A Beautiful Mind

Studio project- interactive shelf

2011-12-18T16:52:00.000-08:00

For our studio project we designed our own full scale model of a furniture piece. I created an interactive shelf that basically works with big or small, divides the shelf space and also works as a book-holder. I love it because you basically form your own custom look with the shelf each time

Exhibit Proposal

2011-10-23T18:25:00.001-07:00

Journey of the John

Presented by the members of Group 3:

Caitlyn Lyle

Alex Pokus

Anna Lance

Amanda Pelon

Tricia Collin

Kate Ewen

Mathew Weikert

Kristin Stroud

Julie Russi

Exhibit Proposal – Group 3 – IAR 540/222

Group 3 Members:

Caitlyn Lyle

Alex Pokus

Anna Lance

Amanda Pelon

Tricia Collin

Kate Ewen

Mathew Weikert

Kristin Stroud

Julie Russi

Proposal Committee:

Julie Russi

Caitlyn Lyle

Blog:

http://iar222group3.blogspot.com/

Proposed Title:

Journey of the John

Concept Development:

We were all interested in the universal progression of interior spaces. In the beginning of this assignment, we began to focus on private settings throughout the home such as bedrooms, but we found that somewhat mundane. Then our focus shifted to lounging chairs, so we would still have the personable interaction but without limiting it to one space, but we decided that the act of lounging is not prevalent in all cultures and we wanted to expand our exhibit to something that affects all cultures. All lines pointed to something we use everyday and in some countries it is definitely taken for granted, therefore we ultimately ended with one of the most private and essential part of the home.

Concept:

We are exploring the toilet throughout the world, its various cultural differences and change over time. The bonding element is the ever-present change throughout every culture and how the views of public and private vary. Based on our individual artifacts were choosing the ones that best represent an obvious shift in time, culture, and privacy views. Our artifact is a piece that may be a taboo in this day in age; therefore we would like to shine a light on one of the most important features in a home. As an individual goes through the exhibit he/she will be able to experience the evolution that has happened and is continuing to happen. They will be able to recognize how far it has come and how far it has yet to go.

Example Objects:

Potty in Public

Outhouse

King Henry’s Royal Flush

Dumpin’ in a Ditch

The Sexist Toilet

Resources:

We have been exploring different associations, websites, museums, etcetera. We plan to continue using these sites and seeing where they lead us.

Exhibit poster precedents

2011-10-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Designing for UNCG entrepreneurs space Precedent Ideas

2011-10-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

A study of furniture through the centuries

2011-10-04T19:23:00.001-07:00

New York Quilt Exhibit

2011-10-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

A beautiful quilt exhibit in New York.

What I mainly love about this is the composition of the quilts. To the viewer its like they're almost wrapping around you as they swirl up. The lighting is also so great that it make them look like LED patterned panels.

Happy Birthday to my better half

2011-09-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

On Sept 10th my best friend was born.

Happy 22nd Birthday to my partner in crime!! The one who makes me laugh, has a heart bigger than Texas, unconditionally loves, and shares his passions with me Gustavo Soto. I Love YOU.

Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face....

2011-09-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about you so much lately. I wish you were here to guide me and tell me how much you love me. To sit me on your lap and hear you for hours on end tell me about all your stories and all your advice. I miss you more than ever and as I get older those words of wisdom would definitely clear up my doubts on those days when I feel so frustrated and confused. We always remember you though I love you and although I didn't get to keep you for as long as I wanted I know you're better now. I love you daddy. <3

luminescence

2011-09-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

This pictures of light fixtures served as inspiration for an autonomous project we were given in my second year studio.

DIY Moments: Redesigning the Kitchen

2011-08-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Last summer we redesigned our kitchen floor and did some painting and reorganizing. The process of changing the floor was painful! Especially since it was our first time doing a project on our own. Everything was a trial and error. From the cutting of the tile, the amount to cement needed and how much water to made the perfect mix. But in the end it was all worth it! We got rid of the green and decided to go with fresher look with the yellow. It immediately brought the kitchen back to life! Although since then we've made changes and adjustments especially with the furniture I wanted to capture in just a couple pictures a little bit of the process and change of color.

(more pictures of our kitchen will be posted soon)

Mornings with Lucy

2011-08-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

For some reason or another I've been up really early these past morning and I've been watching I Love Lucy on the Hallmark channel and I absolutely LOVE her! The show is not only hilarious but it takes you back in time to see how things have and haven't changed. You get to see how fashion from today has gotten much of its inspiration from then and how things get recycled through the years. But what is most awesome about this show is that even back in 50's there was already sight of interracial couples. It's like a revolution in society's ideas about couples and race was starting to evolve. And even today it's still in progress. If you ask me Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were one of the hottest couples of their day! I Love Lucy is a classic :)

Edibles: Women are like flowers...

2011-08-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

Women are like flowers. We're all different shapes, sizes, and colors. There isn't one that isn't beautiful. To all those mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and friends who are going through a stormy period in your life just remember this; those hard times only polish us. They make our colors shine brighter and make us grow stronger! Hang in there nothing is forever and after every storm there always comes peace. :)

Point Essay Explorations

2010-12-10T13:24:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of the explorations unit, everything we've learned throughout the course of this class started coming together for me. And it got me thinking about what design is, what inspired these designers and what pushed the final product. I can see that the answer in design is who were these designers really designing for? By carefully studying them as we did in this class I see that while some buildings were made to be functional, others weren't and instead the designers were more wrapped up in their concepts, visions, and extraordinary ideas that in the end some of the essentials were missing, an example being the Marina City apartments. These apartments are made aesthetically beautiful, but were the human needs met when the pie shaped rooms leave an awkward space furnishings on one end?

In the end this concludes that designers and architects have moved away from the human essentials. The focus has been placed on the "looks" instead of how the form fits the function for who the place is for. In addition to this, many of todays designs have lost the essential language of design. There isn't anymore looking back to any kind of precedent, there is a void in many designs, as if there wasn't much consideration was put into the process, no looking to the past, no classic, no modern, no Palladio, no Corbusier. It's as if its fallen into a bland path.

More than just studying the history, I feel that this class took us back into the time, culture, ideas, and concepts which affected the design. And with that I left having a better understanding of why the Villa Rhotonda is such an exemplary building, and why designs were rejected or praised. And the much talked about "conversations" and many "voices" all these designers were having all at once.

Reading Comp7

2010-11-30T14:53:00.000-08:00

Weatherspoon Art Museum

Greensboro Collects

Landscape: Real Surreal Constructed

Ansel Adams : Winter Sunrise, the sierra Nevada : California : 1944

This beautiful black and white picture captures a mountain scenery of a clear winter morning. At first glance it seems to just capture a shot of nature, but it has also captured a shot of what our world is composed of. Those 3 components are water earth and the sky. And all three carrying out their roles, water feeding the earth, the earth forming a shelter and the sky casting its light. Although separate they are united, one single composition. They beautifully meet each other well, without any joints or additions they combine. This could also be interpreted into the design language as the basic elements of architectural design, those being commodity, firmness and delight by Vitruvious. This scene conveys a feeling of comfort in the cradle of the valley at the mountain bottom, there is definitely firmness in the immense jagged mountains, and delight in the clearness of a beautiful winter day. In a way I can almost breathe in the cold air as when I look at this shot. Emphasize and focus is also shown. This picture clearly emphasizes the mountain top capturing the sunlight which creates a strip of white in the middle of the picture. The darkness contrasts and almost seems to consume the mountain as it rises. It leads your eyes across the image and your eyes capture the smooth and rough edges the mountains has.

Reading Comp 6

2010-11-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

The Arts and Craft was a movement during the 19th century with the purpose to break free from the machine manufactured design to the art of craftsmanship and detail. It was the thought of contrasting the victorian clutter to the simple medieval and "authentic design." The influence behind this movement is found in the medieval era. The Red House in Kent, England designed by Phillip Webb for William Morris has influence from the "tudor style" of the 15th century gothic with the use of the "half timbering" where the wooden structure is shown on the inside. The characteristics include the white wash walls with the contrasting with the wood. The Red house looks like a medieval hall within its walls. Its makes a lot of use of brick for its mason and for details with in the house like its chimney. The gable roofs show verticality that mirror the verticality of the Gothic cathedrals. Although with the same principles but a few changes the Arts and crafts takes a small shift in America. It takes the use of wood to another level. The Gamble house by Greene and Greene really makes use of this material. The whole house is almost completely made out of wood and uses very few ornamentation to replace is it with the ornament of the system. Its staircase is one of the main features of this arts and crafts home. The system is displayed on the staircase. The hinges and nails are celebrated as part of ornamentation as well as the cut outs of the wood and how they're placed.

Penshurst Hall compared to Red House

Red House

Gamble House

Villa Tugendhat

2."A house is a machine for living: it should be as practical as a typewriter, telephone, and auto."- Le Corbusier

In Le Corbusier's terms a house should serve its purpose like a machine. The functional form replaces the aesthetic beauty. Beauty should only come naturally from how well the form fits the function. This is the way it should be critiqued. And therefore a whole new design language is born by designers like Le Corbusier and Van Der Rhohe. In my opinion there is beauty in how well the machine works to suit the inhabitants needs. But there's more in the connection of the warmth the space creates. These "functional machines" become to cold and simple. The Villa Tugendhat by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe is a great example of a very great piece of architecture, and representation of this movement. However it is so very simple, clean and minimal that there seems to be a void within the space. The use of luxiourus materials like onxy, rare woods, and glass makes this home very elegant. The house is very much like a machine, containing large glass panes that slide down like windows in a car, the double glass partitions serve as the main light source for the dining room, and the dinning room itself is in a circular sectioned off area where it is part of the space, yet secluded by a retractable wall.

3. Le Corbusier and Jeanneret Villa La Roche 1928 France

Alternative + Reflections Student Summaries

2010-11-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

Some great summaries of for the alternatives and reflections are found in Kacie Leisure, Kathryn Frye, and Anna Behrendt. These 3 girls have beautifully defined in their own way what each unit is about.

Starting with the alternatives Anna talks about how buildings meanings were portrayed. She explains their meaning in the society, what the significance is in the design, material, and purpose. She explores more of the history of designers exploring new ideas and alternatives in creating designs. The quote, "Basic shapes are extremely important in everything. They are so simplistic but when they are played with and altered from original form, can turn into something interesting," This is very true and in design whatever it is you starting off with, whether a precedent, a new idea simple or complex, there is always and alternative route to that design which can take it to a whole new level.

Kathryn on the other hand emphasized on the periods and the alternative paths they took. She talks about the alternatives the Renaissance and Baroque chose. While the Renaissance was about keeping classics and reviving it, Baroque was all about pushing the limits and taking things to a whole new level. Although each took very different alternative the changes created something very wonderful, just as Anna mentioned in her summary when you move things around and play with them something great can come out of it. In this case some amazing designs came out of!

Kacie ties everything in with the general idea of the design cycle. And that is that great design comes with many tries and having a variety of ideas. It all about trying more than one thing until you find your style, and what you see as refined or ideal. Over the course of the years designers have molded everything around them or even invented something new but in the end what it all comes down to is that there is always an alternative path that takes designers through a creative journey.

As far as our reflections unit the girls have the same conclusion on what it is all about and that is revolution and the "circle of design." It is agreed by all of them that no matter how things change or morph, design always makes a full circle because it will sooner or later make its come back. I like how Anna creatively explains this using the Lion King's analogy of the "circle of life." Things die because another design takes over, but later it comes back to life through another style. Kathryn points out how during this revolution "various design language questions were brought up." It was a process of figuring out what was modern, what was the correct way to go, thus forming a huge room of conversations where no "one" voice is heard. Kacie ties this revolution to her own life as a designer. Revival, reform, rotation, and cycle all describe her journey as an Iarc student because of how she's progressed. I can say I definitely agree with her as well, since we started this program we've all had a transformation as designers. A revolution has begun to take place.

Point : Reflections Unit

2010-11-08T12:58:00.000-08:00

Revolution. " a dramatic and wide reaching change in the way something works or is organized or in peoples ideas about it." dictionary.

This unit really got me thinking about everyday things we see and have grown accustomed to seeing, but that we really never stop to think how they got to the point they're at. What changed? Who even thought of something like that to get it to where it is today? So I guess this unit really is about reflecting, reflecting back into the design process, the ideas, the revolution that created it and the revolutions it triggered itself. It has taught me that at one point a design was influenced by its era, culture, and surroundings. Revolution comes with changes. The Crystal Palace comes to my head when I think of change. This building brought change forth in material. It was one of the first buildings to use glass and metal as its materials for the whole structure. Because of this, it was able to be built monumentally because of the lightness of the materials. This building housed thousands of exhibitions and artifacts from all over the world and created a revolution in its era. This building was a symbol to

the industrial revolution where advancements were made and iron making methods were evolving. Ironically, although this building was thought of as something new and advanced, many of the exhibits within it were not, many looked to the passed and spoke a different language than the container they were in. This palace held many exhibits which all spoke a different language, and that all had different conversations but no "one" voice really spoke out. Its ironic to see this clutter of ideas in such a simple design like this building. Its as if this period of change is still looking to the past.

Another example of change is in thearts and crafts era. It was a change in construction methods and design. It was a change from the victorian clutter to simplicity. It contrasted with the machine to hand-made craft. The movement originated from William Morris who was looking to rely on the warmth of wood, along with clean and straight lines. He was inspired and influenced by the medieval era. His works show quality and substance something a machine can definitely lack at times. Kent is one of his best works. It uses simplicity and local materials and everything was done by hand.

Exploring new ideas and looking forward and back are definitely the formula for a revolution. Mixing two of something definitely creates a new thing.

Reading Composition 5

2010-11-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

William Morris 1891

Beds. It's the place we all seem yearn for after a long days work or after taking a long trip. I believe that a bed has always been seen as a persons personal retreat spot. Although their shapes, sizes, and designs have changed over the years it wasn't until the 18th century when designers started focusing on privacy of the bed-room. Beds started in parlors, or gathering areas where everyone who sleep or stay at. Designers created a revolution in this sense by taking the bed to its own room by expanding rooms and making separations. This was done for the need for privacy, sanitation, and ventilation.

Place:

Granada, Spain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Granada_san_jeronimo.jpg

http://www.atpm.com/12.12/europe/Columns%20in%20the%20Court%20of%20the%20Lion,%20Alhambra,%20Granada,%20Spain.shtml

A really influenced place in by the middle east is seen in Grenada, Spain. This is a place inspired by the islamic moorish architecture. If you were to look at a middle eastern town you would see that it has the same sense of closeness. And while close it also gives the feeling of a breezy, open air town with its many windows, tall arches, and endless rows of columns all over the city. They are have the similar color palette of warm sandstone as well. Reds, blues, and golds also accent the many buildings of this place all referring back to the Islamic moorish influence. In addition Arabic inscriptions also adorn the walls of this city which takes you to a completely different world from Spain, and that is the beauty of this city which holds a past into the middle eastern world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada

2010-11-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Artifact:

Portrait of Pere Tanguy

Vincent Van Gogh

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Van_Gogh_-_Portrait_of_Pere_Tanguy_1887-8.JPG

Vincent Van Gogh's portrait of Julien Pere Tanguy is a very clear example of eastern influence on the West. In this case the influence is of Japonism. Japonism is the influence of the arts of Japan on those of the West. This painting holds many of the symbols/ icons that describe the Japanese culture. I love that Vangogh got inspired by this culture for his paintings, but still kept his style of the painting strokes. He is combining two worlds, and in more than one way. He kept his technique, and emphasized a man that's not of the Eastern culture. Julien Tanguy was a french art dealer who went into exile because of his revolutionary beliefs on art. This makes me think that Van Gogh did this on purpose, wanting this painting to speak out to revolution, the revolution of this man along with the revolution of this eastern influence.

Some of the symbols of the Japanese culture include Mt. Fiji, a very well known landmark in Japan. This amazing mountain inspired many Japanese artist and later westerners as well. Another big icon to this culture is their geisha women. These women were entertainers, (especially for men) and wore the traditional kimono along with some very distinct adornment on their faces and hair. They were symbolic to this nation because they were the women who were trained in geisha houses to learn to sing, dance, and make conversations with wealthy clients and their business partners. Lastly another detail of influence is the cherry blossom tree. This is a tree with a lot of meaning to the Japanese people because of the history behind it. "Sakura," as it's said in Japanese, starts blossoming in Okinawa, and then to the rest of the country. A tradition the people that goes back many years is that of picnicking and having feasts underneath them.

This is one of many painting that were inspired by Japonism, and caught the spirit of Japan.

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 -1849)

http://oldphotosjapan.com/en/photos/273/izumi-shizuoka

http://www.japanjourneys.co.uk/gap_year_japan.html

http://www.wunrn.com/news/2007/11_07/11_19_07/111907_japan.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hiroshige,_36_Views_of_Mount_Fuji_Series_7.jpg

2010-11-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Building:

Vontorsov Palace

Designed by Edward Blore, a very influential artist of the time, housed the Governor of the Novorossiysk territory. It was designed in english style but the southern facade is highly influenced by Islamic architecture. One of the main things is the Minarets. These are tall spires with onion shaped crowns. These were functionally placed in Islamic buildings to provide a vantage point from where someone could call everyone to prayer. Another function they perform is for air conditioning. The domes would get heated by the sun and open windows in the minaret ventilate the air out. Although the purpose for them here were probably not functional the inspiration is definitely there. Other details include the flat roof, pointed arches and doorway. This is seen a lot in Islamic Architecture such as that of the Taj-Mahal and Shah Mosque. You can see that the facade to this building definitely speaks middle eastern language.

Taj- Mahal

Shah Mosque

2010-11-02T09:31:00.001-07:00

Space:

The Peacock room

London, England

http://www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/online/peacock/default.htm

Frederick R. Leyland's room by James McNeill Whistler has a clear sense of influence by the Chinese culture. This is a place that speaks the oriental language through its design on the walls, colors, and blue and white porcelain. The golden bamboo frames and definitely goes back to China, which was the first recorded country to use bamboo for everyday things. The bamboos beautifully frame and section the room, while at the same time adding emphasize because of their shimmering gold. In addition to that gold the peacock also accent the room. These majestic birds are also part of this culture since they are believed to be a bird of luck, dignity and beauty. A dance even developed from the bird because of its elegant and beautiful gestures. Whistler could have gotten his inspiration from artists of the Ming and Qing dynasty who used this bird in many of their art. In addition to this Whistler also added the vases and jars of blue and white porcelain come from the Chinese “Jingdezhen” the most representative of the porcelain in the country. It dates as far back as the year 960, Whistler had a clear understanding of how symbolic and true to the Chinese culture it was. Lastly the focus of the room is placed upon the painting of a woman called the "Princess from the Land of Porcelain." This woman is the topping to the room. She is dressed in the traditional Kimono dress, along with the colors that reflect the blue and white porcelain shown in the rug to reemphasize it. Portraits of women dressed in the traditional attire are also a big part of what this culture celebrates. I believe that as a designer Whistler definitely captured the essence of the Chinese culture and incorporated it in this room. If one were to walk into this space there, it would be hard to believe it is located in England. Chinese is spoken in every detail, from the bamboo, vases, to the main feature -the peacock.

http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/31Arts240.html

http://traditions.cultural-china.com/en/17Traditions276.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chou_Fang_001.jpg

Perspective

2010-10-28T11:09:00.001-07:00

Santa Maria Novella a renaissance church by Albertini, came to my mind for our perspective project. I decided to use word, and the one that came up was boundaries. When I saw this building the first thing that caught my attention was the defined spaces and boundaries in it. I didn't include every detail from the building in my drawing but I just wanted to capture where the boundaries were. I love how everything falls perfectly together, the geometry, patterns, and color palette. One of the main renaissance rules was boundaries, and this is a great example of it.

Compass

2010-10-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

The Agora in Athens, Greece was a community place. It was a space that held market places, theaters, political residences, and temples. This was a place where the everyday Athenian would go to hear the daily gossip, shop or just to discuss ideas and theories. This was a very important place because it brought everyone together. It had a real sense of congregation, and community.

For my compass project, I decided to take a plan view of the Agora and map out where the high traffic areas would be on a daily basis. I made a key for the colors ranging from high to low traffic.

Defined by answers.com

compass [ˈkʌmpəs]

n.
A device used to determine geographic direction, usually consisting of a magnetic needle or needles horizontally mounted or suspended and free to pivot until aligned with the earth's magnetic field.
Another device, such as a radio compass or a gyrocompass, used for determining geographic direction.
A V-shaped device for describing circles or circular arcs and for taking measurements, consisting of a pair of rigid, end-hinged legs, one of which is equipped with a pen, pencil, or other marker and the other with a sharp point providing a pivot about which the drawing leg is turned. Also called pair of compasses.
An enclosing line or boundary; a circumference: outside the compass of the fence. See synonyms atcircumference

Alternatives....

2010-10-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Alternatives unit is all about bending the rules and bringing a change to the face of architecture. The renaissance is a big part of this. This rebirth brought forth the same principles and elements of classicism, while designers added their own touch to the design. An example of this could be seen in the Basilica Santa Maria Novella. This mid 13th century building by Leon Battista Alberti is an example of what some designers adding everything into one facade of their buildings. This building beautifully shows boundaries, symmetry, proportion and balance. The geometry pattering on this building was thoughtfully put together and it works. The face is definitely the makeup to the building and as it was commented in class it has a "surface attitude." Where the investment went to is very clear here.

In addition this building is also a great example of boundaries, borders and edges being important. There are aedicules that mark the space and each section has a section with in it. Although there are many pattern and shapes, the design perfectly falls into place. Renaissance is described as separation of spaces reviving the classics, reviving the classics and geometric pattering amongst other things. Maria Santa Novella is definitely one that falls under most if not all of these descriptions. And many more like the Ospedale Innocenti by Brunellechi and Palazzo Medici.The Palazzo definitely stuck in my mind when talked about in this unit. The renaissance
explored the separation between public and private. I loved finding out that these palazzo were
carefully planned into floors where each one had its purpose. Each level "refines" as it goes up levels.
It shows a process of polishing up, leading to the important place which is one's private area. I love that
that this was emphasized and even till this day where one space and sleeping area is very personal and
is the most reserved place in the house. Where not just everyone walks into or takes part of.

by While the renaissance stuck to its rules Baroque on the other hand wanted to test them, and pushed the limits.The Pantheon in Paris by Jacques Germain Soufflot tests these boundaries. It combines two worlds into one. It brings Greek triangular crossing piers and slender corinthian columns and arches together. It takes the dome into another level by having 5 of them and putting everything Soufflot knew into one building.
It is a very intense and dramatic style. The Baroque era challenges authority and takes things to a whole other level, its like it contains so much details, layers and fluidity that your eyes can't take it all in at once. To me the Baroque era is beautiful because of the theatrical scene and atmosphere it creates. Whatever the style whether it is designing with rules or bending them the alternatives unit brings the question up of which one works or do they both have the same value. Does defying the limits open the options and broaden our selection? In my opinion having those who stepped out and pushed things further is a wonderful thing. Architecture and design is all about seeing the beauty in the simple and complex things, original or fresh. And whichever one works the good thing is that there is always an Alternative.

Reading Composition 4

2010-10-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

[1] Just as we learned with Gothic cathedrals, in the context of each PLACE, the other scales of analysis
(ARTIFACT, SPACE, and BUILDING) each demo

nstrate difference. For each scale on the readings rubric
above, EXPLAIN at least one common design language that links them all. Use the principles and
elements of design as defined for this class in your response. Explicitly tie the Roth reading to your
analysis, using at least one cited quote. [10 points possible]

The Neo- Palladian style is a style that doesn’t copy the styles or design from Palladio, Vitruvius, or Inigo Jones but instead derives from it, paying close attention to the details and proportions (Harwood 405-406) The classical language that is emphasized in Neo-Palladian is the elements of symmetry, repetition, and emphasis. This is very much seen in the architecture style.

Even in the artifact the symmetry is very much portrayed, for example the Chinoiserie bookcase/desk is a great example of symmetry and balance. Everything on it from the drawers to the decoration and details is very much symmetrical in a very beautiful manner.

The Holkham Saloon is a space with great sense of repetition in its patterns and details. The classical language is there, however you can clearly see where the change is in the details and décor. The coffered ceilings, patterns on the wall and furniture make this place a really beautiful room and aesthetically pleasing.

2010-10-15T06:51:00.000-07:00

These are a couple of really creative designs I found on the Abduzeedo website. I love how creative and original they are! Who would think you could design a sculpture from a business card, thats amazing to me! :) The other work caught my eye from with the bold colors and the simplicity. I really like this style of art.

Point: Foundations

2010-10-06T13:38:00.001-07:00

The foundations unit is all about coming back to the basics of all architecture. It is about knowing the roots of the tree that has grown branches, developed and given its fruit. The foundations of all architecture are found in Egypt, Greece, and Rome. These 3 places represent many of the classical design language that we see in our surroundings today.

Egypt starts off the language for the power and influence architecture holds. Their architecture included pyramids, temples, and other sacred tombs that let you know who and where you were in the world. The Egyptians were very much about their religion and belief in the after life. Their world was centered on it, which is why the Pharaohs made it their will to build the most monumental tombs to shelter their bodies and royal goods for the afterlife. The bigger, the better. The bigger, the more power. Size does matter after all. Bigger meant power, but shape also had a lot of significance. We learned in class that pyramids stood for the Pharaohs’ being the center of the universe. They thought of themselves as Helios (sun) gods and when the sun hit the point in the pyramid it let the light out to the 4 corners of the earth. This shows how potent they thought they were and how clear they wanted their presence to be exhibited in their domains. Egyptian architecture describes dominance and knowing who you were in the world, but it also talks about knowing where you were. Location played a big role in this culture. Egyptians believed the sun to be a god who created every living soul and therefore symbolized life. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/egyptian-sun-god-ra.html

This is why most pyramids were built on the west side of the Nile where the sun sets to represent death. I believe that orientation is very essential in design and it having a deeper meaning and thought behind it. A school or nursery should have thought in location or even something like light fixtures and where they are located matters. Location. Location. Location. It is more than it seems. Purpose matters and the Egyptians definitely knew how to define these in their architecture.

Greek architecture speaks to me as the core foundation for all architecture. It is the birthplace to harmony, balance, centrality and symmetry. It is classical language speaks on many levels. I love that the Greeks wanted to create buildings that were not only aesthetically pleasing but were perfect in their proportions. The Acropolis is a location that displays Greek architecture in all its glory. This is a place where everything is made with great thought in mind. The location, location of the buildings, unity, emphasis and proportions of one another in regards to importance, repetition, contrast, and the details all make this place one of the greatest examples of what Greek architecture is all about. Athens was the center location for all the foundations or “rules” of this architectural language. This is where it was founded and we see as one furthers from the city the rules start to be bent and tweaked a bit. Things aren’t the same, additions and alterations are made. The center city holds the foundations.

Rome brings Greek architecture as a precedent and takes it to another step. Rome is the place where a break through in design and diversity takes place. Rome becomes a modern city because it houses systems like the aqueducts, dome, coliseums, roads, and arches. These are creations and discoveries have helped to facilitate our everyday lives. Because of things like the arch and dome bigger buildings could be built. Rome speaks a more modern language while holding on to the classics.

Reading Comp 3

2010-10-01T12:23:00.001-07:00

First Comparison

Salisbury & Amiens Cathedral

Both Cathedrals of the Gothic Period have the same or similar concept of design. They both reveal the purpose of the church, which is to feel in touch with the heavens. They do this through the grand scale, tall ceilings, clerestory windows, and pointed arches. It is all mainly the same language. The design process of the Amiens cathedral however, reminds me that of a story told by word of mouth. As it passes on it changes a bit. There is a little more added or taken away each time. I believe that when this happens richness does develop. The fact that this cathedral took almost two decades instead of 20 years like the Salisbury Cathedral makes this place a richer place with different ideas, ideas from the past and some new ones as well. The detail difference definitely shows, along with the scale of it. The Salisbury cathedral is a beautiful place also filled with its own richness but not quite on the same complexity as the Amiens. It is much simpler in details, its described as,” low and generous, with only the somewhat oversized crossing tower” – A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals. Salisbury’s main focus and emphasis overall is the main tower. However the Amiens has two towers instead of one, yet further proof of its complexity.

Salisbury Cathedral:

Amiens Cathedral :

Egypt, Greece, Rome Summary

2010-09-22T17:16:00.000-07:00

Egypt: Was knowing where you are and who you are in the world. The scale and greatness of the pyramids in context to the people show power of pharaohs. Location: West side of the Nile had all the tombs in representation of death and sun setting on the west.

Greece: Scale of buildings in relation to each other in relation to the columns in relation to details and people. It showed emphasis whether it was big or small to show importance. The forms are very proportioned and mathematical with a reason and purpose. The aspect of developing, and evolution. For example columns changing getting thinner. The styles changing too Doric, ionian, aeolian. The Megaron a big example of evolving architecture. Unity in the architecture as a whole building and idea. Unity in space and scale.

Rome: Scale still emphasized in relation to importance, this time maybe more in importance to empire than gods. Evolution in sytems for example roads, aqueducts, the arch, dome, and coliseums. Many if not all the basics of Greece, but more advanced and taken to a further step.

Forms, and architecture still with reason and purpose.

Reading Composition 2

2010-09-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

Reading Comprehension 2

Julie Russi

Iar 222

1. Hershey is definitely right when he says that Greek architecture is based on the idea of sacrifice. To Greeks sacrifice was something very common to them. They sacrificed animals all the time to their gods for favors, and for rituals. Also in many stories as Hershey mentions there is a lot said in Greek mythology on the human body when it’s dismembered and put together again at these sacrifice locations and temples. This is definitely resembled in their architecture. For example one of the first things he points out is the resemblance of tree trunks to columns. Trees were indeed very important to Greeks because before temples this is what they used to build their worship and sacrifice places. Every god had a tree that symbolized them therefore it that made trees even more important. “The book states that the first columns were trees, or at least upright forked props tied together by horizontal branches (pg 14). Hershey says that to the Greeks the “head, eyes, tongues, ears, fingers and thighs were thought to be sacred to the soul.” Building then too have all these sacred parts because although there are many ways to interpret these parts on a building the point is that they believed that these places had souls too (pg19). Column bases if we see closely, Hershey says are foot. In sacrifice the victim’s feet are tied whether human or animal. The connection in column bases with this ritual of sacrifice is seen when some Baroque statue columns have bound feet, or the heavy rope seen on “cavetto molding.”

2. Many times when researching a subject we look around the Internet, read and whatever sounds and reads pretty educated we believe and extract for the use of our knowledge. But how do we know that we’re reading is the exact true facts, or that we’re not misinterpreting the information? I believe that taking the time to compare the information to others is the key to having a good understanding of what is being put out there for you. Digging into your research to get the evidence gives you a clearer view. “The Hotel of the Mysteries” is a good example of what mis-interpreting evidence is.

3. It is said that Queen Hatshepsut united many kingdoms into one. This meant she had a lot of influence, power, and wisdom. Therefore I believe that the reasons behind the design of her funerary building were very much influenced by her. The building first of all isn’t in a pyramid shape like pharaohs of her time. Instead it is a rectangle shape, which includes columns, an open entrance and is in a valley instead of an open area. I believe she did all this with the idea in mind of what a woman was in her era. Although she was powerful she knew the standards of a “respectable” woman. Women weren’t allowed the same privileges as men. Being modest and unseen was part of this culture. This is why I believe that her temple was in a place that was sheltered. Another detail from her design is that is has vertical and horizontal lines. This is where I believe she shows some of her power even as a woman. It doesn’t end in a point but yet the she stacks these rectangles and includes columns which show rise and power. There is similarity in narrowing down, in a different form but paralleling the pyramid where is starts to get smaller and smaller. The entry way is obviously more open than that of the pyramids. I believe this has to do with the thought that women are more open and warm than men.

4. The Parthenon a Greek temple to Athena and the Hypostyle Hall a sacred Egyptian temple share more then what is seen and have their share of differences as well. The Parthenon was built for a specific God, solely for the worship of Athena. It was a building in honor for the patron of the city of Athens. The statues and carvings all show the stories of this goddess. The Hypostyle hall, while a sacred place as well isn’t just for one divinity specifically. This temple is a place where the inscriptions tell of the stories of all the pharaohs their power and achievements. It is a place that changes because of the additions of inscriptions and changes to the hall. It belongs to the pharaohs, and not to the city or people. The Parthenon however is a place that remains the same. Its single purpose is emphasized even more with the statue of Athena in the center. It also seems to belong to the city and not just one person. They both however are places that could only be entered by the priests. Although time has passed and has weathered them down, the strong material and construction has kept much of the structures up.

5. The furniture that Harwood describes is furniture that is definitely lighter than the tomb architecture. He talks about King Tut’s bed that was light and foldable for traveling. Tombs were a place to store everything for the afterlife. They had to be grand to show power and strength. These buildings however weren’t going anywhere. The Egyptians believed in a journey to the afterlife. I believe then, that the furniture was made light for the journey since it’s said that all their belongings go with them. The furniture was very simple and made out of local wood. It was probably done this way to make it all easier to carry.

6. When looking at these vase drawings the first thing that comes to my head is that the women are serving a man. The man here seems to have a higher status than the women because of his staff, throne, and crown. However, looking deeper into Greek culture, a lot of their mythological stories were represented on these vases and it isn’t just what we see based on our culture. It is a definite that this man is of royalty or at least some power, but maybe these women aren’t just “serving” him. Maybe they too have some kind of power and are offering this man something the Greeks were known for having female deities that were equal to males. Therefore it could mean that it is a goddess. It’s much deeper than what we see.

Point : Theories Unit

2010-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

Julie Russi

09-08-10

Iar 222

Point : Theories

In our theories unit, what I infer from it is that these are the ways to see and break down the inevitable art of architecture. By knowing and understanding Vitruvius’ commodity, firmness and delight, I can now apply these elements to everything around us. Knowledge is a tool and this is definitely one that opens the eye of an artist and designer. I can now see myself in studio applying it to my work. Does this fit the function? Is this stable? Or is this enjoyable and esthetically pleasing? I can also judge what is already around me a cellphone, a chair, a building. It very easily helps a designer to pull everything apart and see if the total outcome of the design is well made and thoroughly thought out. “ In architecture, as in all arts, the end must direct the operation. The end is to build well.”- Sir Henry Wotton.

There are also many other ways to see art and in our case architecture. There is description, deduction and speculation. There is also, double meaning, maps of meaning, and subculture. These are all ways to analyze and how to interpret what is in front of you. Some of these include looking at it through the eyes of the artist/designer, making our own analysis, looking for meanings and linking elements together. But in the end what all this just says to me is that what ever it is that were stripping apart whether it is a grand building or a small piece of sculpture we shouldn’t just make our own judgments. Instead we should look at everything through more than one looking glass or point of view. By doing so we get the most out of whatever it is we are judging, and in the end making it a richer experience. The design cycle defined by Charles Edward Gray as the “measurement of creativity in Western Civilization.” The design cycle is seeing what has changed, and what remains the same. Throughout the ages many architects have taken a lot of inspiration from Roman and Greek architecture, while others have created their own style. Most if not all though has always had some kind of repetition or inspiration of things from the past. Some such as arches, columns, domes or Pompeian details. Change in the design cycle has however been more concentrated in certain regions of the world. For example the west has changed much more than the east has. The “change wave” goes up and down more for the west while the east’s stays more stable.

I would have to say that with high style and vernacular the design cycle fits in. It either carried up and down High style and vernacular style or it stayed more with one. In architecture High style can be considered as grand scale buildings, really dramatic buildings. Some examples of those are ones like libraries, political buildings, and sacred temples or churches. And vernacular as ones like ordinary cookie cut out frames and “looks.”

A piece of architecture that I believe is covers this whole unit is that of Stonehenge in Avebury. It is a place where there is a very precise sundial. It is considered to have been constructed by people from a close village as their sacred place. It has a lot of subculture for its hidden meanings and mystery. It contains Maps of meaning for the mystery in which those rocks form part of a way of life for the people that lived during this time. This is a place where it could also be part of Vitruvius 3 elements. It fits function, it’s a place that has eroded through the years but yet has an appealing and enjoyable presence and also it is made with some very grand scale rocks.

http://texasliberal.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/facts-about-2010-british-election-a-hung-parliament/

http://godshisstory.blogspot.com/2008/08/brief-overview-of-celtic-tribes-750-bc.html

Reading Composition 1

2010-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Reading Composition 1

Julie Russi

Iarc 222

1. I would definitely have to say that the Transworld Flight Center, TWA by Ero Saarinen, falls under the definition of Vitruvius’ commodity, firmness, and delight. The commodity or “functional arrangement” is definitely there. The building is an airplane terminal where each station, departure site, and its paths serve a purpose. Its element of firmness is shown in the materials used. Made with a base of a steel sheet with reinforced concrete and glass the TWA has stood strong for 48 years after its construction in 1962. The material not only shows that it was wisely used for structure but also made esthetically pleasing to the eye in design. The glass and concrete are built in the shape of a bird’s wings. This is a really beautiful metaphor of flight taking place. The contemporary colors of the building are simple yet appealing. Most importantly the “romance” of flight is still in place.

2. The middle fabric is a fabric that has some very strong influences from the Chinese Culture. From looking at it the material seems to look like silk. In Harwood it is said that the Chinese were known for their silks. They were the only ones to distribute silk until the 12^th century in Italy. I can also see that the fabric has a lotus plant. This was a motif, which the Chinese are also famous for.

3. In the USA the need for space is something that is seen as far as how close we stand to each other and how big or small hallways/rooms/closets ect are. I would say however that our room for Iar 222 makes that statement fall a little short. The seats are very close. Close to each other, the next row, and to the next set of seats. Sitting next to someone in the room is crossing into the boundaries of what is thought to be the personal space a person needs. And for whatever reasons it may be, because of the need to fit a number of students, or to use as much of the space possible this room makes it a tight squeeze sometimes to sit and walk through the rows.

4. Happy architecture is something I believe in as well as Botton says in his passage. When I think of a happy space I think of a bathroom. Not a restroom, a bathroom. It is a place that no matter when, at some point brings a physical relief for all of us. But what I have also found out is that it also has an immediate psychological feel for relief and relaxation, regardless of what it provides for us. When I’m in the bathroom I love the feel of the cool tiles, cool porcelain the cool colors and steel. In my mind when I walk into a bathroom there is a sense of relaxation and relief and that speaks to happiness. Botton says this in his quote “It has provided not only physical but psychological sanctuary.”

Personifying People

2010-05-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Creating or drawing a space is pretty easy, actually making it have some sense of life by including people or things is something I usually forget to do, but I AM working on it ;) This exercise really helped me realize just that.

clue 5: pimp my ride

2010-05-04T05:46:00.001-07:00

I learned that drawing cars is not my forte, I guess only with experience will I get better at it. But incase its not obvious (and im being sarcastic) this is a toyota celica. I thought the car itself had a sharp and vicious look, so I immediately thought of a shark and this is what it transformed to.

Looking Back [self critique] studio space board

2010-05-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

Julie Russi

STUDIO BOARD PRESENTATION

This studio project was an overall learning experience for me. I have to say it was a project where I could very much see all of progress as it went on. This was the first time I could actually design a space with the freedom of doing basically what I wanted with it. Although this was an experience full of plus and minuses it was definitely something I learned from greatly.

From the moment we were given the assignment my mind immediately began thinking and turning about different ideas. I wanted to make sure this space was exactly what it was suppose to be for along with the essentials a living space needs. Philippe Starck was what came to my mind immediately because of his philosophy of what design is to him. He would rather make 100 purposeful pieces than 1 expensive and useless piece. So I decided to work with that and create a space that was simple, yet functional at the same time.

Overall in my opinion my board definitely showed what I wanted to do with the space. It showed simple functionality. My oral presentation was clear with what my point was and as far as drawings technical and rendered I have much to learn and experience. I need to learn how to better show light in my drawings and get my technical symbols correct as well.

Everybody who put their heart into this project, it reflected in their board. I know that not all of us have the same experience or talents, but in the end what matters is all the effort and hard work you put into what you do. I admired many things from my peer’s boards, like their drawings, designs, and even things like their super graphics.

I now have a better understanding of what it takes to design a space and I now can see where I clear the areas where I need to grow in.

Studio Board for visiting Artist

2010-05-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

In the end I finally created my board.

It was a long but very educational process. I now can look back and see how far I came, and still what I need to work on to make it even better.

Studio in the making.

2010-05-01T05:20:00.001-07:00

And lastly a couple of precedent pictures for the space.

The model of the loading deck.

A few of the original elevations.

Here we had to do a view of our space with 5 different color palettes.

For this assignment we had to redesign either the loading dock in the Iarc building or the administrative offices. To better design the space we had to use an artist as inspiration for the space.

As for me I knew I definitely wanted to use Phillipe Starck as an inspiration and mainly for the way he sees design than what he actually designs. (Not to say that his designs arent amazing.)

During Class we had what we call a "process" to get to our final work. This includes some rendered and technical drawings, choosing different palettes and views of our space.

Now that I Look back at all these drawings I see how far I've gotten in drawing and rendering. Its actually been a pretty big leap from where I was at.

Clue 4: Changing Colors

2010-04-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

With this space I tried the blues and reds together and found out that they weren't my favorite for this space. Or maybe it was the way i used them, but I think a different combination of them would have worked better to give the space a more successful look.

In this picture I decided to use a couple of analogous colors. I think that somehow they all worked together and made this a space that some one would really like to stay to read a book and maybe have some coffee.

For this picture I decided to use yellow and green colors. It gave the enviornment a lively and bright view.

Clue 3: Weaving It Together

2010-04-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

I found this small reading area to be a perfect place for relaxation and a quiet place to read a book. It also served as a place to new patterns.

Clue 2: Processing Patterns

2010-04-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

These pattern came from a UNCG water bottle (which I will have a picture of soon)

Even though some objects aren't completely pattern covered, there are patterns in everything or at least some kind of line that can create a pattern.

That is how I feel about this bottle, although it isn't completely blank it isn't completely pattern covered. But out of the few patterns and lines I got these patterns from it.

Clue:1

2010-04-22T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Anna Grove student health center....(in a painful tone)

My first memory at UNCG starts in this building. For SOAR, our freshmen orientation I had to come with my vaccine records and have all of the required ones before starting school. I thought I was good and ready to go, but lucky for me (not) I was missing a few and had to get them straight away that day. Therefore I was sent to this wonderful building to get 3 painful shots on one arm. What seemed like a nice visit to campus turned out to be a horrible 2 days of pain, fevers, and a swollen arm :)

Everytime I go back to this I can just feel the pain of those 3 needles in my arm....not happy memories.
As IARC students we all know that coffee is a student's best friend. I was a Starbucks and Starbucks only fan until I ran into this little shop one night. I came to find out that the prices, drinks, and atmosphere was way more comforting than the small over crowed Starbucks on campus. I am now addicted to Coffeeology and their caramel Frappucinos...Yum :)

Extra Credit!!!!

2010-04-08T13:51:00.001-07:00

This is the view of the area around the Gray dorms and part of the fountain stairs. I love that the fountain area in front of the caf is a place where everyone no matter the reason gathers to do their thing. It's a nice and relaxing place where even the randomest things are seen like people dancing away to their jams without a care in the world, or someone quickly swimming in the fountain before getting caught! This is why I chose to draw this scene.

Thumbnails with a twist of inspiration

2010-03-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

2010-03-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

I love this Drawing and Designing with confidence book! I am learning some very awesome techniques with it. In these drawings I used the professional dot, professional gap, dots, overlap corner, and thick strokes. These are just some of the many neat techniques Lin teaches to make drawing and designing great. So far they aren't at their potential but I'm getting there. Slowly but surely!

Gateway Process

2010-03-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

These are a couple of pictures of our models that we've been working on so far for this gateway project.

The project is to create a 4ft wide passageway at the N. East side of our studio building, using an era as the inspiration. Our group has decided to use the 14th century Renaissance.

12 thumbnail sketches

2010-02-25T09:55:00.000-08:00

thumbnail inspirations

2010-02-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Window Project

2010-02-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

For this project we had to use cardboard and two other materials to capture two moments of light.

My whole concept was the use of light and dark and positive and negative space.

The skewers help to convey the vertical lines that are on both sides, while at the same time separating and uniting them as well.

There is plastic wrap used on the light side so the light caught in it makes it more vivid.

Afternoon exercises

2010-02-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Exercise February 16th, 2010

Drawing hands has always been a challenge to me.

Especially when its at a weird angle where foreshortening is involved.

So this is a my hand.

In a contorted sort of way.

Afternoon exercises

2010-02-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Exercise

Poses

I learned things about drawing the human body with this exercise.

One of those is that the length I was drawing arms was completely off!

This was a fun exercise because of how fast we had to capture the poses.

I enjoyed it a lot the quickness of it and the different poses we had to draw.

Ritual Project

2010-02-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

For this project we had to find an object that represented a ritual we carry out everyday. I immediately thought of a cross necklace I got while at a youth event. I always have it with me and its significance and meaning bring comfort at different times. There are times when I am meditating, feeling worried, or just simply reflecting on my day and this cross piece always brings me comfort. I was told in a group discussion that it could be very literal and too personal as far as a ritual, so I decided to make it more universal and do some research on it.

I discovered that in the Catholic faith there are rosaries used, and that each bead represents a prayer. Also the number 3 comes up many times in the Bible as well, the number has a big significance.

I therefore decided to make a keychain that contained 3 beads with my cross piece held at the bottom. This way I will always have it at hand. And these were the results.

This was just a little color water I added to a drawing of my ritual model.

2010-01-28T10:01:00.000-08:00

Vignettes

I really enjoyed drawing and painting vignettes. I didnt think that using watercolors would be fun, actually I was really dreading it.

Since the assignment was to focus on accessories from our classmates I decided to look for real colorful ones. My favorite was the multicolored beaded necklace one of my friends wore.

2010-01-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Exercise January 26th

Blind Contour

These kind of exercises are fun and relaxing.

I enjoy them.

2010-01-27T07:47:00.000-08:00

My objects included my alarm clock which is representative of me no longer sleeping in late. My shoes feeling on fire from walking sooo much, all my school friends because it is like a reunion when we come back. I also added coffeeology our favorite spot to get a cup of coffee before starting the day. I also included books because the first week is full of money spending on books and supplies. HOMEWORK! who would have thought first week would have been so full of it? And lastly I included my planner which stands for the chaos around me, and how it helps me organize it and be able to breathe!

Magazine Layout

For this assignment we were asked to pick a magazine layout and use it to draw objects that represent our first week back from school. I really liked this layout because of how the objects were all over the place with little quotes and prices beside them.

2010-01-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

Afternoon Exercise January 21st

I loved this exercise. We put 3 objects out at our desks and then went around drawing in different peoples sketchbooks one of the 3 objects. It was a really fun exercise because it kind of made us a little nervous to be drawing in someone else's book. It was also nice to see how people see and draw things in different views.

2010-01-27T07:31:00.001-08:00

Illuminated objects

This assignment involved taking objects that have meaning to our lives and illuminating it with only one color. I chose my favorite color hot pink and highlighted anything that stood out to me. I included my favorite objects like my i-pod, a ring my mother gave to me, my pens, an eraser that always allows me another chance, and my bank card that I seem to be using more than ever now a days!

Making the LIGHT

2009-11-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

The Models.

The colors of nebulas is what really caught my attention. The are so many colors within them its beautiful. By creating the purple and blue on with the black it mimicked the color of nebulas.
Starting out was craziness! I couldn't even find anything that was on my desk. However I wanted to make my lumina-ire reflect some how what a nebula looks like. Therefore I made it out of black paper with white pieces in some of the goals. The black light bulb that I used help to get the effect of purple and blue color.

Luminescence Inspirations

2009-11-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

All these outer space images are a really breath taking. Its so beautiful to see that light is formed from all these stars and spacial gases. I can't believe that there is so much variety in colors. It is truly amazing.

The lights in this ceiling are very creative in their design and how they are placed.
paces in between are lit.
Moon

The most eye catching thing here is not the the reflection in the water but the moon itself.

Although the moon isnt a star it still gives off an immense amount of light. It looks as if though

someone poked a whole in the sky and stuck a bulb in it. Its very amazing and beautiful.

The Pulitzer Building New York 1909

What caught my attention when I saw this building was the shadow that is created on the other building. The way the building leans and how the light was hitting it at the moment creates an amazing shadow.
Sunset

The most breath taking light and colors are seen during this event. A perfect sunset like this looks to me as if someone with a huge flashlight made a spotlight in the sky with multiple colors. Another amazing effect is the colors it creates in the water, for instance in this picture creating a purple outlining in the water.
New York City Buildings

I love the power that so many small lights have. They can give the impression of the sky being lit. It creates a glowing environment.

DiAlOg

2009-11-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

Dialog isn't as easy as it seems! This project was really the first that taught us to look at spaces and how they are connected or not. It made us think if they had some kind of comparison or relationship, how well they worked and most importantly how well we could make JUST two spaces. In my dialog project I wanted to show reflection and therefore I thought of one space doing the same thing in the other but just in sort of different way. I thought of a solid and a skeleton. The solid is reflected in the bristol board while the skeleton is made up of the skewers. They are the same shape and they relate. They are mostly made up of negative space. The base reflects this as well. This project really got me thinking more in terms of space and how well I could make it relate with another space.

The Vanishing Point

2009-11-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that vanishing points are appealing to the eye. I feel that they are interesting because its like a black hole that that is sucking all the objects into it. I like the way it creates different views depending on where you position the object.

Junk Drawer

2009-11-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

So while I was drawing my Junk Drawer I noticed that it isn't very different from many real drawers in my past! But what I really enjoyed about this activity was looking at all these different objects and drawing them just as they are. I felt it was very relaxing and a relieving from other loads of heavier school work. I did notice however that after i completed this assignment I hadn't thought of adding shadow to the exterior. But overall this project was pleasant.

Unity On Board

2009-11-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

Out of all my drawings I would have to say that my favorite is the perspective view. This picture stands out the most because it has the most information about my model.

Unity

2009-10-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

Unity is all around us. However when we think of unity we think of things just being unified because they are tied or somehow connected. Well in my case unity is shown because of two objects being placed parallel to each other. The overall project shows parallelism therefore there is unity all around the project. Before fully developing my project to its final presentation I knew i wanted to make it into layers. Therefore I came up with my "first model." That one then evolved into the layers or flaps going out to the sides.

LABELS

2009-10-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

Doing labels the way their font is really like is a little challenge. However even though it is sort of a challenge it helps you learn different kinds of fonts that companies use for their projects. This was a fun project!

The Inspiration

2009-10-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

My little inspiration. Playing around with this little cube got me the idea of the intersection points for my cube. :)

The Cube.

2009-10-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

A cube becomes more significant once you have to make it and put it together. What I love about the cube in this project is that it has one open side. It makes you wonder...why?? It adds more interest to the whole project. And it also serves as a door to more ideas. As far as my cube goes I love the intersections in it. The whole concept in it is to show growth and movement in different directions. The straws look as if they have been growing through the cube picking it up and they all become one with each other.

LEAVES

2009-09-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

Drawing leaves has got to be one of the best things to draw. They are so full lines, cracks, and different forms that it makes it easier for your eye to follow and draw them out. My favorite with all of the leaves was the blind contour. Using blind contour to draw them is very fun because once you are finished you really get to see all the detail and all those lines drawn out. Some of these detailed aren't seen when you are drawing in other ways which is what I noticed with the regular shading and drawing. The overall process of drawing these leaves was very relaxing and made you take a closer look into the beauty of each leaf.

Intersection Project

2009-09-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

For this project we had to combine fabric, string (thread, yarn, ect) and paper to make a container for a special object. I decided to make a delicate "shell" container for my charm bracelet. Along with the charms, the bracelet also contains a few pearls, therefore a very delicate and precious container came to mind. I wanted it to be on something very "soft" so I went with fur for the base. Later while shopping for my thread I ran into some nice textured paper. It immediately reminded me of the outside of a shell for its rough lines and blue color. After a long process of adding and subtracting I came up with some flaps for the "shell" and sewed them to the base of the container. It was a very painful process since I am not the best seamstress and getting pricked with the needle every 2 seconds wasn't fun! But this project really made you think how your container reflects how precious your object is. It also gets you thinking how you want people to see this object. As for me I wanted it to be a display but at the same time to be held on gently at the same time.

2009-09-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Foust Building is a building with a lot of detail! Adding it wasn't very easy process but it really made you have to slow down to get every detail in. I love how the two towers of the building give it a sort of castle look, and its overall structure with the balcony and the columns make it look very strong and sort of majestic. I thought it would take forever to draw this building but once I got the outline, all that was left was the detail. This building is also very well balanced and has a parallel structure which also made it easier to draw.

Joinery Project

2009-09-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

For the assignment we were asked to take two natural artifacts and connect them with a linear object. I chose a rock, a grass leaf, and some rope. I had a bunch of random stuff I had picked up from outside and I still wasn't sure what I wanted to use but the rock stood out to me because of its beautiful streaks and shape. However, I still wasn't sure what other elements I wanted to use. While at Adams Book Store I saw this rope, and it caught my attention. I loved the texture and strength that spoke out from it. So I had these two strong elements, but I was still missing one. I then decided to use a grass leaf which added a touch of freshness to the other objects. I then weaved the leaf through the rope so that it seemed as if the leaf were part of the rope. Along with a few twists and changes this was the final result. The project seemed very simple but as we have come to learn in class, simplicity isn't a simple task to achieve!

Tommy Kane's "All in the Family" and mine.

2009-08-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

So I was looking around ">Tommy Kane's Blog page. I liked his sense of humor,( a little out of the normal) but I liked it. A lot of them caught my eye, but specifically "All in the Family". The giraffe and the story behind it was very interesting and real. I could relate with his story about his family- of course with a few different details. But I liked the fact that he was "lost" from his family and then found himself actually tied back with them. That's awesome. I guess the knot around the giraffe's neck reflects the ties he formed with his family again. I was recently in New Jersey with my dad's side of the family for a party. I felt excactly the same as Tommy because I don't ever have much contact with them and then by the end of the night it was all different.

The fact that giraffe's are tall creatures makes them look as though they never notice other animals or things. Maybe that is what Tommy was thinking. He was lost in his own world. The giraffe's face stands out a lot to me too. You don't really know if its like about to wink or if it's narrowing its eye to look at something with more detail. That is a mystery to me.

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