cap'n gown

I'm going to be super busy during the next week, so I'm going to make this entry short.

Here's a tiny list of things that have been awesome lately.

Awesome thing number 1:
I'm going to graduate next week and I'm actually going to walk. I wasn't going to before, but I've decided that it might feel like I'm crossing a finish line, which appeals to me slightly. Look for the cap that has "FTW" painted on it. I'm also working on an appropriate silly walk for this occasion. See Monty Python for details...

Awesome thing number 2:
I got a flower for being helpful :) I assisted the gallery coordinator and a few others during the jurying of this semester's student art show. We had to put pieces back in the studios they came from if they were rejected (ex: a sculpture would be taken back to the sculpture studio). The process took over 4 hours, but I stuck around because I felt super social that day, which is a rarity this semester. I got this rose right as they were starting to hand out the awards on opening night (I don't own a vase, but I think the juxtaposition of the rose and this crystal cascade bottle is totally rad).



Awesome thing number 3:
My painting "Squid Baby," won best in painting and my digital print "ROFLcopter" won best in digital art at the student art show. I've only received an honorable mention before (at the bear gallery for "Mupples"), so every time I got called for an award I felt shocked, somewhat embarrassed, and ecstatic. It was a strange mixture of feelings to say the least.

So here they are again...the pieces that made me $60 richer. I'm going to get fancy sauces for my ramen :D

© 2009 Shayna Hawkins

© 2009 Shayna Hawkins

OMG! It's VIRTUAL Whimsy!

I want to make sure all of my family and friends are able to enjoy my gallery, even though some of you live too far away. So, I've compiled video, photos and links that will help you feel as though you were there, too! And if any of you are interested in purchasing any of the artwork, you can go to my previous blog HERE, to see the prices. I hope you all enjoy the tour <3!

This is a video of my show's opening reception. It was put together by my sweet boyfriend, Nick:


These peices are actually in the order you would see them on the walls if you started from the right side of the gallery and worked your way around it ("Good Morning...Darling!" being the first piece you would see). If you want to see larger images of the peices, click HERE:

This is the file that is looping on Computer 1 (of 3) in my BFA Thesis Exhibition "OMG Whimsy":

Animation 1:
"Mupples"
"Mupples" won an Honorable Mention at the Fairbanks Arts Association's Bear Gallery in the 2009 "New Media: art via digital technology" Exhibition. It is also featured on Aniboom's You-Tube Channel with over 12,000 hits.

Animation 2:
"KSUA Rocks!"
This animation has been featured on KSUA-TV, UAFs Student Television station. It is based on a logo I had created for the Student Radiostation KSUA 91.5fm in Fairbanks, Alaska.


This next file is the one that is looping on Computer 2 (of 3) in my BFA Thesis Exhibition "OMG Whimsy".

1st Animation:
"Emoti-Cat"
3-D Animation composited into video.

2nd Animation:
"Mash-Up"
A mix of some of my animations from the past and present. Music by Gage Choat.

3rd Animation:
"The Kite"
An animation I created based on the kite I created and painted for my beginning sculpture class. This is a rough animation and I plan to clean it up and change some things in the future. Music by Gage Choat.


Computer 3 (of 3) had a flash file that contained my Shay-Town comics. You can see what it looked like by clicking HERE.


Well there you have it, friends. I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of my show! I'd like to take this moment to thank Jess for the help she gave me during set up, and for taking beautiful photos during my reception. I'm very lucky to have a professional photographer as a best friend. I would also like to thank Gage Choat for always being generous with his music. I am very fortunate to have a friend who creates songs that go so well with my humor and artistic style. And last, but certainly not least, Nick, who kept me sane during installation and helped me more than I could have ever asked for during this stressful time.

I love you all! Thanks for checking out my show!

<3 - Shayna

PS If you would like me to post the artist statement later, I will. I just need to find the jumpdrive it's on :D!

Prices for My Artwork

A bunch of people keep asking me to post the prices for my art, so I'm going to list the prices I currently have listed in the gallery.

Good Morning Darling - $250
Brain Child - $500
Inner City Pressure - $450 SOLD
@ - $200 SOLD
<3 - SOLD
Lollerskates - $50
Squid Baby - $450
Emoti-Pigs - $500
Phishing - SOLD
Solitaire - $450
Not All Pets Are For Petting - $300 SOLD
ROFLcopter - $200 SOLD
Shay-Shay - $500

***Prices are negotiable within reason. Just email me at tickle.me.plaid@gmail.com to commence the haggling!***

I'm providing a slideshow of the artwork, but if you would like a closer look at the work you can check it out in this photo album.

Things to come...

As most of my readers know, my BFA Thesis Exhibition "OMG Whimsy" is currently hanging in the UAF Fine Arts Complex Gallery. With the help of my wonderful best friend, Jess, and amazing boyfriend, Nick, I was able to get everything set up in the gallery before my thesis defense, with 15 minutes to spare. That's right. I had to defend my work after being awake for over 60-72 hours.

From what I've heard from other people who had to defend their art this semester, my defense went really well. Apparently, some people cry during these things, which really made me nervous. However, the questions weren't threatening, so during the Q and A I never felt like I was on the verge of tears. They had me talk about my work, asked a series of questions and then sent me out of the room. I was told to expect the art faculty to keep me in the hallway for 20-30 minutes, but after about 10 minutes of deliberation, they gave me the okay to open my show to the public.

Now it's been open since Monday, the 13th, and will continue to stay up until the 24th. I get up at 8am every morning to open the doors, set up the computers and turn on the lights. Then every night I return at 9pm to shut everything down. It's so strange to walk into a room full of my artwork staring back at me, especially in the morning. It feels so surreal. I think I'm really going to miss it when it's over.

I will be posting more photos and some video of the show in a day or so for those of you who can't enjoy "OMG Whimsy" in person. I hope you all like these future postings! Until then, here's a picture of me and the man that kept me sane and awake during the entire setup. It was taken by Jess at the Opening Reception of my show.

He has no idea how much I adore him <3



PS I adore you, too, Jess ;o)

My BFA Thesis Exhibit

...it's happening whether I like it or not ;-)
I'll be working on this for the next week, so I will likely not blog until the opening.
Look forward to pics of the exhibit and my boyfriend's visit (he's coming up here for my show <3)

See you in a week or so!