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Decorative Arts: footwear projects
Dec. 16th, 2009 12:29 pmJust the quickest of breaks in end-of-semester hecticness to post but i couldn't keep them to myself! Decorative Arts class presented all their final projects yesterday afternoon, and i have some fun images of some of the projects.
The way the semester worked out, we wound up doing the footwear project last due to respirator training scheduling with our Safety folks; because of the danger of the solvent-based chemicals we use in footwear applications, i won't teach that unit til all students have gone through respirator training and fit-testing and have their proper PPEs. They have to do two different footwear projects--a simple project and a complex project. Simple projects are often something like spats/gaiters, a soft shoe, or a basic shoe modification. Complex projects are all over the map, everything from animal feet for human performers, to transformation of a modern shoe into a period style.
( click for footwear fabulosity )
Aren't they lovely, fun, zany, and just excellent? I am so proud of all their work.
Here's some nice news: I decided to cross-post a lot of my "grad school application FAQ" posts over on TheatreFace.com (a networking community for the theatre profession), and my "Should I go to U/RTA?" post was profiled as a highlight in their weekly news update. Cool!
And, a book link: one of my students brought in a book she used in a research paper, and it's really fascinating, X-Rediography of Textiles, Dress, and Related Objects, by Sonia O'Connor and Mary M. Brooks. The old footwear is truly amazing--with all the nails and shanks and in one case, even TOE BONES down inside them. There are some really disturbing-looking x-rayed old dolls, too. If that interests you, definitely check it out!
I swear, i just have to finish getting these evals written and grades turned in, and i will write that entry on the bloody lipsewing appliance.
That will be my Christmas gift to you all, perhaps. Ha!
The way the semester worked out, we wound up doing the footwear project last due to respirator training scheduling with our Safety folks; because of the danger of the solvent-based chemicals we use in footwear applications, i won't teach that unit til all students have gone through respirator training and fit-testing and have their proper PPEs. They have to do two different footwear projects--a simple project and a complex project. Simple projects are often something like spats/gaiters, a soft shoe, or a basic shoe modification. Complex projects are all over the map, everything from animal feet for human performers, to transformation of a modern shoe into a period style.
( click for footwear fabulosity )
Aren't they lovely, fun, zany, and just excellent? I am so proud of all their work.
Here's some nice news: I decided to cross-post a lot of my "grad school application FAQ" posts over on TheatreFace.com (a networking community for the theatre profession), and my "Should I go to U/RTA?" post was profiled as a highlight in their weekly news update. Cool!
And, a book link: one of my students brought in a book she used in a research paper, and it's really fascinating, X-Rediography of Textiles, Dress, and Related Objects, by Sonia O'Connor and Mary M. Brooks. The old footwear is truly amazing--with all the nails and shanks and in one case, even TOE BONES down inside them. There are some really disturbing-looking x-rayed old dolls, too. If that interests you, definitely check it out!
I swear, i just have to finish getting these evals written and grades turned in, and i will write that entry on the bloody lipsewing appliance.
That will be my Christmas gift to you all, perhaps. Ha!
