The end of the beginning of real life, and the beginning of the very beginning of the middle of real life

Or something like that.

I am officially no longer a student, and instead a self-employed freelancer! Kellan and I will be moving into an apartment into Austin, Texas come August, and until then, I am in a little limbo living with family. It's okay though-- gives me a moment to catch my breath and organize myself.

Clearly, no new art to show at the moment, but I do have a few pictures from festivities at the beginning of June.

At the beginning of the weekend, we attended the Communications Arts show, which was organized by the school and consisted of works from Illustration, Graphic Design, Advertising, and Sequential Art. Here are pictures of Kellan and me with our accepted works:

Me
Kellan

Then, the next night, we had our Illustration Senior Show, which for me was an extremely wonderful culmination of all the relationships, experiences, and growth I have experienced over the last four years in the Illustration department. My parents were able to meet my professors, as well, which was really nice, because they had some very kind words to say about my work. I will miss all those lovely folks from Morris Hall! I only wish I had appreciated the community more when it was readily available.

Me and my work!

My dear friend, Casey Crisenbery

My lovely roommate, Catherine Fontenot!

Aaaand my super-talented love, Kellan Stover

The next day, we turned our tassels and were declared graduates! It was a long, hot, emotional, and overwhelming day that I will never forget and will hold dearly to me for the rest of my life. These people have touched me in so many ways over the years, and I owe them so much. Here are a couple pictures:

Procession into the graduation auditorium.

My school!

SCAD's president, Paula Wallace, and our commencement speaker, Whoopi Goldberg.

The Savannah College of Art and Design Class of 2011.

Kellan and I in our caps and gowns

And again in our fancy outfits


Some illustration loves-- Seo Kim and Josh Heinsz

And now I'm back in Texas! Since then, I have mailed out almost 650 postcard mailers and am an established member of the Square Carousel Illustration Collective-- a group created by Josh (seen above) that consists of 10 cohesive illustration students. Check out our site!

That's all for now! More updates soon. =)
adios
caitlin

Okay, I lied...

One last quick post! I graduate in four days... so I'm a tad frazzled at the moment.

My website is 100 percent done and spiffy now!! Go check it out.

Also, did a quick project for my World Mythology class. It is an illustration of the Australian sun goddess, Gnowee, who lights the sky each day with her torch, searching for her lost son. I wanted the piece to acknowledge her despair, but also give a sense of hope. Likely not going in portfolio, but it served its purpose well.



"Gnowee," Gouache, 2011.

Toodles! Next time you hear from me, I'll be a real grown up.
adios
caitlin

New York, New York

Hello all!
Well, I just got home from a whirlwind week in New York with SCAD. It was insanely busy and tiring, but I am so, very very glad I decided on a whim to go. I got so much out of it, I don't know if I can really fit it all in a blog post. But I'll sure try! It was scary and uplifting, eye-opening and humbling, inspiring and surprising. And most of all, it was extremely motivating! I am so ready to put together a killer portfolio now. I want to knock everyone's socks off with my illustration!


A lovely scene in New York!

First, we went to Illustration House-- Walt Reed is the founder, and also author of many illustration history books. This is the home to many renowned illustrator's works. It was a joy to hear all the stories of the illustration greats from such a respectable man and his son/business partner.


Illustration House gallery.

Next stop was the home and studio of children's book illustrators Ted and Betsy Lewin. His style is very realistic, and hers loose and lively, but somehow they have found a way to collaborate and create books together, based on their love of the animal kingdom and travel. They have gone on a trip every year since 1970 to visit every continent, but Antarctica, to watch the animals and hear the locals' stories. Their home was just incredible, adorned with the treasures of their travel. Every wall is covered in their own beautiful artwork, and they have such an everlasting love, it's truly from a book or movie. They are both so proud of each other and supportive, and they love recounting the stories from all their adventures. I just loved Ted and Betsy, and their eclectic studio. I want so badly to have a life like theirs! They are content, creative, and found a way to incorporate everything they love into one profession: each other, art, animals and travel! I would give to be so happy. It was truly inspiring.


Betsy's work on the wall.


Ted's work on the wall.


The incredible studio!


Ted showing us his book dummies.


Betsy giving a demonstration.

Our last stop of the day was at Harper's magazine. Thanks to our professor Talon, we had an assignment to illustrate a previously-published article, in which we will be contacting them through the sketch process, just like a real job. It will be a great opportunity to learn how the process works, and to gain a connection with Harper's. My article is about Broadway, and was originally written in the late 1800s. It will be an exciting challenge that I can't wait to take on! It has been requested that I work in my relief printmaking style for this assignment, so I have a good deal of work ahead of me. But I can't wait! More updates on that soon.

The next day we spent at the Society of Illustrators. It feels just like home to me! Tons of books and famous illustrations on the walls. We were spoken to by Holiday House, a children's book publisher, and got a good insight into the business, with advice on how to present our portfolios, contact publishers, and specifically what to adjust in each of our books. My portfolio review went pretty well, she asked me a few questions about my choice of media and such, but didn't say too much. She was very nice, and even had another person from Holiday come by to see our portfolios again. Overall, it was pretty successful, if I don't say so myself!


One of many bookshelves in the Society of Illustrators.

We also were visited by both Yuko Shimizu, who spoke to us about editorial and advertising illustration, and Murray Tinkelman, who discussed self-initiated projects and the importance of continuing to work even when the phone doesn't ring. Both were just lovely people to listen to, and it was nice to hear perspectives from illustrators who have been successful in the business for some time.


©Yuko Shimizu


©Murray Tinkelman

The third day started off with a visit to the New York Times. We spoke with the art directors from several sections of the paper. The insight into editorial illustration was really helpful, and they were a fun and relate-able group of people. I got some good feedback on my work and presentation of it, which I will most certainly be applying to this summer's projects. I really liked the way they worked with us, being personable so that the critique wasn't painful, and having both positive and negative feedback. It was motivating and made me want to put together the most impressive book I can. That's the plan for the next few months, anyway!

Next, we visited two SCAD graduates at their home and studio. Zelda Devon and Kurt Huggins work primarily in sequential, and just broke into the field. What they told us was eye-opening and slightly intimidating, but after a little scare, it made me even more passionate about illustration. They really emphasized how difficult it truly is to be an illustrator and to get work. You have to be very diligent and motivated to get your name out there. No matter how good you are, no one will see you or hire you if you aren't networking. As much as I love SCAD, (the program is wonderful and I have gotten so much out of it), it made me realize how cushioned we are, as students, from the outside world. I am definitely a big fish in a small pond, as they say, and it was pretty bewildering to see what the real world is like. But I know I can do it, and I want this more than anything. Zelda and Kurt's talk pumped me up to get out there and show the illustration world what I'm made of!


©Zelda Devon and Kurt Huggins

The last stop of this day was at 3x3 Magazine, a publication for illustration. We spoke with Charles Hively, the publisher of the magazine, who is notorious for a hard critique. I have to admit my heart was pounding going into that meeting! Mr. Hively is clearly very passionate about illustration. He told us about the decline in the public's interest in it, and therefore illustrators get paid less and less. His goal is to get illustration's good reputation back. This talk made me want to become active in his fight for our field. He had some very good arguments about how people who accept jobs for way too low of pay harm not only themselves, but also the rest of us. Doing this allows clients to take advantage of us. Hively talked about how photography was replacing illustration because it's "faster" and "easier." He said that illustration is "in Wal-Mart" and needs to get out. We shouldn't be looked at as the last resort for an image in editorial publications or books. His critique was pretty hard, but it will make me grow to hear the worst. He wasn't fond of a lot of my work, and said my portfolio is nowhere near consistent, which is a big problem. He seemed to like my woodcuts alright, and he had some good tips for book presentation. It was hard to hear, but completely necessary. I'm grateful for the experience.

Our second-to-last day was much easier on us! We went to Friend of a Farmer for breakfast and lunch with two children's book illustrators, Melissa Iwai and Kristen Balouch. Hearing them talk was very refreshing. They are both happy with their jobs and lives, and are doing quite well for themselves. Both are very talented women, and I really enjoyed getting to see their processes behind each book. I'd love to be in their shoes one day, talking with students about how to make it!


Friends of a Farmer


©Kristen Balouch


©Melissa Iwai

Mark Smylie from Archaia Studio Press, who creates children's comic books. It is not specifically an area of illustration that suits me, but he was a very nice man and had some more great feedback on how to enter the creative field.

We wrapped up the day at Nancy Stahl's apartment. Her studio was just amazing! She had shelves and shelves of books (it appears this is a requirement for an illustrator, which is fine by me!) and lots of little oddities from thrift stores and garage sales. A lot of it seemed to be from the '40s and '50s, and it's inspiration shows in her work. It gave me some great ideas of how I'd like my studio to be one day! I am so excited to no longer work in a dorm room.


Her awesome studio! This picture doesn't do it justice.


©Nancy Stahl

Our last day was another great one. We started off at Penguin Group, and met with people from both Dial Books for Young Readers and Dutton Children's Books, both of which are housed under Penguin (in total, three people: one for each). My portfolio review went really well with them, and it was so relieving. They told me my style was very European and "hip," and even pointed out a specific character from my children's book that they liked a lot. Steven Meltzer, the associate publisher and executive managing editor for Penguin, said he would love to hang my "Cat" piece in his house! He said my gouache work was very 1960s retro, which is a good thing, since it's coming back in style. I was ecstatic with this review! These are people I hope to be working for someday. And they liked my stuff!

We wrapped up the trip back in SOI with Steven Tabbutt, another SCAD graduate who has incredible fine art illustration, and David Guertin of Insomniac Games and Creature Box, who does a lot of character design for games. Steven's work was really interesting to see, because he even showed us original works. It made me proud to be a SCAD student! David was a really funny guy, and also emphasized how hard you have to work to remain relevant in the business, but how it's also very much worth it. Anyone interested in character development should contact him for some advice. He is a really nice man and gives great tips. We went to Toy Story 3 with the group and then said our good-byes. It was such a great trip. I completely recommend it to any SCAD students (although Talon won't be your professor for it, because he is sadly leaving the school! I am happy for him and his new opportunities though).


©Steven Tabbutt

Whew! Exhausting, huh? Oh, and we also got to see some famous murals. Dean Cornwell and Maxfield Parrish! I was so glad to get to experience these huge paintings in person.


Maxfield Parrish


Dean Cornwell

I'll update more about my progress on assignments this summer. Rest your eyes from all that reading! Update soon.
adios
caitlin

Long time no... write.

Yikes... Sorry it's been so long! I got caught up in being busy the last few weeks and didn't have time to upload the scans of my artwork. So here's an update on everything I have been up to.

Kellan and I did get into the SCAD Con Artist's alley a couple weekends ago. It was a really good opportunity to get our work out to the public, by way of business cards, portfolios, prints, and original work. It was in conjunction with the Career Fair, which we also participated in. I showed my portfolio to a few companies and got some pretty good feedback. First I talked to Odopod (www.odopod.com). The man was very kind and sincere, but did say that they had been somewhat falsely advertised and weren't really looking for illustrators as much as artists of a more graphic nature. He did, however, take a card of mine (I used postcards instead of business cards because they catch a client's eye more, and they can stick it on their bulletin board for future reference. I also made several different kinds displaying different styles I am capable of, allowing them to choose.) and he seemed to enjoy getting to pick one. Then I talked to Gallopade International (www.gallopade.com) who work with children's materials, including literature and products for schools. The woman was very nice, although rushed because of the long line, and told me that they may be interested in my black and white line work. She gave me what they called a "free pass" for SCAD artists, and told me to contact them for either freelance work or internship opportunities. She took a postcard and a copy of my portfolio. Next I spoke with people from Wild Apple (www.wildapple.com), which is a company that creates artwork to be sold to home decor lines. I really love their stuff- gorgeous floral patterns are right up my alley! She seemed to like my work, took several postcards, a copy of my portfolio, and suggested I try for an internship (which I did apply for later). And I got a free bumper sticker reading "buy art!" I felt very comfortable with these people. If I don't end up working with them at any point, I know I'll at least be a fan of their product! Lastly, I talked with a woman from an animation studio, which I believe was simply called "The Studio." The line to see her was over an hour long, and people were not getting good reviews, but she surprisingly liked my work very much. She said that although it didn't fit what they need, she was personally inspired by my illustration (claiming to even "love" it! a rare word in these situations) and took several of my postcards for her bulletin board. She was very nice, and even though I won't be getting any career relations from that interview, it sure was a confidence boost to get feedback like that! So, after a long and informative day, Kellan and I were just about to pack up, when we were told by the man in charge of SCADCon that corporate employees from Scholastic had been there. We waited a little while, hoping to get to see someone, but alas, no one showed. The really wonderful SCADCon coordinator took a copy of our portfolios to give to the Scholastic people and said there would be a good chance they'd be back next year. Something to look forward to! All in all, it was a very successful day.



Me with my table at SCADCon!

Last week, we went to a lecture about the future of illustration and graphic design with the upcoming technology. The illustration and graphic design departments had some really incredible guests to speak: Bridgid McCarren, Cristoph Niemann, Tyler Darden, Christopher Sickels, and most impressively, Yuko Shimizu and Anita Kunz! It was a very important lecture, and made me proud to be involved in the word of illustration. There are a lot of inspiring people in the field.



An illustration by (and copyrighted to ©) Yuko Shimizu.



A depiction of Martha Stewart by (and copyrighted to ©) Anita Kunz)

Other news: I entered my Big Bunny from Winter quarter (look back in the entries or on my site to see it again) into the Spring Open Studio for printmaking. It'll be for sale, if anyone wants to spend a bunch of money on an awesome one-in-three-kind print!

More exciting news: I found out last night that all three of the prints I submitted into the Alexander Ink exhibition were accepted! Two of the three will be displayed in the main foyer, while the third will be in the printmaking gallery space. This is a pretty big deal, considering the juror chose less than half of the entries to hang in the show! Two pieces you may recognize from last quarter: "What Will You Strive for in Your Life?" and "To Love Any Art Form." Look on my site or back a few entries to see them again... or better yet, come by Alexander Ink in May! And what is the third piece, you may ask? It is something new! I bet you were waiting for that.



"When Nini Meets Clarence, 2/3" Lithograph Print, 2010.

This is my first assignment from Introduction to Lithography. We used pronto plates for this assignment, and here I have used a total of three-- one for the yellow, one for blue, and the last for black. The image was originally scanned from a pen drawing. I know I said I would attempt to explain the steps of lithography, but now I think I might change my mind. It is a very, very complicated and confusing process. Maybe I'll take pictures during my next assignment of the process... no promises, though! I just turned in my second assignment today, which I haven't scanned yet. It's done on an aluminum plate, and next we will be using stones. Very exciting stuff! Oh, and what's this? More new art? Hurrah!



"Whales," Gouache and Digital, 2010.

Did you know that there is a sanctuary for fin whales and striped dolphins in the Mediterranean governed by France, Monaco, and Italy? Did you also know that this "sanctuary" is not being treated as sacred in the least, and tourism, trade traffic, and gas treatment plants are all really placed in this area? And would you guess that because of these things, the populations of these aquatic species are dwindling quickly? I didn't either. That's why I chose this subject for my social awareness poster. This image will be entered into two separate poster contests-- one online and one with the school. Hopefully this image will be going places!

Well, not much to show you in Ancient Art and Architecture, although I could write another paper on the comparisons and contrasting elements of the Orientalizing Period's "Maiden of Auxerre" and the Archaic Period's "Anavysos Kouros." Doesn't sound appealing? Didn't think so. It actually is very intriguing subject matter, though. I just have a hard time remembering all the Greek terminology! I had my midterm yesterday, though, and I think I did pretty well. Hopefully all A's so far!

Other than that, not much else is happening. I'm trying to figure out what classes to take in the Fall, but there aren't too many options now that I only have three quarters left (eek!). I'll give another update after sign up. And this weekend is the Sidewalk Festival! Kellan and I are sharing a space, just like last year. I hear a rumor that the people from Cartoon Network are judging, so maybe we stand a chance! Pictures will be posted later.

That's all for now! If you made it this far, kudos!
adios,
caitlin

And so ends the most challenging quarter of my college career!

Hola!
Today was the last day of classes for the winter quarter of 2010. I can't believe I only have four more before I'm out of the nest and out on my own! What a scary and exhilarating thought... I'm really looking forward to the rest of school (this quarter I think was the beginning of the best classes yet) and looking forward even more to starting my life as an illustrator. I feel like all my little ducks are lining up just perfectly right now. It's official-- I'm going to New York this summer with SCAD for a week! We don't have a set itinerary just yet, but I will fill you in on all the juicy details as soon as I find out. I know we will be visiting big-name companies, meeting successful illustrators, showing off our portfolios, and seeing amazing artwork. It's going to be career and life changing! I can't wait. Also, I'm really pulling together my different styles now, and will be changing my website (yes, again) at the end of next week to fit those needs. I have about four styles going, but often they overlap-- printmaking (loads of patterns, usually relief prints), collage (strange papers and textures), flat qouache (vibrant colors and nice movement) and off-register qouache (pretty self-explanatory). I can't decide yet how I want to break up my website. Currently, it's by field of illustration, but I'm wondering if perhaps all my images should be on one page, or even broken up by style instead? Any thoughts?

Anyway, here's the last piece I did for the quarter. It's for a mock-up Rolling Stone cover. Mine is for Elvis Costello: Master of Wordplay. Get it, Scrabble is a word game? Har har. I'm so clever.



"Elvis Costello" 2010 gouache and ink

So I'm off for the week for some relaxing fun in this nice, new, warm and lovely weather! And when I come back, I'll have a brand-spanking new website, and three brand-spanking new classes.

NEXT TIME, ON JUST SOME ART, BY CAITLIN ALEXANDER:

WILL THE EIGHT-AM POSTER DESIGN FOR ILLUSTRATION CLASS BE TOO DIFFICULT TO WAKE UP FOR IN THE MORNING? UNLIKELY, CONSIDERING CAITLIN HAS HAD AN EARLY CLASS EVERY QUARTER.

AND WILL INTRODUCTION TO LITHOGRAPHY BE ANYTHING SHE EXPECTED? HARD TO SAY, SINCE SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT.

AND LASTLY, JUST HOW BORING WILL SURVEY OF ANCIENT ART AND ARCHITECTURE BE? HOPEFULLY NOT AT ALL, SINCE OLD STUFF IS COOL.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK, ON JUST SOME ART, BY CAITLIN ALEXANDER.



Wow... time for bed.
adios
caitlin

Post-Christmas Lazies

Good afternoon! It's been a few days since Christmas (we just got back from a West Texas family gathering) and boy, am I feeling lethargic! I just barely mustered enough energy to take photos of these two prints I made (gifts to my cousins) and post them here. And now I need to start packing for my trip back to Savannah! I'll really enjoy being back at school, but it was so very nice to relax with my family for a little while. I love them so much.
When I return to SCAD, it'll be a busy but exciting quarter. I'm going to be taking a children's book class, which I can barely contain myself for because I am so thrilled, my second printmaking class-- relief (which is also a love of mine, in case it wasn't apparent!) and a survey of illustration class. The survey will be a toughie, because I hear that although it is a lecture class, there are projects assigned as well. I'm pretty much going to be in an extra class this quarter. I can't wait though; all three are so important now that I'm getting more specifically into my interests. There will be plenty of updates on those subjects! But enough of the blabbing- here are the two prints I made this break:

"Dillo" Relief Print, 2009


"Weather Bird" Relief Print, 2009

Sorry the photos aren't the best. I don't have a good scanner here at home.
I did both prints on linoleum, and used my old high school's ink and press. My beloved art teacher of four years, Mr. Bates, helped me out a bit. I've been so spoiled by SCAD's excellent printmaking studio, that using a little press and cheaper ink was pretty difficult! After switching from water-based ink to oil-based, the prints became a lot better, and I came out with quite a few good ones. Thank you, Mr. Bates! I have even more respect for the prints you create, knowing that's what you work with every time.
That's all for now! Have a happy New Year, everyone!
adios
caitlin

My very first officially grown-up blog

Hello! I'm Caitlin, as you may have noticed, and I like to create art. Hopefully you are a fan of art as well, seeing as how you are reading about it right now. If you aren't really intrigued by creative stuff, just a heads up-- you are in the wrong place.

So, currently I am a student (junior) at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. I am originally from Texas (Austin area) and actually spend almost as much time there as I do in Georgia because our quarter system... but that's rather irrelevant. I am an illustration major, wanting to focus on children's books, but open to just about anything. And just yesterday I declared a minor in printmaking! I was inspired by the Introduction to Printmaking class here at school (thank you Curtis Bartone, you are an amazing professor) and decided, why not? It's something I love to do.

Speaking of printmaking, I have two works for sale in the Open Studio show this weekend-- Saturday from 5 to 8 pm at Alexander Hall. Not sure if anyone will be looking to purchase prints of rabbits and other anthropomorphic characters, but who knows! Stop by if you want to check out some amazing SCAD art.

Well that's about all for now.

adios
caitlin