest one of all??

Apparently it's me...

I think I should copyright

Check out what I found on Modcloth today.

This past spring I did some painting to sell for my mission's trip. I made some in advance, but I also took requests and made some right there on the spot. I didn't catch photos of all of them, but here's a big picture dump of my paintings. Keep in mind that I don't consider myself a painter or a photographer.

 I had an old copy of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban that I used to paint on. Most people would consider it an awful thing to do, to take out pages from fine literature and treat it this way. But I love doing it. I don't think it's disrespectful. In fact, I think it to be quite the opposite. I often try to find books or authors I like to make in to art. I use the pages of things that inspire me.
I also love trying to relate the two.
For instance, I painted an owl on a page from the chapter "Owl Post"

 Sometimes the poor art major in me has no other choice but to buy books that I'm not particularly interested in. This page (and others I painted on ) is from an old readers digest. And apparently has several semi-trashy romance novels in it. I found that out when I was in mid-painting and started actually paying attention to some of the words on the page.
For clarification. I bought it because I liked the cover (and kept it for a future project) and the pages had the correct yellow tint that I needed.

 more owl post

 My roommate, Jojo, bought this one from me. I think it was actually the first one I made.

  This was a request, for the chicken on Harry Potter. Love it.

 Another request. I want to recreate this one. I love the wale blue on the book page.

 I made this for my dear friend, Marnie. I call her Narnia, so I painted her the lamp post with Mr. Tumnus.

 More owl post...

 And more owl post... People really liked the owl idea.

Flower commission.

I painted a bunch of different bikes, thinking the hipsters would love it. Some did, most didn't. Next time I need to do more research on things hipsters like.









Well, that was a great reminder to post more of my work! I'm not really going to copyright, but it is giving me ideas to make my own stationary...

Epic Mickey

It's scheduled to release this holiday season, and it's making me want a Wii.

It's Epic Mickey. Disney's new attempt to revamp their trademark pal by going back to his mischievous root.

The story goes like this: Yen Sid made a fictional theme park called the Cartoon Wasteland where he banished all of his unused ideas. This world is accessed by a mirror that transports you into the land.  The clumsy helper, Mickey, spills paint and paint thinner on it, resulting in creating a new bad guy in the land called the Phantom Blot, who proceeds to take over the land from Mickey's long-lost half brother Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Years later, Mickey is pulled into the world by the mirror and now has to save the day using his magic paint brush and avoid being destroyed while gaining the trust of Oswald who is now mad with jealousy of Mickey's fame and glory.

So here's the deal. You can use Mickey's paint brush to either create with paint (like making bridges to get across a chasm) or erase with paint thinner (like erasing obstacles and enemies). You go around and create a reputation while playing choosing to either become a hero by helping others or a scrapper by taking the more selfish route.

Besides it sounding like a bundle of awesome inside Disney geeky stuff, like uncovering stashes of E tickets. The design of the game looks awesome!

The land is a ridiculous mash-up of deconstructed classic Disney and robotics with a dash of steampunk.

speaking of Disney steampunk. Check out the Beetleworx (created by the Mad Doctor to work for the Blot)

While I'm not very good at video games, I do make an exception for certain special ones like Zelda and the Ocarina of Time and Kingdom Hearts. Sadly, there is no longer a game console in my home and the only one I have access to is my roommate's xbox during the school year, that I'm not very fond of due to lack of games for it that I would actually attempt to play.

I've always known that I would want a Wii though, Mario Kart is just too fun when you get to be princess peach on a pink motorcycle.

-Brenna Kathleen

The Joys of Being An Art Major

The tree swing on campus= heaven

On Mondays and Wednesdays I have my crazy Art Major days.  I wake up, have my God time, get ready and usually go out the door around 9:30 to skip on over to the Ceramics studio. I work in the studio until 12:20-ish, and then quickly clean up, stop by the art lockers for a supplies switch-off, and then go to Figure Studies 2 until 3:30.

I know what you're thinking.... but Brenna... 9:30-3:30. Do you starve?

And the answer is yes... yes I do. Save for the Lara bar and craisins I eat during break in Figure Studies.

That's besides the point. Today, my Ceramics prof, Loren (who is also the head of the Art Department) called the advanced students ( all three of us) to get in his car so we could drive down to Aardvark to get the glazes we need for the studio. 

--Now hold on a minute and let me explain. The University I go to is a Christian College, so when I say that my prof told us to get in his car, it's not a weird thing. We call these people by their first name, they're more like uncles to us than profs--

So all four of us drive down towards Irvine, and Loren tells us that since we're going with him that we can pick out some new tools!! My friend, Katie, said that it was like a grandpa taking his grand-kids to a toy shop, to which Loren remarked something along the lines of laughing at how old we were calling him. It was silly. 

But I did get new tools! two little little pretty carving tools and a new sponge. Amber and Katie got more, because they're throwers and I'm a hand builder, so I don't really use a lot of fancy tools.

We were late to our Figure Studies 2 class, and we might not be going at all on Wednesday because there's an exhibit on sculpture that all the ceramics classes are going to see. 

Ahhh..... crazy days. I love them. I don't even know if all this made sense, but it was too wonderful of a day (later there was slack-lining and iced mochas) to not write about it. 

I'm being rushed off to dinner, so I'll have to say farewell!!!

-Brenna Kathleen

I've gone down the rabbit hole, and don't plan on climbing back out

Well, I finally saw it. Alice in Wonderland in 3D!

Let me say. BEAUTIFUL!

Alice has always been one of my tippy-top favorite characters of all time. Ever since I was little. And when I was old enough to read the books I fell in love all over again. The poetry in Through The Looking Glass! It's inspired my love of poofy dresses, bottles, cakes, and poetry ( I can even recite the Jabberwocky poem by heart)

Here she is. Alice Liddell. The girl Carroll based the book off of. 

 A sketch of Tim Burton's Alice.

 The costumes (by the amazing Colleen Atwood) are like no other Alice before. I love that the clothes don't grow and shrink with Alice, so she gets dressed in all types of things from fabric scraps to curtains!

Needless to say, when I came out of that movie theater my love for the story, world, and language was again raised from the ashes. I instantly came back and started researching everything I could, mostly dresses I'll admit. I found myself eating up every whimsical blue and white dress I could find

 -an old vintage dress, I forgot where I found it - dress from dELiA's that looks so amazingly similar to Alice's dress in the movies ( I am so tempted to buy this one)- I forgot where I found this one too. poo.

These are amazing dresses I found at Victorian Maiden. Aren't they lovely?

The renewed imagination-ness of Alice has actually come at a good time for me. I've been thinking about my art and where I want to take it. I've found myself holding back in terms of the art I produce for class. I want to come up with a product, so I'm afraid to take chances that may result in a non-product failure. But now I'm going to unleash my imagination. I'm going to let the madness of Alice influence me in the best possible way. 

I may even start to believe 6 impossible things before breakfast as an exercise. 

Send word with the white rabbit if you need to get a message to me,  in the mean time I'll be having tea with the Hatter. 

-Brenna Kathleen

Me in a picture

I was browsing fffound, to look for images to inspire me for my assignment in drawing class. I didn't find anything for class really, but I did discover a new amazing artist, and one picture that totally describes me!

 

The artist's name is Kate Sutton. She has an amazing web site, blog, and etsy. 

I LOVE her cuckoo clocks!

Now on to more homework, bleh.

-Brenna Kathleen