[more figurines broken apart, silver caps being fabricated]

[in progress- sanding and polishing.

work done at the end of the day friday]

BOBBY COLEMAN'S ART

Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA

Sherri, Taylor and I took a short trip to Philly Friday night to Saturday night. There were a lot of problems throughout the trip but we made it there and back safe. 

We got there late friday night and went out to eat at Fergie's Pub. We all got the special, Guinness braised beef stew- it was AMAZING! We had a few drinks at midnight for Sherri's birthday then went back to the hotel. In the morning we ate breakfast at Sabrina's cafe (a place Sherri's friend recommended). It was a small, artsy looking place with unique dishes with huge portions :) It was amazing!! Then it was on to the MUTTER MUSEUM. 

i had read a little information on the Mutter Museum but i wasn't sure what to expect. i thought it would probably be like Body works. It was a small museum but it was packed with interesting things. They had a wall of skulls with wall texts with the names, age, and how they died. It was crazy! My favorite part of the museum was the antique medical instruments! [In a past blog i was going to do my 

honors project on that but i couldn't find much information on it] I was like a kid in a candy store... I loved the intricate forms and crazy mechanisms some of them had and the boxes they came in were AWESOME! I am such a fan of boxes but these were old, wooden boxes with tiny compartments and were locked with skeleton keys!! ahhh! I told Taylor i wanted to change my honors project right there. hehe maybe those are ideas for grad school? I did not want to leave and i was very disappointed i couldn't take pictures. I did buy a book on antique medical instruments! 

after the Mutter we had to navigate our way back to get the car. We stopped at the market? It was huge and had every kind of food you could ever want. I was in heaven and hell because i was still full from a delicious breakfast so i didn't eat anything. I wish i had been.

We also went to the Fabric Workshop & Museum. It turned out to be a gallery with a tiny museum gift shop like the one at the Cooper Hewitt. The gallery was small but it had some interesting sculptures. it was an unexpected surprise to find out that was a gallery.

Philly was a lot of walking around trying to figure out where we were and it didn't help that we had 2 personalities in the group that did not work well together. I was surprised how spread out everything was in Philly, you had to walk a lot of take cabs. On out way out of the city we stopped at Tony Luke's to get cheesesteaks. Took forever but i had to get a cheesesteak in Philly.

TU student art show

My lockets and i think 1 or 2 dryer sheet pieces made it into the show! Hooray! The last few years they didn't really accept 3d work mostly paintings. So, this is a happy day! Taylor and Sherri also has things in the show! yay us :)

new sketches

Last Friday I attended the Mcdaniel grad school panel arranged by the art club & Professor Steven Pearson. It consisted of 8 Mcdaniel alumni currently attending graduate programs (first & second year) and the post-bac program at MICA. Most had graduated from Mcdaniel with a focus in painting/ illustration and a little bit of sculpture.

Mcdaniel's art program is smaller and limited than most colleges but doesn't lack in ability to prepare their students for graduate school. They don't offer the wide range of concentrations other schools have but their success rate for graduate acceptance is vastly growing thanks to Professor Pearson. He is one of those professors that the students are truely lucky to have. He cares about his students and their future. Those professors are rare and hard to come by, good thing the Metals & Jewelry progam at TU has those kind of professors! Last May, eight graduating students from the Mcdaniel art program applied to graduate school and all were accepted into degree or certificate programs: American University (DC), University of Delaware, George Washington University, and MICA (Baltimore).

20-25 people: art club members, advanced studio students, and others (like me) attended the panel discussion. 7 graduate and 2 post-bac students sat in a row in front of the lecture hall and each gave a short presentation on their experience applying, work, school, etc.After each presentation there was time for questions and answers.
i thought the talk was helpful. I attended it last year as well when Bobby was going to be applying. I especially like seeing how each person's work changed/ grew throughout their 1st year and into their 2nd year in graduate school. I know bobby's has changed from what he applied with to now (almost the end of his 1st semester). If i was more oriented in 2d work, the talk would have helped me more because some of the programs don't offer metalsmithing or jewelry courses/tracks but it's still interesting to get a glimpse into another track. I have gone to American University several times with Bobby and have seen each of the 20? grad students studios. I admire their work even though it's not my medium, i started out at Towson as a painting major :)
There are 4 in particular AU grad students that I am fascinated with (other than bobby): Amy krieger, Jill Bonahom, Sara ?, and Claire ?. *i'll find those last names soon. Each of them have totally different styles but they are amazing at fine art! I love walking into their studios and admiring their work. It makes me miss painting. I like how AU challenges their grads and tries to push them to the next level. I can see it in Bobby's work.
One thing i would stress to everyone is to go out there and look at work that's different from your own. the art world may be a big place but it's good to know what's going on in it. It's also good to design review with people from other tracks/ backgrounds because they will come at it from a different way. They will ask quesitons you may not think of.

[feet epoxied into the caps and bezels pushed over]

UPDATE: before the metals club meeting, i was pushing the bezels over more for a tighter fit when one of the bezels broke... i don't know why this piece is so difficult! It was my fault during the soldering stage probably but it sucks. i almost threw the entire thing in the trash. I'm tried of yelling at it. Instead of smashing it, throwing it away, barfing on it, whatever - I sawed the bad cap off, filed the joint, and started sanding again... 

i know the 2nd time around would be better because i know the technical steps and better ways to go about things. I might just start over but it feels like such a waste of time even though i know i've learned something from every problem.

[clean bench area]

[make up station after an all nighter]

inspiration box

i found this box in the beginning of the semester and i've been filling it with fragments of the things i've been working on for honors. it's been collecting randomly and not on purpose but i like how it's working out. it will be cool to see it at the end of next semester.

not sure where this idea is going yet but it's a start

Jacque 3rd hand Hands

Testing its durability.

"If it can survive with Jan, it can survive anywhere"- Danielle Carmen

[single foot brooch modeled by Jan Baum]

11/12/09 studio shot

[jacque did a superb job decorating for halloween! it's too festive to take down so i think it's staying like this until we all graduate]

[mine and jacque's disaster zone... it's growing!]

[earrings created spring 2008]

-->where it all started!

Me and the dryer sheets started 3 years ago(?) in the alternative materials class with Megan Auman with a really really bad sculpture. It was my first crafts class and i was new to it all. That's when I started playing around with machine sewing dryer sheets and quilting them.

-a year later, in Jan's Design & Production class, we were asked to do a quick green design project. So, i experimented with dying the dryer sheets (waste product) with easter egg dye. I found out that i could get vibrant colors but the color rubbed off on clothing so i set it with by ironing. For that green project I made maybe 10 pairs of earrings, all varying on color, design, layers but in the same style. They were a hit but with use, we found that one's body heat causes the dryer sheets to curl. Another issue i had with them was that i was using scrap-booking grommets. I needed another way of attachment/connection.

[earrings created October 2009]

-with dryer sheets still close to my heart, i chose to further explore their potential this semester in 2 lines: the ring series and brooch collection, where i would address alternative connections and treatments

-this is yet another extension of my research, the earrings. I'm tying all my signature elements into them with the pierced pattern, red thread, material, etc. i think it's a good start. I think my collections this semester need some refining and more design brainstorming but i think I'm heading in a good direction.

yay camera today!

I remembered to bring my camera today so i can document more progress. Plus, who really reads long text entries on blogs?? pictures please! (just kidding, i actually do) 

[dryer sheet ring series. more exploration on various ways to use/treat the dryer sheets. 2 or 3 are missing because i submit them to the student show.]

[wish i could include ALL of the rings.. oh well, this will have to do]

[ring band exploration in sterling silver]

Design Brief

Ever since Jaime Salm came to lecture at Towson University, I have been thinking about design briefs and writing project parameters like Jaime suggested. Then when i was flipping through one of my all time favorite books, Olver's Jewelry Design, i came across her suggestions on writing a design brief.
[it's so weird how things connect in life sometimes. another example: latest issue of Metalsmith magazine had an article that is strangely connected with my honors project. crazy!]


According to Elizabeth Olver (from her book on Jewelry Design p.32-33) it's a good idea to write a design brief and a personal design brief. Her suggestions start with what to include in a design brief: concept, context, cost, materials, scale, production process, time frame, end user, scale of piece, size of collection, etc. *focus on design process *express aims and objectives
*give your project a sense of purpose and direction
*concentrate your thoughts so they can be kept relevant (too easy to get distracted)


-Jaime had thought it was helpful to answer: who, what, when, how, why for a specific project
-Olver's personal design brief= clarify your own personal intentions

Article research

more HONORS PROJECT RESEARCH (yes, i'm still reading)

*quotes/phrases that stood out to me from articles found in TU library databases :

Metalsmith. V.24 no2 (Spring 2004) p.52
"EVOCATIVE OBJECTS: STUDIO METALSMITHING AND JEWELRY"
(Bannister Gallery, RI College. OCT-NOV 2003) Review by Katherine Ingraham

- 21 artists, collection of jewelry & tableware

-'evocative', is that the wide range of human emotions waiting to be triggered can lead to an unusually diverse set of objects

-focus on potency of an object as a direct result of the artist's studio craft practice (the actual making)

and their individual response to the format with all its personal and social relevance

-the making of objects that embody... 'an expressive voice distinct from other art forms'

-narrative elements

-potential emotional impact of the unique maker's mark

-transformative qualities that are activated by physical interaction

-movements produce mesmerizing effects that evoke childhood play and suggest the infinite

-interaction with the body

-weight and point of impact alters the way in which its wearer moves through the world

-direct format removes interference and allows immediate access to memory

-objects of adornment and components in a larger installation

-irrefutable evidence of human individuality. these gain considerable strength in numbers (particularly in presentation)

-strains of thought emerge in response to the various artist's work

Sculpture (Journal). V.17 No4 (1998) p.73
"Crafting Identity: Commemorative Objects by Mary Douglas"
(Wearly Studio Gallery. Royal Oak, MI)
Review by Gerry Craig
-through material and intellectual culture, collectively shape our national identity

-honoring fundamental need of humans to surround themselves with objects

which have meaning to them, even if they are ugly or ridiculous objects

-souvenirs are no less authentic than the art found in museums because each is a cultural 'product'

-commemorative objects represent our fascination with place, serve as mnemonic devices,

and perhaps are true definitions of broad cultural values

-visual reference to these humble manufactured trinkets,

yet are also a denial of them because they are individual and handcrafted

-ricochet visually and intellectually between personal decorative objects which

grace domestic spaces to public monuments which shape our collective understanding of American history

-irrational mix of cultural icons at tourist attractions (example: mini china set painted with the Hoover dam)

-reference ordinary decorative domestic objects

-maintain their reference to the ordinary

Metalsmith. V.29 No5 (2009) p.22-30
"OBJECTS OF REMEMBERANCE: Contemporary Mourning Jewelry"
By Marjorie Simon

-to lose a love object, be it virtual or tangible, is to feel in some measure abandoned, adrift...

-mourners crave comfort, and people connect to share the heavy work of mourning. Artists turn to making.

*-objects can be the vessels for ideas and vectors for feelings, including memory

-nearly everyone has cherished objects inhabited by past narratives,

and it is no accident that jewelry has historically been a major repository for memories.

-jewelry worn to signify mourning communicates wordlessly to others

-[17 &18th C.] jewelry provided a way to express tender and deep emotions which might be otherwise prohibited

-[victorian era] mourning itself seemed to become an art

-wide range of contemporary mourning jewelry:

1. historically themed work, memento mori objects

(memento mori= "remember, you are mortal", general warning about the transitory nature of life)

2. conscious Victoriana

3. commemorative narratives

-hair curled in decorative patterns given in friendship or worn to signify closeness between women

-mourning brooch... cut ends would be visible;

the cut edge 'embodied' the moment of transition from the natural (living) to the cultural (dead)

*-jeweler have at some time created objects that refer to a significant personal loss

-a loss that for them cannot be metabolized without making something

-life is long; losses accumulate.

*-the personal commemorative object has layers of meaning, some of which may be coded.

-work done mainly for oneself, often not for public consumption, may be quieter and contemplative.

-talisman, materializes fear

-historian Christiane Holm believes that mourning jewelry serves the function of 'showing and hiding'

and that it is important to understand how 'hiding and revealing, absence and presence, anonymity

and naming operate to sustain acts of memory'.

-function of souvenirs:'mourning jewels,' she says, 'are exhibited secrets.'

-when we concentrate on a material object, 'the very act of attention may lead to our involuntarily

sinking into the history of that object... transparent things, through which the past shrines.'

**-commemorative objects, jewelry, and mementos stand in for an historical moment and everything

associated with it from that time forth.

-creating an intimate object offers as much solace as possessing it

-literally, painstaking work. work at which one takes pains can gradually abrade the pain of loss

working through ideas

[original broken pieces necklace idea]
[bracelet sketch with cotton and tape (from story)]

more ideas, more sketches... i have an entire wall of sketches so i don't know if i will be able to scan and post all of them. Here's a locket idea/sketch:

ps- i am in LOVE with the Elizabeth Olver book on Jewelry design!!

sketches for lollipop stick story

[sketching and design team review with taylor]
[messy sketches on notebook paper]

more handwriting samples, scanned and ready for photoshop:

[fragments of 3 stories that really stood out to me]

[PNP ready]

I feel happy with my technology skills when i scan in my handwriting, paste sections into photoshop with the typewriter fonts, invert colors, and mirror the text. Seems simple but you wouldn't believe how long it took me to learn it. I had a lot of practice with my lockets last semester.

where was i last semester?

Apparently last semester i forgot i had a blog. I did not blog about hardly any of my work from Spring 2009. Here's a Rhino/hyper shot rending of a spray can box for my graffiti brooches i designed in Rhino.

I love etchings in art jewelry. I think it adds a personal, meaningful quality commercial jewelry doesn't have. I became a huge fan during my locket series where i etched parts of my adoption documents into bronze especially with typewriter font.


Here i've taken 2 stories, the figurine and walnut stories, typed them in a rough typewriter font and also cut out a few parts and played around with sizing. At the bottom there is handwriting as well which i wrote with a fine tip pen, scanned the paper and pasted it into the word document. One thing about etching to remember, MIRROR your image! i ruined several PNP sheets when i forgot to do that.

[below: etched silver]

[tester sheet- not inverted colors yet (save ink)

1. make sure you know which side of the paper it's printing on

2. check size of font and spacing]

[after the tester came out right, i printed this inverted version onto the PNP sheet]

Since i had done a lot of etching for my lockets i know whether or not i want the words recessed or raised. In this case i want them recessed.

more evilness

I feel so evil cutting apart these cute little ceramic figurines but it's all for the sake of art, so it's okay. It's been increasing harder to find figurines! I think i have wiped out all the thrift stores in my area for potential figurines. My latest finds: duck,  cow, deer salt and pepper shakers (i thought they were foxes but taylor pointed out that they had hooves).

[head cut off from the body.. ready to cut into 2 parts]

[cow hooves cut off (right)]

[getting started... the deer are actually easier to cut through then most of them]

[oh, i feel so evil yet so productive]

[should this be this satisfying?]

[successful cut with no breaking, sometimes they like to break randomly while cutting]

studio shots

[some of the very 1st sketches i did for my honors project]
[my bench neighbor, the lovely Jacque Bisker] all the heads i've cut off have made it on Jacque's bench. I think it makes her day :) [latest ceramic figurine= cow]
The duck is a lot harder to cut through so i'll have to keep working on that one.

The animal parts seem to move around on their own (or my peers are playing around :)) -deer bodies stuck together. Also, to the right is the cow butt/tail.

walnut rings?

[walnut story sketches]
I envision these pieces in silver soldered to a flat sheet with etchings of the story on the back. maybe 2 pieces fit together like a real walnut? the problem with that is that it will be really thick.

Based on the walnut story, one particular walnut was a spinning champion.. Since i'm making pieces that are inspired by the story i was thinking about spinning walnut rings. People often spin their rings when they are stressed or bored. It's one of those weird habits like biting your nails or clicking your pen. Not sure how this is going so far but i'd like to send them out to a caster to get an estimate.

student show entries

Tomorrow i will be submitting 3 entries into the student show at Towson University.

1. "Made in Korean" locket series (3 lockets)

2. (4) pieces from my new dryer sheet collection

3. steel vase from last summer

Wish me luck!

Jaime Salm - MIO CULTURE

MIO CULTURE

Jaime Salm lecture

@ Towson University 10/8/09

"Green Design for everyone!"

[Jan gearing up for the lecture]

A few notes from the lecture:
-Jaime was born in Colombia and went to college in Philadelphia, PA at an Art school
-while in college he studied college life and how students lived
-viewed the campus as a city/ organism *unique way to live
-extreme users: using chairs as tables, boxes as trash cans= students being resourceful
-how you live as a student is different than any other time
-behaviors? materials, sources
-extreme technology: reconsidering context and use
-redefining values through beauty and design

-how could something disposable/ not beautiful become something beautiful?
-who?
-what?
-when?
-how?
-why? [Design brief] *Design funnel= need someone to ask questions
-while in school, he created objects and placed them in stores for reactions
-then worked off those reactions to make better products

-transitioned from student to consultant
(was commissioned to design/ make "sale" signs for anthropologie)

= beginning of MIO

-went from consultant to entrepreneur, preparing business plans
-new studio= creative space FOR design
-DESIGN YOUR WORK
-DESIGN YOUR IDENTITY
-what is it about?

-what is your mindset?

-a collection= process/ translating ideas into reality
example of beginning products:
-tangent 3D wall paper- using recycled paper
(tested materials, researched all paper products)

-felt grid wall pockets - simple design

-stoop (exploring social aspect)

-beginning wall paper product lead to meeting with a big company

-took notes, listened carefully to the problems, then set out to solve them

(dimensions, technology, maintenance, safety)

-helped with new DESIGN BRIEF, one that answered all the questions

=* FLOW paper forms

-Idea factory: Re-Purposing industry

-local factory that produced molded wool hates= redesigned into lighting

*bringing out the best in what they do

=capsule light & shrum table lamps

-Customerization: eco- centric design *letting process define the design

ex. Bend it lamp

-inclusion / participation with customer

-designed a green line of gardening tools/ accessories for Target

-waste= raw material (consulting) -ex. Bloomberg project *paper chairs

designing objects for office spaces out of trash/ used paper

-*sustainable local manufacturing

found more notes (11/11/09):

-there's no such thing as waste

*sustainability& affordablity is key

*streamlining everything= edit and simplify!

-MIO CULTURE also has a location in Europe= more intuned with philosophy of sustainability

-thinking about the customer

-Europe is a good fit for MIO, good foresight in business

-sustainable furniture (question the essense of things): material redefined

-rubber stool= adressing waste, recycled tires- rethinking materials\

-naked line= exposing materials, educating customers

-Product Service system: returning things after use

-example: trask lamp= product line extension

*keep designing for changing technologies

-active sustainability** =product that generates a positive and quantifiable enviornmental impact each time it is used

-active participation= new product/user relationships (Target line)

*magical transformations

-mapping sustainability + local manufacturing +custom design+ functionality

(work within creative constraints)

-look beyond "recycled vs not recycled", think *product life

-green is not just about materials "stealthy green"

-innovation is going to happen in small batches

**THIS TIME IS RIPE FOR INNOVATION!**

*creative control, ethics, staying responsible -> don't compromise a chance for big $ if it doesn't stay true to your message

I LOVED Jaime's lecture on design!! It was so inspiring and i know everyone else loved it as well. It was one of the best lectures i've gone to at Towson University. What's even better is that he was around our studios during the day. I even got to meet with him and talk to him about my work! I was so nervous that i couldn't even speak. Here's this smart, young, very good looking, top designer and he was there to talk to us! Crazy!! All day i couldn't even say cohesive sentences or really make any sense. I kept making mistakes but I hope he got the drift of my work. I showed him the beginning of my dryer sheet collection. He made a lot of great suggestions and challenged me by asking questions. He suggested making design briefs for each project and set short parameters. I do them now so i can get a clearer view on what exactly i'm making and why.

inspirational artist

Islay Taylor

[neoprene necklaces]

i came across her blog randomly because it was named Evocative Objects... turns out she is a fan of Sherry Turkle's book as well. She even started a collection of contemporary memento mori jewelry. Funny thing is her work slightly looks like a blend of mine, sherri's, and danielle's work right now. I think her work is beautiful and i'm a huge fan! i just wish we weren't reading the same books! Hopefully she will be a fan of the honor's show in May.

studio all nighters

around 4am i looked down at my hands and realized how dirty they were... thought i would show the evidence of my hard work :)

[old sketches]

CAPS ARE SOLDERED TOGETHER!

- not polished (again) yet but at least i have proved to myself that i could do it

I need to write it down and see a list to wrap my head around this whole mid-semester deal.

Plus, i feel like i'm doing a million things at once and it will be a good way at organizing my thoughts.

STUDIO WORK:

HONORS

1. brainstorm, research, read, read, read, collect stories
2. write proposal, research grant proposal

3. choose committee member, meet with them individually
4. price compare, order supplies

5. sketch! fill inspiration wall

6. shop/search for objects at yard sales, thrift stores, etc

7. cut apart, grind, sand ceramic figurines

8. prong set broken pieces, then solder a few together

9. experiment with wax connections for broken pieces

10. fabricate 11 silver caps for feet

11. choose 2 feet, grind holes out, stuff with gauze

12. make individual feet into single brooches, explore pin stem

13. sand and polish all caps (learning to polish, started over and over again)

14. tester: sprue walnut shell halves, invest, 8 hr burn out, cast in bronze *1 survived

15. inquire about outsourcing silver castings

16. make rubber molds of walnut shell (2)

17. make algena molds (4)

18. create wax models from molds, compare textures

19. make wax mold, mix soldering clay, set caps in place, solder

20. clean up, tumble *broke! :(

21. start over?

[installation ideas- keeping it in mind through the entire process]

ADVANCED STUDIO:

1. brainstorm, sketch for a limited collection= series of rings?

2. pick materials -dryer sheets, steel, silver

3. tested found steel, did not work

4. play around with clean/ stream lined designs + patterns

5. make rings all with variations (6) -band shape, piercing, sheet shapes

6. experimented with large clamp shape for neckpiece= failed
7. made 2 smaller versions of clamp shape= failed

8. made earrings that reflect rings

9. added thread?

SOCIAL DESIGN PROJECT:

1. create a series of brooches *reusing a waste product, creating another life/ extending its product life, transforming it into new, beautiful, unexpected (8)

2. experiment with variations on sewn/ drawn elements and dryer sheet forms (formed, starched, frayed, cut, etc)

almost finished

[first thoughts- sketch]

along with the foot cluster brooch (my current hell), I decided to make 2 individual foot brooches. there was a lot of learning with the pin stem but i think i figured it out this time.

each of the individual foot brooches have holes cut out of the back of the ceramic foot with gauze inside to represent healing (from the story in a previous blog entry).

they are ALMOST done... i just need to epoxy then push the bezels over on the feet.

the big step

I have been cowardly avoiding soldering my precious feet caps.

I think i've tried polishing them at least 5 times through sand paper grits and then with the fabric abrasive set (thanks taylor). Starting over has been a frustrating process so once I had them to a good stage, i tumbled them. I thought i wanted to finish them as much as i could before soldering together. Later to find out, tumbling 1st wouldn't do anything... you live and learn. I've also been waiting for my soldering clay to come in from Rio. I've never tried soldering clay before but there was no other way of soldering them together at the different levels and angles. I had to jump today and attempt it...

[separated]... scared to touch them!

[leaning against one another]

figuring out how an arrangement

directions on the bottle said to make a [wax mold] for the clay to sit in, so i did like a good jeweler :)

mix soldering clay.

pour into mold.

*battle with superglue. superglue won.

sad moment.

[set piece, wait for clay to set up.]

solder (easier said than done)

*skipped photographing a few steps...

[3 soldering clay molds]

[1st section soldered]

soldered in 2 sections because glue wouldn't set.

after a constant battle with the solder, the 2 sections were finally together. 

(thanks for fixing the torch taylor)

make soldering clay mold for whole piece.

solder sections together. (where i am now 11:31pm)

good test run

50% success

*experiment to see if a real walnut shell would burn out*

1. break walnut in half

2. give insides to someone else to eat

3. paint nail polish on shell

4. sprue halves

5. invest

6. put in an 8hr burn out

7. cast in bronze

look at the detail of the inside of the nut!!

top of the metal nut

1 of the shell halves cast, the other did not. The investment must have collapsed in itself... i found out when the metal did not flow into the flask.

After some testers for more pieces for the advanced studio collection, i decided to continue with the ring style and make some earrings. Here's a start...

on the body

**adorning the clothing they once softened**

2nd life for the waste product, unrecognizable from original state

thank you for modeling Elise!

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

→ Focus on materials(the transformation of them) and techniques

brooch series

**experimentation of dryer sheets**

1. cut vs ripped

2. starched vs natural

3. formed vs flat

4. drawn on with ink vs plain

5. sewn vs plain

6. trimmed vs wild

**I liked how they turned out if they were maquettes. i'd like to make more refined versions and submit them to galleries like jeweler's werk (DC) and the Heidi Lowe gallery (Rehobeth beach). I am not completely happy with them but i think there's a lot of potential.

ahh NUTS!

After several attempts at different molds, i finally have some wax walnuts... we shall see if they work. Meanwhile, i have 2 walnut shells invested and waiting for a burnout. 

individual foot brooches

(NOT the real pin stem!)

I've never polished anything before! The shininess is crazy!

I'm running out of room! 

Sorry for taking up too much space guys.

New ideas

TESTER PIECES FOR SOCIAL DESIGN CRITIQUE:

experimenting with mechanisms, tea/ coffee staining, and fabric stiffeners 

2 new brooches to my sustainable design collection

UPDATE 11/2/09

I have discovered that if you stain dryer sheets with tea or coffee they mold in a few hours. ewww

I feel like i should throw them out but i want to show that i've been working. 

1.The brooch below was a mechanism failure and a tea stain tester... (molded after a few days)

2. next batch of dryer sheets stiffened with fabric starch, water, and coffee for color

-molded in a few hours while drying

3. starting over with water and fabric starch

oh how trial and error take up time :(

In my readings for my honors project, i've come across a connection with objects and tragic events (example 9/11) it then crosses over into the memorial, gravesite, etc. Why do people leave behind things like teddy bears, notes, etc, are they intended for the deceased/missing? Is it the publics response to tragedy, expressing emotions/ feelings through leaving objects? After tragedy people have an urge to gather. 

Something terrible happened to a family near by and immediately people started leaving behind flowers, stuffed animals, notes, candles, etc. 

HONORS: 3rd story

"This is probably going to sound ridiculous, but here goes. Before I had my kids and nursing helped to straighten out my boobs a bit, I was lopsided. 

Like, the right boob was almost a full cup bigger than the right! It was very embarrassing and only my closest friends knew about it. For either my 15th or 16th birthday, I truly cannot remember, one of my girlfriends bought me a zebra print push-up bra. It was also a water bra, and my girlfriend happened to be handy with sewing. She had taken out the water pad from the right cup, so that the bra would automatically even out my ta-tas! It was mostly given as a gag gift, and all my girlfriends and I had a good chuckle about it. The bra no longer fits and it certainly has seen better days, but I've hung onto it. My friend and I no longer talk, but I often wonder what she would think if she knew I had kept the bra all this time. Whether she knows it or not, telling people about my lopsidedness was a huge step for me towards self-acceptance. I guess that is what the zebra bra means to me! haha!"

4:17am- I can't sleep!
Another story collected for my Honors project:

"I do have something that I have an attachment to and don't know why. Maybe 7 or 8 years ago my mom got on a walnut kick and bought some. I didn't eat them, but I learned that I could spin a walnut like a top. So my brothers and I had walnut spinning competitions. After much trial and error, I found an unbeatable nut, one that would spin for over a minute without stopping. I called the nut "the great eye" and painted an eye on it. It never lost, and I saved it. I've had it ever since, and about a year ago one of my brothers found it and wanted to challenge it in another spinning competition. I realized that "the great eye" must have rotted inside, because it didn't spin as well anymore. I refused to tarnish its record in another spinning competition. I also wouldn't let anyone crack it open. I still have the nut. it's one of those weird things that I'm choosing to keep."

Honors

part of the wall that's dedicated to my honors project

used to be so blank! now there are ROUGH sketches

ALL the feet I have now have silver caps.

I went to a few thrift stores over the weekend and none had ceramic figurine animals with good feet! oh noooo. I need to find more!

sketches update

my area is growing off the bulletin board

latest edition to my dryer sheet collection

nice sketch

Updated 10/26/09 7:51pm

HAPPY FALL!

honors update

Every weekend i've been taking the opportunity to do some thrift store/ yard sale hunting for objects that reference my honors project. Currently it's been ceramic figurines that i've been searching for. 

I've been pretty picky with what I choose to work with because i want them to feel antique-ish, not too cutesy, and around the same size. 

I know it's been frustrating for whoever has been with me and thought they found a winner when i turn it down. Since the work is all my take on the stories, the objects have to evoke a certain feeling with me. I can't explain it but i know if a figurine is good enough or not.So far, i've found a lamb, elephant, 2 cats, seal and a dove. i should probably stop buying some and work with the ones I have. 

I have been experimenting and brainstorming with them. I've been cutting, bashing, breaking parts off on purpose and accidently then grinding the sharp edges down so i don't hurt myself or anyone else. Surprisingly, it takes forever to cut through them especially if they are glazed! The cutting wheels spark a little and the ceramic starts to burn when i cut them. I thought it would be easier to cut them but it's a fun and evil job at the same time. I joke with Sherri that she has had an evil influence on me :)

I have made maquettes of:

1. melting (sheet) wax to piece back together parts of the lamb and elephant

2. silver caps for the elephant feet & cat paws

3. maquette prong settings for extra pieces that had broken off (nickel silver wire in 2 different gauges, sterling silver will be used to the final prong settings)

[broken wing pieces- prong set w/ nickel silver]

[back of the prong setting]

[all the broken elephant pieces]

**update 10.20.09- i took the pictures today and i got a lot more prong settings done and finished a few more caps.)

[my progress so far -10.20.09]

Right now for honors is the experimenting/ maquette making phase.

I needed it because it's fun and not too serious. I can play around with different things and see which ones work better. It's nice to actually be working with materials and not writing a proposal. I get enough writing for my other class.

i tried to come up with a design brief:

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

→ Focus on materials(the transformation of them) and techniques

• inspired by 'Design For A Living World' exhibit @ Cooper Hewitt 2009

• especially the vegetable ivory and black pearl project

TECHNIQUES:

cold connections (no energy/vapors used)

-rivets

-sewing

DRYER SHEETS & STEEL:

-”plentiful material... revealing true glamour”

• trash transformed into a precious material like a stone or precious metal

• evidence of our consumption (goods & energy) and materialistic attitude

• turning consumption into a positive thing

• extending the product life and keeping it out of landfills (transforming it into something else)

• “balance between consumption and conservation

FORMAT: brooch/ long necklace

• sit against clothing

  → waste product referencing original function for which it was made

• precious jewelry

QUALITIES:

• beautiful

• elegant

• delicate

WHO: galleries, art jewelry collectors

WHAT: wearable collection of wasted products presented in a new innovative way

HOW: create brooches and necklaces/pendants with dryer sheets and steel whole referencing their original context/use with clothing

WHY: promoting another chapter of product life and sustainable design 

social issue

Anita's last project really stayed with me and i'd like to maybe explore civility more for my next Social Design project. 

From the national civility center:

The Principles of Engagement are guideposts for attracting collaborators and establishing relationships among them. 

1. View everyone in positive terms.
   Seeing everyone as a potential resource and agent of change helps to level the playing field and engage all stakeholders. 
   
   
2. Develop a common language.
   The language we use can either unite or divide people.  How can we discuss change if we don’t understand each other?  Being aware of the problem, and agreeing on the terms to be used, is a good start. 
   
   
3. Build strong relationships and trust. 
   It is impossible to overstate the importance of trust, which builds bridges across boundaries and makes relationships solid.
   
   
4. Remember our shared humanity. 
   It is easy to forget we are all humans, with more commonalities than differences.  Common sense and history tell us we can work together to solve common concerns—and that when we separate ourselves, we are less effective. 
   
   
5. Value both the process and the results. 
   The gap between the two causes many people to give up on collaboration.  Results-oriented people need actions with observable outcomes, and process-oriented people focus on continuing the methods that drive the action.  Both are crucial for improving communities. 
   
   
6. Look both within and outside the community for guidance.
   People living in communities need to take responsibility for their problems and find actions that will address them.  But we also need to recognize when to accept and use resources that are available

social issue

This morning around 730AM, i was listening to story on NPR about today's patients. There was a family physician who was interviewed, she described a huge generation difference between patients and how they act in the office. She said she had noticed that her older patients tend to believe her diagnosis much more than her younger ones, they don't question or argue. Yet, today's younger generation comes in with background information found on the internet convinced they have certain diseases. They said that even when the doctor is 99% sure a patient doesn't have something but the patient demands testing, they will do it because they are afraid of getting into a law suit. It all comes back to consumption and over exposure to ads. Pill commercials flood tv with their symptoms and everyone thinks they need that pill. The excessive amount of information available to us is a good thing because we become more educated but it's also a bad thing when we are paying for what we want, and getting what we don't necessarily need. 

**updated: 10.19.09

I just heard another story on NPR that i wanted to mention quickly before i forget.

Apparently there's been talk about taxation on sugary drinks like soda like cigarettes. Soda contains a high amount of sugar and could lead to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. There were two men who were dating this issue. One reference was made how it's like cigarettes and how it's not. All in all i think it's all about consumption and the choices we make. 

Consumption seems to be coming up again and again.

I GOT THE GRANT!!!

Towson University's research committee finally sent me the email. 

After fighting for it, i finally got it! jan told me so all along. :)

a sad day

Yesterday everyone got the acceptance email of their grant request, they received the $500 towards their projects but me. I take it so personally and i feel like my project isn't good enough, or up to everyone else's level. It makes me question why i even tried to take on such a complex subject. I thought it would be a fun challenge and an interesting topic to explore but now i'm doubting it. It sucks because i'm sure i could have continued my ideas of my senior project work for Honors and it would have so much easier. I have done too much research, readings on objects and their relationships with humans to turn back now. 

I just had such high hopes to make this collection in silver rather than bronze since i got criticized for it for my locket series. I am going to keep fighting for the grant until they say NO. 

It also helps to have such a supportive team behind you. I would not even be where i am if it wasn't for the teachers that cared and believed in me. There are 3 teachers that have changed my life in such a positive way that i couldn't put to words how much i appreciate it. i'm so lucky to have that. 

kicking myself

My new thing is to KEEP A LIST! I used to avoid the "to do" list because it stressed me out way too much and then i'd procrastinate working because the list overwhelmed me. BUT i have started making lists again because without them, i forget things and then suffer from it! I am actually writing things in the planner and keep a list by my bench since i tend to forget the planner. There's something sooo gratifying when i cross something off, even if it is "go to class" :)

I also think that if i sort of keep a record of what i do each studio day (just studio & honors), it will give me a better idea of how long something takes me, when i should stop reading/ sketching and work, etc. I get to school early and leave pretty late and i have no idea how time flies, so ill start with today. 

Today:

- sketch and post on wall

- group check in, see where everyone is at (Advanced Studio)

- design review with Jan

- discussed my copper model, simplified band design now in silver

- cut out design in silver

- pierced 2 different designs out of steel

-getting better at piercing steel! yay!

- riveted pieces together (nicer than maquettes)

- liked the end result, hope everyone else does too

- cut out another silver band

*photograph progress

This semester has been extremely hard to get going for me. I don't know why, the vibe just isn't the same as last semester. I feel like i've been bogged down with reading, research, studying, and writing the grant proposal and proposal so far. I LOVED the reading part! I read maybe four books so far and i could keep going if someone didn't tell me to STOP. i want to make a ton of stuff and KNOW what why i'm making it. So, i'm very very glad Jan was assertive in telling me to put down the books and start.

 I felt like I was in a rut because i hadn't sketched or even gotten my hands on any metal. Thank goodness I finished the proposal after several drafts and i started sketching and making maquettes. I'm feeling a little better now that i am starting to move but i have been beating myself up inside because of it. Plus, writing is a HUGE struggle for me and it's such a weight off my chest to have that done.

another maquette

home sweet home

my area! 

my messy bench

sketches, info, photographs, etc

Our little home. I love Jacque's lamp shades! :)

I wanted to start experimenting with the piece surrounding this story:

So when I was little, my great grandmother on my mother's side was still alive, and we'd visit her little apartment in Kutztown...she lived close to my grandmother just in case something happened but was too ballsy to live anything but on her own. I wasn't too keen on the visits because she didn't have much to play with except for some picture viewer things (like those red binoculars with picture wheels inside of them). But one time we found a bunch of little animal figurines. There was an octopus i think, a cat maybe, and definitely a zebra. I remember the zebra the most because it had those crazy huge painted Precious Moments eyes. Anyway, all of the figurines were broken, but I didn't care. In fact, it made me like them more...they were these shiny glazed ceramic things with little broken off hooves and feet. So I asked if I could have them and everyone looked at me funny. I took them home, a 3 hour car ride in a tiny stuffed box, and made a bed for them in a box i had made out of popsicle sticks. What's better is I took cotton balls and taped them to the rough broken parts of the creatures. kinda like bandages. To this day, they are in that box on my shelf because every time I look at them, I can't manage to throw them away. They've survived more room cleaning purges than I can count, yet they remain. I guess it's just how frail they look. I dunno. There's something innately beautiful about keeping something no one wants and taking care of it until you feel like somehow, it might just get better. -Emily 

I couldn't find broken figurines as easily so i bought a cheap one for $1, another yard sale find. I decided i wanted to work with the head but cutting it off was a lot harder than i thought. i thought i could saw it off but ceramic is much harder to cut into! I ended up using an assortment of flex shaft tools especially the cutting wheels for sprue cutting. I felt so evil chopping the cute head off this little lamb but it had to be done if i wanted to keep moving. 

sweet box i found

i found this box over the weekend. I absolutely love finding treasures at yard sales. There's something so cool about finding something valuable to me in piles of someone else's unwanted junk. 

the box was somewhat scuffed up so i sanded it even more to enhance the aged look. I thought it would be a neat place to keep my inspirations for my honors project.

also, i was so happy when i thought i found some walnuts in some potpourri but it turns out they aren't walnuts. Nuts!

more dryer sheets

Since i came up with the dryer sheet earrings last semester, i knew it was a material i wanted to continue to work with. i have been brainstorming a collection combining used, torn dryer sheets, steel, and sterling silver referencing traditional Korean costume/design. So it's sort of a collaboration of all my projects from last semester! I like the fact that the dryer sheets and steel will change/transform together over time and that there's a mixture of modern and traditional styles.

Here's a few shots of a maquette and some other pieces:

CRAFTY BASTARDS

I went to Crafty Bastards today for the 1st time! It was the first year i didn't have to work. It was in Adams Morgan, DC so thank goodness Bobby drove and we even found street parking nearby! what luck! I was not expecting it to be such a big event. I have been to Artscape, Pile of Craft, and ACC but this seemed to be the perfect size. You could walk around in a fair amount of time and not feel exhausted afterwards. I went this year primarily to see Amy Klainer and Megan Auman! My mission was to buy one of Amy's powder coated steel brooches i have been eyeing up around the studio. BUT i ended up buying a bamboo/ steel brooch :) i love it!!

right now, i have a photo editing obsession. 

yard sale find

I went to this yard sale yesterday and found these old welding goggles, they are plastic, leather and have glass lenses. There's a piece missing so one of the glass pieces are loose so it was only $15. But they came in this sweet metal case that looks like it was simply welded together. I was soooo excited to find these! Plus, i got a case of old, several, different, tiny glass bottles for only $5! Good yard sale finds :)

(photographs taken by Susannah Fitz)

NEW YORK CITY!

The class trip to the Cooper Hewitt and the Droog dutch design festival was awesome!!

market research

the idea that i came up with has already been done :(
Hopefully I can think of something else.

social issue: backyard breeding, puppy mills, "designer dogs", adopting dogs from shelters, etc

At first I wanted to address racism but it is such a broad topic that i felt like i needed to narrow down my idea for this project. I want to address racism in a future project.

The dog issue is something that is close to my heart being a dog lover. I was thinking of putting out a fake ad in the classified puppy section and making "missing dog" signs but for ones who had died because no one wanted them?? rough ideas i know but i need to do a brainstorming session with the group. While doing some research on the topic i have found out that there are tons of organizations that feel the same way i do! So instead of making up a new site/ blog, i'd just be their advocate and help spread the word. I came across some really awful pictures, that made me sick when researching. I don't think I want to go about the shock value direction.

I love my mutt!

Ode to Things

Many things conspired

to tell me the whole story.

Not only did they touch me, 

or my hand touch them:

they were

so close

that they were a part

of my being, 

they were so alive with me

that they lived half my life

and will die half my death.

-Pablo Neruda

getting intrigued yet?

I just read Taking Things Seriously:75 Objects with Unexpected Significance by Joshua Glenn & Carol Hayes today. [you can get a lot done when you get to school 7 hours before a class!] It was such an interesting book with amazing stories. I was expecting more heart wrenching, emotional stories with the objects but most were just random. It was just the book I needed to read for inspiration. It was an easier read than the essay/ deeper thinking art books; it was a breath of fresh air compared to some of my other readings. Sometimes it's nice to read something that you don't have to reread several times to try and understand what the heck they are saying. Another refreshing, inspirational book was The Uncommon Life of Common Objects: Essays on Design and the everyday by Akiko Busch. Busch picked out several objects in her life and studied them as more than an ordinary object. 

jewelry from RECYCLART:

still aimlessly browsing the internet... here's some fun finds:

from RECYCLART

laddershelf

intertube bag

tea bag art

My honors thesis ideas are floating around in my head... here's a few images i found on the web for inspiration.

Mette Saabye

"Mette Saabye addresses the concept of value materialised by her plethora of jewellery that put a spin on the established conventions regarding the value of the material and an artistic enrichment of the once prized but by later generations discarded piece of jewellery or material. Mette Saabye's eye for aesthetics and her remarkable technical skills bring to this cycle of change new content in jewellery, that is sometimes functional but always lending new value to the essence of the art of jewellery and to jewellery's relationship with the bearer. Mette Saabye's work is a powerful manifestation of a great talent on the contemporary scene of arts and crafts in Denmark, that once again is placed on the cultural political agenda thanks to artists such as Mette Saabye." -Bodil Busk Laursen (www.klimt02.net)

soooooo freakin cool

I cannot get enough research on artists specifically metalsmiths and art jewelers right now. It used to be hard for me to find artists in my field just through search engines but the best way now for me is through gallery websites. All summer i've been trying to figure out what i like and why. What am i attracted to? What elements of people's work do i find pleasing? I think it's important to take a look at those things in order to find your own style/ brand.

Today i was checking out http://www.klimt02.net/ and there was a piece that really stood out to me. it was a cow tooth necklace by Teresa Milheiro. (her website is awesome)

I used to have this weird fascination with animal bones/parts as well but never made a successful piece out of them. I collected antlers, bones, teeth, etc buthad a hard time combining them with silver and setting them.

Teresa Milheiro's work is amazing; her use of the 2 elements flow in a natural way and she takes into consideration the form of the bones. Each photo of the work inspired me more and more. Look how cool her work is!!

issues in my community

I was trying to think of social issues in my community so here's a few off the top of my head:

- the bypass just opened up in town (farms/fields being destroyed, accidents in the circles, devaluing houses, etc)

-littering. pollution

-underage drinking/drugs

-racism/ discrimination (it's a small town)

-homelessness

- loss of jobs

a great group

*one of lockets

*senior show opening [last semester]

We had a kick ass group of girls last semester, some have graduated (we miss you) and some are still around like me!

in the news

COLLEGES RAMP UP EFFORTS TO HOLD ONTO STUDENTS 

On my way home from school, I listen to either 88.5 or 88.1 for the day's news, traffic updates, or interesting stories. Tonight there was a story about how "as much as half of all students who attend college might never complete their degrees." One professor in PA felt in order to keep the students until graduation, is to create a bond between them and something at the institution early on. When asked some students felt things like homesickness, bad grades, no guidance, and boredom were reasons for leaving. The schools loose money when a student leaves and students could end up never returning to earn a degree. They say students get discouraged and can't wait to get out. 

It was a particularly interesting story to me because I never really got involved with college distractions, didn't have much of a social life, and always overly stressed over my grades. You could say i was a bit of a nerd but it kept me focused even when i had little guidance on my academic track. It wasn't until junior year when I finally found my love, my major, Metals & Jewelry. It's totally true about having some connection to your school that keeps you in. My connection to TU now is the program, professors, and peers. I now don't want to leave, i am actually in my 5th year because i felt like i was getting way too much to leave. 

SIDE NOTE: Did you know Disney is paying Marvel $4 BILLION for 5,000 characters? Apparently not enough little boys want the disney princess balloons at their next birthday party.

beginning to think about social design

What is social design? ... according to Socialdesignsite.com

"Design, in its broader sense, is more than the creation and shaping of products and services; it is anything and everything man-made.  This broad understanding of the term also implies that design can be unconscious and is, therefore, inevitable. We believe this also applies to social design. We understand social design as the inescapability of social interaction and the resulting consequences of such action. We are social beings: we interact everyday with people and we cannot escape acting in relation to others. Every single day, we are faced with choices: we may do today what we did yesterday or we may do something different, altering our daily routine. The resulting actions from our choices, no matter how insignificant they might appear, have consequences. We create and design our social world with these choices and actions. This is the concept behind our claim: "You cannot not change the world." Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that you will not leave this site KNOWING what social design is. Rather, you will leave contemplating what it may be, just as we do. There is no single understanding of social design and there are final answers in this emerging discussion. This fact, however, should only make this discourse all the more compelling."

I don't know enough information YET but i will keep posting.

Senior show display

Senior show display -Spring 2009

fresh start

Welcome to the fall 2009 semester, the first week of my last year of my undergraduate career! *Super senior* I just do not want to leave, as much as it stresses me out, I honestly LOVE learning new techniques, finding new inspirational artists, and being around my peers/ design team. :) 

I'm excited to do an honor's thesis and work on a year long collection. I still am brainstorming potential ideas but no matter what i think it's going to be a great opportunity. I might continue with my ideas from last semester which i'll post pictures of my senior project very soon! 

sweet summertime

i've been away for awhile! Sorry! there's a lot that has happened. 

i made a locket series for my senior project and had my senior show! 

(that's going to be a long entry)

It's summer time now and it's been more relaxing than last summer. I'm not taking summer classes or an internship. I've been working out, working part time at Miller's, working with a jewelry artist, and enjoying life. After such a crazy/stressful semester it's incredibly nice to just sit and read a book. 

I wish i was making my own things, doing some art, etc but i am in such a creative rut. I think my brain is on vacation or something. I'm jealous Taylor gets to spend every day in the studio, it's just so hard to drive an hour there, spend $ on materials and not be able to execute anything worth while. I ordered a few agate slices to experiment with. i think they are beautiful, natural, and interesting. i guess we'll see where that goes.

i hope to start blogging again because i missed it!