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Final Advising Conference

In the final advising conference I reflected on my time this semester working on my capstone project. I think that I really have done a better job now than in the past on getting parts of my project done. In the past, I probably would have just started and finished the whole project (including planning, and executing) all at once, and at the last minute. This time, I think that I planned too much, and should have executed more. All in all, I think that my project turned out well, and I learned a lot about my self and my work style. I pushed myself to get it done, and I am glad that I did.

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I was successfully able to display my project at Academic Showcase. I had a great time explaining what my project was about and really enjoyed watching people’s reactions to my project. Many of the people that I talked to seemed to take away some sort of new understanding on the braid that they didn’t have before watching.

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Journal: Artist pitch

My project, The History of the Braid: Explored through 3D Art is a different outlook on history, in this case, specifically the history of the braid. As a person that uses the braid on an almost daily basis, I began to wonder where it came from, and sought out the answer in this project. I narrowed the search down to four major regions and cultures within these regions that used the braid and applied various meanings to the braid. The braid’s origin was said to have started in Africa, where it was worn for practical reasons, and they made it an art by adding gold and jewels to their hair, and incorporating the styles worn into the carvings that they made. In the Greek society, the braid represented femininity and purity of the woman who wore it. In Native American society, the braid represented the “infinite” of life, whereas hair loose and flowing represented the free flow of life. Finally, in Asian culture, specifically in an era in Chinese culture, a conquerer made his male subjects shave half of their head and braid the remainder of their hair to represent their defeat. Later, the descendants of these once conquered people wore this same style of braid as a normal everyday hairstyle, phasing out its previous negative connotation.

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Second Look Presentation Critique Reflection

In my presentation, I showcased my updated project, which included the nearly done Greek Scene and the completion of the background of the African scene. I also mentioned creating the paper mache tree, and if I did not create the tree, I explained that i would still orient the portraits in a circular, sort of hierarchical order. The feedback that I got was positive and everyone seemed to be really excited to see what I was going to do and that my project was so informative.

Some questions that I got were:

How long do you think the tree will take? Do you just want it to be a cut out on a panel?

-- I think the tree would take no more than two hours, and essentially it would just be a cut out on a panel, but I would hang the portraits on it.

How large would the paper mache tree be?

-- The tree would be flat, and a few inches taller than me, so about 5′8″ tall.

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Advisor Conference #2

In my meeting with Heather, we talked about being more realistic with my project and the deadlines that I set for myself. I still want to add the paper mache tree to my project, and I think that I can get it done, but I will consider it to be something that is not necessary. I know that I need to be more realistic with what I need to get done, and I have a plan to finish the project before Arts Fest; I just have to dive in.

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Critical Binder Week 4, Entry 16:

I have sewn int he hair to the canvas! This is most likely the hardest hair I will have to sew into a canvas in my Capstone because they are not individual braids, but rather loose hair that then forms a braid. It is very sturdy and the braid turned out really well!

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Critical Binder Week 4, Entry 15:

I have updated the presentation of my paper mache tree, and have explored some ways to stabilize the background of the canvases so that I can then hang them on the tree. The way I will have the audience look at the tree is from the bottom up, which will start with the African scene, to be representative of the origin of the braid and where it “stemmed” or originated from.

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Critical Binder Week 4, Entry 14:

I have updated my Native American scene to be a little simpler and include more meaning. In my research, I found that there are three major tribes of Native Americans here in the US: the Navajo, Cherokee, and Sioux. I plan on using 3 circles as the background to be representative of these three major tribes.

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Watercolor workshop. Process Binder #4

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Critical Binder Week 4, Entry 13:

As I began to brainstorm what look I was going for in terms of displaying the work for Arts Fest, I thought that a good way to display the braid was through some connection to “roots.” What better way is there than using a tree!

I found a good Youtube video that showed me how to make a (flat) paper mache tree that will most likely be as long as a panel that would be used at Arts Fest.

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Journal #3

(Process binder #4)

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I still don’t know how to feel about this city

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Process Binder #3

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Critical Binder Week 4, Entry 11.

I have started to paint! The Greek scene is under way and I am aiming to finish it either Wednesday or Thursday this week (4/1). I will add the less necessary stuff (synthetic ivy) after I finish the other scenes because I want the main parts of the project to be done, because they are the most important.

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Critical Binder Week 4, Entry 10.

I have updated the designs for the Greek and African scenes that I am painting first. The square design for the African scene wasn’t working that well with what fabric I had decided to use for it, so I made it a little bit smaller and circular. I also sketched out my concept for the background scenes more in detail, adding what I think will give more of a story/setting/ambiance to each region. For the Greek scene, the update that I made was more about adding to the background and possibly adding some decorations like synthetic ivy to the scene. Overall, things are starting to take shape well.

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Goddess of the Sun

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Critical Binder Week 4, Entry 9.

I have decided to use white acrylic paint as my base for my paintings instead of fabric primer because the primer cannot be found. White paint has not failed me in the past, so I’m going to stick with it. An oldie but a goodie.