I had not realized that the last time I wrote a post was the end of September...
and so much has happened since then, so I hope this isn't too overwhelming.
Ceramics:
I finished my first collegiate ceramics class this year since having Cutch for three years in high school. I always find it interesting to learn a style of art that I am very familiar with in a different light. John (my professor) taught me new tricks with clay, and different styles to creating pieces.
As in the last post, we created self-portrait busts, a tile mandala piece, and ending with mugs.
These are the final pieces of both bust's. The giraffe (now named Langston), is made out of coils and the one of me is from solid clay that was then hallowed out.
This is my tile piece. It's made out of six tiles. I made one of them (up above) and then created a plaster cast of that mold, and then created press molds to form the tiles above. I glazed them all identical except for one area that is different on every piece.
You can use the newspapers and the tips of my shoes to see the size of piece.
Fibers:
After learning how to felt, we were taught how to knit and crochet. Shoutout to anyone that crochets, it is much harder than it looks, I still have a lot of trouble with it. Knitters, let me know when you wanna have a knit party! For my knitting/crochet project, I created a wig for a statue in Tyler. This technique is properly known as yarn bombing. You can watch this video here about a famous yarn bomber in Philadelphia. Here are some pictures of my yarn-bomb.
I created twenty four dreadlocks all together, I knitted them together after creating the individual dreadlocks to create the solid wig.
Here's a time-lapse video of me putting up the yarn-bomb.
(My friend Hunter you see filming, you'll hear more about that later!)
I don't have a picture of my final project for fibers, but I have an in-progress picture. Our assignment, was to create a piece of work that was inspired by an artist or exhibition. I found an exhibit that was held at MOMA in 2008 based on free time. As many people think free time is more limited the more you're involved in things, the less free time you have, but with the holidays coming up, and with HootaThon completed (for the most part that is), that I had much more free time on my hands. That I could come up with an idea associated with this exhibition.
Knowing that I would traveling home for Thanksgiving by taking three trains from Temple to Sallisbury Mills, I would have lots of free time. We had learned how to spin yarn using a drop spindle, and I LOVED this process. It's so interesting to think back to "native" times when humans created everything, and the relationship we had with animals and the overall circle of life. I'm probably making no sense, but spinning yarn just seems to be a way to create all materials that are used in the final piece. ANYWAYS the concept of my piece was to spin three spools of yarn, one on each one of the trains on the way home to Newburgh. On my way back to Philadelphia after Thanksgiving, I will knit the yarn on the same train that I spun it on.
Here is a picture of the yarn I spun for the final project.
I presented my final project by by hanging the three samples in order of the sequence of the trains. What I found most interesting about the experience was the reaction of people around me. Having lots of people staring at me the whole way home to Newburgh spinning yarn, as it's not something you see everyday, not a single person talked to me until my last train ride, and that happened to be a 4 year old girl. I cannot remember her name, but she was very curious about what I was doing and what I would be making in the future. She wanted to know all about wool, sheep, spinning and knitting yarn. She even asked her parents if she could have a pet sheep so she could make her own yarn. What amazed me about this is the fact that while she was asking me these questions over the course of my trip, everyone else on the train was listening, even turning around to look, but didn't make a single sound. I try to consider why adults tend to be more "shy" as they get older or assume without asking questions. Children have an aspect of innocence and curiosity that allows them to ask questions freely without thinking they're interrupting. This little girls curiosity and quest to learn more and experience it for herself it the faith that I have for the creative arts in the future.
This was also my first conceptual piece that I did (at least in my book),
and i'm really proud with how it turned out.
Jewelry:
As I showed in my last post (yes.. like 5 months ago), was the middle stages of my 9/11 ring. Here are some more pictures of the process/final piece.
These are bronze casting pellets. We melt them down using a huge blow torch until it becomes liquid.
After it's melted, we hold the torch over the bronze while closing the lid. Once the lid closes, it rotates using centrifugal force to basically throw the liquid bronze into the cast mold of our piece. The picture on the right shows my casted piece after coming out of the centrifugal machine.
Here's the final piece after it's been polished!
This was the stand I made for my piece.
Our second project was a piece around the neck or waist. I did a shoulder piece made from bronze wire. (I don't have any pictures of it, but once mom wears it, i'll be sure to show you). It turned out really awesome, and i've very happy with that one as well.
In my "free time" during class, I made myself a cladagh ring.
And of course I don't have a picture of that either,
but i'm sure I showed most of you when I saw you over the holidays!
Winter in Philadelphia!
Before going home for the winter holidays, Philly was hit with about 3 back to back to back 10inches of snow, snowstorms. So of course, I went out and took some pictures!
Temple covered in snow with Missy and Shay!
a little snow photoshoot Kallie and I did in center city..
IN WHICH, we went to the top of city hall!
(this was actually the view from my window before we left)
William Penn!
Kallie and I. (she's an RA in Morgan North with me, and one of my closest friends!)
If you look really carefully, the tallest building you can see at
the end of Broad Street on the left is Morgan Hall!
So, as most of you already know, HootaThon, was a huge success!
Here are some pictures from the event!
Me and Courtney. She's a patient at CHOP, and is actually my cousin Alison's former student, and now happens to be friends with my best friend Maggie at St. Joseph's University. I love when a great cause can tie such a large world into a small community.
HootaThon's first selfie..
Me and Alisanne.
Me with President Theobald and his wife.
Brit Davis from Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Dance Marathon.
The Miracle Kids counted down the event!
Me and Jane finally glad the event began!
Charlie, a patient of CHOP sharing his story!
We had 28 girls donate 8 or more inches of their hair!
they're awesome.
The Diamond Marching Band performed at 5:30 in the morning to help close the end of the event!
Thats right, we raised $60,005.75 for the Child Life Department at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia! I'm emphasizing the WE, because you all helped this number be what it is!
Lets just say we were very happy! HootaThon is now the highest raising first year Dance Marathon on the east coast! #FTK
Residential Life
Being an RA in Morgan North has been an incredible experience so far. Not only has been working with my residents awesome, but meeting new people and creating relationships that I know i'll be carrying for a long time. My friend on staff Ancy and I were selected to attend the opening reception of Morgan Hall. Mitchell and Hilarie themselves were hosting the reception! Many university dignitaries and officials were there as well, and it was awesome to meet them while representing Residential Life here on campus.
Here are some pictures from that reception:
(by the way, this is the almost 360degree view from the 27th floor!)
Here are some pictures from that reception:
(by the way, this is the almost 360degree view from the 27th floor!)
The man right behind my shoulder is Mitchell Morgan,
aka the man that donated 25-million to have the residence hall be built.
Me and Ancy
A new year, a new semester!
This semester, i'm expanding my knowledge in the fiber arts as well as taking a dive into glass. The courses i'm taking are: Fabric Patter and Image I, Woven Structure I, and Intro to Glass. My non-art classes are Race, Identity, and Experience in American Art; Quantitative Studies of the Social Sciences; and my Honors Peer Mentor Seminar class.
Those of you who don't know, I was selected to be an Honors Peer Mentor this coming year. I will have a group of mentees, and work with them for any type of help they may need!
HATT (Honors Admissions Transition Team) has started up again! I have my first lunch with a perspective student this Monday. As I briefly talked about earlier with my friend who was filming me during the yarn-bombing time lapse, I am going to be a part of the new Honors promotional video. This video will be plated at the first Experience Temple Day!
Thats pretty much all I can think of for right now! Sorry for not writing as much last semester, i'm going to try and write more this semester. I can't wait to see all of you soon!
Love, Gaelen
