This is one of my favorite times of the year because I love preparing to go back to school. Shopping for the appropriate clothes and supplies has always been so exciting for me. Last year I got a new backpack, as well as an army of art supplies. This year I have to get a new bike and soon I will also have a supply list for my classes. I know that I don’t really need any new clothes but I cannot help but wanting to shop for that too.
I am getting very excited for the next school semester to begin! I will be taking three classes, but this time focusing on graphic design. Since working at the Pasta Shop I have become even more inspired to design packaging. I even had a little conversation about packaging with the genius behind Charles Chocolates. He and I agreed that Japanese packaging and design have been our biggest influences and I geeked out to him on how much I love his products, design and of course logo! It was fun for me to express my affection to someone that actually cared about what I was chattering on about. _
This past week has felt both very productive and positive. I am beginning three different final projects to be completed over the next few weeks of the semester. In Sketching I am drawing a five panel storyboard about maiki and I getting ice cream. Sunday Neko took of us for reference shots and I have been drawing up my ideas. Next week they be will drawn again in ink and with more detail. The instructor stressed that we keep it simple and I think that it is going be really cute. I am also assembling a portfolio of all of the work that I have done in the class this semester to turn in and then keep for my records.
In Interactive Design I am working with a partner to construct a website for the W hotel that will be fifteen plus pages. So far it is coming along really well and we have been e-mailing each other Illustrator files back and forth. It seems that we will have no trouble at all exceeding the fifteen page minimum. Also I am glad to report that having a partner means that I have someone to share the work with and help me to generate ideas. I am excited to see how it will come together!
In my Printmaking class I am busy making a ten plus page book of new prints. I decided to chose the theme of bicycles and my love of them for my artwork. During the first lab I cut out a girl on a bicycle from a linoleum block and have two different versions printed. The first was made when the linoleum was wet and the paint looks like a crayon rubbing. It has a lot of motion in it and I was pleasantly surprised by the results. The next was a flat print that I printed over with a thermofax later. The second lab class I made many thermofax prints and they all look great. I have been choosing bright spring colors and I think they will look beautiful all together.