WK 10 – Class Activity – Landscapes

When I first read about this week’s activity, I immediately began to think about the many interesting ways I could see myself dying. When I was younger, maybe about 10 years old, I would think about my ideal death. I would pass peacefully in my sleep. Quick and painless. Perhaps during a nice dream. Now that I am an adult (some of the time) I have been through more than I ever thought I would. I’ve lived through the deaths of two great grandparents, three grandpas, one close uncle, and my older brother. Age, health, freak accident. How will my life end? Perhaps it could be from self destruction. That’s what I wanted this picture to be about. Sometimes depression can consume you, just like alcohol does. It changes you; you’re ability to function properly. It hinders your ability think clearly and be productive. Alcoholism and depression have some similarities. They are both dark and destructive. Alcoholism is a form of self medication that brings you down. When you have depression, to get better you often need medication to get better. Or at least some sort of method for controlling or perhaps surviving it.

Anyways, I titled this photograph “Life of the Party.” I rate it irony/10.

WK 10 – Classmate Interview – Cynthia Carrera

This week I got to talk with the awesome Cynthia Carrera! Cynthia is a really nice person and super pleasant to talk with. She is a freshman and film major who was born and still lives in Long Beach. As we were discussing our hobbies, I found out that Cynthia likes to read manga, paint, and wants to make her own dark room to develop her photography. She is also a very competitive person! Soccer, football, and basketball are among the sports that both Cynthia and I have been involved in over the years.

 One awesome thing about Cynthia is her sense of humor. Right off the bat I could tell that she has an awesome creative and fun-loving side. I found out that Cynthia broke her right arm during a skipping competition. She was winning and then landed on her elbow. Ouch! She also likes to eat a lot and is an animal lover which is awesome. Cynthia has three cats and one dog. She also had turtles and birds but had to give them away because her mom was allergic to them. You may think that’s a lot of animals but I have her beat with 4 dogs and 4 cats after merging households with my grandma.

It was really nice getting to know Cynthia! We have a lot of common and I wish her all the best during her educational career at CSULB and her future!

Wk 9 – Artist Interview – Restart

These five pieces were my favorites of the Restart gallery. They were etherial, spiritual, and thought provoking. Each of these pieces reminded me of death and dying. The deconstruction of life and the existence of life beyond earthly death.

My favorite piece of the gallery was number 12, Broken and Beautiful by Coral Taluban. This “altered ceramic pot and glitter” kind of reminded me of myself. I began to wonder how Coral created the piece. Did she shatter the pottery? Did she smash it on the ground or maybe break it with a hammer? How did the destruction happen? That doesn’t really matter now because it is no longer a whole piece of pottery. It is damaged but damaged does not mean useless. I think that this piece is beautiful. It reminds me of my own destruction. How damaged I am and that I will never be able to get back to the person I was before I was damaged. That doesn’t mean I can’t still be good and useful. This piece and this gallery gives me hope.

WK 9 – Classmate Interview – Panos Getekian

Panos is a pretty interesting guy. He is a sophomore film major at CSULB and is from LA originally. His commute is pretty long but worth it. When it comes to his schooling and future career in film, Panos is focusing more on the directing and production management, as well as the business side of the film industry. He wants to work on smaller projects like commercials and wants to work for a big company that would guarantee business. He believes in taking big risks and working hard for something that he likes and can be his best at, which is very admirable.

Right now, Panos is working as a life guard at a public pool in LA. He has been there for three summers and is looking in to an open water lifeguarding job that could potentially pay $23/hr. At his current job, he makes about $16/hr and describes at as either working hard or hardly working. There is a lot of maintenance of the pools, taking care of cuts and injuries, yelling at kids if they run, and dealing with parents who can get crazy.

I’m wishing Panos all the luck in his present as a lifeguard and his future with film.

Wk 8 – Class Activity – ePortfolio

This week I decided to create a sticky page for my WordPress blog in which I feature an Etsy shop that I created in February 2013. The shop is called KineticKnitwork. I never did anything with the shop and I figured that this assignment was the perfect opportunity to finally get the ball rolling. All I ever did was have one of my graphic designer friends create a banner. I never used it until now and I think it looks great! I also never took pictures for my Etsy shop. I intended for my photographer friend to take some pictures for me but that never happened. I finally took time out to take some pictures of the remaining hats that I have because I often just give them away as random gifts or for holidays/birthdays. All I need to do now is start knitting again and to live up to the purpose I had created for my knitwork back in 2013.

Here’s the link to the sticky page/ wk 8 class activity: https://myhalll.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/kineticknitwork/#more-225

Here’s the link to my unfinished shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KineticKnitwork

My shop had this description:

What is the purpose of having a talent or skill if what that skill is producing is not intended for the benefit others? Knitting started as a personal hobby, but once I discovered the joy of giving my knitwork to others, I realized just how impacting this hobby of mine could be. With KineticKnitwork, I aspire to bring hope and comfort to the homeless and needy in my community and those surrounding. A portion of the sales I hope to make will go toward buying the supplies and toward the time it takes to make beanies for the homeless and needy. With KineticKnitwork I hope to always stay active in my community and to always inspire others in to taking action and creating the same motion in their own communities.

“Hide not your talents, they for use were made,
What’s a sundial in the shade?”
― Benjamin Franklin

KineticKnitwork

Wk 8 – Artist Interview – Kiyomi Fukui

I really enjoyed Kiyomi’s furniture piece this week. The look and feel of the piece resonated with my taste for old and antique wooden furniture, growth, nature, and the wonders of decomposition. I connected with her description of the piece and it’s explanation  because I once saved and nurtured a bird that my cat Tiger hunted down many years ago. I was about five years old when I noticed a couple of neighbors and their kids in my front yard were looking at my cat and standing around it. I saw that my cat had a bird in its mouth and wondered why my neighbors didn’t do anything. I quickly took actions in to my own hands, grabbed the cat by its neck (aka scruffing), and gently pulled the bird out of the cat’s mouth. I put the bird in a shoebox and took time to carefully cut ventelation holes in it. I asked my mom and she can’t remember if the bird survived or not. She does know that we tried out best.

Kiyomi’s daily ritual of paying respect to what has died with her scrap material is very interesting and respectable itself. Her work and ritual resonated with me because it is a bit morbid. People often try to not think about death, but when it has engulfed your life and when you have experienced the loss of some very important people and animals in your life it is important to find a way to embrace it. A way to make it your own and a way to not fear it so much as accept that it shall come for us all.

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Wk 7 – Classmate Interview – Chelien Nouchee Kue

Chelien is a freshman Nursing major. When I met her, I was observing the Introspection gallery. Chelien walked up to me and asked me what I thought about the work and she said she thought some of it was a little messy. I responded that maybe those pieces reflect the messy mind of the artist while she was creating the piece.

We talked a little bit about ART 110 and both agree that the format is not what we expected. She expressed a bit of disappointment because she was hoping it would be a bit more hands on. She told me that she likes to go up to people and ask them what they think about political and social situations, and what they think about the art that they are observing in the galleries. I found that interesting because it helps Cheilen gauge whether or not she will get along with someone right off the bat.

We also talked a bit about cellphone services and how sometimes you just need service that works while you’re at the beach even though the beach is not somewhere either of us frequent.

She said I looked tired and I explained that I am a senior and only taking this and one other class to graduate.

We talked about how she was named. Her dad was watching a Chinese movie and liked the main character and her name but didn’t know how to spell it. So he came up with Chelien. I told her it was better than having a very common name like Michelle, to which she responded that I look more like a Samantha. And by the way I was dressed, looked like I go by Sam. I told her I was dressed so sporty because after class I was going to the El Dorado nature center to walk two miles.

After I said good luck with the nursing major little freshman she laughed and said have a life.

WK 7 – Artist Interview – Kenita Hale

When I first walked in to the gallery containing Kenita Hale’s sculptures, I was amazed by the dark tent and walked around it to better observe it.I was a bit confused. Nobody was around and so I didn’t quite know where the entrance was. There was a bit of apprehension when I found the opening, which was obvious when I did find it, but I walked in and found some amazing work.

I really enjoyed the candles. They stood out to me the most at first. When I began to observe each individual piece, I felt like I was getting to know the performers of a circus. I liked that they each had their own card or item that pertained to their personality, such as the coors light bottle, or description card.

It made me think about spectacle and how strange it is that humans find pleasure and a bit of fright by observing the other. I wanted to get to know these people with their special attributes as people and not as entertainers. It made me think about how it might have been being them. I wondered if they were happy and content with the lives they lived being considered a freak. I admire this piece because it is celebrates these unique individuals. It shows that they really did matter and not just as performers, but as people with specific likes and dislikes.