Changes

I exchanged one of the previous garments with a new one. I felt that "Georgina" wasn't going to match the collection regardless of how it was altered. It was really a conflict of material. The Suede texture didn't have the same tactile quality as the other garments, nor did the pattern of the dress (holiday themed floral) seem to work with the other florals I'm working with. Other than that, the name "Georgina" will remain the same for the replacement and this is the dress I'm currently working on. Here it is prior to alteration.

Goals: The full collection finished by the time we return from Spring Break because I want a good amount of time to work on my presentation.

I am taking a step back from the training log for a while. Need to rethink the idea of it all. Space is proving to be a real issue and I am not sure if I can make it functional for the user.

For now, I am working on the program itself, designing the information that I think is going to be the most important for the viewer to know about the race.

Update:

As of now I have just been doing size drawings and adding onto my thesis since my hand has been useless. I have made a couple of models in which I do not have pictures of just to make sure my table works. I have the angle of the sliders, and how exactly they work. and the length they need to be.

I will be using two different woods: wenge (pronounced wen-gay aka you were right Shaun) and Aspen. Wenge is a tropical wood, very dense and dark in color. Aspen is an almost white wood, with very little grain. I chose these two because, not only the contrasting colors, because my idea behind my project is not only merging two different types of furniture, it is also merging concepts of furniture, such as affordable modern/minimalist furniture that's usually not well built (Ikea furniture) with versatile small space furniture that serves many functions. (More in the thesis on this)

I have also made a small wood model of the table top out of Walnut and aspen, just to see how I would the contrasting woods. The reason I used walnut was because of the sheer expense of Wenge, plus the hour drive to get it. I will be using wenge in my final.

Linda Loudermilk Sustainable Fashion Designer

A few days ago Shaun & Prof. Rodemer both sent me an e-mail about a lecture at Taubman College of Architecture about Linda Loudermilk, coined by W Magazine as one of the top 20 innovators to watch. She's considered to be a visionary couture and eco-designer and her claim to fame is her becoming the first designer to create luxury, eco-lifestyle fashion. All her clothes are made from sustainable fabrics that she herself researched and developed. She targets luxury consumers and her mission is to inspire change within ourselves as consumers.

Her textiles are woven from natural sources like bamboo, Seaweed, Corn, etc. She collaborates with scientists and companies that create fibers without pesticides or other toxic processes and leverages manufacturers that do not poison the water supply.

I'm excited to attend her lecture today and will report back on the experience. For anyone that reads this and would like to come, the lecture's at 6:30 at A+A auditorium.

Animatic, Wish me luck

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p50dN8xbgk

BBC: The Genius of Design

The Genius of Design
Episode 1: Ghosts in the Machine

The first episode of this new series tells the fascinating story of the birth of industrial design. Alongside the celebrated names, from Wedgwood to William Morris, it also explores the work of the anonymous designers responsible for prosaic but classic designs for cast-iron cooking pots to sheep shears – harbingers of a breed of industrially produced objects culminating in the Model T Ford. Includes interviews with legendary designer Dieter Rams and J Mays, Ford Motors’ global head of design.

ERA

I have focused my new images on find that medium between new and old. I want to combine the new and the old to create images that a bring out the era in which the cars are from.

Any feedback would be great!

oh hey blog, long time no see...

so heres the painting that i'm currently working on. i had hoped to have it finished for today but it looks like it's going to need a few more hours, mainly to add in the carriage, finish off the cupola so it doesn't look like a black blob, and then just general detailing. this is the image i was planning to use for my postcard so it is imperative that i have it finished asap! but aside from that my timeline is looking pretty good to have the first 4 paintings completed by spring break, leaving time for two more (plus drying time) during march.

in other notes...

-i've decided to let the images determine the size as opposed to having them all be uniform, i.e. smaller scenes are smaller paintings and larger scenes (like this one) are larger paintings.

-noting this, i am considering having the paintings framed in order to provide a more cohesive look. my main obstacle in this is cost, but as i am planning on presenting them in a gallery on the island this summer anyway, i think it might be a valuable investment.

-the final image here is of my little studio set-up in my house, messy yes, but i like being able to work in my home, especially at odd hours of the night.

-i have decided to take a more freeform approach to my thesis. i would like to incorporate more creative writing/stream of consciousness/poetry aspects than what i have in my first draft, which is more like a history lesson/essay. the draft in my current iteration of my thesis is rough (hey, i'm still learning) but it gives a sense of the direction i'm headed in. i think the key for me is going to be editing--in a big way.

more images to come soon!

Finishing Design 1

This weekend was spent prepping table 1 for finish. I choose to use a polyurethane finish which will act as a sealant and prevent further warping.

One more coat, insert the butterflies, and design 1 is done!

This Week's Standing

I'm currently still sewing garments. I have 3 more pieces to work on and my personal deadline for the collection is early March/Spring Break (6-7 Pieces Total). Right now I'm also considering five showcase methods:

1) An Independent Gallery Exhibition (Featuring myself, Erika Cross, and Eric Harman)
In this case, I would have to figure out the details of how my clothes would be displayed depending on the venue. I'd also like photo display stands by each of my garments that feature a photo of the original garment and brief explanation of its history.

2) Shei Magazine Fashion Show Mid April
I'm really rooting for this option and hoping it comes together. Shei Magazine would provide the proper models, venue, and documentation of the event.

3) Michigan Theatre Fashion Show Early April
Marianetta presented this idea to me. Since the Michigan Theatre will be featuring student films and animations, some free time could possibly fit a fashion show?

Artist Books / Program Information

Last Thursday, I went with Annette Haines to the Art & Architecture Library to look at some artist books that were developed using a variety of different folds. This was very interesting to see as I think about the construction of my booklet with efforts of thinking outside the usual constraints of book construction. A few of the books demonstrated some techniques that I would never have thought of and work well with my subject matter if tweaked. Here are some examples:

I will continue to think about how to implement different folding techniques into my project.

Also, I have gone through the previous program and the current website and have decided what information I think is necessary to include and what isn't. I have also started to work on the structure of the pages and started to sketch each page and the information it will contain. Here is an example of the structure I am planning on using:

Now that I have a intended structure, I will begin creating the program and filling it with information. Will post progress soon.

For Ellen

http://www.good.is/post/project-redesign-the-recipe/

A few clips

Mixed Assumptions

Hair

Impressions on the Street

Development of the "Guide to Marathon Weekend"

Since the beginning of this semester, I have stepped away from the poster design and have started to develop the "Guide to Marathon Weekend". This is an informational program that tells the viewer/participant all the information they will need to know for the race. Last years included the different race distances, entry fees and deadlines, start times, hotels, restaurants, the course map, information about volunteering and the health and fitness expo and about "Conquered", the official after-party of the Detroit Marathon)

I have been going through the guide from last year as well as the current website and deciding what needs to go in such a manual and what can be cut. There is a lot of information that I believe would be beneficial to have in this program that is not in there currently.

Some of the things that I think would be beneficial are specific information about each different distance, more specific information about packet pick-up, race time limits, race restrictions, more unique aspects about the race (like first time marathoners getting a special bib color), etc.

Last years version seems very wordy without really telling the viewer anything important. The website has tons of information that I think could be conveyed to the viewer in this program in a simple and memorable way.  This is what I hope to accomplish with my version.

I also want to try and go beyond the current methods of race promotion. I want to make the program much more interactive. It will still be a printed material but will entice the participant to use it in a unique way.

In my experience, I have seen many runners, experienced and beginners alike, use a training log to record their progress while training for a race. My idea is to include a year-long training log/calendar in this program as a way to get the participant to constantly use and look at it. This will in turn, make them become more excited about the race while learning more about the race with each use.

I created a mock-up for how the program would look and work. My idea is that it will be a  12-page, 5" x 7" booklet that folds open into a 42" x 10" year-long training log/calendar. In order to save costs, everything that a participant would need to know or have would be included in this program. There were be a cover, 6 pages of information, 4 pages of maps and their keys, and 12 pages of training log on the back.

A few things I am currently wondering are if the idea of including a training log is practical and how much space is needed by the participant to write in for each day. I also am wondering if 3 and half feet is too long when it is completely unfolded. I hope to answer these questions by asking some runners to test the product and give me feedback.

Here are some examples of the structure of the booklet and an example of a page of the training log.

That is all for now. Much more to come.

Ah ha, Weights!

After several failed attempts to correct the warping in the willow slab, Jerry and I finally came up with a better option....weights! To assemble the table correctly, it needed to remain straight until the glue dried, so we flattened it out with several VERY heavy weights and... voila! Assembly, done.

surgery went well today and i havnt posted in a while. it takes me a long time type so i'll discuss what i have done in person.

heres a few things:

i think i settled on a unique leg design that will be used for my benches and table even better

i have also been working on top designs: