the time-traveling loveseat is a project I started when I realized my loveseat travels time. not into the past, only into the near future where early afternoons become late nights in the blink of an eye. this blog was started to use that time travel in a more productive way, with an emphasis on learning and practicing new, everyday design.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

hey hey!

Two posts in two days, I'm feelin' good! This will also be a quick one, but it's something I've been working on for a little bit (so it feels good to be done). I'm part of an organization called Freedom By Design, which is a branch of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) that aims to help the community by applying our design skills to solve accessibility issues. Past projects include building and painting a ramp, building a deck, and fixing up a bathroom, all for people who have difficulties getting around in their everyday lives. Visiting this link will give you a little more idea of what we do in the community and opportunities to get involved. We hold bi-weekly meetings on Fridays at 12:15 in Rapson Hall, our first meeting of the semester being this Friday.

As an organization, we need to do serious fundraising to fund the supplies we need to help the community. We are having our 3rd Annual Art Auction this year, and as co-organizer, I have taken the initiative to advertise the event with new, catchier posters. It's not perfect, but I'm hoping it will catch some people's eyes! Stay tuned for more information on when the Art Auction will be, we would like a big turn out, and are even trying to get a liquor license to attract a few more people. :)

My new poster:


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

school, oof.

I think my title says enough. It's midnight and I still have homework to do. Does this mean my time on the loveseat has been productive? Yes and no.

Yes, because I have been working very hard on getting an online portfolio together (stay tuned!) and the time spent working on it goes faster than ever. But no, because it's times like this that I realize I still have a bit of homework to do. This, and a lot of other projects I need/would like to get started (and then done).

So here's a little snapshot, quick look into a concept I'm pulling together for my portfolio, just a few simple vector drawings of some significant Minneapolis skyscrapers. I find I'm getting much more comfortable using Illustrator, so that is a major plus. Like I said, stay tuned for the final project. Until then, I'm hoping to post at least twice a week with new designs (if not small ones, like this).

Thursday, January 20, 2011

starting everywhere

I've been meaning to write this blog for a while now, so here it is. My main purpose of starting this blog was to be more productive on my computer while I'm at home, and to practice design in this productivity. Since school started this past Tuesday, I've come to the realization that I am packing this semester full of new software knowledge. While I have familiarity with the Adobe Suites and some architectural programs, I will hopefully be fluent in many programs by the end of the semester, taking courses on 3DS Max, Revit, Rhino, Sketchup, Web Programming, and in my free time (ha!): this blog.


There's this great little website where I've found dozens of tutorials and I've mostly started with the Photoshop ones. Wondering where to start for this blog, I began with my profound appreciation for great watercolor (a bit sad that the Watercolor course last semester didn't fit in my schedule), and was considering incorporating it into the design of my portfolio. Since I left my watercolors at my parents, I looked for digital ways to portray watercolor. Inspired by the work of Stina Persson, I decided to try my hand at it (with help from a tutorial :)) Here's my first run at it: 


As I continue with these blogs, I keep a few (and all) of Bruce Mau's Incomplete Manifesto for Growth tips in mind:


9. Begin Anywhere
35. Imitate. Don’t be shy about it. Try to get as close as you can. You'll never get all the way, and the separation might be truly remarkable.

Tootles!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

my issue with free time

Since I have been in college for five years, I am well accustomed to the 1 month winter break we are given. In the past, I have enjoyed this break, welcomed it with open arms, sleeping until noon and never thinking a thing of it. While the weeks between Christmas and New Years go fast, post-New Years 2011 I had a moment: free time stresses me out. 

Now bear with me here. The new year is all about resolutions and blah blah blah. I've had them, they don't work for me. My issue is my inability to use free time productively. During school time you had a limited amount of it, the weekends, maybe once during the weekdays. I use that time productively; I don't have much of it. But right now, I have all day long. All day. All day.

I make goals: I need to go grocery shopping, I wanna sew that skirt, make those earrings, build a website. I have more ambitions than I know what to do with. I want to write a book, paint my canvases, start doing yoga. It's exhausting, but I can't stop. So what do I do with my free time? NOTHING. I wake up late, then feel bad for wasting my morning. And then I sit on my couch and keep telling myself I'll do these things. I will, I will.

But I don't. I have so much free time that I just blow it. Completely. And that stresses me out. Everyone says "oh enjoy your time off," but I'd rather be busy. I like being busy and on the go. And the thought of graduating in the spring just stresses me more. 

So I'm starting this blog with the best intentions (fingers crossed). My loveseat is a time-traveling machine. Not your cool sci-fi time-traveling machine. No no, my loveseat takes me from the early afternoon to late night. Always forward, never backward. I sit down to eat lunch and watch some day-time talk shows, and the next thing I know Craig Ferguson is on and it's 12:30 am. Having my computer and a blanket don't help. Neither does the television or the fact that it gets dark out at 4:30 pm. 

So here's my new goal: everytime I sit down on this couch, I will do one productive thing. With all the technology and tutorials online, I want to better learn many software programs applicable to my major, Architecture. No more mindless hours of internet browsing, it's time to shape my laziness into something useful. Wish me luck!





there is it. calling my name...

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