3/7/12 Entry

The big painting is done! Finally, now I just have to get through the essay, and everything will be okay. I just don't know how I'm going to do that. It's like every time I try to write, even though I have notes and know what I need to include, I trip up on the words and don't know how to express what I mean. I don't know if I'm writing too casually or using too many words. I'm scared that my ideas aren't well organized and that it will sound like everything is out of place. I'm going to go to the media center during lunch tomorrow without talking to anyone, and I will rush home after school so that I can get home early, and work while no one else is home. Right now I seriously need to turn up the volume on my music because it feels like everyone is making SO MUCH NOISE. I can't concentrate.

Okay, I will finish up this entry and go back to my doom-I mean, to my essay.

3/6/12 Entry

I took my three small paintings to school  so I wouldn't have to take all four of them on the same day. So I turned that in, got that out of the way. My last painting is almost done, I only need to put in a few more details and it will be complete! I also need to finish up the essay, and soon! I'm so worried and stressed out! I'm scared that it will not come out okay or I won't finish it on time. Or both. I feel like I'm on the verge of having a nervous breakdown over this. I swear, everything is going to be fine if I can just get through this week. It's like I'm counting down the days but also dreading them.

3/4/12 Entry

So last night I wrote a lot for my report, but I have to type it up on the computer. I'm going to try to do that ASAP but I have so much Homework to do today, that I doubt I'll have a chance. After I'm done with that, I'm going to leave it along for a day and then go back to it and do some editing.
That sounds like a good plan.

I'm going to put in some more time for my painting, especially on those break days before editing my report, so I can hopefully finish both things at the same time.

3/3/12 Entry

I've been working a lot more on the painting, it looks great! I don´t think I was this happy when the other ones started turning out well... I guess this one is just more special to me. More personal.

I' also progressed on the essay, idea-wise at least. I'm going to have a couple hours to kill tonight, so I'll try to start tying everything up into actual paragraphs and such.

It's hard cause everyone expects my project t be so good, my parents, my friends, my mentor... It's just like, hehe, no pressure...

2/28/12 Entry

I've written some ideas down for my essay so that when I start to write it properly I can know what to include. I'll be thinking about it in case I've forgot anything, I can just add it later. I hope I don't go over the word count. The minimum is 1,500 and the max is 3,500. I know some kids dread thinking that they have to get to 1,500 words but knowing me, I'm scared of going over. I just write so much when I do formal writing. And I have a lot to say about this project.

The only problem about doing the essay is that this weeks seems to be Give-Tons-Of-Work-At-School week. And we have a school event coming up that I have to go to, so that will take up some of my time too. Oh, poo.

2/27/12 Entry

I went to talk to my mentor today and got help on how to start and plan out my essay. We broke it down into steps so that I do a little bit each day. So now it doesn't seem as scary.

And I feel so accomplished, I did the title page and the table of contents! Yay, go me. 

Tomorrow I'm going to write down some ideas for the different sections of the essay, and on Thursday probably I'll start actually writing the narrative. 

Then I'll leave it alone for a day, edit it, leave it and then do the final corrections and (hopefully) end up with a good report to hand in.

The painting is also looking good, and i've done a lot of it in just two sittings, which goes great schedule-wise, So everything is good.

2/26/12 Entry

I'v realized that doing this project has taught me one very important thing. That is, don't bite off more than you can chew. Or more like, don't bite off more than you will chew before you get bored. I mean, I should have realized that I would get a tad bored of everything halfway through and put it on hold for a month and a half, loosing a whole bunch of time, having to cram in everything into the last two weeks, and stressing myself out about essays and paintings and whatnot. Really, I should have just known.

If I could go back..... No. If I went back, I'd probably do the exact same thing. Just because I love how everything has turned out so far. Now I just know for next time. Note to self: Don't take on so much work.

2/25/12 Entry

Okay so the big painting is starting to take shape. Instead of doing a complex plan with a specific style scheme, I'm winging this one.
Because of my diminished time, I had to find a more suitable way of painting that would work better with the amount of time I have left. And find it, I did!

I got a new art tool a couple weeks ago that I've been meaning to try out and use, and now I have, and I've discovered that it helps me a lot because I paint a lot faster. And I love the results. The job looks rushed, but in a good way, like time is passing in the painting. Which is good because that's what I was trying to capture.
I haven't been to concerned about the colors. I mean, it's a picture of my life, I should pick the colors I want. I've also become less worried about getting all the details right, which is a good thing because I don't have enough time to worry about the details.
The thing that I really like about this new "technique" is that it makes this painting stand out from the others; it makes it seem more raw and real.

2/20/12 Entry

Okay, so I've drawn out my third painting on the canvas and I'm about ready to start. I'm still not really sure what I want the final thing to look like, and I'm kind of scared considering that I don't have much time to experiment/mess up.

I'm also going to ask my mentor if she can help me start the essay, or at least outline it, because I do not even know where to start with that.

2/16/12 Entry

Okay so Venice is officially done. That's good. Now I just have to do the big painting and the essay. In like, three weeks. Oh God.

I'm definitely worried about the timeline.
I'm going to see if I can get started on the essay/get some help during lunch, so that I don't have so much to worry about later.
I just know that I have to start the big painting and do it quickly, no messing up and having to re-paint on top of the mess up. It's worrisome, cause that's what I've done for the first three paintings.

It's just hard to focus, knowing that I still have so much to do in so little time.

2/2/12 Entry

Okay, so the deal is, I haven't posted in a really long time. I also haven't been working o the project very much. Oops. Guilty face.
So I'm officially hitting the re-start button. Not on the whole project, obviously, but on myself. I have to get going.

On the bright side, I've finished the first two small paintings. And I'm halfway through with the third one.
On the down side,  I still have to finish the third one, do the big one, and write the essay. And I have five weeks. Ouch. Pained face.

I'm going to go work on the third painting now, hopefully get close to finishing it, and [try to] check back in tomorrow. I'm worried I won't have time to do everything, especially write a really nice essay, so I'm going to try to cram in the rest of the painting this weekend and next week. Hopefully that works. Hopeful face.