Collage

I forgot to mention that the big 36x6" painting I did was submitted by my professor to the foundation year display cases. GO ME! But I forgot to put an update of that while I was home working on it, so you'll have to wait until I can snag a photo.

Until then, more 2D madness with a collage I did. I think it came out pretty neat.

This just keeps getting better and better!

Seriously guys. I feel like this weather is going to lead to something awful because there is no other reason it would be so incredibly perfect right now. On top of all this, I now have tons of awesome stuff thanks to my mom (mostly cleaning supplies, but also Diet Coke, apple juice, and basically dinner for the next few nights).

Not only this, but the Best Coast concert is tomorrow!! I can't wait it's gonna be awesome! I bought my ticket as soon as I heard of the show. Plus I listened to the other two bands that are playing and they sound great too.

Plus! I'm up to 4 little memory drawings a day, so I'm staying sane and finishing a project at the same time!

Upcoming Projects

So I finished the mini-series of "Sweet Tooth" collages.





I also made a "Pear-ception" one.

My next big endeavor is for my drawing class. 100 drawings, originally on a 3x3" square (but then cut around whatever shape the drawing takes) of childhood memories.

My first one:

I was going to make fake food, and then put them on plates and draw on the plates with fake ketchup and mustard and chocolate sauce and stuff, but I decided I just wouldn't have time for something that complex. I decided this has about the same amount of ambition, but would be easier to do with materials I wouldn't have to seek out.

Wish me luck (I'm going to need it)!

MET day

I went to the MET today with my pal, Dan, to choose two pieces to compare for an art history paper. I think it was a little easier to find similar subjects this time because it's on European art.
I chose a piece by Jean Honore Fragonard (a pretty famous Rococo painter) called "A Shaded Avenue,"

and a piece by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (LOVE him!) from his series on the four seasons called "The Harvesters"

What I love about both of them is that they could include such detail at a small scale. The Fragonard is physically a smaller scale (about 6x10" maybe), and the Bruegel is fairly larger, but they still have a lot of information. To highlight this I circled a little house way in the background, some sailboats in the background, and a bird in a tree in the foreground.



You can look up at the original to try and find these little details, almost like an I Spy.

After the museum I got some food to go (Penne with mozzarella and roasted peppers, yum!).

Oh Happy Dayyyy!

Reasons I am having an amazing day:
1. The weather is SO INCREDIBLY nice today. It makes the street smell like hamburgers and hot pavement rather than frozengarbagesmoke.
2. I had drawing today and handed in this:

I wasn't too proud of it coming in, but my professor really liked it. Here's my awesome drawing professor:

And this here is his website.
3. I also made a hilarious mini collage today (I'll put it in a later post today) and in drawing our next assignment is a schematic drawing
4. I found the most hilarious book at Strand which has been added to my slowly growing collection. It's called "Margaret's Cooky Book" and it's full of cookie recipes. This is Margaret:

5. I didn't have 2-D today(that's not the good part), but I ran into my 2-D professor, Paul, on the street. It was completely random since we were no where near the school! This may seem like nothing big to anyone reading this that lives on an actual college campus, but because my campus is basically all of Lower Manhattan (well, at least let's say from around Chelsea to Alphabet City since those are approximate limits of the different dorms)so it was a little weird and funny. He's also awesome, and his blog is right here.
6. The song "Happy" came up on Pandora (also completely random). This second in time describes my day.

Hope everyone's day is just as great as mine is!

The Drawing Center; Molly's "Birthday" at the Chat n Chew

For my drawing class (which I'm beginning to absolutely adore, thanks to my awesome professor) I had to go to the gallery "The Drawing Center" in SoHo to see the show on Iannis Xenakis. The man is crazy. Crazy awesome. His processes of composing were basically mathematical drawings, and his architecture then followed suit and imitate the shapes in his drawings. The show is going on until mid-April, and unfortunately I couldn't snag a photo, but I did sneakily take one from the outside of the other building across the street that had a smaller collection of drawings, which were also incredible.


After that excursion, I went with Molly to the Chat n Chew (my ole favorite) because she had never been. We previously had made a list of things we wanted to do, and visiting the Chat n Chew was one of them, so we went. Thinking we'd get free dessert out of it, I told our waitress it was Molly's birthday, though they didn't give us any free dessert, all they did was stick a candle in the one we ordered. But boy was it delicious!



Aaaaaaand...thanks to this little guy that I drew on my plate with ketchup:

I have an idea of what I want to do for my final project in drawing class! Yay!

Vena Cava talk; Shopdropping

A few days ago I saw the girls of Vena Cava talk at the Parsons building on 40th and 7th ave. One of the many perks of going to Parsons (I guess the New School in general) is that you get to attend talks and events like this with famous alumni. Plus they're so cool! The yesterday we had "Crashlab" instead of our usual lab classes. Much like lab, this day was mostly some spontaneous happening with little point, but it was pretty fun anyway. The whole idea of shopdropping is that you make art and put it into a store (grocery store, book store, not necessarily just clothing store) to make some kind of statement. I made some macaroni box sleeves with inspirational messages. These are a few: Then you slyly place them into the store somewhere where they will eventually be noticed. I went with Ian (who made a cereal box) to Whole Foods where we dropped our stuff off. Here's a video of Ian and I IN ACTION!

A "Tight, Resolved Piece" and Some Valenstime Lovin'

I didn't exactly know how this was going to fare in today's critique, but my drawing teacher ended up really liking it.






MY PARENTS ARE SO CUTE. They also sent me a valentine that they originally gave me in 8th grade. I've been kind of regifted by my own parents. Even though it is a Snoopy card, so I didn't mind...

The Chat n' Chew

is an institution. I still remember the first time I went to this restaurant. It was the summer I stayed with my brother for two weeks for the Parsons summer program. I went more than once during that visit, the last being the day before I left because that crazy political/religious discussion with "Reason" broke out in Union Square and lasted until 10 pm or so. Apparently my brother still emails around with that group of people and they call themselves the Union Square Philosophers.
Anyway...


That neon sign is like a beacon to the hungry and stingey. When Trevor came to town with his dad I took them there and they loved it. His dad called it "a reminder of home" thanks to the old-diner decor. Just like some midwestern eatery roadtrip stop on the drive from Wisconsin to Minnesota or something.

You walk in and the feeling is nothing but warm.

And I don't even have to mention the food. It speaks for itself. Especially with cutesy names like the "Holy Cow," "Thanksgiving on a Roll," "Miss Patty's Chicken Sammy," and my favorite, "Teenie Weenie Mac n Cheese."



I've never had any room for a cake or pie, but I'm sure they're incredible. This restaurant is, as it says, truly "Real American Homestyle."
Plus, lucky for me it's on the same street as one of the New School buildings (the one where I always have art history) and only a few blocks away from the main Parsons building.

I'd go every day if I could.

Foundation's Funny

I feel so silly in foundation year. Maybe that's just because I always act like I'm 5 years old, but I feel like my 3D professor last semester was right when he talked about kindergarden and how the design process includes so much playing around.
There's examples in every class of mine.

2D: We created a pattern through a repeating shape. In the original orientation you couldn't see it, but when flipped on the side (which my professor liked better) you can see the c: face.

(for those who can't see it right away)

3D: The project is to make a head covering that makes a statment about an issue. Mine is on not realizing how much we waste materials/products. This is Sam's project, though. I'm just bein' cute with it. (my favorite part is the asian chick in the background laughin' at me)

Drawing: My themed drawing turned out pretty good. The theme was "28" and no one better steal the idea for next week's theme (grid) or else...

Plus my hands get so dirty all the time. The girl next to me finger painted today:

Lab:
We made an entrance and mine ended up being based on the tactile sense more than the visual:



I went first in the class for critiques, and immediately my professor said it looked like a mouth. I felt pretty immature giggling away.

Still, I'm glad I can keep my childlike personality. Without it, I think I'd lose my kewt.

Catching Up pt. V: Books

I wanted to look smart, so I filled my desk shelf with books.

1. A Pictorial History of Radio-I found it around the same area as The Strand, but it didn't have a price tag or sticker anywhere in or on it, so I took it. It's what it says. A whole book full of pictures from the 20s-50s maybe, showing how radio became more and more popular, and some stars of the era.

2. Rites of Fall: a book about Texas high school football. Doesn't sound that great but it is. I got it for $2 at some book store (on University I think) that I don't remember the name of.



3./4. Tonight at 8:30 and The View from the Fortieth Floor-these two were books that I found outside the repetoire theater right across the street from Parsons' 55 W. 13th building. Perhaps they were props at one time? I don't know. But they were just sitting there on a box, so I snatched 'em up. I haven't read them, and probably won't now that I know that one is about the fall of major publishing companies in the 60s, and the other is a play, or a series of plays I'm not sure.

5. Leonard Cohen (Selected Poems 1956-1968)-I LOVE Leonard Cohen. I love this book even more because it used to belong to my dad. We had it in the house, but when I went home for break I brought the book back with me. Every one of his poems is glorious.

Classes

Class registration was this morning! My roommate and I were freaking out, so we sat at our computers way before 8 am, eagerly awaiting the minute to change. As soon as it did we both signed on and surprisingly, got in without any problems and signed up for all the classes we wanted. My schedule is as follows:

Monday:
9-11:40-(2D)Symmetry, Pattern and Color; Paul Corio
12-2:40-(3D)Body as Form; Rebekah Laskin
Tuesday:
9-2:40-(Drawing)Ideation and Imagination; Jack Solomon(so excited!)
Wednesday:
9-11:40-(2D)Symmetry, Pattern and Color; Paul Corio
12-2:40-Perspectives in World Art&Design II; John Angeline
Thursday:
9-2:40-(Lab)Subculture NYC; Patrick Hughes

Fridays off again! And no CRW II! Yeeeeee!

3D Plaster Cast

We had to take a cube, and use it to show mass somehow. I went really small and made a cute lil cast. I like it because it's both organic and synthetic. My professor said it looked kind of like a little tv.

Along with that thought I think I'm gonna add wires through the hole and up over the top. Sadly I only have copper wire because I think I lost my brass wire.

Funny thing about this is that I got to cast first in the class so I didn't even use my own plaster and now I have about 4 pounds of it. I'm thinking that all my friends this year are going to get plaster gifts...I'm also thinking that once I go home for Thanksgiving (LESS THAN A WEEK NOW!), I'm going to bring back my forms for doll faces, hands and feet to cast and some fabric scraps to make dolls! So much fun!