New year.. another semester of good art

School’s begun and in the rush to be in the studio to make art.  From such a long winter break, I feel like I’ve had much time to recoporate my energy that was lost last semester and coming up with ideas or perfect the idea with much more detail involved.  So as of this semester, first semester senior, these are the things I will be working on….

1. Throwing round shaped lunchbox in stacking of 3 high.

2. Casting a rectangular shaped lunchbox also in stacking of 3 high.

3. Bunches of cups, bowls, plates jsut for exercise and getting my eye trained.

4. Drawings/images for my work to be more practiced on

5. Kiln formed glass class… incorporating my upstairs studio work with my elective class using flower imagery.

6. And of course kicking butt in studio =D

So in some ways I’m a bit overwhelmed (in a good way) but then I’m also super excited to see where my skills will lead me and how much I’ve progressed.

Materials & Process

My choice of ceramic process is wheel throwing, using wheel thrown piece(s) in combination with drop mold.  I have chosen these processes because with using drop mold, I am able to create a specific shape that the wheel isn’t able to make.  From there, I am able to create platters, wall piecework, plates, and etc.  And with wheel throwing, I feel that it is a faster process of creating a big body of work.  Every individual thrown piece has its own unique feel to it.

Ceramic has always been in interest to me from the start of high school.  I love the feeling of getting dirty but being able to create a beautiful piece of work.  With clay, nothing is really too sure of what the outcome may be, everything is a surprise.  It also challenges me to further my investigation with what I am working on.

Majority of my work is mainly consisted of using underglaze, slip, glaze.  Unless there’s a color that I can’t get, I use acrylic paint or sometimes in for texture, I will use spray paint.  With using other media, surface treatment almost becomes realistic in relation to nature or questions the human eye.  The making of the piece to the surface treatment, I feel that the surface needs just as much devotion as the making of the piece does.

Belger Field Trip!

Having lived in KC for 4 years now, I have never gone to the Belger.  I really don’t have any excuse of why I haven’t gone but also not knowing a whole lot about the Belger I guess played its part too.

Field trip number 2 for the seniors, it was fascinating to see the works of an 86 year old woman.  Quilts I would definitly have to say that it’s in the realm of craft, but its really about story telling which I found it intriguing.  She really captured certain American history wether it be pop culture or sports, it really told the story of that person.

Before taking the tour upstairs, the stories and information of Belger was really interesting.  I learned a whole lot just from Mo talking to us about borrowing art and how delievering art works.  I didn’t think much of what it would cost a person if they wanted something delievered across country or across few states.  The big collection of art/painting really amuses me and makes me curious to see what prints and painting they have.

DAUM!!

The Daum Museum, I have to say it was one amazing museum/collection.  At first I have very skeptical about this field trip but really, I had a blast.  Well, the bus ride was kinda long but well worth the drive.  Having learned or hearing names of well known ceramicist, Ken Ferguson, Peter Voulkos, Jim Leedy, and etc, it was breath taking seeing their works in person and finally understanding the time frame of their works displayed.

One work that I enjoyed was an artist by the name of Linda Lighton “Thristle”.  The use of luster and the softness of the flower is really empowering.  (I really wished that I had known of her last year when I was sculpting flowers).  Other works that I enjoyed were works by Jim Leedy’s “Plate”.  It amazes me how thick his plates which makes it so dymanic but also how its hung on the wall.

I wish that they could of displayed more ceramic art, but from what they had out, it really felt like life changing field trip.  As a potter, I want to be influenced by my surrounding.

gallery

As of today, I am gallery-sitting for about 2 hours.  I have to say though.. I thought lot more picture would come in and check out the art but I guess not.  I’m working at the Paragraph gallery down on 12th st.  I have to say, I’ve never been to this gallery.  

Right now, there are works by several artists who all have collaborated.  The first group is Susan White and an architect Cydney Millstein who collaborated to show KC bridges.  There are sketches, recreation of the Broadway bridge and digital flat-file.    On the other side of the gallery, it’s a video collaboration by Pawel Wojtasik, Julia Hechtman, Timothy Hutchings, Joseph Tekippe, David Politzer, Brian Hutcheson, Rupert Nesbitt, Peter Owen, and Nade Haley.  But it’s curated by Megan and Murray McMillan.  I guess you could say that it’s a montage of video made in the east coast.  

Last group of artists are Pat Alexander and Michael Converse.  They have a work titled “separated at birth”.  It’s basically a collage of expression all over the wall.  I see as a a way of getting inspiration to make some art.  There are some great patterns and drawings everywhere.  

 

So yea.. gallery-sitting isn’t too exciting but it’s something.  =)  It’s great to see upcoming artist or artist I’ve never heard of to see their work and talk to them about their work.

eh..

a week and a half has gone by with no school.  i almost don’t know what to do with myself these days.  almost feeling lost.  having to wake up every morning at 7:30 am for studio and getting no sleep.. sleeping seems a bit weird.  it use to be where 8+ hours of sleep was AMAZING but now.. 5 hours of sleep is PERFECT. can’t sleep more then 5 or at least my body is wanting to wake up after 5 hours. either i’m getting super old.. or my body can’t handle too much sleep. 

anyways.. junior year was really tough.  first semester wasn’t too great.. then second semester rolls around.. i thought i had all my ideas set.  in the long run.. it was another rough semester.  this semester has really got me thinking about truly becoming an artist.  i love what i do, as stressful as it is.. clay seems to be a medium that takes my stress away.  i don’t know if my ideas are good enough for this school or to the teachers.. or i just need to think harder and test more things out.  hopefully with summer open studio elective, i’ll have ground work for my senior thesis.

My exciting spring break..

So I thought at least after coming back from Saint Louis on Tuesday, I would go into studio and be PRODUCTIVE.

Turns out.. I haven’t been productive for any of my classes. I felt like crap since Saturday the 15th. And I figured whatever the pain I was having would just go away. And again.. NO.

Wednesday I went to Walgreens to see the clinic. Waited for hours and hours thinking that I could possibly die waiting. Finally get to see the nurse, tells me things that I don’t understand and of course not explaining even when I asked. Out of the office and now waiting for prescriptions. OH MY GOSH. I have no idea how slow the person types or if she has NOOOO idea what she’s doing so she’s researching, but man.. she took at least 40 mins to give me a sheet of paper telling me to give to the pharmacy and there I ALSO waited for hours. OH! the best part of all this waiting crap.. some retarded doesn’t know how to back up correctly that he decided to scratch up my car. And of course police are useless around here in KC. I mean.. if its not murder, shooting, robbery, or anything else dangerous, police just don’t care.

Finally got the prescriptions that I “NEEDED” and of course it had no effect on me. (just my luck). Then 3 days later, I get a call back from Walgreens clinic that I actually have E.COLI.

So now.. I have a new drug that ACTUALLY works and my throbbing headache that I’ve had for days is gone, joint aches are gone.. my God.. I feel a whole lot better. Now.. I think I’m gonna be able to make it into studio! YEAH!!! =)

SpRiNg BrEaK!

Spring break.. to some people, spring break ACTUALLY means something. To art kids, spring break just means no class but life in studio still exist.  Funny how different spring break can mean to those that are art majors and those that attend university.

Midterm critique was midterm critique.  Although, for some odd reason this year in general doesn’t feel like a great semester/year.  Maybe I’m just not sure what I want to make or I’m having problems with expressing my ideas.  Not sure what exactly. But I have to say, I did enjoy making the lotus wall piece.  It took FOREVER but I sure did have fun with it.

Well, lets just hope that I can make the most of it by end of this semester. I am graduating in about a year so gotta make the most of it. GOTTA BE AN AMAZING ARTIST!

ugh!!!

So… 2 more weeks till midterm critique and test but 3 weeks left for spring break! But of course spring break doesn’t mean much since I will be in town and in studio. So far semester is going by WAYYYY too fast and feel like I haven’t done much. But besides studio.. it seems that I was either born with bad luck OR.. living with my best friend since middle school has rubbed the bad luck on me.

1. needed to replace my front bumper case (and it now is fixed) BUT the paint is flat compare to my car. And this cost me $375 in total

2. trying to get my license plate sticker replaced I needed 2007 property tax! which of course I didn’t have since I wasn’t informed about this.

3. my apartment gas bill is in a price range where no students can afford to pay..

4. our furnace is making weird, weird noises (hopefully it won’t blow up on me)

and.. I think that’s it for my bad luck so far but who knows.. since I’ve moved up to KC.. seems like I gotten nothing but bad luck. And KC people are lazy.. rude.. and UGH! they just make me so mad!

But ne ways.. enough of me getting angry.. for 2 weeks.. I have to bust my butt in studio and produce as much work as I possibly can for midterms.

blog #2!

VS   13: 17

So yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday. Unfortunately, undefeated New England Patriots lost to New York Giants 17-13. I mean seriously, NEW YORK GIANTS! Its almost as if Kansas City Chiefs had gone to the Super Bowl. But I guess I HAVE to give credits to the Giants for a good play.

On the good note, work load is starting to pile (I guess that’s not REALLY a good thing =P ). but I am keeping myself busy with studio and with printmaking projects. Although, this printmaking class; beyond book making isn’t very interesting so far but HOPEFULLY it’ll get better. I’m not sure what to think about the teacher but I guess all will change.