Book Illustration & Boston Marathon

The Guest

I got this T-shirt from Threadless recently, I thought it was a very cool design! I think that the guest is probably the astronaut in this situation.

Some of my favorite artwork is illustrations in books, I have always loved Brett Helquist's work, particularly in A Series of Unfortunate Events. He has a distinct style, and uses a lot of diagonal lines and crosshatching 

I also love Keith Thompson's art in the steam-punk (Clanker) vs. animal hybrid (Darwinist) series, Leviathan. 

The Boston Marathon was an exciting watch the other day, of course I was cheering on the more well known Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher, but I was extremely excited to see Michigan's Desiree Davila place second! It was an exciting race for girls and guys, and of course a new men's world record (hopefully it isn't discredited!) of 2:03:02, incredible! Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya pulled ahead of fellow countryman Moses Mosop to win by .03 minutes and get this time!

Mosop and Mutai

Davila

Hall

Goucher

Salmon Boy

 Above is an illustration I did a few months back. It was originally intended to be part of my AP concentration, but I don't think it will go along with my other pieces after all. There are so many places around the world where the people depend on melt water from glaciers. One of the reasons they do depend on it is because of the salmon that come upstream every year. With this piece I tried to portray that the stream had retreated, leaving a dry bed, and that because of the lower water levels, the salmon were struggling to make their journey, and even get up the small waterfall. The boy is supposed to emphasize that was is happening is sad, as well as the dead salmon on the side that died because they were unable to make it farther upstream.

Art class!

I miss winter already!

My panel, showing part of a flower and plant. Last semester in art class we each created a panel in different medias of a larger picture, then put it together!

Mt. Baker over time

..from the far eastern sea, straight to here..

My new piece I'm working on for my AP concentration is three panels of Mt. Baker over time. So far I have completed the first panel, and I am partway through with the second. The first panel is based somewhat off of a photograph I have of myself from the NCGCP 2010 field season. In this panel, the glacier in the summer still has plenty of snow. The girl in the scene is in awe of the beautiful glacier, and that magical feeling is represented by the plants growing. In the next panel, the glacier will still be surviving, but will have retreated significantly. This time, the girl (now older) will be pointing at where the glacier now begins. In the final panel the girl will now be an old woman, but her favorite spot will no longer have a view of a beautiful glacier, because it is gone.

"See you in another life, brother"

"Three days before you came down here. before we met, I heard a banging on the hatch doors, shouting. But it was you John, wasn't it? You say there isn't any purpose, there's no such thing as fate. But you saved my life, brother, so that I could save yours."

Lost is one of my all-time favorite TV shows, I always loved the character Desmond, and his frequently used (mysterious) line, "I'll see you in another life, brother." Plus it sounds cool with his Scottish accent. I've actually been re-watching the first season recently, I was so confused my first time watching it, but now that I actually understand everything somewhat, I'm able to pick up on why things are happening.

This is one of my new concentration pieces, titled "Growth." With this one I wanted to show that it is the combined magic of snow girl and the snow that is causing the magical plants to grow. So, as she walks through the snow, the plants emerge!

Growth

This is my completed "Portrait of Inspiration." For this piece I wanted to portray myself in an abstract way (the assignment was a self-portrait without a face). I tried to think of what connects everything I love: Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, trail running, running the hurdles, creating art, reading, mathematics, working on the glaciers, etc. What I came up with was challenge and inspiration. I challenge myself to run the 400 hurdles, to learn to ski the moguls, to teach myself calculus, to work on the glaciers every year, and I love these challenges. But, what I get from these challenges is inspiration. From this inspiration is where I find the resolve to keep challenging myself. I decided to portray challenge as a sweat drop, and that drops starts the inspiration, which grows and changes, and finally takes a path.

Portrait of Inspiration

 It was my twin Megan and my birthday on April 2nd, we're 18! I got some nice new hiking boots. I had done some research before going to New England Backpacker, and luckily my top choice was at the store! I also go the whole Harry Potter set, and tickets for the 30 Seconds to Mars concert May 1st! Below I put some little treats me and my sister picked out from The Crown Bakery.

Show me the world

Show me the world that's inside your head..

I've been managing my work fairly well recently, despite having track after school. I'm currently in week 29 of 33 for Calculus, so close! I'll be able to post some new artwork for my AP Concentration soon! Below I posted the almost finished product of my Inspiration portrait, I just need a new photo of the completed one!

Silly dreams, or imaginations

Jolly Joe, approximately 9 years old

Chip on the run in our back field