we are magnets

i visited the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, Fl a few weeks ago. it was bigger than i expected, and i was very excited when we reached the Pre-Columbian and African sections. it was a delightful surprise. it was also incredible to see Bouguereau's in real life. i took Beginnings of Modernism which was mostly French 19th century art and now seeing an example in real life, things definitely clicked. it was a lovely day and museum. if you're ever in town, i recommend it.

what made me come on and blog about it was that i was cleaning and came across the flyer and the sticker i was given at the front desk. and i always want to buy souvenirs from museums, but they can be a bit pricey. i don't remember how it came about one day, but i guess because i love collecting magnets, i thought of this little craft. it's really simple. all you need is scissors/exacto knife, glue and an old calendar/advertisement magnet or magnet tape. the awesome thing is that you can make your own magnets out of the stickers that museums give out as admission. or you can take a flyer and cut out the name or logo of the museum and glue it down on a magnet. i also have a magnet made out of a promotional button. i just took out the clothes pin with a plier and stuck a square strip of magnet tape to the back. foam figures make for cute magnets and you can make your own animal or letter magnets. the possibilities are almost endless. i think what i like most of this craft is that it only take a few minutes, it's relatively inexpensive and you can have a fridge full of souvenirs and new magnets.

hope you had a lovely thanksgiving holiday. i shall be back shortly, end of semester is approaching and i'm swamped with studying. but blogging makes for great study breaks and procrastination minutes. sending some creative thoughts your way,

-Genevieve

dream a little dream of me

i volunteered and walked around the Downtown Festival and Art Show in Gainesville, Fl this weekend. it was wonderfully inspiring. i helped out with the artist check in, and i just imagined being older and having a booth. it's a dream to one day have a studio in my house, not because i want to make art to sell, but more for my personal hobby. i would love to have my own place where i could just get lost in art. i'm very realistic and i can see myself in the near future when i'm faced with the real world start to plan for things like this, along with retirement. i'm not a studio major, but i love art. i took studio classes over the summer and i miss them dearly.

i enjoy having dreams, but i enjoy them even more when i make them a reality. i can be stubborn and i work very hard, and my mentality is that no one is going to give you anything. you have to fight for what you want and not be afraid to work hard for it.

rereading this i feel like it makes me seem as if i was helpless growing up lol it's not the case. it's actually quite the opposite. i'm very blessed and have had much given to me. but this doesn't mean that i believe in taking the easy road. i could work a lot less, and it would be ok in society's terms. but i'm a dreamer and a doer.

i guess what i'm trying to say is that i'm not a studio major, but i'm an artist. and just because i will work very hard in my early years not in a studio, doesn't mean that i can't be an artist, too. that's the funny thing about dreams, you have to convince yourself that they are attainable before you can really make them happen.

i hope you have a wonderful and productive week,

-Genevieve

here comes the sun

why hello there. in the midst of my non-stop studying and working this past week, i of course found some precious minutes of procrastination. i'm very interested in the relationship between our lives or work with the space in which we spend it. i love looking at how people's desks at home or work can be a reflection of the personality or point in their life. it's not so much if it's cluttered or clean, but the pieces and elements that string together to form a description. anyway, i sometimes love realizing the mix of things that have found their way to my little corner of the world. here is a few shots that i took while being in front of my computer. i was particularly interested in objects that can be viewed in different ways and can be placed outside of their typical use. enough speak, here they are:

(post-it inspiration was inspired by the post-it guy)

there is always some humor in anything that i do. i believe we shouldn't ever stop laughing. people that think i'm serious and shy, don't really know that inside i'm probably thinking of something funny or sarcastic. i'm a kid in an adult body, and i'll probably always be that way. the first image entertains me because instead of having a symbol of religion, i have a coffee bean. the toy is actually on my desk, i have a ton of knick-knacks and it's a recent acquisition. i have a billion post-its on my desk all the time for reminders and inspiration, i poke fun at my collection. i see figures and shapes in objects and always want to somehow use them for something different than their purpose.

this week has been one of the best weeks this semester. my dreams and aspirations have taken shape and i couldn't be more happy and relieved. i thought that school was going to make it very difficult and unpleasant, but life has a way of surprising you.

With hearts in our hands,

Like loaded guns,

We’re taking a chance,

We’re the lucky ones,

This moment is yours,

This moment is mine,

And we’re gonna be fine yeah,

We’re gonna be fine

-The Lucky Ones - Brendan James

this song has been stuck in my head a lot lately. it fits my mood perfectly.

hope you are having a lovely weekend, i might come back later and post something else. i feel that i'm already behind for november. oh how time flies. later gator,

-Genevieve