Hello everyone!
On these rainy summer days I've been spending more time on the Internet. Here are two websites that are getting a lot of viewing time from me lately.
http://www.designspongeonline.com/
Now that I have a place of my very own (temporarily at least) I've been looking for ways to make it cute, cheery and contemporary. Design sponge was recommended to me by a friend who was also doing some living space renovations and now I'm a bit of an addict. Even though I probably won't be doing any major makeover to my new apartment, its still fun to think about. Also, this blog has business advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs which is both helpful and inspiring.
http://www.klimt02.net/
This website is a classic one for me. Featuring jewelry artists from across the globe, klimt02 is always a good source for inspiration. Its a great way to keep up-to-date with new art jewelry that is being made and I also think that it would be a great way for any prospective student interested in JAM to see the potential of art jewelry.
Until next time,
Gitta
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
photo update
Hello everyone!
So I said that I would keep you all up dated on my possible commission for the July bride so here it is! I met with her on Saturday and it went really well! She is a super nice woman and I'm happy to be working with her. She ordered 8 fabric flowers for her hair. We're going materials shopping tomorrow and I will post so me photos of the final project when they're completed. Her wedding is in less than two weeks so that will be pretty soon!
Other than that there's not too much else exciting going on. My classes are winding up quickly. Tuesday is the last day to work in wet clay before the end of the session (they do this so that there is ample time to fire and glaze the projects.) For my final project I'm making a cup and saucer set. I'd never thrown a plate(saucer) before so I ended up making that set twice because my first set were thrown too thinly.
That's all that's new. I finally found the cord that connects my camera to my computer so I'll give you a photo update on what was happening in the last few weeks. (I brought my camera to the ceramics studio to give you a taste of what I've been up to in there but the only photo I was able to take before my battery died was the one of my failed saucers.) I'm also going to add some random photos from my last few weeks abroad.
My mom, my sister and me on my sister's graduation day from Cornell.
People of all ages came to admire the beautiful ceramic work at the Carved Vase Contest at Clayscapes.
A stack of my unfortunate, too-thin saucers.
Me and my Italian family.
At the top of the beautiful cathedral in Milano.
The bluest natural water I've ever seen in Blue Grotto on the Island of Capri.
Cheery umbrellas-also on Capri.
Florence by night.
Until next time,
Gitta
Monday, June 14, 2010
Summer's Flying By
I have been keeping myself very busy since my last posts. The usual class and work plus a few extras have been making my days jam packed. But that's the way I like it. I guess the best way to fill you all in with what I've been doing is to go in chronological order.
Through my ceramics class I found out about an opening for a exhibit of carved ceramic vases held on June 4th. It was a display of vases submitted to the Carved Vase Contest. This contest was juried competition in honor of the 100th anniversary of the completion of Adelaide Alsop Robineau's Scarab Vase, an elaborately carved vase at the Everson Museum. The exhibit was held at Clayscapes Pottery Inc. in their gallery space. There were many amazing vases, some for sale and other not, and with my new found understanding of thrown pottery I was able to better understand the process of making the vases and enjoy them more thoroughly. Also, while I was at Clayscapes, I popped into their store and bought myself a new rubber rib for my class. (I love buying new tools and Clayscapes gives a student discount!)
This past Wednesday I moved into a new apartment. Its a bit farther away from campus but the apartment has plenty of space my new street is full of life (with a mix of student apartments and family homes) making the extra bit of walk fully worth it. And right now everybody's gardens are in bloom so the walk is a pleasant one.
On Friday as I was walking to work through the Quad, I found myself amidst a festival. There was a farmers market with vendors of food, jewelry, plants (I bought some herbs for my kitchen), and more. There was also a strawberry festival going on that sold various strawberry goodies. I also gave a tour of the Shaffer Art building to a prospective student. So if any of you visit Syracuse this summer I might be your tour guide-who knows?
On Saturday my mom drove from PA to visit my new apartment. After an inspection of the place her approval was earned. Then we grabbed a bite to eat from Tully's, a restaurant on Erie Boulevard, and then we did some grocery shopping at Wegmans.
Coming up this week, I have a meeting with a woman whom I met in December at a crafts fair in which I participated. She liked my jewelry and was interested in custom ordering some as bridesmaids gifts for her July wedding. I'm so happy that we managed to stay in touch while I was abroad and that she's still interested because having my jewelry in a wedding would be a great opportunity. I'm a bit nervous for this meeting so wish me luck!
Both of my classes are going really well. In my ceramics class we are learning about glazing, working on making larger objects and planning for our final projects. (I can't believe how quickly the session is progressing.) I finally fired my first glass project and it came out beautifully and I couldn't be happier.
In the move to the new apartment I have lost my memory card reader so I can't post any photos yet. But as soon as I find it I will upload photos to accompany this post.
Until next time,
Gitta
Through my ceramics class I found out about an opening for a exhibit of carved ceramic vases held on June 4th. It was a display of vases submitted to the Carved Vase Contest. This contest was juried competition in honor of the 100th anniversary of the completion of Adelaide Alsop Robineau's Scarab Vase, an elaborately carved vase at the Everson Museum. The exhibit was held at Clayscapes Pottery Inc. in their gallery space. There were many amazing vases, some for sale and other not, and with my new found understanding of thrown pottery I was able to better understand the process of making the vases and enjoy them more thoroughly. Also, while I was at Clayscapes, I popped into their store and bought myself a new rubber rib for my class. (I love buying new tools and Clayscapes gives a student discount!)
This past Wednesday I moved into a new apartment. Its a bit farther away from campus but the apartment has plenty of space my new street is full of life (with a mix of student apartments and family homes) making the extra bit of walk fully worth it. And right now everybody's gardens are in bloom so the walk is a pleasant one.
On Friday as I was walking to work through the Quad, I found myself amidst a festival. There was a farmers market with vendors of food, jewelry, plants (I bought some herbs for my kitchen), and more. There was also a strawberry festival going on that sold various strawberry goodies. I also gave a tour of the Shaffer Art building to a prospective student. So if any of you visit Syracuse this summer I might be your tour guide-who knows?
On Saturday my mom drove from PA to visit my new apartment. After an inspection of the place her approval was earned. Then we grabbed a bite to eat from Tully's, a restaurant on Erie Boulevard, and then we did some grocery shopping at Wegmans.
Coming up this week, I have a meeting with a woman whom I met in December at a crafts fair in which I participated. She liked my jewelry and was interested in custom ordering some as bridesmaids gifts for her July wedding. I'm so happy that we managed to stay in touch while I was abroad and that she's still interested because having my jewelry in a wedding would be a great opportunity. I'm a bit nervous for this meeting so wish me luck!
Both of my classes are going really well. In my ceramics class we are learning about glazing, working on making larger objects and planning for our final projects. (I can't believe how quickly the session is progressing.) I finally fired my first glass project and it came out beautifully and I couldn't be happier.
In the move to the new apartment I have lost my memory card reader so I can't post any photos yet. But as soon as I find it I will upload photos to accompany this post.
Until next time,
Gitta
Monday, June 7, 2010
Cornell graduation and other things
This weekend my sister graduated from Cornell University with a graduate degree in Biomedical Engineering- Go Kirsten!! (Although we're similar in many ways, our areas of study are as different as night and day, but that's part of what makes us such great friends I guess.) So Friday my mom drove to Syracuse to pick me up, after putting in a few hours in the ceramics studio of course, to spend the weekend with Kirsten. It was a beautiful weekend in Ithaca (although extra busy with graduates and their families.) The ceremony on Sunday was lovely (although I wish I would have put on a little more sunscreen-ouch!) and it was great to finally meet all of my sister's friends and classmates whom I have heard so much about. On Monday, driving away from Cornell, I felt really sad to be leaving the campus knowing that I'll never go back to visit Kirsten there again. The drive from Syracuse to Ithaca is just under an hour and it has been so fantastic to have my sister so close (she also earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell) and was actually one of the reasons why I choose SU. Although shes no longer at CU shes not moving far. She landed a job in NYC which will also be a really fun place to visit her.
So far this summer the most time consuming thing has been my ceramics class. I've put in time at the studio almost every day and although its a bit tiring (clay can be tough to move around sometimes) the hard work is beginning to pay off. My cups are becoming more even, thinner, taller, and I'm beginning to be able to control the shape that I'm making a bit. This week we've advanced from straight cylindrical cups to mugs with handles-I'm learning that there are a lot of elements (both aesthetic and functional) that need to be taken into consideration when adding a handle to a mug. For Thursday's class we have to have eight mugs completed which is somewhat of an overwhelming amount of work for a beginner to produce in one day. Despite being a lot of work, its also a really fun and laid-back class. After Tuesday's class my professor-a graduate student- fired up a grill outside of the studio and we had a little cookout (eating and drinking off of hand made plates and cups of course). It's little events like this that make VPA a strong community and such a fun place to be.
Some other things that have been weighing on my mind:
It's funny but talking to the prospective students who come into the admissions office makes me realize how full circle I've come. Not only can I imagine 3 years ago when I was in their shoes-thinking about the future, applying to universities, nervously awaiting their responses-I'm in that same situation again. As my senior year rapidly approaches I'm trying to map out the future which is incredibly difficult and tremendously scary. As of right now I am unsure of what life after graduation holds-not because options are scarce, rather because there are too many directions that I could go. Should I continue my education (where), should I work (where and for whom), should I try and contact an artist in the field for some sort of apprenticeship (again where, for whom and how?). In order to figure this all out I need to develop more pieces for my portfolio, shoot photographs for a portfolio, write a resume and artists statement, work on applications, search the web for job opportunities, and so many other things that I'm sure I'm forgetting at this point. It's an overwhelming list of things to do but I'm sure with hard work and guidance from the professors whom I'm closest to I'll be able to complete it all and make the decisions that are right for my future.
Until next time
Gitta
So far this summer the most time consuming thing has been my ceramics class. I've put in time at the studio almost every day and although its a bit tiring (clay can be tough to move around sometimes) the hard work is beginning to pay off. My cups are becoming more even, thinner, taller, and I'm beginning to be able to control the shape that I'm making a bit. This week we've advanced from straight cylindrical cups to mugs with handles-I'm learning that there are a lot of elements (both aesthetic and functional) that need to be taken into consideration when adding a handle to a mug. For Thursday's class we have to have eight mugs completed which is somewhat of an overwhelming amount of work for a beginner to produce in one day. Despite being a lot of work, its also a really fun and laid-back class. After Tuesday's class my professor-a graduate student- fired up a grill outside of the studio and we had a little cookout (eating and drinking off of hand made plates and cups of course). It's little events like this that make VPA a strong community and such a fun place to be.
Some other things that have been weighing on my mind:
It's funny but talking to the prospective students who come into the admissions office makes me realize how full circle I've come. Not only can I imagine 3 years ago when I was in their shoes-thinking about the future, applying to universities, nervously awaiting their responses-I'm in that same situation again. As my senior year rapidly approaches I'm trying to map out the future which is incredibly difficult and tremendously scary. As of right now I am unsure of what life after graduation holds-not because options are scarce, rather because there are too many directions that I could go. Should I continue my education (where), should I work (where and for whom), should I try and contact an artist in the field for some sort of apprenticeship (again where, for whom and how?). In order to figure this all out I need to develop more pieces for my portfolio, shoot photographs for a portfolio, write a resume and artists statement, work on applications, search the web for job opportunities, and so many other things that I'm sure I'm forgetting at this point. It's an overwhelming list of things to do but I'm sure with hard work and guidance from the professors whom I'm closest to I'll be able to complete it all and make the decisions that are right for my future.
Until next time
Gitta
Back at the 'Cuse
Ciao a tutti!
After a semester-long hiatus from my blog I'm back in Syracuse and ready to blog my little heart out. I have so much to catch up on because... about a week and a half ago I returned from a four month long study abroad adventure in Florence, Italy! My semester abroad was really a life-changing time and I can't wait to share my experience with everyone.
Although my heart is breaking because I'm no longer in Firenze, all hope is not lost. For the first time I am spending the summer at Syracuse.
My plan for this blog in the next few months is to report the weekly happenings of Syracuse in the summer and supplement it with tales from abroad.
To begin: My First Week of Summer in Syracuse
I moved in on Sunday and will be staying here until next May. While its strange to be in Syracuse without my usual group of friends, the first few days here have been great so far. I'm temporarily subletting a room from a friend until the lease begins on my apartment begins in the beginning of June. Where I'm currently staying is a really big house which is great because I have a lot of roommates and consequently a lot of new friends. (Whats not so great is my attic bedroom which, despite the cold, cold Syracuse winters, is blistering hot in the heat and humidity of Syracuse's late May weather.)
I'm taking classes in the first 6- week Summer Session. Syracuse offers a glass fusing class that I have been trying to take since my first semester freshman year when I had a foundations class with the professor who teaches it Carmel Nicoletti. However, whenever I had time to fit it into my schedule, the class was either not offered that semester or it had been filled by the time I got to register for classes. Not this summer however. University College is offering it this summer and I am so happy to finally be able to attend. The class meets twice a week (Mo&W) from 6-9 pm at the Comart building. It is a class of mixed age and skill level which offers a lot of different opinions and point of views. (This is always the type of class I like best because you can learn so much from your classmates). This week we learned about the different types of glass for fusing and the forms it comes in, how to cut the glass, prepare it for firing (including cleaning the glass and layering it to the proper thickness for the best firing possible), and how to load the kiln.
I am also taking a ceramics course in wheel throwing. It is a very small class and it is also of mixed sill level and age. There are only two other true beginners in the class in addition to myself. There is also a very sweet Scottish woman at an advanced level and a ceramics major who just transferred to SU. The class meets Tu&Th afternoons. Our professor, a ceramics graduate student, taught we beginners the basics of throwing vessels on the wheel including wedging the clay, centering, and raising a form. It's really amazing how much improvement can be made in just two days. On Tuesday my forms were short and wobbly but by the end of yesterday's class I was able to make some taller, more even shapes. Our homework for next Tuesday is to have 8 quality cups made, which may not seem like a lot but is actually quite a bit of work.
In addition to taking classes I am also have a work study position at the Admissions Office for VPA. I love talking to and helping prospective students and incoming freshman so the job is a perfect fit!
The second order of the day: Orientation Weekend in Florence
My flight to Florence left from New Ark Airport on the afternoon of January 11. (I took a group flight arranged by SU which was really a stress free experience and I am so happy that they offer that.) After a short layover in Rome, we arrived in Florence at Jan 12, 7:10 am. I have to admit the first few days in Florence were pretty rough, not from homesickness or anything like that, but from real sickness. I must have eaten something funny on the plane ride over because for the first 2 or 3 days there I felt so sick. Fortunately, I met a really, really sweet girl from the University of Vermont who was so understanding and so helpful. And this is one of the really cool things about studying abroad-you meet people from all over. Of course there were many SU students there (which is also cool because now I have a lot of new friends from all over SU beyond VPA) but there were also people from all over the country as far away as Alaska, and even all over the world (one of my good friends in the program was Ecuadorian).
The first days were filled with lots of orientation meetings preparing us with what to expect from the school, the city, our host families and things like that(students in studio arts also have the option of staying in an apartment but I chose to stay with a family which was the best choice I made for this trip). Many important forms had to be filled out, including those for our permesso di soggiorno-the residence permit. Classes had to be enrolled in (and although the enrollment system there is seemingly a bit haphazard-enrollment is not on line but rather you sign your name on a piece of paper for each class you want to take-somehow it all worked out smoothly). And of course there was sight seeing to be done. Florence has so much history to offer and on our first few days there it was always such an excitement to stumble on one of the major sights of the city (such as Santa Croce) while trying to find our way from here to there. And even to the last day these sights never failed to kindle excitement and wonder in me.
That first weekend we also met our host families which was scary and exciting. But my host family deserves a blog entry of their own so I'll wait until another date to write more about them.
Views from the cupola of the Duomo: Orientation Weekend
After a semester-long hiatus from my blog I'm back in Syracuse and ready to blog my little heart out. I have so much to catch up on because... about a week and a half ago I returned from a four month long study abroad adventure in Florence, Italy! My semester abroad was really a life-changing time and I can't wait to share my experience with everyone.
Although my heart is breaking because I'm no longer in Firenze, all hope is not lost. For the first time I am spending the summer at Syracuse.
My plan for this blog in the next few months is to report the weekly happenings of Syracuse in the summer and supplement it with tales from abroad.
To begin: My First Week of Summer in Syracuse
I moved in on Sunday and will be staying here until next May. While its strange to be in Syracuse without my usual group of friends, the first few days here have been great so far. I'm temporarily subletting a room from a friend until the lease begins on my apartment begins in the beginning of June. Where I'm currently staying is a really big house which is great because I have a lot of roommates and consequently a lot of new friends. (Whats not so great is my attic bedroom which, despite the cold, cold Syracuse winters, is blistering hot in the heat and humidity of Syracuse's late May weather.)
I'm taking classes in the first 6- week Summer Session. Syracuse offers a glass fusing class that I have been trying to take since my first semester freshman year when I had a foundations class with the professor who teaches it Carmel Nicoletti. However, whenever I had time to fit it into my schedule, the class was either not offered that semester or it had been filled by the time I got to register for classes. Not this summer however. University College is offering it this summer and I am so happy to finally be able to attend. The class meets twice a week (Mo&W) from 6-9 pm at the Comart building. It is a class of mixed age and skill level which offers a lot of different opinions and point of views. (This is always the type of class I like best because you can learn so much from your classmates). This week we learned about the different types of glass for fusing and the forms it comes in, how to cut the glass, prepare it for firing (including cleaning the glass and layering it to the proper thickness for the best firing possible), and how to load the kiln.
I am also taking a ceramics course in wheel throwing. It is a very small class and it is also of mixed sill level and age. There are only two other true beginners in the class in addition to myself. There is also a very sweet Scottish woman at an advanced level and a ceramics major who just transferred to SU. The class meets Tu&Th afternoons. Our professor, a ceramics graduate student, taught we beginners the basics of throwing vessels on the wheel including wedging the clay, centering, and raising a form. It's really amazing how much improvement can be made in just two days. On Tuesday my forms were short and wobbly but by the end of yesterday's class I was able to make some taller, more even shapes. Our homework for next Tuesday is to have 8 quality cups made, which may not seem like a lot but is actually quite a bit of work.
In addition to taking classes I am also have a work study position at the Admissions Office for VPA. I love talking to and helping prospective students and incoming freshman so the job is a perfect fit!
The second order of the day: Orientation Weekend in Florence
My flight to Florence left from New Ark Airport on the afternoon of January 11. (I took a group flight arranged by SU which was really a stress free experience and I am so happy that they offer that.) After a short layover in Rome, we arrived in Florence at Jan 12, 7:10 am. I have to admit the first few days in Florence were pretty rough, not from homesickness or anything like that, but from real sickness. I must have eaten something funny on the plane ride over because for the first 2 or 3 days there I felt so sick. Fortunately, I met a really, really sweet girl from the University of Vermont who was so understanding and so helpful. And this is one of the really cool things about studying abroad-you meet people from all over. Of course there were many SU students there (which is also cool because now I have a lot of new friends from all over SU beyond VPA) but there were also people from all over the country as far away as Alaska, and even all over the world (one of my good friends in the program was Ecuadorian).
The first days were filled with lots of orientation meetings preparing us with what to expect from the school, the city, our host families and things like that(students in studio arts also have the option of staying in an apartment but I chose to stay with a family which was the best choice I made for this trip). Many important forms had to be filled out, including those for our permesso di soggiorno-the residence permit. Classes had to be enrolled in (and although the enrollment system there is seemingly a bit haphazard-enrollment is not on line but rather you sign your name on a piece of paper for each class you want to take-somehow it all worked out smoothly). And of course there was sight seeing to be done. Florence has so much history to offer and on our first few days there it was always such an excitement to stumble on one of the major sights of the city (such as Santa Croce) while trying to find our way from here to there. And even to the last day these sights never failed to kindle excitement and wonder in me.
That first weekend we also met our host families which was scary and exciting. But my host family deserves a blog entry of their own so I'll wait until another date to write more about them.
Views from the cupola of the Duomo: Orientation Weekend
Me on the right with my friend Sam
Santa Croce
Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!
Until next time,
Gitta
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