Q3 Assignments

​I would like to honestly say that I put forth a lot of effort when it came to this assignment but ran into multiple road blocks along the way. Being the type of artist I am, a semi-perfectionist, time limits is something I tend to struggle with when it comes to my art. I'll put something down and it'll scream at me for days to fix something that just doesn't look right and , the sucker I am for making an art piece that I can make it instead of letting it be, I will. This happened quite a bit with a few of my assigned art pieces. For example, my own hand I had to repeatedly go back to and alter one or two times so even the slight fingernail would stop yelling at me. This would get in the way of the next project because I'd stop, go back, fix, straighten up and wouldn't finish the next art work in time of the deadline. I'm currently still facing that problem with the still life. I've worked multiple hours on this one picture without putting a date on the full product because I know that I am capable of making it as realistic as possible so in my mind 2 hours out of a week is not going to get me to perfection. Although it is almost complete with a few shadings to do here and there this has left me behind on other assignments that no doubt will make me run into the same idealist issues. I have started the full life drawing of another classmate but with little time for her to pose or me to put down that one nagging picture I've run into some problems there. If, at best, I can post half finished work I will but definitely to my disliking. I feel like messing up is a big part of the complete product but its a process that I prefer to keep private. My viewers should receive only the best that I can offer and being true to myself and my artwork I cannot, without a guilty conscious, put up something that I didn't truly put all of my artistic ability into. It's cheating myself out as a true artist. I feel like getting in an assignment late but perfected is better than meeting the deadline with little effort. I intend to get every piece up before the next marking period with haste but definitely not carelessness. 
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Letting go of the past

When I looked back on all the memories that I have made with many people, some closer then others, I could not help but wonder why I can not recreate those memories sometimes? Why does it feel like the world can crumble down upon you at any second if you are not attentive to it at all times? The only reason I have been thinking about those questions is because thats exactly how I felt, not too long ago. Having mixed emotions about a subject, leaving me with a really hard choice to make, I just finally realized that I have to make a choice that would make me happy, not suffer at the cost of someone else's happiness. I understand making a sacrifice yourself to make someone you care about happy, but limits have to be established and not crossed. If you yourself fall into a depression and can not get that person you care about out of theirs, it just is not worth it after some time. In my case the time period was around 2 weeks. I tried and I can acknowledge myself for doing the best that I possibly could but in the end everything pretty much backfired. Now I can leave everything in the past, at least for now and hope that time will solve some problems. 

Venting!

Sometimes, I hate the way you talk and talk and talk about nothing.
You have way too many opinions and to be honest, I don't really care.
At all.
Either you're really, really vain or you just love to hear the sound of your own voice.
And when you ask me for my take on things, you get angry if it's not what you want to hear.
Can you please just shut up?
Not to mention, you constantly put down all of my favorite things.
Ok, I get that you don't like the music or television shows that I like.
I DON'T CARE!

I never asked you for your opinion.

As a great mind once said...

"You don't deserve a point of view if the only thing you see is you."

Sunday short story

"Why are you talking like that?" asked the teacher curiously.

"Im aloud to talk any way I want!" snapping back was the student.

"Not in my room your not, im calling the principal."

"I dont care, do it!"

The argument shocked the class room, an arguement between the teacher and the valedictorian.  People gasped and sighed with questions popping up asking,

"did he really just say that"
"I cant believe out of everyone he would talk to her like that!"

Everyone was confused, how the arguement landed the straight a student in the principals office but alot of rumors came spewing out. Some people said he was playing on his phone, others say they found out he was being black mailed by the teacher or that she was going to mess up his record of straight A's with a b minus. It was to hard to tell and no one had time to ask him as he stormed out of the room. We assumed all day until finally he came into the lunch room. Everyone stared at him as he walked in since word got around fast about the little fight and then someone shouted

"what happened to ya smart ass, did she give you a 99 on a quiz"

Everyone laughed but him and he turned in the kids direction, smiled and walked to his table without saying a word. We still dont know to this day why he did it and he wont ever say why. But the only thing we do know was we had a new history teacher starting the next week.

Saturday Short story

No one understood what he was saying. It was if we had earmuffs on our ears. Does anyone understand this kid?

"dah dah dah boom!"

He kept on repeating himself in an alert manner that scared us. We were locked up in this elevator for only two hours and he just snapped. He couldnt take the close space and phobia that surrounded being in small areas with many people. There was enough room for the five of us but we were getting tired and it was hard to just lay down on the floor to wait for the rescue.

What my parents know about pop culture.

My parents went to New York to see Andre Bocelli. They got home a little early, so I'm watching the end of the Grammy's with them. While they were announcing the nominees for the best rap album, my mom finds it necessary to comment on everything. When they announced Eminem, and they show his face, my mom goes, "He's white! Wow! Look he's white!" Then Eminem is announced the winner. My mom says, "Look at that, the white guy won the rap one!" Then she procedes to say, "Now, is he dirty or clean?" My dad replies, "Oh he's dirty." "Oh he is? They should have more clean rappers." To this moment I'm not sure if they were talking about lyrics or drugs or what.

Mom: Is he wearing braces?
Me: No mom that's called a grill.

Dad: A red headed black girl, that doesn't make any sense. 
Mom: Rihanna is black!?



Incident Z(chapter2sec1) for 2/13/11

We arrived at johns just as Chris was getting there, “Jacob stay in the car drive around if you have to, run em over if they get to close, protect eve and Dan”

            “ok, and protect yourself as well” I nodded and got out, Chris also got out and we both walked up to johns front door together. I had my gun out and Chris had a metal baseball bat. Already stained with blood

            I looked at the baseball bat and back at my gun and smiled, he saw this” hey don’t feel so special I actually took my paintball gun and co2 and I have a crap load of ideas, the fps is already way up and I got marbles and such.” I laughed, that’s Chris for ya.

            “so you ready?” Chris nodded. I tried to open the door but it was locked. I knocked and called for john. Then I herd a noise behind us, we both turned I raised my gun, and was ready to fire, but john was just getting  out of a parkour roll. He turned around and smiled.

            “come to save me? I was just about to get on the roof with my paintball gun and have some fun”  we all laughed. And then we quickly ran for our cars, so far so good I thought. Next stop was Teds house.  We pulled up and proceeded with the same procedure, just me and Chris at the door.  We tried to open it and this time the door opened. We found ted and his sister just sitting on the couch, we grabbed them and ran out. Quick and easy, with a little difficulty convincing them but eventually they came with us. It was the same way for rob, Jane ally and ant. By the time we grabbed everyone the cars were packed. it was impossible to fit everyone in a seatbelt.  We were driving around now and there were still next to no zombies on the road. But other then our two cars the streets were oddly empty. Every once in a while we would pass a zombie here and there, but not as many as we saw when we first got attacked. It was odd and somewhat scary.

            Chris called me. “now what? Where do we go?”

            “ I know!, B’js!”

            “no really”

            “ I’m serous man, they got tons of food, only one main entrance that we can close, we have the kind of power to thoroughly  make sure its clear. Its perfect.”

            “…well …ok fine”

 

            we were on our way to BJ’s. I picked up my phone and tried to call my dad. I tried several times. He never answered.

 

When we got to BJ’s  there were already a swarm of zombies in the parking lot, maybe about 5 or so directly in front of the store. I jumped out the second, the car stopped and ran for the doors, they slid open. Good they still work I thought. Then I turned to face what ever followed me. Two zombies were right behind me. I raised my dads gun and shot once for one of their heads. A loud blam went out and a popping sorta noise as the round put a hole through the head, I then quickly adjusted my aim and shot the other one. Both shots were dead on. I paused then and looked at what I had done. Chris ran up to me followed by the gang, everyone got out except for the drivers of the cars and came running to get behind me. More zombies were coming now, only me Chris, ted and john actually had any weapons, I had a gun, Chris had his bat, and ted and john used the paintball guns loaded with marbles.

            “Chris, go take everyone inside lead the way and hit any zombies in there you find as hard as you can, john and ted, I want you two to find the power or some way to stop the doors from opening, ill cover the doors so no zombies get in.” everyone went off, the drivers kept driving around avoiding zombies and running them over when there was a small enough number of them to avoid damage to the cars. I wondered how much gas was left in each of them. I then looked down at the two zombies I had killed. I was now ready to call them zombies, they were no longer just men, no longer just the infected. They were zombies, and I was afraid. There were four more zombies on their way over now, well there were a lot more, but four that were close to making it without getting splattered by the cars. i had 14 shots left in the gun. I took aim, took my time, and squeezed off 4 more rounds, and got four more kills. 10 rounds left, I counted. It was important to count shots. Every round counted. One bullet one kill.  It felt strange killing a zombie. It was a mixture of satisfaction, and yet something about it made me feel uneasy. I had to just tell myself, they were not human anymore. My phone went off and I answered. It was john.

            “yo Justin, we got the power switch get your ass in here

            “ok give me one second” I started jumping up and down, within a few seconds both the cars parked near me, both Nicole and Jacob came out and ran for the door, we all walked in together “ok now” the doors shut off, and then a metal gate started to shut. The doors were being locked up. “ok john send a text message to everyone I want us all to regroup by the front door.”

            “roger”

Keep Bleeding Love

The apartment was dark , light from outside leaked in through the blinds and casted themselves onto the floor.I sat in recliner contemplating.I know i should break up with him but something in me wouldn't let me. He was out , i was home by myself the clock on the wall seemed to tick louder and louder I had to get out here. 

I had finished packing, Right now i was taking my stuff to the car. I couldn't do this anymore waiting for him everyday was driving me insane.i was putting the last suitcase in the car when i heard footsteps i turned my head and saw him staring at me. it was raining and it had slicked his hair into thick strands he was also panting as if he had ran here. His coat was soaked and it's weight sagged his shoulders. He took slow steps towards me , i was paralyzed he got closer and closer not caring about the rain pelting his face. His eyes were fixed on mine , he reached out towards me. taking my forearm i pulled my eyes away from his gaze looking down. He took my other arm.

 
" Look at me"  it wasn't a command but a test and i knew it was. A test that asked me if i really wanted to leave. My heart pounded in my chest and i was afraid he would hear it. my eyes looked back at his, his are soft hazel brown but behind them they were desperate for an answer

"Do you really want to leave?"

Thunder crashed around us telling that the storm was becoming worse. my hair was matted against my face. My mind raced with possible answers to his question i didn't know what to say, i wasn't really sure if i really wanted to go. he pulled me into him hugging my close as if i was going to dissolve into nothing. i closed my eyes and drew in the chilled air 

"No" I replied and he held me tighter and we stood there .I cried. no matter how hard i tried i couldnt get away from him.I love him and he loved me i tried to cut it off cause i was afraid i didn't know why but i was. The vein that i kept closing he cut open every time. My heart will keep bleeding love for him wether i liked it or not. 

My brother

My brother can be very stubborn when he gets passionate about something. If you have a younger brother, I’m pretty sure that you can relate to this. It is always the same story, we are at the mall and he wants a new video game- it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, by the end of the day, he’ll get what he wants. I went to Brazil during the summer. It was my first trip alone [away from my family]. At first I was so excited and I couldn’t wait to get on the plane and fly far away from my irritating-stubborn-jealous brother.  The first weeks were perfect, just like I expected. After the first month I started to miss the stupid-jokes and silly-fights that my brother and I used to have. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you care about someone. Sometimes you forget about the small-but-precious details that show that you love them. Don’t get me wrong. I still think that my brother is a silly-stubborn boy but I love him. I love him for sitting next to me quietly when I’m upset, for all the silly jokes that make me laugh every morning, for thinking that someday he will be strong enough to protect me, for not getting mad when I kick him out of my room, for eating the tomatoes of my sandwich for me [even though he hates tomatoes], for letting me borrow his iPod whenever I want to, for baking me a cookie for valentine’s day, for crying because he didn’t have any money to buy me something for my birthday.  I love my brother even though I never tell him that I do.

Philly.

I’m Black and grew up in Philadelphia.

I disclaim that to say, I reserve the right to use the following nonsensical phrase or any of its variants whenever I am compelled to conjure my inner basic.

Oh, ard. Jawns be drawln.  You Joe.”

Translation: (Note: Jawn, Drawln, and Joe have slightly different meanings depending on the context.)

 Jawn can be a person, place or thing. And if some one is being joe, they’re probably drawln, and if they’re drawln they’re probably a jo person.  Ard means alright, or an agreeance/realization in the affirmative.

“Okay, fine. I’m over this. You’re acting a bit out of line and it’s irksome.”

Sometimes the Heart Orders A Platter it Can't Afford

​Her: what you doing?

Me: smh. looking at flight prices. =/ 

I wanted to bring Jalen to prom, but idk if thats gonna work. smh. 


Her: awww.

how much is it gonna cost?


Me: everytime i look it up i keep getting 422 exactly. Once I got 350, but thats still so much when I have so much more to pay for with prom. 

i half way already made up my mind that it won't work out, but then the're 15% that's like maybe if... 

so I keep going back to it lol. 

I hate my heart sometimes. 


Her: it til work out

but i mean

:/

he wont do it

well i think he wont


Me: lol i asked him and he said he would, but then I keep wondering like when the time comes what if he didn't/ 

I've considered it all lol. 


Her: ohh okay

cuz i was like

what if he dont do it?

you spend all your time doing all this stuff

for nothing

and then imma be mad at him

for saying he was going to do it

he just be lying

he one of those typr of ppl to hype it up and dont do shit

Sketch of Kim

This is the sketch I did of Kim. I didn't finish because I was still trying to get the face right. But I guess the body did ok. I did two Leeann helped me with the second drawing of her. I thought it was good. Also it helped me with my view because I think I did ok with her hands.
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IMG_0228

Sketch of Kim

This is the sketch I did of Kim. I didn't finish because I was still trying to get the face right. But I guess the body did ok. I did two Leeann helped me with the second drawing of her. I thought it was good. Also it helped me with my view because I think I did ok with her hands.
IMG_0228
IMG_0228

Chapter 1 - Momma

​Since I was three years old I was a ginny pig. Being poked and examined pried and over researched, all because I was a baby genius, and not to mention a miracle. When I was two years old I fell off a 10-foot jungle gym head first into the rocky coaly round, immediately knocked unconscious. I was in a coma for 3 weeks. And two years prior to the accident I was a normal two-year old. I ran back and forth, in circles until I got dizzy enough to fall and knock my head against any object close by and then cry endlessly until my cheeks were even a rosier red and until my eyes went from frosted grass green, to flaming orange. Then I would get back up and do it all over again. I ate chipped paint off the wall after I drew a princess in a castle with a unicorn army, or what most people saw, scribbled chicken scratch. It was the perfect childhood.

            When I woke up from the coma I saw a familiar face, my nanny, then a face that wasn’t so familiar, nor pleasant, my mother’s.  She had the same rosey red cheeks, and curly, frizzy hair. She had the same frosty grass green eyes, but with busted red veins surrounding them, and a glossy film coating them, which wasn’t from tears of the very near death of her own daughter. My mother had on black pants, a black plain tee shirt, and an oversized black corteroid material jacket with a music pin tilted diagonally on the right-hand collar of the jacket, it was my fathers. She also wore silver chain with a pistol hanging downwards with hearts spilling from the nose of the gun. 

            “Hey hun, how’s my baby doing?” my nanny said caressing my hair with deep uncomfortable eye contact. I ignored her and stared at my mother, whom I haven’t seen for days. She walked to the side of my bed and put took off her chained gun and placed it around my neck, kissed my forehead and turned around and walked out.

“She’ll be back, tell me how you’re feeling” the nanny pried.

“I’m hungry, is Mommy getting me food?”

“I don’t know honey, I don’t know. You hit you’re her head really hard but the doctor said you’ll be ok when you wake up, do you understand?”

“Can we get a piano?”

“HA you really did hit your head hard missy, no one knows how to play the piano, well besides your fath--- no one knows how to play the piano.”

“I do”

“Don’t be silly”

The doctor entered, he had a huge mustache seems malnourished and seemed so old he could drop dead any minute. “Hello there, little lady.” He walked over and checked my pulse, flashed a flash light in my eyes, and checked the 10 stitches on the left side of my temple.

“You’re looking good I think we can get you home today,” he turns to the nanny “just keep her on her meds and make sure she gets plenty of rest and she’ll be fine.” He took on last glance at me, smiled, and walked out.

“Alrighty lets get you home”

Story Telling.. Literally

My dad told me a story this weekend about an experience he had with his father and a cat in Puerto Rico. He goes, " I was about nine years old when this happened, and let me tell you it was one of the scariest and funniest experiences I ever had. 

My dad had a room filled with fibers (to fill pillows and make blankets.) And non of us ( him and his three brothers and one sister) were allowed to go in there. And my dad bought us a cat, and each of us had the responsibility to take care of her per week.  So it was my week to watch her and after about two days I got tiered of doing it. I decided to just put her in the fiber room so I could go out and play with my friends. Before I knew it a few hours turned into a couple of days and we all figured the cat had ran away. I forgot all about her. The twist was one day my dad woke up because we kept hearing crazy screeching noises from the fiber room. My dad woke us up at like one in the morning  and went down to the street to the church, and I remember this so clearly because the pastor was walking up the street with a gun! (LOL) My dad lead him into the house and towards the fiber room and at the moment I remembered the cat was in there! The pastor opened the door; gun pointed inside the room and before he could do anything the cat jumped on his and started scratching and going crazy! We were all laughing so hard, I will never forget that."

Friendship. (Saturday's Story)

We've been friends since the seventh grade and despite going to different high schools, we've still been think as thieves, a phrase which with us means, spending countless hours laughing over nothing and talking about everything. Remember when we watched sister act and the old nun said, "I can drive anything on wheels, is that a problem" And we laughed the rest of that night and still laugh about it today, Now whenever we joke about anything,  no matter how irrelevant, you always say,"you know what my niggs, don't try and play me cause I can drive anything on wheels, it just better not be a problem" 


Feeling too old/ Times are changing

Mom: Wanna come in the store to get a snack?
Me: Sure, I'm kind of hungry.
Mom: You got a dollar *mom look*
Walks into store
Me: I really want some plain lays chips. Picks up chips 50 cents. ARE YOU SERIOUS? This is ridiculous.
Mom: Yup.
Me: I remember I could get 4 bags for a dollar, times are really changing.

Even though I am only about to hit 18, it really feel as though things are changing around me. Or maybe I am just starting to notice them now. I guess this is the time when we all start realizing we are actually adults...who would have thought a bag of Lays could show me so much?

 mms_picture(18)

Penn State or Hampton?

Which school should I choose. I've always wanted to go to Penn State but after thinking I wouldn't be accepted because of my SAT's scores, I thought that Hampton was where I wanted to be. Surprisingly though, I received my first college acceptance letter from Penn State. That acceptance letter slowly changed my mindset back into "Penn State Mode." Hampton is still an option but everyday it's looking like I will choose Penn State. Time is ticking. 

pennstate
pennstate
hampton
hampton

Text Message Story

would you rap on my video if i made one?

of course!


and dance? (not that kinda dance. Like diddy dance.)


naw I wont diddy dance for nothing 


lol no? 


like mo money mo problems. harmless stuff!


nope. I just sit in a chair and rap


a queen chair? a throne?


nope just a regular old chair. maybe I'll even sit on the step.


oh you cant be in my video no more. you too cool...

Hotel Party?

I spent most of my saturday with a friend. A good friend that I have come to know better and better throughout these last couple weeks. We chilled for most of the day before I decided that I wanted to leave and get my night started. All week I told some friends from school that I would not be attending their hotel party. Knowing that I would surprise them, I decided to show up and party later on that night when I was done spending the day with my friend. It took me forever to get to the hotel because SEPTA runs super slow on the weekends. I was so cold waiting for the bus to come that I thought I might end up going back in the house. Fortunately as I was just ready to walk back to my house, the bus came around the corner. When I got off the bus, i got on the worst train ride I've ever taken. I smelled poop on the train, and sadly it was a homeless man that carried the smell with him because when he exited the train two stops before mines, the smell exited with him. I was relieved to finally not have to hold my breathe for minutes at a time. When my train ride was over, i walked from 15th street at City Hall to 11th and arch. It was so cold outside that I was shivering from head to toe. When I finally reached 11th and arch, I stood in front of the Hilton Garden Inn. I walked in, took the elevator to the 7th floor and walked to room 701. Already with my jacket and hoodie off, I heard Mckelly's loud mouth through the door. I was laughing as I knocked on the door. "Who is it?" asked Amira. "It me, Tajh," I replied. The door opened, "Brooooooo," screamed Amira with a smile on her face. I was ready for an exciting night. 

Home.

I know a place where the grass is really greener,
There are no clouds to block the shining of the sun,
And no city buildings to block the lights of millions of stars;
It's in your arms; It's home.

For a while I moved through life seemingly happy
With fits of laughter, possibly hinting at hysteria.
I watch you walk by, your soul shining, with anger in my eyes
And a flirtatious giggle aimed at the
Insignificant creatures surrounding me.

You see this and I must be the perfect little actress
Because I fooled you into thinking I was euphoric
When in reality I was barely okay,
I even fooled myself into thinking I was over you.

But you're the true actor.
Your performance is flawless.
Where my act was given away by pain in my eyes
Yours remained empty, like your voice and heart.
If not for your indirect messages of maybe love and regret
I'd believe every sign of hate you throw my way.

Tell me the truth.
If you show no one else your true colors, show them to me.
Maybe we can both live where the grass is greener,
The sun shines without clouds,
The stars shine in the depths of both our eyes,
And we'll finally be home.​

Icicles

I don't remember where I was walking that day as I left out of the school's doors. Was I going to 30th street? Maybe Liberty Place...not sure which, but it was one of those two. It wasn't cold I know that for I can picture myself being bundled up in one of my many jackets but being a bit warm. Not sure if there was wind but there was a chill. I remember clearly though walking beside my best friend Evett chatting about something that seemed to be of the most importance. We walked together chatting passing the parking lot then heading under the first bridge. It had either snowed or rained before for there where icicles hanging down varying in sizes. Some were breaking, some dripping but I payed them no mind.

 We fished walking from under the one bride then were under the next. Across the street we heard one fall and looked over. It was quiet loud but we brushed it off and kept talking. One of us cracked a joke about something and began laughing. We were almost out from under the bridge. What happened next I remembered clearly. I suddenly felt strength tugging me backwards. My eyes were opened wide in shock then I looked over my shoulder as Zach cheerily said hi. Before I got any words out I heard a loud close by crack. I looked back to the spot where I was about to step before Zach stopped me. A giant icicle (and by giant I mean it had be be almost a 4th my size or so) snapped and quickly fell with force into the spot where I would have been. It was like time slowed a bit as I watched it break, the pieces of ice spraying out. In my head I thought of how scary it was that fell, how hurt I would have been if it hit me and how glad I was Zach did something really goofy.

Turnpike

 I'll be the first to admit I have no sense of direction at all and i'm ok with that.Therefore when I need to go somewhere I Google map, it's my own personal survival tool. Today I was going to North Wales, Pa I goggled map like a champ so that I'll know where to go even going as far as writing don't go on the turnpike. While I follow the accurate neatly printed directions I'm lost and got on the turnpike $1.45 is the cost of my mistake and being 20 minutes late for my Costa Rica meeting.