Final Stretch

It's crunch time at art school and I'm trying not to stress about the multiple final projects I must turn in next week. Sort of easier said than done...

I am currently working on a copper box covered with 11 bezeled moonstones (for my jewelry class), a drawing of my rehearsal dinner dress in graphite pencil (for drawing, obviously) and a wooden treasure chest filled with "trade beads" made out of wood (for my 3D visual dynamics class). I also have an art history exam to write.

I am loving the moonstone box project, but technically speaking it's killing me. I spent several hours trying to solder with hard solder today and the damn stuff just wouldn't flow. I think I was having problems getting up to temperature. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day at the torch.

I'm looking forward to doing the drawing of my dress, but because it doesn't depend on going to campus to use the metals studio or wood shop, I'm putting it off until the weekend.

The wooden box and beads project is my least favorite of the whole semester. It's been a bad combination of technical difficulties - the result of insufficient demonstrations and teacher support (in my opinion, as someone who has never used table saws and a lathe before) - and simply not being "into" the project. Sometimes that happens...just a part of the experience. I try to think of it like strengthening a muscle - some days the exercise is painful and just plain sucks, but it's all building up to the greater goal of sexy arms and strong legs, or whatever.

I have many photos of my work from this semester but haven't managed to post them here on the blog yet. As soon as I get these final projects turned in, I'll do that.

Until then, wish me luck: in addition to finals, I have my First Year Portfolio Review tomorrow. I will have 5 minutes to present 15-20 slides of my work in front of a panel of faculty members and art professionals. The school is giving out two $3,000 scholarships to first year students based on this review. I can't help but get my hopes up that I might win, although I know that as a Spring-admission student (i.e. I started classes in January as opposed to September) I am naturally at a disadvantage because I haven't taken as many classes and therefore am limited in the scope of work I can show. Still, I'd love to be one of those two lucky students...