Living in a Tree

Lately I've been feeling a little drained and I've been trying to find sources of new inspiration. I've realized that as time goes on, you lose a little bit of the innocent spirit that's inside of you. You begin to forget the simple things that use to make you uncontrollably happy, and unfortunately everything around you gets tangled up into a discombobulated mess.

I spent a few days searching for what really does inspire me. Then, out of the blue, I stumbled onto my admissions essay for the School of Interior Architecture and Design. We were told to write about a place that inspires us, a place that makes us want to be designers. I read through the 250 word essay and reached the last line..... "Not just one place, but the natural world around me inspires me to create beauty."

That sentence reminded me why I came to this program and why I'm going through this.

Soo... lets look to the natural world for inspiration !!

The Dancing Tree

The Cherry Blossom. Always an amazingly beautiful thing to see. Its flowers are nearly pure white, tinged with the palest pink, especially near the stem. They bloom and fall within a week, so catching sight of one is pretty spectacular.

Lets Design...

A stunning room! Done in simple light colors and patterns, set against a dramatic canvas of a cherry blossom imitation.

[Image taken from Material Girls blog site... more amazing tree paintings on walls found there.]

Lulu Painting

A child's play room, made to resemble a park. Never to young for imagination.

The Hydrangea.

I was stumbling through Anthropology's website (die for the store) the other day and I found this absolutely delightful knob. It's so cute I decided to put in my current studio design.

Fashion Designers also take inspiration from the natural environment. Lucy Liu in a Giambattista Valli Gown, paired with gold Christian Louboutin pumps.

There are many ways to be inspired, everyone is drawn to something new and different. These are a few examples of how the natural environment inspires design.

Don't forget what makes you imaginatively innovative! What inspires you?

Giving Back to God's Green Earth

In my Studio Design class, we're learning about the construction and development of kitchens. We are also further learning about sustainability and the amazing benefits the world will have from it. In studio we were all told to come up with a sustainability event, that would give back to the community around us. A group of friends and I decided to create a children's poem, titledGiving Back to God's Green Earth, and read it at a Sunday School and a local daycare.

Below is the poem and pictures drawn by Danielle Waye::

The children all loved the story and afterwards we helped them plant radishes so they could be apart of giving back to God's green earth...

Material Girls

So lately I've been looking through different blogs, for inspirational and imaginative ideas. Quite luckily, I stumbled upon a blog cite called Material Girls. The cite was designed by five self proclaimed material girls: Emily Johnston, Lauren Haskett, Julia Buckingham Edelmann, Jill Seidner, and Hilary White. Each woman covers a different city and blogs about amazing new treasures they find. This blog is absolutely inspirational and I encourage you to visit it!! Immediately.

An example of the Material Girls blog ::

Viva La Glam

by: Emily Dallas

Miss Dallas writes: I took a trip to the Neiman’s downtown today to get a last minute glimpse of the exquisite Jan Showers’ room that has been on display for the past few weeks. The “living room” vignette is on the second floor and the display ends November 5th! (yes, tomorrow!) So go check it out if you are in the area.

I normally don't go for the glam style, but when I read this article and visited Jan Showers website, I found an amazing appreciation for it. I love the modern feel of the furniture mixed with the natural elements such as the trees, branches, and flowers on the tables. The mix of geometric shapes on the throw pillows and the curvilinear chandelier also provide nice contrast. I've recently read that mirrored furniture is very in style right now and many designers are using it. When done in the right way I think that it can be quite fantastic. In Jan Showers design glass mirrored features are found on the frames of the chairs and on the end tables.

Here are a few mirrored pieces I found

on the Neiman Marcus website.

[completely out of my price range, but absolutely lovely to look at]

Antiqued Mirrored Chest

Handcrafted wood and eglomise chest has reverse painted floral designs on its top and the faces of its four drawers.

Priced at :: $2,199.00

Mirrored Vanity and Vanity Seat

Antiqued mirrored veneers cover the select hardwood frame of this stylish vanity with gold- and silver-leaf accents.

Priced at :: $699.90 (Vanity)

$459.00 (Bench)

"Equis" Mirrored Chest

Sophisticated and compact, this chest with beveled mirrored veneers make a handsome addition to the bedroom, living room, office, or foyer.

Priced at :: $699.00

"A Tale of Two Boys"

This past week for "So you think you can('t) draw?" we had to draw and render a haunted house and provide a tory that goes with the picture. My story was called "A Tale of Two Boys," it's centered around a barn rather then a house, the story will be posted shortly.

Case Study 9 :: Axonometric View

Case Study 9 :: The Entenza House

This is an axonometric view of the Entenza house done in 1/8" scale. I actually really enjoyed doing this view and I think the way it looks turned out really nicely. It was a bit of a challenge, but well worth it.

Case Study 9 :: Elevation View

Case Study 9 :: Entenza House

This is the elevation view of the Entenza House. We were assigned to draw the view before class and render it during class as a midterm grade. I felt a little flustered while rendering, only because I felt rushed and didn't want to mess anything up. I think it turned out nicely though! I also die for all these colors, however I don't normally use them.

Entourage

This week for "So you think you can('t) draw?" we had to create pictures with entourage. I decided to use my hard copies of my kitchen design (which will be posted shortly). I enjoyed the design, but my entourage was added as an after effect. I still need to work on that!!

Lights.. Camera.. Pose.

This week for "So you think you can('t) draw?" we were told to draw a camera then edit it on photoshop. I really enjoyed this and I was able to learn a lot on photoshop. I originally only had the outline of the heal and the camera and did the rest on the computer.

TAKE MY PICTURE, SCREAM MY NAME, AND I'LL DANCE !!

Photoshop It...

Where they lived happily ever after...

"So you think you can draw?" Each week I'm assigned a new creative project in my drawing class. This past week we were told to draw a castle. Above is the idea I dreamt up in my head then put to paper.

Green. Blue. Brown. Orange.

The above image is my final hand rendering of the living space I created. I used the same sketch- up layout however, I added a few more details including the staircase. Again I only used four colors, green, blue, brown, orange.

Ready. Set. Render.

For each of these drawing I traced my sketch- up design. I then chose three colors to work with, they were orange, green, blue, and brown (different shades and tints of the colors were used). The top is a tight rendering, the middle is somewhat loose, and the bottom is very loose.

Sketch It Up

So... this was my first time really using sketch- up. It was kind of frustrating trying t figure everything out, but it was nice to create a room and look at every angle.

Looking Down...

Above is a plan view of the living and dining space that I created. Figuring out what scale to use to fit on the specific size paper was tricky.. but i figured it out!!

Basic Drafts.. South and North View[south]

[south view]

[north view]

After creating a rough sketch.. I drafted the south wall of my room [as shown above]. Once that was turned we were told to turn around and draft the north wall [also shown above]. Already you can see the difference from the first draft!!

Pen to Paper.. First Sketch

In my drawing class, we were assigned to draw a living and dining space. Above, is the first sketch of my design process. Its funny to see how my design has changed!!

What What ??!!??!

The above image is an enhanced image of a drafting assignment I was given. I had to copy an image from my drafting book and right a passage, in architectural lettering, from the same book.

"Love it, hate it, say what you want about it, but all of the boys and all of the girls are begging to if you seek amy!!"

A Drafted House

I had to draft different views from a house, this is the result !!

Coming Full Circle

Community. After a year in the Interior Architecture program I have realized that the word community holds a greater meaning then I ever gave it. I have come to trust, love, and cherish all of my piers. As first years, we have formed our own community. We take care of each other when were sick, we help each other when we can't handle the world, we take the fall for one another, we are a community of boss bitches. You mess with one, you mess with all. A friend will bail you out of jail, but great friends (a.k.a. all of us) ... we'll be sitting next to each other saying, "Damn what a great night!"

Stewardship. To be in charge of and in control of situations such as people places and/or things. Take for instance this story: A young girl, of no more then 20 years of age, is driving down the road, eating a big juicey, thick burger from her favorite restuarant, McDonalds, as so many vegitarians do. She finishes up the bun-wrapped cow, and throws the wrapper out the window. This story is an example of bad stewardship, because the burger eating vegitarian is not taking charge of her surroundings.

Authenticity. Being original, new, and fresh. In my many years on this planet I have realized that a lot of people are not authentic. Many try to fit in with everyone else instead of standing out. You will never find me doing this. The queen bee of fashion, Miss Coco Chanel said, "In order to be remembered one must always be different." Who wants to be ordinary in a crazy-mixed up world. Now I know that I can be fake to people sometimes, like when I say "Oh my gosh your outfit looks so foxy" when I really mean "That is the ugliest skirt I've ever seen!" But for the most part I'm honest. What I do hate though is when people fake bake and go to the tanning bed. I feel like it is a disgrace to my native Hawaiian/Brazillian/Spanish heritage. I am tan, you're not. Don't change yourself, love yourself. Be original, be authentic.

Inivation. To be new, creative; to hybrid new and old; to discover. When one is inivative they are trying out new things. I try to do new things all the time. When I first came into this program, I would have ideas for projects fluttering through my head, like a school of butterflies around a field of sun red tulips. I realized that my ideas were too complicated and I did too much with my projects. Whe I realized this I refined myself to do more simple and "to the point" projects. Now theres only a few (and by few I mean 59, give or take a few) butterflies in my head. Old with new. Inivation.

My community of stone fox, boss bitches is my family. I would do anything for them, a friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. Next time you go for that corndog dipped in mustard yellow .... mustard, remember DON'T LITTER, cause I will hunt you down and find you like the chihuahua you are. GO GREEN and be substainable. Save your mother lands. Love yourself always and be authentic. If you feel like a troll, dress like a troll, it doesn't matter what you look like. If you've got a hunch back, just throw a little glitter on it babies and go dancing. And finally, my teachers, my friends, my loveys, always be inivative and try out new things, but remember to be yourselves ALWAYS!!

GONZALEZ OUT !!

BLINK BLINK !!

Road Trip

Jefferson's private bedroom is rooted in French design. (Above)

Roots. The basic cause, source, or origin of something. When visiting Monticello, we learned that the roots of Jefferson's home came from his travels and experiences from all over the world. Jefferson spent a great deal of time in France as the U.S. Ambassador. He studied the architecture of that country and brought it back to help build his home. "Gothic architecture, with its roots in northern European sources, evoked an uncivilized brutish period that they began to call the dark age that separated the glories of ancient Greece and Rome from their own time" (Roth 317). The following quotation further explains the idea one having roots, or borrowing, basic ideas from one source and branching off of that to create their own ideas.

My released explosion of drawings for Suzanne 

(not finished yet but is turning out to be one of my favorite project). 

It's refreshing to get assigned something thats just really fun 

when you're stressed out off your mind yo !! (Above)

Compression / Release. To flatten by pressure and then to allow to escape from confinement. With our latest assignment in Suzanne's class, we were told to draw at least five pictures all on one sheet of paper. Many of our other projects have been to only draw one picture on a piece of paper, which makes the assignment feel very compressed. Our new project is releasing and allows us to have an explosion of drawings. "In fact, if it were possible to freeze that form and invert it, the result would be a catenary curve or parabolic arch virtually entirely in compression" (Roth 38). This quote further explains the idea of compression holding something in. "Exposed to red, for example, the body experiences an increase in muscular tension, the release of adrenalin, increase of the heartbeat, and a stepping-up of gastric activity" (Roth 76). This quote explains the idea of releasing tension, much like I did for Suzanne's assignment.

Plan view of Jefferson's Monticello. Though, not completely 

identical, Monticello is extremely congruent and balanced. (Above)

Congruence. In agreement or harmony. At Monticello, Jefferson created a very congruent plan for his foundation. When viewing the home it appears to be a symmetric space. Each side of the house is almost identical to the other, which gives the house it's congruent appearance. "The technique of fan vaulting was used here at its grandest scale; the walls are completely dissolved in glass, and the vaults, windows, and detailing are a complete harmony" (Roth 310). Congruency is another form of harmony, which gives a space a sense of meaning and consistency.

Jefferson's spherical sundial. Get it young J !! (Above)

Materiality. The quality or character of being material or composed of matter. In Monticello, Jefferson used all local materials to build his home. He used lumber, brick, and other various materials from the surrounding towns. Jefferson also created a lot of material objects for his home, including a spherical sun dial that he designed himself.

Monticello set a top a hill, my inspiration and concept 

for my composition board. (Above)

Concept. An abstract idea; a general notion. In Suzanne's drawing class, I was assigned a project were I had to draw a series of picture on Monticello. My concept for the graphic was "The Hill." At Monticello, the house was surrounded by hundreds of hills and Jefferson actually had the top of a hill removed so that he could build his home there. "It was from Behrens that Mies derived the concept of the artist as agent of the taste of the age, and of architecture as being an expression of technical power" (Roth 469). Roth explains the idea of concept, by discussing the general notion of what an artist and architect is in an abstract way.

While I was working on Suzanne's assignment and looking at these opus words I easily found that Monticello applied to every word. The roots of Monticello originate from France. The house is extremely congruent and symmetrical. Jefferson also used only local materials to build his home. Monticello allowed me to create a released drawing rather than one that was compressed and made an easy concept for my overall composition.