It's all coming together...

Been a while...yet again. But good news is, things are looking up. Waaaay up. We now have a space to show work in--16 of us in a big, awesome warehouse. We got funding for it, so our costs are way down from our original estimates. And to top it off, My work is finally starting to take shape..and in a cohesive way!!! yay!!! I've got 4 pieces planned out and well on their way to being finished. I've also got a few others that are still up for debate and possibly joining that list as well. And best of all, they're all fitting together really nicely, both visually and conceptually!!! woo hoo!!! Now i just need to get all of them finished..ha
Here are some photos of two of the pieces I'm working with: The one will simply be the arched pencil and the other will be a section of about 200-300 split pencils trailing down the wall and onto the floor.

Sliced and Diced

So the other day I went into the woodshop to ask about cutting cross sections of pencils. I was thinking I would wind up with a saw recommendation since the pencil would be really difficult to cut with any of the large machines. I wound up situated in the corner with a tiny radial arm saw. It's this little, plastic, orange and gray saw that cuts my pencils perfectly!!! I was so excited! The pieces look rather beautiful when they're all lined up or organized in some fashion. I'm really pleased with the results. I'm actually going to go out and attempt to buy a saw on my own this weekend so that I can cut as many pencils as I want whenever I want. The saw was only $20, so I figure that's within my budget :)











The other images are of shavings I have collected from the pencil. I'm interested in re-constructing the pencil in not only the cross-sections, but also in shaving form. I'm playing with different ways of orienting the components of a single pencil.

Here's a few more images...crappy quality, but images none the less.

5 years later...

Woah long time no see...or post rather. Craziness has occurred and I'm no longer working with claymation for my senior project. I'm still dabbling on the side when I can find a spare minute, but mostly now I'm just concentrating on pencils. What they are, what they're not, how they relate to humans, how they relate to me, etc. I'll shut up now since it's all still a jumble in my head as it is...but here's some pictures of the things I've been doing with pencils...

Pencils. Version 2.0

Here are some of latest models for my pencil characters. I changed the color and style and am really pleased with the results. The new versions are more realistic and of a far better quality than the previous.

Angry Pencils

Life in Clay

I've finally decided what to do for IP...claymation. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go with my work, but when I was exploring my ideas, I kept winding up somewhere that I knew I didn't want to be. I tried to force it, but as one could guess, that was a bad idea. So I took the advice of a professor and started playing with my subject matter --in its simpest form, a toothbrush-- in different mediums. And when I started an animation, I was happy. I enjoyed the process and loved the results. So logically, I decided to do a claymation. And this is where I am today; objects that are frequently replaced and discarded by humans with little or no regard are placed in situations where they meet and interact. What happens? I want to explore and find that answer...or at least what I imagine the answer to be.

IP Starts, Frustration to Follow.

I've hit a wall and am frustrated and confused...surprise surprise. I keep getting ideas for my ip project and I get really excited, but then after I seriously think about what that idea entails...I become frustrated and confused and feel as though I have no where to go.

I've currently settled on the theme of collections and ritual/habitual acts. My latest idea was to document the past, present, and future of my life through collections. Bear with me as I think out loud how this project would function.

To start, I began with the idea of collections, mainly the ones that I have formed over the years. I began to think about what these collections mean and why I have unconsciously created them. They all seem to be comprised of paper items that represent events from my life. Both the objects themselves as well as the events and things they represent are ephemeral. So why do I save them? I believe that I have a fear of losing my past. So why not try to hold onto it??? This would be step one. Collect my past.

I then considered the topic further, asking myself why I'm worrying about the past. And in the process of thinking of this, I realized that not only am I worried about losing the past --and thus collecting and saving things-- but I also collect objects and tools for the future: extra toothbrushes, shampoo, roles of tape, etc. I then asked why I do this as well. Answer: I have a fear of being without something that I need. Solution: Create many of things I'm afraid of losing --make 50 sculptures or castings of a toobthrush or 600 paperclips. This would be step two.
"Collect" for the future.

Well at this point I realized that I'm worrying about losing the past and not being prepared for the future, but what about the present? I'm losing the present in my process of obsessive collecting. Solution: Hold onto the present. I would do this by saving one object or creation to represent each waking hour of every day for a strech of time. This would be my final step.
Collect the present.

Sooooo this is where I'm at. I'm not sold on my idea, but I'm at the point where I have to start with something, so why not this??? I just have to hope that I wind up loving this or allowing it to lead me to something I do love...

Cross your fingers for me.

Post of Postcards

I don't have a whole lot to say or share, but I haven't posted in forever...so I'm due. Here are some pictures of the A&D postcards that went out to incoming students. They were uglier than sin so I decided to spice them up.









...and unfortunately, that's all I've got for now.

I've been thinking a lot this summer about what I want to do next year for my big project, and subsequently with my life post-graduation. I've been making lists and crossing things off, adding things, erasing, thinking, drawing, making things, and still have a huge list of things that I want to work with. I've been working with my natural surroundings, using berries and leaves and flowers to create things, but I've also been working with photography and stop animation. I'm all the over the place, and for the first time in my life, that seems to be a hindrance. I've always considered it to be a good thing to have so many different interests, but now I'm just not sure where to go.



How do you know where to go??? I'm petrified I'll start something in the fall and then after a few months get horrifically bored and disgusted with what I've done and hate the rest of the year. A whole year is an extremely long time to work on one project when you don't even know what you want to do in life...eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

A water main broke down the street from me yesterday and I was left without water. I found myself rather upset by this --most because I had to use the bathroom-- and then today I stopped to think about it, and realized how silly it was to be upset by not having water. Of course we all need water to survive, to drink, to clean, to use the bathroom, etc. but I spent a week in a town that had a very limited water supply --and actually no water at all for a while-- and was completley fine. True, I had to wake up and hunt down a bush to use as a bathroom one morning, but still...it wasn't all that horrible. Once you get past that fact and realize that water for drinking can be bought down the street, a day without water really isn't all that awful.

Now I guess my main realization from this was that I have shifted back into my old life here. It's hard to believe that I left for Chile almost a year ago...it sometimes feels like it was all just a dream --until I go back and look through my pictures. Even then it's still a bit hazy and dream-like. Then I can't help but wonder if this is just because I have a horrible memory, in which case I will be doomed to have all of my memories saved in a hazy state, or if everyone remembers such awesome events in the same way. I always said I would never forget my time in Chile, but I find myself letting things slip until I stop and dig down to find the memories. A frightning and disconcerting thought if you ask me...

Te Extrano...

The sun, the sand, the breeze...The Beach. Oh how I loved it...Oh how I miss it...

Vacation at last!!!

Classes are over. I have a job. I probably have an internship. and I'm going to florida in the morning. YAY!!! La vida esta perfecta!!! I seriously cannot wait to just sit in a chair in the sun with a good book and an ice cold drink...and those are my only plans for the entire week. And I'm dead serious about that. I plan to do nothing. Absolutely NOTHING. I'll be sure and let you know how it feels to sit in the sun and think of nothing. or something. or everything. not that it matters, because I won't do anything about anything I'll be thinking about. For once I'll just be sitting on my butt in a chair, in the sun. Hopefully I'll come back well rested, both physically and mentally, and with a reasonable tan :)