Monthly Archive for May, 2010

17 MILLION BEES!

Published on May 26, 2010 in Classes, Iron Avatarist and Uncategorized. 1 Comment

A truck carrying about 17,000,000 bees crashed in Minnesota. One person died, another was taken to the hospital. AND NOW 17 MILLION BEES ROAM THE EARTH FREE!

So, for part 3 of the negative space project, I chose to make my found-object sculpture using empty Diet Coke with Lime cans, since I had them. Here are some pics.

Chopping and smashing the cans

I used an exacto knife. Probably not the best tool.

My first idea, with a twirly ribbon of can draped down the middle staircase of crushed cans. Di Bella thought that looked too decorative.

Final sculpture. I changed it a bit.

Instead of both sides being semi-symmetrical and staircase-patterned, I changed the other side. The pieces across from each other are pieces of the same can.

In other news, the comic I drew for April’s Iron Avatarist, which I posted back here, won me the gold in the “funniest scene” category and the silver in “best overall”! The newest contest is about war, I have no obvious ideas for that one. Maybe my classics class can inspire me.

First few days back

Published on May 19, 2010 in Classes. 0 Comments

and my desk is already covered in meaningless bits of paper.

Living in the UMW apartments is cool. But there’s no longer an easy way to get to class from here since they built a huge fence along the outside wall, which before now was climbable. The front gate is open all the time, what’re they trying to keep out by blocking campus from they apartments? Us, I suppose. However, now we have a fridge with a freezer, a stove, an oven, and a DISHWASHER.  A DISHWASHER. That will make life easier next year, when we cook.

Classes seem to be alright. In the past 3 days, I have learned the genealogy of the Greek gods, and I have glued construction paper to bristol board.

For the purposes of comparing negative/positive space, axises, viewer completion and all that jazz. I like the one in the lower left, but apparently the fact that it doesn’t touch the side means it doesn’t quite fulfill the assignment. It’s just sort of floating there. I should put some black around it.
Oh yes, something else totally lame, I bought colored paper at the bookstore, and though the package advertised having about 6 or 7 different colors, it only contained black. My project will be most boring. The Chibi is letting me borrow a few scraps of color.
This is part of a larger project (or as Di Bella calls it, a problem), the true meaning of which has not been revealed to us. For today I created a similar piece using construction paper and bristol board, comparing the figure and ground. Since I am uncreative and bad at coming up with stuff on the spot, it involves a jar of bees.

This was the first draft

And this is the final thing, after the professor constructively criticized.

Very nice, I think! Di Bella wondered, “is the jar full of honey, and the bee is going after it? Well it should be up to the viewer to decide.”

And tomorrow I am to bring a sketchbook to class. The final part of this problem concerning negative/positive space is a sculpture that uses mass-produced non-artsy material, like toothpicks or bottlecaps. I’ll need to think of something.

Summer school

Published on May 16, 2010 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

Driving down to F-burg this afternoon. I do not want to goooooo.

That’s not quite true. I’m getting pretty bored. Everyone who keeps saying I’ll have fun at summer school is probably right. I’m rooming with one of my best friends, we’ll be living in an air-conditioned apartment, and I don’t think I’ll hate my classes.

BUT, I might have gone to Europe! I might have gone to Germany, gotten 4 credits of my major out of the way, and well, experienced more Europe. I lived in Wiesbaden, Germany when I was 8 to when I was 12. I want to visit many of the places I don’t remember or didn’t appreciate. And I want to visit the places I didn’t get to visit when I was there (mostly Italy.) But, because only two people signed up for the program, I do not get to go to Europe, and will not unless I get a job that allows me to travel. And without those 4 credits, I’ll have to design an independent study course. Because I need 12 more credits in my German major, and there is only 1 intensive offered per semester. x_x
*sigh* Oh well. Hopefully I can figure out something I’ll like. Something involving WWI, I figure. We have about over 9000 books on the subject here, including some primary sources.

Anyway. I won’t be taking any needlework to summer school. I’m taking Design Principles, which means I’ll have enough art to do. Also, my needlework chest is big and a bitch to transport. According to Ms. Art Major of Chibi Charms infamy, DiBella is an awesome professor. Expect the next few weeks of posts to be about assigned projects. With some Greek/Roman mythology thrown in (taking Classics too.)

Can’t stop rereading Jim Butcher’s Dresden Crack. Need a new series. I think I’ll try Discworld.

Continuation of last year’s projects

Published on May 7, 2010 in Dream log and Needlework. 0 Comments

Ever have a brilliant idea, but then you look at it and realize it will be work, so you just stop?
That never happens to me. Ever. o_e [/extreme sarcasm]
This has been my attitude lately when it comes to drawing and inkscaping. Which is alright. Much easier to concentrate on abandoned needlework projects when starting a new inkscape project seems so annoyingly hard. And there’s no Iron Avatarist this month.

So, I started this several months ago, as an attempt to make something that is not a pillow. If it succeeds, it will look like a 20-sided die, and it will be turned into a keychain.

Gold edges and numbers, purple filling. I downloaded one of those foldable templates and transferred it to cloth, which I will stiffen and fold once the embroidery is done. This has a very high chance of failing horribly. The first time I tried something similar, the cloth collapsed and the glue didn’t hold and it ended up a mess.

It looks a lot better in that picture than it is. *feels ashamed*

But the concept remained intact! I’m using a smaller stitch and a different template. I’d hoped that the satin stitch might help keep the panels straight, but it just wasn’t good material for folding. This time around I’m using even softer cloth, and a more flexible stitch, which seems absolutely counterproductive, but I’ve bought some iron-on backing that might do the job of keeping the fabric stiff. I hope it works out better. If it does those silly geeky folks I tend to hang out with might want one. And once they decry its uselessness, and I lament its cost to manufacture compared to the price they’d want to pay, I will go back to making pillows and framed samplers. If it doesn’t, well, lesson learned, never try anything new! =D

I had a dream last night about the border between life and death. It’s in Corolla, North Carolina. With dragons and pirate skeletons, it’s hard to go wrong.
Every dream I’ve had this week has featured one of my classes from last semester. Library Science is next. Clearly I miss school.

Hallo.

Published on May 6, 2010 in Dream log. 0 Comments

The class is over, but I’m just starting.
Hi!
This blog will be about my various artsy endeavors, especially my needlepoint. I will also talk about my life sometimes. The name “A Jar of Bees” is a mystery, even to me.
Fangen wir an!

The summer begins, and so begin a deluge of projects that I may never complete!
Most of what I make are pillows. I’ve made a gallery of my needlework. It isn’t quite complete, as much of my products are made as gifts, and I did not start photographing them until recently, but it’s a fairly good sample. For the vast majority of my projects I use DMC cotton floss on linen evenweave.

Pictures and descriptions of my more recent endeavors when I find my camera.

That’s all I can say for now! Oh, and for those interested, my dream log has updated.