Portfolio Update| Junior Year

Hey Everybody!

I figured since the semester has finally come to an end, I would post a cohesive gallery of everything that I had created this spring. 

So, without further a do, here's my work!

From my 3D Bronze&Glass Casting class:

 Our first assignment was to make glass "candies" from a candy box that we bought. This was to show us how the different types and colors of glass flit would show up in our castings. This was manly just an exercise so, they're not too razzle-dazzle.

For our 1st actual project, I had made 4 pinecones out of bronze. The prompt was to have an object relate to a place or a person or a memory. I used the pinecone to represent my relationship with Ryan as the pinecone came from our yard when we first moved in. There are 4 of them to represent how many years we have been together. I wanted to create a box that was similar to a house, and then have the pinecones inside. But, honestly the entire project was just thrown together because I couldn't come up with a solid idea on how to present it all. The pinecones didn't shine up like I wanted them to so they blend in with other pinecones (which is neat) but, not what I wanted. I think I definitely need a revival of this project.


The second project was some sort of contradiction or intersection as how things are not what they seem. I chose to use my face, glass, and bullets as a contradiction as to how calm my face looks compared to how chaotic the bullets look trying to get to the face. As another exercise to see how bronze castings were made I made my face out of bronze. I polished it up and flattened out any unnecessary nicks and bumps and used it for this project. I ladled molten glass into a makeshift box around my bronze face, so it would be sunk into the glass. I had also borrowed some bullet casings from my dad (thanks dad!) and while the glass was still molten I placed a couple of them in the surface. A few of them were so hot that they incinerated as soon as we put them in. I think it turned out really cool. I didn't get a whole lot of time to finish this piece as it took two weeks to anneal. So next semester I think I'll either purchase (or borrow from whomever would like to lend them to me) bullets or make some from glass or bronze and add them to it somehow.
We'll see.

Our 3rd project was about object transformation. I had planned on making a bunch, and I mean a bunch of bullets from pastel colored glass like pinks and whites to make them seem pretty, nice, and delicate.(This was my inspiration) So, they're something dangerous and a part of a controversial topic made to seem like something nice and pretty. I got a bit of a start on this project but we definitely ran out of time to finish. So, I will continue with this next semester.

Painting:

I've shown this painting here before, shortly after I had finished it (because I love it so dang much!) Definitely one of my favorites I had done this semester. It is oils on canvas And is 2'x3' in size.

 I think this one is my favorite from this semester. I was debating wether I should have the drips on there but I liked it without and I didn't want to ruin it if I ended up hating it. This one is also oils on canvas and stands at 3'x3.5'. I just love how 'pretty' it is and how feminine it is. #pastels4life

 

 This one was a bit of a let down. I was excited to get some painting done and found a black and white image online and wanted to do some sort of rendering in color. And well, the sketch was better than the painting and I just kept going back and forth with it as I pretty much hated what came out of it. In the end I think I'm going to paint over it or just forget about it all together. It's kind of a 'standard' canvas size and I felt really restricted so, I might stick to ignoring it. I also did a self portrait with this size and in this same style. It looks more like an underpainting so I would rather say it's unfinished...*le sigh

With this one, I didn't want to paint on another store bought canvas so I found some wood boards we had laying around and used them as a surface to paint on. I was looking through Instagram and oogling at all of the pretty script that people make and I wanted to do some myself. I decided to write some lyrics as the background in cursive, which is as close to fancy script as I'm going to get (for now). The lyrics are to 'The Rain Song' by Led Zeppelin and 'Nights in White Satin' by the Moody Blues Band. I felt like these songs went well with the mood I was trying to portray. Romantic, lovely, intrigue, enticing, etc. I was influenced by this photo I had found on pinterest, and this painting I saw on Fixer Upper. This one was kind of a tester project to see how I could pull off doing something different. Result: I like.


We also had to do one 'en plein air' painting. We went to Iverson Park to get some nature in us. I, myself, don't really like landscapes, but our professor loves them and so I think she was excited to just get us outside and enjoy it. And, I did enjoy that we were outside and I was doing something a bit out of my comfort zone, but I wasn't too happy with the painting once I was done and decided not to show it. I know I'll be painting over that one next semester.


And that, is everything that I had made this semester.
Happy it's over, but it went well and that is all that matters to me.
Hopefully the next year goes smoothly too.
6 years is long enough to spend on a bachelors degree.
#supersenior am I right?

BRING ON SENIOR YEAR!!!!

Hope you all have a great rest of your week!
I know I will because Saturday is MY BIRTHDAAAAAAY!!!
(yay!)

xoxo

Refresh...everything!

Hey Everybody,

The other day when I came home from class, my house just felt kind of drab. I'm the kind of person that needs a bit of constant change in their lives. I get bored easily with just about everything that is mundane and repetitive. New things are pretty much a necessity. Or maybe not even new things just new something. Like new placement, or new ways to view something. 

If there is something I see every single day in the same view and same way, it'll eventually escape my thoughts. 

So, while I was changing the soap out in our hall bathroom, I figured I'd change them all. 

Something so minuscule had clicked in me that I felt like I should change everything. 

I changed the tea towels.

I changed the coffee mugs on the mug tree.

I changed the throw pillows.

I moved pictures around.

I put new pictures up. 

Everything felt so new and fresh! And literally all I did was switch a couple of things around that I had sitting around the house. 

And y'know what? That's all it takes!

You don't need to go and re-paint your entire room. Or buy all new furniture.

No!

It's as simple as changing out your hand soap!

So here's my 5 things that you can do to give your home a super simple refresh for spring/summer:

1. Change out the soap in your hand soap dispensers for a new scent.

-The new scent will attract your senses so you'll notice it easier and you might even want to use it more often as a result!
-Also, foaming soap dispensers, super fun.

2. Change your tea towels/ hand towels in your kitchen

-You should always change out your hand towels for hygiene reasons, but changing out the colors/patterns/prints will give your kitchen/bathroom a new look!
-I usually have some that I put up for holidays for like a week, but for the times in-between I like bright colors to liven up the kitchen as mostly everything in there is brown, sad. 

3. Switch up your throw pillows.

-Or just re-arrange them! 

-This will definitely change up your living room, bedroom, or office.

-I made a few bright floral ones a couple years ago and love how they brighten up our neutral living room just a bit.

4. Rearrange your coffee mugs

-Or put new ones out if you keep them out on a mug tree or a rack.

-Just moving old ones forward from the back of the cupboard will bring a new world of view for you.

-You'll be more likely to use the ones in front and you won't feel as bad for having so many. 

(like I do :)
-I made a mug tree a little while back and have it next to my coffee maker. Usually I have random mugs that I like to use hanging on it, but for the summer I put a few of my glass mason jar mugs on it for cold drinks as well.

5. Change out photos in frames, or reframe them

- Changing out photos will definitely attract your attention. 

-Even changing the frames to a different color/pattern/shape will change up the way your wall art bits and bobs look. 

-Putting up new pictures/prints/photos that are brighter, or more colorful will draw your attention as if it's a whole new room!
-I framed a circus ticket that my dad received when I was born (you can see on my Instagram) and put it up in our small bath and honestly every time I go into my bathroom, it feels like a brighter place! Which is definitely needed since theres no windows in there :(

What are some other ways that you brighten up your space?

Let me know if any of these work for you, or what you do to liven up your life.

Hope you're all well!

xoxo