Category Archives: design

Digging In, Literally & Figuratively

Artificial Intelligence, design, gardening, politics, thinking out loud, ,

I am a gardener, primarily flowers but also some vegetables. I have somewhat extensive gardens that, in April, demand a lot of attention as they emerge from their winter slumber. I spend several days cleaning up, renewing my war on wire grass and duckweed. I unwrap the hydrangeas from their burlap coats and examine them to see if this year they might bloom. There are perennials to be divided and relocated, lily and gladiola bulbs to be planted, and lots of seeds from zinnias to hyacinth bean vine to wildflower mixes to be spread far and wide.

Spring Garden

This year, I scaled back the vegetables to onions, garlic, San Marzano tomatoes, sweet peppers and jalapenos. My herbs are scattered amongst the flowers, often in pots, and include parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (sorry for the ear worm!) along with oregano, basil, chives, and chamomile. I had great success with ginger last year. The rhizomes came from a Giant in Northern Virginia where I often stop for a break. I bought them at the same store last year and ended up with 4 pounds or so of ginger. Hoping to have the same luck this year, but I know there is really nothing about gardening that can be considered a sure thing. I am optimistic, however, as they had solid knobs indicating they hadn’t been treated to stop growth.

So, that is both the literal digging in as well as my excuse for not following up after my semi-optimistic meeting. I have been outside. Or visiting my elderly parents in Pennsylvania. Or walking the new dog. Or finishing up the spring semester when I taught three classes. April was busy.

But, this morning, I dug in figuratively. I have been spending quality time with ChatGPT and have found it helpful in doing research. I specifically want to create flyers that I can post in my local post offices as that is where we all get our information. I focused on Medicaid as my county has one of the higher rates in Virginia, at 23.2%. I was able to tweak the message for my audience and then used a Canva template to create the final product. I have a couple copies printed and will get them posted. If you would like access to my template, message me privately and I will send it along. I am now working on focused on the more affluent population, largely retirees, across the James River in Williamsburg and James City County. Stay tuned.

Digital and Analog Creations: Thinking About Dioramas

design, Making,

I am a maker and always have been.

I made my sister a model greenhouse for Christmas this year, working from scratch to build the structure and create all the various pieces from furniture to flowers. I like making three dimensional models from paper, too.

So, I loved making crafty book reports when I was in school. I made a scale model of the train from The Great Train Robbery using shoe boxes with 3X5 cards marking important locations and actions. I can only imagine what fun I would have had if I had been able to place myself in the model using green screen technology the way Cindy Gonzalez’s students were able to do:

As part of the conversation, Joy Kirr shared a link to an article about making dioramas more dynamic

I think I bristled a little at the notion that dioramas were somehow irrelevant. But, I have to admit that I like Dr. Matthew X. Joseph’s ideas for making them dynamic by using tools like Flipgrid or Aurasma.

I will defend dioramas, however, as not being irrelevant in and of themselves. Making analog models is a viable skill in our digital age. Do a search on Google Images, Pinterest or Etsy to see some of the amazing work being done both professionally and artistically.

Lora Collins, 3D Studio Supervisor at Smithsonian Exhibits, describes her fascinating career in this article that begins with her early memories of visiting dioramas with her mother and then, as a young artist, finding her way into the field. She focuses on making mannequins but unlike the stiff department store figures, Collins creates figures that tell stories such as the man on the aircraft carrier who looks like he is in a high wind as he guides in a plane. And, she is still honing her craft, learning more about forensic reconstruction as part of her work creating figures from the Ice Age.

 

 

 

 

Happy April Fool’s Day!

art, Creative Commons, creativity, design

I have had an urge to make some postcards for fun and to use as examples for upcoming Creative Commons presentations. I did it in March 2018, mostly using images found at the Digital Public Library of America. That is where I started this year, too.
The Fool Tarot Card with text

I don’t think there is any connection between April Fool’s Day and the The Fool, “first” card of most Tarot decks. I use the marks because it is usually numbered 0. Tarot cards, once the stuff of carnival midways and roadside shacks, are making their mark in the mainstream.

 

The Tarot of Marseilles dates back to the mid-17th century. It has roots in Switzerland and the card I used was created in 17551 by Claude Burdel, a master card maker and engraver in Fribourg, Switzerland. I found the card and went looking for “foolish” poems. The lines from Cat Stevens seemed to float to the top of my brain.

 

And that made me think about my favorite movie, Harold and Maude.  The ending is one of the best I can remember. NOTE: this is THE ENDING, so if you haven’t seen the movie, don’t watch it. Go watch the movie, instead.

 

Taking the Hobbies Up a Notch

adult learning, art, design,

I have written before about my grandmother, Emma, who taught me to crochet. I was fascinated by the way the needle moved in and out even as she talked with me. She created beautiful pieces of utilitarian art like scarves and sweaters. But my main interest was in the intricate work of her tablecloths and doilies. The thread was thin, the needle was small and the patterns often grew out of a simple crocheted circle, gorgeous peacock and pineapple shapes appearing with each round.

That was nearly 50 years ago, and I have been crocheting every since. Like my grandmother, I make stuff like scarves and hats, but my first love is thread crochet, using it for towel edgings, doilies and pillows. On the skill chart, I consider myself intermediate and probably able to tackle  most projects.

It has been some time, however, since I have challenged myself with my hobby. Crocheting is a way to relax, let my mind wander a bit, maybe watch a show or listen to a book while I work. And, there is nothing wrong with that. But, this year, one of my goals is to dive deeper into my lifelong hobby. There are a wide variety of different types of crochet including Irish, hairpin, Bruges lace, and tapestry. One pattern I have incorporates pearl beads into three dimensional ornaments, something that appeals to my inner engineer. In addition, there is the whole area of design and creating my own patterns.

Hobbies like mine can spark that “lifelong learning” we talk about as educators. And, I know the school day is packed with stuff, but I think it is important to find time for these kinds of activities within the hours of school rather than as after school programs so we can reach as many kids as possible. Not every kid has a grandmother to teach them or the resources to access supplies. Crocheting is all about math with counting and patterns. Daina Taimina has been using crochet to create hyperbolic space, making more durable models than those usually done in paper.

If you want to learn more about crocheting, the Wikipedia article is a great starting point.

What hobbies do you have? Is there a challenge that you want to take to expand your skills and knowledge?