Apr 3, 2011

whoah biggy news!

first, i must apologize for not blogging about this client project sooner and also for the following beefy blog. ready your toosh.
second, let me catch you up a bit:


a few weeks ago in our dye and print class, we had to propose an installation or wall hanging for this gigantor wall in the new Sheridan campus in missisauga. this thing was a daunting 10 feet wide by i think it was 14 or 20 feet tall wall, regardless i was excited to maybe get picked. i came across this lovely photo of all sorts of fungus and their different textures and colors intensely tickled me so i decided it'd be fun to make plushie and felted fungus....and that's all i could think of. i just felt i couldn't knock out anything more to  push this idea further and i wasn't alone.
my always fun classmate Kay tor and i were talking about this project the day before we were suppose to present our idea to get working on some samples. she was rowing the same boat i was only with her intense love of little picture frames. she knew she wanted to do something with them but couldn't push it further. we agreed to tackle this project together and mash our ideas and make little plushie fungus in the picture frames and i couldn't be happier for said mashing.


every time we worked on samples to mimic the textures of fungus, we'd high five and muppet cheer (think kermit the frog introducing the next act, all up in arms) 'cause they would come out just as we'd hope they would. it was kind of a happy surprise just how close the qualities of felt and heat setting are of many kinds of fungus and it would blow our minds every time. every studio date we had, we left feeling accomplished and everyday more pumped about our proposal. we were beginning to like the idea of having to do these mushrooms close to twice the size of our maquette as well as the idea of having a piece in the public easily for the next 5 years or maybe even forever! 


the weekend before crit day we had our statement refined, inspiration and sample boards ready, and our maquette looking beautiful. all that was left to do was present everything and wait to hear who got the feature wall. my very talented classmate Kate got the mega wall ( yay Kate! ) but i'm very happy to announce that kay tor and i got the next best thing: a nook! i'm sure you must be thinking; what the nook?
the new Sheridan campus is going to be all about visuals, as they called it, a creative campus (which boggled my head since it will also be the business campus). the campus will have all sorts of visual stimulating things on the walls, neat study and lounge nooks with our names on one. gah! i was ecstatic to get the news! after thinking it over, kay tor and i were completely satisfied with getting a nook wall. it let's us still put our cutie funguses up in the campus but in a smaller space and scale. we were beginning to get nervous of all the work we'd have set out for us if we had to do such a giant wall. the campus is set to open next year so trust that i'll be blogging about this project throughout the summer. *insert muppet cheer here*



a couple of weeks ago we had a workshop for our final project in my dye and print class which is playing with light, transparency and practicing pattern mark making. we were shown some pretty fun stuff like paper cut outs yum, hammering different sides of a nail with carbon paper and possibly my new favourite thing, burn outs.
using an incense stick (another favourite thing) you can burn intricate or simple designs into different natural textiles and create a pretty amazing looking piece really. with the burnt fibers on the edges of where you poke the incense through, it has this kind of weathered and ugly-pretty look which has always tickled my heart and believe me it has given me all sorts of ideas...possibly for summer projects.

with every new project we're handed, i get excited to see what my brains and bum ticker can come up with. they tend to collaborate on nearly everything i make :)
after this workshop and with the new skills we learned, i was rattling my brains for an idea for this final project and although we played with burn outs and cut outs i couldn't help but to remember a little guy named Poe. 


i made this little guy for myself (which is a first) a couple of summers ago. it was just a small little craft date i had with a my biggest crochet needle Big blue and i was more than happy with the final result. the shadows the large crochet casts is just lovely and can make you daydream of fluttery things. i don't want to give too much away just yet but trust that i'll be using my number one addiction, crocheting, with this final project.

before i leave you to wake your bottom and have a stretch, i have just one more thing to mention. 
i'm not the only one who enjoys things wrapped in yarn.


i walked by one of the light posts near Sheridan which i've tagged a couple of times and found a message asking for more. i couldn't help but to laugh when i first noticed it and left a message that it's coming. hopefully i'll have time to do up this light post before school is out.

so now in light of this final dye and print project (see what i did there?) i leave you with the video for Little Dragon's twice. 

internally yours, 
sister valentine 




1 comment:

katie walker said...

very exciting!! congrats!