This past Tuesday I started my Senior year at VCU!  That means that this building will be my home-away-from-home for the next five months.  And believe me, I will be spending A LOT of time here not only attending the four classes I’m taking this semester, but also putting in lots of hours working on projects in the various studios.  I’m very excited about my classes this semester.

I’m taking a new course offered for the first time this semester called Intermediate Seminar.  This lecture class is described in the syllabus as class where “we will talk (a lot) about all of your curiosities…and we will look hard at how other designers, makers, and artists have utilized their curiosities in their work.  We will read articles, write down our thoughts, feelings, theories and our wild conjectures (and read them aloud in class).”  And then at the end of the semester we’ll be required to give a presentation meant to “articulate our individual curiosities”.  Yikes.  Both exciting and scary for me.  I’m not a get-up-and-talk-in-front-of-people-person!  But hopefully by the end of the semester I’ll be ready!

In addition to this lecture class I’m taking three studios: Fabric Design II, Pattern Weaving and Lampworking II.  Fabric Design II continues our exploration into various printing and dyeing techniques as well as fabric piecing and construction.  Yes! Quilting! I can’t wait to put my new sewing machine to good use!  Woohoo!  Oh, and we also had to select a “theme” for the semester-something that our work would revolve around.  I chose to continue exploring ocean life so you’ll be seeing a lot of octopi, squid, jellyfish, etc. in my work this semester.

Pattern Weaving is going to be great too.  And of course our professor has us diving right in!  We’re already working on our first project, called “Green”-either as a color and/or from an environmental awareness perspective.  We’re also dressing our looms for our first samples.  I’m honestly amazed at how comfortable I’m feeling in the weaving studio considering that I felt like I was all thumbs last semester! LOL  I pray that comfort continues!

And then there’s Lampworking II.  In this class we’ll be building on the skills we learned in part one but we are also free to choose the direction of our work.  If we want to explore sculptural work, jewelry construction, etc., we are able to!  Now, I just need to choose!  I’m thinking about working with images on glass.  I’d like to incorporate some of my husband’s photographs into my work!

Oh, and then on top of this course load, I found out Tuesday that I got an internship at the Virginia Center for Architecture helping with Education and Program Development!!!  I’m really looking forward to it.  I have a passion for non-profits, especially in the area of education and program development.  And Architecture!?  Oh yes!  I’m hoping to get the opportunity to attend a few lectures and learn A LOT from the wonderful people there.  I’m so freakin’ blessed!  God is just too good!

Now, I just hope I can keep my sanity through it all and still produce good work, learning and growing all the way!

I’m going to try my hardest to post, at least weekly, about school and things going on with projects, lectures, shows, etc.  I hope you’ll stop by!