During class this week

During class this week I spent a good amount of time in Detroit. I explained my project in full to the girls teacher. As well as got suggestions on the project. Mrs.Locy asked if I could possibly create a conventional book of Denee's work so that she can use it as a portfolio at the end of the year now that she is graduating.
I also spent 2 hours working with Denee on her project creating interact drawings on fabric and black paper with silver sharpie markers. Including driving and talking with her teacher I was in Detroit for 5 hours this week.
I also started my final book for Kamari. I am going to create a tunnel book to turn drawings into 3-D pieces. I cut out all of the pieces to create the frame, background, and the bellows of the book. I also worked on cutting out the actual images to put in the piece which turned out to be a lot more time consuming then I originally planed. Overall it took about 6 hours to start the initial set up of this piece.

I learned that I need to be much more patient when cutting book board. I spent a lot more time touching up my poorly cut pieces of board then I should have if I had just took my time in the beginning. I also spent a lot of time having to reprint pictures to put in the book because the coloring wasn't the way I had hoped. I think I could have gotten a lot further on this book this week if I hadn't been so careless in my cutting.

By the end of next week I hope to be over 50% done with the first book. I also need to finish writing my rough draft. I will also go to Detroit this Tuesday and work with the girls. I'm hoping to start a clay project, either this Tuesday or Thursday. Will see how it goes. Hopefully the book part of my project starts coming together soon.

This week during class

In the last week I have come a long way with my ideas on how the books will come together for the final project. My plan as of now is to have between three and five books that work with the work the girls have been creating the past couple of months.

Book #1 tunnel book
my first idea is to create a book for Kamari that shows the stories that she tells in her pictures using a tunnel book to turn her 2-d pieces into 3-d books.

I can't find any of the tunnel books that I have created before but I thought I would use this one I found online to explain my idea

Another book that I have been thinking about creating is for April. She already loves working in 3-d and would really like to create a book that will hold/showcase her work. It would be more of a box then a book in itself but will tie together so that when you open it, it will apear as they are unwrapping a present. 

I am also thinking about creating a book for Denee, which will show off all of her detailed drawing work. I am not sure what this book is called but it is made with bookboard in ways so that you can open it in differnt ways to change the order of drawings. Their is an example up at the WSG gallery on main street, but I couldn't get a picture of it. The artist was named Alvey, who I believe works at Hollanders. My plan is to ask him what this book is called next Monday and see if he can show me a bit on how he created this book. It reminded me quiet a bit of a Jacobs latter from when I was a kid.


My plan for the rest of this week is to meet up with the girls in Detroit this Friday, and then continue working on the books in my free time and at Hollanders this Monday. I hope to have atleast one book done by next Friday.

Over the break and during this week

I had a great time working with the girls in Detroit over break. I got to see them preform in a show at Angel Hall, they were all very excited to see U of M. I also got to work with them the Friday before Christmas. Only two of the girls were there since it was a half day but we got to work on creating wreaths for the holidays, as well as christmas trees out of construction paper. 7 hours

I also met with Celebrities Against Autism, in which my friend Calvin donated Art Boxes to each one of the girls for Christmas. I'm excited to show the gifts to the girls.  1 hour

I also worked on planing out projects for the girls to work on when break is over as well as ideas for books that could showcase their work. I went out and got the supplies over break as well. 3 hours

I plan on doing a lot of work next week both on the books as well as working with the girls. I also got a book from the Ann Arbor library, its on their book club recommended list for this month. It's called On a Blue Day. The book is about a boy with Autistic Savants who is extraordinary at math. I'm really excited to read it over the semester.