The Reciprocal Wood Sander

Weirdly enough, this machine was fun to use during my process in creating a wooden vessel. However, it did not smooth the wood that well, but sure did cut off tiny excess pieces. 

Let the Cutting Begin!

One photo is of me using the band saw to cut my vessel into snorkeling goggles. 

Another photo is of the result of cutting the top and bottom of my box off of the goggle shaped cherry wood. 

 

Gluing Wood Together

So after clamping, clamping, and then clamping some more, I got some blisters and a few sticky fingers. But for the lost part, the gluing went well and only one clamp result left me with a tiny gap in my vessel.

The below photos show my first gluing of my uncut vessel. 

First Time on a Band Saw

I've got to admit, the first time was pretty scary. The blade gets so close to your fingers and one mess up and you may lose the tip of a finger. I like how thin and small the blade on the band saw is though. That makes it a little less intimidating. Even if it is kind of scary, it's also a lot of fun and I cannot wait to start cutting my wood. Hopefully it turns out the right shape!

Here are photos of my first experience with a band saw.



Objects for my Vessel

Handmade Jewelry from Maui or Kona, Hawaii

Real World Application of Clam Shell Box Idea

Examples of Shell Styles



Choice of Wood for Vessel (Box)

CHERRY WOOD TEXTURE

EXAMPLE OF WOOD USED FOR BOX

My "Seat In An Environment" Google Sketchup

 

(I apologize for the not so high quality photo and it is a little crooked but it looks better in person!)

Successful and Unique Perspective

I see a lot of these street painting all over the web, but I wish I could see some in person. These artists are insanely talented. I have no idea how they create the effects they do but I am impressed. We have experimented a lot of perspective and this certainly shows it well.

Chairs for My Apartment

Some day I would like to have egg chairs in my apartment that I am getting in August. They are kind of expensive but I want one! These are two that I would consider, possibly in different colors though.

Photoshop Ideas of Environment

While waiting for Google Sketchup to download. I played around in photoshop a bit just to produce ideas. These are extremely rough ideas but I think that the start of the swimming pool scenery is going to turn out interesting. I will have to experiment with Sketchup a lot to figure out the complete pool scene. The rock climbing idea just doesn't seem right for my seat.

Finished Seat for Project 2

Frontal View

Side Top View

Sitting on the finished design

V-Day Color Experiments

My Favorite Valentine

These photos show different color experiments including color vibration - which is in the first photo - and to celebrate the love holiday we did each one for our valentine.

Selected Designers for Essay

Charles and Ray Eames

Marti Guixe

My Seat Prototype

Two Stools Spread Apart

Two Stools Joined Together

Top View of the Stools

Reflection on Kendall Buster

 It seems like the majority of artists and designers come from an Art and Design College. Kendall Buster got her Bachelor’s degree at one. However, that does not make me believe that going to a university not centered on just my field affects me in any sort of negative way.  This was my first thought when I started reading Buster’s biography on her website. I also see a pattern in art and design majors veering towards sculpture. For myself, it does not interest me that much to do it as a career, but I love to view sculptures in museums and galleries. Buster’s work is found internationally so it is clear that her sculptures are enjoyed by all difference people. The museums that display her works vary vastly. From Letter museums to Space museums Buster has her art widely spread all around the world. I believe that the seat project gives students a chance to also have their work widely shared, if they wish. If the seat resembles a space ship who knows; it may end up in a Space museum across the country. The seat does not have to wind up in the recycling bin or even in a museum full of furniture. To add, I love the material that Buster uses for her sculptures. I am not certain what it is but it reminds me of Chinese lanterns that you can place in your home or backyard. It seems like she centers her work on science. It is always good to pick one thing that intrigues you and work with it in various ways. Who knew that parabiosis or cells could be made into sculptures? In conclusion, Buster’s website has inspired me more to create a seat that no one would expect to see as a seat. Her work is not consisted of everything that would be expected to be made into art. I do not want my art to be predictable either.

Reflection on Martin Puryear

Martin Puryear has a similar thinking process compared to my own. He tries to reference one thing with another without being too direct or obvious.  For instance, an arch sculpture of Puryear’s can be associated with St. Louis because of the famous arch located in that city. Sculptures that do not necessarily resemble an exact object are the ones that I find myself spending more time in analyzing. I rather spend time in a museum that has more abstract art than art that you can spot and know exactly what you are viewing right away. For instance, for our second project, I want to create a seat that does not look like a traditional seat. It does not have to have a vertical straight back or four legs to support it. I will explore ways to make it easily seen as something to sit on and comfortably, but not so obvious that my dining room table has the same set of chairs that I see every day. Another aspect that I enjoy in Puryear’s work is the diversity. Not all of his works come from American inspiration. Some ideas grow from his experiences in Europe or Africa. Diversity keeps the viewer interested and guessing what is coming next. If all chairs resembled American style during this project, we may get bored and stop wanting to see more. However, if one chair has an Asian feel to it while another clearly resembles Italian background; we are more likely to keep our curiosity of the project’s possibilities at hand. Puryear also uses what he knows and has learned from to create more art. However, he does not feel like as an artist that the spectators need to have much knowledge of where the work originated from or when it came to be. I believe the same, in my own way. Some works, if they are expressing the history of a culture, may need more explanations of where and when they were created. If they work is just spontaneous or for the purpose of just function, background is not really needed. To conclude, I agree that works of art should not just be for the purpose of someone to display them or use them. I believe that each work should have a moral or meaning behind it. The titles of Puryear’s sculptures tell me that he wants that to come out in his art. For example, Puryear has sculptures called Desire and Believer. The titles make the viewer want to analyze the work more because they are relatable to almost anyone. I will make sure to name my seat that I design and create, something that leaves my classmates in wonder.

The Location Without Distortion

This is the location of my final collage. I figured I needed a photo of the place, without it being in a collage form, and simply in it's original state. Thanks to my neighborhood Cedar Creek for provding me such a beautiful setting for photography!

Almost finished! 40 more photos to go!

This is documentation of my collage towards the end of the first project. It was displayed as is for the critique of Bryon Darby, which is a very respectable photographer. I was pleased to find out that he was intrigued by my artistic choices. I hope that the final product is even more intriguing and successful.

Favorite Experiment for a Collage

I would have to pick this photo collage as my favorite so far that I have experimented with. The bright orange and yellowish colors on the bottom really caught my eye. I love how the leaves can easily look almost like a different tree depending on the time of day or lighting. The hat that I chose for my model as well gives the collage something extra. To improve on this idea, I would certainly take shots of the sky and more of the grass or wheat area around the tree.