The glimmer of slightly-less-dark at the end of the tunnel

Well, it's been a fairly busy few weeks getting settled into my new class schedule. In the best of semesters, the adjustment would be exhausting. This semester, exhausted sets in at noon. My drawing instructor was willing to allow me to continue being half an hour late to his class, so I've been scrambling to clean up and get from the ceramics studio to the drawing studio as quick as possible. So far, it looks like it's paying off, in drawing at least. my first drawing got an 18 out of 20 points.

It was interesting working on this one, because I chose to use a set of india ink markers that I bought. I've never really worked with pen and ink before, and I'll admit, I sat there for a long while before touching that first pen to the paper. I was very worried that I'd ruin the picture, since you can't take back a mark in ink. After a while, though, I got into a sort of rhythm with it and was able to just let my hands do their thing, focusing on the overall picture instead of making each little line perfect. It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, and there's a few things I'd try differently next time, but overall, I'm pleased with it.

In ceramics, we'll be bisque firing our first project on Monday. Using pinching and rolling, we were supposed to make two items, one of which involved joining two bowl shapes together. I don't have a picture of my second item, but my first has turned out pretty well. Once it's been fired, it will be glazed white, and painted to look like it's holding water and ice cubes.

The next project is using the slab roller. We'll be constructing a box of some sort, and it's supposed to either include a self-portrait, or reflect our own interests. I plan on making a tea-light holder, with two opposite sides each having a portrait of one of the kids cut out of it, so that the light will shine through them.

I figured up my credit hours this week. As long as I pass everything from here on out, I have only 24 more credit hours to complete, over the next three semesters. So by next summer, I should be done. That's if I manage not to screw up any more classes. Yay!