CRAFT!

I am broke, I have no job and no prospects! Also I'm hooked on this image sharing site called imgfave, lots of memes, superimposed helvetica  and presently harry potter stuff. Every now and again it has pictures of cute little crafty stuff and I like to save these pictures to inspire me in my endeavors! This got me started on stumbling crafts on the stumbleupon engine which led me to various craft/ d.i.y sites and so for the past month I've been accumulating a cache of ideas for homemade presents! I love making people stuff, the present is completely unique and then theres the reaction, hopefully it'll be something like "OMmmGod that's SO cute/cool!!"

So let me give you a run down of all the handmades I've put together so far -

First off - pantscakes. I've seen this done with socks, vests, towels and of course underwear and they look so cute and easy I had to try them. I cut the bottoms off plastic cups to make the bun cases and finished off the raw edge with green ribbon and pink bows which I salvaged from my leaving cert craft project ( a Marie Antoinette puppet). Then I rolled up the pants with a little corner sticking up to look like frosting. Finally I wrapped them in cellophane, just cause! I made these for my secret Santa friends in studio 4, peaches of girls they are, truly worthy of being honored with undergarments!



Show a little backbone! (BAM again)



Next -The footprint necklace. Jess was my specific secret Santa, I got her a honka honka horn for her bike and fashion origami but I wanted to make her something too. Earlier in the year I made a necklace from a bird vertebrate my friend Vanessa found in a handful of gravel and Jess said she'd like one. However I didn't like the idea of going spine hunting so I went with this. I love dinky little pendants with charms on them but at the moment all the ones in the shops all have either swallows, owls, clocks, lockets or something equally whimsical on them. So in a bid for uniqueness, I made a little tablet out of fimo paper clay and pressed two little footprints into it with a pen, when it dried I sprayed it with gold chrome. Why footprints? Lets just say over the 7 years of our friendship Jess has made quite the impression on me. (BAM!)



I also gave all the girls one of these Warm Wishes cards, a stencil and red paint on card, simple as!

 

Another necklace worthy individual is my friend and savior Hazel Egan. Hazel rescued me last Tuesday when I filleted myself with my scalpel during a lino cut, she sought out first aid, took me to the hospital, waited with me, and sat through the stitches with me, and we only just met this year! Anyhow as we sat in the waiting room we were chatting away about various artsy things and I found out she liked this beautiful rainbow necklace by  designer called mixko. So home I went to attempt to do something similar! Its 5 strands of embroidery thread suspended between two paper clay clouds hot glued onto a chain. Its sitting in a casio dictaphone casette box because it was the only small box I had left, but I think it adds something!

I also made her a card, red glitter a la the yeah yeah yeahs video for off with your head!

For my other studio 4 holmes I made these candycane heart pops that I saw on the Pleasant Home blog. You break the candycanes to size, arrange them over a lollypop stick then pour melted white chocolate into the heart you've made, I finished them off with some festive sprinkles and more cellophane and a twirly ribbon!

I have friends on the outside too! For my life-partner and fellow owl enthusiast Meghan I sewed her an owl bobble hat. We saw one in Claire's Accessorise but I missed the boat to buy it so I made her this with patchwork fabric, big buttons and embroidery thread. Dear god I hope she forgives the fact its eyes are so far apart!

For my stylist, confidante and all round beautiful person Andrew I made a speaker hat, I took one of those furry deerstalker hats, sliced the sides and sat in a pair of speakers. Will this prove practical in reality - 50:50 but its warm as having a fox wrapped around your head!

 

On a final note, most of this stuff apart from the hats was made after Tuesdays trip to a&e (Pictured above are my gristly paw and my slings, one for day wear and one for Spacemas) so I was largely a one handed effort; and so is a testament to just how easy all this stuff is to make!

Christmas at LeSAD!

So I was wondering what art college Christmas would be like and as I am presently on holidays I can tell you! First sign of the festive season was the enormous tree they set up in the reception, I have to say I'm surprised by the conservative choice of a red and gold bauble set up, not that it made the tree any less festive and glowy! Next, after several light powderings of snow, 3 snowmen materialized around the front of the college, how they managed to scrape three together out of 2 inches of snow is a Christmas miracle!

Next was the Christmas lunch, on the 6th of December, why so early? No clue but there is nothing wrong with spreading out the events, Christmas is an entire season after all. Jodie and I opted for the vegetarian choice of Mediterranean vegetables in a filo pastry case, Jod is a cilliac and can't have wheat and it took all the self controll in my body not to ask her for her empty pastry case when she was done. I also hit myself in the face with the cracker prize when I dueled with Kevin but I walked away with the pink paper crown and an 8cm ruler! There was a band playing but unfortunately for us all we got was 30 minutes of sound checks, they only started playing after we finished but we could hear the music all over the school after so cool times still had by all!

Godbless the staff in their Christmas hats, true heros.

Then last Thursday night to top it all off - Spacemas! I like Christmas, I like space and I LOVE costumery so I spent the night gettin' wild in my power ranger leggings, my space boots, my diamante helmet and my sling/modified ray gun! In terms of adherence to the theme the student unions concept of space seemed to revolve around packaging the venue (Dolans) and the revelers securely in a wholesale amount of tinfoil! Cool music, cool people, and my friend Glen reinventing the act of dancing, I'm quite sad everyones gone home to their father and motherlands for 3 weeks!

Last saturday....



Taking pictures in the bathroom - not cool?
No no it's for my blog!!



So I went to a ball last Saturday! My friend Jess invited me to this fundraiser thing organized by graduates from LeSAD, would I ever turn down such an occasion? So off we went to socialize and hob nob with the upper echelons of the limerick art scene (I'm not really sure how many echelons there are, I'm gonna say 3 or 4?) "The fourth years are like, the babies! Uh we're in first year? Ouhhhh my god yere like the zygotes!"

So I was naturally starry eyed from the get go. Jess warned me from the outset to be cool and not tell a particular story - naan bread Luke, if you remember me, I'm terribly ashamed of myself! The whole affair was held in the Shannon rowing clubs clubhouse, I'd never been there before, it's a gorgeous venue, if I knew my interior design I'd be able to elaborate so I'll just fob you off with old world style!

At one point we found ourselves perched over (and later draped over) a balcony protruding out over the river Shannon. It was an icy cold night and I repeatedly and loudly made the point that "this is JUST like that bit in the TITANIC!!"

Back inside there was a band and a d.j playing some (uhm.. contemporary? as in mixed with synths?) Jazz. I got my jive on like a girl who has been jiving for years but who has never in a relevant setting! .. Wait.. I was a girl who....

Another distinctively arty element was the garb, purple chord suits, ostrich feather waist length capes, velvet, a huge abundance of velvet! In my experience its so rare that people go all out and I lapped it up.

So the people were arty and knew how to party and goodtimes were had by all at the ball!

What happened after the ball however is a whole other tale in itself, I will give you three clues, a kimono, a concussion and the phrase "I buried Shep this day last year...."

Work it harder

Well I just spent an entire age writing about what I got upto yesterday for this blog but then I realised it was way more relevant to my actual blog-what-gets-graded, so copy and paste it went!
If you'd like to read the full backstory that explains these pictures then check out my project blog: http://urbanarmourproject.blogspot.com/

C'mon, you've got to be wondering whast going on there! That particular excercise was so much fun, even though I was terrified of someone seeing me on acount of the fact I looked like a raving ( in both the ranting and dacing sense) lunatic!

Just reading back over my previous posts and I noticed a dearth of pictures so prepare for pictures aplenty! I completely neglected to mention the fact that I have built my sonic crash helmet and my speaker goggles (I'm trying to come up with a better name for those, suggestions?)

 Just in case you can't see it, those are speakers mounted to either side of the helmet and to the front of my glasses! They come from these cheap little fold up speakers that you get in the 2 euro shop, they are so handy and I feel so savvy working with them because the result is so impressive!

My b.u.b (Big Ugly Bag, which is terrible, its not that ugly really, the name has just stuck!) is now like my utility belt, except far larger and cumbersome, I've never seen a utility belt that could take down an entire shop standie before! Its current contents (unusually orderly actually!):

Three watches, not one of them work!

In seasonal news they have just put up the christmas tree in the canteen and the reception, I can't wait to see what Christmas is like in LeSAD!

Ahhhhh!

As in a refreshed by a fizzy drink ahhh! Today I had a bracing walk into town to pick up some supplies for tomorrow. I'm still limping but no longer in defective human being way, more in a determined trooper way! So I was doggedly trekking into town on a day so cold the frost hadnt melted off peoples cars even at 4 in the afternoon, but it was so bright and clear I could barely see when I walked facing the sun. And of course I had my trusty mp3 player wth me, I bought new headphones in the 2euro shop last week and they have incredibly strong base considering how cheap they are! And so I passed a suprisingly pleasant afternoon ambling about listening to music in the freezing cold
The best part was as I came up to arthlunkard bridge on my way home and Favourite Food by Tokyo Police Club came on, I'm not very familiar with it yet and there is a magnificently uplifting sped up bit at the end, the kind that makes you change your pace, and I was at the top of the bridge and the sky was blue fading to gold and the air was nitrogen cold and in my bags I was carrying:
3 cans of neon spray paint -pink, yellow, orange
1 bottle of black ready mix paint
1 70ml bottle of tesco vodka
And I just felt so good, and so grateful. I don't know if I've earned this or am I just lucky but this evening it was so good to be alive.

Better, faster, stronger.

I'm back! The zest has returned! All is right with the world again!
It all started with the amazing mastermix of harder better faster stonger from daft punks 2007 Alive show, a masterpiece on its own this one combines elements from around the world, aerodynamic and television rules the nation with this pulse altering beat, my GOD it is pure sonic joy! Anyhow, I listened to it on repeat on my way to school on thurday and that just set me up for a day of victory!
I went to a print making workshop that morning and not only did I learn about monoprinting, I also finally discoved what exactly ska music is!
After lunch (which was a wholesome vegitarian bolognaise - goodtimes) I had my fist sign language lesson. Now this is a lifelong ambition fufilled right here, I've always wanted to learn sign language and I was not dissapointed by all its ingenius little nuances! Apparently once you get to know someone, you might give them their own unique gesture for their name, based on their appearance or their behavior. One of our tutors, Patricia Green has spiky red hair so her sign looks like pulling  points out from your head. This is so cool, I can't stop saying in my head how cool it is! Also we learnt how to order drinks, I know vodka and black, gin and tonic, and guiness (I have no idea what vodka and black is but I'll order it the first chance I get!).
The goodtimes rolled on upstairs when I cracked out my "best songs of 2001" compilation album and Kanye Wests "Late Registration. In our studio we have a c.d player cutousy of Kevin O Shae and I find it funny how old fashioned discs feel already! Anyhow many the good choon was banged out, Uncle Crackers follow me, Heaven is a halfpipe by OPM and of course teenage dirtbag by Wheatus.
The sunset shon in the window on my finnished chest piece and all was right with the world!

P.s one more cool thing? I have a friend called Steven who rides around the halls on a fold out scooter, does your school have that???

A knock to the ol' confidence...

I'm scared. The term is over in about 3 weeks (maybe two, maybe next week I honestly have no idea and no particular desire to find out), and I'm worried about my project. See they (they being the unknown judges and assessors who will be scrutinizing my efforts) aren't looking for one ultimate finished piece, rather a body of work that shows the development of your idea and how you explored its possibilities.
But last Friday I got a letter saying that from what they had seen in my progress review my work to date isn't of a pass standard, and this deeply upsets me!! I'm thinking if I'm not fit for art then what is to become of me!?? And so I'm confining myself to the studio from 9 till at least 6 from here till the end of term and running at the project all guns blazing (glue guns that is, ha-HA).
This is turning out to be more difficult then I though on a practical level, I am still hobbled from last Thursdays upgrade at Barringtons so I can't walk home at the end of the day, meaning I have to get a lift off my dad, which I can see causing headaches down the line. Staying in school so late also requires me to put fuel in my belly tank so I am eating dinner at school, and cold weather has sent me straight into the arms of  the carby comfort of pasta bake and chips! Also it has seriously shrunk my down time, as in for blogging and checking my facebook horoscope (CRUCIAL).
Still these are all minor sacrifices at the altar of  success! I must not, nay cannot fail!

Future!

Today was a particularly good day! This Thursday we had the open day for the three fine art subjects - Print, Painting and Sculpture, the three subjects gave presentations about what they do and whats they're all about. I was kinda sceptical about today because I'm so laser-focus on graphic design but today confirmed to me I think I'll be happy where ever they put me!

Gaze upon my lovliness



I think one of the defining differences between fine art and design (that's Fashion, Graphics and Ceramics) is that in design you are using your creativity to work out a solution or fulfil a brief, whereas in fine art it all comes from you and your own ideas. (Some people also might make comments about the employment prospects but hey, there are no jobs anywhere anymore!)

I love this -what is it?

Anyway I sat completely mesmerized through the print and sculpture lectures (I tried to go to painting but there was no room and I forgot to go to the second one on account of lunch!). We were all sitting down in the church gallery (for those who don't know, our gallery is in an ornate renovated church, my mind? It blows it!) As I was crouched down on the floor being bowled over by past students work two things hit me - First of all, from where I was kneeling, I felt like I was worshipping at the alter of ART, with all my fellow devotes around me!



 Second, a memory crossed my mind, when I was in 5th or 6th class, my class took a trip to that very gallery for an exhibition for school kids. I'll always remember it as the day that I finally understood the idea of representational art, by which I mean sending a message with an image that isn't directly related to the thing, there was a flower cart, a tower of textiles, and ten orange orbs that represented the red hand of ulster! It was the first time I was able to understand the artists intent, kind of an important moment for me!

In other news I had an operation today! I'm pretty embarrassed because I had a freak-attack when I was being anesthetized, it really hurts!!! But there's people out there getting shott and having babies and stuff who are keeping their cool so I spent the last few fleeting moments of consciousness apologizing to my surgeon and nurse! As I limped out of the hospital wounded deer style I caught sigh of this slice of  nasty from the pasty (nazty in the way my little cousin from Boston says it, like in a good way!)

The non-walkers of yesteryear knew how to roll

(big text for a big pun!).

THE IRONY

"Write in this notebook everyday or you will be condemned to a LIFE OF MEDIOCRITY". This is essentially the exact sentiment expressed on the cover of my friend Jess Caseys notebook for important notes and dates, it is also the sentiment that has given me the determination to sit my self down and write about the on going goings on Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD, or Le Sad as I am sure more people then just me call it).

And it's an ironic enough name y'know? Because Since I started in September I have been doped with euphoria 5 days a week!

From as far back as I can remember art has been my bag, you have sport kids and smart kids and so forth but art was my thing. From designing kites out of carrier bags to fly out my window at night to drawing the retrospectively questionable (but nonetheless well received) comic "Spankman" I've always been making and drawing and crafting crafty crafts (I'm not saying any of this stuff was noteworthy, but you can't fault my consistency!). In secondary school I got on bad terms with my new french teacher because on her first day I drew vines all over her seating plan, every school book I've ever owned is thoroughly tattooed in Biro drawings, I passed out after my craft exam during my leaving cert - I'M JUST THAT INTENSE! My point is, I'm at home when I'm making stuff and that's what first year in LSAD is all about.

This year they shook up the whole first year system, before it was like a portfolio course and they covered all the core areas - colour, texture, 3d and so on, and that's what I was expecting. This year however, they gave us a brief, a general idea and direction and - they let us off. Away. Freedom. Whatever our startled hearts desired. DRUNK WITH POTENTIAL AND HUNGOVER WITH DIZZYING FREEDOM!
The brief - Your relationship with your urban environment.

DING DING DING DING! I was onto a winner. I've lived in Limerick city my whole life, it's not the biggest city in the world but we have all the basics - street justice, yop drinkin knackers, river island, Holland and Barrett... everything! Plus I was big into what I can only describe as the gothy/emo scene from about 15 which involved hanging out in town and slinking around the city at every possible opportunity. So I feel pretty tuned in to the whole concept.

My desk, my starfleet command, my dojo

So at the moment I'm wrasslin' with the idea of urban armour, the things people do to protect themselves in the city, but I'm trying not to focus on things like carrying weapons, more like the clothes people wear or listening to music on their headphones and such. I'm a little bogged down by an absence of technical skill but I'm throwing myself at it like Brucie threw himself at that cake in Matilda (I love a good Brucie reference, he's like my spirit guide!)

YOU CAN DO IT BRUUUUCE

I do this Brucie throwing in studio four, which I share with about 27 other young creators. In all honesty I wanted to change my studio the first week I was there, I thought that maybe a studio with some mature students would be more intimidating and force me to bring my A game - No need, no need. The stuff my studiomates are coming out with is mind blowing - A full scale replica phone booth, Ghost plaster casts, knitted vines, photo real architectural studies, origami motherboard stars... Kanye West Jesus!? (If anyone from s4 is reading this and I haven't mentioned their stuff, I know your stuff, it scares me with its genius!!)

Plus we play block rocking music and sometimes the studio smells like weed! And I can't forget the studios resident cloud - Brian. Brian, I love you. Brian is an artist of remarkable skill with the attention span of  a chinchilla on speed, some memorable Brian moments so far have been when He said he didn't come to school because he now has 15 TV channels, when he said he didn't like anything unless it was sexy and when he wrote the word desire in white chocolate!

That's all I'll say for now. Art college makes me happy, like the kind of happy where its not too difficult to get up at 7 on an Arctic November morning to go to school, where an hour long lecture flies by and you actually want to hear more and where you walk around smiling for no particular reason. I've never felt like this before in my life, maybe that's why I'm so affected by it, but the reason matters not.

I am happy in LeSAD.