Jolie Guillebeau

Just for fun, a bit of me in mosaic form.

I’ve seen this on a couple of other blogs recently, and I was bored, so…

Here´s how you do it…

Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr search, using only the first page, choose your favorite image, copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows).

The questions:
1. What is your first name? (Jolie)
2. What is your favorite food? (ice cream)
3. What high school did you attend? (Hazel Green)
4. What is your favorite color? (Orange)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Nelson Mandela– he counts doesn’t he?)
6. Favorite drink? (Green tea with mint)
7. Dream vacation? (Antartica)
8. Favorite dessert? (Chocolate Mousse)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (Painter)
10.What do you love most in life? (Enthusiasm)
11. One word to describe you. (Sensitive)
12. Your Flickr name. (jolieguillebeau)

Here are the links to the photos in my mosaic above:

1. Angelina Jolie’s recent trip to a camp housing Darfur refugees in Chad, 2. Flickr meltdown, 3. Untitled, 4. Hold me close, under the sunset, 5. Mandela and the others, 6. Green mint tea, 7. Standing Still, 8. three is not a crowd, 9. Eden Park Artist, 10. Our Children Teach Us What Life Is All About, 11. sensitive space, 12. jolieguillebeau

Chris and the camera are in Pakistan at the moment, but I managed to get these pictures just before he left.

This is the blank canvas that you saw last week. I’ve pretty much finished this one. My idea was a key, but no door. Kind of a “Here’s the answer, what’s the question?” thought. I found these keys at the Frye museum store, and I thought they were pretty.

As you can see, I’ve started the second in the Mr. Potato Head series. This one is “Hear no evil.” I’m still early in, so I haven’t thought as much about the ideas behind this painting. The small square painting gives me an idea of the finished product, while I started the larger painting with a value sketch.

The lines around the painting help me with placement and proportions. I have little pieces of plexiglass with these lines scratched into them, so that I can look at my setup in the same way. It helps with composition and drawing, in ways I never really expected. I also like the idea that I’m using a system that some of my favorite artists implemented as well.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this yet, but I love my new studio. It’s quiet and cool on warm days. It’s private and most of all– it’s mine! Having my own studio was one of the dreams I wrote down a few years ago as a Mondo Beyondo dream. And now, it’s real. Wow.

And though I miss my studio mates, I must admit– I’m getting so much done. Last Tuesday, I ran some errands, then painted for awhile, then took a break for lunch and wrote in my journal before I settled back in around 2:00 for an afternoon of painting. I figured I’d paint until around 5pm, then run to the grocery store and go home and play with the cat. I picked up my brush and… just a few minutes later, realized it was 6:15. I had been painting for four hours! I thought it was only 30 minutes.

So this is what I started today:

I know, it’s a blank canvas, but not really. I worked for awhile to get the light to move across the background. You’ll see why later in the week.

Here’s what I’m looking at (though the color is wrong and it’s a little out of focus):

My newest painting.

Mr. Potato Head. This is the first of a series. I’m going to paint him next without ears, and then again without a mouth. I’m really having fun with this. It evokes a lot of questions. Is he blind by choice? He seems pretty happy without his eyes. Or does he appear to be trying to find them with his hands waving around searching? How did he lose them in the first place?

Someone suggested that I title this “The Bush Administration,” and that brings up a whole new set of questions. Is Mr. Potato Head a symbol or our president, or does he represent the American people looking the other way?

I also like the idea of “Our Fearless Leader.” It’s less political, and open to a wider interpretation. And the idea of “the blind leading the blind” is something that everyone can relate to.

Regardless of the title, it’s a painting that opened several doors in my head. I have lots of ideas for new paintings to keep me busy for awhile. Stay tuned…

Come visit anytime– I’m at the corner of 49th and Aurora in Suite 322. (Call first to make sure I’m there.)

When you come, this is what you’ll see at my new studio as you walk in the door:

This is the view from the other side of the room, looking at the wall behind the easel.

And this is my view most of the time.

Yep, that’s Mr. Potato Head. It’s the first of a series. He deserves his own post, so you’ll have to wait for more of an explanation later in the week.

Oh, and the quote from the last post (no guesses?) is from the Liberian National Anthem. The correct words are, “though new her name, green be her fame and mighty be her powers…”

Libby wants me to stop singing now.

“Though new her name, grey be her fame…**

Also known as Liberia, Libby is our new roommate. Her job is mostly to keep me company while Chris is away, and to distract Chris from his computer when he’s home. So far, she’s done pretty well on both counts.

We adopted her last week from a local animal rescue shelter. She was a bit timid for the first few days, but she’s quickly found her stride. Last night I came home to find her perched on top of the tall bathroom cabinet. She’s playful, but gentle and she loves to lay on my lap and purr as I type.

This picture above shows her color more accurately, but the picture below demonstrates her personality. Obviously, it took a while to get a decent picture.

**Brownie points for anyone who can tell me what I’m referencing in the quote. I’ll reveal the answer in the next post, but you can leave your guesses in the comments.