first.

I don't know how consistent i will be with this--but i want to start posting thumbnails, sketches, drawings, paintings, etc. here to help motivate myself to act on my artistic ideas and to give myself focus. i tend to write down concept ideas and develop thumbnails in any of my millions of sketchbooks or on loose scrap paper and forget about it a few weeks/days/hours later. Keeping a blog may or may not help, but it's worth a try.

To sum up my college years so far:

Freshman year:
Theme-sanctity of human life.
Goals-try different mediums (my first oil painting, first sculptures, first pastel drawings, first time attempt at charcoal powder, collage)
What i learned about my abilities-i'm a perfectionist

Sophomore year:
Theme-make it through alive (meaning, no theme. unless you count sleep deprivation as my theme)
Goals-to keep a sketchbook (activated by George Pratt), to learn good design and composition, try more mediums (digital, FIRST acrylic painting, more collage, more oil, ink wash), learn to manage my time.
What i learned about my abilities-i can draw accurately and need to force myself not to copy

Junior year:
Theme-Historical themes, mainly the WW2 era & the Holocaust
Goals-to escape from total realism (didn't really accomplish this.. i'm starting to embrace it); to understand color, it's effect on the eye, and how to use it to my advantage
What i learned about my abilities-God is blessing this talent and i'm not using it faithfully to His glory; i like working from life better than photos; when i'm sleep deprived i make bad decisions

Senior year:
Theme- (fall semester at least) the persecuted church
i am taking Islam and History of East Africa, reading Foxe's Christian Martyrs of the World and Jesus Freaks and Voice of the Martyrs website. i'm hoping these will inform my art.
Goals-to direct the focus from the execution of the painting/drawing to the message/concept behind it; powerful & everlasting concepts; a deeper understanding of the King of the Universe through my artwork; never staying "safe", staying DESPERATE for help; darker(?) & deeper art; keep sketching when i go places