Tokyo + The Subway

Some more form and structure assignments. This time, something a little more like a relief using found objects and working with the 12x12 grid. I didn't really know what to do for this until a week before it was due and started looking at maps of subway systems. I of course chose Tokyo. Having travelled on that system myself and being amazed at the sheer size and organization of it.

It's pretty much cardboard glued onto a 12x12 wood canvas, with pins stuck in it every 2 inches and thread in multiple colours serving as the different subway lines. It's only a section of the map, of course. Because there are at least a dozen lines +. Our teacher wants photos of process, so here they are.

Also, in light of the recent events that have taken place in Japan, I do encourage everyone to donate what they can to help out. It really is a wonderful country, with wonderful people. Everyone I met was so kind and so polite, and this really is a tragedy. I know in Canada you can text ASIA or REDCROSS to 30333 to donate 5$. I believe in the States it is REDCROSS to 90999 for 10$? Either way, there are dozens of ways to donate. So help in any way you can.

Photographic Diptych

Well, my upcoming photography assignment was stressing me out this morning. (Technically I guess it still is morning. Not quite noon yet.) But anyways. I had to do some type of narrative with some sort of issue behind it. I don't really do "issues." I feel like if I were to take photographs that commented on war or poverty or animal cruelty, it would come off as insincere and fake. Forced. And while some people can get away with creating art with intense and sometimes controversial subject matter, I simply can't bring myself to do it.

So, I looked at the book industry. And the recent popularity of the Kobo reader, iPad, and things like that. E-books. The downloading of literature and the very gradual shrinking of people who buy actual books. Well, I personally like actual books. I'd rather hold a book in my hand than some sort of electronic device. I can't exactly go over a text on costume history in a Kobo reader. And certainly not a book on photography. And how exactly does a parent plan to read Love You Forever on an iPad? Part of the fun for kids is turning the actual pages of a story. Holding the actual book in their hands and looking at the pictures.

With all that in mind I shifted about some of the books on my shelf and snapped a few pictures. And within an hour my project is all done. Just needs to be printed. Now my only concern is if I want matte, glossy, or metalic paper. Oh, decisions...

And as for the narrative aspect of the photographs, it's basically someone picking and actual book off an actual shelf and reading it. None of this e-shelf business. Real books. Ironically I went with Jane Austen's Emma. Which is, of course, usually free in the e-bookstores.

A New List of Assignments

Back to school means a new list of work to do. Joyous joy. Taking five courses this semester, not just four. So the workload's going to be a little more hectic. And two of those courses will involve more essay writing. Not my strong point.

Photography, Narrative Strategies
- Take a photo-booth photo
- Must contain a visible narrative

Painting, Nature and Culture
- Series of three landscapes
- One naturalistic, one abstract, and one in between
- each canvas needs to be approx. 2x2 feet. (That's 12 square feet. That's a lot of paint.)

Form and Structure
- Find a common object
- Produce a series of sketches and a narrative
- Re-build object in cardboard/paper

Essay and the Argument
- Find a photo from NYTimes year in review
- Write 500 word descriptive essay
- Whatever photo will be your main subject for the remainder of the year

I have a few ideas for things already. We'll see how they pan out. My landscapes, I think, are planned out well enough. Just need to print out a few reference photos of trees and flowers. Finish colouring a few thumbnail sketches. Might post those later.

Also have a few thoughts on this Form and Structure object. It's between my Buddha statue or my Eiffel Tower model. ... So far.

As for this photo-booth thing, I'm stumped. Hopefully I can come up with an idea fast, because I don't have much time to get this thing finished and edited.

What's to come...

Been so incredibly busy lately, I feel like I'm forgetting to update. I'm trying, really I am. Unfortunately working retail in December, despite school almost being over, will now eat up all of my free time. (I am always shocked at the money people will spend on cameras. It's ridiculous.)

But at least I can officially say: NO MORE POSTER SIZE DRAWINGS! Whoopee. I finished the last one last Friday. Handed it in today. I've got my fingers crossed for something better than a B, but who even knows anymore.

Had my portfolio interview Wednesday night. Had to wait around an extra two hours for it to start because a certain someone has horrible sense of time. (Brutal.) But I think I did well? I don't even know. My drawing marks are so randomly inconsistent. Everything from C- to A. But I suppose I'll be happy with anything above C- and not complain.

I have to take some photos of my final project to send in to my teacher, so hopefully those will be posted here, as well as some life drawings perhaps? We'll see what I get around to.

I'm almost happy that all I have left to worry about is my History Exam. Worth 30%, but if I manage another decent mark, I won't complain. At least we get to look at my three favourite art movements; Rococo, Neoclassicism, and Romanticism.

I just need to make some flash cards and I'm all set. I love working at a printing store.

--

Also adding, since she has checked out this little blog, that I absolutely loved Time Based Media and am very sad that it is over. It is not a course I initially looked forward to. I know nothing about circuits or video. And only just enough about blogging and websites. But I learned so much in such a short time and it was awesome to have such an enthusiastic teacher. A great class that will be much missed come next semester. Thanks, Janis. =]

(That was a super long post...)

Time Based Media Blog

Just to make note, I am creating a blog specifically for my Time Based Media course. This is an actual assignment, and it will contain all of my Time Based Media projects. An audio file, a short film (which is posted further back on this blog,) and a video of my electronic project.

It can be found right HERE!

Drawing.

Metaphor drawing is completed. Hip hip hooray. It came out kind of kitschy. But kitschy in a good way I think. (I like kitschy stuff.) Unfortunately, the teacher wasn't totally thrilled with it. She kept mentioning how the hair looked like it wasn't coming out of the head properly, and how the hairline was too low and far forward. Well, I tried to explain that it was a drawing of a woman wearing a wig, but I don't think she was really listening. So yet another B- for me.

Except for the grade, and critique gone wrong, I did have fun making the piece.I threw in some collage and stitching, which I hadn't done in a while for some reason. Because I love collage and sewing. And neither are done enough in art. Also did a bit of painting with tea. A wash, mostly. Never tried that before, but it was interesting. And now my brush smells.

Tea for painting. You can see a tiny bit of the wash there on the paper.

Some of the pages I stained. They were cut up into cherry blossom petals before being collaged into the drawing.

The original idea was to paint in "Living Art" with red ink, but my writing is horribly messy, and the stitching turned out nicer. (Though it's a little crooked... Ugh.)

Part of the collage. Using photocopied pages from Mineko Iwasaki and Komomo's autobiographies, and then some washi paper I picked up in Japan, and some random origami paper found lying around the house.

And the final piece. Light shading (which the teacher also didn't like,) light washes, collage, and stitching. The flower in the bottom corner is the crest of this particular Geiko's okiya, or geisha house.

This is the second time I've really done anything geisha related for class, and it's the second time I've had to defend my work because people either don't understand how a geisha looks or what it is they do. So, despite being one of my favourite things to draw or paint, I may have to stop because my grades may suffer from a lack of understanding from the teacher's point of view. It's incredibly disappointing. Maybe next semester I'll get someone who actually understands, even just a little.

(Not likely.)

A Little Better...

Well, my faith in my drawing has improved, as I have seen the mark I received for my texture piece I had been working on a little while ago. A-. First A of university. Go me. Which averages out my C-. So my drawing grade, like everything else, is just that. Average. Better than below average I suppose.
At least it's not another C.

As for the critique on my rainbow cityscape piece. Someone actually asked how much to buy it. Wow. Quite the compliment. I now must think of prices. It's 3.5x3.5 feet on vinyl. I don't know. I really don't know prices. The print was done for free, and really should be free, as it was not the size nor the material I asked for. Of course, if I am going to sell it, I would like at least what I would have paid for it, plus maybe an extra 50 or so for the hours and hours spent in photoshop putting this massive thing together. Because I would like a copy of it for myself, and would need to pay for the second print. But like I said, I don't really know.

I hate pricing work. I never know what people really want to pay for it. And generally, people don't really want to pay that much.

Stress.

Midterms and Another Drawing Assignment...

Had my Art History midterm today. I don't think I did too badly. But I also don't think I studied everything I should have. I also forgot most of the things I studied because I was in a frenzied panic to get to school on time. I'd like to thank the tard responsible for slowing up and eventually stopping the subway today. Thank you. I almost missed my exam and had to spend an extra 10$ on a cab. At least I managed to make it on time.

As for Drawing class. We have to do some metaphoric piece with an object, can have a human form in it, and must contain text. Going with what I know, I'm sticking with the Geisha theme, which has completely taken over my art work the past couple months. I'll be doing a version of my Kikumaru photo (look to your right -->) with a lantern in the background and a fan with the Hanafusa okiya crest on it and the words "Living Art."

I'm sure my teacher will find something wrong with it, but I've FINALLY come up with a composition, after worrying about it for nearly two weeks, so whatever. She'll have to deal with it. I like it.

The sketches so far. The plan is to go crazy mixed media with this, using pen, pencil, ink, watercolour, and pencil crayon. We'll see if that actually happens. But as it stands, this is somewhat close to the composition I want. ... And I have a thing for borders, so it will be surrounded by one.

Textures.

Almost finished my texture drawing for, of course, drawing class.

The basis of the idea was to draw a tree, but leave the leaves as negative spaces and colour in the background (the gaps where we could see sky) with different textures.

An interesting project. Though my OCD need for super well rendered detail came back to bite me in the ass. I've spent hours on this thing...

So, my work so far. Corn, leopard print, a metal flower on a bracelet, and in the top corner there, some paper stars. You know, the fold-y kind.

My work space. A messy pile. Three cheers for messy piles! Wooo... Note the picture of the adorable maiko, Fukusato. I have pictures of my trip to Japan scattered everywhere.

And the aforementioned paper stars. I have a big jar of over 2000. Never try to realistically draw these. It is a huge pain.

"Frittata"

Yes, finally finished my video. All edited nice and fancy.
Well, relatively nice and fancy. First video I've ever done. It was weird. I'm used to taking stills, not moving shots. And working with a Nikon instead of my trusty Sony was just awkward. The D90 is crazy heavy. And I'm used to working with an 18-250 with a battery grip. Oh well

Anyways, finished product. On youtube. Yay.
It's pretty much just my mother making a frittata. With Dean Martin in the background. (Who I ironically saw on TV today...) I chose him for the song because let's face it, when you think cooking and Italy, doesn't Dean come to mind?

"FRITTATA"

The First Grade

Well, it may not seem like much, but considering the average mark at my university is a C-, I'm more than content with my B- on a project that I thought I had done horribly. Building circuits is something I'm not even the slightest bit familiar with, so it was nice to see my teacher gave me a decent grade even though I kept things super simple. Only using a motor that spins and a button to turn it on and off.

And while I'm also super proud that I was able to put a circuit together; never again. I'm way too paranoid that I'm going to electrocute myself or set the house on fire. That and I don't build things for the life of me, so yeah. No more circuits for me. I'll stick with my B- and be happy with that.

1 Down, 999 More to Go.

Handed in my Visual Analysis yesterday. Before we looked over a good chunk of Michelangelo's work. How depressing. I had seen all of what she showed. It makes me really want to go back to Italy. Particularly to go see the Pieta again, because it's beautiful and perfect. Yes, perfect.

I've started my half colour half black and white painting. That shouldn't take too long. Then I should probably start the abstract/surreal watercolours. I think they're due tomorrow, but our teacher is so vague on dates, it's horrible. It's best to get everything done as soon as she assigns it and not have to worry.

I hate when people aren't specific about things...

There's a Film in the Kitchen.

I have already started to work on my video project. Not due for another few weeks, but I figured I'd work on it anyways. I've never done video before. At least, nothing more than holding a camera up over my head at a concert and getting a short clip. I'm more of a photo taker personally.

So, having to film something performative. That was interesting. I was pretty stumped for ideas. (Though I did know I wanted to borrow the D90 from work to film.) So stretching the definition of performance, I went with a simple, everyday task. My mother cooking in the kitchen. She made some sort of frittata. So I basically got some shallow d.o.f. shots and will attempt to edit those later.

Filming is a little more fun than I thought. Though I've always had issues holding a camera steady, or straight for that matter. We'll see how things turn out...