Inge Druckrey: Teaching to See

• You must have control of the negative area
• Move beyond what it is to what it's doing  -- What does it want? What is possible?
• As soon as you set the first elements down, you've put something in motion
• A good assignment guides students through a number of important experiences
• Each project needs to have a clear goal
• It is important to understand letters as motion; the written letter is a memory of motion
• The radical hand and the conservative eye are in an elegant conflict
• Geometric accuracy vs. Optical accuracy

Margo Chase: An artist's workspace

The first thing Ms. Chase points out to us about her office is the sign in front. It is evident that she values the character the sign adds with its aesthetics and its place in history. She explains that her workspace is eclectic and functional, "not too fancy." By keeping the space open, she encourages collaboration and idea exchange. There are no walls to hide behind. In fact, while giving her interview, we see her colleagues engaged in conversation behind her. From their smiles and relaxed body language, they seem at home in the space and with one another. A mural depicting the interstate with added fanciful characters is a point of pride. The idea developed quickly into a finished work of art, and I like how this large-as-life piece brings the outside inside.

It is interesting to note how Ms. Chase positions her workspace above so that she can see out over everything that's going on. Instead of being mixed in with the flow of the lower level, she takes a step back to survey the whole. There's no confusion about who's in charge. Plus, interruptions are less likely. "They have to climb the stairs if they want to bug me."

Take Aways: Doug Powell

Scale

Rhythm Balance

What I learned from Sean Kelley's lecture:

1. Know thyself.
2. Sourdough pizza crust is amazing.
3. Getting fired from your job can be liberating.
4. When you start your own business, you may begin by taking on projects that don’t pay very much…
5.  …but you can save money on groceries by starting a garden in the lot behind your studio.
6. Give clients a system they can expand on and run with.
7. Beer = food.
8. Know when to let things go.
9. Make connections with local businesses/artists and pass their info along.
10. Spell-check. More than once.
11. Marry someone smart.
12. Invest in pencils and keep your sketchbook handy.

Point Line Plane

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