I.A.R 101 Project #5: Dialog

With 12 skewers and 12 planes of bristol board (4x6), I had to create two distinct spaces that relate to one another in a mutually supportive way. This parti to the left suggests my first thoughts and inspirations for this project. When I thought of two spaces, I figured I could make two opposite spaces but they go well together. My starting point was the idea of Yin Yang : good and evil, light and dark, fire and ice, life and death. All of these things are complete opposites yet they fit, work and speak well (dialog) with on another.

This lead me to the idea of creating two spaces that connect but have opposing differences that make them similarities.

In the end the idea of yin yang made me think of time and balance. Which lead to the idea of an hour glass shape. I decided to construct the skewers in a design where they would meet at a small point, representing the small point at which things of the yin yang meet. My model expresses elements of full and empty and right side up & up side down. I also decided to create a swirl effect with the cards to express movement.

Below is a photograph of 3 models other than my own that I felt expressed very good use of two space using the skewers and the bristol board. If you look closely they all have one thing in common: that they each manipulated the skewers in a way that the skewers create a space on their own (against the board). Each model is beautifully crafted, express interesting spaces and are cleverly made. They have done an excellent job at creating a space without completely closing it in with the cards. I often view things by "recognizing." From left to right I have nick-named each piece: fortress- because it reminds me of protection or something that would have a mote or castle somewhere near it. The next is "under the sea" - because it has great similarity to something I have seen in the disney movie "the little mermaid." And the third I call "the opera" - one that you could experience outside of course.

I'm not too sure if this was the message that the creators of these pieces where trying to send off but after nick naming and recognizing I realized that each thing that I named either have great use of space or have dialog within its spaces. In a fortress there are several spaces created within spaces such as surrounding walls or motes, even though they aren't structures or buildings they both can be considered spaces that surround a smaller or much bigger space. For "under the sea" I though of a shell. If you closely look at a shell every nook and grove within the shell creates a tiny little space even if it isn't closed in completely. And finally, if you have ever been in an outdoors opera there is a sense of two connected spaces even though it is not completely defined. After this project I have learned that several things can be defined or considered as a space, but it is only decided depending factors such as angles, and form. The tinniest difference between a 40 degree angle and a 45 degree angle can be the difference between if it is a space or not.

I.A.R 110 Project #4: Standard Floor Plan

This is my final standardized floor plan including: two bathrooms, two bedrooms, an open floor plan that leads the great room with a fire place into the dining and kitchen area. As well as a porch and a concrete patio. This plan also includes, windows, door swings and bathroom & kitchen appliances. It it always hard to scan or photograph 18x24 sheet of paper so I did my best at darkening the pencil lines on photoshop so that you can see clearly where the windows and other details are on my floor plan. I also want to note that the dark 40 degree angled strokes are known as the art of poche. In my plan it is to help get a better idea of the physical space between the exterior walls and the interior walls. Different styles of poche indicate different materials used > etc. brick, wood, concrete. Note that this is drawn at a 1/4" = 1- 0

I.A.R. 110 Design Visualization Sketch Book assignment #4: Interior Spaces

The task was to draw 4 interior spaces - in pen- over fall break, including scale figures. Scale figures are a representation or drawing of an object, person or animal that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object that is drawn or built . Very often the scale model is smaller than the original and used as a guide when showing the object in scale. These are two of my best interior spaces that I have drawn for this project. These two spaces are T.G.I. Fridays the restaurant and Forever 21 the retail store.

Over all the sketch book assignment was a great learning experience and it was great practice for my drawing development. It was challenging and also very funny because I had to be discrete about drawing someone I did not know. I would occasionally meet eyes with someone and try not to seem creepy but it was all apart of the experience. enjoy : )

I.A.R 110 Project #2: Orthographic Drawings of Fruit

I.A.R 110 Project #3: Junk Drawer & From Junk Drawer to Shadow Boxes

On an 18x 24 sheet of bond paper I had to create a shadow box gallery in which I developed a series of 12 boxes floating in space. All of the boxes have to utilize one vanishing point but they can vary in size and location. The Items within the boxes are inspired and drawn from the junk drawer assignment. Including: a feather, a glove, ipod head phones, a push pin, a stack of pennies, paper clips, a band aid, a wide toothed comb, bobby pins, a remote, hair bow clips, and a button.

I.A.R 101 Project #4 : UNITY

Using 12 fondue (bamboo) skewers and 12 (4x6) bristol board planes of paper, explore unities of opposites. Create and construct a piece that unifies opposites or possibly things of the same rhythm.

This fourth project was easy when it came down to the process of ideas. my initial idea was to do something from nature or something child like. so i grouped my ideas and came up with two lists. in the first I thought to create; a spider web, a butterfly, flower 'bracelet' or a vine. In the second list I thought of structures such as cradles or ferris wheels. My final idea was inspired by a designer by the name of Philip Treacy. I have posted up a few of his creations to give an idea of what I was inspired by. His hats are beautifully crafted and based mainly on nature. I first went about figuring how I would create paper flowers without deconstructing the 4x6 piece of bristol board. In the photos below, i have carefully shown how i went about cutting and rolling each single piece of bristol to make a flower or the curly accent that finished my "bouquet" of paper flowers. I then glued and clamped area's of the paper flower so that the design would stay. I also used an exact-o knife to twist precise holes into the bottom of the flower where the skewer would penetrate through. after carefully constructing 6 different styles of the flower, I joint the single pieces together to make a "bouquet." As for the head band which would hold these flowers in place on the head, I had to soak 6 skewers in water for them to become easy to bend.

Once I finished the head band I thought carefully about the 12x12 base that I wanted to use to hold my "hat." I did not want to to be "just a base" so I decided to make a paper mache head to stick the hat in, to give off the illusion that the head was wearing the hat. But unfortunately after my third attempt of creating the perfect head I decided to think of a different base for my hat. In the end I thought to make a large flower for the base of my flower hat. I used a 24x36 sheet of bond paper to create this flower. Once I unified the two, (the hat and the base), I had gotten the Idea to make I as one and attach a head band at the bottom of the base so that the piece became one large paper flower hat. In this post are several step by step pictures that show the creation of the piece as well as the inspiration of the piece ( including Channel's Spring 2009 collection - found after the hat was entirely made, and several pieces of Philip Treacy's own work). At the top right, there are photo's of the parti (inspirational collage) and the most recent final piece. I still have work to improve on it, but for now.. Enjoy.