Ride, Don't Walk

The Ride, Don't Walk activity provided me with a lot of insight as to what it's like to use a wheelchair, and the problems that come with it. Throughout the exercise, I continuously found myself grazing my knuckles on walls and getting a little too close to corners while turning around them. Bathrooms in Carpenter Hall, though they have a wheelchair stall, are very difficult to maneuver in, especially with other people present. I also noticed that the roll-under counter was a bit low for my legs, and that I would have to turn sideways for washing my hands in order to avoid scraping my knees on the underside of the counter.
Prior to this activity, I thought that the ADA code for ramps (1" rise for 12" of length) seemed fairly flat. While participating in it though, I could see why that was the maximum slope, as it was a bit challenging. While on the ground floor of Daggy, I quickly realized how dangerous it would be for someone in a wheelchair, as the ramp is about 6" of rise for every 12 inches of run (I rolled down it and ran into a wall).

I cannot say that I now fully understand what it is like to be in a wheelchair, especially within the relatively short period of time that I used one. However, I am now much more conscious of problematic designs, and the challenges that they may present to those who use wheelchairs. I would say that this activity was very beneficial to me as a beginning designer, and that it will have a lasting influence on my design choices.

The Personal Sense of "Home"

Ideally, home is a place of relaxation, comfort, and self expression. For some, this is signified by a building or a place or a specific memory. Upon reflecting where my home is, I realized that I consider many places my home. The clearest connection between all of them is that they are all spaces that I share with my extended family on my dad's side. Growing up, my house served as the hub for family gatherings, and year after year, Christmas and Easter celebrations would be held in our living room. These family get-togethers are the root of some of my favorite memories in the house.

While it might be logical that the house I grew up in (and the house that my dad and his siblings grew up in) would be what I most strongly associate with home, it's not. What I most frequently think of when I imagine home is the family lake cabin on Deer Lake, which is shared between my grandpa, my family, and my dad's siblings and their families. It's here at the lake that I first experienced the freedom to spend my time as I pleased. It's where I learned how to waterski, where I caught my first fish, and where I got countless splinters on our old wooden dock as a small child. More recently, it's where my dad taught me to drive the boat, and it was where I spent most of my free time this last summer.
Most importantly, though, our lake cabin has always been a place where I get to be with my family, who truly make it home.

Above is a selection from in-class sketches which depict my home. On the left is my house in Spokane, and on the right is my family's lake cabin at Deer Lake. Below is a photo of our lake cabin, taken from the end of the dock.

Summertime Internship

Yes, I managed to find a paid internship for the summer! For three months, I worked  for Paint In My Hair Boutique in Spokane, WA as their summertime painting intern. I learned an immense amount in my short time there, from using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (and the sprayer to apply it) to making furniture repairs. More often than not, I came home with paint on my clothes, on my arms and legs, and yes, even in my hair. Luckily, I don't mind getting messy, especially if I'm doing work I enjoy and am able to apply my creative skills.

I worked on many projects that have required lots of problem solving. I've built corner shelving units using bi-fold doors and pre-cut corner shelves, arranged little vignettes on the sales floor, and have had to find the best way to clean up dull, dirty, old brass knobs and pulls from drawers and cabinets.

    

In the far right photo (taken from the store's Facebook page), you can see the shelves from the far left photo. 

My favorite project, however, is probably a table and chair set that I did completely on my own without guidance for color or finish. Below are the before and after photos.

SKETCH NOTE MASTER POST

These four pages of sketch notes are some of my favorites from this semester. I find that the sketches are helpful and communicate the information in a fun, artistic way. Text is organized successfully, and the columns are clearly divided. While going through my sketch notes from the past semester, these four really stood out to me.

LETTERING MASTER POST

This post is an accumulation of the various lettering pieces I have done throughout the semester. Since beginning the lettering practices, I have noticed that my handwriting on blank paper has greatly improved, and that I write in much straighter lines. Throughout these eight assignments, I have developed a style that I find very readable. There is definitely room for improvement in the uniformity of my letters, but overall, I would find this project to be a success.

SKETCH MASTERPOST

SKETCH 1

This is a sketch containing the outlines of 5 people, done to practice the figures that would be put into technical drawings for showing scale. I rather dislike contour drawings, but didn't find this particular sketch to be too unbearable. If I were to do this project again, I would do these drawings in ink as opposed to pencil.

SKETCH 2 (link)

SKETCH 3

This sketch is a tessellation which combines the shapes of snake scales, pine cones, and honeycomb. I like the way that the shapes transition into one another, which was made possible by the shapes I chose. Were I to recreate the sketch, I think I would like to employ color or shading to add dimension and interest.

SKETCH 4

The purpose for this sketch was to practice shading techniques, specifically crosshatching. I've never been a fan of using crosshatching as a shading technique because I prefer to have well-blended shadows because they produce a more realistic look. I think that I would play with lighting if I were to attempt this sketch again, or possibly do it in ink, which would make crosshatching a more logical technique.

SKETCH 5

This sketch relies on negative space to create the chair's shape. I found this sketch rather enjoyable to create because it challenged me to look at the subject differently and really consider the manner in which it occupied its space. If I did this sketch again, I would probably use darker shading and harder edges to make the chair's outline more definite.

SKETCH 6

Doing this sketch was interesting, because it made me really think about the form of the chair and recognize the design that went into it. Were I to do this study again, I would not use such a loose technique to execute the drawings, but rather employ more solid lines, especially for the contour outlines.

SKETCH 7 (link)

SKETCH 8 (link)

TREE SKETCH

The point of this sketch was to practice my technique for drawing trees. The two trees in the upper-right side are trees I have practiced many times before, and the tree closest to the middle is very similar to them. I've never drawn trees very well, and when I found this technique, I was very pleased. I was very surprised with how the other trees turned out, because I haven't drawn them before. I like the abstract feel which is especially prominent in the tree in the lower-right portion of the page. If I did this sketch again, I would definitely practice drawing the bare tree (lower-left) some more.

SKETCH 9

This sketch is a one-point perspective my living room at home. In the sketch, I experimented with using the light source from the large windows to create strong contrast in the lower drawing. I struggled a bit with the proportions of the room, and next time I would definitely work from a photograph instead of my memory.

SKETCH 10

For this sketch, I used colored pencils on black paper to draw a latch on a box that I have. I think it turned out fairly realistically, which I was very happy about. I really like the colors which I chose, because I think they really help create a 3D look. One thing I would like to improve about this sketch, however, are the screws. I feel as if the detail could have been executed a little more accurately, especially with a sharper pencil. Other than that, I don't believe I would change anything else if I did this sketch again.

CORNER SKETCH

This is a 2-point perspective of a corner of one of the rooms in Honors Hall. The only struggles I really had with this sketch was with the desk, which I decided to add after I had shaded the walls and the floor behind it. While I'm less than satisfied with the desk, I am very pleased with the way everything else turned out. (Even the Avengers poster and the Star Wars calendar, even though they're done very lightly.) 

Were I to do this sketch again, I would add the desk in sooner and perhaps add some of the various books and other objects that are on it.