Fibers and Clay

Today I critiqued my second project in my vessel construction class. My project basically became a series of experiments. I first took five doilies (apparently the ONLY five doilies in Chicago) and let them soak in porcelain slip. (If you aren't familiar with what slip is, it's basically really wet, runny clay. You use it when you make cast objects and it has a bunch of other uses) Then I draped the doilies over some forms. A tennis ball holder, a jar, and some other stuff. They fired to cone 4 and are ridiculously fragile. I met a grad student who is doing something similar, but on a way bigger scale, and she said she mixed a special recipe of slip so that her's would be extra strong. I think she also fires hers to higher temperatures. The higher the temperature you fire it, the stronger it will be. I also mixed these short nylon fibers (it looked like hairy fluff stuff) with a bowl of clay until it was like hairy mud. I spread it thinly over a flat plaster slab and let the plaster draw out some of the moisture. It was kind of like making a paper pulp and making paper, if you've ever tried that. Then I peeled up the pieces of "paper" and shaped them. For my critique I hung the broken pieces of my doilies and some of the smaller fiber shapes on the wall. The vessel on the podium is a dome of the little forms pressed together with a light underneath. The effect was exactly what I wanted. Light, gravity defying, and expressed the honesty of the process. Sometimes things don't work. They break and look wrong. I want to retain honesty in my work. The setting is meant to invoke a feeling of calmness. I was inspired by the settling of sea creatures in the deep sea, where it's very dark. The feeling of bubbles drifting upwards... It's all very magical and simple to me.

I'm working more on the idea and presenting it again at the final critique. I hope I have enough time to finish. Next week I have no school, though, so I think I'll be fine getting everything done. I am constantly busy here and I love it, even if I am exhausted. :]

News Flash

These are some things I've been working on. Really my first time using chalk pastels, but I'm really loving it. It has made my figure drawing class so much less of a drag. And my teacher gave me a great compliment.

"Oh, Yihoon! That looks great!" So I lean back to see what Yihoon was doing that was so great, and suddenly Mr. Wolff went on to say, "Oh... you're not Yihoon." He was talking about my drawing. He thought MY drawing was great. My first real compliment. "How do I say this without sticking my foot in my mouth? Stephanie... you don't usually draw so... loosely... but with such precision." Yeah. The compliment was that what I drew was so good it had to be Yihoon's because I don't draw nearly as well as her. Whatever. I'll take the compliment.

I don't know what my camera's deal is. These colors don't do my drawings justice.

I have made so much in my throwing classes lately it's become crazy.

I started bringing home my work because there isn't enough space in my locker, anymore. So everything is on display on top of my dorm's kitchen cabinets.

I've also been experimenting with nylon fibers mixed into slip and made into forms. It's going well. More on that to come.

Wet porcelain.

After the first firing.

Oh. And there was a shopping cart in the dorm's hallway. Renee got in it, but I refused to push her down the hall because I actually am terrified of getting in trouble.

Lookin' good, good lookin'.

Food is good.

Thanks for the apple dumplings, Aunt Sonny and Aunt Pam. They arrived in pieces, but I ate them all, anyway.

Maeve took a couple of us to this awesome mexican restaurant that was 30 minutes outside of the loop. It was crazy delicious. Burritos that were ridiculously big. Yummy drinks. It was amazing, but our waitress was a bitch. Also, what is it about Chicago that a table can't split the bill? We always have to awkwardly pool our money and finnagle it between cash and credit and "you owe me, now".  I hate that.

Talya's burrito was ridiculous.

Sam had visitors.

Halloween rocks. Sam had a couple of friends in from Montana and we went to a bar. I pretty much love Rachel and Sam. Rachel is moving into my dorm soon and Darcy is moving out. Julie, Rachel, Sam and I? We're going to have the coolest room ever.

We went to Trader Todd's bar for drinks and karaoke. It was awesome. When Rachel makes the videos available, I'll have to post the most hilarious karaoke singing you've ever seen. Ever.

Sam, myself, and Rachel. Robin, Mrs. Wallace, and Bat Girl.

The next day we walked around Macy's for kicks. It was interesting. And huge. Like the Hogwarts of shopping centers.

Pink Suit of Armor, Olivia, and Russel

Hip thrusting mannequin?

The fountain of life in Macy's?

Olivia put loads of that mineral make up on my face. It looked like I got punched. You can't really tell, though, in this awesomely photobombed picture.

 When we were out walking around Chicago, we stopped to pee at McDonalds.

How do YOU spell caramel?

A Walk with Renee

So, I had a good deal of homework that I had to work on. I always do, really. It's nonstop. But on one of the last nice, warm days here in Chicago I decided to take a mental health break and go on a walk with Renee. I realized I had never been through some of the most amazing parts of Millenium Park. I had the best time.

Thanks for being my wandering buddy, Renee. :]