Senior Year--this feels a little weird.

Today was the first day of classes. Technically not my last first day of classes, as next semester will be that, but my last first day of first semester classes and that counts for something, no?

I feel very calm about the start of this semester, like I am ready to conquer the next year and move into a new stage of living. This sounds crazy, I am sure, but I am looking excitedly forward to paying off my loans, getting a routine and job that will help me grow closer to what I really want to spend my life working at, getting an apartment in Chapel Hill, becoming a member of a small, public library, and cooking everyday. Nonetheless, it's going to be a really wonderful year--an apartment with three of my best friends, visits to NC to hike/cook/eat-pints-of-ice-cream with Bry, letters to and from Syda in FL, thesis (not to mention my Children's Lit. class this semester and a possible cartooning class next semester!), Stacy wedding next summer (bachelorette party, invitation design!!!!!!!!! everything, woot!).

I realized today, though, that I have left many people hanging as to my progress and my adventures this summer. So, here are some documented updates:

(p.s. I am surprised that people still read this, honestly. But that is great!)

(p.p.s. Updates go...backward in time. From recent to...less recent.)

A page from my children's book I am working on. The University did an online feature on me! This photo was included, and here is the link if you are interested in reading it: http://news.richmond.edu/art/features/art-sarah-nagel.html

Another two-page spread from my book. The University is also featuring this (I am so lucky, I know) in an Artes Liberales booklet they send out each year. I think I am on the back cover? Pretty cool!

The sisters, Sunset at Indian Shores beach, FL. We were there dropping Sydney off in St. Pete's at Eckerd College. I am on the left, Syd in the middle, and Stace on the right (poor Shannon was missing but she was there in spirit.)

The sisters! All of us! Sarah, Shannon, Syda, Stacy! This one (along with the next few) are from Sydney's graduation party in June.

On our way up to Jenna's cabin for the weekend (me, Juju, and Jenna) we stopped in Lancaster and went to The Green Dragon, A GIGANTIC FLEA MARKET OF SORTS where we got these Amish whoopie pies. This one was pumpkin, which is my favorite, and luckily I was in the back so I got a headstart on eating in before the others realized it was open. Yesssss.

We kayaked.

Bathed in the freeeeezing creek.

Got ice cream and enjoyed the serene, beautiful atmosphere.

This is the cabin! We went on the lovely hike that featured dozens of gorgeous waterfalls.

And to end this post, here is my handsome boyfriend with a 'mallowstache. I think he is quite wonderful.

Oh, and of course, the best news yet: my book list for children's lit!!!!!!

Harry Potter; The Secret Garden; Peter Pan; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Coraline; Charlotte's Web; Bridge to Terabithia AND MANY MOOOOOOOOORE!!!!!!!!

I love you all and p.p.p.s. I am melting in the hottttt VA weather. Honestly.

Love,

Sarah

Some drafts. :)

THIS SURSLY TOOK ME ALL DAY LONG.

I need more skillz in the pc dept.

I am slowly learning, but learning nonetheless, how to combine digital with traditional.

It's fun now that I have a tiny bit of it figured out, so anyway, this sursly took me all day:

There are a ton of things I need to change, but woohoo!  It was mildly successful! :)

Julie's wedding and the first half of my fellowship.

John and Julie got married this past weekend. I was a bride's maid, along with a few of Julie's friends from UR Lauren, Kristen, Shelby; her closest/childhood friend from NOLA Emily; her sister Amy and her sister-in-law, Ryan. It was such a wonderful weekend. We had a bachelorette party on Thursday (pedicures, Mexican food, and some bar in the Fan), rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner on Friday, and the ceremony and reception on Saturday.

It was a ton of fun, and I can't believe that as I type, John and Julie Farmer are gallavanting in the mountains, on their honeymooooooooon!

Here are some pictures for you folks who I know are anxious to see them.
p.s. Julie made her dress.

p.p.s. a friend did the flowers.

p.p.p.s. a friend did the cakes.

p.p.p.p.s. a friend decorated the reception location.

p.p.p.p.p.s. a friend did the invites.

p.p.p.p.p.p.s. a friend did our hair.

...it was awesome.

The bride's maids dress.

Lauren was the first to get her hair done! :)

Shelby and Lauren--we were waiting for Julie's car to get to the chapel and were on VIP mission so that no boys saw Julie (especially not Juan).

The pews in the chapel.

Julie's bouquet!

Kokemor family.
The chapel garden.

Mr. and Mrs. John Farmer!!!!!!!

The invites, cake topper, program, and flowers.

Also, I have been working on some illustrations for le book--about a girl who get s bicycle (I can hear dad going B-I-C-Y-C-L-EEEEEEEE) and imagines all the places she could visit. As you read you go to different cities and she acquires one thing from each city and she puts those things her bicycle basket. Here are the second drafts:

And another painting, too.

:)

I cannot believe I am going to be a senior.

And with that I simply cannot believe that next year is my last year. How can that even be possible? I mean, really. Sursly. So I am spending the summer in Richmond, living with three very good friends in a tiny apartment in between the city and campus. I am working on campus, though, on a project called "Children's Illustration: Visual Narrative." I have an Arts and Sciences Fellowshipm, which means my salary for the 10 weeks comes from UR, and that I will have to present my work in the Spring.

I got to move into my senior studio early, and here it is!!!!!!!!!! :

I am very lucky, I realize this. It is such a wonderful space mmmmmmmm I just love it.

But meanwhile, here are a few of my works from last semester, as my family hasn't seen any of them. Enjoy!

"A portrait of Syda," oils. This was my final painting for my Junior Thesis class.
"A Portrait of Syda," detail.

Here is a series I did in my screenprinting class:

"Our Pagan Love," screenprint

"Conversion," screenprint

"A Severity as Merciful as Love," screenprint

"A Severity as Merciful as Love," detail

Here is a piece I did in the first couple weeks of last semester, and for some reason I still really like it. It is RULL mixed media (screenprint, gouache, watercolor, colored pencil, paper, marker, erm...):

"The Greatest Show on Earth," mixed media

Another painting:

"Today the Hawk Takes One Chick," oils

This was my second painting of the semester, and it was for my junior thesis class. I was in "Figure Painting and Narrative" which was all oils, but I NEVER EVER NUNCA JAMAS thought I would willingly paint independently in oils. I had been scarred ever since "Obsevational Ptg" first semester of college, and I really hated oils. But alas, this is how it got started. Now I am stuck in oils because they are so nice and juicy and mmmmm....
"Self Portrait 1," oils
"Self Portrait 1," detail

"Self Portrait 1," detail
I guess just for fun I'll put my other things, thought perhaps I won't write much about them. They are just some paintings, screen prints, or illustrations:

John and Julie's wedding invitations (LESS THAN THREE WEEKS!!!!!!!!!!!), screenprint
Some V-day cards I screenprinted.
Again, screenprint.

Screenprint.
My first painting, untitled and in oils.

Painting two, oils.

"Couple in a Field of Flowers," oils.

Phew! I guess there are a few others things, that maybe I will put in my next post. That was intense. But it's nice to update everyone, with pictures because every time someone asks, "oh what is that painting about?" or "what is that painting of?" I usually just go "eeeerrrr well you see....uhhhhhh."

So here you go.

Sarah :)

p.s. I am listening to a Podcast called "Coffeebreak French!!!!!!!!!!!" ahhhhhhhh! I can say, I don't know....three things or so now. Booyah.

Bonner Update!

For Bonner we are allowed to post on a blog hollaaaaaaaaaaaar!
That means that a. I am saving paper via not printing out a three page write up and b. I can enhance my viewer’s experience by adding photos! I don’t have many, but the few I add will make this much more enjoyable, I promise.

So a few weekends ago I attended the conference “Convergence: The Intersection of Arts and Activism” at Tufts University. I was excited because it was unique chance to meet other artists who are interested in building community and making change through their work. It was also a chance to meet successful (gasp!), independent artist who were making a life doing what they love. I woke up bright and early Friday morning, hopped on a plane, and am now proudly proclaiming that I experienced a great amount of success in navigating my way around the grand ol’ city of Boston. I got from the airport to the campus, from the campus to the apartment at which I was staying, to and from the campus many times after that, and back to the airport on Sunday with time to spare. So before you get all worried thinking “Oh man. Did Sarah even make it back? We all know of her tendencies to get lost everywhere she goes…” no worries, mon petit pal, for I am back safe and sound.

When I got to Boston it was pouring down rain and so I trudged the 30 minute hike from the Davis Square Station to the academic building of choice on Turfs’ campus. Our first session explored “Performace as Protest.” We were joined by:

Abe Ryback—Artistic Director of The Theater Offensive, a Boston-based theater company whose mission is “to form and present the diverse realities of queer lives in art so bold it breaks through personal isolation and political orthodoxy to help build an honest, progressive community.”

Milan Kouhot—Performance artist who sought to bring human rights to his native Czechoslovakia before he was expelled in 1986 due to his political art activism.

Olivia Greer—Associate Director of Culture Project, an organization that “brings the national political conversation to life on the New York stage.”

Lenelle Moise—a Poet, Playwright, and Performance Artist who “creates jazz-infused, hip-hop bred, politicized performances and plays about Haitian-America identity.”

So many different topics were explored. The arguments and discussions and disagreements made the complexity of art and activism so evident—using your body as a form of art; connecting your art, something beautiful and honest, to a group of people that is so broken and so ugly that we often would rather ignore it; the idea of artistic prostitution where making a living with your art comes into conflict with making a lifestyle of your art; and the idea of loving humanity enough to fight for its survival (as stated, in some form or another, by Che Guavera).

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking “this is so dramatic.” But the fact is that dramatic is one thing it is not, and honest is one thing that it is. Abe shared with us some stories from his childhood, getting treated so cruelly by his peers because of his sexuality. He sees this behavior now by grown adults to grown adults, grown adults to children, children to children. One of the services his theater group provides is going to a local park—one notorious for homosexual meetings, interactions, and sexual behavior by many with AIDS—and handing out free condoms to promote safe sex. Observers criticize and mock his efforts. He is doing what he can to connect to this population, to serve them, but somehow this population does not deserve our service? They are a group that has been mistreated by many and like I said, we would rather ignore it than fact something that is so broken.
My favorite part of the conference was a session called “Creating a Life: Making It as a Young Artist/Changemaker/Educator” that featured a panel of six artists seeking to change the communities around them through their work.

David Schlafman, an illustrator and animator, is currently partnered with PBS and is creating a healthy cooking (and eating, fo course) show for kids. The show focuses on teaching kids safe practices in the kitchen, helping them learn what is good for their bodies, and showing them how fun it can be to cook!

http://www.schlafman.com/ds/illustration/1/sketch_draw2/2

Nelson DaCosta is a painter working in Boston. His work is a reflection of his experience as a child, living in war-torn Angola. He witnessed horrible things—the murders of people he loved—and was hospitalized after being shot at age 12. When he was in the hospital, he got some art supplies, and from then on he has realized how wonderful art is, that he can tell his story using paint.

http://ase.tufts.edu/gallery/shows/thesis_apr08.html

Nate Dubbs is a glass artist, and one of the managers at Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Pennsylvania. This center is a public center aiming to foster creativity and education within the community.

Nick Rodrigues is a sculptor and performance artist and some of his projects are so funny! He has an entire series on “human interactions.” One that is so funny is the Portaparty—a reflection of Nick seeing all these people walking around, cut off from the people around them because they have little earbuds in their ears, listening to their iPods. http://www.nickrodrigues.com/

Naomi Cohen was another panelist, and her work is so incredible—she is an art therapist at an all-girls school in Brooklyn, NY.

So many of the artists have taken it upon themselves to make a difference in their communities—through connecting to certain populations by making people more aware of the issues around them, telling their stories, providing resources, and just fostering a more inclusive and exciting atmosphere. It’s just so cool. It’s also ALWAYS incredible for me to see people who have made both a lifestyle and a living out of their artwork. It is my goal: to do something I truly love, something that involves art. That is why I felt so encouraged by Naomi’s stories—it is such a gift to use your love for art to help others have a voice. I feel that I have had only one experience where I felt that my art was really serving someone else, and it was a project a did last year:

It helped me think about my experience in Ecuador and how I was treated as a woman and the struggles that Ecuadorian women face everyday. I felt especially connected to the children there, and this work was just a step in my process to understand how my presence there affected me and affected the children with whom I worked.