Meeps & Pizza!

Today was a wonderful day. Highlights included: A Backstreet Boys dance off to the song EVERYBODY (the music video was pretty rad), complete and total dry erase takeover by myself and Oscar (the meeps are the french characters that made a cameo), PIZZA PARTY, and for some strange reason, I deemed it "Frightful Friday", which seemed like a great idea until it was actually implemented. I started off strong, I scared 13 people, but then Mr. Dan scared me 4x and it went downhill from there. I ended up getting scared like 19 times. I was SO MAD. It was a great day though!

Sno-Kones!

Today's drawing consisted of Sno-Kones, a poll, and some characters. I wanted to say HEY! to Lia! And, although unrelated, Santa Claws is coming to town.

I'm Burnin' Up!

Yesterday it was really hot at work so I drew this picture of me on the board. I added 4 other quotes that I often say which included: "I'm burnin' up worse than the JONAS BROS!" and "Don't touch it" as well as "STOP WHINING!" Good times. Last week, I had the opportunity to teach a lesson plan on nature and a big publisher is going to pick some of the work the kids did and put it in a book. Bonus! I let everyone interpret nature as they wished. This is Laura's piece. She came up with all of these animals that protected various aspects of nature. They're NATURE WARRIORS.

For Oscar.

I've been drawing in the kid's sketchbooks, but most of them have taken their sketchbooks so I can't scan my work, but Oscar has been drawing in his sketchbook so I've held onto it. Oscar's sketchbook is full of these characters that he makes called The Meeps. The Meeps are from France and they are very small and ride caterpillars around. It's so fascinating hearing him talk about them. We worked on a diorama that I can't wait to show his lovely parents at the end of the camp. Here are two pages that I drew in his sketchbook for him. He inspires me.

Shoe Commissions.

I wanted to give everyone a heads up that two of my friends have commissioned me to create shoes for them. I've started on both pairs. I'm really excited to finish (and will once I get some free time), but until I do, I'm taking it slow. Remember, if you're interested, you too can own a pair of shoes with whatever you want on them.

New Things.

Yesterday I tried SEAWEED compliments of one of the children and I almost threw up. After work, I enjoyed a nice dinner and then went to try to meet Miley Cyrus. I actually ended up meeting her driver and about 6 of us talked to him for 15-20 minutes. The people that were also there said all of the girls they've met, including Miley, have been NOT NICE. Her driver told us he was going to pick Miley's mother up from the airport. We waited around til 10 and left. I am really tired right now. I need to scan some work. I'll have something real tomorrow.

Mr. Roboto.

I've been drawing a bunch of random robots lately. This is a good thing.

Wedding!

I woke up at 9:30 am to prepare for Vince's brother, Tom's, wedding. It took me 3 hours to get ready, and my efforts were destroyed by the heat and I was a mess by the end. I had a lovely time though! I now know all of the Joys (all 7 and both parents), other family members, and friends. I had TOO MANY cokes (I think 9?) and I danced (even though I'm terrible at it). Everyone made me feel welcomed and I thank them for that. I also received compliments on my hair and that made me happy. Charles picked me up around 9 because I'm like a 12 year old and get picked up and dropped off, but it was a great night! Here is a candid shot with Vince and his sister, Brigid, and her boyfriend, Chris at the end. Chris and I bonded. We discussed movies and thought about the possibility of a pair of raptors coming into the reception. I am overdo on a bunch of art. It will come soon!

Good Week.

A lot has happened this week that I can't talk about right now, but soon I will. I passed out last night and missed out on several things. The job is great, but it drains me. No art or pictures today. It's an off day. I am going to get my hair and make up done in 40 minutes. I'm going to be someone's date at a wedding. It's going to be hot today. I really hope my hair and make up stay. Pictures to come tomorrow.

Fun Fact #7!

Johnny Knoxville!

I wanted to say something about the last post regarding the watermelon. I found that fact in a fact generator. I doubt it's a lie. I looked into it and it turns out it's both a fruit AND a vegetable. Don't take it out on me though; it's not my fault! Don't shoot the messenger (or in this case, illustrator), I'm just over here DRAWING, OKAY?

I went out for pizza and randomly went with Alex to Detroit to go Celeb Hunting. We were looking for Miley Cyrus. I saw a bunch of cop cars and I'm like, "Alex! Park it! Miley's out there!" So she successfully parallel parked and we ran as fast as we could to the crowd cluster. We were in the middle of it and I was like, "Who is that? OH MY GOD! IT'S JOHNNY KNOXVILLE!" He pulled up in an old 1970's pimp mobile convertible. He was trying to get away, but not before Alex snapped this candid shot. Excuse myself for looking like a mess; it was HOT and I was so excited and pumped full of adrenaline, my muscles in my neck tensed up and I started jumping like a bull. It was AWESOME! We didn't feel like waiting for Miley so we went and found the movie set that Hugh Jackman is shooting on. RAD! Then we got celebratory slurpees and called it a successful night. DETROIT IS THE NEW HOLLYWOOD.

Fun Fact #6!

Arrested.

Today I went with Sarah to visit Luke Wandyg. Luke is a government official with a business card (that I now own). He is a BIG DEAL. He let us look at his police gear and Sarah tried on the bulletproof vest. He said it isn't a bulletproof vest anymore; it's BULLET RESISTANT. Here is a picture of Sarah modeling the vest (it's dark). He showed us his firearm(s) and he asked if I'd ever been handcuffed by REAL HANDCUFFS, and seeing as to how I have not, I leapt at the opportunity to be a faux felon. Luke took it EASY on me and loosely attached the cuffs in the front, but then I was like, no, do it the RIGHT WAY. So he put my hands behind my back and made them tight around my wrists and it was horribly uncomfortable and I got agitated instantly and wanted them off of me, but he had to go upstairs to get the keys. Sarah just laughed, but trust me, if you haven't been in real cuffs, you don't want to be. That was probably the highlight of my day because it was like a 6th grade field trip to the police station, minus being in the 6th grade and they probably wouldn't handcuff 6th graders like that. Although it is difficult to see, I am handcuffed!

Best Sunday Ever.

I had been up since 5 pm saturday, went to Ram's with Maria and Danny, afterwards went to Leo's with Chris, went to Shelby's, went to MJR to see INCEPTION with Brother Chan, after that went to the Henry Ford to play with Maria, Danny, and Nick (check out our awkward photo), got pizza, and finally hung out with Justin Riopelle and swapped stories while getting slurpees. Then I passed out around 10 after being awake for 29 hours. I haven't done that in a long time. It was beautiful.INCEPTION IS THE BEST MOVIE I HAVE SEEN ALL YEAR. Maybe even in my life. Not even kidding you. Christopher Nolan HAS DONE IT AGAIN because this movie blew my mind. It was amazing. It was like Waking Life, but obviously a million times better (although still had the same concept in mind). It's a 2 1/2 hour thrill ride and it is nothing short of incredible. I can't wait to see it again.

**IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE, DO NOT READ PAST THIS***

OKAY. I think the end was a dream. Here's why; at the scene where Leo is in the bathroom and splashing water all over his face and one of the guys walks in and asks him if he's okay, he grabs his totem from his pocket and tries spinning it, but it doesn't quite catch the surface of the counter so he knows he isn't dreaming and he tells the guy he's fine. At the end of the movie, the totem catches and it keeps spinning. Granted, Nolan cut the movie when he did because he wanted to leave it open to interpretation, but because of what I just mentioned, I think it's a dream. It spins for an AWFULLY long time when he gets home. I also think that he's finally gotten over the guilt and shadowing of his wife that he's allowing himself to create this new dream for himself and finally, Leo tells us himself, that you never know how you wind up where you do in dreams; it's like they always start in the middle and how does he get to the house at the end? He just shows up. That is why, ladies and gentleman, it is a DREAM. The only person to agree with me is my sister, Shelby. For all you optimistic dreamers that think it's real, keep on dreaming! Feel free to leave comments explaining your theories. I can't wait to see this movie in IMAX!

Fun Fact #5!

James Bot.

Two posts today! I made this robot for James. James is one of the kids and it was his birthday yesterday. He's great; very helpful and intelligent! I worked extra hard to make this robot for him. I asked him what kind of robot he wanted and he said he wanted it to have propellers, glasses, a balloon, and he chose the colors.

Fun Fact #4/Baby Biebz.

Happy Birthday, Brother Chan!

I'm interrupting the fact cycle to say Happy 17th Birthday to Brother Chan! His birthday was yesterday (7/14). It was great! I got home from work, Charles cooked BBQ chicken WITH PINEAPPLE on the grill (it's one of the best things in the world), had an ice cream cake, and then Brother Chan and I went to see Predators. He was able to get into a rated R movie on his own this evening. I think a tear may have formed in my eye; he's getting old! Enjoy this video of the family singing to him.

Fun Fact #3!

Fun Fact #2!

Learn Something/Fun Fact 1.

I was inspired by the website, Learn Something Every Day, for this week's worth of posts. I found some random facts and decided to illustrate them in a similar fashion to the aforementioned website. I didn't get my facts from that website though. I went to a fact generator somewhere on the web. It was a lot of fun picking out my seven facts and I hope you enjoy them as well. I've got a ton of cool ideas for future work and I'm working on something in Photoshop that I cannot wait to finish and post (I've already spent about four hours on it and it's not even close to being finished).

I watched the sequel to Before Sunrise this evening; Before Sunset. This move made me enjoy Richard Linklater even more. The ending was open ended and a bit ambiguous, but it didn't bother me. I'd suggest checking out both movies. They promote communication and connections between people and I think that's something everyone could benefit from.

Ryan Dunn.

I went with my friend Brett to visit Shelby at Leo's recently. A few of our mutual friends came up to join us and we were all hanging out. Somehow we got ahold of the remote to the TV and turned on MTV. Viva La Bam was on. Shelby wasn't busy so she was hanging too and as we were watching, she declared, "Chelsea, if you were a guy, you'd be Ryan Dunn." Donny said it was a compliment. It prompted me to make this. I drew Ryan Dunn and then added the text in Illustrator and colored the line work in Photoshop. I noticed just now that I should've moved DUNN to the left just a touch, but it seems that I deleted the file. JJ helped me compose the final.

The Indian Commandments.

This is one of the posters in my classroom and I like what it has to say.

1. Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.
2. Remain close to the Great Spirit.
3. Show great respect for your fellow beings.
4. Work together for the benefit of all mankind.
5. Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
6. Do what you know to be right.
7. Look after the well-being of mind and body.
8. Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
9. Be truthful and honest at all times.
10. Take full responsibility for your actions.

98 Degrees.

I'm not talking about the band, I'm talking about the temperature here in the mitten. Actually, the analogy that works best can be described referencing the movie The Core. There's this scene where the guy that made the vessel, has to go into this area on the outside of the vessel to override the switch and put it into manual mode (because you know, you'd definitely put an important switch like that on the OUTSIDE of the ship) and when the guy goes outside (the vessel is headed for the core of the earth), he is literally hit with like, a million degrees of heat and fire. The heat is so hot, he staggers and then his glasses break, and he presses the switch, and they open the door and the magma gets him because he's just dying in that hallway area because it's so HOT. THAT is what it felt like yesterday and today is going to be worse. This weather is THE WORST. The one thing I do love, however, is an ice cold shower.

Over the holiday weekend, I finished Russell Brand's autobiography, My Booky Wook, and while most people write Russell Brand off and think he's an idiot, I have to disagree. His book is written in a very intelligent manner; the guy isn't an idiot at all. He may act like one (and he does love attention and making people laugh), but he knows what he's doing. I found it to be very personal and interesting and I don't say that because I'm biased.

I also watched Zombieland on Monday for the first time. I know, I know, I'm behind on the times. Brother Chan told me it was terrible before I watched it, but I watched it and I was actually impressed. The combination of all of the elements (comedy, drama, action, etc) made for an interesting film and Bill Murray's cameo is just priceless. Definitely a movie I recommend if, like me, you haven't seen it (though I'm sure it makes for a great re-watch too).

I rented The Big Lebowski, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and Before Sunset from the library. I've only seen Imaginarium (HEATH) and pieces of Lebowski so I'm excited for these three.

My friend, Sarah Caudill, was at Harry Potter world yesterday and my heart died a little inside when I saw the images she took from inside the park (of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the shops, etc), but she got me a present!!

Here's a collaboration from my sketchbook with Oscar.

Do You Feel Lucky, Punk?

Clint Eastwood was chosen for The Hallway Show, but there were only a few participants this week. I chose to do my Clint Eastwood in Watercolor. I've never really used watercolor before either. It was a bit of a challenge, but I was able to use it to my advantage. I liked it a lot. This took me about 2 1/2 hours or so.

Children's Work.

When I told the kids I loved robots, that's when the drawings started. I LOVE getting robot drawings from people; it's my favorite. I was lucky enough to get robot drawings from Euni, Chloe, James, and Kaitlin. I made the news robot and the one under it and I loved Chloe's rendition of my robot! Additionally, James drew me a goblin (look at his long nose) and I took a picture of Oscar's robot that he painted with watercolors. Their work is so great because it's not stiff! There's such a life to children's drawings that I think adults aren't able to capture as well because their work comes from a technical standpoint whereas children's art doesn't. I will forever be inspired by the work of children. It's great. (enlarge for detail!)

First Pair of Converse.

I had to note this moment in my life because it's a BD (big deal). I've never before owned a pair of Converse shoes. I don't know why. It's nothing personal; it's just a choice I never made. Well, thanks to my bffl, Micaela Ruiz, I now own a pair of box fresh Converse shoes. I broke these in today with her and we had a grand time. Happy 4th. Don't hurt yourselves while lighting sparklers!

Jen Skruba's Rings.

One of the instructors I work with, Jen Skruba, is a very talented artist. She works in a variety of media, teaches, and even makes her own jewelry. When I saw her rings, I went nuts. Jen's rings are very elegant and organic. I had to have one. Each of her rings are one of a kind; no two rings are alike, and when Jen made mine, she took my personality and style into account and I was a special case because I have a large ring finger. If you're interested in getting your own, check out Jen Skruba Designs. Here's the ring she made for me (Thank you SO MUCH, Jen! I LOVE it):

OMEGA BOOKS!

This was my freelance job. It's TECHNICALLY considered "freelance" because I was working for myself to get a job done for someone else. Anyway, my former professor, Don Kilpatrick, hired me to help him and I badgered him until he actually let me. Don had to make 30 of these custom sketchbooks for Mark Murphy (really cool guy) because Mark needed them for some indie fest out in California. THIRTY OF THESE SKETCHBOOKS. I worked RELENTLESSLY on 18 of these books for THREE DAYS. You have no idea what kind of work goes into making them and the stitching is an old Egyptian technique that takes about 45 minutes PER BOOK (see photo example; click to enlarge for detail). It was a learning experience, for sure. If anyone is interested in acquiring your own sketchbook, leave a comment or shoot me an email; Don and I will whip something up.