2headlightshine

[2headlightshine]

project #7 - soundwalk booklet

here are some photos of my finished accordion booklet!

the full booklet

the connected circuit with three lights

touch-activated three light circuit

touch activated single light circuit

sliding-touch flickering light circuit

pressure activated single-light circuit

unlit pages with poem

What was a surprising moment?

i struggled for a really long time to write the poem that accompanied the booklet. i enjoy writing poetry, but i find it difficult to come up with things methodically the way i can plan out illustrations -- if i'm not struck by inspiration, it's really difficult to write anything at all. while i was looking at jeremy dennis's on this site project, i started thinking about all the plants that are native to nassau, and how adelphi doesn't use any pesticides to kill weeds because they maintain biodiversity and add visual interest. once i had the idea to write about a weed, the entire poem came together all at once. that was really surprising for me.

What are some mistakes, pitfalls, or challenges that others can avoid if they were doing this project?

the battery holder was really confusing to put together! i would recommend people ask for an in-person demonstration instead of trying to follow the video tutorial. i think it's much easier to understand where things go in three dimensional space.

What are you proud of and why?

i didn't think i was smart enough to put together complex circuits. we were all underestimating ourselves with this project. :) it was a really great learning opportunity, and i feel proud/confident enough to te

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project #6 - p5.js portrait

here is a link to my p5.js project.

this is what the code shows:

i continued working on my portrait until i got this:

[2headlightshine]

project #6 - p5.js portrait

here is a link to my p5.js project.

this is what the code shows:

i continued working on my portrait until i got this:

unfortunately p5.js encountered an error when saving and i lost all my work!!! i'm so glad i took a screenshot!! here are the things i added:

i used very rounded rectangles to create hair volume

i used thin rectangles to create shirt stripes

i modified the code for the nose to create individual arcs to make up the side bang and framing curls

i modified the code for the nose to create a filled arc for the teeth, and an ellipse for the tongue

i added transparent ellipses for blush

i used an ellipse and a filled arc to create a sun and moon

i am VERY frustrated with this program over losing my progress but i am glad i had the foresight to take progress screencaps.

When you got stuck, what / who did you turn to?

youtube tutorials and p5.js forums! a lot of users had examples of things i was trying to create so i looked at how they solved problems. i'm experimenting now in my own time with gradients

Did you encounter any "a ha!" moments? Where suddenly you figured out some aspect of the coding?

realizing i could turn off line weight on shapes was a game changer. i think the image feels a lot more intentionally designed without shape borders.

[2headlightshine]

research #5 -- soundwalk poem

in this place

There once were –

Weeds

Growing out of sacred ground

Stretching toward the Sun

Reaching

Climbing

Uninhibited

Ready to burst

Now 

In this place

There is –

Turf

And pavement

And bricks as high as the Moon

Casting shadows over the weeds

Trampled

And side-eyed

But flourishing

Blossoming

Bursting

In a field without pesticides

Then

In this place

There will be –

Weeds

Nestled between the cracks

Bursted up from the rubble

In any conditions

Ready to grow.

[2headlightshine]

project #5 - soundwalk & ecological tour

photo collection attached below

google drive link

[2headlightshine]

research #4: silence & the presence of everything

three things learned:

Hawaii has the highest number of endangered or threatened species in the United States. 30% of the US federal endangered/threatened species list is native to Hawaii.

You can take a recording of silence!!! It can't express a sense of space, but it does express a sense of tone and frequency that is unique to each silent location.

"The modern measure of silence is the noise-free interval [...] if a place can have a noise-free interval of only 15 minutes or longer during daylight hours, it’s added to the list that I’ve collected for 30 years, called the “list of the last great quiet places.” At last count, here in the United States, there were only 12. None of them are protected."

two questions:

Can we draw more similarities between churches/cathedrals and the natural landscape? How can people better connect spiritual practices with appreciating and protecting nature? Where does the Catholic tradition of silent retreat come from, and why do observers get so much benefit from it?

What kind of legislation could be introduced to protect "the last great quiet places" in the US? How would they be enforced?

one takeaway:

I have been considering participating in a silent retreat but always felt intimidated by the idea. I'm not afraid of silence anymore. This podcast has emphasized how silence is not only something to be appreciated, but something essential to the human person.

reflection:

I realized at the start of the year that I was using noise to distract myself and cope with stress. My Spotify year-end wrap-up said that I had music on over 12 hours a day on average!!!!! (I put music on while I sleep so it definitely skewed my results -- but still!)

My headphones broke a few months ago and I haven't replaced them. Instead of constantly self-regulating with music, I have been forcing myself to appreciate silence, natural ambient noise, and being alone with my thoughts. It's been a really, really hard adjustment... but I've definitely noticed positive changes. Slowly I've been focusing better, thinking more clearly, and coping with stress in more grounded and healthy ways that use prayer, exercise, and conscious breathing.

The Pine Line on campus has become my happy place. I am so grateful to the groundskeeping staff for showing it to us. :)

[2headlightshine]

project #4 - makey makey instruments

thanks to Intro to Art Ed, this was not my first time using a makey-makey! i'm still fascinated by it every time i try.

i used drag-and-drop code to associate the WASD keys with four ukulele chords: C, Am, G, and F. then i hooked up each key press with a wire.

labeled them by chord, not by key, as this was easier for me to understand

then i jammed out and played taylor swift on my ukupeppers. all ten minutes of All Too Well (Ten-Minute Version) are played with these four chords.

(the professor has the video of this!)

once i was satisfied with the mapping, i built a cardboard guitar. i guess it's a cardboard ukulele because it only has four strings, but it's pretty big for a ukulele. i modeled it after my favorite of taylor swift's guitars, to keep on theme.

reinforced the back with sturdier board, added conductive fabric, and decorated with paint markers

i color coded the chords, and also labelled them on the "tuning pegs" so i know where to put the wires in the future.

i'm happy with the work i did considering the time limit and available materials. it was nice to come up with an idea ahead of time and work on it, since i'd already done some experimenting the first time i used a makey makey. if i had more time, i'd like to figure something out that actually uses strumming strings instead of pressing buttons.

[2headlightshine]

research #3: art and sound

louie zong is an illustrator, sound designer, and composer, who often creates animations and songs in tandem with the intention of presenting them together. often in this niche of youtube, creators are either animators for existing music or composers that choose pre-existing images for their work after it's finished. zong gained notoriety for their all-from-scratch approach to independent publishing, and for their signature strange and playful style.

Weird Little Guys, utilzing 3d scans of porcelain dolls collected from thrift stores

ghost choir, composed and animated by louie zong

if it makes any sense: zong's musical style sounds the way his visual illustration styles look. his work feels cohesive across mediums, which is something i think can be very difficult for a lot of us. whether he's drawing, painting, sculpting, 3d modeling, digitally composing, or singing with an acoustic guitar, zong's work always feels like it's zong's work to me.

zong's process of simultaneously developing visuals and audio reminds me of the way some vocaloid producers work -- the musical composer will write and tune a song while their partner illustrator develops the music video. because Vocaloid voiceboxes are essentially musical instruments, and not actually people, music videos are almost always animated by an illustrator or a team of illustrative animators.

Afraid of Everything, collaborative project with composer circus-p and illustrator/videographer rice-deity. composed with the Megurine Luka (English) voicebox

(i'm biased because i'm a coworker of rice's so i got firsthand insight into the creative process. it's so much work to work collaboratively in this way! but so cool!)

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project #3 - e-textile monster

when the prompt of "plush monsters" was brought up, i immediately had a concept in mind.

i have been trying to figure out a design for a children's character based off one of these bunny sea slugs. they're a real sea slug native to japan and they just... look like this. naturally. i can't believe they're not a made up creature. translating this little cotton ball into a character has been challenging and i figured this project might help provide some insight

i made some test sketches and a pattern for the body

this was my first experience actually sewing so i had to figure out a lot of things as i went. i was trying to leave a seam allowance because i know it's important to do so, but i don't think i executed it nearly as well as i'd like to have. regardless, it was a good learning experience for patternmaking.

the point of the project was having the plush interact with tech -- with help i set up a circuit and sewed it together with conductive thread

although i was trying to be careful i definitely crossed my positive and negative wires somewhere. because it was all one color i couldn't tell where the cross was, so i pulled everything out and started again. (sad) (depressing) (nightmarish) (worst day of my life)

it actually wasn't that bad the second time around. i was more comfortable with a needle and thread at that point, and color-coding the positive and negative circuits helped me keep everything organized. because the lines aren't crossing, the lights successfully turn on.

i think it was worth messing up the first time because now i'll never go into a sewing project without making myself a guide on the plush again. referencing a drawing just doesn't click with my brain.

then i had to sew my bunny's body together and stuff it

it's a bit of a hackjob -- when you hold bunny in your hands, there are spaces where the fabric has gaps and the stuffing pokes out a bit. i also had to cut the ears off and redo them because the patterns were totally misaligned. from there, i brought some detail back into her face and her ears, and sewed buttons on for eyes. (a little creepy, but a little cute, too -- like coraline!)

from there, all that was left was putting together some clothes to protect the stuffing holes and hide the circuitry. i designed some simple overalls with a limited color palette that could play off the pinks and purples on her body already.

once i had sewn the body together, i was able to add details and embellishments. i decided to play up the button details to emphasize that homemade quality. i had to cut out the fabric under the buttons so the lights would shine through -- it's very subtle, but still visible

here's a recording of the lights in action

overall i'm very happy with the result, and i think i learned the basics of some skills that will help me a lot with my senior thesis project next semester.

What does your plush monster say about you?

my bunny has been a workshopped project for a long time and i will be spending a lot more time with her in the near future. she's a testament to my stylistic/artistic passions -- cute and nostalgic things, children's entertainment and design, weird and silly animals -- and the artistic commitment i'm trying to stick to.

i have always found it difficult to sit with a project and explore all possible avenues of it -- my brain often works faster than my hand, and once i have a rough idea on paper, i want to immediately move onto the next. i'm trying to sit and get to know bunny in as many ways as i can. i think it's a good way for me to leave my comfort zone.

What was a surprising moment?

crossing the wires for my first circuit attempt was devastating. reworking it the second time gave me another surprise -- it wasn't nearly as painful as i thought it would be. at that point, sewing had even started to become relaxing.

If you had more time, what is one thing you would change? Do next?

i'd like to learn more about dollmaking and pattern drafting, so she could be more three-dimensional instead of pillow-shaped.

[2headlightshine]

research #2 - e-textiles

kaypea creations is another professional OOAK dollmaker who publishes tutorial walkthroughs. she uses a combination of hand-sculpting, epoxy mold sculpting, 3d-printing, sewing, and circuitry wiring to make custom animal dolls from scratch.

dolls are made from a variety of natural, thrifted/recycled, and purchased material and typically feature LED light elements

this deer features a layer of LED light strips woven to the doll underneath a transparent layer of fabric

similarly, our friend Dollightful soldered a multicolor light circuit together in order to create resin-sculpted lit antlers that can be toggled on and off

seeing their work got me thinking further about practical e-textile and circuit-wired dolls. kaypea and dollightful make beautiful art pieces but they are not for playing! from here i started searching and discovered Baby Tango, an e-textile touch activated doll designed to teach children empathy and care

i think it would be interesting to see OOAK dollmakers use these touch-activated features in their sculptures. there is certainly potential here for more complex collector items.

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research #1: 3d printed art

by far my favorite 3d craftswoman is the artist Dollightful

katherine (pen name Dollightful) is a professional illustrator, character designer, and 3d artist who specializes in "OOAK" (one of a kind) fantasy dollmaking and doll customizing

dollightful combines repurposed thrifted and recycled doll parts, hand-sculpted parts, hand-sewn and originally designed clothing, and 3d printed pieces to create intricate doll sculptures and ball-jointed dolls. her husband is a toy designer and toy photographer, who assists her in 3d resin printing

here is an example of a doll that she designed, modeled, and 3d printed entirely from scratch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh_q8ugTRyI

other dolls use a base of thrifted and recycled mass-produced dolls, and have hand-sculpted and 3d printed elements added to them during the creation process

one of my favorites is this doll, with a combination sculpted and 3d-printed wheelchair

the care and attention dollightful puts into her pieces has been incredibly influential on me as a creator, and her tutorials and communication skills doubly influence me as an arts educator. i think she is a fantastic example of how the divide between "crafts" and "fine arts" is totally imaginary

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project #2, tinkercad, pt 1

here are the collection of screenshots of tinkercad tutorials and the certification quiz

readmore link below

i think tinkercad is a really intuitive and accessible program. i was worried my laptop wouldn't be able to handle it. luckily my laptop completely broke right before this lesson started and i had to purchase a better one. (please tell all your students to never buy lenovo laptops; it did not even last me two years of casual use. the hardware and software both collapsed in on themselves) i think this program has a massive amount of potential for educational use, even if it is primarily used for 3d modeling and not for printing

when the class's pieces have finished printing, i will make a follow-up post showing what i ended up making with tinkercad

Did you receive help at any time? And from whom?

i received help from you, the professor (hi!) in terms of printing specs and questions about what could reasonably be printed. i was also feeling creatively blocked at the time -- looking at the work of the people at my table and the lovely girls at the table next to me really helped spark my inspiration. our class had some fantastic designs for the plexiglass insert. i'm excited to see them printed

What are some mistakes, pitfalls, or challenges that others can avoid if they were doing this project?

CHECK THE SPECS OF YOUR PRINTER BEFORE YOU MAKE ANYTHING. this was really emphasized in the video tutorials but in my opinion it can never be stated enough.

i am the kind of artist that dreams big without considering the limitations of my medium. sometimes this is helpful for being inventive and pushing boundaries -- i had this experience in printmaking last semester.

unfortunately this is NOT best practice for a 3d printer! i kept adding elements to my design that were too small to reasonably be printed. then once i realized what i'd done, i'd have to remove them and rework my initial design ideas. for certain media, being aware of your limitations from the beginning can help you to think outside the box without creating roadblocks for yourself that could have been easily avoided.

[2headlightshine]

project #1: walking borzoi

i had big ambitions for cardboard dog. borzois were the big trend on social media this week

( didn't he do it for youuuu... kermie... )

readmore link below

i thought the shape of the walking ramp pets was similar to a dog as comically exaggerated as this one. one of my friends asked me while i was working on this project "do you think wolves get an uncanny valley reaction when they see borzois" and i was thinking about that the entire time

i went back and forth on measurements a thousand times because i had followed the video instructions incorrectly and i couldn't figure out what i did wrong. borzoi had multiple incarnations that all failed

both of these dogs got sent to the pound. i almost gave up after each one. but it was such a simple project that i felt like i needed to prove to myself i could stick it through

eventually we settled on a model that could kind of walk?

it was more of a drunken stumble, but he managed to take some baby steps, so we counted this as a victory

this is my son, grimble. he has every disease and everything is wrong with him.

once he was functional i covered him with printer paper and added fur texture with a pencil. grimble is simple. elegant. horribly disfigured. but he's my horribly disfigured shelter rescue

i gave him big eyes so he could experience god's good earth the way it was intended to be. this is why he looks mildly scared and confused. the world is scary and confusing.

because the world is scary and confusing i felt he needed a friend

i adopted a polyhedron from polytopia to keep him company. originally it was going to be a photo-accurate recreation of this polyhedron but i have never been particularly adept at following instructions to create 3d forms. my polyhedron became a polydoctopus. his name is vector. he has three hearts and they're all full of love and righteous fury

vector then enlisted grimble as his noble battle steed. i think he's happier this way. i also think he doesn't really know what's going on. grimble is always just happy to be included.

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some silkens, a very choice dog to draw

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W. Strempler, 2022

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looking for stars // erik johannsen

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full moon service // erik johannsen