Things that were good today:
Google image search now has more Francesa Woodman photos (or so it seems)
Laura Letinsky
Things that were bad today:
This article in the local paper (its the comments that really get you)
Right now, I’m just busy gearing up for the PAJAMA (Purdue Arts Jewelry and Metals Assoc) fall sale. I need to make some serious $. Looks like I’ll be running the show as well. As of the 8th, I’m taking over full time responsibilities in the metals department at Purdue. That will be 5 classes total counting Ivy Tech. I’m hoping this means health insurance, but I’m not holding my breath…
I’m back from Madison, WI. I’m incredibly tired…it is only by the will of the coffee gods that I am standing. That and the oldies station. Something about driving 9 hours for a 4 hour meeting that really wore me out.
I did get to spend some time visiting Michelle, which equated to some really great pumpkin ravioli. Mmmm. And a new tumbler, yay!
I have to say that I loved UW-Madison. Not only did I not have a mini-mental breakdown when I left, I actually was excited about what they had to offer. They have every studio class one could hope for, great faculty, an awesome location, funding options, and good studio spaces. I’ll definitely be applying there. Totally worth the trip.
Workshop participants in the Julie Blyfield workshop. I’ll be posting more images on my flickr soon!
I am back from my Virginia adventure. Robin and I drove to Port Norfolk, where she and her husband have a house, on Sunday. I went to Richmond to visit VCU on Monday. Then on Tuesday, we drove back to Indiana. I have to say, I never thought the trip would end. I also had no idea that West Virginia’s slogan is “open for businessâ€. That is just slutty. I’m pretty sure I have a permanent ridge in my butt from my car seat, road rage, road rash…. 
I spent Monday at VCU meeting Susie Ganch, Natalya Pinchuk, and the grad students in the metals area. Susie is absolutely wonderful! I spent about an hour with her, an hour with Natalya, and the entire afternoon with the grad students. They were all great; I really enjoyed picking their brains about their program.
The program at VCU is a two year program, which I find really enticing. They do not have a great amount of funding, BUT they do offer money to grads once they are there. I think the deal is that you aren’t guaranteed funding…you have to continually apply for the various things they offer. I would probably have to take out student loans to go to VCU.
This was the first visit I’ve done this time around, so as I visit other programs I’ll basically be comparing them to see which ones are the best deal/best fit for me. Robin seems to think that I should shop around.
I’m off to IU tonight for the Field of Vision exhibition/lecture series/workshop. I will be staying there for 3 days while I take a workshop with Julie Blyfield and learn all about smithing and chasing.
I’ll also be checking out IU’s grad program while I’m there. Then it goes like this:
BGSU on Oct. 18th
UW-Madison on Oct. 23rd
UW-Milwaukee on Nov. 20th
For the Lineage and Legacy exhibition next spring:
My work statement:
Traditionally, cameos are miniature sculptural art; windows into the cultural past. They are intended as statements, as commemorative adornment, and are often metaphors for human emotions and experiences. During the 19th century, the subject matter of the cameo shifted to the profile of an anonymous woman, whose identity has been lost through the repetition of reproduction. Typically worn by women, cameos are objects in dialogue with both the body and the psychological self.
The word “cameo†conjures images of beauty in the mind. The tooth as portrait is both beautiful and grotesque, yet the tooth recalls the pale colored profiles of women; it plays with expectation and provides a recognizable starting point for narrative. This juxtaposition of the living body with the lifeless body illicits both attraction and repulsion with the material and the meaning.
My statement about Robin:
I have known Robin Kraft since I first took her beginning metals class at Purdue University in 2002. I have had the pleasure of having her for an instructor, mentor, and co-worker for the last 5 years.
One of the first things that strikes you about Robin is her commitment to the field and her natural affinity with any material she meets. It is evident to everyone that she has this unique affection for metalsmithing, which difficult to describe. In an attempt to put this into words, I would have to say it is a mixture of ingenuity, curiosity, and playfulness combined with both passion and compassion.
Her wealth of knowledge is not only evident in her own work, but in the work of her students. She is happy to share vast amounts of information with anyone who asks; giving all that she can on a daily basis. This enthusiasm and love for art is highly contagious. She is constantly encouraging and challenging others.
Robin is truly admired by students and peers for all of her hard work, honesty, advice, and guidance.
You like?
First thing first, a big thank you to the blogs I found myself on today!
Holly, a fellow etsian, was nice enough to feature my shop on her blog.
Dotty, another fellow etsian, also was so kind to feature my shop on her blog.
Rare Bird Finds, a blog that has a vareity of excellent items from all over, was also kind enough to feature my thought bubble earrings!
And, last but not least, Anything Indie also featured my shop on her wonderful blog.
In other news, I have added two schools to my list: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Kent State University. I will be heading to Virginia this weekend to meet with Susie Ganch at VCU on Monday morning.
As I am supposed to take actual pieces of work with me to VCU, I have been working 24/7 to get my first cameo done! And….it is 99% finished as I type this. I am actually just waiting for the epoxy to dry on the pearls. Some images:
