Happy New Year

The year of the OX, let up hope that it’s as prosperous as the horoscopes says.

Where I will choose to keep up with old friends and as well constantly be updated with the intimacies of new friends on Facebook, a site that I love to hate, of which every time I think to go off of I find yet another long lost friend that makes it all the reason to stay on.

It is however still a new year, and so there are new beginnings, which is also so much more ingrained with the start of a new school year

Since I can start my day over at any given point, I can as well start my year over, but alas, it’s the first day of Chinese New Year, and so I don't need to think about the fact that I've not blogged anything thought-provoking from the turn of 2008 to 9, I can simply say, Happy New Year now, as we enter into the year of the OX. I am starting refreshed. I'm interested in what I might find and document over the next 16 weeks of my new semester at school.

I am now in my 4^th semester of Graduate school, feeling secure in my choice of being at school, finally. And feeling like one needs refreshment every once in a while. A way to break out of the “norm”, or simply allowing one’s self to be as true to one’s self, more than ever before, as I feel has recently come upon me. Allowing myself to live as maybe I didn’t allow myself before.
Allowing myself, don’t know exactly what, life will transformations, mutations, developments, of they are waiting for me, I can tell. A refreshing change, with a twist of courage that has no bounds or limits.

So my beginning starts as I start about my work this semester, it hardly feels like work, as it’s everything I want to work on. Here I photographed the coveted corner that I wanted ever since I stepped foot in this studio a year and a half ago, (a life ago) before I moved in and after. I don’t know what the semester might bring to it, but I’m excited to see.

Navigating Life

The only way out is through; no.
A way out is through.
Away from limitations.

Who am I?

Not always the question I ask myself every morning, or even when people ask my name, but then, sometimes I surprise myself and I'm not quite sure I remember who I am. Or is it simply that I'm so different from who I was six months ago, a year ago and definitely two years ago that sometimes I can loose track, of myself.

I'm posting this photo, from the trip that essentially propelled me to make major changes in my, then, life. In this photo I got to wear a dress with styling from the 1850's that had Velcro up the back so that any one fortunate to see the fashion exhibit in an old church in Amsterdam could potentially fit into. This brings a perpetual question of mine, of recent, now that I've divorced myself from the fashion world I'm able to look at clothing for what it is (and not for what will be the next best seller in a store.) Clothing, cloth, covering makes us whomever we want to be. Sometimes the cover up is for the best, sometimes, depending on what I wear I can feel more like "me" or less like "me." The question of constant contemplation, of days recent.

I've surprised myself.
I'm still muddling through weather it's for good or not. And to think of the clothing I was wearing when I surprised myself. Was I wearing any at all, or was it just a dream? Today I don't feel like myself, It's cold and damp, it's raining, and I have millions of things to do, and so far little has been done, or tons, depending on one's point of view. But since we're talking about me, than I guess, not much as been done. Ah, but the day is but am embryo, so I must not make anymore haste and be off and start the day, no matter who I am, but just to remember that I'll become more me at the end of the day if I'm allowed to wear what I want and feel comfortable in it.

SeaFlect

Soon after we can see we are aware that we can also be seen. -John Berger

Initial sketches for "SeaFlect" a performance stool for Alexis Parsons, an improvisational jazz performer. It is to include delicately placed mirrors, facing inwards and some outwards as a representation on how much of Alexis gives in each performance. What she gives to the audience as well as what she keeps for herself will be symbolically designed into this stool, a work in progress. Some sketch models have been made in between the below pencil drawings and the college of marker loose drawings that is at the bottom of this post.

As the weeks progress I will be posting development, decisions, reactions and hopefully receiving comments from viewers.

Detaching, with Love

Thank you to all who came out to support me in my endeavor to detach from some of my beloved pieces. This was such an amazing experience. All of the feed-back from my work was amazing. I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who helped me:

• Caroline from Jan & Aya who so graciously curated my work into the beautiful presentation at her store. http://janandaya.blogspot.com/

• Patti and Joan for their initial support when the show was just a thought.

• John Hartmenn of Freecell for his initial inspiration from his show many years ago; How to make a Thousand. http://www.frcll.com/

• My cousin, Katherine Thompson, who is an amazing and successful artist herself, and thank you for taking photos of my show!

• Jordan Winnick who helped me make a website for my work in time for my show. http://jordanwinick.com/
• http://www.scullynewyork.com

• To David Gibbs who helped me with the last minute additions to the show http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/david_gibbs_wat.php

• To all of my friends that came and supported: Lys, Meridith, Beth, Christina, Heidi, Rob, Sam,Theresa, Emily, who I had not seen in 10 years!,and The Madan, Joel Wennerstrom (Even my drawing professor came!) and Terrin, hopefully reporting back to everyone at good 'ol AT! Christopher, Molly, and Rich McCullah, the amazing furniture designer: http://www.mccullahdesigns.com/

• To all my friends and family, I know that you were rooting for me too, so thank you as well!
  

Pieces become Whole

Blue Bag Project Part II

IMG_0685.JPG
Originally uploaded by alisonboring

Thank you to Alison Walsh took this splendid photo of my work at night. How attentive to the details of the skyline.
Thank you, look for more soon, you have inspired me to continue...