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Still catching up on posting my daily drawings. Soon enough it will be back to just one or two a day.

Kristin

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Yesterday I came to the point where I had to decide between going to my painting class or writing a post. (The weekend was insane. As was yesterday morning, so it was go to class or write.) I don’t often do things that are just for me. I don’t often do things where I’m not the one hosting/teaching/facilitating/in charge/responsible. Well, no more.

I started taking a painting class at the local art center 4 weeks ago and it has been an absolute delight. I’m an oil painter by training, and it’s been forever since I’ve used acrylics. When I was given the chance to learn from a great artist who specializes in drawing (my favorite!) and acrylic painting I jumped all over it. I knew I was overloaded with obligations, but this was so important to me I just couldn’t say no. I figured, “Hey, once a week for a couple hours, for 5 weeks, I can swing that.” So I did!

This was the quick painting sketch I did during the first class.

This one is still in progress, crochet thread is particularly challenging. I love it!

Now that my painting class will be coming to a close I’ve decided to continue taking Monday’s for myself. I am going to start taking cello lessons again.

Did you know I play cello? I fell in love with it when I saw the band Azure Ray in London back in 2002. I had always loved the cello, but didn’t understand its full awesomeness until I saw their cellist rocking out. It clicked. My love for classical and indie rock combined perfectly in one instrument. Perfect.

I started playing in 2003ish and took lessons for 2 years before moving to dekalb. I always intended to get back to it. I always thought I would start playing it again. I always wanted to. Intending and wanting are not doing. It’s so easy to let an instrument, or a loom for that matter, sit collecting dust for years and years. Before you know it, I’m old. I’m 70. And I’m still thinking “I’ll learn to play the cello someday”. Screw that. I think I’d be pretty upset with myself if I didn’t learn to play the cello before I kick the bucket.

It takes a long time to get good at… so I better start pronto. I’ll never have time to play the cello. There will always be crap in the way keeping that “I should do…” an “I should do…” instead of a “I am doing…”. Well heck. It’s official. I am taking cello lessons! Hooray! I just got off the phone with an instructor and starting March 22nd I will spend one half hour each Monday taking a lesson.

Next week is my last painting class and the week after I’ll start my first cello lesson. I think I’m really going to like my teacher too. He sounds like a really neat guy. The word from the music shop is that he and his wife have been teaching since the 70’s. That’s awesome! And what’s even more awesome is they pretty much haven’t changed their prices since then. Just $15 a week. Not bad. In fact, that’s about half the price of everyone else I’ve talked to. They just love music. And I love that.

So here’s the thing, I’m on a tight budget. So I’m giving up going out to eat and drinking coffee and little snacky things at coffee shops so I can take lessons. I think it’s a trade off that is 100% worth it!

I’m so excited that I immediately ran to the library and picked up a huge stack of music with cellos in it. And then I grabbed up two books on music theory and practice. And I grabbed up a book on orchestral instruments – which has a really nice section on violoncellos: how they are made and their history.

Hooray! I’m going to go practice for a little bit

Kristin Roach

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I was really enjoying my markers during this little stretch of drawings. I really like the drawing of the baby alpaca, but not the guy holding it so much. Still have a long way to go on drawing people. I feel like I lost so much in skill these last few years. Bah. Keep on drawing and I’m sure I’ll get it all back again

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Something about that “cuchunk” just drives me wild. After much thought, deliberation, and number crunching, I took the plunge. I bought a ream cutter so I could trim Craft Leftovers Monthly myself. Not to mention a million other paper based project. I’m really excited. I can cut up to 360 sheets of paper all at once!

The paper cutter came in the mail today and I immediately went to work cutting down more issues of Craft Leftovers Monthly. And then trimmed down sketch book paper for my daily drawings! Hooray for paper cutting!

I’m not sure if any of you remembered the winter issues and how when you got to the center the pages were sticking out further than the rest and caused some reading awkwardness. Well, no more! I was getting them trimmed at Copy works and a lot of times they would give me a heavy discount because I was in there so much, but I know it’s supposed to cost 1 dollar a cut and since you can only trim about 4 issues at a time, that’s an extra .25 cents/ issue. Bah to that.

This little beast cost $300, but I’ve been saving up for quite awhile, my first wholesale order gave me the rest I needed. I think it is worth every cent. I bought it from Factory Express. They were pretty slow to ship it out, but once they did it got here really quickly. From order to in my studio it took just 8 days, that’s not bad at all. I guess there are a lot of counterfeit ones on ebay, so be careful.This little guy is made out of cast iron parts and aluminum. It has bolts instead of screws and is really well constructed. Very sturdy. Very heavy.

I’m happy to say that this little beast was completely as advertised. You can clamp down you paper so it won’t shift and “CUCHUNK!” use the lever to lower the blade and cut your paper.

With the edition of this beast to my studio, Craft Leftovers Monthly is now produced 90% in my studio. Only the covers get printed at copyworks now. My toner won’t stick to the recycled grocery bag card stock. I print, cut, and fold every issue by hand in my studio. That is exciting! Before I know it, I’m going to have my own little indie print shop.

And on that happy note I’m going to call it a week. Or call it the weekend and go play for a little bit before I jump back into the insanity of finishing those projects I overloaded myself with.

Happy paper cutting!

Kristin

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After 44 days I fell off the drawing/posting horse. I’m back on again. I’m going to play a little catch up in my posting and just post 2 a day  for the next week or so until I have all my drawings on the blog-o.

I have some awesome sweetness to share with you in a little bit, so expect another post soon.

Kristin

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Okay, so I said from the beginning that drawing every day was my #1 goal and posting said drawings each day was goal #2. Well, I stuck with the #1 and kept drawing even though I wasn’t posting them. Sorry for the mass post here, but it’s with good reason. I started and finished and submitted a new piece for the Beyond Audubon juried show in Chicago. It’s at the Women Made Gallery. I’m pretty excited because I just learned about it a week and a half ago and was able to get something together for it in just 9 days. Here is a little sneak peek of the piece:

Once I find out if I’m in or not I’ll show the full thing. I really feel like even if I don’t get in, it’s still a huge step forward in the right direction for me. I’ve never gone through “official” channels when it comes to juried shows. I’ve always just been invited or asked to submit something knowing that it would be included. Which I suppose is a good sign.

I guess I’m just curious if my work on its own will stand up and be included. If not, that’s fine. In my mind this project is already a success because I finished and submitted it in time (barely, but in time).

The next show I’m submitting to is a low pressure show with no entry fee and no jury. Everyone get in. I like those odds.

Anyway, more drawings tomorrow!

Kristin

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