Painting Nymphs

i was talking to a friend the other night about the nature of artists. He was saying that artists are egotistical, stuck up, pretentious, elitis creatures. I was saying that artists are egotistical, pretentious, earthen creatures, like nymphs. It was interesting how we viewed the same group of people just slightly differently. I still say that artists are nymph-like creatures. And this is why: every time i have hung out with true artists, they celebrate life through thier own being, they love life, they are free loving creatures, most of them smoke, drink, and party, and they view the world with very different eyes. Artists are the personification of the spirit of the earth, in my opinion.

another conversation my friend and i were having was the idea of influence of art upon other artists. He beleives that art history should not be taught because other artist will just take thier ideas and not come up with thier own original style. I said that i could not respect that. He wanted his art to be untouched and uninfluence by outside fingers. He didn't want any other form of art to be a part of his art. And i could not respect that because artists learn and influence eachother, and everything in the world influences other things...you can't run from influence. He would rather have his stuff boxed up and box himeself up rather than learn and grow and show his work. I cannot respect that. I believe that you have to learn about art history and other artists, inorder to learn and grow as an artist yourself. You will absorb other artist's stuff then run with that and create something original to you. I do believe in learning art history. But i also believe in knowing yourself as an artist...but that takes time. That is most definately something that I am still developing.

So to my wonderful readers...you have been presented with both sides of the argument...what is your opinion?
What is an artist: Earth bound or Elitist?
Is learning Art History important or harmful?

-Reijn

Painted Orange

i'm drawing and painting again. Its really nice. Though, all of my paint brushes are crap, and i'm out of money. lol. Bravo, Reijn...the life of a starving artist...lol. I am still looking into putting on an art show this summer. The gallery that my friend gave me info to seems pretty shady. And by that, thier resident artists are crap. There are about three that i really like thier art. And the gallery's fee's are things that i can't afford right now. I'm still going to take images and send it in, and see what they think. I think i'm going make the theme as "Higher Learning". or something like that. I'm also thinking about allowing two other of my friends to join me in this show. Therefore, we can cut the costs of printing things and such down between the three of us. Ideally, i would like to rent out a small warehouse or space, and use that. I'm going to look into it, and we'll see what i can put together. I need to start getting busy and really paint stuff now...on top of all of my studies. lol, i don't want to study, i want to paint. I guess this is a good thing. Well, there isn't much to say right now. I would like to talk more about last weekend and how wonderful it was, but i'm overshadowed by VT.

"From one Tech to another, We are all Hokies"

-Reijn

Prayers

Our prayers go out to all VT students.

(original post will be postponed until later)




-Reijn

Art Thursday!!!

its Thursday. I'm headed back to Arlington this evening for the opening of Ulterior Motiefs no. 10. I can't wait...a nother weekend filled with art and fun times! Oh i can't wait. I had such a wonderful time last weekend, and now i get to see all the work that we did, showed off. Oh, the show is going to be so good! I'm excited. I really don't know what to say, i'm so excited! *dances* happiness. I love being an artist...i love the life of an artist. This is going to be my life! I've so decided!

Have a wondeful weekend my dears!

-Reijn

Things I learned in College

Quarters are like gold.

quarters=laundry

Flip-flops become as important as soap, and shampoo.

i never leave without my tech flip flops, i get sad during the winter...because i can't wear them

Asleep by 2:30 AM is an early night.

sad but true

New additions to the food groups: Sprite and Peanut M&Ms

i swear, they are like crack

Make sure your alarm clock has back-up batteries.

Duct tape heals all wounds.

Showers become less important....or even more coveted

god, i love showers

Sleep becomes more important.

sleep is loved even more!

10 minutes is more than enough time to get ready for your first class.

Going to the mailbox was never an ego-booster (or ego-breaker) before.

You begin to nap again.

naps rock my world

The book your professor wrote is always required for his class.

E-mail becomes your second language.

Frat parties are exactly like they are in the movies.

Ten-page papers used to sound impossible, now they're a Godsend.

You never realized so many people are smarter than you.

You never realized so many people are dumber than you.

Professors are like celebrities: you see them, but they never see you.

Bum rides, money, notes and snacks as much as you can get them.

so sadly true!

Don't burn bridges, especially if he's good in Biology.

Plain pasta never constituted a complete meal before.

The health service attendants are there because they couldn't make it in a real hospital, never ever forget that.

Forget putting the toilet seat down, you just pray that they flush.

Frisbee becomes a contact sport.

Care packages rank up there with birthdays.

College girls are the same as high school girls - just with more freedom, and no curfew.

Pop a vitamin and breakfast is covered.

Learn to love your roommate, especially when he leaves you the room.

You always thought that worshipping the porcelain god was just an expression, but it's not.

Printers only break down when you desperately need them.

Even though the beds are long, they are also extra narrow.

Things that were a huge deal in high school are now commonplace.

You never thought you would share so much about yourself with people you have known for such a short time.

Computer games go in and out faster than the latest fashions.

Any game can be made into a drinking game.

Disney movies are more than just classics.

Find one thing you like in the dining hall and go with it.

You will hear more stupid nicknames than you ever thought possible.

Phone calls almost never happen and when they do, you just don't get the messages.

Cereal makes a meal any time of day.

Keep your high school term papers; nowadays, everything is recycled.

ATMs are the devil's advocate.

Beware the boy in the Care Bear toga.

You almost forget how to drive.

that actually happened to me!

You'll drink anything if it's free.

People still cheat; it's just more technologically advanced.

You get really good with excuses for skipping class.

The boy you're going to marry may live right next door, so keep your stereo down.

Ordering food at 1 AM is a common occurrence.

if things were open, hell yes...i would be ordering food early in the morning!

You never realized how cool you can be.

TV becomes a bigger time sucker than ever before.

cartoon network is my downfall

You realize how great your hell summer job was once you have to study.

Keys have never been so important, yet you seem to lose them more than ever before.

me in the mornings: "now where the fuck are my keys? Goddamn it. Where are they...5 min later...oh here they are...damn...i'm late."

You meet the type of people you only thought existed in the movies.

You learn to sleep with light, noise, extreme temperatures, roommates snoring, and even during marching band rehursal!

i actually fell asleep in the stands while the band was practicing in full swing. Tyler had to poke me awake...that's how out of it i was.

You don't have to cover your textbooks anymore.

You become a juggler with the balance between school, friends, boys, activities, work, parties.

You live for chicken finger day at the cafeteria.

People that were geeks in high school seem okay now.

You begin to realize that college is about the ideal lifestyle, except for those pesky classes.

You get good at rationalizing on whether to do homework or not.

i love being an art and english major, very little homework

Procrastination becomes an art.

Jeans may be worn as many times as the wearer desires.

me: *looks at jeans* *ponders: these jeans are two days old, who has seen me in them...* "well, i'm going to art class today...they are going to get charcol on them...one more day won't hurt."

The only reason you ever dress up is when everything else is dirty.

With all the wealth of knowledge around you, you start to feel like you're on intellectual welfare.

Going to the mini-mart is a major treat.

Amount of alcohol consumed is inversely proportional to grade point average.

You have two kinds of shoes: everyday shoes and party shoes.

Classes: the later the better.

I actually like morning classes, wierd i know.

The cute boys actually talk to you now.

Care packages make it all worthwhile.

that, and money. lol

The longer you're there, the less you talk about home.

Always wear your safety goggles. They're not kidding.

You don't learn last names.

Card games never lasted for hours before.

Vacuuming happens every semester, if you get around to it.

Boys will dance in college.

People who never talked to you in high school are now your best friends when you come home.

You are NEVER alone.

It's amazing how late you can stay up doing absolutely nothing, yet falling asleep in class or in the library takes an average of two seconds.

yeah, why is that!

You spend a ridiculous amount of time pondering the mystery of whether the Lucky Charms in the cafeteria are the real thing.

People magazine is your deep philosophical reading material.

You begin to subdivide your room into sections such as den, library, etc. to make it sound like a house.

All you have to do to make new friends is have mom send some cookies.

You never realized how quiet your house was.

or how noisy and busy. I lock myself in my room to get away from all the comotion!

Dishes aren't dirty enough to wash until they have bugs and / or mold in them, or pile so high in the sink that you can't turn the water on.

You get along so much better with your family now that you never see any of them, or not.

me? get along with my family? never happens.

Your life will never be the same again.

so true!


So i'm going to add afew of my own:

Caffene is your friend.

Your clothing style is in direct conjunction with how you are feeling that day.

How did you ever live without facebook!

You automatically look for your school colors in everything you do.

comfort food. enough said!

when leaving for home, you have to make sure you have your ipod, cell phone, laptop, and camera battery charger...then home land security always goes through your bags because of all of the charger wires.

If it doesn't have to get done right then, it can wait until 3:00 in the morning.

-Reijn

my dad

For all you Star Trek TNG fans:

Me: Whats that klingons name!?
Derek: Warf!!! You can't remember WARF!?
Me: yeah him, he reminds me of my dad.

i grew up with star trek, so yes, i'm a trekie, but not a crazy one. I still watch it on Spike every afternoon. But everytime i see Warf, he remindes me of my dad...the same sence of humor and stoicness. lol.

-Reijn

Cloud 9 Painted Orange

"the beaten, half-starved-for-honest-affection-looking-through-the-window-longing-just-to-be-held-pleading-for-someone-to-notice-her-but-too-proud-to-admit-it girl" You touched my heart Brandon. Thank you so much. You really are a great friend...and it is how i feel most of the time. Good friends like you, know when to call me out on shit...and this is most definately one of them.

So my weekend. AMAZING! LIke i stated below, i found my calling. I am seriously on cloud nine! Art is going to be my life. Hanging out with the Wheeler Brothers and working with them this weekend was amazing...and a huge inspiration.

We left Lubbock on Thursday in a huge U-Haul Truck. Jeff picked me off and then we were off. We made our way down to BC Gilbert's studio and show room in Witchita Falls, Texas. We hung out there and picked up BC's art work for the Arlington and Gerald Peter's show(s). We went and got burgers and grabbed acouple of beers, and just hung out all night long. Jeff and I stayed in Witchita Falls for the night. We left around noon the next day (Friday) and headed to Arlington. We arived at the Stanford House in Arlington and just chilled for the rest of the day. Jeff finished off some art work, i did reasearch for a CD cover for my dear friend Tan. Saturday was the big day for us all. Brian, Jeff, and I got up at the crack of dawn then made our way to Gerald Peters Gallery. Brian and I were dying for a good cup of Starbucks coffee. We finally found one after we dropped off stuff at Gerald Peters. Brian, Jeff, and I went and grabbed some lunch. Let me say here, sitting in between those two in the U-Haul truck...is most definatley the craziest experiance that i have ever had. they are a bunch of crazy sons of bitches. lol. After lunch we headed back to the Arlington Art Museum. From there we spent a good 10 hours unpacking, placing, rearranging, hammering, screwing, of art pieces and installation pieces. Let me say here. It was the best thing that i could have ever done for myself. I hung pieces from Rauschenbuerg, Julie Speed, Jo Harvey Allen, Patrick Medrano, the Art Guys, Wayne Gilbert, BC Gilbert, the Wheeler Brothers and many more...like around 70 pieces of art work are present at this show. It was exhilerating to say the least. Another statement that i believe that needs to be said here, was watching the Wheeler brothers work. It is true, they have a work ethic like no other. And its so contagous and inspiring. But don't get me wrong, Jeff and Brian are also some of the laziest sillies i have ever met too. If they don't HAVE to do it, they won't. lol. Funny group of guys. Over all, through all the set backs of the other workers there (won't say thier name) and the hard working volenteers...we got almost everything done Sunday night. Yes, Sunday night. Now, through out all of this work, i got dragged into watching the Masters Tournament, since both Brian and Jeff are huge golf fans. I argued baseball with Brian because i'm an Astros fan and he's a Rangers fan. Oh, Brian and I also talked music alot. It was fun. I learned quite a bit from that too. Overall, this entire trip was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I worked my ass off as well as relaxed.

I'm going back to the opening of the show next weekend. Its going to be so much fun. I'm so psyced out. The entire experiance was amazing. We left Monday afternoon, took a stop at Half Price Books in Arlington, then drove back to Lubbock...and back to reality. *sighs* so is life, isn't it.

Happy painting...or "what ever makes you happy"

-Reijn

This is Who I Am

i found my calling. I am going to be a real artist. I am going to put on shows, and one day, be able to hang my stuff along side The Art Guys and people like that. I want to drink beer and paint. I want to do my art, and smile at the ohhhs and ahhhs...then look at the nice payceck in my hand. lol I want to be able to run around a gallery and see my art, and run around the art world and know all these other amazing artists. Its what i want to do. It is what i want my life to be. It is what i want. This is my calling. This is me. And with my sweat and blood, i will make it happen. I will be an artist!

This trip has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will tell you all about it when i get back. It was amazing!

-Reijn

oh, happy Easter everybody. This is the second easter that i have spent away from my parents. The first was when i was in my freshman year in HIgh School. I spent Easter in NYC, and this year i'm in Arlington, Texas.

Out of Focus

i've realized that this moving on process hurts more than i remember. I really don't want to do it, and i tend to latch myself onto a memory or a hope inorder to get past the pain and the thought of loneliness. I don't understand why i'm feeling like this. I used to be able to move on from relationships and live my life, but this time is different. It has all been different since my relationship with Joey. He taught me how to Love and what it actually felt like...to feel the pure blindness of it all, and how to enjoy it. Now it seems like every relationship encounter after Joey tends to be in search for that same feeling, for better or usually for worse, at least recently. Its just growing pains i realize, but do you remember when you used to wake up at night and your legs ached and all you wanted to do was go back to sleep? All i want to do is go back to sleep or wake up and be comnpletely awake, not drousy and in pain. *sighs* I guess this is life? With this on top of tests and school work...and such...man. I'm tired and stressed out.

I honestly can't forget, and a part of me doesn't want to, but the other part beggs for it. I can't shake the feeling or the memories. I don't know if its good. I don't know alot of things right now. And right now, it is so hard focusing on my homework.

-Reijn

Status to Single

so i guess i'm officially back on the market, for dating. I don't like it, nor do i want to admit it. I always hate this period. I don't like the looking and the searching. *sighs* But it must be i guess...whoever is the next guy, don't break my heart. Don't be like all the rest. Don't make me cry...thats all i ask of you.

-Reijn