There is a First for Everything

       Recently there have been a lot of changes in my life, both big and small. To start Garett and I just finished up winter semester. He took things like Immunology and Medical Microbiology which consist of a lot of large and weirdly pronounced words. Worse I had to try to help him study with flash cards and his hand writing is well....he writes like a doctor.... Between that and trying to pronounce many strange words I am not sure I was too much help. Either way I am very proud of him. I on the other hand took Doctrine and Covenants Part 2 and Marriage 300. I loved my marriage class and learned a great deal which I am slowly trying to incorporate into our marriage. As for my religion class I learned I am never taking an online religion class ever again. It just doesn't have the same feel and is more mundane and not as fun or spiritual.

       School ended and out dearest friends Katy and Sam moved to Utah for the semester. They are missed more than anything! We helped them pack and clean so at least we got to see them for two days before they left but already we are wishing it was fall. Also part of our spring break was heading down to Utah and spending part of Easter weekend with my fabulous parents, my brother Aaron and our good friend Haley. We saw the move "Transcendence" with Johnny Depp and it was thought provoking. It is not a movie I would buy and for the rest of you, wait until it comes out at Redbox but overall it is an interesting movie. More than anything it makes you think and I'd like to think that was the point of the movie; it was to raise questions in the minds of the viewers.

       While home I got some fantastic quality time with my little brother Aaron and let me tell you, he is turning into one incredible young man! I am proud of him beyond reason and I am excited to see where the future takes him. I don't get to catch up with him often but when I do I always enjoy it profusely. Watch out world because he's coming and he is going to do great things! 

       Our break ended far too soon as most do and now spring semester begins. I have survived my first week of classes and Garett has a few more tomorrow. In terms of new things or at least renewing things I am taking advanced black and white photography. I am very excited because I am going to get to do things I haven't done since high school like playing with medium and large format cameras and film and also to edit in the darkroom. Let me tell you, darkrooms were the original Photoshop and take much more skill and creativity than clicking some buttons. 

     More on a new note I am taking ceramics and I am excited and also quite terrified to begin. Once again I am learning a brand new medium and I'm hoping it's at least less scary than lithography and print making. Either way I think it will be fun! Between that and advanced black and white I will be in studios during all my free time. I am also taking 20th century art history and Teachings of the Living Prophets. My religion teacher reminds me a great deal of my U.S. History teacher for high school, Mrs. Ellison (Hannah you'll understand what I mean). He has already proven to be loud and boisterous and more passionate about his subject than any other teacher I have ever seen. I am looking forward to all he has to teach me.

      Finally I am doing my travel this semester. We are going to Antelope Island (which apparently everyone in my family has been except me), Goblin Valley and Moab. It's specifically for photography students and my favorite photography teacher is in charge of it! Already I have met a girl in my group because she is in my ceramics class, so at least when I go to my meeting tomorrow for the travel (Friday) I will know someone. 

       Again in terms of new things Garett is graduating this semester. He is taking Evolutionary Science, Virology, Epidemiology and the Capstone class as well as he is doing an internship with one of his teachers. The big thing is his virology class which will help him decide between that or immunology for what he wants to study in the long run. (Don't ask me the difference, I have no clue!) He's also enjoying his internship and is looking forward to getting some hands-on work. He thought he had more prerequisites to do and would be done next year in March but found out otherwise so he'll be graduating in July. I will be done with my schooling in December and then we'll have to come up with a new adventure. Garett is starting to look into grad schools which is exciting and nerve wracking all at once. 

      Along with Garett finishing his schooling, August will mark our 2 year anniversary. It doesn't feel like it's been that long, I swear it feels like only a few months have passed, and yet life before Garett is a blur. 

     Before I forget, another new thing is that some ladies in my ward have started a book club! I am really excited to take part in this as I am always on the hunt for new books to read (despite that my list of books to read will last me until I die). I just finished "Elfstones of Shannara" which was quite the page turner. For the book club we are starting with the book "The Help" while I am also planning on starting the "Goose Girl" series (thanks Catherine). 

    I think this semester is going to be a fun one filled with many new experiences. I look forward to all the learning I'll be doing and hope to have some fun along the way. I hope you are all doing well. Congratulations if you read this whole thing and I hope you have a great weekend! Also I now have Saturdays free for friends and family that want to catch up with me. I would love to hear from y'all!

Love y'all,

Meg

Posting for Posting's Sake

I don't particularly have much to say. I PROBABLY could show you pictures but I am being lazy. Plus all the fun ones are on my phone. One of these days I will post them. Probably around Christmas time so don't hold your breathe.

Currently I am sitting in the I-Center on campus in between classes. I would have been done at noon but I have another class at 3 pm. =/ On the bright side I killed my Medieval art history test! Take that Late Christian/Early Byzantine Style! Not to mention studying Codex from different gospels. So I am happy.

Now I just have Studio Lighting left in which we will review our last assignment and then my teacher will monologue for the next 2 hours about nothing in particular. You see his wife is teaching our class for these next 3 weeks so we are doing her assignments. The assignment we are reviewing today is the last one from him for awhile, but I don't know what else he has to say since he's not giving the assignments for a few weeks. But regardless he will monologue the whole class period, despite it supposedly being "lab time" which should be optional....not that I am bitter or anything.

I really am in a good mood though, despite my lack of sleep from studying for my test. Mostly I was anxious for that test so now all is good. I am going to try to get my online homework done here in a few minutes though so I can pack tonight.

Tomorrow we are going to pick up the AMAZING Haley and then head down to Utah to keep my dad company and see my little brother! Extremely jealous of you mom! In case you were wondering she is in Michigan with my sister, her husband and Nikolai! REALLY REALLY jealous mom! But it is okay because we're going to see our most favorite author of all time Brandon Sanderson on Saturday! I hope I can play it cool though, because honestly I just want to flip out, but I don't want to come off as some insane fan girl. Though I really am...anyway definitely looking forward to that and some open road car time with Garett.

I feel bad, this week I've probably gotten to talk to Garett no more than 5 minutes at a time. It's been one of those weeks where I'm running constantly for about 14-16 hours a day non-stop. Let us hope next week is a little slower. Bless his soul, he has been extremely patient with me. I am the luckiest girl to have such an easy going, sweet husband. I am definitely the anxious, stressed out crazy one in our relationship. Garett's just crazy in good ways, though no one ever sees it but me. That man, he comes off so quiet and sweet. Don't be fooled, he's actually a very hyper child. I mean that in the sweetest sense possible. He's hilarious and makes me laugh all the time and it is wonderful. Honestly I need his goofiness all the time.

Anyway sorry for the off topic rant. He really is awesome. I hope all of you get to meet him one day. And for those who have met him, I hope one day you get to see his goofy side because it's hilarious and so much fun. For our friends who have seen his goofiness...you understand. =]

I guess I'll end this. Sorry it's so long, but if you have read this far, good job. I owe you a hug.
Keep laughing y'all.
It really is the best medicine!
-Megan B.

What Keeps Me Busy

So this is the part that keeps me busy and I love it. The rest...eh.
But this is what I enjoy.

Below is called a Hockney after Mr.Hockney.
The idea is that you take pictures from close up & far away with different lighting but put them together so the brain can somewhat make sense of it.

Below is called a panograph. Much like the Hockney but taken from only one point and you use transparencies to overlap them to try and make them fit (sort of).

This is a motion sequence.
Not a very good one, but it was fun all the same.
Plus any excuse to take pictures of my cute sweet nephew.

And this one is probably my favorites.
It is based off of Uelsmann, who might be my new favorite artist of all time.
You should google his work like RIGHT NOW!!!!

& GET THIS he does this ALL IN FILM!!!!!!!!
Did you google him yet?
If you haven't you won't know why I'm freaking out, so seriously go google him.
(just be a little careful, he might have some iffy stuff. Most of it is fine, but just be cautious)

Is he not amazing?
Gosh he is probably the coolest photographer ever!!!!
I mean that is ALL FILM, no Photoshop or anything.
You can't get anymore natural & legit than that.
He uses anywhere from 3-10 projectors to do this.
Anyway sorry for freaking out but he's just too cool for his own good.

Sadly we're not as cool s him so we did something similar but digital & photo-shopped.
But still it was fun. 

Anyway that is what I've been working on plus some of my own stuff but I'll post that in another blog.

Have a great week!!
Happy Memorial Day!

Smile =]

Meg

I'm alive I swear!!!

Hey so basically this is just to let y'all know I'm alive. Sorry I don't blog much anymore. I went from having too much time to do nothing to wishing there was 10 more hours to every day. I'm baking in school, I love my classes, they just take up a LOT of time.

My favorite class by far has to be Lithography. For those who don't know what it is, here is a link to sum it up for you. And if you're too lazy to even read the link, basically it is making images with (what started with Bavarian Limestone) but we are using aluminum plates. Unlike printmaking, it is not an intaglio process. So it is not etched with acid. Honestly I'm still not even TOTALLY sure how Lithography works, but generally it works with oil and water and the science behind the two. And man there is A LOOOOOT of chemistry in it, which is odd because out of all the sciences, chemistry was probably my worst subject. We're still learning.

It helps that our teacher is an overly hyper lover of and Master of Lithography. Apparently he doesn't get to teach it much though so he is OVERLY thrilled that he is getting to now. He's pretty nerdy when it comes to Lithography, but it's good because it helps us students to want to try. I think it is going to be really hard, but really fun. Oh and apparently this is the FIRST EVER Lithography class at BYU-I. My old print making teacher is really hoping we can keep this class in the future. So I feel a little like a guinea pig. Please pray that we can keep this class, I think it's going to be really cool & really fun. =]

My 2nd favorite is of course digital photography. It is definitely taking me a little out of my comfort zone but it is pretty darn fun. (The assignments are more abstract rather than traditional). The teacher is very enthusiastic which helps. In general it's the crazy happy teachers that make the classes awesome. The teachers really make the class. If you love what you're teaching the students will too.

I'm also taking The Middle East, which is awesome. I'm learning more about the Arab cultures and I love it. I have such a great respect for them. I'm taking Origins of the Universe which is alright, got to go to the planetarium on campus. Didn't know we had one until yesterday. Not going to lie, I got pretty dizzy from it. Lastly I'm taking Doctrine & Covenants Part 1 which is a lot of self taught studying with a little class insight.

All in all school is good, just very time consuming. Thank goodness for no classes on Fridays, though it doesn't mean I'm not on campus on Fridays, still am just working on my own though.

So that's life, sorry for no pictures. I'm in the middle of 3 projects right now, I'll hopefully have some pictures up next week. Thanks for listening. Sorry this was a little long. I just like really weird art classes.

Keep dancing,
if you haven't danced today,
DO IT NOW!
Megan =]