Sorry for the absence...

Been finishing artworks for the upcoming college exhibits, putting together a website for selling art, doing domestic chores like laundry, etc etc.

One of the art instructors is suggesting that I try to get a scholarship to go to school at SMU. She says their art dept is "more traditional" and a better fit for my style than the other local colleges who are more contemporary. At $30,000 per year I'd have to get a FULL scholarship to have any hopes of going there. I'm also a bit torn because 1) it's near downtown Dallas, about an hour's drive on a good day without traffic (which is never, heh), and 2) Hubby's planning on attending UNT in Denton so I planned to go there too. However, I'm old enough to know I need to attend the school that makes the most of my education, the more sensible choice... rather than one that's closer and easy to carpool to. And SMU would sure look good on a resume. I'll apply and see what happens. It doesn't hurt to try, right?

On a different note: Last week in fantasy football my hopes for a perfect season (sure!) came to an end. Brian Westbrook on the opposing team pretty much pummelled me single-handed with the other arm tied behind his back...

Oh yeah, and they FINALLY finished repaving our road. They started back... when? I can't even recall. But they not only repaved the road but they tore out all the curbs and put in new ones all the way down the street, and in front of our house they tore out the pathetic sunken sidewalk and made us a new one (we were the only ones to get a new sidewalk). Then, they even put in new sod for us along the sidewalk... cool! That had been a bare spot of grass before. I guess I'll refrain from complaining about our "tax dollars at work"... for a little while. :)

At least Dallas whomped... yay!

Hmmm, somebody seems to have logged in and changed my post about the Broncos... now I wonder who that could have been? One of the cats I presume?? Must have been Crook, so-named because when she was a kitten hubby claims she was the one who opened the refrigerator door and ate the last of my cookies... hmm, yep, must have been her...

Art & football...

Here's my first painting for my Painting I class:

"Break Between Work and School"

This is the second time in my life I've painted with oils. The first was high school. I've always been more of a drawer than a painter, mostly due to the expense of paint and canvas. But from this I now know I like oils better than acrylic paints... seen in person the oil creates beautiful colors. Acrylic is literally PLASTIC paint, and therefore always has a plastic look to it. Oil on the other hand is deep, rich colors, with somewhat of a transparency of light. Again this is a crappy cellphone camera photo, so all you can really see is flat shapes and shadows, but no color variations compared to the real deal. The shoe for example has nice shades of light greens and browns that you can't even see here, in this murky photo it all just looks like mustard yellow. :(

And no, I didn't attempt to put the "Coca-Cola" name on the label... first, because I had to finish this painting today so I didn't have time, and secondly because I didn't want to take the chance of screwing it up! Trying to paint cursive letters ain't easy!


And on football...

I like having this Palmer guy for QB, my team won again 154-107. A good old-fashioned ass kickin! But I have to play the league owner's team this next week... it may be tougher.

Essay...

Here is the link to the essay I wrote for my English class: riderang2.bravehost.com

It was supposed to be an autobiographical narrative... a story about myself. So, I chose to write about why I quit college and what brought me back.
As I state on the page, this is the first English class that I've had since 1991, and our professor hasn't given us any instruction as far as how to write... so bear with me. If anyone finds any glaring grammatical errors and such please let me know... I have to turn this in tomorrow!

A rose by any other name...

During the summer one of my classes was Art Appreciation. On the last day of the semester, my instructor had me show my artwork to the class and speak to them about it. (Which as a side note, just goes to show how much working at New Breed changed me, shy quiet little me can now stand in front of a lecture hall and talk without looking like a deer in the headlights from stage fright)

Anyways... afterwards I was walking out and one of the other students asked me, "What's your name again? I want to remember for someday when you're famous." I told her, and she then repeated my name "Angela White... Angela White..." like she was trying to stuff it into the recesses of her brain to try to remember it.

That's when I realized, I'll never stand out as an artist with such a common name.

If you Google "Angela White" you get 4,330,000 hits. If you look at the Image results, I can honestly say none of those people are me... especially one black/white photo that is definitely NOT my body (although I wish it was!)

If you Google "Angela White art" it narrows it down to 2,540,000 hits. I don't even know what page my stuff finally comes up on.

Plus, I mean really, think about it. Let's say you tell your friends you went to a museum and saw a Picasso or a Rembrandt, they know exactly what you are talking about.

But if you tell your friends "Today at a gallery I saw a White"...
they'd ask "A white what?"

It's just too common, destined to be easily forgotten. And my maiden name isn't much better, being Clark. Don't bother Googling that one. I don't think the O's in the Google name go up that high.

So what do I do? Leave it, or change it to a signature people will remember? Actors and writers have their professional names... maybe I should sign my artworks with an alias? Something folks will remember... Moondoggie... CrazyCatLady... The Artist Formerly Known as Angela White...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not planning on being famous... but it would help for people to at least recognize the name. It makes for good business, good marketing. Brand recognition if you will.

Hmmm, so if I were to create an artist signature, what should it be?

Suggestions anyone???

And no, I'm not going to use "Walker Talker"... that was just my Hottalkers screen name derived from being a hotwalker at the track. I considered "RiderAng" which has been my handle since first logging onto the Internet in 1996... but Google pops up every single message I've ever written on every message board out there, including inquiries on fixing Jeep problems, bitching about scams, you name it. Not a way that I want the world to find me.

But my future career hangs in the balance of a good memorable name... so what should it be...

Yea!...

I won my fantasy football match with Hubby. I'm trying not to rub it in too much.

(I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! I won! )

he he he

Other than that, had to write the rough draft for my first English essay tonight. I might post it here in the next few days... too tired tonight... but heck, after taking 5 hours to write it I'd at least like for someone else to read it other than just my professor. Hubby said he liked it, but spouses are required to say things like that... it's in the marriage handbook.

Another artwork finished...

Here's the piece I was working on the last few weeks. This is a really super-crappy photo of it. I'll have to have a friend with a quality digital camera to get a better pic of it... this shows no color range, doesn't show the blurred effect I gave it.... doesn't show the evil red glint in the front horse's eye... but you get the gist of the work from this photo.

I'm going to call it "The Night Mares"

It is chalk pastel on matboard... size is about 32" X 40" so it's the largest piece I've made so far.

I guess the horses at the racetrack inspired this work. Race horses are not your typical docile riding horses, they are often mean nasty creatures that will bite your arm off if you're not watching at all times. I've been kicked in the back, had my nose about broken... but it's not their fault, they were raised that way. Bred and trained to RUN, not allowed to be a horse :(

Sometimes you just don't have anything to say!

(Hubby says I should say "buy artwork!"on my blog, but I hate to do that. I am however putting together a website to "go public"... for whatever that's worth... maybe I'll get some commission work from CraigsList, haha)

I'm also working on another artwork. Had it in my head for a while, started creating it... didn't like where it was going, stopped working on it for a few weeks... now completely changed it and like it a whole lot better. That happens sometimes, if you don't like something you're doing but can't figure out why, put it down for a while and leave it alone. Then when you come back to it the solution jumps out at you. Heck, there was one picture that I put in a closet for 6 years because I didn't like it... then one day I looked at it, figured out what was bothering me, fixed it and finished it. As my instructors would say, "Art is a PROCESS!" For some artists the process is like a locomotive, fast and furious.... but I'm more the slow-boat-from-China type. Too slow, too careful, too meticulous about it.

The college district is having a student contest and exhibit, to be displayed at the Fort Worth Community Center. Money prizes. I need to finish more works for that. Show will be on display in November. Deadline is October, hope I can finish a couple...

Odds & ends...

Sorry, been busy this week/weekend. Continued busy in the forecast for tomorrow.

Fantasy League
We wound up doing an automated draft rather than live draft (fine by me!) My team:

• QB- Carson Palmer
• WR- Reggie Wayne
• WR- Andre Johnson
• WR- Hines Ward
• RB- Frank Gore
• RB- Willie Parker
• TE- Antonio Gates
• K- Neil Rackers
• DEF- Baltimore

Backups- Brett Favre, Clinton Portis, Braylon Edwards, Deion Branch, Kellon Winslow, Jacksonville Defense.
I'm not thrilled with Favre and Portis.
I'm scheduled to play Hubby's team in Week 1. I'm predicting I'll start the season 0-1-0.

Horse Trailer
Still not sold.

Street
Still not paved.

Me
Still bitching about it.

Mike's Garage Band
We went out Friday night to see my friend Erika's husband Mike play at a local sports bar. As it turned out Erika couldn't make it, but Mike kept us entertained. He plays a mean lead guitar. It was a mix of Folsom Prison Blues and Lynard Skynard with a good measure of songs they wrote themselves thrown in. I took a picture of Mike playing, but it was fuzzy so I would have pointed him out as the "blurry guy in the grey shirt" versus the blurry guy in the hat. Anyway it was fun.

Other stuff went on too this week, dog almost died and a whole assortment of other things. All I'll say is I hope next week goes a little better!