.undecided.

I am having a terribly hard time figuring out my color palette/placement for this next letterpress poster. These are just two of my finalist options. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to hear 'em!

I'm trying to figure out another palette, too... We'll see.

.a few more.

...And here are the beautiful sepia-ish prints I told you about. I love the deep golden brown ink. I accidentally printed a crooked one, so I'm keeping it for myself on my sort-of inspiration wall. I very much love these.

.solar.

For the solar plate project in my letterpress class, I decided to print my mom's chicken, Badger. Because she's awesome. Solar printing is a very rare process these days. The way we did it was by first printing out a digital negative. We used that negative to expose the orange solar plate in the darkroom. Once the plate is exposed and developed, you can print from it just like you would any other plate. My friend Kaitlin and I have been solar plate fiends the past couple of weeks, with Jessica joining in this past Wednesday. Each plate only provides about 25 prints before it starts to deteriorate :( This first run was with a black ink, and this past Wednesday we printed with a really beautiful brown ink. I'll have those pictures up either tonight or tomorrow.

I will probably be selling these prints, especially if anyone expresses interest.

I plan on making another plate this week. I haven't quite decided on an image for it yet, but I'm leaning toward one of my Greenfield Village images from last year... Which I can't find. I know I posted at least a couple of posts of photos. Do any of you remember them? Hmmm, mystery. Anyway, I'll be making another plate for another edition of 25.

Hope the weather has treated you as nicely as it has treated me these past few days :)

.to print.

I posted just the blue sky image last night, after many hours of computer work. I was lazy and a zombie. So, here are both images that are ready for me to print for my senior show. There will be 9 in a gradation from open and blue to claustrophobic and stormy.

These are probably number 2 and number 7ish.

.bones.

This is about two weeks late, but...

I got x-rays! For the first time in my adult life, too. I was really hoping I would have to get one when I went to the orthopedic office, and lo and behold. However, the actual x-ray process was very disappointing. I just sat there with a thing on my lap. I don't know why I thought it would be different from x-rays at the dentist... I was so excited about the image, though, that I bought a copy for $15 and took it home! I love it and have it hanging on the ceiling beam in the living room. I'd love to have it on a window, but figured that might be too creepy for people walking by. Would you be creeped out? I would probably think it was really cool, but my opinions are often not those of the greater populous.

Anyway, my bones are fine (I kind of knew they were, but my doctor wanted to check for arthritis and other bony stuff).

So.... I went to a physical doctor last week to check out my softer tissues. They looked at my spine (apparently I have mild scoliosis! Thanks for not finding it, middle school tests...) and tested the strength (or, in my case, lack thereof) of my arm and hand and finger muscles. My pinkies can't resist even the slightest push, I should be working them out. Really.

The diagnosis is over-use syndrome. No fancy words or anything. Just over-use. Like I didn't know that already! He gave me some wrist exercises to do everyday (I need to go do those for today!) and said that in a few months, once I've built up the strength in these puppies, my pain should decrease and then go away. Hallelujah! This semester will still continue to be painful, but at least there's a fix.

And some cool new art.

.impromptu sledding.

To get to the beautiful Lake Michigan beach, my friend Ashleigh and I had to foot-sled down the snow-covered stairs that are so prevalent in this park. There were no falls! I love this park (Rosy Mound State Park in Grand Haven, MI) the most out of all the parks in Grand Haven. Yes, way more than the Grand Haven State Park. Far too busy for me. And half of it is a parking lot for RVs. Sadly, you can't camp at Rosy Mound, but it is a beautiful hike. The trails first take you through the woods, where there are valleys and hills and sneak peeks of the beach. Once you get down the hill on the edge of the forest, you can either go straight to the beach or you can wander along the sand first, saving the best for last. We were tired and eager, so we went straight to the beach this time.

If you're ever in the area, this park and P.J. Hoffmaster in Muskegon are so worth it.

I hadn't really intended for this post to be like a sales pitch... It just kind of ended up that way. I try to walk Rosy Mound every time I go home, except in the deep winter.

.ladies.

Hello from the ladies here at the Broas residence in good ol' Grand Haven. They are busy pecking stuff, laying eggs and making funny chicken noises. As always, I love being home and am feeling sad about my departure tonight... At least I have a lovely boyfriend to go to my "other home" to!

Coming up this week (it's my spring break, so I have some time to post!): step-by-step images (kind of) of my last two projects, the rug I dyed and wove and my solar plate print of Badger (the black and white chicken). Hooray! Either this week or next (most likely next) I'll update you guys with my senior show, I'll have five more images ready to print, yippee! I've been freaked out these past couple of weeks what with midterm and all... Only 6 more weeks left. Arghhhh!