Final Projects

As of noon today I know what every single one of my final projects are.  I'm actually extremely excited about my photo final.  It has to do with light.  How it bends, how it reflects, how it casts shadows.  I'm very amenable to this concept.  Its the entire reason why I became interested in photography in the first place.  Light fascinates me.  Drawing final is a 2 panel combining 2 projects from this quarter.  Still not sure what I'm doing yet, but I should get started on that sooner rather than later.  I only have a few more projects to do in color class, and those I should be able to finish in class.  Solid.  Still working diligently on my sculpture final which is shaping up nicely.  Besides being strenuous and extremely tedious, I'm confident that I will have it done in spectacular fashion by the final critique next wed.

Now I need to wrap up all of my homework assignments and notebooks and 2 tests to study for and I'll be home free.  For some reason week 8 is the worst.  Week 9, when I should be freaking out about everything that's due, all I'm doing is getting excited about being done.  I have 4 classes left of each class.  I cannot wait to be finished and on spring break! 

I'll take pictures when everything is done.  Til then I'm just going to enjoy the ride :-)

Weekend activities

Alright, so I lied a little.  While I am still firmly committed to not working on school work, I am technically still doing work from school.  Basically I'm taking this wonderful Friday off to...do laundry.  And involved in that laundry is working on getting all the paint and plaster out of my clothes that either didn't come out the first time or have yet to be treated.  I love being busy, I love being busy, I love being busy...

Other than that I don't foresee myself doing anything else art related this weekend.  I do have actual work to deal with so I'm sure that will consume my time.  I may post pictures of my final projects when they're finished, but I haven't decided yet.  Let me know if you wanna see them!  Just remember I'm still in my first year of art studies, even if I am a senior.

Weekend!

Miracles do happen!  Today at the Air Force Museum, using charcoal, I managed to keep all of it on the paper and not on me!  This has never happened before.  I can barely walk into the drawing studio on a graphite day and not get charcoal all over my face.  But in broad indoor lighting and public atmosphere I kept all of my charcoal to three fingers, all of them being used in the drawing process.  I am so totally excited!

Ok, so back to some semblance of professionalism.  I picked a spot in the Cold War Gallery as it tends to have a special place for my family.  We normally spend a lot of time in that gallery anyway so I figured since I knew it so well I could get right to work.  I chose a spot up on the overlook for a good vantage point.  Lately I've been an extreme rebel and have been breaking the rules of art a lot.  Well, there aren't really rules, but as a student I'm not supposed to center my subject in the middle of my paper.  Not in drawing, not in photo, not in any composition.  They say that once I've graduated I'll understand why we don't do this and how to use it effectively, but not until then.  While I think they are very right about all of these reasons, I have had a compulsion that I can't resist.  Its come out in nearly every class.  Today, I centered a giant plane right in the middle of my paper, splitting it directly in half.  I'm in love with it, and technically it won't always be in the center as this will be a 2 panel drawing.  She seemed to be ok with it.  I'm working on a new technique using compressed charcoal, a medium I've always had difficulty using.  Now I actually know what I'm doing and the end result is turning out quite nicely.  Granted, it looks better from far away, but the point is the texture, not the details.  That's something I've always had difficulty letting go of.

So thus ends my week and begins my weekend.  As I said earlier I'm taking the weekend off and not going to school.  Probably won't post again til Monday.  Yay weekend!

Drawing

Today is fairly centered around drawing.  I finished 2 projects fairly quickly today in color class (only because we'd already spent 2 days working on them and I got stuck on my paint project, the medium and I don't get along) so I took the opportunity to run down to the tunnels and try a more creative angle for my drawing homework.  I left 3 hours before it was due and was still afraid that I wouldn't be able to finish it in time.  Normally my drawing homework takes me about 4 hours to do and I'm still never fully satisfied with the results.  But today must be a good day as I finished in only an hour.  I'm going to take a break and go back to look at it.  It probably will need a lot of work with that fresh eye.

Later today though our drawing class will be traveling to the Air Force Museum to do some sketches out there.  I'm not sure exactly what we're doing, but actually going to the museum for class is something I'm looking forward to.  I mean, I've only been there about...oh a 100 times.  Being the daughter of a retired Air Force guy kinda makes you more inclined to visit.  Not a problem, I still find it fascinating.  And without my dad there I'm pretty sure I'll get to linger on whatever plane I want to.

My carving in sculpture class is actually going really well.  Its hard and tiring, but I can actually see my little model start to emerge from the plaster.  I gotta be doing something right.  I really just want it to be done.  I'm going to make a bold choice to take the weekend off from studio.  I'm not going to go to lab over the weekend.  This may mean that I will have to double time is next week to get everything done before finals really set in, but I'm going to have faith that I need this break and it won't be in vain.  I'm really starting to feel the stress of everything and I'm getting a little concerned.  I feel like I'm a giant burden to everyone around me and that I'm constantly in the way.  I just need to make it through this quarter and I'll be fine, I know it. 

The end of the quarter can't come fast enough.

Just as a side note, I went back and reprinted my contact sheets.  There was no way I could turn in those other ones.  And I made 2 prints in class yesterday and they look great!  Even the panning shot turned out decent.  I'm very excited.  One more photo project and I can move on to bigger and better things next quarter!

Contact Sheets

Sorry I  didn't post this yesterday, it got late fast.  I went into the photo lab after I was finished with my drawing class at 5:45.  I just finished the 3rd panel on my panoramic, which I think turned out very nicely.  When I say finished I mean for in class work.  It is no where near showable, something I need to work on before I put it in my portfolio for scholarship applications in a week.

So it was already pretty late when  I went to the photo lab to develop.  Thankfully my good friend was there with me to keep me company... and sane.  We developed and made our contact sheets and stared in wonder at how little can come out of a motion shot.  They are much trickier than I had hoped.  While many of my blur and panning shots turned out not so great, I do feel that I took some pretty nifty stop action shots.  I especially like a short series of them that I did with water.  Those turned out great.

I did have some trouble with the enlarger that I couldn't figure out, so there is a pale stripe down each page of my contact sheets.  Even after I printed them twice I couldn't figure out what was causing the issue.  I changed the filter and even the contact carrier.  But by that point the lab aide was trying to close up shop so    I had to skiddadle out of there, meaning I went home after 9 leaving my wet contact sheets in the drying rack for this morning.  Hopefully it won't affect my grade too badly, but I guess we'll see.

I think I need to do a digital study with motion to figure out a less expensive way to get the shots I want without wasting film.  Although I did see a flyer in the lab yesterday about a dark room facility in Kettering I may want to check out.  Looks expensive if I don't have a Kettering address, but maybe they have a student discount or something.  Anyways, I won't be going there until the summer as I'll still have access to the dark room on campus next quarter in my 2 photo classes.  I am rather looking forward to only taking photography studios next quarter.  I need a break from all this running around.  And that extra time will make it easier to find an after school job (which I have begun applying for, here's hoping).  Need something to pay for all those art supplies.  Being an artist is not cheap.  I'm fairly positive that artists didn't starve for their work on purpose but out of necessity.  Like the man who used his pillow and blanket to paint on because he ran out of paper and canvas.  Yeah, supplies are expensive.

Today I return to the photo lab to make prints from those last 2 rolls and then over to the sculpture studio to hammer away at a big block of plaster.  That assignment is turning out to be not as fun as I thought.  Maybe I'm just getting burnt on final projects.  They do seem to pile up quickly.

Photo Homework

Yesterday I got to spend a lot of time with my 2 favorite people who were gracious enough to help me with my latest photo assignment.  Its a shutter speed project, so entirely dealing with motion.  I've never really done motion shots effectively, and this time I have the disadvantage of working with film.  So there is a pretty good chance that out of 72 exposures not a thing will turn out.  I'm really hoping that this doesn't happen.

But my 2 willing (if resistant) companions helped me along.  They staged fight scenes and break ups and all sorts of things.  My boyfriend did take the cake though as he allowed my friend to throw a glass full of water straight in his face all for my grade.  I don't think I've had a lot of people that dedicated to helping me around before.  That act alone was better than flowers and chocolate and anything else he's ever gotten me.  What can I say?  I definitely don't deserve him.

Unfortunately for this assignment the weather turned horrible again, thank you Ohio.  I wanted to get more outdoors shots and things like animals or something.  I had a great idea for the swing set at a park actually.  But when it drops down to the lower 40s and is raining...you don't have a lot of options.  My friend came to my rescue again today and let me steal into her guard rehearsal so I could take some pictures of her writing the work and teaching it to the group.  If they turn out I'll make it into a present for their guard.  They were really good sports about it.

Tomorrow I will finish my last roll of film, whether the weather works with me or not.  Then I get to develop and make my contact sheet, praying the entire time that there will be some usable images amongst the mayhem.  Here's hopin'!

Sculpture Studio Friday

Getting ready to mix the plaster

So, Friday's are the best because there are no classes scheduled. And while you may think that this means every week has a three day weekend, you may also be mistaken. They actually give us this day off so that we can get caught up on all of our work. In some way, they know inherently that for a 3.5 hour class, there is not enough time outside to do the proper amount of homework. In addition to just the college class time:homework ratio, there is the fact that we are making art projects and everything has to be just right. There is no project that you do it once and everything turns out perfect. We're just not that lucky.

This past Friday I went into the sculpture studio to get caught up on my work. We're prepping for our final project which is a carved item directly out of plaster. This meant I had to mix enough plaster to fill a box that is 18in x 10in x 15in. So me and a few other friends who were behind in studio took time out of our beautiful Friday afternoon to mix plaster. And when I say time I mean 2 hours on our hands and knees, elbow deep in plaster.

Getting into the fun

While it was a nice day out with the temperature above 50, we had just finished our last project, and we wanted to be anywhere but stuck inside the studio, it was actually a really fun afternoon. Spending time with great people just talking and enjoying the process. Even though a lot of our bonding was complaining about critiques and due dates and horrible assignment foils, it was extremely nice experience. When I was a science major I barely got to know my fellow classmates. We were all very focused on studying and passing our classes that we acted more like horses with blinders on than people with the same general interests and purposes. It was very refreshing having a conversation while getting homework done. Very cathartic even.

After a couple hours, we're starting to get a little loopy...

 As you should be able to see from the photos, this was an extremely messy process.  I, for one, am horrible about staying clean while working and ended up a slightly mobile plaster cast myself.  I'm pretty sure its going to take a week to get the plaster out of my jeans alone.  When I left I not only had dried plaster bits all down my front and shoes, but I also had plaster dust particles glued to my arms and hands which in turn transferred over to my black jacket.  And then my car keys.  And purse.  And eventually scared a fellow classmate in the photo lab who thought I was a reptile shedding a layer of skin.  If you couldn't guess I went straight home and showered.

Monday I will begin the process of turning my tiny little clay model into a full sized sculpture.  I have roughly 2.5 weeks to finish this project and get it ready for final critique, plus finishing all the rest of my homework for this class which is considerable.  Especially considering I have to fix my other sculpture that broke last week ten minutes before critique.  Oh well, cest la vie.  Needless to say, I'll be very busy the next few weeks.  That'll teach me for taking 4 studio classes in 1 quarter.  Not that I won't do it again, but I can definitely see why they tell you not to :-)

Opening Statement

Well, I feel as though I should have started this last September, but better late than never, right? Seems to be my general trend in life. Better late than never.

I transferred to Wright State in September of last year. I am currently in the 7th week of classes of my 2nd quarter as an Arts major. I am working on my B.F.A. concentration in photography and planning on graduating next March (God willing). I am a non-traditional student, going to school when I can find money. I have essentially spent 6 years in college, though I haven't put in 6 years of classes. I am by far ready to graduate and start an actual career.

My first degree program was zoology. I have been geared towards zoology since I was in the 6th grade. Everything I have done has been to prepare me for a career as a scientist. While things like music and photography interested me in high school, I never really thought I could make a living with them. I pushed everything to the back burner to focus on zoology. This is what carried me to Ohio after high school.

I tell you this so that you can understand where I'm coming from and how I think. I approach things first and foremost like a scientist. This makes things very interesting for me as an art student now. For example, when learning new techniques in printmaking, I didn't ask "What can I make with this process?", I asked, "What chemical reactions allow this process to be possible?!". Agreed, this is quirky and unusual, but I feel in a way it makes me a stronger artist. Unusual is the name of the game, right?

So I started this blog to chronicle my times, and my struggles, as an art student. Hopefully I'll be diligent and post daily. You should keep on me about that.