The process of design

There are many methods of designing art.    During the conference, Tim, Ellen and Helga all shared their designing processes which I talked about in a previous post.

Helga explained how she begins her design process by "playing."  During the session she discussed how she played with paper to stimulate ideas that could be translated into jewelry.  http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/HelgavanLeipsig?xg_source=activity   After playing, she draws up 10 designs, chooses one of these to expand on with 10 more drawings.  Taking those 10 drawings, she expands one again until she finds something that she likes.

(This is my interpretation of her design process.)

Once again her ideas reminded me of an approach I used with my students for their 3-d plaster sculptures.  (I really need to reflect back on some of my own teaching experiences and give myself assignments like this one.)

The assignment was to create a carved plaster sculpture based on the human figure.

Step one:  Find 10 photos of people, preferably in some sort of motion
Step two:  Do 10 quick gesture drawings of each photo for a total of 100 drawings.  This sounds like a lot, but gesture drawings are very quick.
Step three:  Choose three of these drawings and simplify each one five times into simple geometric forms.
Step four:  Choose one of the simplified drawings and make it three dimensional out of oil clay.  (This is called the additive process of creating sculpture.)  This piece is basically a three dimensional "sketch" and is called a maquette.
Step five:  Using the maquette to aid in visualizing the form, begin carving into the plaster to create the sculpture. (This is the subtractive process of creating sculpture.)   In order to make an area project out,  you must cut into the form.  (That was a hard concept for the students to understand.)

I don't remember who made these pieces, but these are just a few of the results from the lesson.  The lesson was successful for every single student (which was amazing.)  The bottom two pictures are the same sculpture from two sides.

The process works..... whether it's making jewelry or sculpture.

PMC Conference - day 3

This isn't my last post inspired by the conference, but it is my last post about the sessions offered at the conference.  In my opinion, all the sessions were good but it was Saturday's sessions that I found most inspiring.

The morning started out with a virtual slide presentation created by Jeanette Landenwitch.  "Look at us now" was a virtual exhibition of work that's been created over the past seventeen years of metal clay.

The afternoon session that I attended was "Designing without a net" which was lead by Ellen Wieske and Tim McCreight.  The session was basically a very relaxed dialogue between the two about their working processes.  Ellen's process of creation is more scheduled and Tim's is more fluid.  This session got us to thinking about who we are as artists (which I am still trying to wrap my head around.  I had wanted to be an art teacher since third grade and was trained as an artist who would be teaching.  For me, I still identify myself more as a teacher.)  The dialogue between the two has me thinking about who I really am.  They both suggested that we choose some things that we really, really like and really, really hate, then try to identify why we have those particular feelings toward that object.   There are lots of risks involved in making art and we shouldn't be afraid to take those risks.  Ellen also suggested that we don't back away when we become obsessed with something...... that feeling might not come again.  (I'm quite sure she was talking about making art and not stalking someone.)

My favorite session of the entire conference was Helga van Leipsig's "Process as a Design Tool."  This session was in the same vein as "Designing without a net" but stated in a different way.

Helga has recently been inspired by an E-book called "Time Management" and has applied it to her life.  She feels that by following a schedule she has freed up time and has accomplished more in the time she is at her studio.  One of the quotes she shared was  to "Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." - Gustave Flabert  (I think I copied that right!)

Anyway, she also (as did Tim and Ellen) suggest that we do some deep soul searching and learn who we are, what motivates us and makes us happy.  This hit home with me in both sessions as I sometimes feel like I'm still not sure who I am.  I have an inkling, but still feel like I'm searching to find out what I'm best at.  (Damn I'd better hurry.  I don't know how much time I have left..... I guess I should have gone to the Palm Reader at the Saturday night gala.)  

As a teacher I felt I knew who I was..... but as an artist, not so much!