Repetition and Pattern

Repetition and pattern sketch #1 for my 2D visual dynamics class. Colored pen on paper, 11x14.

School is going to be quite the intense ride this semester. I've only had one week of classes, and already I have more homework and studio work than I'd ever imagined. I've had so much to do, in fact, that I've been waking up before 6am every day and working well into the night. Good thing I don't have much of a social life because, if I did, this semester would pretty much be the end of it.

In my 2D class, the teacher flat-out told us that we'd work harder for her class than for just about any other core class (core classes are the basic curriculum that all students at CCA are required to take). She said to anticipate at least 18 hours of work outside the classroom each week, and thus far has made good on that promise.

We've also had to choose a theme for the class. The theme can be anything - cats, skateboarding, black-and-white photography, heaven vs. hell, talking to strangers - but it must be something we are passionate about, as all of the work we'll do in the 2D class will be about this theme. Mine is Repetition and Pattern. Each week we have to fill 8 pages in our sketchbook with some interpretation of our theme. It's a lot more work than it seems. So far I've done 2 pages and spent about 4 hours. At least it's fun work!

In my jewelry class we're working on an assignment where we have to design a thimble inspired by a famous person (dead or alive, fictional or real). The thimble can be more than just a "finger cap", and we've been encouraged to get a bit crazy and creative with what the thimble can be. In essence, we're creating jewelry for the hand. The thimble then has to be housed in some sort of display when not in use, which we also have to make by hand. Finally we have to present the project with a research paper about the famous person who the thimble is for, as well as a discussion about the concept behind our piece.

I'm feeling a bit intimidated about getting back behind the torch. I didn't solder all summer long, and now working with metals seems like such a giant undertaking compared to beading and wire-work. My jewelry class is also full of more advanced students, so I'm feeling the pressure to come up with top-notch projects that have solid craftsmanship. I know the worst part is the anticipation, so tomorrow I'm just going to dive into the project and hope that I haven't lost my skills.