Rubber Duckie Goes Resin

I have had a really hard time dragging myself to the blogosphere lately. But today, dear readers, I'm going to teach you how to cast your very own objects using a silicon mold. IT'S EFF YOU EN!!!

1. The first step is to find yourself an object. I chose a rubber ducky because I wanted to make it have the opposite function it normally has i.e. it would be a sad, sinking toy.

Once you have found the object you want to cast, glue it to something sturdy, like a slab of wood, and then cover it with a thin layer of Vaseline.



2. The next step is to mix the silicon that will soon be covering your object. You have to be pretty precise when doing this, otherwise it will harden too fast, or not harden at all.

For our silicon mixture, we used:

10 parts TINSIL 70-25 RTV SILICONE RUBBER part B
1 part TINSIL 70-25 RTV SILICONE RUBBER part A (the catalyst)

*We added a thickening agent to Part B before we added part A so the silicon wouldn't slip off of our objects. For the mixture below, only a dimesworth of thickening agent was needed.



3. Once you've mixed the silicon completely, apply it to your object. Usually people use an old paint brush that they don't care about destroying, but that day we didn't have one, so we used a plastic knife I found in my backpack.

It's very important to make the walls of the silicon thick, so another layer for an object this size was necessary. After waiting 24 hours, repeat steps 2 and three to add a second coat.



4. After you've waited another 24 hours for the second coat of silicon to dry, you can begin to form the protective and preserving layer of plaster on top of the object. It's a good idea to cover half of the object with plaster, let it dry, and then move on to the second half. The reason for this is because you need to be able to easily split it apart so you can take your silicon mold out every time you fill it with material.

To separate one side from the other, we used clay.






5. Once the first side dries (which usually happens in less than twenty minutes), You can begin adding plaster to the other side. When all of the plaster is completely dry, carefully separate the sides with a hammer and chisel.



6. Now pour whatever you want into your awesome new mold (preferably something that won't damage the silicon). I used resin and cement for my ducks, but I saw others use plaster and even glue to make their objects.

*Note: You will need to use wire or a rubber band to ensure that your plaster stays together firmly. I used duct tape...and we all laughed and laughed as we called it Duck tape...

...the poorly ventilated fumes in the sculpture studio did some damage this semester...



Here's a picture of the first ducky I made. It's the only resin one I have. All of the other ones I made were out of cement, which you will likely see soon :)

;_;

Once upon a time, there was a little, curly-haired girl named Shay-Shay. Barely two years old, Shay-Shay's concept of life and death was non-existent, which is to be expected. However, the events of one fateful day forced the harsh reality of mortality to come crashing down into the young girl's world.

Entranced by the curious wonder known as "your older brother's goldfish," Shay-Shay was overwhelmed with the desire to pet this strange creature. One day, when no one was looking, she picked up the delicate specimen and began stroking it's scales and fins. Everything seemed to be going according to plan*, until the shrill cry of her older brother Dan sliced into the once peaceful moment.

It turns out, not all pets are for petting.

One of my most recent paintings is based on the event I just described. It is currently hanging in the Student Art Show in the Gruening Gallery (on the main floor).

You can visit the show any time between 9am-5pm until the 12th, but the official opening is Thursday, the 4th, at 5pm. It's a really good show this semester, so if you're a fan of art, come to the opening :D!

*Shay-Shay's Plan:
Step One: Pick Up Goldfish
Step Two: Pet Goldfish
Step Three: Happy!

Oh My LOL

Do you ever rediscover something from you past, only to struggle internally as you decide whether or not this artifact (excavated from your ignorant youth) is a beautiful gem or a disgusting turd that should be flushed down the most foul public toilet, never to be seen again?

Today, I faced this conundrum after I was emailed by an angelfire.com member. Apparently, this person wanted me to join their "AllSport[s]Blog". I was confused at first, because the email insinuated that I had an angelfire website with the address ak5/akgrrlsarethebestest.




"Preposterous!", I thought to myself, "I am, by far, more clever than that!" however, once I typed the ridiculous URL in my address bar, a disturbing site, which houses images raped by photoshop filters and eye-molesting lens flares, appeared.

I was suddenly force fed the brain child of an 18 year old Shayna, that of which was extremely hard for me to look at or read. I know that the site was likely the result of an internet authoring class I had taken almost 8 years ago (and at that time my work ethic was practically non existent), but c'mon...lens flare?

At any rate, it did help stir up memories from my past I normally would never have remembered on my own. I can't recall that Tony Knowles commercial I mentioned near the end, but I will always be an advocate for stimulating the Alaskan economy, especially if it involves visits from out-of-state friends.

As for the site itself, I'm still trying to decide whether or not I should attempt to remove it, or let it bask in all its cheesy glory. I bet 280 of the recorded 305 visits were from me marveling at my handy work.

I am so embarrassing.

Taft's Bath

In honor of this election year, the painting students were required to paint a United States president before the 4th. All of the paintings were then hung up in the Gruening Gallery for the President's Show (which will be up until November 14th).

I chose to paint William Howard Taft at the exact moment he got stuck in the White House bath tub.

I'm proud of how well I painted his areolas.

Make it BLUE

I haven't felt patriotic in years. I was probably still losing teeth the last time I did.

But last night, as I watched Obama speak in Chicago, my eyes flooded with tears and my heart swelled with pride.

He may have his work cut out for him, but I truly believe he and his administration will help my country persevere.

I'm so proud to be an American right now.




The video above was created for MTV by Dani Carlson, which may have been featured on TRL. She took the footage at the UAF Pub, which is where I was when I found out the good news. I'm at the very end of this clip (right behind the people who clink their glasses).

I might look sad, but those are tears of joy, my friends.

Your Vote Doesn't Count...

...only when you decide not to vote.

Please remember the men and women who endured great hardships to ensure that every U.S. citizen has the right to vote, regardless of gender, creed, culture or race.

Their dreams have been realized.

Now it's our turn to go out and make sure ours are, too, by voting for what we believe in.

Don't forget to visit the polls today (November 4, 2008).

Large Nose Affinity

Hiya friends :D

I officially finished my History Course this Friday. That's right. I, Shayna "Mermaid Hair" Hawkins Esquire XXXIII Jr., successfully completed an entire history course in a little over five days time.

Feel free to shower me with tasty pastries.

Also, now that I'm not freaking out about whether or not I can finish my history course, I think I'll be able to produce a lot more artwork, so stay tuned for that.

Speaking of art, "The President Show"'s official opening date is on November 4th (election day) at 5:30pm. A lot of the art students are required to submit a drawing, painting or print of a U.S. President for this event. I got to see some of the paintings when I dropped mine off and a lot of them look really good. I painted William Howard Taft for mine. If you're familiar with Taft's history and know me, then you'll probably be able to guess how I painted him before you even see it ;P (Hint: It involves rubber duckies).

Stop by if you can!

Start Time:
Monday, November 3, 2008 at 8:00am
End Time:
Friday, November 14, 2008 at 7:30pm
Location:
301 Gruening Building
Street:
University of Alaska Fairbanks
City/Town:
Fairbanks, AK

Booyakasha!

I'm officially halfway through my distance ed course (HIST 131).

Woo hoo *yawn*

My only regret so far is that I waited this long to actually make a dent in this course. I want to absorb the information, take my time while I read the material, and reflect on what I've just learned. At times I find myself getting immersed in the story rather than picking out the necessary information needed to get this course done in a timely manner.

Oh well. I'll still have the book once I'm finished :)

Wish me luck, or preferably, a coherent-state-of-insomnia-cocktail garnished with a very looooong attention span.

It Needs to Focus

I'm going to try to avoid the internet until about 5pm on Thursday, as I have over half of a Distance Ed course to finish in 4 days time. As a matter of fact, I'm going to avoid computers all together, since I tend to find other projects to work on instead. For example, I created a new blog for my radioshow today while I was working on my homework. It's awesome, but isn't going to get me a passing grade.

You can check it out here.

Anyway, the point of this post is to let you guys know that if I don't appear online for a while, it's likely because I'm holed up in my apartment, acting neurotic and wishing I was in a studio working on things that matter to me.

I will find any way possible to procrastinate

Which is why I'm writing this blog right now.

I have to finish an entire distance ED course in five days, but instead of working on it, I've decided to watch animated videos about pandas. Holy crap they're so cute.



PS Check out this video Jess showed me. It's called Take on Me: Literal Version:

Tribute

I love "A Softer World" strips and my dear friend Kimi.

So tonight, dear readers, I decided to make an ASW type strip using a picture of mi compadre.

Please spare a vote for mupples <3

Three days ago, I received an unexpected email from a representative of Aniboom, a website where people are able to gain exposure for their animations.

Hey shayna

Recently I came across Mupples, and was really impressed.

I am the Content Recruitment Coordinator at aniboom.com and I think you have an excellent chance of winning our 3rd Annual Aniboom Awards 2008, the leading online animation festival boasting $50,000 worth of prizes.

I would like to invite you to submit your work to the competition, the submission process is very user friendly and only takes a moment.

I’d love to hear any thoughts you may have, or answer any questions , please feel free to contact me.

Cheers,

Anat

The aniBoom Team

I'm not sure if the email sent to me is a generic one that they send to anyone who posts animations on the web, or if this person actually was impressed with my handy work. Either way, I decided to give the competition a shot.

If you'd like to help my animation get exposure, you can do so by following the instructions on this page: Clicky.

To get to my animation, you can either click on the animation below, or go to this link: Mupples!

The more votes and page visits I get, the better my chances are to gain exposure from the masses. So if you like it, please vote for "Mupples".

Thanks for your help ♥

PS I made a few changes to the animation. Maybe not enough to be noticeable, but enough to steal 6 hours away from my life. I hope you enjoy it again (or for the first time!)



Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom

Decorate yer car's derrier ;P

Hey Everybody!

The KSUA campaign stickers I designed finally arrived! Stop by the KSUA office to pick one up or give me your address so I can send some to you...or something.

We only purchased 250 of them, so they will likely go extremely fast.

Have a great day!

It wasn't a fish all along ;_;

One of the coolest things I've had the opportunity to do this semester is cast bronze pieces with cuttlefish bones.

That's right, the bones of those adorable squid-like molluscs that live in the sea.



The calcareous internal shell of these cute creatures is incredibly soft, and very difficult to carve small details into. I ended up carving two different pieces. The first one was a simple design of a stick figure with an "XD" head.



I ended up finishing that design so quickly that I found myself sitting around watching other people carve their cuttlefish, completely bored out of my mind. We had a lot of time left before we were able to pour molten bronze into the bone, so I decided to try a more complex design. I carved a girl sitting on a dock with a fishing line (there's a fish at the end).



After everyone was done carving, we sealed the bones with wire and putty to ensure that the cuttle fish wouldn't break open as the metal was poured inside them.



We then surrounded the cuttlefish with sand in a can and poured the melted bronze into the belly of the bone. I know it's going to sound weird, but watching bronze melt is actually really entertaining. It's incredibly bright (even with goggles on) and kind of looks like a star slumping from its own heat until it turns into metal soup.



After the bronze cooled down enough, we ran our cuttle fish to the sink to break them open and to rinse the metal off.



We then cut off all of the excess metal, sandblasted the pieces, buffed them, polished them, and some of us added patinas to them (I didn't patina the girl because I like how she turned out, but I plan on adding it to the "XD" dude to give it some color).

I'm finished with the detailed piece, but still have work to do on my simpler one. Here is what I have so far:





I'll try to post better pictures of them when "XD" dude is completely finished.

Video Postcards, M'Dears

As you all know, because you're ALL loyal readers of my blog*, Jess and I have work hanging in the Bear Gallery and the Annex this month**. Since Jess' family is so far away, I agreed to help her make video postcards of our First Friday experience for her parents.

This was the first time Jess had ever entered anything into an art show outside of the University. I've only submitted one other time (aside from the student art shows I've been in). It was the Sequential Art Show of 2007. I had no idea my work was actually accepted until someone called me up on First Friday while I was in Portland to tell me they saw my comic hanging up at the Annex. I was bummed I missed the opening of the show.

So this First Friday was exciting for both of us, because it was the first one we've been to where our art was hanging on the gallery walls.

The first video is from our stop at the Bear Gallery***. The second was filmed while we were at The Annex. I decided to share them with you guys, too...so you can feel like you were there as well.



This show was "The 64th Parallel", a juried, annual exhibition that only accepts 64 pieces of artwork. Here is an article that describes it in better detail: Interior artists present 64 pieces at the 64th parallel.



The show at the Annex was "The 4th Anniversary OPEN Exhibit". Every piece of artwork that was submitted to the gallery this month was accepted. It's a fun show because things are hung in clusteres rather than the typical gallery format. There was wine, soft chocolate chip cookies, and a painted naked chick doing a bizarre performance. It was pretty rad.

*I do NOT suffer delusions of grandeur...sorta.
**If you couldn't make it to First Friday, do not dispair. Our work will be hanging in these two galleries during the entire month of October :)
***I just need to point out that my sister Andy DOES belong. If I don't write this disclaimer she'll destroy me with her mighty fists of fury.

FAI->EWR->SEA->SFO->FAI

This January, I plan to embark on a journey, that of which requires my attendance on seven (that's right, seven) planes. Not all at once, mind you. That would require smoke, mirrors, and perhaps a hacksaw to be successful.

No, dear readers, my plan is to hop from plane to plane to three different cities within an 18 day period: New York, Seattle and San Francisco. Here's the itinerary:

1. I will fly to New York to hang out with my Nick from the 1st until the early morn' of the 12th. If any of my peeps (that's you!) will be in the vicinity at that time, plan for awesome hangouts with me and my boi (because you still need to meet him).

2. On the 12th, Nick and I will be flying to Seattle to hang out with all of our Seattleites for one fun-filled day. I think all of our Portland friends should come up, too...because I miss you...and stuff...so there :P

3. After our day of much needed visits, the two of us will fly into San Francisco to visit Nick's mom until the 18th. This will be the first time I meet her, so it is both exciting and frightening. I shouldn't be worried, because as far as I know, none of my boyfriend's moms have disliked me in the past. But you never know when your luck with parent's will run out.

Maybe if I cover myself with products mothers like and approve, she will find me acceptable...you know...products like Jiff Peanut Butter and Kix.

I think I'm on to something...

Giddy Betch

Oh hai frendz :P

I'm hoping that you guys don't have much planned this Friday between the hours of 5pm and 8pm.

Why, you ask? Well my darling dudes, this Friday just so happens to be First Friday, the day you go out to the galleries scattered across town to see all of the new art hanging within their walls (whilst eating tasty free food).

But wait...why am I suddenly interested in promoting such a day?! The answer is simple, really:

Jess and I have artwork hanging in The Bear Gallery and The Annex during the month of October XD!

That's right!

So add a little culture to your diet and come out to First Friday (10/03/08)!

I got me grr face on >8(

I can't fall asleep, damnit. I've been up since 8am yesterday and ended up running around all day between work, my radioshow, various errands...etc. Once midnight rolled around, I decided I should go to bed. Before I slipped under my covers, I drank some of the cough syrup that was prescribed to me last week, that of which supposedly houses codeine. Either the bottle has lies written all over it, or codeine has reverse effects on me. I've been taking that syrup since last Wednesday, and it doesn't help me sleep one bit. As a matter of fact, my brain tends to become even more active than it normally is when I try to go to bed after drinking that liar juice (most of my artistic ideas typically come to me when I'm trying to go to sleep...it's my brain's creative prime-time).

So here I am, writing a blog at 3:30 in the goddamn morning. The first time I got up was around 1 am, because I finally figured out how the floor needs to be organized and decorated when I do my thesis show (coming this spring to an art gallery near you). I arose from my faux slumber a second time to write down new painting ideas that decided to make appearances in my overactive noggin. Finally, after Assiqtaq roused me so she could play and urinate in the freshly fallen snow, I decided it was time to give in.

Insomnia is a harsh mistress, and today, I'm her sleep deprived bitch.

Bah! Enough of my whining...here are some pictures of Assiqtaq playing and urinating in the snow. (Hey, at least I'm not a liar...stupid syrup).

Crap I'm Proud Of

Numero Uno :

I have my very own studio space! It's a cozy little nook tucked away in the BFA/MFA-students' turf...the painting studio's basement. My teacher even made a shelf for me when he noticed that I was still painting the nesting dolls for my "Old Lady" stop-motion animation.

I finally have a comfortable place to work.

When I'm down there, I never want to leave.



Numero Dos:

I actually got around to taking pictures of the bulletin board I designed for KSUA. I basically printed the 4' x 8' image on 8.5" x 11" sheets of paper, and then stapled them together. I thought it would end up looking sloppy, but was pleasantly surprised when I proved myself wrong.

KSUA has turned out to be yet another artistic outlet for the creative cat within me...watch as I purr with a fork in hand... *¡Zapp!*

If you liked long cat...

...then you're going to love LONG DOG!

I got to watch Pike for a day, and he is oh so very loooooooooooong. I made a video with footage of both Assiqtaq and himself, to demonstrate his mighty length:



I tried to take pictures, but the size difference wasn't as obvious.

Birds gotta fly...

...and fish get added to KSUA cork boards when I'm program director.

This is a design I've been wanting to create for a while. I'm hoping that it will make KSUA's hallway look presentable. The original file is designed to fit the 4' x 8' board outside the DJ booth.



I made birdies to post around it, too! ^^ I want to make this one a shirt:

lol@sisters

They're so dramatic.

KSUA for Prez, laaaadies ;D

It has recently been revealed that KSUA 91.5 FM College, a Fairbanks based radio station, will also be running for President this year.

I was asked by KSUA personally to create bumper stickers for this momentous occasion.

This is what has kept me up until 5 in the morning today. I'd complain, but it was more entertaining than cutting circles out of cardboard (which will soon be sculpted into a squid...hopefully. I'll touch more on that subject later).

So anyway, this is what I have so far. Enjoy it now, because it is subject to change.

'Night sleepyheads.

Lookie what I found!

These are the types of things I find while walking to work:



You can weave so many stories in your head when seeing two objects, such as these, lying next to one another near the sidewalk.

Were the condoms defective, hence the need for the pregnancy test?

Did the purchaser decide to celebrate (this time, well equipped with condoms) once the pregnancy results came up negative?!

Were the items discarded by the same person, or were they littered near each other by chance?

Only DNA tests will tell.

*slaps on latex glove*

I hath returnethed...or something.

Hey dudes. I'm back from NYC. I had a lot of fun hanging out with my boyfriend and even navigated the mean streets of the city by myself for a couple of those days.

Here are some pictures from the trip. They're all mixed up with pics of Coney Island, a bar...etc., but the ones that may seem the most out of place came from my lone adventure to the Museum of Natural History.

Enjoi :D

New Shay-Town Comic

I just posted a new Shay-Town.

You can see it at:

My Deviant Art Site

My Myspace Blog (If you're my myspace friend)

or

My Shay-Town Blog

Thanks to those of you who continue to stay interested in my comics :D It makes me want to keep doing them.

new york is waiting

My sweet boyfriend got me a ticket to NYC, so I will be enjoying his company from the 15th-25th of August. I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself. I miss him dearly.

If any of you want to play with an adorable puppy dog while I'm gone, just get a hold of Jess and she'll let you run around with Assiqtaq :D

Also, if you need anything from the big apple, let me know before Friday (or you can call me while I'm in NYC).

Here's a slideshow of some of the pictures that were taken during Nick's visit in June:

I'm attacking the darkness!

So, I had already seen a different version of this video a long time ago, but I discovered this 8-bit version of it tonight. I like it so much more than the other videos I've found using this recording by "The Dead Ale Wives".

I love how happy the black mage is when he decides to cast "magic missle" ^^!



And yes, for those of you out there who are curious...I DID play D&D when I was younger. I had an awesome cat familiar and fought beholders, dark elves and vampires.

ROCK!

Who needs sleep anyway?

Not this girl.

So it's 2:15 in the a.m. and I'm supposed to be working on my u.s. history homework right now, but I got distracted by a new comic idea.

Basically, I'm going to draw a very short, very crappy comic once, thrice, maybe even five times a week to define a word I may or may not have heard before.

I'm calling it "applied learning". If it goes well I'll give it a link off of my Shay-Town site. Until then, it will be hosted at another blog of mine called appliedlearningcomix.blogspot.com.

I made one tonight.

Go ahead.

Learn a word (or understand the joke right away, you dork).


PS this might be KSUA's new bumper sticker. If not, I'll show you the REAL new KSUA bumper sticker once I make another one.

Oh Birdie-Boo, you're so cute

My two little sisters and I weren't exposed to organized religion as much as my 3 older siblings were growing up. So when I heard that my 11 year old baby sister, Beryl Rae, was going to church camp, I was a bit surprised. I mean, my mom talks about how she loves Jesus Christ and all that jazz, but the three of us young'ns never really got any formal reliducation from our parents or church.

Everything I know about Christianity, or any other religion for that matter, I learned from t.v., books, and of course, that extremely popular Mel Gibson movie, which I can't remember the title of at this very moment. It's very ominous, maybe.

So today, after Beryl was dropped off at said church camp, I received a letter from my mom via myspace. This is what she wrote:

Hi!

Beryl is off to camp.

There was a little ampitheater with 3 wooden crosses made from sticks as a background. As Beryl passed she goes," WHAT? THEY GOING TO CRUCIFY PEOPLE HERE?"

That's Beryl!

Yeah.

I nearly peed myself.

Get paid to work at my favorite radio station?!

Heck YES I will!

This past Monday I was offered the position of Program Director at KSUA. I didn't really want to talk about it publicly until I had the opportunity to tell all of my co-workers at the OIT Support Center, so I waited until today. I broke the news to them during our meeting.

I was surprised at how bummed all of my co-worker's were. They certainly are the best group of people I've ever worked with, so I'm really going to miss them all. It's not everyday you get to work in a drama free environment where talking about sweet things like video games, hilarious you-tube videos and cool ideas are all part of the job.

But alas, with my upcoming school schedule, and my desire for a change of pace, working at KSUA is by far the more appealing option. I've always loved KSUA. I've been a volunteer there since 2003, created their most recent logo, and spent many hours making sweet buttons for the station's booth at the fair.

And now, I'm going to get paid to work for the best station Fairbanks has to offer. I'm as giddy as Jess is when I give her delicious cheeses! (that's super giddy!)

I start work on the 6th of August :D!

Hip hop hooray!

Here's a weird-ass picture I drew to celebrate:

Webby Site

Hello Friend Fries,

I have finally uploaded something to shaynahawkins.com. Awesome improvements will be made soon. These changes will (hopefully) include:

1. A background that actually shows up.
2. The .swf file being dead center on the page, rather than top center.
3. A loader, so my viewers know they're waiting for something...to load.
4. A smaller file, so it doesn't take an entire minute to load.
5. Other good suggestions brought to me by my dear critics.

Hooray. Now I just need to work on shay-town.com so the universe can finally rest. It's absence has caused quite a disturbance as of late, apparently :c|

In the meantime, you can see the strips at shaynahawkins.com during the comic-harboring site's construction.

Thanks to all of you who miss/want more shay-town comics. You have filled my heart meats with the desire to persevere.

Look for the site that looks like this!

Scribbles

I don't usually like to show people my sketches, but I'm feeling saucy today. I plan on painting most of these ideas.

My latest monetary gain...

...I was inspired by a nickel today...


...what are you looking at...?

8c|

(create your own caption for magical fun times!)

Explore...Just Protect Yourself

I think these are brilliant.




James Jean was commissioned by AIDES to create safe sex posters for their cause. The images won the bronze lion at the Cannes Lions Festival 2008.

Sasquatched: Yeti Belly, Part Deuce.

Okay, so remember 3 blogs ago, when I told you I only had 5 more bands that I wanted to talk about? Uhm, well I guess what I really meant to say was, I have 7 more bands that I would like to talk about. Hooray, hooray!

MATT COSTA:
To be honest, all I remember from this show is Matt Costa telling me personally (as I stood within a sea of plebs) that he thinks the number 13 is a lucky number and that he once lived in a haunted house. The tequila monsters erased the rest of my memory regarding this set.

THE HIVES:
They put on the most energetic and entertaining show the light of day has ever seen...well at least that I've ever seen in the light of day. Usually, at Sasquatch, all the best shows are at night because they can implement all of those "dazzling special effects" that only nightfall can accommodate. But the lead singer has so much energy, pizazz and charm, none of those things were necessary. I was sitting on the hillside and was still pumped during the entire set. I heartz zee hives.

BUILT TO SPILL:
Holy crap I got to see Built to Spill! I even took a shitty video of "carry the zero", which you can enjoy (or not?) at the end of this blog! It is super awful, especially the beginning, since I couldn't stop dancing while recording the song. Eventually Jess backhanded me with her heavy, yet steady appendage, and held the camera for the rest of its duration. Thank you Jess. You make my heart meats glow.

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA:
I can't believe I was even considering skipping out on these two. The moment they began playing their guitars I could barely move, and I became completely petrified when Gabriela got into her groove. I was enchanted by both of their talents, but especially hers. I don't know what it is about women who can play the guitar really well, but if I catch a glimpse of one doing so, I'm hooked. Jess, who had been lying on her back with her eyes closed during the beginning of their set, said she was surprised to find that all of the "percussion" she had heard was actually Gabriela and Rodrigo slapping their guitars as they played. They strummed and slapped at mind boggling speeds. If you ever have the opportunity to see these guys live, I suggest you jump at the chance.

FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS
If you have ever taken the time out to listen to my radio show, you'd know I absolutely love Flight of the Conchords (I always play at least one of their songs every time I host my weekly show). So when I finally got to see them perform live, I was ecstatic. I loved that Jermaine was wearing a tuxedo shirt and Brett was wearing one of his signature animal sweaters, even though it was swelteringly hot outside. They actually received their first bra ever from someone hidden within the crowd, which seemed to be the highlight of their night :) "There ain't no party like my nanna's tea partay...heyyy...ho!"

THE MARS VOLTA
I like a lot of TMV's work, but I must admit, seeing them live was a little hard to enjoy at first. I think the souring of the show (for me) began when the lead singer Cedric tried to rip a very large, very expensive camera out one of the cameramen's hands (this was after Cedric had already thrown a stool and other large objects into the crowd). After that all I could think about was whether or not he realized how expensive that piece of equipment was. I've been conditioned by my best friend/personal photographer (through the use of tazers and large angry bees) to always handle camera's with care, so seeing that was unsettling. Other than the camera abuse, I found the show somewhat amusing. However, I would be lying if I said I liked watching them live more than listening to their recorded work.

THE FLAMING LIIIIIIIIIIPSSSSSSS!
I.Love.The Flaming Lips.
I always have. Well, I have since the day I was exposed to them at age 12 by my older sister, Andy. I used to sing "Vaseline" at the top of my lungs every single day as I marched to my bus stop in the early morn'. And now, 13 years later, they are still one of my most cherished bands. I even have a cat named Yoshimi, which seems to be an extremely popular pet name for those of us who truly love The Flaming Lips ♥
Their UFO show was amazing, and by far the better of the two live TFL shows I've seen. This year there was a space ship, dozens of telly tubbies, naked girls dancing around on stage, and of course, Wayne's magical-crowd-surfing bubble. They ended the show with "Do You Realize?" and covered the entire crowd (even those on the hillside) with pink and white confetti. I had a reaction to this moment that I can only compare to Kim's when Edward Scissorhands created snow by carving a sculpture in her backyard. It was beautiful, it was surreal, and it made me spin around and smile with happiness.

Okee dokee friends! That is all I have from the Sasquatch Music Festival 2008. Hopefully I'll get to see you there next year :D

Enjoy the Built to Spill video :)
(Try to guess when Jess finally takes the camera away from my overly excited self)

Reasons my boyfriend is great #1,134

He secretly has sundaes delivered to me when I'm feeling blue even though he lives 3,000 miles away. ♥

i can has hookie?

Every day, when I walk to work, I see a pretty girl sitting in the courtyard. She sits there for hours, strumming away at her guitar, singing along with her acoustic instrument. I find myself staring at her and am mezmorized as I watch her play outside my window.

I daydream about locking up my office and lying next to her on the grass as I create sketches of random thoughts. I need to work outside of boxes, rather than inside them. Not just metaphorically, but literally in tandem. I need the fresh air.

No one would notice I'm gone.

Adventures In the Belly of a Yeti: My Sasquatch Encounter

I have to admit that I'm disappointed in myself for not doing this sooner.

I had plans, my beloved reader, to dazzle and please your senses with colorful tales of all the magic and all the glory that the gorge has to offer.

However, due to the time lapse, and the fact that I had imbibed more grainy beverages than usual while I was there, my memory of the fabulous Sasquatch Music Festival isn't as fresh in mi cabeza as it had been 2 months ago.

I know...shame on me. But I'll make it up to you, I promise. The first thing I'm going to do tomorrow morning is punish myself by flogging my mouth with a ball made out of bacon and cheeses.

That'll show me >8(

But for now, I will finish this post by touching on a few of the bands I do remember, and closing it with a fantasmagoric slide show!

It's slidyriffic!

FLEET FOXES:
These guys were amazing, and played twice for us because National was lazy and decided not to show (dramatization).

BEIRUT:
No music can make my heart feel as though it has been blown up by several bombs containing rainbow-ingesting kittens like Beirut can. His music is just as beautiful live as it is recorded, if not better.

M.I.A.:
I was worried she'd get stuck in customs again this year, so when she finally took center stage I almost peed...twice. I know, it's ridiculous, but I love her and she put on a very fun, very energetic show. Near the end she convinced a very large portion of the crowd to join her on stage. I literally stood there for about a minute or two weighing the pros and cons of getting the shit beat out of me as I attempted to jump up there with her. I decided against it, finally, but only because by the time I made my executive decision to go, they were no longer admitting people on the stage...bastards.

MODEST MOUSE:
They didn't have flashy lights, or a gimmick of any sort, but I love their music, so who cares? Not this lady. Just the fact that I got to see them perform filled my belly with warm and fuzzy-drunk butterflies.

REM:
They put on a really good show, but we had to leave early due to the evil, freezing rain penetrating our fragile flesh.

TEGAN AND SARA:
What can I say? Those girls are so adorable I just want to grandma clamp their cheeks with my fingers. RAWR! GRAMMA CLAMP!
My favorite part of their show was their banter, especially when they thanked all the girls who decided to wear bikini tops to the festival.

THE PRESIDENTS:
I stayed for about 20 minutes, but ditched them to see Mates of State. Those guys have great stage presence, and normally I would have stayed, but I was too curious about MOS's performance.

MATES OF STATE:
So, these guys weren't showmen like The Presidents, but they were definitely worth the trouble of walking up a hill with a freakishly steep incline to see. I ended up leaving their show early though on account of loneliness. I was doing fine until my phone died and I could no longer gloat to my boyfriend via text about how awesome they were. With no one left to share my MOS moments with, I decided to venture back to the main stage to see what everyone else was listening to.

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE:
I have got to hand it to these guys. They performed way better than they did at Sasquatch 2006. Ben Gibbard seemed full of piss and vinegar, chatting up a storm between songs. He even told a cute story about meeting Tegan and Sara's mom.

THE CURE:
Watching the Cure makes me giggle. I don't know why, but I think it may have something to do with the fact that they dress like some sort of Goth/Industrial band, but sing songs such as their very popular "It's Friday, I'm In Love." Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the show, I just felt like I was in Bizarro World throughout their entire set.


Oh man...this is the longest blog ever and I still have five bands to go. Better save them for tomorrow.

Until then, enjoy zee picture show!

Forced Bloggery

It has been far too long since I've actually written anything that resembles a blog entry. I'd say it's due to the fact that I've been really busy, but because I work a job where I'm sitting in front of a computer 100% of the time, I really have no excuse.

The honest truth is this: I've been so overwhelmed with ideas, poverty, school and visitors this summer, I haven't really been able to organize any thoughts or projects (hence, no bloggery).

I'm still in the process of getting my act together, so I guess I'm just going to make this particular blog an update of things to come in the near/distant future. It may seem unnecessary, and quite possibly very boring, but I have to do it since it's a cyber faux pas to leave a blog untouched for longer than a month (at least that's what the frightening INterWebGnomes told me at shiv-point).

***OBLIGATORY BLOGGER UPDATE***

I. Animations

I currently have two animations in the works. One is a stop motion animation that involves nesting dolls and a nursery rhyme about an old lady with an eating disorder (I'm actually getting credits for this). The other is going to be a flash animation involving emoticons. Hoorah.

II. Websites

Oh man. It's been a long time coming, but I am almost finished designing what I hope will soon become www.shaynahawkins.com; a website to showcase my most recent artwork. I will also be creating www.shay-town.com to harbor my beloved comics.

I figure that if I actually have a good site to display my art, maybe I'll finally start being productive again. I also hope the shay-town site will light a fire under my cushy tooshy and get me to produce at least one comic a week.

III. Tom Bloggery

Okay. So I know only a select few actually read my blog (Jess...and my dog Assiqtaq [I read it to her to help her fall asleep]), but I will be updating more frequently nonetheless.

Future blogs to look forward to:

-The long awaited "Sasquatch Music Festival" blog.
-The "OMFG! My Boyfriend Visited for TWO WEEKS" blog.
-The "Megan's Return" blog.
and finally
-The "Why Everyone Should Shower Me With Food: An Artist's Search for Work" blog.

Titles are tentative and subject to change to bacon related headlines.


*This is what a happy Shay looks like* - photo by Jess

En Tus Brazos

I hope to make beautiful animations like this someday...



You can visit the official website for the animation here.

Shayna Vs. Bear! Who Will Win?!

This is what happens when I've hit an artistic roadblock and, subsequently, allow my boyfriend to start pitching ideas for future drawings.



I actually think he was right. This is pretty rad.

Monotony is a prison cell, snorts the artist

Dear Life,

How'd you get so mundane?

Loosen up and grow a pair.


-Shayna

Comic Conception

Ever wonder where I get the inspiration for my Shay-Town comics?

Well, if you do, have I got a treat for you!

I just found a crap-load of my old home videos! Three of which inspired one of my favorite strips of all...I'll give you a bit of background before we begin...

So two years ago, Jess had fallen ill and was unable to go to our radio show with me. I decided that the only rational thing to do was to create videos for her while I was there without her, so she understood how important she is to the show :-|

The first video is of me telling Jess my video plans and assuring her I wasn't recording her while sharing said plans.

If you read my comics, you'll totally know which ones resulted from the other two vids. If not, I'll link them on the bottom so you can see which ones they are :-D

PS please disregard my bad hair, skin, and inability to formulate a complete sentence...these were all symptoms which resulted after I was shamefully probed by aliens (that looked suspiciously like Jess) the night before...sigh...at least it happened in the comfort of my own home...








Sure they're anti-climatic, but they're what inspired these comics!

First Part of Comic
Second Part of Comic

The UAF Student Art Show

Hey everybody :-)

Two of my pieces were accepted in the UAF student art show (a painting and my animation).

It opens this Thursday at 5pm in the student art gallery located in the fine arts complex on campus, and will last until 7pm. All of the work will be on display for an entire week, but if you can show up for the opening I would love that ♥

PS there will be tasty food ;-P

Mupples!

I finally finished my first real flash animation! I submitted it to the student art show today (hopefully they'll show it). I plan on tweaking it a bit in the future, but for now, I hope you enjoy!



© 2008 Shayna Hawkins
All Rights Reserved

I would like to give special thanks to Jess Alford, Nick Brewer, Gage Choat and Matthew Schroder. If it wasn't for their talents, this animation wouldn't have been possible.

Gage Choat: Music

Jess Alford: Incredulous Mupple Voice

Nick Brewer: Nick's Voice (he recorded the sound in NY for this project)

Matthew Schroder: Angry Mupple Voice (he helped me record most of the sound)

If you take one awesome thing and combine it with another awesome thing...

...is the product still awesome?

You decide!

I painted Futurama characters on a pair of Vans for Nick, because he is fond of both:

Happy Birthday, Buckaroo ♥