>that just happened

Today is a wonderful day. While giving a tour for the FOCC on campus today to see the amazing art facilities that the University of Central Arkansas has, I got a sneak peak into the 2009 Student Competitive juried art show in the Baum Gallery. Guess whose three pieces entered made it? Thats right - take a look:

41 Artists, 61 Pieces

in alphabetical order

CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU!!!

Gallery Opening will be

THURSDAY, MARCH 5th from 4pm-6pm

and another

SUNDAY, MARCH 7th from 2pm-4pm

Rainbow Puke Illustration Nichole Atwell

Epic Failure Brett Anderson

Voices in My Head Ella Appleby

Stress Fractures Will Ballard

Music Brings Life Will Ballard

Untitled Christin Beck

Male #1-4 Ray Brown

Coming Out of My Shell Jason Busby

Some Assembly Required Karen Chrisco

Just Add Water! Melissa Conley

Southern Comfort Lauren Crymes

Pieces Stephanie Darnell

Giraffe Kelly Dugan

Bikini Kelly Dugan

Fabrication by Means of Ink Jenn Eakin

The Look Ashly Eaton

Bioconsumption Hector R. Garcia

Self-construction Hector R. Garcia

Nightmarish of Capitalism Hector R. Garcia

Self-Portrait Celeste Goff

Timeless Stroll Perri Gregg (Snr/BA Art)

Self-Evaluation Perri Gregg (Snr/BA Art)

My Journey & My Thoughts Terri Hayes (Snr/BFA Art)

The Isle Terri Hayes (Snr/BFA Art)

Anxious P.J. Holder (Jr/BFA Art)

Hunger Artist P.J. Holder (Jr/BFA Art)

Thorns – isolation P.J. Holder (Jr/BFA Art)

The Nest Protector Mary K. Hull (Jr/Art)

Wrecked Sidney Jones (Jr/Art Ed)

Phases Renon W. Koontz (Jr/Art)

Vitality Melissa Kordsmeier (Snr/BFA Art)

Self Portrait Melissa Kordsmeier (Snr/BFA Art)

Do We Part Melissa Kordsmeier (Snr/BFA Art)

Memorable Road Trip Destin Layton (Snr/BFA Graphics)

Invention Series Destin Layton (Snr/BFA Graphics)

…In the Blood Grant Looney (Snr/BA Art)

The Differences in Life Katelyn Lowery (Fr/BA Art)

Four Right Angles Katelyn Lowery (Fr/BA Art)

Self-portrait Alan Masingill (So/BA Art)

Challenges Brandy Meachum (Snr/BA Art)

High Expectations Christan Mitchell (Snr/BA Art)

What was once will become natural… - Mark Monroe (Fr/BA Art)

I am not me - Mark Monroe (Fr/BA Art)

Hear Them Coming - Mark Monroe (Fr/BA Art)

Flayvin Hoyt B. Scott Nichols (Snr/Writing)

Stifle B. Scott Nichols (Snr/Writing)

Truly Human Being: living through death Marianne Nolley (Jr/Art Ed)

Raggedy Ann’s Violin Rachel D. Oliver (So/Art Ed)

Unwinding Rachel D. Oliver (So/Art Ed)

Fall Katie Parker (Jr/BA Art)

Sonatine Will Pollock (So/BA Art)

Bobo & Li’l Debil Will Pollock (So/BA Art

Survival Series: Buddy, Monroe, Ronnie Courtney Rolland (Jr/Art Ed)

An Imperfection Mizuki Sasaki (So/BA Art)

Steps: Self-portrait (Dec. 12th, 2008) Mizuki Sasaki (So/BA Art)

Before the Discovery of Helium Kristen Spickard (Snr/BA Art)

Twenty-Something Kristen Spickard (Snr/BA Art)

Cute as a button Loren Stanton (Jr/Interior Design)

The Red Spot series Shelby Watkins (Snr/Writing)

Anima Arbor John Wolfe (Jr/BA Art)

Arrival John Wolfe (Jr/BA Art)

I am one of two freshman in the show which was juried by our artist in residency, Kerry Skarbakka. He gave a lecture on Thursday about his current photography work. Despite having a lot to do, I was able to attend the afternoon session held in the gallery and took some interesting notes. There is more regarding his discussion on the Baum Gallery Blog.

I want everyone to come to the opening this coming Thursday, if you can.

Oh, and as of now, "e" has been selected for the most popular. Thanks for the votes.

- Marko

>>decide

I need you guy's help with choosing the best header image!

I have made several images on GIMP and would like some feedback.

a:

b:

c:

d:

e:

In addition to these, you have the option of relaying the current header as the main one. I hope you enjoy them all. I took images from my sketchbook to compose designs for the main display of this wonderful blog. I am going to be making some more, but for now tell me if I am headed in the right direction!

>marko

>>>you are.

Dear Cody,

I know I tell you this over and over, but I couldn't resist it: thank you. You are a gift in my life that I will cherish from now and until then. I am more than thankful that you have entered my life; I cannot completely grasp your reality clashing with mine as something that is actually tangible. Yet, there you are, over and over again, putting a smile on my face. A smile that falls deeper and deeper into your trap, into your love.

I have never been able to be so comfortable with someone and be genuine at the same time. And time flies by so fast: five months, sir. You now make up for the longest relationship I have ever been in, congratulations. But, even that doesn't matter. Time is not relative to what I think, know, we have. Regardless of what goes on in this crazy life, I know that you'll be there right by my side. A comfort few people can even recognize other than fantasy. Bring me back into your arms and hold me tight, thats when I can fall asleep the best. It's late now, and I have a class in six hours, but I just wanted you to know that I love you so much.

Three dots,

Marko

>>this is safe, i think.

-Marko

>>color me a picture

I am currently working on a project about Identity for my advanced drawing class. I was in the studio this weekend, Saturday, working on it, but I am nearly finished. Ben Stamp and I collaborated together while brainstorming to come up with something that I am really proud about. This new drawing and is actually a continuation of a narrative that evolved out of my last drawing, which was very successful in the Bare Exposition exhibit, Three Dots.

Here is a preview...

The text at the top reads: "I am not in the habit of telling myself what happens to me, so I can not quite recapture the succession of events." Sean Paul Sartre

- Marko

p.s. Here is the previous drawing:

>>>hear them coming

This blog entry is long over due, but I felt it was necessary. I have yet to update this blog with any of my current work.

Well two days ago, I finished my critique for my three dimensional design class. What was the assignment? To take a two dimensional contour line drawing of our face and incorporate it in a metaphorical figure that is representative in a real space.

I struggled with this assignment for a while, but Theresa helped me solve my problem. I wanted to make a latter out of deer legs, but did not know a way of stabilizing it. Well, my creative partner came up with the idea of plaster casting deer hooves. This lead to a whole new world of ideas and possibilities. But first I had to learn how to make a mold.

Who better than my own teacher to ask for help? Well, Holly Laws did just that. We were to make a guerilla mold out of something that starts with an "a" - but I forgot. I first had to make a deer hoof out of an oil based clay. This didn't take long, but it was somewhat of a challenge. To act as a mother mold we had one plastic container in which the deer hoof could set in, this would allow the actual mold to set in and also be able to slide out. We had to combine one part purple powder and one part water together, the solution set up really fast.

So I immediately had to pour it over the hoof and plastic container. It set up in about four minutes. Once dry, we slipped it out and cut it in half while we removed the oil based sculpture. This gave us a hollow cast. All that was left was to pour the plaster into the mold and let it set up. While the plaster was wet, I inserted the metal wire. This took about thirty minutes. I really didn't do much while I was waiting for it to set up but It was somewhat entertaining for my subconscious. Yet, to my surprise, the molds looked so beautiful. I was so proud of them.

My initial intention was for these to act as the support for a latter, but they appeared so graceful by themselves, that I just couldn't alter them in anyway. How did I incorporate my face? Well, with a smaller gage wire, I drew continuos contour lines and they weaved in and out of the legs.

I also added a soundtrack to go with all four. They are really pretty to me, and I like their sensitive nature which is reflective of not only me but of the animal they belong.

- Marko

you need this

 - Marko

when we start over

This morning I was awaken by a sun that looked so unfamiliar. He was once my best friend, yet for quite some time he has been neglecting me for his friends in the southern hemisphere. However, today, he woke me up personally. Today, he said, "Good morning Mark, I've missed you."

As much as I would like to say that I love the winter weather, I now miss being able to see nature in full bloom. Sometimes it is in these quiet moments with myself that I begin to recognize the beautify of life and can her the voice of God. Watching the branches flow through a soft breeze on the surface of the creek water is so peaceful and serience. I need this back in my life. I miss the sun, too. But, today was just a preview for the beautiful spring we are all about to embark upon. A time in our lives to recognize our position on this earth, and support each other through thick and thin.

I am writing this entry as a reflection of my self. In Rospert's Drawing class, we are working on a third project which deals with identity. I can identify with the waters of the creek near my home, with the colors of the sky, and with my consciousness. Yet, to figure out one's identity is to question whether or not he or she is self aware. Am I? Are you?

"Life is a matter of a miracle that is collected over time by moments flabbergasted to be in each others presence."

- Speed Levitch

I have a lot of research to do.

- Marko

boobie

I know.

- Marko

six o'clock on the dot

Tori tagged me in "6th folder, 6th photo." Basically,"Open the 6th picture folder on your computer, open the 6th photo and blog it. Write something about it. Then tag 6 more people to do the same."

           

This photo is a scanned image of a polaroid I took in the summer at my Grandma's 80th birthday party in Virginia. This cute little girl would wonder around my aunt's house by herself, completely confident and unfazed by the copious amount of people. 

I was captured by her curiosity. Running around the house, she would occasionally stop and observe, then move on. I would sit back with my cousins and Camila, my friend from Brazil was with us, and wonder what she was thinking about. I would come up with a different narrative for each polaroid I took of her. 

For this photo, I imagined her staring into the black world that is a shadow. The dark mass was special because it was a gateway into a new world. She saw Creetons, tall lanky creatures with animal suites and Omphians, short round creatures with big eyes, playing cranks in a black garden. Unfamiliar to their world, she was puzzled by the game and their existence, and longed to join in. This picture is of her contemplating just how she could fit herself into these bizarre creatures' reality. 

Oh, I tag Cody, Daysha and Katy to do the same.

-Marko

what might have been lost

- Marko

its times like these

In the last couple of days, I have been more than disappointed with myself. Neglecting my vigorous school work for daydreaming, scribbles on paper and sleep. These effortless exertions that have somehow replaced my workload are not necessarily a welcomed activity in such a busy schedule, and I can no longer except their presence. Its time to reorganize the way in which I handle 18 hours of school and my social zest.

I wrote out a schedule, but who am I kidding, I know it will fail?

;]

These images I have compiled in relation to my current project in Drawing III, its only a sneak peek in to the erotic dream I had and am incorporating into my nude figure drawing. ;]

- Marko

superbowl sunday?

I am sitting at Cody's waiting for him to come back from church so we can head off to Russellville for a superbowl party. I am quite excited, not because of football but because I am looking forward to the drive up with someone so special to me. 

But, while I was on his computer I found some funny pictures, and tried to replicate them as best I could. Take a look! ;]

"Haha! Have a great Sunday, you guys!"

- Marko