The Thrill of Movement and Location

It's Travel Tuesday! I am actually really excited about this because I haven't posted about traveling or places I want to go since the summer when I posted my images from my 2 road trips ( found here, here and here) and when I wrote about wanting to see Ireland (here).

Lately my life has been all about "the next step"; with applying to graduate schools and even just dreaming about where I would like to live, I have gotten a little too caught up in living in the future more than once in the past weeks.

I would like to show you why, though. I am listing for you schools to which I am applying, and what travel aspect I look forward to for each destination.

First up:

The University of Texas


Austin City Limits: the longest running live music television program. Austin is the Live Music Capitol of the world, and I would love every second of it. Not to mention that The University is known for having one of the most beautiful campuses in [at least] the country.


Washington State University


First of all, the city of Pullman is nestled in a thick of trees and mountains. Second of all, there are sites like these all around: this is the Palouse River Canyon.



Oregon University


Another city within a forest within the mountains. Eugene, Oregon is surrounded by sights! And some of the most celebrated National Parks are within driving distance, like Mt Rainier, and Olympic, as well as a longer drive to Yosemite. Not to mention that it's only 2 hours up to Portland.

Willamette National Forest, directly east of Eugene. Actually, you should just see all the beautiful pictures from this amazing forest: check out the Google image search here.

The University of Colorado


Are you seeing a trend yet? I really would love to live in the forest with instant mountain access. I would choose the mountains over the beach any day. Boulder is a beautiful city, in a beautiful state. Plus, Colorado is known for its arts community as an ENTIRE STATE. Wow. Plus, Boulder is located right on the boarder of one of my favorite spots I visited over the summer: Rocky Mountain National Park.

This is Odessa Lake, right in the middle of this mystical national park.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago


SAIC. Talk about a school known for its arts. Chicago is a booming city itself, but the School of the Art Institute of Chicago definitely has a top reputation in the country. Honestly, if I got in to this school . . . I would feel extremely overwhelmed.


East Tennessee State University


This is not the last university within a forest within the mountains, but it is in my absolute favorite mountains I have visited thus far. I love the Blue Ridge, the Smokies, the Appalachians ... whatever you want to call them. They are beautiful and magical.



Bald River Falls, found in the neighboring Cherokee National Forest.

Burren College of Art


Ireland. Need I say more? Burren is a land of rock on the western coast of Ireland. Ballyvaghan, Ireland is located across an inlet from Galway. I get goose bumps thinking about this place. No really. I have them right now.


Burren National Park.


Where would you vote to live? I sort of hope I only get in to one school so I don't have to decide between all these amazing programs and places.

Don't do it for anything but the love of movement and location, Or the battle is lost. - Movement and Location, The Punch Brothers

Art Monday: My Art Lately

I have a lot going on with my art right now. It's a given that when taking a lot of classes for your major, you are going to have a lot going on in that direction . . . but I mean that I have A LOT going on with my art right now.

The most important contributions being made to my portfolio though are the works I am creating in my printmaking course and in my independent study. In printmaking I am continuing to work on an idea I came up with last year: my native girls.

Here is my girl from last year:

I showed her a little while back in a post about my floating head tendencies, found here. My latest linoleum block is just about ready for final prints, with my first pulls looking like this:

But these aren't the only floating heads I have worked on recently. I also finished a painting before Winter Break:

So I am definitely making head way . . . pun intended? But then I also have the final drawing of my three part series I started last year also. You may remember the first two girls from the post Progress Shall Be Made! Well the third girl is proving quite interesting thus far. This lady is being drawn to supposedly fit in between the other two. Here she is:

Nothing on this is really finished yet, but I thought I would give you a glimpse. I also have another print I'm about to make along the tribal girl lines, a few collages to be converted in to paintings, and even more collages to create. Whew. One. Project. At. A. Time.

What do you think? You should pick up a pencil yourself and get to sketching.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing. - Thomas A. Edison 

Progress Shall Be Made!

A busy busy bee I have been of late. There are only two more weeks in the  semester, so it's crack-down time. Then finals week. Moral of the story being: don't expect too much from me for a little while, but after the semester is over I have a few amazing things to share with y'all . . . when I have time to write them up.

However, I needed to make this post for two reasons:

1. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. All work and no play make . . . Whatever.

2. I am really super excited about this piece of art I am working on.

So, I wanted to give you a quick glance at the progress I made just yesterday. Then, hopefully, I can update you when it is finished in the next two weeks and you will know part of the process and have some insight!

This work is part of a series, the first of which I have already completed.

The first of the Pattern Girl Series

There will be one more work after the current one, which I am hoping to complete before portfolios are due for graduate school.

Hand to the right

I began with the above completion yesterday. I had blocked in the right hand but hadn't filled it in yet, though the fingers are finished.

Hand to the right.

The right hand is now darkened to my liking, so it's time to start on the left arm.

Left arm.

More blocking in. I find it really important to map out my values before I begin darkening up a section.

Left forearm.

Now the upper and forearm are darkened to my liking. Notice that part of the forearm blends in with the upper arm. This may look strange, but it's really important to keep parts like these as you see them to allows the work to maintain believability.

Left rope and hand.

The rope around the left hand is completed and the left hand is now blocked in. Home stretch!

Left hand.

I did a little more after this point last night but this is a wonderful place to leave off. I hope you enjoyed this glimpse in to my work. Check out my newly updated portfolio, I would love your feedback on it: http://whitneygoller.wix.com/portfolio. 

Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad. - Salvador Dali 

Don't Kill Time... Slay It

And so begins my senior year. It is so crazy to think that 3 years ago I was taking my first college course ever. Has it really been that long??? This weekend I was walking along, being all shocked at how fast the time has gone, repeating over and over “I feel so old.” Then the guy in front of me turned around and snapped me back to reality by asking “how old are you?” He had a good point... who can feel old when they have to reply “21”?

I don't really feel old though. I don't think I'll ever actually feel old. However, it does feel surreal that I am a senior in college. It's just one of those steps, I suppose, that makes you look back as well as forward. It makes you ask questions like did I do everything I wanted? What do I want to do next?

I saw this great quote today on Pinterest.

I've got a life I love, and I don't consider that to be trite just because I'm young. I really love my life, so now is where I step up and live it.

Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life. - William Faulkner

Looking Ahead

Today marks 2 weeks until classes start and I have completely taken the past couple of days in stride. I really have a great feeling about this semester and am looking forward to all of my classes for one reason of another. I am going to have a lot of independent work expected of me this semester, both for my independent study in art and to prep for my senior show that will happen in the spring.

Plus I'm excited to start applying to universities for my next degree in Ecology! Right now I am looking at the University of Colorado, and, my lifelong dream, the University of Texas. I don't think there is any reason a university would not accept me based on my scholastic achievement, except maybe they would be unimpressed at my inability to proofread my writing, but I am really looking to receive some scholarship money. This is one of those times where I am so excited that I'm nervous.

But anyway, this semester should be great. I have no reason to not get all A's and to really kick butt. Easy peasey!

Now to get a job.

I just recently watched Fahrenheit 451, a 60s movie based on Ray Bradbury's book with the same title. Even though the movie was dated, the ideas and warnings Bradbury gave us are still prevelant and haunting. Give it a watch! Or better yet, give it a read.

I don't try to describe the future. I try to prevent it. - Ray Bradbury

Alabama, Arkansas, I Sure Love My Ma & Pa

Well, I'm back in Findlay, Ohio. I never thought I could be so happy to be here, but I really am. It's nice to be in a place where you know the roads, where all of the McDonald's are, and where you know people.

It took me two hours to unpack my car, and I'm taking a break from putting everything away to write this. It was really nice to walk in to my apartment and see all of the changes I made at the beginning of the summer. I think I literally walked in and said you're so pretty!! (yes, I talk to my apartment, apparently).

Now I have a couple weeks before classes start again and I actually feel ready for my senior year. I'm taking a few courses outside of my major that I am legitimately excited about and a bunch inside my major that I'm super pumped for.

This is kind of a funny moment. I'm sitting on my bed surrounded by mounds of clothing, my foot propped up on a new comforter set and Beyonce's Smash Into You in the background. Life is good.

Pictures to come :)

I live in my own little world. But its ok, they know me here. ― Lauren Myracle