Since the chunkiness of the squirrels on the Diag reached a new level this year and became a sensation, I thought of doing a short but cute appreciation post just for these (not-so-)little guys đ
OTM #19: Compliment
Welcome back from break! Hope you all had a relaxing time and are doing alright getting back into things. I was sluggish this morning on my way to class, throwing together a bulky, stupid outfit and ready to zone out for hours. My roommate offhandedly made a comment that I looked like a celebrity at the airport (I supposedly captured the comfortable yet mysterious and hidden aura, haha) and though I don’t think it was meant to, it boosted my confidence and motivation for the day. I walked down the street with a childlike whimsy, a runway strut in my mind as I listened to my music and basked in the mysterious feeling I evidently carried. I love compliments like that, ones that are oddly specific; they feel so cute and personal, something that drives me creatively and makes me love the world around me a lot more. Compliments are so nice, which is such a silly, obvious thing to say, but I really remembered that today. Feeling grateful. I hope you all compliment someone you care about soon, too, and have a great Tuesday!
A Day In Our Lives #6
Hey guys!
I’m writing this post just as I get back from Thanksgiving break. I have a lot of things to be thankful for! This is a drawing of what a typical Thanksgiving layout would look like at my house. It is still missing a few items! I was fortunate enough to be able to see most of my family over this break. I was even able to see my long-distance best friend for a few hours. Thanksgiving is a really important time for us college kids to connect with our families that we may have not seen in a while. I hope everyone had a restful break. We are getting ready for finals!! Only a few more weeks left in the semester. Luckily, Christmas break is right around the corner!
See you next week !
Marissa  
Evolving Emotions: Surprise- Poetry
A Wonderous Day
Sun’s rays force squinting eyes
Grass curls between tiny toes
Laughter swirling in air swept
by each cool breeze
Bubbling waters in the pond
dug by able hands
for fish and shelled creatures
to lay and unwind
Tingling hands
A shift in the air
Heads turning in unison
to the house just across the yard
Rushing past familiar beauty
towards an enthralling mystery
behind four walls
Once inside
figures crowded round
blocking view
Some gasp or shriek of glee
at a sight to behold
In the center of the circle
comes barking
Pushing past
there it is
the dog you will know
for years to come
It will touch your life
in a way only it could
But for now,
you gaze in its eyes
and marvel over this wonderous surprise
Industrious Illustrating #20 – Childrens’ Book
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This week I’m continuing off of last week’s post by showing what the end result of my sketching and exploration process for this ARTDES 270 childrens’ book project looks like. I edited together 3.5″ x 3.5″ square illustrations and added text digitally to create a cover and four spreads.
If you saw last week’s post about the material explorations I did ahead of making the finished illustrations, you might recognize that I took cues from the thicker paints (gouache and digital) I experimented with to try using saturated application of watercolor in a similar way. I ended up pretty satisfied with the results, so I’m glad I took the time to play around with other mediums first.
 
 
The end result will become a physical board book made out of chipboard, but I haven’t made the prototype yet because I’ve been too busy with schoolwork and holiday break travel to assemble it. I may post the finished physical book in another column if anyone is interested in seeing it, however.
Once I return from my trip abroad, I’ll do my best to find some time to make sketches of what I saw and integrate them into future illustrative projects!
