Final Project : (Re) collection of Objects: A Biographical-Toy

Reaction Paper:
               When we first got this assignment, I started to brainstorm different ideas about toys I would have enjoyed as a child. I thought of a dollhouse, but i didn't think I would have enough materials to make one that I really liked. I thought of materials I had around to recycle, and I remembered the leftover fabric from the portfolio case I made for my final design project last semester. With the extra fabric in mind, I decided I would make a stuffed animal dog. Since before kindergarten, I always wanted a dog. I would negotiate with my father for hours but he never got my brother and I the puppy we wanted. My stuffed animals were some of my favorite toys when I was little since they were cuddly and cute and I really wanted a pet. I decided to use the durable fabric because I imagined this toy dog as the dog I never had and I would it take with me everywhere, so it would probably wear out quickly if it was weaker fabric. The dog has a leopard print scarf with rhinestones on it to dress her up since I have always been a girlie-girl. I used the rhinestones from my senior year dance competitions for the eyes and nose to dress her up more and to add a personal touch since dance has always been a part of my life as well.
                The first thing I did was I found a little stuffed dog that I had in my room to use as a model for my design. Then I sketched out the shapes of fabric that I would cut out. After that I laid out fabric and drew out the main body piece on it. I cut that piece out then proceeded to draw and cut out the underside of the dog. Then I pinned and sewed these pieces together. After that was all sewed, I cut out the chest/neck/chin piece and sewed it on. At this point I tried to flip the dog inside out so the seams wouldn't show, but the legs were very skinny and as I tried to turn them inside out the seams were tearing. I decided to leave them on the outside and just clean them up instead. After that I pinned on the tail, stuffed the dog, and sewed up its back end. Then I made the ears and attached them. Once that was complete, I made the scarf, glued on the eyes and nose, cleaned up the seams, put fray check on all of the seams, then my pretty little puppy was complete.
                I learned a lot from making this final project. It was a very personal project since my inspiration came completely from my childhood, my life experiences, and things that are important to me. It was challenging since I had to change my plan a few times when things didn't go as planned, like the seams lining up and turning the dog inside out so the seams wouldn't show. Overall, I like my project a lot, I think it is cute and the seams on the outside make it look more homemade and loved.

Project 3: Polyhedral Structures

Phase A: Polyhedral Masks

When I began this project, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I decided I would do a half mask, but then I had to build it up to make it the right scale for the assignment. I experimented with different polyhedrals to decide which would be the best to make the structure. I knew that I wanted it to be decorative, so I had planned for it to have many stars and pyramids for decoration. Figuring out what would be strong enough to hold all of my details was a challenge. I decided to use a bottle. When I cut off the top of the bottle, it kind of looked like a bird. Another polyhedral I had made looked like eyes. The tall triangles that I had planned to use to build up my decorative mask kind of looked like feathers. I decided to go with this new design idea and came up with a crazy looking bird mask. I used subtle colors for the feathers so that the eyes and beak would stand out. I am really pleased with the outcome of this design even though my idea completely changed during the construction process.

Phase B:  Polyhedral Wall Structures

When I began this phase, I wanted to incorporate stars into my design. I found a star polyhedral that I liked, but I decided I wanted to use a polyhedral that was more vertical too. As I searched the website, I found the twisted decagonal prism, which I originally planned to combine with the star polyhedral, but then I decided that for a wall I would prefer a more simple looking structure. I decided to use the twisted decagonal prisms alone and alternate with negative space because I liked the simple symmetry it created and I felt that this design would work well in a very large scale in a hall or museum with very tall ceilings. Even though the design appears very simple, the many folds and cuts give it subtle details that cast many shadows and make this design very interesting to look at. I chose the colors I did because pink and green are my favorite colors. I used them in pastel because I planned for my design to be in such a large scale that bright colors would be too chaotic/overwhelming and that is not the response that I want the viewers to get from the design.

Project 2: Serial Planes Studies

Phase A: Altered Books

Phase B: Foam Care 3D Constructions

Reaction Paper:
          I had very different experiences while creating both phases of this project. When I started the altered books assignment, I brainstormed my ideas and decided how to go about making each part of my sculpture before I began. I had to really think and plan ahead because I only had one book to use. While creating this first phase, I felt like I was pulling my sculpture out of the book as opposed to building it from a pile of materials. The paper in my book was very thin, so it tore easily but I was also able to curl it nicely to make the organic and dynamic shapes that I desired. Since the paper was so thin, I was also able to cut pieces and fold them into origami flowers. This phase was a very interesting experience and I very much enjoyed this part of the project.
          Completing the second phase of the project was a much different experience. I wasn't sure what I wanted to make, so I spent a lot of time thinking. I decided I wanted to make flowers my focal point since those sort of got lost in my altered books design. Then I looked through magazines and on the internet and was inspired by some of the images I found to create the other shapes in my design. I was able to use scrap pieces to make a sketch model for this phase of the assignment. This was helpful because I felt like I got more practice and had a better idea of how to go about the assignment before I began. Working with the foam core was a lot different than working with the books because the book pages were a lot easier to fold, curl, and cut. I did find a good method of folding the foam core to achieve the shapes I desired, and also a unique texture that added interest to my design. I enjoyed this phase of the project and I was very pleased with my final product.
           I really enjoyed both phases of this project. Working with planes was really cool because I found it very interesting how many different ways we can make a two dimensional object into a three dimensional structure. Seeing all the different approaches to the assignment was really interesting. I also enjoyed the different ways in which my classmates incorporated negative space. Whether they curled the paper, cut out holes and spaces, or added structures between planes to create space, everybody's project was very unique and interesting. I liked working with the two different materials because it is good practice. When working with different materials for a similar assignment, we learn the best ways to deal with them and we learn to use each material to its full potential. I learned a lot from this project and I am very happy with the way both of my phases turned out.