Laptop Stand

Designed and assembled by yours truly, this laptop stand was created to (1) keep my laptop cool, (2)  give me more space to work on my desk, and (3) bring the screen up to eye level so I'm not hunched over.  The stand is made of birch plywood and was then cut a using a LaserCamm.  Now it serves it purpose of holding my laptop and leaving room for me to store pencils and paint underneath. Nifty!   The unique alternating vent design isn't unsightly when my computer is not on the stand, and makes the platform look less bulky.  After a month of use, it is still holding up very well and helps keep my workspace a tiny bit tidier. Joel Beeby

Widget Model

After combining pencil drawings into four compositions, I then used these as floor-plans for a 10" x 10" x 16" model.  The materials I used include bass wood and cardboard.  As for the texture on the top and on the sides of the vertical piece, I used several thin strips of cardboard from cereal boxes to add some bright colors.

Van Gogh's Crab on its Back

I chose Van Gogh's painting Crab on its Back because of my love for Deadliest Catch. After selecting the six most prominent colors from this piece of work, I calculated the percentages of how much of each color there was in the painting. That is how I knew how much of each color to use when creating my project. The circles (which were cut out using a LaserCamm) are not just arbitrarily placed. They are actually in the form of the crab from the painting. When looking directly down at my project, you see three levels of green gradating from the lightest shade on top to the darkest shade on the bottom. Inside the cut out circles is where you can see the other three colors, the gold, orange, and black.

:)

Adjustable Color Planes

What began as a study of color and optical illusion became a project in which we were to make a physical representation of 6 color percentages in a Vincent van Gogh painting. "Wheat Field Under Clouded Sky" was a painting done by van Gogh in the late 1800s. Its rich colors of blue and green compatibly unite in what is a very calm image. 6 colors were chosen and then applied to create a colorful display titled "Adjustable Color Planes". The project features a rectangular display of 100 free-moving straws that represent the 6 colors and their percentages from the original painting. The insides of clear straws were painted using pipe cleaners to achieve an identical color match and a pure application. What makes this project unique is that it allows for the physical interaction of its viewer and can easily be adjusted without changing percentages.

A Circular Manipulation of Light and Shadow - Project 1

203 straws are arranged geometrically to display the movement and manipulation of natural light. By sewing them together, their joint becomes flexible and allows for the bending of light to create a unique array of shadows. Illumination takes on a new geometric dimension with these delicate translucent materials.

First project--Repetition and Transition

Planes of Color

Iteration 2:

Iteration 3:

Iteration 4:

Final Model:

The six colors in the photos above were derived from Van Gogh's painting "A Wheatfield with Cypresses." The percentages of each color within the painting were calculated and proportional planes were formed. In the base model, all the planes were put together using simple butt joints. Each different orientation of the structure allows you to see two faces straight-on. In each of the next three iterations, the planes in one orientation were shifted each time, forming a new and different structure. Each iteration started back at the original model. In the final model, all three shifts are combined.

Wonder of Acupuncture

The main layer project is based on the pressure/ stress points in the human body commonly used for acupuncture. The box it sits in is based on the diagrams on Chinese acupuncture charts, that way even though the two parts look nothing alike, they are still related. The sleeve combines the two ideas. It has the lines found in the first part of the project combined with the triangular shapes cut out of the box.

Standing widgets

Tile Board

This project started out as Van Gogh's Portrait of Dr. Gachet. I broke the painting down into its basic colors and calculated the percentages of those colors on the painting using basic geometric shapes and calculations. After that was done, I wanted to make something from that that was fun and interactive (something that many of Van Gogh's works seem to lack, being drab and depressing for the most part). This peg board with colored tiles seemed to be the best way to take the essence of Van Gogh's masterpiece and transform it into something fun. After I constructed and painted everything, I asked my classmates to help me out by making their own designs on the board, and this was the result! I don't think I could have asked for a better result.

Thank you to everybody who contributed to my project by creating their very own design!