Monday, April 15, 2013

Blooming Flowers (in motion)

The form I will be using for the animation: Icosahedron



More Inspiration Photos





The theme for my stop motion animation is Bloom. I aim to depict flowers blooming and evolving through all stages, growing and blossoming.
I found inspiration in pen&ink and watercolor flowers.



Execution: I plan to start the animation by loosely brushing a light wash onto white paper, follow up by adding shadows and pen drawing on top. The initial illustration will spread to the icosahedrons I have created. After growing onto the forms, the icosahedrons themselves will turn inward to conceal the growing flowers, but they will proceed to blossom back over the forms. By the end of the animation every icosahedron will be covered.
I have also created a soundtrack in garage band to compliment my animation.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Repurposed material study 1: plastic bags


Maxine Whiteley
Midterm Artist’s Statement
March 25th, 2013
Design II, FN102.03
Heather Ujiie

            Working as a design team for my modular relief  project could not have been more successful.  I have never worked with another person to create art but my first time was so successful that I would defenetly try again.  I believe that what made working with Claudia so productive was the combination of our skill sets. I have a fine arts background and she is a talented dressmaker which allowed us to have the best of both worlds. Our concept changed as we started to construct the dress because our ultimate goal was to create a art-to-wear garment in which the relief sculpture appeared as a fabric. We faced a lot of challenges that required us to change our “wedding dress” design but now, as a finished product, I believe it is more successful than what we had originally planned.

            I was excited to learn about serial planes because they introduced e to a whole new way to create form. I’ve always preferred curvilinear shapes as opposed  to geometric but when creating serial planes I preferred the geometric example. I struggled with the vertical composition and could not get the foam core to cut with a clean edge so I used bristol for mine. My curvilinear foam core sample structure was difficult for me because the foam core was so limiting. I struggled to find a concept and I wish that I could have made the piece for successful and unified. I am interested with the idea of scoring foam core but in the future I think I should place more attention to making a multitude of cuts rather than properly measuring the cuts.

            I struggled greatly with the architectonic sculpture. I had a strong concept but construction wise I couldn’t quite create what I had originally planned. I was working of the original theme of architecture. I loved the appearance of spiral architecture, and wanted to would to build a building of spirals that worked as serial planes did. Again, I struggled with the construction.  I eventually lead my project in the direction of deconstructed architecture. I am so pleased with my sculpture so far and do not want to ruin it rushing the transparent element. I want to hear ideas from the class before I continue. I’m currently playing with the thought of  putting the whole sculpture in a bubble. A transparent dome over the whole project may add a more volumetric feel. I’ve also wanted to explore floating the sculpture in an organic transparent form filled with water.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Reading Assignment



1. Describe interaction and stability in 3-D form. What is the “three plane rule?”
Interaction: action, effect, or influence.
Stability: permanence of position
Three Plane Rule: 
1- Planes can meet at a common edge
2- Planes can be adjacent to one another
3- Planes can pass through each other
house in sao bento du sapucai' by UNA arquitetos, sao paulo, brazil

2. What is an environmental plane and planar structure?
Environmental Plane: space in which the plane exists
Planar Structure: arrangement of planes that appear to be one single form
production still  from 'primitive' by apichatpong weerasethakul


3. Define an architectonic form.
-having qualities in the category of designand/or structure that relate to architecture
OBU  (original bipolar units), 2012 by elisabeth lemercier


4. How can a reflective surface effect the transition of space?
-a reflective surface can effect the transition of space by recreating, mirroring, or morphing its environment. 
The Mirrorcube was designed by Tham & VidegÃ¥rd Arkitekter. 
Sweden- Tree Hotel


5.How can planes define volume?
- the organization (position and proximity) of planes can create the illusion of form
close-up on construction of 'wangjing SOHO' by zaha hadid, beijing, china


6. Describe the following organizational principles that relate to 3 dimensional forms: 
1. Organization- placement and proximity of components of the form
'my things - book keeping of 07 B' by hong hao
Mosaic of Found Things

2. Synergy- interaction of components that allow the form to appear as one as opposed to seeing the components separately
honey scape' by gonçalo castro henriques 

3. Order and Freedom- the choice between the two can effect the unity of the components, consistent and expected or loose and random.
yangtze chandelier detail
a journey through the yangtze river's transformation by jorge mañes rubio

4. Structure and Unity- important elements that define the form.
structure- appearance of construction and of the mass as a whole
unity- specific placement of components that create a balanced/harmonious whole
3-D printed wall lamps
biennale internationale design saint-etienne 

5. Symmetry- when one component mirrors another or describes a sense of balance
lido mar' by studio RHE, tivat, montenegro
he white and timber clad facades create a sense of movement and repetition 
within the space 

6. Repetition within Variety- to vary an element of repetitive forms such as color, direction, or texture 
view of the exhibition 'in the good name of the company' at foryourart, LA

7. Rhythm and gradation- rhythm creates order and composition between components of a form and gradation is equal visual change separated by steps.
'youth center in quingpu' by atelier deshaus, quingpu district, shanghai, china 



    LOVE the texture that the rubber cement made on the base of my sculpture!!!!! It looks like snake skin to me.

    Saturday, February 23, 2013

    "Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity."

    — CHARLES MINGUS

    I was drawn to this quote because I struggle with simplicity. My original concepts are always elaborate and complex. I have a hard time focusing on one element that could enhance my designs. In the end I try to  minimalize my ideas, so I felt that I could connect to this quote.

    Class Notes 2/18/2013

    Terracycle:

    • repurpose/recycle company
    • makes products out of other company's unused "junk"
    Project #2:

    • architectonic structure as a "container"
    • "architectural based"
    Compare & Contrast:

    • "Zaha Hadid" (architect, serial planes)
    • "Aurora Robson" (repurposed materials in fine arts)
    • what do they have in common?
      • "biomorphic forms"
        • (based on living things in nature)
      • consider 3D organizing materials
    Serial Planes:

    • layers of planes to create a form
      • repetition to create structure
      • "Frank Llyod Wright"
      • "Frank O. Gehry"
    Quotes:

    • "tap into conflict & learn from it" -Aurora  Robson
    • "gives people a place to reflect on how they react to matter" -Aurora Robson
    • "global problem, art s a global language" -Aurora Robson
    ***How to take design sensability and add it to fine arts***

    Monday, February 11, 2013

    Sewing the flowers in clusters to make the skirt!

    Change in plans:
    The stands of paper going across the bodice looked messy so we decided to make small flowers and sew them to the top of the bodice.

    Wednesday, February 6, 2013

    "Cocoon"
    Devore and Foil printed fabric
    Stitched organza mounted in 30cm square cast acrylic sheet.
    Anne Griffiths
    Contemporary Textile Artist
    I recently started researching textile artists because I want to  know more about the professionals in the field that I intend to enter. I love this artist's work because she finds inspiration through a process that was fascinating to me. She starts with a word, and then finds other words relate to the original word, and continues with the process until she comes up with a word that she can render using her unique artistic style. This piece in particular caught my eye because I love how she managed to create a sense of form and dimension on an essentially flat surface. 

    Sunday, February 3, 2013

    In class notes

    Inspirational Artist

    Carved Eggshells by Beth Ann Magnuson
    This American sculptor hand carves intricate patterns into various eggshells by using a high speed drill.
    I think that these sculptures are not only beautiful, but also relevant to our current unit because of her extreme consideration for the interaction between positive and negative space.

    Summary Of Class Notes

    Design:

    • A planned arrangement of visual elements
    Design Principles:

    • unity
    • harmony
    • simplicity
    • emphasis
    • focal point
    • scale
    • proportion
    • balance
    • rhythm
    Design Elements:

    • line
    • shape/volume
    • texture
    • illusion of space
    • illusion of time
    • color
    • visual space
    Analysis:

    • problem solving & communication
    Perception:

    • nature 
    • art history
    • culture
    Experiment with materials!

    3D Design:

    • length
    • breadth
    • depth
    Form in Space & Organization!

    • up & down
    • side / side
    • close & far away
    2D/3D:

    • surface treatment
    • serial planes
    • interior relationships
    • exterior relationships
    • additive qualities
    • subtractive qualities

    Homework 1

    What is the design process?

    • A planned arrangement of visual elements to construct an organized visual pattern
    Define 3-Dimensional Form?

    • A form that satisfies the principles and elements of design in a harmonious and unified way while having hight, bredth
    "One Dollar Koi"
    Money's Worth Exhibition
    Won Park
    • I feel thought that this was a good example of a 3 Dimensional form because it satisfies that sculptural requirements as well as being aseptically pleasing and it the origami style fits in with our paper-folding unit!
    What is space?

    • The way in which an area can be used or unused to show the amount available 
                                       
    communal lighting installation from donated fixtures by beforelight
    view from ermou street 
    • The way that the lights are placed allow the viewer to further understand the area between the buildings.
    What is positive and negative space in 3D design?

    • The balance that makes a form visually stimulating when being viewed up/down, side/side, and close/far away
                                          
    visualization of the PH museum - the form references the mechanics of a camera 
    render by christopher shelley

    • The shape of the building creates an equally appealing shape in the sky
    What is Direction?
    • Used in design to suggest motion of placement in space
    • (image taken from page 134 in "Design Basics"
    • The lines that are placed diagonally create an entirely different and far more dynamic composition that the parallel lines
    What is Scale?
    • Size in relation to space
                                            
    planet' by marc quinn
    • Obviously babies are not as large as trees, In making the sculpture this big the viewer is drawn to it due to its inquisitive scale
    What is Point of View (Focal Point)?
    • Successful emphasis on a particular area that is highly noticeable 


    "The Last Supper"
    Leonardo da Vinci
    • This image is a famous of Focal Point. Da Vinci uses triages to draw your eye to jesus, who is the center and most important part of the painting.




    Close up of our flowers!


    Making flowers!

    Some of the images used to inspire the high-low wedding dress I'm making with Claudia for our first 3D Design Project: