Here are some pictures taken in the studio. Lou's studio is located at his home. He basically converted his garage into a studio but one could never tell with stacks of paint cans and art all over the walls. These pictures are of my station that Lou set up for me. My station is equipped with an area for me to draw and cut my stencils, my drying rack, and my silk screen.
Last night I accompanied Lou and his wife to a dinner event for the opening of the German Master drawings at the National gallery of Art in DC. It was such a privilege not only to be able to go to the event but to go with such a well-known artist. Lou seemed to know everyone, which was very interesting and exciting but made it hard to get through the exhibit and eventually to the food. But he managed to find time to show us his favorite drawing, which was a beautifully rendered drawing of decaying foliage. It was done in pen and ink, which 200 years ago the pen had to be dipped in ink for each stroke. It was also very delicate so it was hard to believe it was done in ink. In between looking at the drawings, I met a variety of people from artists to directors of museums to friends of the museum. It was a scene I have never been in before so it was exciting to be apart of it and to get a taste of it.
In this first week I have already learned so much about silkscreen printing and how versatile it can be. Silkscreen has the ability to imitate all types of art from painting to drawing and collaging. Lou likes to challenge himself by collaborating with other artists. Basically artists bring him their own work (paintings etc) and Lou replicates it in silkscreen print. It’s so mesmerizing to study his prints just to try and figure out how it was put together, how many layers and colors there are. He spends so much time putting such intricate detail, which is all done with stencils (he has carpal tunnel from doing so much stenciling over the years).
On June 22, my second day with Lou, I got my own print station in his studio. He just happened to have an extra screen set up. The screen is massive, it’s about 3’ by 4’, enough to put multiple stencils on it at the same time. The station is also equipped with a drying rack in arms reach and all the cleaning solutions and towels right at my feet. Lou is very particular in how he works, he is very clean and efficient and makes sure I do the same.
When Lou said I was ready to print I came in with ideas and sketches. I, of course, chose a whale for my first print. I applied his technique of painting out areas as I print to create value and tone (as seen in his flower prints). Over two days I printed 20 editions with 6 layers/colors.
My other internship is in NYC and I am working with a master printmaker named Kathy Caraccio. She is extremely talented and I have leaned a lot about printmaking and all of the different techniques. I have learned about viscosity and how to use xeroxing in printmaking. These are two techniques that I plan to use when I return to school.
I work three days a week in NJ at the interior design internship and one to two days a week with Kathy at her studio. You can visit her website at www.kcaraccio.com. The first day I catalogued about 200 prints from a single artist, alphabetized them all, and stored them in the studio. It is great to work hands on with artists work and hear the stories about how they came to make these prints and where their ideas stem from. It is very inspiring.
Tomorrow I am going to work with Kathy and one of her artists who is going to come in and do some printmaking. This should be great! I am very excited to see her work.
Three days a week I work at Wyndham Worldwide. This is a large hospitality company located in NJ. At Wyndham I am an interior design intern. This is an amazing place to work, everyone is welcoming and enthusiastic about what they do. The building I work in is fantastic, the whole building is green from the bottom up. Green as in good for the environment. The second I started working I have been given a lot of responsibilities and I have leaned a lot. So far I have been involved in choosing furniture, lighting, fabrics and carpet for various hotel brands that we are working on. I am also responsible for talking to vendors and setting up times for them to come in, meet with me and the other designers and update the library. In three weeks I have been exposed to many different vendors and I have spent time with them and learned about their products, how they are made, how much they cost and if they are made in the US or internationally. Every Tuesday we have a lunch and learn where vendors get a chance to come to the office to sell us their products. They give us samples of what they can do as far as lighting, carpeting, window treatments, plumbing and anything else that is involved in creating a hotel room. I have also been able to attend a few board meetings and listen in and learn about the different brands.
I have a few upcoming projects that I will be responsible for. First I need to archive some of the materials and information that we have on our brands. Second I will be working with other employees to update spreadsheets about certain brands and what they are required to have in each guest room.
Being an intern here at Wyndham is great, they set up opportunities for us each week to be involved in the company. We have met with leaders of the company and have learned their roles. I have learned so much, not only about interior design but about many other jobs here at Wyndham.
