Diane’s World

Ha! Since I posted one Muse song, I got momentum to post another. It’s and it’s great… BLISS! And though no one is listening to it probably but that is your loss. Seriously.

Anyways… two things:

1) HAPPY BLACK MONDAY!

I woke up at 5am, took a shower, and headed to the campus center to assist the other senior art majors in doing this:

and this:

Yes, we are wonderful people. The art department giveth, the senior art majors covereth it up!

Here are some of us hard at work:

And some of us not so hard at work:

Just kidding… Dave did his fair share. He even became one with the art:

But seriously, I would ususally hate being awake so early… but if it means getting to see this:

I should probably wake up at that time every day.

and 2) I made an ART TRADE!!!

I was slightly confused because it was with a painting isn’t necessarily my favorite… but many people point it out as their favorite and asked to keep it. Pshaw!

It’s name is “Göttingen” – after the town I lived in while I was in Germany a few years back.

Many wanted it – but Sam gave me the first offer that I decided to accept.

Sam is one of my favorite ceramicists in our ceramics class, so I was very happy to trade for one of his great pots. He is an engineer, and his stuff usually comes very close to perfection.

Here is a whole photo series that we took:

1) Us both proud of our own artwork (pay no attention to the fact that I look like crap on a stick today… didn’t feel like making much of an effort this morning ):

2) Us both sad to see the art go

3) The amazing trade-off (look at that form!) Steve is our witness!

4) Us with our new art! YAY!

Yes, it was a wonderful trade.

It’s definitely the best way to acquire good artwork.

Speaking of which, Dave gave me a pot for a graduation present! I love it!

It’s one of my favorites that he’s made… and it makes me happy.

Anyways, I’m done for now. I believe the good amount of posts is going to continue in the next two weeks, so stay tuned!

Diane

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I know what you are all thinking; “Diane, if Muse is your favorite band, then why have you not posted them yet?” (Yeah, you are thinking that, right?)Well, you try choosing JUST ONE song from your favorite band. It is very difficult. I finally decided to bite the bullet and just pick one… and the one you get is called “New Born”. This song, just like the majority of Muse songs, makes my heart beat funny. Matt Bellamy is a genius.

Anyways, I have just one event I would like to post about… RAKU FIRING!

Our ceramics class was required to spend at least three hours on a Friday night firing a special kind of ceramics clay called “Raku”.

It’s a very dramatic, smelly, and interesting way of making pottery. And it helps that our Ceramics class is completely off the wall.

First you glaze your pot. In this case, Danielle is using a glaze she is not supposed to. Bad Danielle!

and then Van Wyk places it in an outdoor kiln and lights a huge fire!

And then… we wait. Naomi and I pretend to like each other

Sam sings a dramatic round of Christmas hymns (Danielle really seems to be enjoying them if you haven’t noticed):

And we eat pizza that Van Wyk baked in the regular kiln:

And… Sam shares his pizza with Steve. Oh boy.

Then when it’s time to take the pots out of the kiln,

Dave gets ready with the saw dust and Becky with her very attractive blaster shield

We open the kiln:

and Van Wyk throws piece by piece into a garbage can, while Dave throws on sawdust and Becky shuts the lid before the flames get too out of control!!!

Finally, Van Wyk takes the pots out of the garbage can (after we all choke to death on the fumes)

And we all try to warm up from the cold around the new set of fired raku pots!

Do admit it, You are Jealous. You wish you were an art major.

And that’s the end of my story! I came back to the apartment at 2 am all smelling like babeque.

And I’m doing so well at posting, there will more than likely be another one in the next few days. Have a good weekend!

Deeds

2 comments

I’ve had this song stuck in my head since Saturday. Someone in the ceramics
room was playing it. Though I never heard it before, but I became immediately addicted. The lyrics are absolute nonsense as far as I can tell, but that melody is whammers!CAUTION: if you listen to this song, there is a chance you’ll be addicted. Know your limits, folks!

Ok my stack of things to post on my blog has gotten huge within the past few hours. Time for Diane’s random things.

1) I’m falling apart.

Literally

On saturday, I burned my stomach on a cookie sheet:

And of course the burn has to be EXACTLY where my jeans rub… so wearing jeans is a pain. I am extending the washing life of my lower-rise pair of jeans… but they are going to have to be washed someday soon.

Then, half of my toenail fell off. Sorry about the shoddy picture quality… but I’m sure you really wanted to see my broken feet in high definition.

and THEN I mysteriously got a blood blister… in my MOUTH! Ew!

It’s the dark spot near the back of my mouth. I popped it today using a pin and my roommates were all standing around me in gross amazement. It was a quality bonding moment, if I may say so myself.

I don’t really like the taste of blood. Ick.

Also, the bruising is back… and worse than usual! Except, I have a feeling that it’s more because I’m a major klutz (especially when I’m in bed… I beat myself all night according to my roommate).

2) Packing. It sucks. Especially with helpful roommates like this:

So far, I packed my non-school books.

and my movies

Woops. I just realized that two of those movies were stolen from my sister. Rachel, want your movies back?

heh heh.

I made another box… but I didn’t have the heart to start filling it. I can only handle so much in one night. So… it will remain as a new home for my roommate.

Sigh.

3) Cookies. They are fun to make (as long as you aren’t searing your skin into a blistering rash from a fresh sheet).

Sam and I made more…

Amanda (my roommate) gave me the neatest cookie cutters for my birthday this summer:

Aren’t they neat-o? They make pretty funny cookies:

Muwaha.

4) Aren’t Mr. Yuk Stickers great?

I think I may have gotten a little carried away… but:

Ha… now my roommate can’t kiss her fiancé. How smart am I?

Yes, so smart.

5) The annual Dordt-Northwestern juried art show happened.

I love being an art major… we have the neatest events. This being one of my favorites.

Basically, our class brought a hole bunch of art over to northwestern…

Carrying artwork while sliding on ice should be a sport!

(that’s Naomi by the way… she is funny.)

She was also one of the Dordt jurors – along with Mason and Henk. It was a good show… I got two things in;

but I mostly enjoyed seeing what northwestern was doing. It was from the show last year that I first got the inspiration to glue paper towels to a canvas. And it was fun talking to other art majors from a different college. Though this year I was slightly disappointed … I wasn’t nearly as inspired as last year. Alas, I will survive.

6) Small point (if anyone is still reading), I have the worst time taking a compliment. Somehow I managed to get it into my head that humility means putting myself down. It’s getting pretty bad… I’m starting to believe myself every time I think to myself that someone is lying or stretching the truth when they compliment me. I wish it wasn’t like this, but what is a better way to look at humility?

7) Finally, I want to be home.

My sister keeps showing me my three adorable nephews, and I want nothing more than to be with them again. I mean, look at this little man:

Darn! I’m in love.

And if you want to see the absolute CUTEST video ever made, CLICK HERE To visit my sister’s family’s site and see the wonderful amazing Samster learn how to walk! (Seriously, this is so cute I almost started crying!)

Wow… that was a long post. Especially since it’s only been a few days since my last one. I’m good.

I’ll post, yet again, in a few days. Have a good one!

Deedles Marie

6 comments

I have listened to this song over 30 times in the past four days.My good friend, Michaele (a Target co-worker from this summer) gave it to me with a bunch of other music that I’m really starting to enjoy.

However, I don’t know why I like this song (“Portions for Foxes” by Rilo Kiley)… the lyrics are strange, and it’s a woman singer (Jenny Lewis- same girl who appears in The Postal Service occasionally)… but for some reason I need it this week.

I’m realizing that it’s extremely difficult for me to say what I am thinking… it’s like I don’t have words for my emotions. How was I ever a Communications major?

Anyways, these week has been crazy. I am up and down and going wacko.

On Friday night, half of my latest PLIA team came over- meaning Andrew, Stephen and Janice. We ate pizza and played Trivial Pursuit… the girls won . (kind of.) I’d be so much better a that game if I understood sports.

I still don’t feel near good enough about my painting in order to show it, but I’ve been having fun in ceramics this week.

Well here’s me in front of the grossly non-finished painting (I don’t feel like showing the whole thing quite yet:

I left at 10 am to go work in the ceramics room. When I walked out of the building, this is what I saw:

What? Wait… where did all the snow come from???

When I finally left the ceramics room, it looked like this outside:

Wooaaah now! Where did the sun go??? Crazy Iowa!

I was in the ceramics room for 8 hours. Some Saturday, eh?

But I did get a lot done… like some raku and stoneware vases:

a stoneware heart teapot with teacups (I’m calling it “pour your heart out” haha!)

and another raku heart

I can’t wait to glaze these babies.

I did a lot of glazing too, but that isn’t interesting until it’s been fired, so be prepared for some neat glazed pieces next post!

Afterwards, my friend Sam (an engineer student who is in ceramics with me) and I did cookie baking!

It’s funny having an anally clean engineer and an expressive art major bake cookies together. He was really neat and precise, and observed that I did everything “how I was feeling” (haha) … and that I was a klutz.

Well, did get to discover what happens when you place chocolate chips on a warm stove (woops)

haha. Yeah.

It was a good night… but cleaning up the kitchen this morning was interesting.

Well I have so much to do. I’ll more than likely be posting again on Tuesday or Wednesday!

Have a wonderful week

The Dianeynator

2 comments