Making more messes Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence I’m working on my next four color woodcut. This one will be in the ukiyo-e technique. I’m excited about getting this one done. I will need to get this one and the last 4 color print done by spring break. I think I’m on target.

making paper flowers Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence I spent the day making a large felt bee and a bunch of paper flowers for my children’s book. It was great fun and I’m feeling better about my deadlines. I’m still a little behind but I think I can pull it off this week. I feel…

bee float Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence Getting things checked off my list one-by-one. This drawing is the design for my next woodcut. List of things done: – buy and cut birch panels to 12×12″ – design 4-color woodcut layout for Ukiyo-E method – idea and outline for children’s book – Three sketches for figure…

yesterday was Valentine’s Day and though I tried to feel in the mood, I was overcome with anxiety over how far behind I am right now. Tom told me he wrote me a poem and I didn’t even get the time to read it last night. I just crawled in bed and whimpered a while…

Halloween head Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence I’m behind. In every class I am behind. I worked yesterday which was good but I guess it triggered some panic mechanism in me. Now I want to go in a cave and not come out until I’m caught up. I saw a guest speaker last night in…

Commencement orientation Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence Now this is a meeting I can get into. A brief rundown of how graduation is going to shake down. May 2nd may 2nd may 2nd. My last day of class.

Big brainstorm Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence Sometimes the best way to work out ideas is to sketch them in life size.

The Bee Song (iTunes link) Kenneth Blain, 1938 Oh what a glorious thing to be, A healthy grown up busy busy bee, Whiling away The passing hours Pinching all the pollen From the cauliflow’rs. I’d like to be a busy little bee, Being just as busy as a bee can be, Flying round the garden…

Bee Song Bees, Bees, Bees, Bees Buzzin’ in bushes, buzzin’ in trees Buzzin’ around, wherever they please There’s nothing so sweet, There’s nothing so sweet, There’s nothing so sweet as a honey bee. Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Make bee finger puppets. Place on each finger. Then sing this song: Five little bees Up in the trees Busy, buzzing…

Felting bees Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence Today was spent with my felting tools, making big bees. I talked over some ideas for an installation with my teacher Kim Anno. Since our meeting I’ve been switching back and forth from my children’s book idea to this installation idea. I think I figured out the basic…

Woodcut Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence Hard to believe, pills but this is going to be a print of a beekeeper. This is plate number 2 of 4. Four color woodcut. My shouklder hurts! Still one more plate to carve before hitting the presses!

My time at CCA has been wrought with administration issues that never seem to end. The first semester I was there, I nearly lost my classes because my signed financial aid award letter was somehow lost between the US Post office and the CCA Student Affairs office. I had to scrounge up $2000 and was…

I just read about this amazing bee fact. Japanese honey bees will invite deadly hornets into their hive in order to pounce on and cook the hornet to death by collectively raising the temperature in the hive by vibrating. Check out a great video on this.  And while I was poking around on animal videos.…

Happy Friday. It’s been a tiring week. This weekend offers little breaks. I am going to a little dumpling Chinese New Year party tomorrow. But by Tuesday I need to get my children’s book idea fleshed out and I feel behind in everything else. So no rest for the wicked. I looked at the academic…

OM Originally uploaded by Alanna Spence I can’t believe I haven’t been collection these tags. I seem to eat an awful lot of food with the initials OM. Like my eggs over medium at the pork store or my addictive oatmeal at school. Wish I had been collecting those tags since the start of my…