They Still Do Get Usage...

 For one of my final art projects, I decided to portray the loneliness of payphones and contradict the New York Times statement above that payphones do in fact still get usage. In a time in which cell phones are permanently glued to our hands and ears, how useful are payphones? Of course, I cannot knock them in times of emergency, but I thought it would be interesting to juxtapose the payphone with the convenience and frequent use of the cellphone. I thus photographed unused payphones, placed in the foreground of the photo to capture its lone solitude and make it the ironic focus of the photo, as people walked by on their own phones and in their own worlds, completely oblivious to the payphone's presence.

[And, one a side note, it was just fun being a creeper with a camera for one afternoon]

My Childhood Dress Put Away Indefinitely

For my Practice of Art class, my teacher assigned the seemingly easy task of creating a story using only 6 words, based on Hemingway's own six word story: "For Sale: Baby Shoes. Never Used."

It was a really fun task.

For my story I decided to play with the issues of memory and time. I envisioned a white lace dress being packed away into a box and put into storage, a symbol of childhood, as we also pack away memories as daily challenges occupy the forefront of our minds.

 My next task was to recreate this concept visually. I sketched out several ideas before settling on the creation of a paper Polaroid camera. In my exhibition, I crafted a Polaroid camera with a developing Polaroid picture still resting in its slot, a picture frame showing the developed picture, and a storage box packing away the frame. In this sequence, I hoped to capture the passage of time as is relative to the creation, possession, and storage of memory. Moreover, I made all of these items from paper to show how these items all possess the ability to decompose, to break down into nothing and lose their value over time. With time, the mind and memory share this very outcome. 

As a child, I parted with many items that I found incredibly sentimental. And each time this happened, I was told that the item would live on in my memory. The item is remembered, as it is captured in my exhibition, at its finest, the way we choose to remember it. But despite the fine quality we snapshot in our memory, the item does not live forever. With the element of time, nothing can last forever, not the actual item, not the paper-imitation item, and not even the memory itself. 

The Back is Not Yet Made, But It is Coming Along!

 The Polaroid represents that particular moment when the memory is created, as the photo has not yet developed. My choice to make everything out of cardstock paper allows for the capture of this particular moment (I wish I could, but I do not know how to do this chemically). 

 The framing of the Polaroid indicates the larger increment of time in which the love for the item (in this case the dress), and the possession of its memory still resides in the mind, as the  concept of framing so indicates. 

Finally, the box signifies the moment in which the item is taken from the shelf and put away, separated from the everyday life, separated from the mind's preoccupations and stored away somewhere where it now possesses the ability to be forgotten, as the placement below the top shelf portrays. 

Magical Snail Mail

One of my other fun craft ideas, a result of my Utrecht explorations. I actually found this idea online but the concept of the shoe is entirely my own. My best friend and I have a big-time consumer crush on Christian Louboutin heels. But then who can resist these beauties? Funny story, this past January we both went to Vegas, though on separate trips (a few days apart), and we each asked our respective travel-buddy to photograph us in front of Christian Louboutin stores. Best friends do think alike!

The concept of this project is simple. Using multiple blank postcards arranged into a canvas format, draw, paint, charcoal, etc. an image, design, or message. Once finished and completely dry, scramble up the postcrds and send one postcard every few days to one friend (or other penpal). They must save each postcard and arrange the postcards to see the final image, design, message. 

My first step was to actually draft my design in light pencil and then go over the design with watercolors.

 Be patient and be prepared to spend some time on this project. It's worth it!

Mail the postcards every few day with an encouraging note, funny anecdote, new recipe, etc. and exercise great strength not to send them all at once!

Consequences of Random Wanderings Through an Art Store

I have not purchased clay in probably a good 7 or 8 years. We'll just say the last time I bought clay, I wasn't the one doing the buying. So on Friday, after deciding to trek on down to University to engage in the beautiful art of thrifting, I decided that I had never gone into Utrecht, a really nice, fully-stocked art store that carries every imaginable art supply. I decided to journey there first...BAD IDEA! (I almost bought everything in the store!) I grabbed several things including a mini canvas, a few paintbrushes, and calligraphy pens before my guilt and poorly-timed realization set in, and I remembered the painful truth, "Oh yeahhhhh...I'm a college student and I'm kinda sorta broke..." So I had to make the embarrassing, yet economically necessary, walk of shame to put back every item I had grabbed during my I-am-an-artist-here-I'll-prove-it haste to buy the store. (My wallet thanked me later.) But before I did leave, I happened upon the clay section of the store (AND the watercolor postcard section AND the mini canvas sale section) and allowed my excitement to run rampant. In short, I did not leave empty-handed, but I also didn't leave feeling guilty or with a noticeably lighter wallet (that's why you NEVER carry cash!). I only spent about $7 on three really great items: a pack of 15 watercolor postcards (project to be posted later), 2 small packs of red clay (the results of said random purchase featured in this post), and a mini-stretch canvas. I can be crafty AND economical!

I had an absolute blast making these small heart shaped beads. 

First and foremost, knead the clay. If you are weak like me, this takes several minutes. 

 Pinch off small dime size pieces and shape into thick triangular shapes. 

Using a large safety pin or paper clip, make three small indents (top front, top, and top back), and round out the edges.

 Poke a hole through center using same large safety pin or paper clip.

Bake at 275* for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch thickness

THEN...Make fun things!

My WORD!

Gorgeous Upcycled, Inspiring Dictionary Art Vintage Book Prints from Etsy

They make me want to be crafty (and decorate my walls!).

       

     

1.) Vintage Revolver, 2.) Girl with Butterflies and Flowers, 3.) Elephant Mother's Day,