Atelier Update + Incredibly Super Belated Halloween Post

Wait, it's December already? When did this happen?

 Atelier went amazingly well. It was a bit stressful, true, but nothing major went wrong. I was very lucky to have some awesome people to model for me at the last minute. When I do another wearable art show, I'll have to remember to have my models lined up months and months in advance.

Here's a photo one of my classmates took (or found to give to me) of my second piece at Art Central.

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 In other news, I haven't shown off my Halloween costumes on here yet. Halloween, of course, is my absolute favourite holiday. This year I decided to be incredibly ambitious and make two costumes: one for a party, and the other for a drag show.

Here's a sketch. I drew it after spending hours drawing fashion figures, which is why the legs are so long and deformed.

I'd never made digitigrade legs before, with the padding to simulate a leg that bends the opposite way to our own, the way that certain animals' legs do. It was an exciting challenge - exactly how I like my Halloween costumes. *grins* The costumes turned out great. There are a couple things that I need to fix - there's a slight gap between the pant leg and the shoes where the fabric doesn't go down far enough, but for my first attempt at making something like this, I'm pretty darn proud of myself. And I ended up winning a costume contest, too, which was awesome.

Both the above photos were taken by the lovely Cheri. And here is the werewolf costume in action, because costumes in action are always more exciting.

Costumes and Wearable Art

I was fortunate enough to see Glenbow Museum's exhibit of movie costumes last September. I went with Cheri Pintrix, from the Vintage Lesbian Project, and it was quite a nice show. I expected it to be a bit larger - it was only one room, with the costumes on manequins all around the edges and a few in the middle. But still, it was impressive to be able to see the costumes close up, and in detail, which you can never do in movies. The research and attention to detail in these garments was really quite impressive, including the undergarments which you never actually see in the movies at all.

The only other issue I had with it - other than the small size of the show - was that I wasn't allowed to touch anything. I really had to hold myself back! I'm terrible in museums that way. I want to touch everything.

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In more exiting news, the wearable art class that I'm a part of is putting on a show! It's called Atelier, after the French word for 'workshop,' and is happening this Thursday at Art Central in Calgary. Did I mention it's free? It is. We've been working like crazy making really amazing pieces of wearable art for the show, and I'm super excited.

I'm also going to be on Breakfast TV this Tuesday promoting the show. Eep! I've never been on tv before, so it should be an exciting experience! I shall do my best to write more about that after it happens. Hopefully I don't get too nervous and make a fool of myself. *crosses fingers*

More Summer Projects

Before I start being overwhelmed with schoolwork, here are some photos of more projects I did this summer. 

I think I've finally have an inkling of what I'd like to do after I finish college in two years. I realized recently that what I truly love to do is make costumes. So I'm going to run with that and see where it can take me. Perhaps I can get an internship with one of the local theatres during my fourth (and final!) year. I'm taking the wearable art course at my college, which is the only fashion/garment focused class in the whole school. It's going to be awesome, but very challenging. We're having at least two shows, and one of them people are paying over a hundred dollars to see it. No pressure! And there will be a lot of work about networking and self-promotion. I'm really excited, but a little scared.

Still, I'm really happy school has started again. It's going to be an awesome year.

summer sketches

I'm trying to keep my creative juices flowing, which is difficult in the middle of summer vacation. My current goal is to draw, or do something creative, every day. I'm hoping this will help me stop being hung up on needing to make Good Art, or come up with Good Ideas. The process itself gives its own satisfaction.

over the pond

I just got back from a two-week trip to London. It was amazing. This was my first major trip by myself, and there's something rather exciting about being able to explore a strange city by oneself. Particularly one as exciting as London. I did spend quite a bit of time with the lovely Kait, who toured me around and either showed me or sent me to all the quirky, exciting neighbourhoods. But most of the time I was pretty much self-directed.



I saw a lot of museums and galleries. It helps that most of them were free - or by donation - and I didn't have much in the way of spending money. But I also wanted to see bits of art and culture that I don't really have access to here in Canada. To see the paintings and sculptures that I'd learned so much about in school but never had the opportunity to appreciate in real life. If you only know one thing about art, know this: no matter how great a picture is, it never can compare to the original.



London was amazing. It also was overcrowded, cramped and dirty. I'm glad to be home. But I would so go back again if I could.

It's raining jellyfish! Hallelujah!

Wow, it's been a while. Life's been ridiculously busy. Two more weeks until the end of term! It's been crazy. I don't think I'll try doing four classes in a semester again. I've been a slave to my to-do list since January.



Still, I've gotten some interesting things done. We did some work in Photoshop in my weaving class. Which seems rather bizarre to me. I'm sure some of the traditional weaving techniques we use haven't changed much in a couple hundred years. Still, the department ordered a jacquard loom, which is one that can weave images from digital files. Our class learned to use the software, so that when it actually arrives we can be the guinea pigs and see how it all works.



I must admit, making ridiculous images in Photoshop is really fun. This coming from someone who occasionally wonders if society would be better if the computer had stopped at the loom. *grins*



These are some of the images I did. I kind of love the jellyfish one.

2010

I supposed I shouldn't start the new year without recapping what happened last year. And showing off the pieces that almost no-one has seen.

This was the year that I started defining the direction I wanted my practice to go, and the year I created some of my more powerful gender-themed pieces. Sometimes I still have troubles telling myself that others will be interested in the very autobiographical works that I create when exploring the ideas of gender and identity, but every time I bring such a piece into a critique it creates a lot of discussion. I've spent so long thinking about gender that I have to remind myself that what seems obvious to me is new ideas for other people.

I've started wondering what I'm going to do after I graduate. It doesn't seem so far away now, although it'll probably be another year or so. Time seems to be going by faster and faster, and I want to start preparing myself for what comes after. Life doesn't end at graduation. I need to have plans. I've been throwing ideas around, but nothing is definite. Do I want to get my masters? Start my own business? Go into fashion? I'm not too worried yet. I know that if I keep the questions at the back of my mind, in time the answer will become clear.

I'm excited to start another term at school, and to see what the new year will bring.