An Ethereal Explosion

This is a 30x30 inch poster.
Another graphic design class item that I had fun making
(all night)

[top right]
{{edit: top left. i was up all night}}

Its a Milk Bar

#1: I love my RA staff. We brought milk+cookies to everybody last night. Also included as a bonus: we sang to them!

Brooks, doing his signature face.

Once again, the glowing, shining, lovely Denise#2: Look at this chair. It belongs to one of the guys in Sigma, and... I absolutely love it.

#3: There was a completely random windstorm today, and it blew down some branches. Talk about a California Spectacle!! Everyone stood at their windows, completely intrigued with the wind that was present. This is what followed the storm.
Such beauty can come from within the shadows.#4: I love Hollie Stansbury. We were roommates freshman year, and she invaded my life today and now big things are in the works. I love this girl. She is a beautiful person.#6: Bradley and Alex did their Q&A today for the election. Again: I think that they have an incredible vision, and it gets me excited to think about what could happen at Biola with them in office. If you're a Biola student, I really suggest reading their blog and talking to them about what they hope to do next year. These men are quality quality quality.

I'm going to the East Coast

TO SEE NORAH JONES!

My dad and I are going to see her
in Boston at the Orpheum.
April 14th. We'll be there for five days.
We are going to explore New York, Connecticut,
Cranberry factories, the Freedom Trail...
Everything.

This will certainly be a life-highlight!
I can sense it.

I just realized with spell check that you spell Connecticut with 3 c's.
Who knew! I'm Canadian, and am excited
to broaden my experience of our country
beyond Southern California and Washington
Yes.

Do you have any Boston, NYC
or ConneCticut suggestions for me?
Art and food are my top priorities.

While looking in the library, these brought delight to the day

I look at him every day, all the time.

Vegan Calendars? Yes, its true.

Little Otsu, a little vegan boutique, makes the most wonderful products. My friend Sharon gave me this day-planner for Christmas, and it is one of my favorite things that I own--this calendar is so environmentally friendly:
- Soy-based inks
- Revision paper: "a blend of sustainably-grown kenaf fibers + post-consumer waste papers"
- Made in a dioxin-free + chlorine-free manufacturing process

I mean, if this isn't saving the earth, I don't know what is.
Jill Bliss is the woman who designed them. Brilliant!

Plus, as you see on the bottom picture, there is room for coloring. The little drawings are so fun, especially that bell pepper, because those are just about the best vegetable that exists.

Am I vegan, you ask?
Well...

It gets me healthier calendars
more delicious food
& more inventive everything.

At heart I am.

I am the bird

Still life
Self portrait
Intense

I was going through my art from this year for my portfolio, and came across this piece.

How would you put yourself on a page if you could only use objects, graphite, light, and space?
Would it be dark? Simple? Fun? Scattered?
Would it be a narrative, or an allegory?
Would people know what it meant on first glance, or would it need the back-story?
Would you be able to be honest? If you really showed yourself through image...image that was more than just your face, would there be a facade?

I think that this is one of my first non-facade pieces I ever did.
Are you locked up or free?

Bradley Clarke and Alex Carpenter

Bradley and Alex, two good friends, are running for Biola's Student Body President and Vice President.
I like what they are all about. I fully support them, and hope they win. Can I say that on a blog? Yes. I can.
They also helped me fulfill one of my visions: a photography session at the old drive-in!

Bradley and Alex
recapture

Shannon Leith

reTREAT

My RA staff went to Lake Arrowhead for the weekend.
Isn't it great to just take some time off once in a while?
My favorite part: sitting.
Sitting and breathing.
Reading A Wrinkle in Time
Talking
Sleeping
Walking
Such a necessary part of life that sometimes gets pushed to the side.
It was nice to give rest the priority for a few days. Mmm.

On our way up we stopped at a gas station
which had some lovely lovely light.

Justin, Jon and Alex

While on a walk on Saturday we came across a wonderful tunnelalEX.

Katie and MonicaOhhh Alex again.A shopping cart in the marsh!Juli, Katie and Mon. Sure love you girls.
A highlight: we ate the most delicious food. Here's my very fresh avacado, berry, pesto cheese wrap. So much can happen in your soul through good food.Brother BEARS. They're such great buds. I love it.We did Heidi's senior pictures in the grocery store.
Well, we'll do some real ones, Heid. But these definitely have some...uniqueness! ;)Denise is a dancer, and one of my favorite people to photograph.
Hohhhhhhhhhhhhh.Be-dazzled.
Rachel: hero status!
Thanks for the retreat!

Shannon Leith

2 more gems

These ones somehow didnt get on the worst gyrad ever post. And they are two moments that must not be forgotten.

Before Nate arrived, Ron Hafer, Biola's celebrity and honorary member of the Max, chilled out with me. Thanks Ron!

And this little television was by that couch. Such great finds in the middle of the street!

Things like this should happen every morning. The world's morale would absolutely skyrocket.

Coffee = Love

I ate a wheat bagel today, and made a cup of coffee with my French Press. The French Press is the most brilliant thing that has entered my life. Level 10 coffee, folks. Level 10. So flavorful! So full of life!

And the wheat bagel? Why does anyone eat white bread anymore! There are so many delicious options! Your life will be enhanced when grains enter in!

Coffee is my love language.
I drink it plain. No sugar, no milk.

It's really that intense.

Worst Gyrad Ever

Meet at the Health Center at 9:30am on Tuesday.
That's all we told them.
A gyrad* on a TUESDAY MORNING? What???

Paul and Michelle.
Can I just tell you-- Paul did THE funniest things for 3 hours straight.The amazing Bethany and Josh
1) the Biola art Gallery (Jamie Uretsky's piece is incredible!)
2) the gas station ground
Me, Nate, the sprinkler.Nate's an art major too.
He likes linesWe bought lunch at Vons.

Instead of walking back to school at the end, we took the bus
We gave the guys fruit that we got from the cafe.

Paul actually ATE his lemon.Our new bug buddy

A couch on the side of the street?
Perfect.

I have had this idea in the works for 3 years now, ever since I got to Biola. Everyone tries to plan elaborate, AMAZING gyrads, and I thought-- why not just walk around and find things to do? It's always been in the back of my mind: What if we intentionally did the WORST gyrad possible? Which to me meant: no plan, inconvenient time, zero preparation, and less than $5.

In hearing my musings during drawing class one day, Bethany caught the vision. So did Michelle. So, yesterday we each invited a guy and told them to meet us at the health center in the next morning at 9:30.

Well, my vision has been brought to life, and it was one of the most spontaneous, fun mornings I've ever had! Yesss!! Seriously, 3 years. I have needed to do this for 3 years.

Nate, Josh, and Paul
thanks for embracing the idea and completely running with it. You guys rule.

* For non-Biolans, gyrads are casual dates that each floor does every semester.


Shannon Leith