student blog: katie diamond
Katie Diamond is an Illustration Major (’07) and a Radical Feminist Comic Artist who strongly believes it is the responsibility of the artist to
comment and transform the world. She also loves chocolate chip cookies and Sesame Street.
03-25-07
Portland is a place for caffeine addicts.
No kidding—I can walk across the city, from the East End to the West End, and without deviating from a straight path, count upwards of 6 coffee shops. And that’s not including cutting around the city to go out of my way for a specific shop! What’s nice about the amount of caffeine choices is that the majority of them are locally owned. Sure, we’ve got three Dunk’n Donuts and two Starbucks all about 5 minutes from each other, but we have MUCH more locally owned and locally run coffee shops in comparison. And yeah—sometimes tourists ask me how to get to the closest Starbucks...but luckily, they might encounter a Breaking New Grounds, a Coffee By Design, or a Hilltop Coffee Shop before they reach that Starbucks destination....
And we all know the sooner we get our coffee, the better!
04-01-07
I am building a bicycle.
Yes! A bicycle. Surprise, surprise. It may sound like a daunting task, but in truth, building a bicycle is equitable with choosing to construct your own furniture from Ikea. Get the right tools, get compatible parts, and go
for it.
The harder task...is seeming legitimate enough in bike culture to even build a bicycle. As with every single thing possible in our marketable, consumerist society, there is a culture around bikes. Luckily, even though I just snuck a reference to capitalism in my last sentence, bike culture is definitely a counter-culture rather than a mainstream ideal. I’ve discovered in my bike parts research that...even counter cultures can be sexist.
It’s been an uphill battle trying to make it clear that I actually know what I’m talking about when it comes to bikes. I walk into a bike store, or call a distributor, and I am met with a level of condescension saved for women entering a male-dominated field—oh wait, that’s most of them. Yeah, it’s been a struggle—bikes require certain tools I need to borrow, or a level of strength required to put certain sprockets in place that Idiscovered I do have when I really grit my teeth. But the emotional battle of seeming like a real biker has been the hardest.
04-08-07
My friends have opened a restaurant/bar/performance space, and it’s amazing. Amazing! It’s only a small walk from my house, downhill from school and work, and has such a friendly vibe. Remember the TV show
“Cheers”? And that line from the opening song, blah blah blah “a place where everybody knows your name?” Yeah, it’s like that.
For more information:
North Star Cafe
http://www.northstarcafe.net/
04-15-07
Sometimes it’s hard for me to talk to people about the future. Discussions of the future mean that I’ve somehow made clear plans, and while yes, I do plan really well, I also am a very flexible woman. I believe in structure,
but a structure that can clearly be broken.
This is not the answer people want. Our society says that when the end of your college career comes, you know where you want to go, you go there, and you “make a name for yourself.”
I don’t entirely understand this concept. Besides being a good planner, I’m also the sort of woman who does what she wants to do when she wants to do it. I haven’t spent the past four years waiting for my “real life” to
start. I’ve been living it. My art reflects what I do, what I believe, and where I stand—art school hasn’t been a pit stop before I go on my long “life journey.”
So my decision to stay in Portland for the next year or so reflects that. Portland hasn’t been merely the camping grounds for school—I have built up an artist base, I have become part of many communities, I have embedded
myself in the culture here. I was not a student while I was here—I have many more identities that come before being a student.
So when the decision to stay is called into question, it throws me off a little. Choosing to stay is just as hard as choosing to leave...the reasons are just different.
03-17-07
 At 4:45 AM this Saturday, my roommate Brian wandered into my room and perched on my bed. He began patting my legs, and gently cooed: “This would be a wonderful photo opportunity. Think of it. Really.” I groaned groggily, and rolled over to face him. “I must really love you. This is what love is,” I muttered, as I dragged myself out of bed to put on my winter gear.
Every St. Patrick’s Day, the Portland Fire Department joins with the bar Rira to sponsor the St. Patty’s Day Plunge, with all the proceeds going to child burn victims. Volunteers from around the city get friends to
monetarily sponsor them to jump into the ocean off of the Eastern Prom—at 5 AM. In the freezing March weather.
This particular day was tremendously monstrous in terms of weather conditions. New England was under a severe storm alert—and here are these crazy people, throwing themselves into ocean water, as it sleets icy rain! Of course, I was the crazy person who went along to document…
Here’s a taste of Brian in his speedo and bowtie, gearing up for the plunge.
03-11-07
So I’ve managed to become, by some grace of magic and feminism, a co-host on a local radio show, Lesbian Radio. It’s on WMPG (90.9 and 104.1) on Wednesdays, from 1 – 1:30 PM.
It. is. SO. MUCH. FUN.
I thought I’d be nervous, but it comes so naturally to me. Speaking into amicrophone is phone, wearing headphones bigger than my head is awesome, and learning how to use the soundboard is going to be tough but exhilarating when I can finally do it alone. Plus, Virginia, my co-host, is absolutely fabulous. We’re such different personalities, we have such a good energy. It’s just so much fun.
Not that this was a plug for listening to my show or anything...
03-04-07
So there’s this interested trend that keeps happening in the comic world. Or graphic novel world, if we must be academic like that. Intellectuals and academics tell us that comic books are not real literature. But now, libraries and bookstores have any sections of their building dedicated to graphic novels; graphic novels are now winning literary awards and recognition; and panels about great literature are now including comic artists.
Now, I just used a few words interchangeably, and for some people, that’s a problem. I consider myself a cartoonist—but on the right day, or when I need to explain myself further, I might say comic artist.
I’m not really a big fan of the title “graphic novel.” It’s the language of those people who would tell us that comic books aren’t real literature—but graphic novels are. Yes, there may be a size difference, but the truth of the matter is, both are sequential art. Both use word bubbles or narration of some kind—if there is any narration. Many pictures are places in some sort of sequential format for a reader to partake in.
Is “Super-man” a graphic novel? Well, no. But is “It’s a Bird” a comic book? Yes. I guess you could say the words are interchangeable in only one direction.
02-26-07
 I have stumbled upon a new circuit....or rather, new to me... Conferences. Apparently, there are many conferences that happen all over the United States, all varying in their topic and size and price. It’s very
fascinating to me.
It’s not that I didn’t think about or know of conferences. It’s just...I didn’t realize that there was a way to connect with a huge group of people on similar subject matters or identities or passions via a giant, organized conference. But, you can. And so, I did. I went to the Translating Identities Conference in Burlington, Vermont. I had never been to Vermont, OR a large conference of any kind, so it was kind of a doubly awesome experience for me. I was there to take part in the free workshops, see what Burlington’s all about, and table some art.
Oh my god. It was so overwhelming.
02-18-07
 I know: this picture is ridiculous. But it’s the mascot of USM’s 2007 Vagina Monologues! Yes, I participated in the VMs again this year. Last year, I designed the posters, and saw the show. This year, I went all out, and tabled art at the show. It was a pretty intense experience. The past two weeks really feel like they’ve been entirely devoured by the show... And I wasn’t even acting in it! But showing up early enough to prep the art table, then sitting throughout the show, and selling before, during, and after the show is just so time consuming. I wound up making about 50 bucks...which was not what I was wanting, but I was selling comix, and I discovered at events like that, comix don’t really translate. My pins sold really well. But comix...they require a little more thinking than someone who’s out to a night of theatre really wants to engage in.
02-11-07
 Sometimes, every once in a while, my roommates and I have a brilliant idea for a party. And then we throw the party. This past Friday, we chose to throw a (get ready for this): 1980’s Lingerie Valentine’s DANCE Party. Note the emphasis on dance. Planning a 1980’s Lingerie Valentine’s DANCE Party is very intense. For one, you must make an amazing 1980’s music mix. You must also decorate your house accordingly, with your own underwear. Then, you must decide upon an outfit that is equally silly as it is sexy (a hard combo!). Lastly, you must bake an elaborate cake, frosted with pink home-made frosting—and you must hide a pair of leopard print underwear inside of the cake, so some unfortunate guest will discover it. Let cool for 30 minutes, then enjoy!
02-04-07
 There is one item that an activist-artist must have: a button maker. Yes! A button maker! Thought to be things of the past, but no! Button makers are alive and well and are absolutely fabulous organizing tools. I finally decided to purchase my own this past December, after using the school’s repeatedly for several art projects throughout Portland. Believe me when I say this: once you own a button maker, one of your VERY OWN…the possibilities are endless. Endless.
Already I’ve shrunken down several images of mine, plopped them onto buttons, and sold them. It’s amazing. As soon as your art is neatly packaged and in button form, suddenly people are wearing it on their jackets and hats and messenger bags. Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating.
01-27-07
Dearest loyal readers,
I have a confession. I hope you’re sitting while you read this. I don’t want you to hurt your head, in case you faint. Well, here goes.
I’m a cartoonist.
 Whew! Glad to get that off my chest. It’s so tough to admit that, being surrounded by fine artists all the time. It’s good to finally get myself out of the art closet.
Chris Ware, a prevalent cartoonist, in one of the intros of one of the many graphic novel compilations I own, speaks to the lonely progression of a cartoonist.
“On the first date, I’m an illustrator. On the second date, I’m a graphic novelist. On the third date, I’m a comic artist. And by the fourth date, I’m a cartoonist.” Ease them into it, you know? We mustn’t reveal our cartoonist tendencies upon the first meeting…
01-20-07
 Visiting my family is always a change of scenery for me. I grew up in Southern Florida, so you can imagine, especially during the winter months, that Portland, Maine to Fort Lauderdale is a drastic shift. Going home enables me to realize how much I need a city, since my family lives in the Florida suburbs.
It’s not all stucco and palm trees and hummers though. Visiting home has its high points. If I schedule my time properly, I can see my best friend, Joella. I can go to the beach—in fact, I have several at my disposal. But one of the constant high points? The thing that time and time again makes my trip absolutely incredible?
My puppy.Yes! I have three dogs at home. My grandfather’s dog, who we often care for, Pumpkin. My middle aged munchkin, Penny. And, the alpha dog—Maggie. Maggie is adorable. She is feisty and happy and a bundle of soft love. When she was younger, I taught her to sit on my chest—and now that she’s bigger, she demands to perch there whenever I am home.
Visiting home reminds me of one of my life goals: puppies. Own many, many
puppies.
12-10-06
Oh finals, finals, finals.
There is nothing more wonderful than finishing a semester with a bang. I wish I could say I finished with a bang—but it was more like the sound of a slowly dying 1956 Jalopy. You know, that horrendous crunch and grinding noise a car makes when its heart (or engine, really) isn’t really into shifting gears.
It would have ended with a nice sort of “whooshing” sound, but technology failed me. I spent the last few weeks of my Surrealism class preparing this video on how sexuality is abused through advertising to sell products. It was classic activist footage: interviewing people on how my edited advertisements affected them as they entered the mall. I spent roughly 6-7 hours toying with my film, and then another 3-4 organizing the transitions, titles, and the like. I used my time wisely.
Then I went into class and it said my file was corrupted.
Allow me to explain, with as little judgment on technology as possible.iMovie is the worst program...ever. Never use it if you can avoid it, for it has this one fatal flaw: even when you do NOTHING to your movie, if you JUST OPEN the program...you HAVE to save it. Save your files, folks. Save them like there is no tomorrow, even if you have done NO editing, save them. For if you don’t, iMovie thinks you don’t like it anymore, and proceeds to have a temper-tantrum where it destroys all your hard work. Only you can prevent technological fires. [Picture: a project that IS controllable and successful, a model of Jane,
the Bartending Bat.]
12-03-06
World AIDS Day Postcard Extravaganza!
I’m not a printmaker—that’s a fact, not an opinion. I don’t have it in me to follow these extraordinarily tedious and time-consuming methods to create my art. I have a huge amount of respect for those that do—you know,
the ceramicists, the printmakers, the photographers out there. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love process. I just am also an intense control freak. So the knowledge that all my beautiful work could turn out horrible in the
end because of the temperature of the kiln, or the chemical mixture of my etch, or the light exposure of my print... Well, that’s just too much of an emotional rollercoaster for me.
THAT being said, for World AIDS Day, my collaboration with the printmakers was a huge success! We printed 600+ layered-image postcards in a matter of maybe 6 hours, and with postage supplied, they are currently being
disseminated throughout Portland, and hopefully beyond. Process and product combined.
For more information on World AIDS Day, visit:
http://www.worldaidsday.org
11-19-06
This past Friday, I worked the spotlight at the University of Southern Maine’s Royal Majesty Drag Show. It’s my third year in a row working the spot, but this time, the show took place at the Holiday Inn By the Bay.
Until this year, the show had been in the USM Portland Campus’ dining hall, which made for limited numbers and advertising. But this year, we had a whopping 425 audience members, and over 30 performances! It was wild.
I’ve never performed in a drag show myself, but I had recently learned how to apply a fake beard, so I went to work the spot with a goatee. I looked equally ridiculous and wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that I was hit on
by several gay men. Talk about passing.
11-26-06
“The Saga of Travelling” or “How I Never Learn to Never Travel Through Philadephia” We all have them: those ridiculous traveling stories, the ones that seem like they’re right out of some poorly syndicated sitcom. My story is comprised of three parts.
Part 1: Portland, Maine
I get to the airport, and am informed my flight is delayed, therefore they need to book me on a later connecting flight. No problem! I think, as I have music and art with me. I have plenty to keep me busy for the next
three hours. I settle myself down, put on my headphones, and whip out my pens to draw…and they all proceed to die. I am sitting in the Portland Jetportwith absolutely no drawing utensils. Luckily, rather than three hours, my plane takes off twenty minutes later.
Part 2: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I arrive on time in Philly, and suddenly have three hours of waiting stretching ahead of me, because my connecting flight has been pushed down. I trudge slowly towards my new gate, and on the TV screens, see my
original connecting flight has not left yet. It leaves in 15 minutes. I go to B1, my new gate, and tell the woman my situation. “What do I do to get back onto that flight??” She fixes me with a stare and says: “Run.”
Well! I booked it across the airport to gate C27, on the opposite wing of the building, and manage to get back onto my original flight. Success!
Part 3: The Runway
We then board, about twenty minutes late.
We then proceed to sit on the runway. …For two hours.
I love travelling.
11.12.06
Firstly, I must acknowledge that there was an election this past week, and it went, if I might say so, wonderfully! Maine turned down the idea of TABOR (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights), and there is now a Democratic majority across our nation. This is a clear example of why voting is so very important: the benefits of expressing needs through the system are so vivid right now.
Now that that's out of the way… (Pish, posh, silly little election, silly little Rumsfeld resigning…!) This weekend my fabulous roommate and I had a printmaking extravaganza! I bought Amy some Gocco supplies (Gocco – a
small Japanese printmaking technique!) and then signed out one of the machines from the Printmaking lab.
Our excitement was like that of a well-written but predictable book. We started off quietly drawing images, sipping wine and/or coffee (caffeinate or intoxicate, choose your poison!). Then, we experimentally made a screen of one of our images. With that success, we made the rest of our screens, filled them with ink, and tentatively printed one of my shirts. …And then, since everything was going so sple ndidly, we EXPLODED, and printed on every flat surface possible! Ink was on the table, on our hands, in our hair; we printed madly on old bedsheets, the fronts of shirts, the hems of skirts! And then, true to form of the usual climax of a well-written,
formulaic book…we totally petered out and had trouble even cleaning up.
For more information on the election:
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/index.html?d=3
For more information on GOCCO!
http://www.savegocco.com/
11.05.06
So the time has finally come to break out the winter layers. I was avoiding it to no end: wearing more than one t-shirt, donning the extra thick socks, accessorizing some scarf-action. But no. Winter is creeping up, and it will not be stopped. I’m not in denial about weather. It’s just hard for me to comprehend. Even after living in New England for the past four years, I’m still fascinated by snow. Fascinated!
Now let me explain. I grew up in Southern Florida, only an hour’s drive from Miami. The concept of winter is solely connected to everyone else’s concept of winter. We had calendars in elementary school that showed
colored leaves and piles of snow and snowmen with obnoxious coal grins. They (whoever “they” may be) played the same wintery Christmas specials, and the displays at the malls had piles of fake snow. So I am well
acquainted with the commercialized winter. It wasn’t until the winter of 2003 that I met the actual winter. You know, the one with blizzards and ice and actual wet snow. And. I. LOVE. IT! I love winter! The cold air makes me feel more awake, the snow glimmers and sparkles and seems so magical, and it signifies change!
Yes, people. Yes, New Englanders. It signifies change. Imagine living in a place where its always at least 75 degrees, and humid as possible. You own a sweatshirt because everywhere you go, the AC is jacked. Now doesn’t a natural cold sound so much better!? Granted, I recognize that I have it easy. I don’t own a car, so I don’t have to go through a daily ritual to make sure the car doesn’t turn into a solid block of ice. That would definitely change my opinion of wintery fun.
This image is a picture of the view on the bridge to Mackworth Island. I took it this summer. When it was reeeeally hot.
10.29.06
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love paper mache’. Anatomical drawing is one of my strong points. And Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is my all time favorite movie. What do all these things have in common? I did them all this weekend. Friday, my roommates and I threw an amazing Halloween Party. Almost all of our great friends were there; there was dancing, great costumes, and apple bobbing. It was amazing.
As if that simply wasn’t enough, I also spent all of Saturday in Boston. My friend Ally’s boyfriend, Nate, is the Technical Director for the Roxbury Community College’s theatre, and he needed some people to help
paint and make sets. I love set design. So at 9 AM on Saturday, Ally, Nate, Justin, Blake, and I all drove to Boston. After making a plywood tree look three-dimensional with paper mache’, and once Justin and Blake finished painting a house for a theatrical rendition of “To Kill A Mocking Bird,” we set off to the Boston Science Museum to see Body Worlds II. I can’t begin to describe how hauntingly amazing this exhibit is, so I won’t try, but the website is below. After that, we ate some amazing food, and then set off to see “The
Nightmare Before Christmas”…in 3D. It was mind-blowing.
Best weekend. Ever.
For Body Worlds II: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_Worlds
10.22.06
Yesterday was the longest yet nicest art day I’ve had in a while. But I really think it was because I didn’t spend the entire day in the studio. Yesterday was the Second Annual Fall Folio Feast, put on by the Maine Illustrators Collective, a group of local illustrators that get together on a monthly basis to discuss art and illustration, critique each other’s work, and eat good food. The Fall Folio Feast, this year, consisted of about 40 individual illustrators and about 15 art buyers/publishers. Basically, you snag some good food and some coffee, listen to a wonderful guest speaker, and then stand by your portfolio for two hours to discuss it. It’s mind-boggling. I wound up leaving the Feast feeling really great. I’d gotten two publisher’s business cards for my two (very different) styles, and had also really appreciated the guest speaker, Melissa Sweet. I’ve been struggling with my work lately. It’s a three-week cycle, really. I think that everything I do should just be burned. M elissa Sweet is absolutely amazing—she’s illustrated over 60 books, designs toys for toddlers, and has recently written and drawn her own book, “Carmine,” which was on the Top Ten List for Illustrated Books this year. Needless to say, she’s inspiring. But what struck me was how, on a daily basis, she goes through exactly what I go through, which is feeling artistically inadequate. Apparently by 4 PM every day, she feels like she “should burn in a fiery crash.”
This may sound odd, but there’s nothing more inspiring than knowing your idols go through the same rigorous emotional process that you do. On a daily basis.
Notes: this picture is actually of a figurine I have made of Steven, the Anarchist Armadillo. It technically has nothing to do with the MEIC. But! This does!
Here’s their website:
http://www.maineillustratorscollective.org
And here’s Melissa Sweet’s website:
http://www.melissasweet.net
10.15.06
Biking around South Portland is absolutely horrendous, as it has no bike lanes whatsoever, and the traffic is terrifying because everyone is either getting on or off the highway. It’s also terrifying if your bike rack is
on very loosely, therefore making crashing, metallic noises every time you hit a pothole. And you BET there are a lot of potholes. Apparently, according to studies of Portland, out of a census of 9,000 people, the amount of people that use their bikes as their main form of transportation is…eight. Eight people out of 9,000. Part of it is the fact that Portland is relatively hard to get around by bike. Many a times I’ve hesitated going to a party, to a certain art store, or even grocery shopping because, quite frankly, after working in the  studio for 14 hours and getting only 5-6 hours of sleep, biking more than a mile seems ridiculous. In the end, I cave though. And now I have bionic muscles. But with the crazy fluctuating gas prices, I can’t help but wonder why I don’t see more people making a move toward biking… It’s healthy, and fun, and FREE. Overall, I may have spent roughly 120 bucks on my bike in the past year. And that includes the purchasing of the actual bike. I’m no mathematician…but I’m guessing a car is more expensive.
10.08.06
“How I Didn’t Finish The 24-Hour Comic Day, or rather, Knowing When To Stop: An Artist’s Guide to Sanity”
So when I woke up Saturday morning, I was pumped and ready to go. I had all my supplies purchased, all my food prepared, and a loose idea of what I wanted to write for my comic. I got to MECA with 15 minutes to spare, snagged some Red Bull from CVS, and wandered up to the Illustration Studio to discover that it had been
literally transformed into a comic jam session.
By 10:14 exactly, I was set: I nodded that I was beginning to Rick, one of the owners of Casablanca Comics (a rockin’ comic store downtown), and the main coordinator of the marathon, and I got to it.
I spent the first three hours drawing thumbnails and laying out my story. I still do not feel like this was a waste of time. I was pretty prepared to get crackin’ on my final artwork by 2:30 PM, and that gave me roughly 20 hours to draw my finals. 5 and a half hours later...I had three pages done, 9 hours had passed, and I was beginning to hate my art. I felt cross-eyed.
Allow me to explain: I’m insane. I work on about 4-6 projects at a time, assigned and outside work, and can beat the studio anywhere from 8 to 14 hours a day. This by no means hurts me: I love it in fact. I jam out an
insane amount of art, and do it in an artsy, flowing space. Working for 9 hours straight on  1 project is very unlike me. I was beginning to feel like a bad artist, and felt that if I quit, I’d be a quitter, and no one likes a quitter.
Luckily, help arrived: my best friend Trina appeared out of nowhere from Sacred and Profane, to keep me company. She immediately keyed into my mood, and offered this advice, which I now offer to you: “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. And not doing something you don’t want to isn’t quitting: it’s knowing your limitations.”
[This image is a picture of the stairwell of the house where Trina lives in South Portland. Allow it to sooth and inspire you all at once!]
10.01.06
This weekend I was what society calls a “consumer whore.” Sometimes it’s just inevitable. You have a list of errands you have to run, and they all involve spending money. It’s impossible to run these errands locally, so you find yourself traveling to South Portland, and whipping out your debit card an impossible amount of times. Suddenly you discover that it’s been almost five hours, and you’ve been shopping that entire  time, and only at corporate chains. ...And that frightens you.
Luckily, though, I managed to purchase almost my entire Halloween costume at Salvation Army and TJ Maxx, so I spent roughly 12 bucks on the entire outfit. I am going as a disco dancer. In drag.
P.S. The attached image is from a CHILDREN’S RACK at TJ Maxx. Repeat:children’s. XX-Large for people UNDER THE AGE OF 14. These shirts are large enough for grown, overweight men. ...This also frightens me.
09.24.06
Entering Illustration professor Scott Nash’s studio is like walking into a dream I once had, only the ceilings were higher, and it was my studio. There are illustrated books literally lining the walls; bright colors from other artists’ work, as well as Scott’s, swirl around the doorways; hand-made figurines of Scott’s more famous works and works in progress dawdle around any flat surface possible. Needless to say, it’s hard to concentrate entirely on a lesson with all this stimuli around. I think it’s really easy to get lost in the creation of art, so the whole
“where the art is going” gets completely lost. It’s really beyond reality-slamming to sit in an overly-saturated studio once a week with a popular children’s book illustrator and discuss how to get a message across via animation, film, or video game. I also feel strangely heavy levels of anxiety regarding this approach,
however, because I’m a little bit of a rebel whe n it comes to messages—I like being a little, what’s it called, over the top with educating about social issues, and I have absolutely no problem sneaking into a library and making a ton of photocopies of my work to distribute. So when I’m asked to be a little, hm, more professional with my work, I’m not quite sure yet whether it’s freeing or cloistering. Either way, I’m currently developing a set of characters for an animation/comic book that include: Steven, the Anarchist Armadillo; Rhonda, the found-art-artist raccoon; Jerome, the genderqueer gorrilla; Melody, the social-worker giraffe; and Brady, the bartending bat. |