my prints

Here are some of the prints that I made while with Lou. This flower print is very reminiscent of the technique Lou used with his flower prints. Lou works with lots of layers creating texture and value. I had done a lot of simple pencil and pen drawings before I was ready to start planning this print. I wanted to use crosshatching to create the value in the print instead of just using blocks of colors. It's easier to see the detail in person. The print is about 16"x16".

This is my forth print I completed. My assignment was to create a design where I would have to have perfect registration. Having perfect registration is a lot harder than it looks and to get all 20 or so editions perfect too. Lou has a very critical eye and would notice when the two shapes just barely didn't touch. It was these minor mistakes that taught me how to problem solve and fix my mistakes.
This landscape of a picture I took in Brazil uses a technique unique to Lou. In a given stencil/shape, instead of creating a new stencil, he slowly paints out areas to create a more blended shading technique. So each mountain range was a separate stencil. I would print it once with the lightest color then paint a thin line on the top of the stencil. I would print it again with a slightly darker color, then paint another line on the stencil. This process would be repeated until the entire shape is shaded.

It's not the conventional way to print it does add a softer look to the silkscreen print that can usually look bold and graphic.
This was my first print, the whale! I was introduced to stencils and the technique of painting out areas.

Final Thoughts

So I finished my internship with Lou a couple weeks ago and I’ve had time to reflect with my time with him. Not only did I learn almost everything about silkscreen printing but our conversations about art really opened my mind. When I would be printing Lou would occasionally wander by and critique my work and sometimes it would turn into a deep conversation about art. The conversations reminded me of our discussions that occurred in Art315.

Art isn’t so much mastering the technical. It’s being able to produce something surprising, new and interesting. Art should be exciting. The illusion of being perfect so even if it isn’t technically perfect, it’s about being exciting and surprising.

It’s amazing to watch Lou’s creative process. I came in one morning and there were two new prints on the drying rack, which looked new and different. Later that morning he added white to them and they change completely. Sometimes they change in a good way and other times you know he needs to keep going. The process of Lou creating his monoprints, layering ink like Pollock, can take days or weeks. He’s always interested in the opinions of others to help him make decisions on the direction of his prints.

Lou admitted to me that he enjoys creating abstract art more than representational. It’s more enjoyable to him but there’s still something beautiful about the representational. He thought he was sending me mixed messages about abstract vs representational since he was teaching me how to render perfectly while he was creating abstractly. I think there’s a progression with an artist that starts with the mastering of the representational and over time it evolves to abstract. Mastering the medium and being able to render something perfectly makes the artist and the art legit. There’s something the artist has to achieve to release the creativeness for the abstract. Abstract is creating from the mind and emotion. There is a progression of conquerings an artist has to go through. Perfect rendering that slowly loosens up and breaks down to abstraction.

I have found that silkscreen printing is an art for the engineers. It takes more planning, organization and sometimes math. Technical skills need to be acquired. Patience and perfection are required. One cannot get lazy or sloppy (or it defeats the whole purpose of an edition). With the rigidity of this art, it’s surprising how loose and painterly/drawerly you can make a print. Some really beautiful things can start to happen. Its far from the graphic screenprint posters your used to.

“I’m fiercely proud of you for doing this… we’re goning to be friends for life” Lou

My final weeks

This summer has been a huge learning experience for me. I have be able to work creatively with other artists and designers to finish projects with real life deadlines, from this I have learned time management. Through out the summer I have created so many contacts that I had to create a book for them. Both of these internships have affected my life. In printmaking I have a book that I have kept of everything that I have learned so that I can begin to use these new techniques in my art. I also had in depth conversations with Kathy about what art is and some how it would always revert back to something I learned in Art 315. We discussed a lot about how digital art is effecting printmaking. She is fighting to no be replaced by technology, because she sells a lot of her clients work, and when people are able to get a look a like digitally for less some times they will not invest in the real thing. We also talked a lot about how it is sometimes it is important for artists to be able to collaborate together on a piece and the magic that can happen when two artists create work together.

The last day Kathy let me print and taught me an embossing technique in printmaking. I was also able to continue helping her with her upcoming show and I taught her a little bit about photoshop in my last few days there so that she could use technology to her advantage in printmaking rather then let it replace the printmaking process. My last day Kathy gave me two signed prints of her own! I have started a Kathy collection and as a parting gift she had made me hand made business cards so that I can start creating my own contacts!

At Wyndham I worked in a corporate environment and really leaned how business mixes with design. I had such a great experience that I have been looking into the interior design world and what it can offer me. In my last weeks I finished up the projects that I was assigned which was the specification book. I will really miss the people I worked with! They taught me a lot of life lessons, like how to manage family time and work time, or how to be a mother and work a full time job, or how no matter what path you go in eventually you will get where you need to be. A lot of the people I worked with started in completely different jobs or majors and as time went on they found their way to what they loved, this was reassuring because as we all know senior year is right around the corner and it is a little scary when you do not know what the future will bring when we enter the work force.

I will really miss the people that I have met this summer and I plan on staying in touch, maybe even working at one of these two places in the future!

Revelation!

Hello all,

Valerie also set me up with one of her friends who also has a studio in the quad of buildings that Valerie works in. The warehouse is called “The Can Factory,” it was an old bottling factory that was converted into studio spaces for artist and musicians. It is very cool to walk down the halls and see the names on all the doors. They have some very successful and well known artists working there. In wondering one day I saw the name Tim Hyde. I wrote a paper on Tim for a Contemporary Art class! In a weird way seeing his name hit me. The artists that we see in museums, galleries, etc. do work and create like the rest of us. They aren't so removed from us and society. I know that is weird to say but I already had a connection to that artist and his studio is down the hall from the artist I'm working for! It was odd to see the name of someone whose work was on display in The Philadelphia Museum of Art in such a close proximity to me, give it up from Brooklyn!! Sometimes you think artists are untouchable or unreachable or live and work in some remote area or even another dimension. It was cool to work near someone so successful and so famous and so close to home. It almost made things seem reachable, or not so foreign. I think seeing his name gave me a more personal experience of art in general because it brought me closer to the creative process. For art papers you write about the art that you are intrigued by, attracted too.

You write about a person, a name that other then his art you know little about. Reading a biography does not allow you into the personal live, the creative process of the person. I like that seeing Tim Hyde's name on the door still has a bit of mystery behind it. I know where his studio is but I do not know what is inside. I feel connected but I still feel distant. The doors are big metal doors, you cannot see in. It was cool to still wonder about the man behind the curtain but feel connected to his workspace. It is also cool that I saw his work in Philadelphia, close to Delaware, and his studio, very close to home. I had a revelation in away, just that these famous artists are real and can pop up where you least expect it.

PIXS

These are actually inages from the conference. This is of one of the many high text and jam packed hallways.













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This is a picture of the main entrance to the Hilton. I was really suprised when I came up to it. I did not now it was such a big thing. There were over 500 participants. Among other things like the huge house they had keynote speakers and book signings. The Kardasian dad was there, BRUCE! Also one of the Real House Wives of Orange County, not NY, crazy.






This is of our work space. That's Naomi. On the other side were faux
cabinets. it really did look like a kitchen.

BLOGher- You Go Girl!

Hello!
Well fellow UD bloogers, do I have a story for you. I worked a huge conference today in the Hilton on 53rd and 6th for female bloggers, caller BLOGher! There were so many different women form all across the country, young, middle aged, some kids, some dogs in bags. Most were dressed pretty normally, the reason why I say that is because some were in Wonder Women outfits and some were in tutus. A lot of women has shirts that reped there blog sites, most sites were for mommys. The women blogged about the good, the bad, and the ugly of motherhood. I met many interesting characters who really inspired me to not be intimidated to write my mind. The slogan for the conference was "Life well said." I thought that was articulated pretty well. One of the great features of the conference was blank speak bubbles where the women could write what was on there mind. Some were inspirational, some were funny, and some were down right raunchy. You go girl!
With my many projects and art gigs this summer you are probably wondering how in the world did she get involved in that or better yet, what the F@* is she talking about. I will try and lay it out for you as best I can. Lord knows I go on tangents thinking whatever is on my mind will come across on paper...I'm working on it! Anyway back to my amazing adventures in midtown, here is an explanation for my random yet exciting and quirky participation in The 2010 BLOGher conference. One of the big sponsors for the conference is Procter & Gamble. One of the main companies of Procter & Gamble is Bounty. Bounty is one of the main sponsors and partners with Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, for which I work for. The conference had a huge fake house set up in the main ballroom where all the corporate sponsors ran little tutorials and gave out free samples yayy!! The products and companies were divided by rooms, Bounty of course was in the faux kitchen. Myself, another intern along with visiting artist Naomi Blume were there on behalf of Rush Kids. Rush is part of Bounty's "Make a clean difference program." Just a little side note, Bount is no longer "The quilted quicker picker upper." The program is meant to spur creativity. The company does not want the stress of a mess the stifle the artistic process. Bounty and Rush published a cute little pamphlet with fun activities for parents to do with their children. Myself and the girls were there to do one of the interactive projects with all the fast and furious female bloggers. We focused on a cheap, fun, and easy project called Food for Thought. For the project we made collages out of food packaging labels. The interns actually collected the images on line, but the booklet instructs the consumer to collect labels for a week or so then sit down and create. We were selling a product while making art, how commercial!
It was really cool to be on the Procter and Gamble team, seeing the PR side of things and making art. I was really surprised at the size of the conference. I liked meeting all the women. The best part was seeing so many women carrying bags and bags of free samples. Gotta get it while it's hot I guess. I am going again tomorrow for part duex. Will keep you posted. Blog on, live well and prosper...Life well said.

interior design!

These past couple of weeks at Wyndham have been very exciting. We are working hard for a conference in September. As I have mentioned before, we are revising the brand essences for the core brands of Wyndham. Each week we have sat down and discussed a particular brand. I have learned a lot about how we, as designers, need to cater to the franchise owners, as well as the consumer. We need to get the best price point for the owner with a unique design that will differentiate this Wyndham brand from its competitors. We also need to think about being green and using products that are recycled. As well as creating a space for the guests that creates a positive flow of energy throughout the hotel.

I have been involved in the Super 8, Ramada, Hawthorne Suites, Wyndham, Wingate, Tryp, and Days Inn design meetings. We have worked on marketing, layouts of the space, fabric colors, pattern choices, furniture and brand defining elements. Each week we get closer to where we need to be for the conference to show the franchisee owners what design direction their brand is heading in.

Last week I learned a lot about our newest brand, Tryp, and what its DNA is in the Wyndham family. I am very excited about this brand, it will hopefully be in all major cities in the US. It will revolve a lot around socialization, food and lots of energy based on some Tryp hotels that already exist in Eroupe.

For one of the brands I had the opportunity to design a tile that could possibly be used behind the lobby desk of a particular hotel in L.A. I abstracted the Wingate emblem to make it look like a design at first but at second glance you can tell that you are at a Wingate.

The designers and I have had the opportunity to have a lot of great vendors come in these past few weeks. One vendor had mirrors with TV’s in them, glass blown pieces for lights and some great options for furniture. Recently we have had a few tile vendors in and the creative solutions to tile that people are coming up with are crazy. The one that sticks out the most to me is the new liquid tile. It has a hard exterior but when you step on it the liquid in it moves based on the pressure from your foot. It is mesmerizing and it adds interest to a space, plus it is a great distraction for kids.

Other tiles that I am drawn to are these tiles that are created to mimic hardwood floors. It gives you the durability and affordability of a tile but looks like hardwood flooring which is more expensive and less durable.

One of the projects that I am currently working on is three specification books for the new Wingate designs which are, spring, summer and fall. The spec book contains everything in a hotel. From vending machines to the type of lock on the door, these books are filled with information for that hotel owner so that he can get the best design.

Just as a reference, Wyndham Worldwide is located in Parsippany, NJ. George Scammel is my superior and he is extremely well known in the world of design. He has owned his own business, worked for Disney for ten years in design, designed furniture, been in construction and has always loved hotel interior design. He is extremely inspiring and has taught me a lot about what it means to control a space that people will interact in.

City Printing

These past few weeks in the city are the weeks that I have learned the most from Kathy. Here are a few things I was able to experience and lean about….Methyl Cellulose and its powers! It is German archival glue that makes Chine-collé flawless. I was also excited to find a new type of plate called a styrene plate, which are compressed packing peanuts. This is the plate that Midori Curtis used in her prints. It is white and feels like plastic but you can cut it up easily and you can get some great colors on it, the application of ink is smooth.

I was able to do some research on Mezzo Tint, which creates a middle tone in black and white prints. The book I used was by Carol Wax. I also got to see some of her personal prints that Kathy purchased from her. She had a mezzotint of an old fashion typewriter; this print looked so close to a photo it was memorizing. These images look so realistic because of the shadows and middle tones that are created. Carol called Mezzotint a product in “The age of Reason.” You pre-pare the plate by using a rocking tool, which makes the metal of the plate stand up. Next you go back into the plate with a burnisher and work towards an image by putting white into the image. This process introduces patches of light, and adds an immense amount of depth by creating all different gray tones with different uses of pressure.

This Thursday and Friday I helped Kathy prepare for an upcoming show that she was asked to participate in. I would scan in her prints and make adjustments in Photoshop and teach her about some of the options she had in Photoshop with printmaking. She is letting me be her collaborator in her show! This is so exciting, anything that I helped her with she had me sign and date so I could get credit for it. Her pieces that I was collaborating on with her were based on her trying to make her own art and not copy the artists work that she has been printing for lately. She has been influenced by the work she has been printing, but that work has not been her own work, so this series is about he finding he art through process.

Next week Kathy is going to teach me embossing in printmaking and from what I understand you can do it in many different ways. Crible, which is the hammering of holes, is a form of embossing.

Bird Lady!

Hello all,
I would like to give you a glimpse of my summer through a photo retrospective. These are pictures taken by Valerie in her shared studio in Park Slope, Brooklyn. As you can see, I was quite the pigeon lady! The big piece that I am paper macheing using strips of canvas covered n wood glue was actually hanging in the gallery that Valerie shows in when I first met her in the Lower East Side. Her gallery is called the Nicelle Beauchene Gallery located on 21 Orchard street. The paper mache is giving the piece called Pollock's Flying Carpet more support so it can be hung without a worry. Wood Glue is a good base because it is archival, meaning that it will last much longer then most adhesives. I went on countless trips to True Value to buy gallons of that stuff. It was definitely a necessity. We used the same paper mache process on the pigeons that will be used in Valerie's upcoming show in the Lotus Gallery in Miami. She is transforming a huge empty, clean, crisp space into a trompe l'oeil interior which can be described as an abandoned, deteriorated Floridian building consisting of a fake view of a tropic beach, an optical illusion of a deep puddle, wood piles, tile floors made out of ripped and torn papers that Valerie paints and clips, 10 paper mache pigeons, 4 sea gulls, and 1 egret. She actually had most of the bird bodies from a prior failed project so basically my task was to resurrect our feathered friends, fixing the bodies, paper maching using wood glue and making bird feet out of wire and tin foil! It was tedious but exciting to work on the all elements, including bird feet that will come together and make such an intriguing, mysterious, and detailed space.

Lizzy in da Cityyy!!!

Hello All!  I'm so glad everyone is having a fantastic summer with such great new and exciting experiences! In the beginning of this summer I interned for Valerie Hegarty.            

Valerie Hegarty's work revolves around the concept of revitalizing or giving new life to masterpiece paintings.  Her inspirations come from Abstract Expressionist artist such as Rothko and Still. She sheds new light on these recognizable works by putting her own contemporary spin on them.  She uses materials such as foam core and wood glue for paper mache to make depictions of landscapes into warped physical forms, often large scale sculptures that hang on walls or stand freely.  Basically she regenerates the works of Abstract Expressionists by metamorphosing them into “sculptural paintings” by deteriorating and decomposing them.  Valerie paints and burns some of her pieces to look like they have been subjected to natural disasters.  This allows them to have their own life-like experiences.  By weathering, tearing and molding her pieces she is able to breathe new life in to them.  She seems to enjoy toying with the interaction between nature and painting.  Her work is not just inspired by nature but becomes intertwined with it. 

          She has work up in the High Line Park in Chelsea.  The park was once an elevated train rail which was turned into an aerial greenway.  Her piece looks like an old ripped deteriorated canvas with the fame morphing into long stemy flowery branches.  It's so cool and I am really proud to say that I worked for such a talented and successful artist.  The reason why that is in past tense in because Valerie has a lot of work to do in Portugal, and although I was a fabulous intern for the short time that we spent together alas I could not go with her.  She is part of an international group show.  

          As of now I will reflect back on the time I spent with Valerie, watching her technique, listening to her artistic journey, eating Thai, Mexican and veggie sandwiches, many trips to Pearl Paint, True Value, even Lowes!, (one of Rebecca's favorite places), and her really cool hip shared artistic studio above a neon light factory where only true hipsters were allowed to work ( I loved watching them on their countless cigarette breaks.)  Right now I am interning with Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, founded by the Simmons Brothers, "Rev Run, Russell, and Danny.  Danny is the more artistic one.  So basically I work for Russell Simmons hehe! The organization was founded to expose disadvantaged urban kids to the many splendors of art, creation, admiration, and education.  Valerie worked for them as a visiting artist and recommended that I look into working for them.  The kids are awesome, so funny and so talented!  The first time I met them we where in a park doing field sketches of the Old Stone House, a historic landmark in Brooklyn.  The park was the same park I used to go and drink my coffee and eat my breakfast before I went in and worked for Valerie.  Her studio was a block away! What are the odds, It was meant to be! 

          One of the best things about both internships in the location!  Both are located in downtown Brooklyn, Valerie's Studio in Park Slope and the Corridor Gallery, where the kids meet and create art is in Clinton Hill.  I Love Brooklyn! I love walking around I love feeling like I belong to such a trendy place, I love all the natural food stores, all the people, all the clothing boutiques, coffee shops, fuggetaboutittt! Both internships have made me feel more like a New Yorker! I have gotten to know the area and the surrounding areas way better.  I am way more confident on the subway.  I would always have to navigate my way around Brooklyn and lower Manhattan for Valerie for crazy art supplies and I meet the kids at random places when they go on field trips.  Next week we are going to Coney Island to see circus blahhh, but we are meeting the woman who does most of the art for Coney Island, including the famous freak show displays and displays yayy!

Studio in the city!

The studio.

Some ink and other supplies.

The studio.

Kathy's Library.

One of the plates I was working on.

Images of the studio in NYC.

This week with Kathy, I prepared zinc plates for printing. The artist that belonged to these plates is Marshall Arisman. Marshall is very worldly, he has written a few books, he is an illustrator, painter, and writer. He is very graphic and is currently making images of war. The titles of the two series are Primordial Light, and the second is Ayhavasca series. The Primordial Light is about children strapped with bombs going to war. The Ayhavasa is about humans transforming into animals. There are eight plates; this project is going to be an addition of 160. In preparing these plates Kathy taught me some useful techniques that I will use in the future the next time I have an etching project.

I was also able to explore the library she has created in the studio and do some research on other techniques. The one that I am most interested in right now is soft ground etching. It is a hard ground mixed with a specific wax and you can press objects into it to create an image. I was also able to research the history of etching and how printmaking moved from adds to art

Designing in New Jersey

The library.

Some current projects.

My desk!

The other internship that I am doing in interior design has been equally exciting! I have worked on many different projects, such as learning about the brand essence of Ramada, Wyndham, Super 8 and Hawthorne Suites. When you create a brand essence in a hotel, a designer has many things to think about: who is going to be staying in this hotel, how long will they stay, what do we want them to remember about their experience, how can we demonstrate this through the furniture, wall coverings and other aspects of the hotel such as the front desk. All of these aspects need to be taken into consideration. This process has been very interesting. It has shown me the business side of interior design for a large company.

Wednesday the 23^rd, I went to an offsite visit with the design team to visit a fabric company’s warehouse. This was so interesting, we were given a tour and shown how their products were made from beginning to end. This showed us their quality of work and how quick their turn around time was for their product. This trip was a great experience; this internship is exposing me to so many different aspects of the design industry.

Thursday the 24^th, I was able to go to a trade show in NYC called the NEWH trade show. This was so exciting! George (my boss) knew everyone there so I was able to meet all different types of creative people. There were vendors that worked with mosaics, fabrics, bedding, bathrooms, indoor furniture, outdoor furniture, anything you can think of that goes into the decor of a hotel. This show was so much fun and educational. I was able to see and feel products in person and each vendor told us their process and how they were working hard to be environmentally friendly. I learned a lot about what makes certain materials quality materials and how important it is for some of these products to be made domestically. Wyndham Worldwide is doing their best to have green products in their hotels, and it is our job to learn how and where these products are being made before we use them in our design.

Last week the design team and I spent our time having the vendors come to the office to give us samples and spend more time with us teaching us about their product so that we could possibly use them in future projects.

I am excited to see what the next weeks bring!

Printing with artists!

These past two weeks have been packed full with activities. The last two weeks I worked with Kathy in printing two different artists work. One artist was David Collins. His work was about place and time and he was able to make his prints look like collages, when they were just ink on paper. He did mainly mono prints and had many different elements to them. He worked fast and pumped out many prints. I loved that he used long and thin rectangular paper, this size paper is my favorite to work with.

The second artist I worked with was from Japan named Madori Curtis. Her work involved, etching, collagraph, chine colle, and another techniques that I have never seen and I believe she made up. She would ink up pieces of plastic and put them directly on the print only after the second time through to create depth with another element of color. Her work was about music and each print contained calligraphy from and ancient Japanese book.

These past two weeks have been great I have leaned a lot about the possibilities of printmaking and the different ways you can addition a print. I am leaning about artists proofs, original prints and additions of that print as well as an archiving system.

The Studio

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.

Lou Stovall the screenprinter

This was my first day working for the screenprinter Lou Stovall in his studio in DC and I have already learned so much. Lou has been printing since he was fifteen and he is now into his 70s so he is very experienced and has mastered the art of screenprinting. over the years Lou has experimented with many techniques and processes and styles while collaborating with other artists.

While going through many different focuses and styles the majority of his work is inspired by nature (flowers, trees, and birds) and by music (his emotions and reactions as he listens to a song). His flower prints are very interesting because they look like a painting from afar but when close up it can be appreciated for its many layers and intricate stenciling and brushwork. Lou doesn't use photo emulsion but instead only uses stenciling. In addition he slowly blocks out areas of the stencil with a brush to create a softer line, and creating a gradation of color.

In his current work he is experimenting with monoprints, which I didn't know you could do in screenprinting. He places a blank paper on the table then pulls the screen down. He then splatters various paints in the screen until it is just how he wants it. He then places another paper on top of the screen and rubs it with a rag. He now has two mirrored imaged prints that he will add to when he finds inspired. When he finishes a print he goes back to his previous works to compare and make sure he's doing something different.

NYC Printmaking!

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.

Wyndham Worldwide!

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.

Welcome to the blog!

Hello 2010 Fine Art Summer Interns! Welcome to your blog! It is up to you guys to design this in the way you would like that reflects you as a group. It is also up to you to fill it with tons of content, include text and images or even video if you can. The content you create will be used to evaluate you at the end of the summer, so go forth and blog!