Recent snapshots.

Experiments in watercolor gradients.

The Cleveland Botanical Garden.

One of my favorite places in Cleveland is the Botanical Garden, so when Andrew and I shared a rare Sunday off together I suggested we spend some time there. It was really the perfect day to spend there. Comfortably warm,  sunny, but a little cloudy. I used to spend a lot of time at the gardens when I was in school because a handful of my classes were taught in the Gund building just across the street. It doesn't get much better than stepping out of a cold classroom and walking into a hot greenhouse in the middle of snowy February. That and I really like drawing plants. 

When I was going through these pictures deciding which ones to share I was reminded of a page from an old sketchbook that I drew on a visit here. So instead of sharing a photo of butterfly, I'll share a drawing instead. At the time, my sketchbook was an old dance instruction book that I had picked up at a local antique store. 

We also saw Midnight in Paris at the Cedar Lee. I'm not one of those girls who obsesses over all things Parisian, but I really loved this movie. Mostly for the art references.

Dad.

Thanks for being so awesome.

(My dad and I on my first day of school.)

All full.

I filled up my most recent sketchbook yesterday. I thought I'd share some photos of the contents here to give it one last hurrah before I put it on the shelf with the others.

Sometimes I'm sad to see them go, but I'm always excited to start a new one.

Golden Half.

So Andrew got me this for Christmas:

It's a Golden Half camera which allows two shots per frame so you get two photos on a roll of film where you would typically get one. Twenty four exposures = forty eight exposures. Etc. Etc. I really love this camera because it's the perfect size to take anywhere. I've been working on a roll of film since Christmas and I just got it developed yesterday. I wanted to share a few of my favorites here. Several of the shots weren't printed properly, or at all, but I kind of like what happened. 

This last one is my favorite by far. It almost makes me miss the snow. 

Pink.

A sneak peek of one of the pieces I've been working on for an upcoming art show at Phoenix Coffee on Lee. I've become a big fan of florescent pink gouache. It almost matches the sunburn I got this weekend at my cousin's wedding. 

Also, Moonrise Kingdom? YES.

Some films on a Friday.

It's not often that I get really excited about a movie. Unless Bill Murray or Wes Anderson are somehow involved in it. It's also not often that I would post something like this. But, there are two movies coming out in the near future that I am really excited about. One is "Blue Like Jazz" which is based on the book by Donald Miller. I'm currently in the middle of reading it right now, but I've read enough of it and Miller's other books to know that I won't be disappointed. Based on this trailer alone (featuring music by Menomena, and Alex from LOST), seeing how the scenes are playing out better than I had imagined in my mind, I'm going to guess that this movie is going to become a favorite of mine. I'm excited to see something like this reach out to young audiences. 

The second movie is one that hits a little close to home. Literally. It's called "Take Shelter" and it revolves around a man who starts having apocalyptic visions and feels driven to build a shelter for his family. The entire movie was filmed just outside of my hometown of Wellington, Ohio. Scenes from the movie take place in stores that I've shopped in for years, including the army/navy store where I bought my first pair of Chuck Taylors my freshman year of high school. And to top it off, my uncle is actually in the movie. He sells the main character the shipping container that he lowers into the ground and builds his shelter with. He got the part because he actually happens to sell and rent shipping containers in the area where the filming was taking place. Lucky coincidence.

(Side note: I've sat through too many wailing tornado sirens in the basement of our 100+ year old home in Wellington. This movie is guaranteed to get my adrenaline going.)