Am I Crazy?

I almost named this post 'trimming is the hardest' but I thought it would have invoked some sort of thought pertaining to personal hygiene....

Anyway so Spring term ended and I had a break (3 weeks) to play and be stupid and instead I wound down my PCC classes to gear up for the summer, strictly Art Center at night. The issue with that being PCC and Art Center have about a month of class difference between May and June. So if I wanted to continue with PCC I would have had to put off Art Center until Mid June, whereas the ACN classes started up May 16th. I made the decision to finish the car project at PCC the week before Summer term started and then had a good 5 day break where I could sneak home and I did. It was good to see my parents, grandmother, and friends. I even tried to work for 4 days! I had the opportunity to drive the 2012 Civic down to Birmingham, AL. This being a couple of weeks following the Tornadoes in Tuscaloosa. Man it was crazy to see the here-and-there damage as I made my way south. I had to keep the windows closed because of the residual dust burning my eyes. Cicadas were out too, making their triumphant return to meeting the fronts of windshields everywhere in the south (eyeroll).

So on to the meat and potatoes, I am taking VisCom, Intermediate Transportation Design, and Transpor-tainment. Did that last one catch you? Yeah me too-Its a mix of Transportation Design and Entertainment Design. Without sugar coating it, its basically taking what the designers of video games do, and giving them a car project! I am very very eager about that, however its only an 8 week course so it wont start until the end of June.

Wait where did the month of May go?!?

The only lasting conflict that has been battling me has been time and time with friends. I feel the need to tell everyone to just chill and I will see them when I see them but honest to God I love working at school. I love socializing at school and leaving to get dinner and coming back. It must bee the productive feeling I get but I cant apologize for the work I feel has been good that I put up. I also WILL say that my classes so far look like an exciting challenge. I am wanting to dedicate myself to doing the best of my abilities and so far, I havent let myself down this year at all. Im proud to at least feel like I am growing up and maturing as this process moves forward. I am getting more nervous though about portfolio development. I want to ask all the right people for help in structuring it but I dont know how to ask without seeming like I just want to copy, which I dont want to do at all. I just want to be able to hit on all the key points and stand out in all the good areas and get accepted and move forward quickly.  A couple of my friends were accepted into the day program for the summer and its fun to see them put through the ringer but makes me understandably nervous as all hell when my number finally gets called. Soon I hope.

Allow me to dump pictures!

Wednesday.

So to catch you up, here is what is going on lately.  In the time that I have started ACN classes I have also begun doing more work at school as opposed to home. Why? I feel like I am able to get more accomplished when its on-site. I tend to decompress when I get home and want to unwind. The negative effects that has had have to be noted too, though. I have become messy! I started doing a hell of a lot more work at school so my time spent at home has become less and less. What started as 6 hours a day has turned into 12+ hours a day at school with breaks sprinkled here and there for dinner and the occasional conversations with others but I basically leave school-come home-shower-sleep-leave for school. Its a process that winners are made of I guess. I need to clean! Haha

Today is the last day at PCC before I have spring break here. Two classes left at ACN before I go on that almost-month long break 'til summer term.

I have 3 projects that I am currently working on, a How-to of sorts for my Adv. Rendering and two car projects that I am working on in the other two classes. Before, whenever I drew cars, I felt embarrassed or superiorly self-concious about drawing cars in front of others or them seeing what I was working on. Mainly because I surround myself with incredible talents that are, what feels like, miles ahead of me. However with the two car projects I am attacking all at once I can feel my confidence growing and my talent too. I am enthralled with the process of properly developing the form of a vehicle of sorts and attempting to forsee what a future within vehicles would be like. There is such a surge of technology out there that attempting to fit it within a car isnt actually too far out of the equation. 

A couple new concepts have come out too, the Lexus LF-Gh, the Audi Q3 and the BMW M5 Concept.

I want to address just a couple things about each.

The Lexus: Looks like a bad day. I dont like it I think its unfinished and decidedly un-lexus like. You might scoff and say that it could be the new design language Lexus is trying...well tell them to stop.

The Audi: PLEASE PLEASE tell me this is a joke. If I wanted a jacked up A3 with no more cargo space than the car and the slightest touch of agility, couldn't I just ask for an A3 Allroad?

The BMW M5: I beg and beg and beg for BMW to just look at the M5 line for the past 20 years and take a long hard look at where their 5 series and subsequent M brand is going. Is greater appeal sacrificing the M lineage or am I making this up? When people say AMG or even Audi S-line, you distinctively know that its business and speed. When I think of the new M5 and whatever it'll do, Im scared it is going to be a heavy car with a big engine....didnt GM try that?


I also went to a meet and greet/ discussion with the famous Syd Mead. He is quite possibly the most incredible artist I have met. I bought his book on the spot and he signed it. PLEASE take the time to research him if you have not.

Who is ready for Summer?!

Soaking in the moment.

I just signed up for Summer term Art Center at Night.

Gonna get my portfolio together tomorrow to submit for scholarship info!!

wish me luck :)

In The mean time, enjoy some pictures my best friend and I took up and around Pasadena in the middle of the night. Should give you an idea of what artists do at night when they arent drawing :)

Oh and the first picture of me is now up, because as an designer-I have to get my face out there.

Work from these past few weeks going up soon!

So Delerious

Art Center At Night Vs. PCC

One thing I have noted since starting the ACN program is the uninformed body of students that are unaware completely of the offerings of the PCC art program. To no fault of their own Art Center doesnt really advertise for the school but allow me to do so and also catch up for this past month.

Why should someone consider Pasadena City College if their skill level is appropriate enough for the Art Center at Night programs?

Simple. The Price.

A few things dawned on me in the past month and that is I should have started the ACN program last summer. Why? Because I could potentially be taking Art Center day program classes already. I have been dragging the whole thing out I guess out of fear of the unknown. ( I preach to take chances and be ballsy, and yet I didnt practice that very message in this case, oops)
       I feel good and happy about having taken all 13 classes at pcc and I saved a little bit of coin in the process too. I say that because where I paid 3-400 per class (including out of state tuition) I was paying almost double when I signed up for ACN and will be doing the same here in about two-weeks when the deadline for signups regarding summer courses comes. I am also applying for scholarships too, wish me luck on that.

Why should someone consider Art Center at Night programs and not PCC first?

Skill level. Price not being an issue.

I mentioned kicking myself for not just going ahead and doing ACN classes last summer and I say that because my skill level at the time was good enough for the work that I was putting out then and I feel now that it has plateau'ed since about august last year-marginally at least. My technical skills are doing alot better and I am more informed when it comes to project planning and conceptualization. If youre good youre good though, you know?

I had to do a project in my ACN class and it consisted of a Backpack Cooker. I chose Land Rover as my brand and the concept was to have a backpack like product that you could carry and expand-cook in-and it be a smart appliance and utilize battery power. Set for year 2035. Fancy huh? I have to do a bit of narrowing down of the panels I created for it but the information is there. Fine tuning :)

Other projects that I am doing in my PCC classes are a flashlight and a Cologne and perfume bottle. gag.
Its awful and uninspiring. I feel like the instructors (whom I have had before as you have read in the past) are just either uninterested in the classes or just bored in general. It makes for an unnecessarily boring class experience. Needless to say I am floating along in those classes, ready to have nothing but Night program classes ALL summer long and have my portfolio ready to go for submission for Spring 2012!!!!!!

It seems so far but let me reassure you, it will be here before you know it. Dont blink.

I promise you this is the last time I will be promising you to more frequently update!

I almost feel like creating another post on the things I have learned lately but I shall pace myself!!

Spring Projects, Spring at Art Center, Springing into action!

So here I sit, 3rd night, really attempting to find my limits. I realized that I needed to stop being a dumbass and just try. I know that sounds a touch cliche, but it comes down to just wanting it more and working harder to provide goals that others (those who instruct) set for you.  I am taking my first Art Center at Night class called Intro to Product and Transportation, and its nothing short of amazing. I have needed an experience like this since last August. A sort of removal and replacement of yourself, you know?

If at all I dont make sense I will try to clarify as best I can while I write so don't stop reading just yet.

Outside of my AC at night class, you should know that I have opted to retake my Adv. Rendering and Adv. Product classes to set myself back straight and do right like I had intended in the first place. With these classes its sort of a 'conquer all' attitude that I am having to do and placing my social life on the back burner until further notice. If I dont, I will fail. Not only myself but the bigger picture, I feel. I have said before that working hard toward a goal is something that you should do no matter what, and it feels solid to be practicing what I preach, you know?

I do have to say, also, that to the 5 readers I feel that I may have at one moment or another....thank you. Ranting and bitching can be hard to read especially if you can fully understand it at times but I really want to do good and work hard and having to edit or censor myself regarding struggles with work or progress is not something I want to do. This isnt easy and you should know that, no less I think it should only make you realize goals are not easy, but they can be made less painful if you strategize, and work to place yourself in the right place at the right time.

This next week is the official first full week of PCC classes too with the rendering and product advanced design, Im hoping to find that perfect balance.

Current Project-Im creating for my ACN class a backpack like product that can cook or refrigerate your travel foods that is part of the new Land Rover Product line I am developing.

posts on that coming soon.

Creating A Year. One Month At A Time.

Amidst my car fixing itself and me starting classes and them turning out to be AMAZING. Not much has happened. I have started working out with my goal of burning 600+ calories a day exercising and getting into shape for spring!

Updates to come soon*

Enjoy the pictures!