taking the [stress] out of finals

one_final_painting

well it is finals week here at kansas state, and the stress levels are high. some students are tied to their textbooks, cramming for comprehensive finals, while others are pulling all-nighters finishing up projects. i, however, must devote all my waking hours to watercoloring. now watercoloring was not the only task i had to complete this week. i had a rather large paper to write about the benedictine monk/architect, dom hans van der laan, due thursday. [don't worry, i had never heard of him either]. i did, however manage to avoid having to take any test, unlike my younger sister who had three finals, back to back to back.

i know that watercoloring in no way compares to studying for a final, but there was a smidge of stress involved. i had to have ten paintings done friday afternoon. as of monday, i had six. now you may be thinking to yourself, four paintings isn't that much. but here is the deal, i'm an artist and you can't rush art. did leonardo have a deadline for the mona lisa? did michelangelo have to turn in the sistine chapel by 1 p.m.? no. so how am i expected to rush my own art. well after finishing up my paper, i devoted the rest of the week to painting. overall it was rather relaxing. i had great playlist on the computer playing. i zoned in and became one with the pigments and palette. last night i finished, and although i was rushed, they turned out "sorta", "marginally", " somewhat" good. i'm just glad this stressful week is done with. note: [parts of this paragraph should be read with a sarcastic tone]

here is the watercoloring playlist:

billie holiday = east of the sun
bloc party = this modern love, so here we are
bobby darin = moon river
cake = guitar man
counting crows = a long december, goodnight elisabeth, colorblind
death cab for cutie = soul meets body
fountains of wayne = hackensack, valley winter song
guster = careful, i hope tomorrow is like today
modest mouse = broke
okkervil river = kansas city
rilo kiley = more adventurous
the flaming lips = mr. ambulance driver, yoshimi battles the pink robots pt.1
the long winters = cinnamon
the postal service = district sleeps alone tonight
the sounds = dance with me
wilco = at least that's what you said

watercolor_tray