Meanwhile, Back At The Quad

______I told you darling little sea slugs a long while back about that most splenderrific opportunity that my supercalifragilisticexpialidocious of a professor got me at the beginning of the Spring semester, the opportunity where I could illustrate something for the Department of Religious Studies at my university (and get paaaaaaaaid) (insert sparkly saucer eyes.)

______During one of the final weekly meetings with the man who heads the department, he asked me how things were coming along. I told him in all honesty that it was much more work than I had expected, though still very enjoyable! He proceeded to ask how much I thought the project was worth now, and I thought about it for a second and told him. He took a minute to think with a deep, "Hmmmm," then casually tossed out a number larger than the one I did; you can imagine my heart pounced in my chest like a leaping grasshopper on stimulant drugs, 'cause it did.

______I tried to stay cool as a frozen cucumber but it might not have worked. It probably didn't work. I'm just not cool. I melted. Melty cucumber Ali Hval.



______This was my first time being paid for something art related that wasn't snapping scenic family portraits or taking a series of photos of my neighbors' kids for senior yearbook pages. The idea is that opposed to a newsletter blatantly stating the department's current happenings, there are two students walking around discussing what's going on, like some omniscient mind-reading students that lurk in the shadows of the department. Thus, it may make no sense to all of you guys. 1,000 copies of this have been printed and sent out, which is shocking and exciting!





______This newsletter led to what is now my art job this summer, which is curating a hearty set of comics based on happenings within the department and critical thinking problems. Plus, all the professors have not-so-sneaky superhero disguises; it's fantastic seeing professors who have written complex books and articles get pumped over thinking what their disguise should be: a Zorro mask? A bandana? A tiny cowboy hat and cape? People rock, guys.

______I can't post the actual comics I'm currently illustrating until their department blog has them live, but a sneak peak of the all the professors' secret lair wouldn't hurt. How about that coffee maker as a centerpiece?

Carry On My Wayward Blobs

Watercharged, 44"x30"

oil on paper, Painting Composition, Spring 2014

______These are my incredibly infectious knuckleblobs. Yes, knuckleblobs. These knuckleblobs radiate with so much evil that horror movies contact them to produce maniac laughter sound effects, incite fear in small children, and reveal themselves in the corners of mirrors in darkened rooms. They absorb whatever is around them, process it within the confines of their malleable nodules, and suck out the color and life until it's greyscale. The more they seek out and destroy, the more powerful they are and the more nodules they grow.

______So twisted and dark, right?

Player Three Has Entered the Game, 44"x30"

oil on paper, Painting Composition, Spring 2014

______I am absolutely enamored with working on paper; it's thick, tactically pleasing to paint on, and easy to swirl up and lug around when you're done with it. I was certain I hated painting from the bottom of my heart when this painting class started, but then the last few weeks of the semester, I moved from bloody awful gritty canvases and masonite to the smooth, seductive surface that is paper. It's a paper that's commonly used for printmaking, too, so it'll be super convenient to purchase in bulk next year to save a hearty stack o' greenbacks.





______I wanted to thank you guys for your sweet congratulatory words and insightful ladyadvice on all my posts lately! When I read your comments, I beam like a bright little firefly and I truly can't thank everyone enough, and sometimes I even re-read them when I'm feelin' a bit down. You guys are just the darn loveliest blog frans, and I mean that from my bottom of my squishy, blood-pumpin' heart.

University Daze + RoseWholeSale

______Well, my crunchy little sea crabs, I don't know about you all, but my finals are done as a Thanksgivin' turkey! Yeeeee-frickin-haw! I only had one legit essay exam, though, in addition to turning in some art portfolios and speaking about my paintings for a humble half hour with a professor. I really had no right to complain. Since I didn't have a horrid amount of studying to do, finals week was the optimal week for lengthy bike rides around campus, and I managed 20 miles every day. Thus, my legs and arms feel like heavy stones when I shuffle about. Happy, heavy stones.

______I arrived home from universityland to a package from RoseWholeSale. They sent me over two lovely things: this snuggly grey peplum skirt and a pair of turquoise rhinestone earrings. I'm seriously appreciating the stretchiness of the skirt, plus it can be worn high or low and is woven from some sort of magical, retractable thick fabric. I call witchcraft on this one. The earrings are sturdy and not made from a cheapy plastic which is refreshing, plus they're bright and trendy. From these findings, I can say that I would indeed recommend RoseWholeSale to you guys.




______I'm starting my first art job this summer; the Department of Religious Studies hired me as their official illustrator since my take on their newsletter was a hit, and so this summer I'll be meeting with professors in order to craft up silly comic illustrations based on hip happenings in their department. Never thought I'd hear the words "Ali," "art," and "job," in the same sentence. No more lifeguard duties! No more telling people to stop drinking beer in the pool! No more dodging wasps that dive-bomb me!

______The return to summer also means that my exotic descriptions of daily life will resurface here. You know, like those high-tension encounters with drop-dead gorgeous ladies who work at Sephora, or grocery store tales, because grocery trips are always action-packed.



______Why, just the other day, I accidentally selected a cart with a lumpy wheel at the grocery store, and that alone summoned an adventurous encounter. I bore with it the entire trip, stopping my cart momentarily to hunch over the grapefruits and pluck a few that had the perfect ratio of yellows to pinks. As I was hunched over them, a look of indecision plastered upon my puny face, an old lady who had noticed my noisy cart earlier moved toward me and commented, "My, don't you hate when you get a cart with a bad wheel?" She had hands like wrinkled tissue, a head full of perfectly poised marshmallow fluff, and a pearl brooch pinned to her pastel pink blazer.

______A grapefruit in each hand, I whipped my head up and lightheartedly replied, "Yes, it would make it very difficult to assassinate someone!" I smiled greatly. Needless to say, the old lady didn't appreciate my morbid sense of humor as much as I would have liked and awkwardly waddled away from me, leaving me alone with my segmented fruit.

______Hope you cool cats are having a wicked start to your summer!



Peter pan collar top: Forever 21
Skirt: c/o RoseWholeSale
Oxford heels: Jeffrey Campbell
Rhinestone earrings: c/o RoseWholeSale
Necklace: vintage (similar)
Socks: Forever 21

BFA Juried Exhibition 2014

Microchroma, Fall 2013

Chalk pastel on paper

______As a Bachlor of Fine Arts major, I have the opportunity to enter my work into a juried competition among other BFAs for being displayed in an off-campus gallery for a few weeks. I was pleased as a pokey pineapple to discover that two of my pieces ended up being selected! Both are installation floor pieces that were done last semester for a Drawing Concepts class. I had to set them up one early morning alongside faculty and other BFA majors as we all figured out the proper placements for the works; I believe a true gallery environment with hardwood floors and controlled lighting really makes the work pop compared to a classroom setting, so I was sure to snap a ton of pictures, which is why you all haven't seen these before!

______The first piece I'll show you is a floor piece comprised of a multitude of pieces that I hand cut from thick Bristol paper. I then made drawings that were cellular or body-like in nature using chalk pastel on those pieces. As you move from the outer pieces to the center, the image "zooms in" on the one above it, thus rendering it more abstract. It was very time-consuming, but working with a buttload of smaller pieces instead of one large entity made it more adventurous and bearable. I feel this piece opened a whole new world for me; I'm hoping to push similar ideas further in my coming years.



______My next piece was lucky enough to claim the famed "glass floor" on the second floor of the gallery. I was delighted it fit so perfectly there--I was afraid I would have to leave some strips out or have an uneven placement of them, but everything fit snug as a tiny cactus in a tiny cactus holder. For this one, I snipped a (clean!) white bed sheet into squares, stacked the squares in groupings of ten, inked minimalistic drawings on the top square, and used alcohol to bleed its memory through the layers.

______It was entertaining observing people get so close to both of my works to point and try to figure out what was going on. As I was taking pictures, one guy asked, "Is this yours?" and I nodded yes and he said, "It took me a while to realize what was happening. And then I grasped it and had an 'aha!' moment." He told me it was neat how even very similar marks ended up producing different results, and he and many others told me which their favorite "row" was, which was delightful to me!

Wash Out, Quiet Squares, Fall 2013

Ink, alcohol, fabric, glass

______The event itself couldn't have gone smoother--I was sure to make myself as frilly as possible, donning a confectionary, twirl-worthy dress and my geek-chic Triforce earrings. There was a full gallery of people: fellow art students, faculty, and family members made up a hearty chunk of the attendees, but there were many others beside that. I also spoke to a few polite strangers about my own art on display and I really think it helped my own confidence--it's flooring (ha) to see that people are interested in what you're making and how you're thinking!

______(sighs deeply) Yep, I'm gonna miss all my senior art friends who are graduating in just two weeks. Two weeks! What even happened to the semester?

(first group photo above taken by Greg Randall)

Come Sail Away + LoopsWay

______I'll keep this post short since my last two posts were practically-basically-sorrynotsorry novels. I've probably exhausted your reading meters, so I'll give you guys a week or two to refill them. I'm quite relieved you all are spiz-spazzin' out with me--it's fun reading all the little stories you guys have to share, too, and I solemnly swear I will keep you updated. It's a strange thing, this liking a dude thing is, but we'll see how it goes.

______Any who, onto LoopsWay: they're an online jewelry boutique that offers a snazzy range of shiny accessories to sport on your big, bad self, from necklaces to bracelets to earrings. They sent me over this dainty gold rudder necklace and I believe it's the perfect size--not to big, not too small, but noticeable enough so that your friends and neighbors will know you're a fearsome sea pirate and water wrangler. Plus, it came in the mail in under a week and their staff was very kind and quick to reply to my e-mails. Excellent customer service combined with speedy shipping on a cute item is a triple win in my book!




______You can find more of their darling necklaces here, and if you spend over $35, you can earn free shipping. Ch-check 'em out!

______Stay sane this week, friends!



Dress: Cynthia Rowley via TJ Maxx (similar)
Anchor necklace: c/o LoopsWay
Anchor belt: Lotus Boutique
Earrings: c/o JoJo Loves You
Closure bracelet: Charming Charlie