Kick off.

So rochester contemporary kicked off their online buying wars this morning at 10am. Alarm was set at 9:40, let the games begin.

I didn't exactly get my choice but I purchased another photograph from the same artist.

The artists name is Dan McCormack, he is from Accord, NY. Which because they do not give out any info prior to buying I didn't know until 30 min ago. Besides that I do no have any information, I will be receiving more with the work when I pick it up.

Taking a break.

I feel I am going in a bad direction with some of these paintings. But here is what the next few days are going to look like. Today I have a 7.5 hour shift, blehhhhh. Ill probably come home to work on some sketchbook shit, or maybe I wont do anything at all. This is because after today I am going to have 4 days off. You would think that would be something to look forward to but lately time off is not what I need. So I am going to have to try very hard to keep myself busy and keep my mind off of stupid shit.

SO here is what's going to happen.

I found out about a collage show at the Rochester contemporary art center that they will soon be taking submissions for. I have never been all that talented when it comes to collage but i figure it is so open ended that even if i just use objects to build up a painting surface I could get away with that. We are allowed to submit 3 so I am thinking I want to have at least 5 to pick from.

I miss the feeling of having my work shown, so this is making me feel all giddy!

Keep working everyone.

Love,

Renee

Single best moment of last year.

Watching a movie out in the grass on the side of the new performance arts building. It starts to drizzle so we hide under the overhang. Leaving our spot we head behind the building to stumble upon the most beautiful lush green rolling landscape leading up to the building. The rain had left a pastel pallet of pinks and blues in the sky and on the building. We all stand around discussing the composition and lines in awe of what we were seeing. It was probably the single most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. The perfection of the scene combined with the excitment of everyone was so refreshing, that I had the the perfect group of people with me at the time to understand the importance of the moment with was fantastic. A good 10 min was spent studying this building. I never wanted a camera so badly in my entire life. All i had was my camera phone which took the worst image of this but for you guys to understand the beauty of building imma post it anyway.

Reunited and it feel so good.

Hip hop honors has totally gotten me pumped for this architecture painting again. I have been ignoring it for the past 2 days and been focusing on my sketchbook but i feel it is time to get back on track.

And if i feel myself slipping again I have banksy's movie to get me motivated.

Summer is here, time to get a collection together.

Morning everyone. Here is the status of my work.

I have 3 paintings completed. All are abstract works made up of geometric figures. Ink on acrylic are used in all.

3 more are in the works right now. 2 I am not crazy about but have potential, they are like the ones I already completed. The 3rd is a graffiti style piece inspired by architecture. I seem to be having trouble with it because it is out of my normal color scheme. But there is HUGE potential. I plan to use paint markers on top of the flat color I have been putting down. It is going to be wild (i think.)

This is the goal: put together a collection of work to be submitted to a Toronto school.

Have a good day everyone

Love,

Renee

Reflecting on the year and anticipating the future.

It has been a while. Too long. My first year at Alfred was an overall bad and good experience. First semester was hard for me, not because of the classes but because I found myself alone amongst a group of new people. Days were spent doing homework and watching netflix, while nights were spent on the computer, chatting away. The problem wasn’t that I was not making any kind of connection with anyone, but that I just didn’t care to take that any further. I robbed myself of any type of college experience. And all of this would have been fine if i was working in the mean time but that wasn’t the case. I did extremely well in my classes, but the importance of that seems to lesson as I reflect on it.

Not to say the entire semester was a waste of time, I set myself high among the pack in my classes, showing everyone what I got. I also found a love for architecture. As my final project for my painting studio we had to incorporate architecture into a painting that extended out of a 32x40 piece of paper. My painting I can say with confidence was one of the best in the class. From then on my assignments reflected in this concept.

Second semester is when things really picked up and I started enjoying Alfred. I found myself with a small group of friends and I spent less time in the dorm. As the weather improved I spent more time outdoors, exploring the campus, and spent more time in the studios. Outside of my group I had other people I started to hang out with and bond, and even managed to hit up a few parties at the end of the year. The grades did slip a little but it was well worth it.

At the end of the year I had bittersweet feelings about leaving. Now that I has having fun if was unfortunate to go, but with the anticipation of a friend coming home and getting away from my horrible roommate I was pumped for the summer.

And now that summer is here I want to go back, I miss having everything I need being within walking distance, i miss the people I have met, having assignments to do and kicking ass in classes. The summer has so far been lonely, but fairly productive. Besides a 5 hour shift a few times a week I spend most of my days in my room, painting and thinking. This normally would be difficult to deal with but with the loss of a very good friend it has made this even harder on me.

But with this loss I am now open to a stronger connection with the people I have neglected. I have been hanging out and talking with friends from high school that I never saw outside of a class setting before. I am extremely optimistic for the future. Thinking time has been shifting into a new focus, which is myself and figuring out who I really am. This next year is when it is all going to come together, I can feel it. I am going to finally polish off the person I have been working towards being. In order to get to this I plan to fall out of love with others and fall back in love with myself. Over 2 years ago I was more independent than anyone I knew, and I cannot wait to get back to that place. I can see myself becoming more confident than ever and honing in on this architectural painting thing.

Right now I feel I am nowhere near that place. But this is MY time and with that I am going to get my shit together, move the fuck on and leave my first year of school behind me. The journey is far from over but I can see a light.

Finally there has been something on my mind lately, something that after a small harmless discussion with a friend has really been making me think a lot about. That something is Toronto. I decided NOT to apply to RIT for junior year becaue I think where I really want to be instead is Toronto. I want to establish myself there now so that after college I can stay. Only time can really tell what these next three years will be like. But whatever may happen I am so pumped for.

I am happy to be back people.

LOVE,

Renee

Lots has happened

I have moved in. I have started class. And atm we are setting up a wordpress blog

Nothing up yet...

Here is the link: http://reneelatragna.wordpress.com/

Hello old friend.

It's been a while since i last posted. There are 2 days left of school and all projects are coming to an end. Blockheads have since died out from my last posting. In place of them i started a traditional self portrait painting of myself, althought pace has slowed due to a bad reference. I am also working with another classmate in a collaborative mural, Our small contribution to the school before we leave. Tomorrow and Monday will be spent taking home work and overall removing myself from the school. Except for a single mural of course.

I'm not very upset about it.

I feel I am ready to move on,

Alfred here i come.

It's official

Yesterday at around 11am I gave Alfred my deposit and got my photo ID. So its a done deal!

=)

It's 6:40 am

I've been sitting on the couch for the past half hour trying to focus on some television in order to pass the time. I sprung out of bed as soon as i heard daddy's voice to get up. I'M EXCITED.

Today is blue and gold day at Alfred! Today is the day I get to see the campus, get registered, and maybe even request my roommate (Ari or Courtney.)

After today (if i like the school that is) I'll be changing my blog description!

whattt!!???

Last week Mr. Stephens had gotten me the most beautiful canvas i have ever seen, finally after looking at it for the past 5 or so days i started working on it. And i learned something, I have no freakin' idea how to use it! The texture is funny, it takes the paint completely different from the stuff I'm use to. I'm miss my cardboard at the moment.

This is definatly a challenge i didnt expect.

Also, this morning after looking over all my work with Mr. Stephens i found out that i am indeed finished with my concentration! But Mr. Stephens and I have a different vision to how these are all going to be presented. I defiantly think i am much further behind than he does.

Anyway... here's my latest concentration piece. Lucky number 7 (or 13)

Good day

This morning i was welcomed to my grade sheet from Mr. Stephens. This is what it said...

Also, i have gotten back into the painting game. This is the beginning of concentration piece #7.

It happend

The worst possible thing that could happen did.

I'm stuck.

With 3 pieces to go and i have no idea where to go with them.

*sigh* =/

Concentration count

8/12
Days until the AP exam: 42



Next weeks goal: FINISH ANOTHER

Last block in illistration class

I planned out my next 3 blockheads. All of them are equally sick ideas.

The only problem i have now is deciding which one I'm going to start first!!!

6/12

Ho yeah!

5/12

Update on my concentration. As of right now i have 5 pieces completed (one of those being a triptych.) My 6th one should be finished either by tomorrow or Wednesday and ill be moving on to a charcoal self portrait piece. When i first started my blockhead concentration i was pretty worried I'd get stuck or bored. But now that I'm getting into this it is really coming easy.

And i must say i am taking this in a completely different direction then i thought i would. Other than the one pictured below a lot of them are turning out to be 3d forms consisting of various facial features (on blocks of course.) Very modern art.

One very important element i took out of those pieces is the suit. Something i am very fond of, and something ill be adding back into my next piece. I am really excited to get started!!

My latest drawing (only one I have photographed right now)

Concentration!

Looking at the work I've done so far on my concentration i am really starting to feel worried about it. For the first time i laid out everything i have done for so far and I am thinking that it may not be fluent enough. The idea for them are all the same but the style is not.

BACK TO SCHOOL

This all may be the 6:15 wake up talking but so far today i have been feeling really crappy about this building. Now that I'm back at school after being off for a week it is really making me realize how much i want to leave. Up until now i didn't really care to get out of high school, and i didn't really care to move on. But now I'm anxious, I cannot wait to get started someplace else. This environment is really starting to bore me, painting in the same room, seeing the same people every day is pretty uninspiring. A new space and a new set of suggestions/feedback is something i really want right now.

I think all i may need is a big project, with the time constraint i have on my concentration I really cant do anything like that at the moment.

Brainstorming can't hurt tho!

=)

Got into Alfred University.

And it feels pretty damn good.