ramblings of a boy

Getting Ready to Move

2010-11-27T22:25:00.000-08:00

The week has finally come. Lauren and I are getting ready to move to South Carolina in search of adventure and a change of scenery from the small-town vibe of Dahlonega. While we continue to move back and forth from hot to cold feet about the issue, we remind ourselves the difference between our old home, and our new home.

Old Home:
- An outdated Walmart
- A McDs, Wendys, Zaxbys
- A Dollar Store
- Our "High School for College Kids" University

New Home
- Publix, Target, Walmart (all within 2 minutes driving time)
- Chilis, O'Charley's, Longhorn, etc
- A better (larger, more diverse) community for freelance work
- BarkPark convenience

Above all else, our new home is just that, our home. We are so happy to start fresh in a place that is completely our responsibility. While we are thankful for the house we have had so far, it just didn't feel like "our house," so to speak. And while a new apartment may mean smaller spaces, neighbors, and regulations, it ultimately means our first real home. And that's the best part.

Dahlonega, I don't have much to say to you, but I do thank you for letting me kind of fit in here the last 4+ years. I suppose this area was a safe place to grow into adulthood, but I am ready and excited for what I hope is the "real world." I want the idea of impending debt, fighting for a meal, and building up my own collection of memories, treasures, and rituals, all while just trying to survive. For some reason, I am craving a difficult start, and I want to carve out my own place in the world, based on the things that we believe are the most important. Dahlonega, thank you for your motherly care, but it is time to move on.

I thought I would share a few pictures of our house while we are packing. Dang, this stuff is hard work, and there really isn't any instruction manual that comes with it. I figure that overall, boxes hold stuff that is related to each other, in some facet, and boxes are easier to carry than the individual items themselves. No rules, just varying levels of convenience.

So yea, that's our living room halfway filled with all of the "small/random" items. We still havent cleared out underneath the sinks yet (SCARY), but so far its going pretty well. Most of our stuff is large and furniture related, and some of uit won't be moved at all.

We also just bought a new kitchen table/chair combo from Target for a really good Black Friday deal. No, we didnt attempt to harm ourselves by going to the store, but we did do a little online shopping. We are trying as hard as we can to keep costs to a minimum. Here's a pic.

It's a pretty simple set, but should fit nicely in our new kitchen table area. I'm hoping to do a "desert eclectic" theme in the new apartment if Lauren will let me guide it in that direction. Basically blacks with light tonal colors and pops of high saturation natural colors. Yea, I made up the name, but who cares lol.

Finally, I began packing up my office, and this is all that remains put together... my desk, and my little lapatoppa (pronounced lap-ah-top-ah). It's nice being this simplified, but I know in a few days im going to be craving my desktop setup again.

Yea, but it should be okay for the rest of the week.

That's about all for now. Ill post pics of the new apartment when we get more moved in. Also, I can't wait for 4.1 to get unlocked. Sometime this week I hope. Yay.

Alan

Meredith Elise Photography

2010-11-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

Is it November already? Is my birthday actually in only 4 days? Holy crap, the new underoath album comes out in 48 hours. This week is already starting off well :D

But what makes this week even better is that I have just finished a project that I started back in June. A project that has changed over and over again, but that has finally reached a wonderful place, and I couldn't be more excited.

This project was a website for a good friend of mine, Meredith, who is a fantastic photographer. She came to me and said, "Hey, I need a website." And I said, "Okee-day."

But this project has been different than others. First of all, no hard deadline. Which is great, because life has been insane. Secondly, almost complete creative control on my end. Meredith had some input on color and overall big picture style, but the rest was for me to decide. Finally, my new job at AppStudios has taught me so much in the past few months with artistic direction and CSS styling, that this website was a breeze to code and put together. What really made this website come together was a very intentional understanding of the needs of the client, and an overall unification of styling, and finally, a layout that would showcase the photographs in a clean and easy to use format.

As I am writing this, I am awaiting the go-ahead from Meredith to go live with the website, but here is the link for when it is up.

http://www.meredithelise.com

I just want everyone to know that Meredith not only has great post-production on her photos, but has a nice balance between journalistic shooting, and traditional photography which gives her a well rounded portfolio.

She has been wonderful to work with, and I would recommend her anytime to anyone for her business. Make sure to check out her new site, and if you are in need of a photographer, email her right away!

Until next time,

Alan

I Do, I Will

2010-09-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

You heard it right; Lauren and I "took the plunge" so to speak this past weekend on Saturday, September 25th. And you know what? I haven't even had to use my emergency box of chocolates that my best man assured me I would need, and would by his deductions, be almost empty by the end of the first week. Take that stereotypical masculine sex driven mindset! Bahaha.

To be completely honest... I wouldn't of changed a thing. I believe whole-heartedly that the wedding went off without a hitch, despite the few little things that did happen. All in all, it was a perfect day that flew by faster than I could of ever thought possible.

Right now, Lauren and I are enjoying our fourth night together, and I swear that I am still looking at her differently. For such a long time, even all the way up to our wedding, I always saw Lauren as a new person each day. My mind didn't register her like, "Oh look, its Lauren.. I know her, yea, okay..." but instead it went something like, "Oh it's Lauren. She is my fiance, but I wonder how she is today, what she feels like, what she wants to do... etc." However, now when I look at her, I see my wife... I see Lauren Vitek, not Lauren Wiley... and I see someone I respect, someone I admire, someone I protect, and someone I would give up everything for. In the end, I see someone I love... and not just that love that we feel, but that kind of love that we know is a choice that we wake up to everyday and decide to march on faithfully because we would die for that person. That kind of love.

Okay, so enough of my cheesy-ness. On to the art!

(**Just a random tidbit: i got a huge bloody nose as I was writing this, and a tampon is currently stuck up my nose. joy.**)

For those of you who don't yet know, my senior exhibition is coming up in October. October 11th to be specific. The show will conintue to stay up through October 22nd, and I will be holding a reception on October 15th. So, just to review, and make it look pretty, here are the deets in a standard, type-friendly layout.

ESTRANGED
A Senior Show By Alan Vitek

10/11 - 10/22

Reception:
10/15 6:59 PM
West Main Hall Gallery

And that's about it. Please go to my Estranged microsite for a poster preview thing with the same deets on it, as well as a weird, sort of experimental video of myself to Brand New's song, "Be Gone," a sort of catchy, hooky, altered dark country thing that I believe completely fits the feel of my senior show.

Also, please be on the lookout for a special promotion I'm going to be doing soon which involves (hand printed/pulled) TSHIRTS and just a tiny bit of money. Want one? Send me some info and I'll be sure to hook you up with my waiting list.

As you can see, I've got a TON of things going on, but nothing too crazy since the wedding is over.

Finally, I'll end this update with an image of the very first thing I made in advanced ceramics. Even though it blew up in the kiln, I am apparently pretty good at sgraffito techniques on top of terra sigillata glaze. Who knew?

Until next time,
Laterrrr

Alan

clients!

2010-06-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

To start things off, I have decided to make sure that each of my blog posts will have some sort of REAL information in them, along with some personal updates. My last post, "How To Use A Sketchbook..." was my first attempt at writing an educational blog post, and I kinda liked doing it. I have a lot of information in my head that I know most people don't tend to talk about, and I would like to try to use this journal to explore some of those ideas. So, today's post is about something many of us freelancers have in common:

Dealing With Clients!

Where to begin? Well, first off, I LOVE my clients. All of them. Even the ones who drive me to the brink of insanity!

I know, you're sitting there thinking, "Why Alan? WHYYYY???!!! And Howwwwww??" And then you're probably thinking, "Oh great, he's gonna have some cheesy/amateur writer thing to say about clients that we all know already." Well, you're write! (AHA! BAD HUMOR TOO!) (and btw, clients and designers have such a CLICHE history together. we think they're ignorant and outdated, and they think were arrogant and weird. oh, and expensive. haha. can't forget that one. i hope one day we can change this stereotyped relationship, but it'll probably be another couple of generations before we begin to see things differently.)

Anyway, I love all of my clients because they all teach me something unique. A new situation, a new tactic, a new bit of advice.

Typically, clients are seen as a very scary thing in the design world. There are thousands of websites and books dedicated to telling horror stories that designers have had with their clients. Everything from decisions being made from a pet's tail wag, to their infant's reactions (i'm not kidding!). But overall, one thing is clear, design is a familiar thing to many people, and while everyone may not be capable to creating good design, everyone feels like they are able to say what they like and they don't like, which is totally OK.

However, don't let them tell you how to do your job. Chances are, if they hired you, it means they either didn't have the knowledge, or the time, to do what you are doing.

It is sad though, that in many cases, we aren't seen as the graduates from a prestigious private art academy where we spent 4+ years learning every aspect of art and design. Instead, we are known as the "Guy with CS5." In that case, we should just rent out our computer to all the people that could do this job for less.

Overall, the number one rule is that THEY ARE PAYING US. If they have to have comic sans, give it to them. If they want a lens flare, make it gigantic and gaudy. If they think web2.0 means reflections and rounded edges everywhere, then they're right! Guide them as best as you can, give them SOME options (don't go overboard) to look at. Ask for examples too. Visuals are always great. I can't tell you how many times someone has said, "I want it to look modern." Well, modern means lots of things to lots of people. I think of the 50s, with the "modern style." Other people think that MODERN=CONTEMPORARY, but alas, it doesn't.

Dont let your pride get in the way of your paycheck.

Go in, get dirty, and come out as best as you can.

I have recently gotten done with a project for one of my very good friends, Carlee Adams. Honestly, she was one of those clients that everything just went super smooth. She was open to my ideas, and very enthusiastic about the whole process.

She is what I would consider to be a hair and makeup artist. The things she does are awesome, and she even makes her own garments sometimes... one was a dress made out of newspapers! Anyways, she needed a portfolio/ad sight that she could use to showcase her own unique style, and brand her abilities under the name Viva La Bella. The address is http://vivalabella.com go check it out! :D

The Importance of a Sketch Book & How I Changed My Attitude Towards Freestyle Drawing

2010-06-22T14:48:00.000-07:00

Okay, so pretty much every artist has been guilty of this at some time or another...

First - we go to our favorite art supply store and look for a nice, mid-sized, mid-priced sketchbook.. because we had recently been struck by a little hit of inspiration sprinkled with a tad of motivation.

Second - we rush to get home, we put our pencil to the page, and out comes.... poop. The images inside our head won't come out on the paper, so we lay aside the sketchbook and hope we return to it.

Third - months later, we find our sketchbook, with its one half-assed drawing in it and it motivates us to start fresh, and the process begins all over again hahaha.

So, how do we break this cycle?

Well, I know my answer won't be right for everyone, but if you feel like you're stuck in the cycle, read on!

First of all, SIZE MATTERS! For me, a giant page became overwhelming as soon as I would start drawing. My recommendation? Go smalllllllll. Really small. I recently picked up a small, linen covered sketch book. Durable, but fits in my pocket and feels sturdy when I hold it. The size? 4"x6" Yup, its small, but they make even smaller ones.

Second, don't draw from memory at first. And skip the first few pages. Find an object, and do a loose sketch. Then just fill in around it. Draw on top of it. Make it messy. Then, throw some paint on it. Glob it around. And leave some negative space. Just have fun!

Finally, just carry it around with you everywhere! Draw in it whenever you can. Make it a point to keep it in your pocket (or purse) ((or MANpurse lol) and any time you have 5 or so minutes, make a quick sketch.

Hope this helps :)

life anew :: updates

2010-06-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

so...

much has changed since my last update. here's a recap for those of you who missed it, or for those of you who have forgotten (which wouldn't surprise me! haha) the story last ended with my final day of work at pet goods. i updated with a few final designs i had been working on, and was just kind of reminiscing about the whole ordeal. now its summah time, and things are just lovely.

first of all, i am thoroughly enjoying my new job (except for today when i forgot to bring the appropriate clothes to work and I had to go casual and I looked like a damn fool.) but other than that little issue in the parenthesis, I really enjoy working at applied studios and I easily see it as my (hopefully) full time job after graduation.

on the other hand of life, lauren and i are doing exceedingly well. we have recently just repainted/redecorated the hall bath and guest room in which her friend lindsey will be staying in until the wedding. we were also invited to go on vacation with our friends for free! so that's pretty cool too.

on the school side of things, today was the second time that i forgot to do my presentation and i got all flustered when i was asked to present and i had nothing. i don't know why im soooo terrible at doing them, but for some reason i just can't seem to remember the dates and all. i really thought i was presenting like next week. blegh. oh well. hopefully pam can forgive me.

so yea, that's about it. my macbook is about to die, since i havent charged it in about 3 days, so im wrapping up. hmm, do i have any pictures i can post? let me look though and see...

oh yes! me with teh animu hair. lol.

The End of an Era - Life Continues (The Quick & The Dead)

2010-04-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Just thought I'd take a moment to update everyone on the status of my life, since everyone cares soooo much. Haha :)

First and foremost, THERE ARE ONLY 169 DAYS LEFT UNTIL I GET MARRIED!! Considering I've been engaged for nearly a year and a half so far, it really doesn't feel like very long at all! I'm soooo excited

Next up, I am leaving my job at Pet Goods Manufacturing to continue my career as a graphic designer for a local creative firm called Applied Studios. I hope to be able to give a "fine arts" direction to the company, and help with some of the more "artsy" and, more often than not, "girly" clients that we will be serving. I guess it works out that my body is fairly balanced between its estrogen and testosterone.

Finally, it is coming down to the end of the semester, and it's crunch time. The good news? I graduate this fall... I only have 16 credit hours left to take! Hurray!

I'll leave today with a few of my last designs that I've done for Pet Goods. They are informative slicksheets. I like em, they are simple and tight.

(Also, The Quick & The Dead was a gallery that I learned about kind of randomly in Latin American art. They have a pretty awesome name and logo)

barber shop ad!

2010-04-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

so,

heres the skinny.

im REALLY obsessed with urban outfitter's marketing and design. they are trendy without trying too hard, and I really must admit that I didnt enjoy a lot of their stuff at first. but now I really have gotten to like it.

so, I was asked to make a quick barber advert for a guy who does haircuts mobile-ly. pretty sweet. so is the ad :D

Success in Failure

2010-02-24T13:33:00.000-08:00

Yup, I failed something. I completely destroyed my midterm painting for my Senior Show on accident. I had what I thought was a stroke of "genius," but it turned out to simply be stupid, and it merely snowballed from there.

Below is a picture I took before it went to Hell.

I dont think I'll be posting the aftermath.

Its awful.

ESTRANGED #1

2010-02-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

"... and there's a lake - at the bottom you'll find all my friends. They don't swim, cause they're all dead. We never are what we intend, or what we invent."

-Jesse Lacey

ESTRANGED: Digital Color Concepts

2010-01-25T10:32:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it is useful to use Photoshop to help decide color in a new project. I'm decided on a sepia/green tone for this work.

Loneliness #2 (Copperplate Etching, 2/8, 2009)

2010-01-21T17:32:00.001-08:00

SLIP-SLIDIN-AWAY!!!

2010-01-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

ok, so this just proves that us southern folk completely FREAK out when we get 1/2" of snow. on my way sliding down the hill i almost hit a telephone pole and the mail box. thank goodness were all safe though!

hahaha. oh well. and apparently those good ol' german cars cant handle snow either.

thanks to katie and robert i was able to pull it back into the driveway.

presents!!!

2009-12-25T09:06:00.000-08:00

this has been one of the best years ever. :)

and you know what else? i no longer see a lapatopa as just an entertainment device, but as a tool for my art.

and you know what else else else? i love my baby chu :) <3

christmas cookies! +dogs +rice crispie ginger bread houses

2009-12-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

hahaha, an emoticon gingerbread man

lauren's pink ribbon gingerbread man?

this one WAS a snowman... you can see why it had to be changed to a face. oh wow. lol

a decent candycane lol

a diabetic's favorite cookie

dj's very fashionable guy

dj's very stupid guy. (WHAT IS HE WEARING?!)

my emo kid LOL

my albert einstein

domestication at its finest lol :P

a cupcake at walmart whos guts exploded.

17

laurens rice crispie gingerbread house

my "rice crispie gingerbread house" .... (i made it into a skull lolololol)

.

new corporate website

2009-12-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

so last week we started getting more complaints than usual about our website at work... things werent working, not enough products, limited information, etc etc.

plus, the whole visual design looked like an attempt at web 2.0 with only knowing the basics of web 1.0

so, while not all of these things are fixed yet, the visual parts have been (successfully) updated, and the "feel" of the site definitely seems to be much more cohesive and contemporary, without being trendy.

now its just time to finalize and add more content, fix a few last bugs, and that'll be it!

mission accomplished.

click here to go to the site.

google loves me, christmas cards, and a little chu

2009-12-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

So yea, basically I get this random card in the mail from google. Apparently, ever since I listed http://alanvitek.com as a business with a physical address (my house) i have been getting a fair amount of hits/views... enough to send me this little award package thing.

basically, this is a sticker. a nice sticker. and all the cool iphone kids can take a picture of that barcode with a google app, and itll scan it, and open up my business listing. from there they can rate/review it, visit my website, etc etc. pretty cool. i guess its supposed to go in a store window, but since its my house, i dont know where to put it! lol. any suggestions? maybe the car?

next up, my cousin (who is becoming quite the artist) drew me this self portrait inside the family's christmas card to me. :) i love it. ~~im not sure if ben was really hungry when he drew this, or if he wanted to just say hello as loudly as he could, but either way, i love the double chin going on!~~ **i just realized that the giant "0" shape is actually the nose... lololol, and NOT a mouth! great stuff :P

and finally, here a pic of me and my little chu. :) she was nom nom nom on some drank, and i was being cool with my sideways hate and plaid shirt. yea, we're pretty awesome like that.

cheers!

.

dahlonega nugget advertisement

2009-12-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

just completed this christmas ad for the dahlonega nugget for pet goods manufacturing's retail store: the dahlonega dog. come see us sometime! we've got a lot of great deals going on here, plus we're selling stuff that i've designed. so thats always cool. :D

invoice proof. i like em! :D

2009-12-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

i think im going to go ahead and get some of these printed, or at least buy a better printer to print these on myself! im starting to get a lot more freelance jobs, so a real invoice paper would really help. especially with my client's record keeping.

more to come!

Saturday Design Madness

2009-12-05T11:17:00.001-08:00

occasionally, saturday workdays are filled with lots of time for designs. here's a few. about 30 mins spent on each.

more printmaking

2009-12-03T18:43:00.001-08:00

end of the semester

2009-12-01T08:11:00.001-08:00

photo-journal-update-thingamabob?

okay, here goes!

this is a print ive been working on forever. 6 color (3 so far). edition of 10

my car died for a while. a cool $1million later, it was fixed. :(

i got a new haircut? lol

just some senior show stuff

close up of a linocut print

senior review: APPROVED!

2009-10-16T11:59:00.001-07:00

Alan Vitek's Senior Review Essay/Analysis

What is your concept for your senior show? How do you plan to execute your idea?

The title I have chosen for my senior show is “Estranged.”

My goal is to create images of surrealistic and romantic qualities. My primary subject matter will be landscapes and wildlife.

I have chosen the term “Estranged” for several reasons. First, the word is visually appealing when presented in a serif typeface, especially Adobe Garamond. Secondly, the word seems to fit my subject matter more and more as I continue to develop it. Commonly, the term is used when referring to the lost acquaintanceship of two people. For instance, an argument can estrange two friends. My intended use of the word is used in a far more vague sense, simply stating that something is out of place, alienated, removed from understanding, and ultimately diverted from its original sense. Finally, the word also conveys an overall emotion that I want to dictate from my paintings. I want viewers to feel out of place, but not intimated; I want viewers to feel compelled to continue to follow their curiosity in life, which I hope will have brought them to my show in the first place.

My artistic drive has been a mixture of several desires. First, I want to take the “generic” home pictures/paintings and add an element of a double take. I wish to create “weird” imagery, but present it in a way that a large demographic of viewers will appreciate it. The subject matter doesn’t necessarily need to be dark/brooding, but will suggest a variety of emotions to the viewer.

I would also like each piece to exemplify a specific element of subject matter. Therefore, my final result of body of work will be a broad spectrum of landscapes, weather, and animals.

In what media will you be working?

I plan to work in oil paint, on large-scale canvases.

I also plan to use a variety of applications with oil, such as splattering, wiping, and thinning (for washes), all with a close eye on color and color theory.

How is your concept original and why is it significant? How does it relate to your work as a whole?

I believe it was Picasso that stated, “everything has been done before.” While my concept may not be original in the strictest sense of the word, I do believe that my concept has developed from a unique perspective. My goal with my senior show is to not simply use it as a method of graduation with a degree in Fine Arts, but as a marketing sense for myself as well. My dream in life is to be a successful, freelance gallery artist. I want to spend my days doing what I love, and learning who I am. Because of this, I have realized that my senior show can very well be a major catalyst in my recognition as a serious artist in the marketplace. I want to use my senior show as a tool to help exponentially increase the value of my name to a variety of demographics. My concept is significant because I believe I am creating a market for myself with this body of work. Appreciation for the “weird” has seemed to of increased in recent years due primarily to extreme leaps in communication technology. Now, artists are able to expose themselves in greater ways than ever before. Above all though, a real gallery only strengthens the confidence of the artist, and his status with his viewers, as compared to an online gallery.

Moreover, I want my show to embody a few key ideals that I have developed:

I have always been drawn towards “imaginary” imagery. Before I began taking educational classes in art, I had always relied on drawing from my imagination, much like the ancient Chinese in their attempts to capture the Qi of an image, rather than creating a photorealistic representation. However, they would spend many years studying from life the parts of a composition, and only until they felt they could recreate those successfully, then they would go forth and create a composition from what they had learned, not what they were currently viewing. While I do not plan on taking such a spiritual approach to this, I do plan on creating imagery from all kinds of sources, while telling the truth, as well as telling lies to the viewer. This patchwork style will be the keystone and major element in all of my pieces for this body of work.
I want to develop a sense of “out of my comfort zone” for viewers, but not make it too uncomfortable where viewers will not want to take an extra step and try to understand the meaning behind the painting.
While symbolism and meaning is important for many types of painting, it will not be the only vehicle for the motives behind my work. I really want to focus in on certain feelings, and let viewers feel the way I do, and in the end, take the meaning on the paintings from the feelings that are evoked. This means that everyone will take a slightly different experience and response with them after they view my work.

Finally, I have to admit that painting has not been my focus while attending school here at North Georgia College and State University. My primary education has dealt with digital media. However, I feel that for a senior show, digital prints (which was indeed my original idea for my show) come off as rather boring. Even a very successful digital image can only pull so much emotion from a viewer. Paintings seem to embody a long history of personal and rather romantic experiences, and I believe it would be in my best interest to pursue that type of medium. I want people to walk away from my senior show saying, “That was a student’s work? Incredible.” On the other hand, I am not simply seeking approval from others… I understand that as an artist I will have a hard enough time even getting people to look at my work in the real world. I do believe that hard work and dedication will pay off though.

Name and describe the influence specific artists and/or movements have had on your growth and style.

Andrew Wyeth has taught me that paintings can embody a sense of emotion about them. His sense of rather minimalistic subject matter evokes a starkness, and occasionally, even a loneliness about them. It amazes me that imagery can do that.

Andy Warhol has taught me about art as a business, and that one can be successful without necessarily selling out. While Warhol’s projects may be controversial on this matter, he still manages to retain his identity. Of course, having celebrities as customers isn’t all that bad either. Even though it took the majority of his life to discover the balance he needed, Warhol, as a person, screams understanding of the business and political side of art.

As far as my senior show is concerned, my style will be emulating Wyeth much more than Warhol in the sense of visual imagery. However, many other artists have contributed to my own personal growth and vision. I’m simply going to list a few with a short description below:

David Firth: British animator.

Firth portrays a rather dark comical view on the world. He is the creator of the Internet sensation, “Salad Fingers,” as well as other, less popular, but just as impactful short cartoons. My sketchy style seems to have derived from viewing his work during my angst ridden teen years, and continues to play through all media of my work, aside from my interests in typography.

James Jean: American/Korean painter.

Jean is probably my most recent influence in my life. After having to create a presentation on a contemporary artist in Michael’s Painting I class, I began to crave this man’s style. His vision lends a hand to my own senior show. His works feature surreal imagery, but with a very Asian edge to it. Often, his works use a limited color pallet, and focus more on shape and meaning, as well as very developed technical ability. He is also successful, having done work clients such as Louis Vuitton.

Final Notes:

As my idea for my senior show has grown and evolved, so have my original ideas and concepts. This evolution has come from looking at my past, as well as my future, to try to harness elements of art that, I feel, are my own. While “Estranged” is a leap from my usual bout of creative output, I feel that this engagement with slightly more unfamiliar media will help investigate who I am, and therefore broaden my understanding of who I am, not only as an artist with my interests, but as a whole, and with my relationships with others. I understand that my endeavor here can be seen as risky, but without this risk, I would be staying in my artistic comfort zone, and not pushing my abilities as an individual. Overall, I feel like my senior show is an experience that will help me in ways that I may or even may not understand right now, but will only push me to do better during my life.

On a side note, I do plan on taking Sarah White’s advanced painting class next semester to further my painting abilities.

What is the scale of your pieces, how many do you intend to exhibit, and how do they relate to the space in which you hope to exhibit?

I plan on having a total of 4 pieces.

The scales are as follows:

Piece 1: 7’ x 7’

Piece 2: 3’ x 6’ (In a set of three – triptych)

Piece 3: 4’ x 3’

Piece 4: 4’ x 3’

I hope to exhibit in the West Main Hall gallery space, and I have devised a concept for how these paintings will hang. I believe this space is best suited for my pieces, as they will be an experience that the viewer will be drawn into, not just viewed walking down the hall.

How will you present, frame, and/or display your work?

I plan on purchasing “gallery” canvases that will have at least a 1.5” thickness on the side. I also plan on simply “continuing” the painting around the edges, rather than painting a solid border on these edges.

I am also still researching the best way to hang these pieces, as weight will definitely be a factor in their presentation.

I also want to approach the advertising from a different point of view than what is generally taken by most students. For instance, (although I may be counting my chickens too soon, but I am still confident,) I have created a concept poster for my gallery (included). The main difference you may see here is that there is no direct imagery… and that’s not just because that imagery hasn’t been created yet. I want to use the same tactics as the late 1800s designers used, or as Dr. Sachant would call them, the early graphic designers. There is a limited use of imagery and a smaller size text. I want to harness the curiosity of possible visitors, and draw them into my gallery simply on a sense of what might be there. I feel that the media has saturated humans as a whole, with overly vibrant, easily executed, and “educational-less” advertising. No one has to think about what they see. It is all too easily digested. While in some cases this does make sense, I believe that the arts require a sort of reverence… even when dealing with something as secondary as art-related advertising. For instance, I think that the High Museum of Art in Atlanta often walks a very fine line between dumbing down their attractions with their advertising, and highlighting them. Thankfully, they usually do a good job.

Also, if finances and time allow, I want to give my viewers gifts as a reward for the pursuit of their curiosity. Whether those gifts may be homemade t-shirts, a series of related prints, or even simplistic ink drawings with washes with my name that they can take home and keep. A souvenir that not only will continue to advertise my name during its life, but might even be of worth one day for the owner. After all, I feel like the love should be spread around, not controlled. I am more than willing to share my success with others, as long as I can always promote an air of respect and gratitude. I owe the views that I have to many others that have come before more, and I feel that I should continue that heritage and leave something behind that may help shape another aspiring artist, or philosophical wonderer.

Provide an estimate of the production time and a list of costs for your project.

If my project is approved today, I hope to have nearly a year to complete this project. Also, as fate would have it, my parents and younger brother will be temporarily moving to Germany next summer as my father’s employer will be opening a new manufacturing plant. Because I live at home, I believe I will have ample time to continue to work on these pieces and should have limited distraction, as well as more room for these large canvases. My father and I have also devised a way to suspend the paintings in the air, instead of simply leaning them against the wall when I paint them.

As far as laying out the imagery is concerned, I plan to use my knowledge of digital tools to help create concept imagery from my sketches. I then plan on using a projector to show the image on the canvases, and draw from the projected image. However, I plan on painting using a traditional approach.

My parents have graciously allowed me $1500 to fund my senior show. Any extra finances will come from my own pocket. I have budgeted for myself roughly $500, but depending on my working schedule during the summer, it can be more.

I have done some shopping online, and have realized that canvases of such a large and custom scale are usually hand-made. This is where most of my budget will be spent. The remaining budget will be spent on oil paint and mineral spirits for these canvases. I already have a large variety of high quality brushes to work with, as well as plenty of drop cloths, and other miscellaneous tools and goodies.

My current breakdown of expenses:

Canvas

Piece 1: 7’ x 7’ = $300 + shipping

Piece 2: 3’ x 6’ = $225 each + shipping

Piece 3: 4’ x 3’ = $150 + shipping

Piece 4: 4’ x 3’ = $150 + shipping

Subtotal: $1305

This is only a single source. I have yet to review many other suppliers.

Also, Pieces 2, 3 and 4 can be purchases all from a single retailer, cutting shipping costs down dramatically.

Oil Paint

Dick Blick is currently hosting a special on oil paints. They are regularly $20 for 120ml tubes, but are currently priced at $5.99.

I can purchase 33 tubes with my remaining donated funds. Depending on my need for more oil, I will begin to purchase tubes through my own funds.

Subtotal: Roughly $200

Mineral Spirits:

$10 per gallon

I will probably purchase 3 gallons to get started.

Subtotal: $30

Grand Total: $1535

brand new: daisy

2009-09-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

best album from them yet. i love it.

wedding invitations!

2009-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

so, ive been working with a company called studio on fire about their abilities to make wedding invitations. im still not too sure about the costs, but they have some amazing pieces in their portfolio that i would like to share. they are truly inspirational treasures that one doesnt find too often.

i cant wait to sit down with my chu and knock out exactly what we want!

oh, and i also found a printer who will do our custom save-the-dates for a very low cost!

i am sooooo productive :D

2009-07-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

lololololololol

cats at the vineyard

2009-06-28T19:16:00.001-07:00

just a couple of videos of the kittays i found at the vineyard. one is oreo, the other is alfredo.

2010 Mustang Myspace Ad

2009-06-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

I must say, the new 2010 mustang ad on the myspace homepage was mind blowing!

as a designer, I understand, and totally agree with everything that was going on.

it starts off simple enough...

1 - some "lomo-esque" background photography
2 - the standard, banner style ad
3 - the long loading screen

however, where the mustang ad excels, where as others have failed is in the surprise element.

i have seen gunshot holes, broken "monitor" glass, etc. but the mustang doesnt rip through the screen unless you wait a few seconds for it. a nice touch.

however, what really blew my mind was the rippling menu effect in the top right hand corner.

check out this screen shot i took of the whole affair.

yea it was pretty cool.

way to go guys as mustang! way to go designers for mustang!

and, i guess... way to go myspace? i dunno, i hardly ever get on there.
i was lucky enough to today. :D

computer lingo

2009-06-06T08:46:00.001-07:00

i just realized this.

in a computer:

a desktop is like your "desk top" in real life
folders, are like real folders piled on your desk
the start menu or toolbar is like your desk drawer with all your goodies in it.
your recycle bin/trash is pretty self explanatory.. except that its ether on or in your desk (depeneding on win/mac) lolz right there.

what else?

i dunno, but whoever set that up was pretty smart.
they could have named those things whatever they wanted.
but they didnt.
there was thought.

form FOLLOWS function :D

my summer is over already D:

2009-05-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

oh noes! my summer is already over! D:

oh well. class tomorrow. 9 AM. yuck :P

heres some pictures from my two weeks of summer. check em out!

(captions underneath as always!)

new shoes yo

this is kittays. pronounced KIT-TAE-SSSS

merd is gettin chomped by tibby

me gettin to sleep in whilst house-sitting

a toasting glass chu got me in cali! :D

a painting i did for dj (headphones yo... bad pic though)

trip to florida! (yea, those walls are that "florida 80s teal" that can only be found in florida)

not a bad view from the balcony! :D it was nice to wake up to this

um, the bay sand area?

margaritas ... as chu would say, "they arent margaritas if it's 100% alcohol" lolololol

a weird ass fish hanging in ryans condo lol

macro?
nom nom nom

... poor tree :(

its a thing.

a sunset for chu :)

walkin the dogs at the park... without leashes :\

and a dandelion! :D

dog daze

2009-04-19T16:48:00.000-07:00

just a few photos and videos from the dog park today.

:D good times

captions underneath as always

chu's parents' dog tibby

our merd-a-boo

little bittle skittle man!

merd and tibby going for a swim lol

travel to mars!

2009-03-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

google announced that with its new google earth, you can now travel to mars and explore this exciting planet!

because it's giovanni's birthday today, it seems only all too appropriate to advertise such a thing.

i cant wait to try it out!

super picture post lolololol

2009-03-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

okay, so its been a while seen ive been since ive not been lazy.
so im actually going to write some words.

first and formost, lauren and i got a kitty box! i love that little box. its so cute! it just sits in our bed all night and purrs. what i cute little boxy-woxy! (unfortunately, the box is a little camera shy, i was only able to sneak this one picture, but ill have more soon!)

:D

secondly, i love my chu! :* (thats supposed to be a kiss i suppose)

thirdly, im amazed that "minivan highway" finally got to the internets. it took long enough!

okay, now to the pictures! the part that most people care about!

(captions below the respective image, dur lur)

time to wake up. (my light above my bed)

driving in the car, or maybe parked. hopefully parked while taking pictures XD

a swan/mimilism painting i did in class. direct painting. 1.5 hrs.

my lunch (not in picture: calzone + french fries) lol

a cube i made at work. i love cubes! (pattern also my doing)

a painting of boats i did with a pallet knife. woo.

walking back from class to my car. COLD.

OBAMA AND SPIDERMAN. AGGGGG

of course they would pound it. :|

little skittle bittle!

neat?

sunset in dahlonega.

chu's re-arranged bedroom!

liquor! wo0o0o!

bittle

merd moving too fast, or being in an aphex twin music video. not sure which lol

cold days. followed by warm days. thankgoodness

picture post! (again)

2009-02-27T21:47:00.001-08:00

captions below images. (dur, lur)

skittle

merd

me, being an HTC fuze fag

root:1 wine and mtn dew. mmm.

chu havin some hot eats

website angles

the student center, and all of its diversity

copeland dam

a sarcastic asshole and a redhead. :D (nom nom nom chips)

paint pallet

a sink (with my paint in it)

saturday

2009-02-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

thank god it's saturday.

time to sleep in tomorrow.
time to finish work for melissa.
time to play fear.
time to see my fiance :D

resstttt.

2009-02-19T23:38:00.000-08:00

oh poop, i already posted some of these.

oh well :P

LUH CHU FIANCE CHU BU CHU BABY CHU CHU

picture post!

2009-02-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

some pictures from the past week. enjoy. :D

coraline and apples

2009-02-11T23:01:00.000-08:00

school went well today. my paper isnt due till monday, and my ethics test was only 15 questions!

nathan and i went to go see coraline tonight. it was pure genius. and a little magic. and a tiny bit of nightmare.

(+plus i got a free poster :D)

overall, an amazing job. now i wanna go work for laika.

we also decided to do a collaboration painting after watching some demetri martin. i must say, it turned out amazing.

finished product:::

(well except that the linework is digitized and not final.)

:D overall it was a good day.

and this weekend is valentines! :))

cant wait!

another day of pictures

2009-02-10T22:15:00.001-08:00

another work day.

today was a simple work day.
but i got to see my fiance.
so, it was another best day ever :)

a few rough visuals of my day

2009-02-09T21:28:00.001-08:00

it was actually a nice day outside. in the 70s.

lunchtime. i had taco salad

leadership class on mondays. :(

a sketch of some coke cans. study for depth of field

more rough sketches for depth of field. boringg..... although the one on the right could be pushed alot more.

senses fail, priests, and special K bars

2009-02-08T22:17:00.001-08:00

i love pianos.

i really like violens.

i like harps.

i kinda like accordians.

bagpipes are "OK"

windmills are fucking awesome.

i got my bill from the diamond man today.
i visited several wineries.
i sampled many goodies.

its been a fantastic day. :D

and yet, somewhere inside me, something clicked, and i realized...
wow, this is really happening.

not only will i be spending the rest of my life with this person sitting next to me, the one casually chatting away with this women who is assuring me that everything will be perfect if i recite my vowels at her place of business, but, i will be creating a new life for both us.

its not like this person is just going to be inserted into a blank.

its not like this person will merely share my last name and my bank account.

its not like this person will simply sleep soundly next to me, every night, and feel a certain safety when she does, a certain safety that doesnt come from any other thing.

this person will help me create a life. my life. our lives. our children's lives.

we're not an addition to each other's lives,

were ingredients for a new life.

one thats about to be born.

... and that is the best thing that could ever happen to me.

its the only thing i want.

i cant wait. :)

new post coming soon! im just too sleepy right now :D

2009-02-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

best weekend ever....

ever.

2009-01-28T21:22:00.001-08:00

&hearts

Laly.

2009-01-28T15:59:00.001-08:00

Hello.

this is laly.

bu chus fiance.

i hacked his site.

i love mal.

he loves me.

forever.

we're going to the atl saturday.

me, mal, and frank.

wooo.

luh chu tu buh chu tu.

my final paper for senior year (of high school of courrse)

2009-01-27T23:34:00.000-08:00

everyone has to write that last paper in high school. mine was an autobiography. i just happened to of found it on my computer. im going to post it simply because i think that i wrote much better back then than i do now. oh well. lol.

*note: these thoughts are years old. some still hold true, but college has made me realize a lot. im not the only one with these feelings.

Changing schools, changing lives

Alan Vitek

For most people, changing schools means new friends, new teachers, and new classes. But what if changing schools meant changing the delicate balance of your life, showing you that what you had once believed was now wrong, and that you had to save yourself before you could go any further. When I made the change from the standard, run of the muck public school, to a Bible-controlled, conservative private school, I was headed straight down road that would make me do something I never thought would be possible; question my existence.

My life at public school was just that, public. Everyone knew each other, and life was simply who you were and what clothes you wore. No one questioned each other, that was simply too hard. Either you were in, or you were out, and I was definitely in no man’s land. I was locked in a deserted place. Money was my ammo, and I had run low. Personality was my gun, and it seriously needed to be revamped. Finally, clothes were my rations, which had gotten old and stale. My “war torn” past was beginning to become my future.

Suddenly, the clouds parted, and I saw an escape route. My parents suggested that I should change to a private school that was just starting a new high school program that year. I relished the ability to start over and do things the way I had always dreamed. I didn’t realize that these dreams would soon become nightmares that would change my life.

Sure, it all started easy enough. I met everyone in my class, which may sound impressive, but it really wasn’t very hard to do. My grade consisted of about 20 people, quite different than 250 from the other school. Sure they were all nice, and yes, the teachers were helpful, but there was a hole between us that began to grow, and I seemed to be the only one who noticed.

I grew up as a devote Roman Catholic. I was baptized in my mother’s maiden church in Maryland, and I received all of my sacraments before the end of middle school. Both of my parents were Catholic and now that I was of a “mature” age, it was expected of me to continue the subliminal and often pre-supposed mission to bash Protestants’ beliefs, and to show them the error of their ways. My Sunday school teachers simply called me a “Defender of the Faith.”

Now that I had changed to a private “Christian” school (the majority of the students were Presbyterian) I was taught to see the world through God’s eyes, which was something that until that point I had only done during the hour and a half I was at church. Unfortunately, what I saw and what they saw were two completely different images. Our faiths were like apples and oranges, both were fruits, but they just weren’t quite the same.

The students had no problem with this; it was the teachers who had made it hard. Sure they probably didn’t intend to, but defending my faith wasn’t very easy when the odds were 20 to one. I had been taught to defend my faith when I needed to, not to do it every day as part of my curriculum.

With all of the differences, I soon became lost in a state of confusion and disbelief. I continued to ask myself, “How can two people both be Christians, but both also be complete polar opposites, aside from the fact of Jesus Christ?” The pull of religion began to weaken and I soon saw the world not as a wonderful place full of life, but as a wasteland of people who didn’t have any idea what was actually going on. The comfort of being able to fall back onto a bed of truths had disappeared overnight, and I just kept falling faster downwards.

As I continued my schooling, keeping a rough grip on reality, and trying to wear a smile, I managed to bear it all and struggled to have what I thought was a normal life. My two years there were filled with dances, new friends, homework and butterflies in my stomach whenever I saw that cute girl walk past. On the outside, everything was great, and for a while, I was able to forcefully overwhelm my life with new activities in order to escape the concentration camp of knowledge.

But one day, all that fell apart again.

The death of my grandmother some time earlier had left an impression, but the thought of death itself had evaded me like a boomerang. It went whirling by, and as boomerangs usually do, it eventually came back and hit me dumbstruck in the head.

I came upon the realization that I was one of the few kids that would be the first to grow up in my class.

My life is now full of realizations. To me, it’s the most important part of life. However, it’s also the most dangerous. A person who never realizes things for what they are, usually will lead a good life, and will die content. They have security in the fact that ignorance is bliss, they just never know it. Face it; if you never figure out what scares you, then you can’t be scared that easily, can you?

My stable lifestyle which I had become accustomed to had swerved again, and this time, I wasn’t going to be able to overcorrect and swerve back. I was going straight for a ditch, and I knew it was coming fast.

I decided then it was time to go back to my roots, so my parents transferred me back to public school. In order to keep all the morbid thoughts away from me I tried every trick in the book (I would tell you, the reader, what they are, but I don’t want people to worry like I do, so it’s best you don’t know.) but the thoughts just kept coming back. In my Literature class, we began studying Emily Dickenson, who, like me, was also obsessed with the mystery of death and the afterworld. This was the final straw that broke the camel’s back, as they say. My car had hit headfirst into the ditch, and I had blacked out cold.

There were bouts where I begged to a God who I wasn’t sure I even believed in if there was a way to just wake up one day and forget everything I knew. I prayed that if I could just live and be content, and not dread everyday, and not to wince at every second I lost as the clock ticked by, that I could be free.

Within time, my parents became aware of my state and decided that I should talk to someone professional about it. I now had weekly psychologist visits to help dampen the demons that burned brightly inside of me. After about half a year, I stopped going. Talking had helped, but it didn’t solve anything. After yet another realization, I knew I had what a medical doctor might see as a cancer, a nearly incurable disease that changed every time I tried to fix it. My life was up to me, as it had always been, and I found my escape in something I had always been able to do, but never gave much credit, my true undiscovered passion… drawing.

I drew to free myself. Art became my life. It was my only escape. No, it wasn’t a new beginning, or a miracle drug that just made me forget, it was a small step in the right direction during a time when understanding just became too much to bear.

Today, I still live much like I used to, but I now have a better handle on my emotions, and I don’t let fear run my life, or ruin it for that matter. I’ve changed the way I dress, and I’ve changed the way I act. I live to be an original and do everything I can to distinquish myself from the crowd. I’m sorry if I come across as uptight, or as a jerk. I honestly don’t mean to be, because I am still having trouble trusting people. I don’t want people copying me, because they have no idea what it really means to be me, and I surprise even myself writing this, because I hate putting myself at the center of attention. I don’t do what I do to get fame and I don’t do it to be liked or disliked. I live different because I am different, just like everyone else, except that unfortunately everybody else is trying to fit in. Oh well, I can’t solve everyone’s problems, I can’t even solve mine most of the time. They will just have to figure it out one day too.

I now see myself as a person living outside the world of everyone else, watching and observing, knowing what will become of all of us, but smiling at the fact that at least I have life, and for the time being, I can truly enjoy it.

2009-01-26T21:40:00.000-08:00

that is one merry apple

this is a whale shark. hmm.

a farewell to my bachelor pad

2009-01-26T20:45:00.001-08:00

by the way

2009-01-25T20:49:00.001-08:00

&&hearts

2009-01-25T20:03:00.001-08:00

ive just had one of the best weekends ever. :)

2009-01-25T11:58:00.000-08:00

interestingly enough, i actually find myself wanting to update my blog.

i think that this could be the start of a beautiful friendship :D

anyway, back to my life.

tonight is going to be a fun night. my family and my fiance's family are going to go out to eat together (for the first time?... maybe the second, i cant remember).

well, this will be the first time since we have been engaged. its like the traditional in-laws meet the in-laws kind of thing. except they already know each other pretty well. lol. thank god we dont have one of those ridiculous families where everyone hates each other.

another neat thing ive found out you ask?

well, it seems that i also have begun to acquire the taste for wine.

my preference is pretty bland i suppose you could say. i like red wine... (mostly merlots) with a nice full body, but not too dry.

and i like em slightly chilled. i know that not the way red wine should be drunk, but i cant help it. lol. :3

one more thing before i run away.

i have become very fond of shepherd fairey's work. i had no idea that he also owned the "obey" company... whos shirts i always seem to gravitate towards when i walk into boutiques like buckle and nordsrom and places of the like.

speaking of fashion... i also have become a nut for all the things on www.etsy.com .... they have some really neat crap. but most of it is waaayyy out of my price range. :( oh well.

until next time kiddies.

"terrible methodology"

2009-01-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

while work was another begrudging day of

"well, i dont think this is going the right direction. lets change..."

i also got back graded homework in geography class. eh. i missed the first problem. the second was slightly noted, but still correct. the third question had the best quote ive ever seen a teacher make. its simply said:

"terrible methodology"

well, what do you expect dr fuller? i am an artist, not a mathematician.

oh well. i still got the right answer. just in a "bad" way i suppose.

however, i dont think its really fair.
im not the person who steals money to give to their church's collection basket.

oh well. i do appreciate the humor of it.
actually, i think its hilarious... but that would be awfully "wrong" of me, wouldnt it? oh well. lol.

i suppose what really got my day off to the wrong start was the simple act of trying to do something right.

in this case, the theory given before is reversed:

i do something right, and in the end, it was bad.

the situation? on my way into work, i felt the desperate need to get a coke.
easy right? just swing into the gas station to the right of my exit, grab a coke, deal with the lady who always works there in the mornings, (who secretly hates me), and then rush back across the street to work, clock in on time, and enjoy my breakfast-soda.

however, there is a problem with this ordeal.
time.

my blue illuminated clock in my volkswagen passat read 9:59.

now, i know that my clock is purposefully set 2 minutes fast. so, in my mind, i knew that this task, if chosen, would land me at work somewhere after 10:00. (the time in which iwas to clock in.) how much later? i dont know, maybe 1 or 2 minutes, depending on the chances at the gas station (aka, a line, losing my card, forgetting my PIN, etc.)

so, at the last minute, i swerve from the right hand lane into the left, choosing to forgoe the tasty beverage, and arrive at work on time.

i clocked in. the time? 9:59. perfect, even a little early... but not early enough to get a coke and still be on time. at the moment, i thought i had made the right choice, the good choice... a choice that would be noted, and would be grateful for.

WRONG.

within the next couple of hours, my head began to pound, my temper and patience wore thin, and i was left in a bad mood, thirsty, and for some reason, a magnet to people who wanted to come into my office and routinely correct work that is at its nature... COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE.

my favorite line: "i dont like the aesthetics of this."

aka, i dont like it, cause i dont like it.

aka, my opinion is right, yours is wrong.

aka, my boss is not satisfied, and because of that, i am judged as doing a bad job, when in reality, my opinion was the only thing that was wrong.

now, maybe im being a little harsh. i enjoy my work (for the most part), and i enjoy the people i work with, and the people i work for. but today was just a day that i wish would have went smoother.

the only plus side to this day was that i discovered my fiance is terribly good at geography and could help me, and that we are also going to look at wedding venues soon.

now that is good news. :)

finally.

im out.
alan

engaged and overage

2009-01-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

well, not really overage. just perfect. :)
im a taken man and there aint nothing you can do's abouts it.

on to other new things. i have new sketches to put up. a skull and an apple. how original. :3 lol

got some schooling to do tomorrow.
+ i get to see my fiancé... :D

and her ba-ling.

gnites all. back to homeworks (aka sketching)

after a few weeks of not blogging

2008-12-16T08:39:00.001-08:00

life continues to be a rollercoaster of emotions.

as usual. lol.

not surprising when you have a serious girlfriend, who is seriously sick. poor thing.

i was able to pass all of my classes this semester (an amazing feat, trust me). most amazing of all is that i finally passed my last math class. no more functions, formulas, or any of that stuff for me ever again. at least not in an educational sense.

its so nice! :]

so with the semester at its close, you would think that now i would finally have time to do some art... yea, right.

my latest and greatest project, however, is super secret. my goal is to have it finished by the end of next month.. but itll be a miracle if i can.

all i can say is, "strings." :]

to be completely honest, lately ive felt like ive been getting pushed around by my own life. things are always just so busy. even with a good nights sleep everynight, i still feel overwhelmed and overtired.

holiday sale signs

2008-11-29T14:45:00.001-08:00

large sign. (above)

small signs (above three)

pgm website design

2008-11-26T11:45:00.000-08:00

its finally done! with new products! whoo!

so yea, go to shop.petgoodsmfg.com to see it in action.

firth, music, and the end of the semester high

2008-11-25T07:06:00.000-08:00

word of the day:

economic vegetarian
[ek-uh-nom-ik vej-i-tair-ee-uh N.]
to have to resort to eating vegetables because you cannot afford meat.

i received this in an email from urbandictionary and i couldnt help but share. i thought it was one of those few words on there that is actually decent. most of that library seems to be a hodge podge of random inside jokes that dont really carry their own weight.

anyway..

on to one of my inspirations, a nonverbal mentor.
the one, the only, DAVID FIRTH.

"dog of man"

Two weeks ago, mr firth released a new short film (i no longer call them cartoons, they are too... good... to be called cartoons) and i have to say that while at first it feels random, and rather void of good content, i have come to realize more and more just how good it is.

first off, after watching the film, i went onto youtube to get a scoop on what other people were saying about it. along with the masses of "omg, wtf this is gross/disturbing/scary/messed up/sinful" there were also a few words like "artfag" and "meaning" being tossed around.

what i felt was really funny was how so many people were respectfully trying to back firth up by saying that it had meaning, but most of those saying that, would not say what exactly that meaning was, and the people who dared to voice their opinion on what they did think that meaning was were the ones who maybe only saw surface elements.

heres my opinion:

this film shows a bond between a man and his dog. duh, obviously. however, the exact meaning isnt necessarily meant to be understood. these short films are meant to be enjoyed and pondered upon, but not everything has one exact meaning. self interpretation is the most important thing, and i believe firth just wants us to take what we can from his creations. thats it.

so yea, thats all i have to say.

MUSIC:

ive been dabbling in the FLSTUDIO regions again, and i think ive turned more experimental aphex twin, then boards of canada.

eh, ive got a new song, but i think its just easier to compose something ambient than to actually work on chord progressions and melodies and so forth. meh.

its also the end of the semester and i couldnt be happier.
its alot of work, and i have another math test today.
wish me luck.

best score on flash td

2008-11-17T10:51:00.000-08:00

awesome! i am king! lololololol

my best score so far on Flash TD. whooo

go me!

dang candy cubes

2008-11-03T08:39:00.001-08:00

just an advert for school

november is..

2008-11-02T11:55:00.000-08:00

so, where am i today?

maybe coming back to life?
perhaps.

lol, as pink floyd manages to rumble on somewhere in the distance.

in a little over a week ill be 21 years old. i will have roamed this planet looking for whatever meaning and gifts it can give me.

alas, the world isnt what final fantasy vii showed me, but it is much bigger.

no, there hasnt been any random formations of mako energy that have gathered into materia, but there has been random formations of events that have turned my life everywhich way and lead me down the road to become the person i am today.

maybe thats what materia is suppose to be; elements of life.
heh, prolly not, but while im in this "self made all knowing mood" im going to assume thats what some ridiculously creative Japanese guy thought of while he was whitling the night away in his small apartment.

good job dude. im impressed. :D

but yea.

21.

im finally turning the age of my favorite number. weird.

and 21 hasnt been my favorite number just because of the age. im not that immature damnit.

but it has been my favorite number for a multitude of various, awkward, and sometimes unbelievable coincidences.

the most important of which being the time when it was paired with the number 17.

:)

that was the best thing that has ever happened.

out for now. more rambling to come. i hope. lol.

more new (old) music

2008-10-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

while ive been mildly interested in some rather acoustic-ish jam-ish chill stuff recently, i just took a good listen to a new cd i got in the mail.

Aphex Twin's Selected Ambient Works Volume II

at first i merely was able to float around the first few tracks of the first disc.

however, after doing some research on wiki, and seeing how these songs work together, and how the songs actually transcend the essence of music and become a tangible, nay, visual experience, i have began to really give it more attention.

for example,

one fan considered the track [parallel lines] to not just a be a name, but the fact that there are two lines of sound at different wavelengths that are played in each channel (left and right) to create a parallel (chord?) sound, and then the other sounds are actually woven between those two continuous chords.

fascinating. im serious.

however, unfortunately, my favorite song, [stone in focus] AKA #19, is missing from the album because it was only released on a limited 10,000 copy brown vinyl print in the UK.

sad. so now im on the journey of tracking down that set of vinyls.

:D

new musics

2008-10-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

so, just as a note,

ive discovered

belle and sebastian

cat power

the grand archives

oh, and OWEN - ... that mouth. ....good chills.

i like, i like. weird.

more finished work

2008-10-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

so ive been workin on some more art here and there and thankfully my artsy life has been coming back together.

to be honest, even though ive been learning things in college, i feel like ive been on a hiatus since high school... not sure why.

anyway, im hoping i can learn to disregard all the rules that ive learned to follow a true self purpose and not get stuck into a rhythmic commercially drawn lifestyle that will only ever have me doing left aligned condensed bold helvetica with rockwell for smaller headings. althought it looks awesome as shit when it all said and done.

heres a rather ambiguous piece that is an entry for a show at school. maybe ill win something. it has to show movement. i think it does on many levels.

this is it in bg form for my compy. the title is "harmony" or that other word in Russian up there. something close to "rapmonhr" except that i dont know the right keyboard shortcuts to make it look right,,

hmm

loving life right now

2008-10-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

just sittin with the "in-laws"...

loving life right now.

'cept my nipple kinda hurts... wonder whos fault that is? lol

oh bu chu

posters for ngcsu

2008-09-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

yea thats about it. we had two days to make three posters. only thing i borrowed was the honey comb texture on the third one.

go me! lol

school thoughts

2008-08-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

all my mom had to say was that i was very lucky.

this seems all too true.

right now im sitting in the new library on campus on one of these fancy dells. all i can say is wow. this whole week, all ive heard was that getting a single class was almost as hard as seeing heaven and wanting to go back to earth. so yea, my hopes in finding a class werent very high.

to make matters worse, i had to create a schedule that adhered to my promise to my current employers, and that i would be in school on monday weds fri and work tues thurs sat. yikes. so not only did i have to FIND a class, i had to find ones that didnt overlap and were only on MWF.

yea, my mind was thinking, "alan, youre a dumb ass."

secondly, i found out that my mom hadnt paid for my semester. and that i didnt have my authorization code to even add classes.

AH.

the next news i heard was that my adviser (AKA the person whom i receive authorization as well as my code to register for classes) had had a heartattack over the summer and was taking the semester off. so i had to go find my new adviser.

thankfully, my new adviser... or maybe my new temporary adviser, is very nice and i like him alot. he got my code and pretty much said to just get what i could and jump in to whatever.

IE protocol could be dismissed as far as order of classes was concerned.

so, now i had to travel to financial aid to see what late fees i had as well as what i would owe for classes i hadnt even signed up for, and to see if i could even sign up yet since i hadnt given them a cent as far as tuition goes.

amazingly, all was clear. no fees. no nothing. and i could go ahead and get classes. word.

then it was off to register... my biggest fear.

to make an excedingly long story short, heres a synopsis of what was left.

CORE CLASSES LEFT: a non credit special ed math
ART CLASSES LEFT: none.

but, as by luck, while i was browsing, people must of been dropping, cause things kept opening up. now it was time to figure out how my schedule added up to my promise to my employer.

lucky me, i had done it. i had 9 hours so far, 6 of which on MWF, and 3 at the end of T/TR, which meant i could leave work early to go to that one.

awesome! but i couldnt find a 4th class. and as every good student knows, to be fulltime you have to have 12 hrs minimum.

back to the art dept!

in another meeting with my adviser, i discussed the possibility of doing an independent study. no go. poop. he recommended i go to the dept head to "find" openings.

luckily, she was still there as well as the new graphic design teacher... whom i really wanted to meet. somehow, i was able to open up the very class i wanted AND it was in the time frame needed.

holy shit.

now i can go sneer at my girlfriend and do the whole nana-nana-booboo thing. lol. :P

shes gonna be pissed. lol. in that loving kind of way of course.

\
thats all for now. tomorrow school starts.
going to bed early tonight... right.
lol.

oh, and go check out my website. its new. its fresh. its updated daily. and, its free. lol.

oh yea. theres a preview of it. REVEL IN AWE OF MY PREVIEW. :P again.

gnite kids.

back from yesterday

2008-08-18T10:19:00.001-07:00

oh happy birthday!

my girlfriend turned 21 yesterday and i am very happy for her. she has a new car and lots of pretty things from me. and hopefully, that made her day.

i guess i really would like to write a review of KANI House in cumming. its the first time ive ever been to this restaurant and let me say just one thing; memorable.

first off, the food was amazing, as all hibatchi should be.
secondly, our cook/server Maru was not only well trained, and socially friendly, but clever as well. probably comes with working there forever, but still, the last time i went to hibatchi, it was just the usual routine, possibly a bad day for the cook. this time was much more fun, and animated. instead of performing for the crowd, he let us try cooking too, which i had not experienced before at this type of restaurant. very fun.

finally, since it was a birthday dinner, there is the usual routine of singing and wearing goofy props. but what really made it was that they took our picture and by the end of the dinner had had it printed on a birthday card with the date and all that good stuff, and also gave my girlfriend a set of nicer than usual chopsticks to take home in a little decorative baggy.

it was truly a good 21st birthday, or at least i think so. i hope she does too.

-

on a new note.

my wacom skills are slowly improving. dont have any new finished pieces, but there hsould be some on the way. the hardest thing is finding time to do it.

speaking of time, school starts on wednesday. no fun.

oh well.

wacom

2008-08-11T11:18:00.000-07:00

so my wacom came in.
really nice stuff there. im learning to use it and get used to the feel.
very different from a traditional pen or pencil, but still much easier than a mouse.

this past week has been very hard.
and as of this morning, death has struck twice.
not a good thing at all. :(

this past weekend, i was busy painting lauren's bathroom.
hopefully i will be able to get some pics up of it once its done.
as of this moment, shes no longer "sure" of the color choice.
AH! i dont want to do primer and paint again!

next..

erm, im back at work, working hard.
trying to play catch-up.
im loving the down time at the moment.

but apparently downtime is short lived.
back to work.

new tools

2008-07-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

cant wait to start animating now.

my new tool comes this week, hopefully. :D

very excited.
.

lyrics i found in my room while cleaning

2008-07-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

not sure where these came from, but im pretty sure they're about someone important :)

so basically, heres the thing
i kinda like you.
so basically, i kinda like you.
i kinda like you.
...kinda like you, like me.

i wanna write this down on a canvas,
stretch it tight so you can feel everything.

kinda like blue eyes, bright eyes.
whats this strange feeling inside of me?

it screams out destiny.
i believe i shall write without intention of the human heart,
the idea of peace of mind.

can text filling a page really relate to anything,
or is it a mere aesthetic to the mind?

a simple contemporary feel for a complex inner emotion?

too bad it doesnt rhyme. lollolooollollolol.
.

xfiles movie

2008-07-25T14:56:00.001-07:00

going to go see the new xfiles movie tonight with lauren and her parents.

cant wait! :D

ill write a review when i get back.

shampoo design

2008-07-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

.
i like it.
no one else really does.
thats okay.
also comes in beige, tan, pink, lime, popsicle blue, and pumpkin.

oh well. haha.

1991 pantones and a shampoo bottle

2008-07-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

pretty much a standard conversation at work. lol.
a designers life is soooo hard.

cw: "dont you think we could use a better font?"
me: "what's wrong with helvetica?"
cw: "helv-what? uh, lets use a cute font like comic sans or something."
me: "..."
cw: "do you not like comic sans?"
me: "i signed the official petition to remove it forever."
cw: "oh. well, its still cuter."

now, no, this conversation never took place, but its still the type of thing that i tend to run into. but understand that im not talking down my fellow employees or anything. i like them all very much, and its not their job to understand design, its mine. but it still gives me a little laugh on the inside when situations like this arise.

my professor once said that a designer can make three designs to give to client, two wonderfully made that follow all the rules, and a third that doesnt follow any rules, have bad color choices, alignment, grid setup, sizing problems, etc, and the client will always pick the third design. always. lol.

my job has taught me that design is an ever evolving process that does indeed require a substantial amount of thought and time. for most of my projects i can look back at the 20-50 sheets of the same design and see the continual shaping until its final result.

its actually fun for me, because i also learn how i tend to work subconsciously.

heres what im working on right now.
a new shampoo bottle
a new conditioner bottle
a new cologne bottle
personas and descriptions for these bottles
sending hd artwork and photographs for printing
re-organizing the file system currently in place
working with our internet hosting company to fix our website
calling back wholesale companies with login information
and finally,
working on figuring out my new phone, which is so simple that its hard. lol.
whoooo Go-Phones! ...AT&T is anhero. srsly.

well, my lunch break is about up, so i suppose its back to what really matters.

btw, if anyone wants to donate me a pantone swatch booklet, i would most appreciate it.
hopefully newer than 1991, which is my current edition.
:(

later.
.

costa rican cigars and a bowl full of jelly

2008-07-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

i read a quote yesterday about art. i cant remember it exactly word for word, but it went something like this.

"i've come to learn that art is when you get past the frustration of making something, and get to the creative, experimental thinking behind a creation."

and ive never really though about it before, but its so true.

being a graphic designer, and spending much of my time in photoshop and illustrator, i have grown to have a very small patience level with time investment and work. while i still spend many hours working with digital media, it would take assloads more in traditional media to do some of the same things. so now, when i go to paint, or draw, i get mad cause i cant just fill color spaces, or apply gradients, or throw down text like no tomorrow. much of my "analog" work, so to speak, looks and feels rushed because i was more worried about the idea than the outcome. good art requires an individual to donate time to both parts. regardless of patience level. ive trained myself to be a "one sitting; one work" kind of guy and i need to step away from that. i cant even imagine what the sistine chapel would look like if it had been completed in one sitting. haha.

so yea, thats my update. oh, and im working on the actual "shopping" pages for my website for when i sell my work. look for that in a little while.

later.

40oz dick

2008-07-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

lolololollollololooollllol

whats that? soulja boi has a new song out?

no, wait! its WNWA! with their new hit song, 40oz Dick! HANGING IN DA CLUB!

in two hours i went through and made 4 new product designs for each of the schools we have licenses for. thats like over 75 different designs. damn. im pooped.

out for now.
back later.

www.alanvitek.com

2008-07-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

wo0o0o...

ive grown a pair and realized how easy it is to sell things online.

however, im not going thomas kinkade over here. bump that.

to start myself over, i have developed a splash page for my website that basically showcases a painting or drawing for sale. with a "buy" button supported through paypal.

to me, this is fantastic news. i have a way to get my art out into the world. now all i have to do is set up an actual shop with a bunch of art.

to start, i want to do a series of painting strictly for online sale.

this series will simply be titled "series 1"

and then ill move on, so on and so forth. each series depicting a different theme or idea.

or at least, thats what i hope to happen.

for my millions of readers, www.alanvitek.com has one painting ready for sale. check it out. buy it. or just marvel at the glamour of a working "buy" button. lol.

thanks kids!
:D

new post 5

2008-07-14T14:19:00.000-07:00

heres the deal.

i have been completely submerged in a desire to animate. i really want to make some progress with me and mitch's cartoon.

after watching many cartoons by animator Yotam Peril, i feel inspired to make something funny. i really like this guy's style and use of comic timing, especially "BOB AND THE APPLE." great new work there.

as tedious as animating can be, its actually rather enjoyable once one delves into it. while a shitty cartoon may require 1000 or more frames per scene, thankfully most of it can be filled with software like flash.

im hoping to do this new series with 28 fps, roughly a standard by the televised cartoon industry.

doing more would kill me. i think.

voice acting is the next problem.

i have a decent microphone and mixer, but finding a way to minimize static is a bitch, and before ended up with me and mitch sitting under a bunch of blankets with the mic sharing it.
sound pretty gay. wow, actually super gay.

but thats okay.

according to bumpersticker, "i dont mind if people think we're gay." many lolololllls.

weeelll, suppose thats it for now.

check out that link and watch stuff.

im going to end with an unforgettable quote,

(in a northern accent, maybe wisconsin... dunno. im from the south. im retarded.)
"so, have you ever, melted down a fetus and put a funnel in your dick hole and poured it in?"

interesting

2008-07-09T20:41:00.001-07:00

i want to be more interesting.

diet coke.

subway.

special K

weights.

...maybe some.

future plans

2008-07-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

i really enjoy the act of blogging.

however, the problem has not always been that I dont want to sit down and get started doing it, but rather that i just dont have time for it.

but i want that to change.
and people say that if they want to change something, they need to write it down to make sure it happens. so thats what im doing.

now i also understand that general idea that most people say they will update etc etc and never actually do. or they do it once and then forget about it. i say nay!

so heres to me and a new faith in myself and blogging!

to start off, ive aquired time by aquiring a new job.
a job with my own mac.
a job with my own desk.
a job ith my own office.
a job with my own fucking business card.

sweet ass! :D

for the past two weeks, work has been anything but easy.
words that come to mind are as follows; hectic, asphyxiating, uncontrollable, and exhausting.

does a semicolon fit there? or a regular colon? i dunno.

anyway, as unbearable as work can seem at times, ive found a place that i can use to help me get away form the wibble wobble of design failures.

its called pandora, and im obsessed!

linkable here, (www.pandora.com) its the best music site ive ever seen, and it has also introduced me to all kinds of new things.

heres how it works.

you begin by selecting an artist that you like.

pandora then plays a random song of that artist's discography to give you a general idea of that artist's sound. it give you a bio of the artist and his/her breakdown for that song according to a list of hundreds of "genomes" that make up songs.

for instance, the downtempo IDM band, Boards of Canada might have listings like:
IDM influences
downtempo style
ambient soundscapes
etc etc

after that song is finished, pandora will automatically play a new song by a different artist that explores the same "genomes" as the first song.

as songs continue to play, you tell pandora whether you like one or another, and pandora learns what to play. the more feedback you give, the more precise your music station becomes.

so in a nutshell you create genre specific radio stations. for free.

awesome.

ive got to get back to work on these catalog inserts.
later.

after the fourth

2008-07-07T12:43:00.000-07:00

couldnt feel happier at the moment.

for the time being, life is perfect. :D

i am thankful.

lunch @ work

2008-06-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

here's my current understanding of going out of my way to eat lunch within my office:

people ignore the fact that my nice little sandwich is sitting in front of me, and they come in and tell me what to do, and ask me what im working on and so on and so forth.

now, to some, this may sound normal, but to someone who shares a facility with five other people, i just want some peace for a minute. but thats not really the idea of my workplace, so this is basically just a rant of things. oi veh.

for the cartoon project:

things are going extremely well at this point, although we are only brainstorming.
theres alot of good ideas floating around and thats a good sign. were gettin them all written down so we dont forgot. our goal is to have one episode finished by summer time. and im hoping it will get faster and faster.

we've come up with a name, but i dont want to post it until its its official, but by the looks of things, i think its gonna stick pretty well.

on a side note:
i got my car fixed! hooray!
i paid $475 big ones to have alaskan air pour through my vents.
its totally worth it with georgia summer weather.
i dont understand how buildings arent melting at this point.

on the downside though, its gonna be about $1500 more dollars to fix the rest, which i told the guy to hold off on. I DONT HAVE THAT KIND OF BANK.

for today, im house sitting for lauren, and i get to see all her purpurs and beardie, and baby harlytt. and the fish. and baileys mouse and hamster. also nice to look forward to: gettin to play some more final fantasy. i left a copy of it up there and now its calling me back to put more time in. why not? :D

i do miss here though...
she'll be back soon. :)

so peace, peace
keep it alpha.
24 inches man, genetically different!
ICE COLD.

alanvitek

crystal

2008-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

youth. memories.

i cannot really explain this feeling i have inside. but there are times, when i experience certain things, like a cold winter's day, or an old familiar song, and i'm taken back to another time... another world even.

i guess this could be understood as reminiscing, or maybe a flashback. but neither of those words really seem to fit.

during these times, im taken back to a period where my life seemed structured, and well founded upon a stable understanding of life.

now, in my young adulthood, i see life only as stable as i can make it for myself.

i understand life, i understand death... and i understand there is a fine line between the two.

what is it that makes the memories of my youth so crystallized?
so perfectly secure and undeniable?
at the time meaning nothing, and now meaning everything?

i really dont know the answer.

i yearn for those old feelings. and i now realize that they are gone, and i am thrown into the huge category of people who miss their youth and feel like they could of done more.

now dont get me wrong, i still am young, but i suppose the term youth that i am using actually means childhood.

oh well. homework calls.

world world whirl

2008-03-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

alot to say.

where to begin. always writers block at the beginning.
i'd say, 80/20.
thats where ill start.

i asked, should i copy the others and stay safe, or should i push the boundries.
my answer, i should develope my own style, and then show i can do what others do.
be myself first, then show i can be like others.
80/20.

also, small text is always serif. when grouped. when alone. rules dont apply.

what else?
relationships.

mine is wonderful. thank god.

others? not so much.

what does it take to win someones heart? words or actions?
both.
how long is too long to wait? all depends on the situation. but always remember to step backwards and look at everything from a distance. in reality, its never as big as you think it is.

i also want to say that windows vista sucks. i mean sucks sucks sucks.
because i had to reformat my harddrive, and thus erasing my previous installation, resulting in the loss of a base operating system, therefore making my upgrade useless, therefore in a clean install attempt, windows wont let me log on because i dont own the program. and since i built my computer and dont have a system manufacturer, and because my windows XP disk is screwed AND because sincei already registered my windows once, my 90 days are up and a phone call to harass some windows worker is going to cost me $40.

FUCK IT!

as for current music, erm, 1969. in the sunshine. boards of canada.

wow. maybe ill write something worth reading later.

sitting

2008-02-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

what else is there?

theres tons no doubt. no doubt at all.

where do dreams come from?
are there any bases for dreams? are they random misfirings of neurons?
what composes them?
memories? desires?
are they simply built in entertainment?
i dont know.

do it now. do it now. do it now.

i suppose there is no relevancy.
do it now.

floating houses and white blood.

i like abstract thought. i dont know where i would be without it.

chris crocker, gas stations, and a bag of ritz crackers

2008-02-17T22:42:00.000-08:00

its been a while since leave britney alone came out onto the internet and quickly soared to national news and box office hits. but recently chris crocker has put up another video that seems to have hit another nerve.

he is apparently fed up with gay bashing on youtube. and why not? while he craves his audience and may or may not have psychological problems, he deserves to have his own thoughts.

and what did this new video lead to? more gay bashing.

now, i understand at least a part of chris' situation. while i am not gay, i have a tendency to be called a fag in public and have even been spit on a few times in places such as hollister and abercrombie... ironic i think.

unfortunately, even college doesnt always present a even headed field for me to roam in. im not sure what it is with the south, but a lot of people have a very limited viewpoint, and an even thinner shell, resulting in the need to bully to fill that void where self confidence and esteem refuse to exist.

as unfortunate as it may be, religion is a major factor of this. homosexuality, and whatever the media likes to add to that, whether it be clothes, hair, attitude, etc, is easily condemnable.

while i figured maturity came with age, and that people hopefully would realize their bashing does nothing for them, or others, i cant seem to see a light at the end of the tunnel for some groups.

open your mind. quit being scared.

dont hate differences. believe what you must, but keep it to yourself if you have to. otherwise, you're just wasting oxygen.

i work at a gas station... yes a petty job, but a job none the less. something that alot of college students dont have, because they were born in a home where they could do what they wanted and still be rewarded. i wish i had that luxury. i hope those that have it are thankful.

working in such a situation involves my person with a multitude of other stereotypes that i wont bother to mention. its funny how that even as we disregard stereotypes, we can still fall into them. i guess thats the glory of it all.

observing all these different people in the same situation is quite a treat. everyone has a common goal, to get some gas. however, there must be thousands of ways these people come up with doing it. its great. and humans are naturally so smart, well most of them. people are generally very adaptive.

however, ive noticed that even as adaptive as they are, most will not ask for help, under any circumstance. they must be told to ask for help, before they do. very few seem to give up by their own choice and journey to the register for advice.

the ones that are told to get help are also usually the ones who do not take responsibility. they blame things on everyone and everything but themselves. the pump is broken. my card wont scan. your computer is dumb. i did it right.

even after this boring and reptitive lecture, i will go out and watch them do it again. 99% of the time, the procedure runs smoothly and they give me a blank look and say, well its working now.

oh well. i guess i just have the magic touch.
:/

one more thing.

the ritz crackers that are like chips? you know them?

they are extremely good. especially the kind in the teal bag. the ranch or whatever. soooo good.

fluuuuuuuuuuuu

2008-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

noooooo

not the flu, . sucks.

a,ph7.

`1fty
ccxc. what/
?

cloverfield

2008-02-12T21:39:00.001-08:00

so yea, i saw this movie.. wit baker.
it was fuckin good.

ill give you the rundown.
Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) has just gotten a new job, except he's going to have to move from NYC to Tokyo to take it. On the eve of his departure, Rob's brother Jason (Mike Vogel) throws a surprise going-away party that's interrupted when a giant monster attacks the city. Receiving a panicked phone call from his ex-girlfriend Beth (Odette Yustman), Rob races through the destruction with several of his friends to save her.

pretty good rundown, huh?
yea, i write these things fo a living.

although im still trying to figure out all the things about the falling satellite at the end.
for hose of you whho dont know, go on youtube and look that shiz up.
also the "its still aliv / im still alive" thing. hmmm...

its a great movie, with a great storyline and even greater ending.

great.

i cant wait for the sequel :3

ive got the inside scoop with that shit. its sick.

let me just say one thing.. FUCK YOU
hahahahahahhhahahaloloozolzlzolollz
im not telling.

right, im not so impressed that they ripped off the alien thing with the "chestburster" but whatev. it helped more people die.

more to come.

wizahrdz

2008-01-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

okay, so, its, been, a, while.

whats new um... got drunk, broke up, got drunk again, got back together, and now, looking at a one year anniversary, cause apparently the break up didnt "count." cool with me.

let me ramble on in my sexist ways.

1 - chicks dig money
2 - chicks dig money
3 - chicks dig diamonds.

so like, a chick wants a ring. i want to get my car fixed. naturally, what is more important to her? well, the fact that you dont have a good job to pay for both. plus a little more.
however, the sense stick can come swinging around and all of a sudden, you're getting laid left and right.

pretty sweet right?
yea, because she tells you she understands, and that its cool with her if you dont have money, cause you love her, and thats more than anything else.
yea, pretty sweet.

so yea, i have a couple of really good ideas for the 1 year thing, but because im afraid of a certain female being a snoop, and the fact that she pretty much owns my desktop now, (not for very long though) im just gonna say that stuff is in the works.

and i just did some research and im feeling even better.

well, this has turned into a short update.
i hope the ice turns icier.

out.
alanvitek

my black dahlia

2007-11-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

what can you do when the problem you encounter has no solutions?

are the questions always more beautiful than the answers?

1 year ago this happened the same way. the same fucking way.
and now, i have to stop it before it does. but i dont know how.

and how am i supposed to know everything? why are some things that seem like they shouldnt matter, make everything completely revolve around them?
money... sex...

two plutonic opposites in which all life revolves, with love jammed somewhere in the middle.

i once heard someone say that there are three things in life that people want, and most only can have two.

1 a relationship
2 love
3 sex

its a triangle. i thought i had it all. im afraid i might only have one, and its only just be default.
crop circles in the carpet.

remember, i love you.
im sorry. oh.
im lovestruck, i hope im not fucked up.
bury me six feet undeground.
im an emo kid, non conforming as can be,
youd be emo too if you looked just like me.
dear diary....
lyrics lost and jumbled
life is a compilation of relative music.
but music is a drug.
and drugs...
well...
is synthetic happiness all that remains?

would the person who said they cared even fucking read this?
probably not. how can i expect that to happen without giving it away.

"does love conquer all?"
...
"all we have is love. without love everything is dead... and its what keeps us alive, atleast for a little while."
"okay"

"do you have goals? do you have ambitions?"
"im an artist. of course i have goals and ambitions."
"can you support a family? what if you dont make it? you dont have a backup plan."
"there are tons of jobs. and art is a huge thing with lots of money now. of course i can support a family, its one of my goals, and thats"
"okay, fine."

"you dont know what you want."
"i want you. you dont know what you want."
"i dont know what i want."

"are you happy?"
"are you happy?"
"i asked you first"
"... ever since"
"its a yes or no question."
"... yes... i asked you second."
"..."

"theres two types of attraction. physical (personal) and sexual. i dont feel both. youre the guy every girl wants to be with and marry. but theres"
"im an easy boyfriend. i may be reaching but your sexual drive is based on trust."
"what do you mean?"
" i mean, you trust me, so its easy. and youre not on edge. either you have no repsect for me, or you have too much respect for me."
"...you're reaching."

i dont know what to do.
all i know is that i have to wait for her to come to me.
thats what i need. i need the reassurance.
its one step closer to helping me
try to solve anything.

coheed and cambria

2007-10-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

new coheed and cambria cd came out last tuesday. my best friend and i took a listen to it. pretty nice stuff going on there. still not sure of the message, and the storyline, but im sure its just as good as the music.

the cover art is decent, i would think that they would of put out for a better artist, but maybe they wanted a rougher image. im not sure, but comparatively speaking, the other albums had better cover and inset art.

on to the other things. work sucks. next.

heres a question. how exactly does one gain respect back without hurting others... especially when others are so used to your willingness to do any shit they want.
i was once called a pushover, and then was told it was a good thing,
yeah, only when its appreciated though.
which im starting to question. but not completely speaking against.

30 days of night looks like an epic film. never read the novels, but yea, looks amazzing.

and so far halloween is still sucking. i carved a pumkin today to make me feel better, it cam out tnbc-ish, with two different sized eyes and a long curving smile that didnt fit its face.
pretty cool

orange box rocks. deff go get that shit. wait, who am i talking to? no one reads this.
lol, my boss threw up at work today.
too much krystal haha

now im rambling and dream theater is playing, so i have to go fight giant beasts with swords or yore. THIS IS..... AMERICA!

hancock, NOW!

halloween

2007-10-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

well

halloween in coming up.
and so far its sucking. and that sucks. cause its my favorite. more than christmas.
damn.

omg maaaaaaathhhh

2007-10-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

my exam is in 3 hours and im craming to get it all in my head. then i have to go straight to work after that. this sucks ballllllsssss.

ugh.

why did the lord bless me with sucky math skillz?
oblviously He didnt want me to graduate from college.
van wilder, here i come.
XX

work, school, work, school

2007-09-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

uggghhhh,

i dont like math, who does?
recently its been work, school and back and forth over and over again. im just getting sick of it. ive realized that retail isnt for me and i want to get a different job, but i never have time to go out and look. this week, thankfully, i havent been working too much, but it just seems like so much work to get up and go.] i think that that pretty much says that working at a gas station isnt working for me. i just want someone else there to talk to. its sooooo boring.

what else?
school is going okay. its alot of work and i know now that college is all about work. no wonder a degree is so celebrated... its hard to actually get one. i want to get some student loans to buy art stuff, but i think id rather check out fafsa thing to see if i can get some grants first. you dont have to pay those back... >:)

probably the best news is that lauren and i are the doing the best we have in a while. these past few days have been really nice, and im not quite sure why, or whats different. weve been working on seeing each other a little less and doing other things when we do hang out, and its really helped out. i love her. :)

and finally, i think i want to lose a little more weight. actually, i know i want to tone up, but i wanna get skinny-inny again. i wanna lose like 10 lbs of fat and gaine 10-15 pounds of muscle. i dont wanna be thick, but i do wanna be "cut"
that would be nice.
sounds like its time to start swimming again.

and !

halloween is almiost here! i want to have a party. halloween fucking rocks.

2007-08-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

ahhh

so pretty much work sucks. blink 182 said it best i suppose.

i have to go in in about an hour. haha inin.
kroger is a good company and all, but the ability to sit in a box for 8 hours and do nothing is completely mental. i dont even truly get a break, but ill be damned if someone wont relieve me so i can get some subway.. mmm.

and speaking of subway, ive won a ton of cookies on that scrabble game they have going on. i want to redeem them all at once, but i dont think im allowed to. screw them!

yea, thats about all i suppose.
just a quickie.

start at night

2007-08-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

i wanted to start a blog, and was recommended here,
mainly in hopes that the people here arent idiots.

theres something magical about a girl whos ready to fall asleep next to you, but tries to stay awake simply because she might be interested... or maybe its just because she knows you have to leave soon and wants to have as much of you as she can.
whatever the reason, i dont care. i just know i like it.

my life seems to be heading in a direction that i couldnt of been better if i had picked it myself.

also, i saw a flaming truck on the side of the road today.
its interesting that many people might of stopped just to watch it burn, but my first reaction was making sure no one was in it. however, this reaction was more for myself than the possible safety of the driver. i didnt want to see someone burning alive, but for some reason i had to make sure, as if the safety of the victim was second to my own.
interesting.

goodnight,
alanvitek