Again

After a critique with Robin Cody, I made a few quick adjustments to the piece. She said that it looked too much like it was done from a photo reference as opposed to life. So, I just adjusted some of the darks of throughout the piece to get some of the color back, but beyond that, I don't know if I can really fix it.

Get the word out

Portrait Night is starting up again. Sorry for all the delay. 

If you don't know, PN is simply where students get together and draw each other as we pose. It's free and a good opportunity for everyone to practice their skills. The facebook group: Portrait Night, should be able to answer your questions. Join up and come out! Partying isn't the only thing you can do on a Saturday night.

Chickens

I have no explanation for this. 

Off the easel

Here is the final of my painting of a street in Cesky Krumlov. I spent the night in this town and every view was fairy tale worthy. I'm glad to finally be at a stopping point with it and move onto another piece.

Myakka

We went to Myakka on Saturday and I did some pastel work. It was interesting to see how the pastels behave differently in a more humid environment and the occasional raindrop.

New Good Dead Guy

 Maximillian Pirner. Enjoy.

In progress

Just a shot of my current work space and what I have on the easel. Sorry about the picture quality. My camera and I are still not very good friends.

the roof tops have it

Just an old sketch of the town Cesky Krumlov. 

Sketches

Just two paintings in my sketchbook. I've been hacking away at another painting and its relaxing to break away and just play around in the trusty sketchbook.

Slav Epics

Just a taste of my trip to see Mucha's Slav Epics. They are in the original chateau where he worked on them (because there is no gallery large enough to accommodate them in Prague) and even then its difficult to see them.

 So you can estimate the scale, I got as close to the canvas as I could with the timer on my camera and the booties you have to where to protect the floor trying to trip me. But, the castle itself doesn't appear at all hospitable or like there are anyone's masterpieces housed there. I still need to sort through the pictures of the paintings themselves before I can upload a folder for people to grab. It's on the way. Until then, na zdravi (cheers)!

By the way, this tourist map was the only map I could find of the place, so I'm pretty proud of myself for finding the paintings at all.

I know where this is now...

Just an old print from Advanced Media last semester. I'd thought I would just throw it up here anyways. Now, I know that it is a view of Praszky Hrad and St. Vitus' Cathedral. I basically walked through here a few days a week on my way to class. 

Dear Prague,

I love you. Even though I curse at your cobble stones and ill-marked streets and alleyways, I love you. I only have three more days with you, so it would be fantastic if you would drop the whole mysterious "I make no sense to anyone" thing you have going on. Don't get me wrong, it's nice and it suits you, but not so much with the time I have to leave quickly approaching.

Thanks,

Sarah

Prihlasit Se

Haven't been doing much of that. I just got back from Krakow and Auschwitz. It was intense to say the least and the most obvious. I am now going to just work on a painting here at the Kolej and hope I don't dream of large piles of small shoes tonight.

Mucha-ness

I'm making a day trip to Moravsky Krumlov to get a glimpse of his Slav Epics. I'll try to post images when I can.

Reports of my death...

...will be exaggerated and perpetuated by myself if it means I can stay here. I will find a way. Europe is beautiful. London is crazy crowded. Prague is exceeding all my expectations. I've ventured to see fairy tale towns and out of the way castles and every postcard is not good enough. I have never enjoyed getting lost so much or regretted a lack of fluency in a slav language more. Most Czechs can speak any slav language. Slovak, Russian, Polish, Balkan slav and a bit of German depending on their area/generation. I speak "anglicky" only and make the locals laugh with my pantomimes and butchering of their language. For example, "r" sounds have a z-h-a sound mixed into it. Like a harsh spanish trill. They love their consonants here and will use them all before thinking to buy a vowel.

Tomorrow I leave for Vienna, the following weekend Krakow (pronounced: Krakov here). Pictures will follow this post after this weekend and I have a chance to actually look at them. I leave you with this pulled image of Cesky Krumlov.