yellow!

No, not really. It's all black. I have gallery E for this week, and I somehow got it all put together successfully. My lovely helpful mother assisted me in covering the walls with black photo backdrop paper (painting the walls and then returning them to white would've been WAY too time consuming), then i built and screwed into the walls black shelves for each of the 4'x4' black on black drawings, painted the gray floor black, and DREW the fifth and sixth drawings for the instal. WHEW!! I had to spend two nights at school, during which I realized from my studio window is the BEST sunrise view ever!!

I coincidentally had my drawing critique scheduled for the Thursday I would be in the gallery, so I took full advantage of the opportunity and scheduled my advancement for the same day. It was all a very nerve wracking experience! Somehow, though, I made it through and after a GREAT critique by Scott (Professor of Art History), Connie (Professor of Painting and Drawing), and Dennis (Professor of Drawing and Printmaking,) I passed my advancement!

The room is an experience to enter. Everything is black, and I've had so many amazing different reactions to it. Someone said it felt like they just had the air sucked out of them (although that might be simply be because the small room consistently smells like fresh paint.) Someone else said it felt very theatrical, but overall, the reactions are very positive. The problem of lighting still needs to be solved... The overhead fluorescent lights are cold and sterile, although they give the indirect light that I prefer. The clamp lights with the flood and spot bulbs are nice and warm, but pointed directly at the drawings, they create bad hot spots. So my solution was to point four of them on the floor in between the six drawings, but that created the problem of people having to look through these overhead bright lights and needing a visor. What I really need to do is get not-so-strong lighting-- more ambient-- so I can point them more toward the drawings, but not be overpowering. That takes money and experimentation. Connie suggested I find a lighting professional for advice.

So, to sum up the rest of the semester (now that the hardest part is over,) I'm excited about working on more photos and my new video, and I need to prepare for a tech demo, a presentation, and a virtual exhibition. I also need to rework some of those drawings!

The worst part though, is that I'm out of money again, so I have to go work for Thanksgiving. :( Hopefully I won't need to too long after that... Most likely I will, though, so I can make it through Christmas Break. Boo to that! But this weekend I'll definitely have some fun shooting more video!!