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!