Oh, How I Love This Team ...

Yes. My first rugby game was amazing. Who knew so much aggression could be bottled up in this little, [currently] blonde lady? For all of the people who just laughed or rolled their eyes at that . . . you know the look I'm giving you.

The stats (as far as anyone cared to record) : Ashland 15 – Findlay 25. I scored 2 tries, worth 5pts each. Countless tackles, rucks, and scrums. Hoorah! Post-game excitement doesn't quite show how miserable I felt about 10min in to the first half. However, the pain of not being able to breathe is quickly overcome by the thrill of throwing your opponent to the ground, or being smashed to the dirt yourself.

It makes me do this every time:

So. Here are a few amazing pictures and ads I found for rugby, and then after the line are some pictures that were taken at the game of me so that you can share in my excitement.

Rugby is a hooligans game played by gentlemen. - Winston Churchill

The Dream of Heaven and Greatness

Yesterday after I shared some ideas I have for my future I was asked if I had ever heard the term “Jack of all trades, master of none.” Yes. I have. It isn't the first time someone has referred to me with that saying and I have even been known to describe myself in that way. But what I have been thinking on a lot lately is when did it become a bad thing to be good at a lot of stuff? I have always been multi-talented: in sports, in math, science, art, reading and writing, cooking, and crafting. In track I competed in every category: sprints, middle distance, jumps, throws (I have even tried pole vault and ran cross country). In art I do pretty much everything: painting, drawing, sculpting, design, printing, photography. By grade 4 I was reading at a high school senior level. In high school I won awards not only as student of the year in my Painting course, but in Computer Assisted Drafting and in College Writing.

Do I feel as though I am bragging? Absolutely not. It has become very difficult for me in college to celebrate my talents. Actually, it has been stressful to feel satisfied in a major. When I began my college search 3 years ago I was looking at engineering programs, then I changed my mind to either pursue physics or biology. Something inside me snapped though as the pressure mounted and I decided to enter my freshman year at Wittenberg University as an Art and English double major. After that first year I realized I would not be able to afford continuing my education there, and transferred to the University of Findlay where I was offered a generous Track and Field scholarship. Within the first semester I was talked out of my English degree because I would not graduate in 4 years if I pursued it.

Now I am planning a project that will hopefully earn me a 5^th year internship with the University of Findlay. My dream jobs are to work for the NationalPark Service in an Ecology position and to have my own furniture store in which I would sell updated furniture and as well as work as an interior decorator. I also wouldn't mind being a stay-at-home- … something … and painting to my heart's content. I want to use my 5^th year internship to take courses in Biology and jump start my second degree. I am thinking about applying to TheUniversity of Texas, and to Ohio State for either a Masters of Fine Art and/or an Ecology degree. I have a lot of plans and options!!! Once again, when did that become a bad thing? I am only 20 (21 as of this Friday) … is it not better to have so many roads laying before me than to have no apparent choice at all?

I think so. And last night I began reading Ecclesiastes as if on cue. After I got past the shock of reading what had been on my mind, I found myself already to chapter 3 begging for the rhyme and reason of life to be spelled out. Verse22: So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him? Ecclesiastes says that not money, not children, not land, not wisdom, nothing you acquire will ever make your life worth it, so be happy because there is nothing left to do but enjoy your time. There is no command to change your life, find a new job, marry, divorce, move somewhere... the Bible simply states to be happy. 

I have a ton of different interests. They all make me happy.

“Ask yourself whether the dream of heaven and greatness should be waiting for us in our graves - or whether it should be ours here and now and on this earth.” - Ayn Rand

My Unique Temperament

As I have said previously, I am studying art at the University of Findlay. I mostly take courses in painting and drawing, but I also have interests in design and sculpture. In a lot of my recent pieces I have been working to combine flat patterns with more rendered and rounded forms. I generally work with the subject of the female body, normally nude and a solo figure.

My art is so deeply personal to me that I usually have a hard time sharing it with anyone. My personal public relations representative (whom I like to consider my significant other) has been trying to break me of this nasty habit by encouraging me to post my work to every social media outlet I use. I am still horrible about sharing my art though, and most of the time when I finish a work it is for me and my satisfaction alone. However, I can never expect to sell my work if I do not put myself out there. Even a high school student I recently struck up a conversation with at a local coffee shop was astounded at my lack of getting-out-there-ness.

To counteract my lack of social skills, I am sharing my more recent work with you. The first picture I am sharing was actually removed from my profile on Facebook. It is a drawing of a half naked woman with a corset, skirt and ruffle around her neck. My guess is that someone who is “friends” with me on the sight reported it, but who is to say? This drawing is the first in a series of three I am planning.

This next piece stems from a series of collages I worked on during the semester that utilized vintage Victorian-era photography mixed with acrylic paint, and patterned paper that I used in place of the women's hair and clothing. One of my focuses this semester was to bring my giant ideas to a new level of finished work. She is not fully finished: I am still going to fill in the pattern on the cloth covering her legs. The first picture below is the original collage and the second is the painting I made from it.

Original Collage

Close-up 

Insight on art: A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. - Oscar Wilde

Pilot Episode: The Plot

It is hard to begin a blog about nothing, or what feels like nothing, but really I want to write about everything and don't know where to start. The easiest topic to begin is one of the hardest to end: explaining myself. In effect that is what this entire blog will become, but what makes a better story than character development?

I am Whitney Goller. I was born in Texarkana, Texas, have lived in Ottawa and Findlay, Ohio, as well as Melksham in Wiltshire, United Kingdom. In my spare time I am a shieldmaiden of Rohan. Currently I attend The University of Findlay and major in studio art. I grew up believing I was anything and everything. After years of people telling me differently, I have finally come to understand that I still am anything and everything. More specifically though, I am an artist, a designer, a thinker, a reader, a writer, a scientist on a small scale, but most importantly I am not a dreamer. I am a believer. I believe in God, in myself, in you if you will let me, in a greater purpose, in individual freedom, in change, and in making things.

This is a lot to put in to few words, but I am hoping you will listen to my explanations as the days go on. I intend to post my art, poetry, thoughts, pictures and maybe even some ideas. I am giving up most of my social media sites for this endeavor of explaining myself without limitations, but in case curiosity gets the best of those reading these words, here are my sites: Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. I sell my artwork on both Etsy and Society6.

Oxymoron to think on: Act Naturally