skool is still kool

Just an update on a few of my latest assignments, folks.

In my Experimental Typography class, we worked with designing a label for a product. It could be a current company or a made-up one. Of course, I chose the latter. I made up a beauty cream company which I called "Under My Skin".

I was inspired by my trip to Mary Kay last week to realize that the packaging should reflect the consumer and/or how the product should make you feel.

So, here is my company brand:

We had to create a new font for our brand, so I took the famous COURIER font and revamped it using the Adobe Illustrator program. I could use a lot of typography terms here to explain what I did, but I already did that in class.

And here are the labels I designed for my various creams:

My critique wasn't too bad, I actually expected worse because after I had them printed, I thought of 3 other ways to improve it. I told my teacher that and she said it wasn't a bad thing and that sometimes clients will expect to have something that needs improving. My labels weren't the best at all. There were two other students who I felt knocked it out of the park, but my labels weren't the worst either. I think you can tell I put thought and work into it.

What do you think?

"Yes you can!" is a popular motto at the headquarters

My field trip to the Mary Kay headquarters and museum was a success!

Mary Kay headquarters building along the tollway

I had no idea what to expect and was pleasantly surprised to find out that 10,000 consultants (some husbands accompanied) from literally all over the world were strolling around on tour today! I heard several different languages: Slovak, Russian, Spanish and Cajun. I was happy to be ushered around with these women because as an added bonus, I also got to see the Executive offices as well as Mary Kay Ash's office - which was just how she left it more than 10 years ago.

50th anniversary employee art winners on display

portrait on plexiglass - an employee art piece

When you enter the museum, you are presented with all the products and packaging MK has offered through the years from 1963 to present. There are framed newspaper clippings and magazine articles adorning the walls. Awards and letters of appreciation  are tastefully scattered in alcoves and shelves. Several tv screens are set up in different locations so you can watch short commentaries about what is being displayed. Mary Kay's ball gowns which she wore to occasions are on display as well as consultant uniforms through out the years. A lot of pink collectors items such as trucks, cadillacs and coffee mugs are on display as well. I tool lots of pics, only a few are here. I didn't include the pictures I took of different fonts and typefaces and packaging - that was all for my research for my project. By the end of the museum tour, you are ensconced in elegance. The whole place is opulent yet not at all pretentious. It's very welcoming.

this clipping cracked me up "husbands get a friendly but firm message:
be supportive or get out of the way."

I was interested in seeing the early product packaging and how it's changed through the years.
The first consultant case with products was $25!

the executive conference room. I love the curtain and the view, the light fixture

peeking down at an office. I love the pink makeup case and pink phone

a tiny version of a sculpture that greets you as you enter the building. It's called  "On silver wings"
It represents a vision from a dream.

in one of the executive offices. just a coffee table set with the couches.
some of these items were props used in product catalogues.

When we got to the 13th floor of the executive offices, I was the only one taking pictures of things like the texture on walls or the pattern of tile on the floor, the art that was chosen for the offices or the sculptures. Nobody seemed to notice since they were all so excited to be in the presence of their mentor.

Afterward, I strolled around to the cafeteria and blended in with the tour group for lunch. I had a BBQ beef brisket sandwich with a side of potato salad, a fruit cup and a heart-shaped one and half inch thick chocolate chip chocolate and M&M covered cookie all for about nine bucks! I had water instead of my precious sweet iced tea - stupid kidneys.

While eating, I felt inspired to do most of the writing and sketches for my project.

After lunch I went to school and finished making my labels for my own beauty cream products I made up. I'm calling my brand "Under my skin". We'll see how it works out in class on Monday. 

I really enjoyed this project!

a mascot for my school?

I have figured out what type of tshirt I want to make to represent my school. It's gonna be generic, just white and say in black block letters "college".

It's gonna rock.

I also realized today during an exercise in class that our school mascot should be this duck because we use this same picture of it in just about every beginning computer class! I've used this duck in three different classes now.

I am still working on some projects, but here is the last assignment I had in my Typography Experimental class:

We had to put what our inspiration for the letters we created were. What do you think?

just toolin' along...

I am excited about all my school projects I got going on right now. I will post them as I finish them though. Currently, I finished a bio on a sculptor for my Humanities class. Here is my paper and the picture I'm submitting with it:

The Peackeeper

 Humanities         Perry      Assignment--Sculpture                Assignment for week 3

Choose a sculptor and present a short biographical summary. Place direct material in quotation marks.  Anything you write / summarize can just be presented.  Be sure to list your source at the bottom.   Then write a commentary on one work of sculpture. See example on p. 2.

Bio:

Abbe Godwin (1950- present) currently lives in Colfax, NC. She was born in my hometown of Jacksonville, NC and was raised in Wilmington. She graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1975. Best known for her works in American war memorials, she was commissioned in 1986 to sculpt The Peacekeeper statue that stands at the Beirut Memorial outside the main gates of Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC.

Commentary on one work:

The Peacekeeper

I have a great emotional attachment to this bronze sculpture, not only because my dad is a Marine, but because this is a representative of the 241 Marines from my hometown sent on a peacekeeping mission that were killed in an attack in the early morning hours of October 23^rd, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon. I was only eleven years old.

My friends and residents in the area of my hometown affectionately named this brave statue “George”. He stands at 6 foot 3 and was modeled after three volunteer Marines. The attention to detail is seen from the etching of the camouflage in his uniform to the detail in the M-16 he holds as well as the wedding ring he wears down to the dog tag attached to his boot laces. The casting was done in Long Island, NY and assembled on-site at the Beirut Memorial, which stands along Lejeune Boulevard. It was erected in 1988. 

Let's celebrate my 100th post!! WooHoo!!

It's true. This post makes number 100.

When I started my blog I didn't think there would be that much to talk about. I have a pretty bland life and I didn't think my friends and family a far would be that interested in keeping up with me once I left Amarillo to pursue art school. But on average, about 25 people read my blog when I post. I even met a nice lady in Illinois. I just wish I knew how to get more people to read it.

Well, here is the scoop on today, in case you missed it via Facebook post:

So, I'm in the shower this morning when I hear a severe beeping noise and of course, the first thing I think is "What the fuck is that?" then I realize it's the smoke detector. I jumped out of the shower and literally am running around my apartment naked and wet looking for something on fire or trying to smell smoke, because let's face it, who knows what the damn neighbors are up to, right? Nothing was going on so I disconnected the stupid thing so I could finish my shower in peace. Ugh.
After, I went to the office to tell the manager my story of woe and she got a good laugh. At least I have a new battery.

 Also, I'm learning more about Photoshop, my old nemesis. Mostly because my teacher is really good and patient. I've completed my second assignment and there are so many things I want to do in my projects, but I don't know how yet and that's where I get frustrated.
Here is my last assignment. A picture of my niece is framed on the back wall. She asked "Why didn't you put a moustache on me?" Ah nuts! I forgot and I already turned it in...next time!

my photo collage project, we had to have at least 50 things...
I made it to 54! yay me!

and good riddance!

So last week I thought I had passed some kidney stones and thought I had a UTI and I went to the doctor. No UTI but yes I did have evidence of kidney stones...apparently they had not all passed - not until Friday afternoon, halfway through one of my classes. I started feeling an intense pain in my side so I took some ibuprofens. The pain continued but I was ok to finish my class assignment, then at 5 I wasn't feeling any pain, but my kidney felt swollen and all day I felt like I had to pee really bad, but never did.
Well, around 7:00 I'm chillin' on my couch, doodling and watching t.v. when another wave of pain hit, this time really really bad. The same pain I felt 4 years ago almost to the day when my friends here in Dallas had to take me to the emergency room. Of course, I don't have the money to go to the emergency room now, so I took 200 mg of the Tramadol my doctor had given me last week but didn't feel the need to take before.
I don't know what happened in the following hour because I couldn't hear anything but my own screams and cries into my pillow as I wriggled around in the worst pain I've ever felt in my life (for the second time). Slowly the pills started to take affect and I was able to lay down. My head felt dizzy and I felt sleepy and I was hot. I lay in bed until about 11pm, then I got up and turned on (brace yourselves) the air-conditioner and was really able to pee a good long pee. If the stone came out at that point, I don't know, I didn't look in the toilet. Hopefully that little bastard is on it's way to the sewer.
Now, Saturday, I woke up thinking all was going to be sunshine and daisies. I was wrong. The Tramadol worked well at taking away my pain, but I also got all the side affects: constipation (still dealing with), dizziness, nausea, vomiting and headache. I knew this would all take some time to go away, but I hate feeling like shit. To make matters worse, my upstairs neighbors were home, as usual because they have no life - at all - and of course were making the floor squeak as badly as possible. I banged on the wall several times, resulting in throwing up almost each time, and all those assholes did was bang back. I really needed the strength or some huge gorilla guy to go up there and say "look dickheads, Vicki is absurdly sick today, so calm the fuck down." My headache was thick and pounding and just getting worse and I was out of ibuprofen so I sent out a mass text to people who I knew were close and knew where I lived. My friend Jerrad came over with a lifetime supply of the pills and also did my dishes for me. So thank him for that! About 20 minutes later, Evelyn showed up with another lifetime supply of the pills and some chocolates. She stayed and made me some broth and made me eat some saltines, so I appreciate that. I had wanted to eat some broth before, but I couldn't get to the kitchen to make it myself, so I thank her for that.
I was peeing regularly the rest of the day and Sunday I woke feeling better, just sore. So I hope that's it for at least another 4 years.

I know what type of kidney stones I have: Oxalate. Too much of this mineral in some people who don't consume enough water will keep these crystals forming and keep the kidney stone pain coming every so often.

I have this list of foods to avoid and I hate it:

beans, beer, beets, berries (strawberries especially), chocolate, coffee, cranberries, dark green vegetables like spinach, nuts, oranges, rhubarb, sodas, sweet potatoes, tea and tofo.
ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS!! WTF, MAN??

So, what does that leave me to eat? Eggs and broccoli? Fuck broccoli and fuck kidney stones.
I hate you!

what my pee says about me...I don't have any idea what any of this means

So what does this mean then?

My first day back at school. I had been excited all last week about it and then this morning as the time got closer, I got more nervous. I don't know why, really. I love school. People are there to talk to and it makes me feel like I have friends. Plus I get to do art stuff.

I got to my first class: Photoshop. (actually, the name of the course is Image Manipulation I) 

For those of you who missed the blog on my fiasco with this program,

 go here: I wanted to poop on Photoshop.

Anyway, I logged into the computer and saw my academic status was updated...to Dean's Honor Roll! Wow, it sounds exciting, huh? I don't know what it means really, I haven't received anything yet, so I am going to see my financial advisor and ask if there is any monetary benefit here. That would totally rock.

Now, about this nervousness. I think it's because I want to learn Photoshop, but am nervous about learning it. Maybe it's because I have all new teachers this time and I'm not familiar with their teaching method and expectations. The nerves subsided a bit when my instructor started class. She's younger than me, a big gamer and goes very slow. So for the people that have used Photoshop before - ha. ha. ha. HA. HA. ha. But for the four people in class that have never used it, the going slow part is great. (I include myself in this foursome since I've never been properly taught in this program) Also, the teacher counts homework at 50% of the total grade, which I agree with because I always hated in other classes that students who didn't do the homework assignments always seemed to pass anyway.

My other class on Mondays is a typography class. I think I might like this class because our first two assignments that are due remind me of when I was younger and doodled on my notebooks and my pants, shoes and whatever else. We get to draw and design letters then transform them on the computer so it can be used as a typeface! I will try to write a blog with a font I will be designing for a final project. 

I like the teacher. I've had her before as a substitute. She gets a little lost in explanation of assignments because she goes off on tangents, but she always circles back around and is good about answering questions. I told my friend, Nick, that I had her for class and he said, "Oh, I don't like her, I got a beef with that woman." I don't know what that's all about, but she doesn't bother me.

Ok, I'm off to draw pictures now.

Just a tourist in my own town for the day

I saw a guy riding a motorized skateboard on Tuesday. He held a controller that was hard-wired to a small motor. He looked a little out of place buzzing across the intersection of Royal Lane and Central Expressway. I wondered if this is something we might get used to or maybe I've just been reading too much sci-fi lately?

I didn't get a picture of the guy I saw, but the board
looked like this.

What else did I do on Tuesday? Well, it's my last week off from school and I wanted to still do SOMETHING. I started out at The Pearl Cup on Henderson for coffee and a ham and swiss quiche, which were both delicious. As I sat reading my Isaac Asimov novel, The Naked Sun, I enjoyed the hip sort of vibe this place puts out. A few people were on their laptops, two girls were playing cards and talking, and some guys were on the patio deep in a discussion I thought too heavy for 10a.m. 

After I emptied my cup, I started back to my car to go off to Half Price Books but got side-tracked by a new favorite store: We Are 1976. The circus posters caught my eye, because I love the circus. This store is a place where mostly local art and arts and crafts are sold. It's neat and groovy. Later in the day, after the bookstore, I went to a sports store, even though I don't "do" sports. I wanted to see if there was something I could get into. There wasn't. But I did meet a guy named Chris and maybe I'll see him again one day. I also saw the movie Now You See Me and it was pretty cool, especially since I love magic shows. I don't even try to guess how it's done, I just enjoy the show.

I tooled around at White Rock Lake again. I had not been there since last year when I moved here. Being at the lake makes me miss the East coast. The smell of brackish water is as close to the ocean smell as I can get way out here in Central Texas. I watch guys fishing and it reminds me of time with my mom and Uncle Joe. I love the damp breeze in my hair, against my face.

a nice view on the trail

structures in someones yard along the shoreline

a little birdie catches fish

The last thing I did on Tuesday was head out to Barcadia, my new favorite place because there is free skeeball on Tuesdays.

the hotdog man at Barcadia

 Not much was going on and I didn't meet anyone new, so I headed home early around 10 p.m. Probably a good thing, because at 1:30 in the morning I had horrifying pain in my back and side. I thought I was dying and I got scared because I live alone. Then I realized I had felt this pain before, five years ago. Kidney stones. "I'm not dying," I thought. As the doctor told me before, there's not much I can do but let it pass, so I took a handful of Ibuprofen and a Tylenol and tried to breathe through the pain as best I could lying on my bathroom floor. I felt a little sick, but didn't throw up and when I finally was able to get back to my bed, I put on my heating pad. Wednesday I was supposed to play disc golf again with my friend Jerrad, but still felt sick and felt like I had a bladder infection, so I ended up laying on my couch instead, drinking water and cranberry juice. Thursday I lay around, too. I just felt tired and I didn't get invited to any barbecues anyway. Friday morning, about 6 a.m. a milder version of the Wednesday morning pain hit me again. I was supposed to go to work at 11, but I decided I should go see a doctor instead. I went to the Urgent Care place near my school and got a prescription for antibiotics.

I ended up going to work anyway, an hour late, and was uncomfortable most of the time because I had the urge to pee a lot, but I got through it. I've only taken a few of my pills so far, but I'm feeling better already and it only cost me $200 since I don't have insurance.

So, in my quest to find something exciting to do on my summer break, this is my summation:

took the train downtown to explore and did cartwheels in front of City Hall, hosted a craft day/lunch at my tiny apartment, housesat for my friends while they went to Hawaii - cleaned up a bunch of cat puke and wild turd fest the cats had while I was away, worked, watched movies, lost my "lover" friend to a younger girl, watched movies, argued with my upstairs neighbors, drove to Shiner, Tx and drank a bunch of free beer, learned how to play disc golf, played skeeball and passed a kidney stone.

Yes. I am a wild one.