The best word that describes who I am is artist.   Creating my own worlds and hybrid animals is something I have given my life to and coming to Parsons has helped me push that passion further.  Studying in both the MFA Fine Arts and Design/ Tech schools has helped my practice develop immensely.

For my project this week I decided to build a model from the laser-cutting machine. Using Adobe Illustrator you can directly load in your design to the computer’s software and then that data is sent over to the laser machine that cuts away material referencing the illustrator file that was uploaded.   I am trying to build my own little excavator and place it within my new sculpture.  The sculpture is part: family past, hungry animal, wound, and play set.

-AJS 2017

I am a storyteller, designer, artist, and educator. I am always interested in colors, shapes, and pattern. However, I want to make things that not only is pretty, but also meaningful, and can solve people’s problem. 

My favorite tool is pencil and paper, because I can draw down everything in anytime. I always want to do a embroidery project. This is my first embroidery work, and I started it in a really simple shape. When I start repeating the action, I feel calm. I also got a manual to learn how to do embroidery. I hope I can make delicate and cool project with this in the future!

I think the hardest part for me is whenever you keep an action(the same way of sewing) for a time, then the consistency become lower, and this might makes the quality looks not good. I am thinking to make it on a machine in the future, if the graphics become more complicated.

When I am doing this homework. I want to make it as a touch sensor. Also, I am thinking of making this project that is related with touch and smell.  I put the cotton, thread, and this swatch inside a mint-chocolate bag, so that this swatch now have a candy smell. However, I am still looking for more interesting things to try on. Maybe it is a button that have the natural texture and can trigger a water oxygen sprayer. And also, the user can put essential oil in it. This is what I might do for my midterm.

I identify myself as a designer, storyteller, learner, research and craftperson. I like recreating or inventing new experiences through storytelling and in doing so, incorporating design theories and research. Similar to most designers, I love well-coordinated color swatches, rare types and things organized neatly. But I am especially into purposeful design, or design that is backed up by thoughtful research. I have been and always will be a learner because I can never get enough of new techniques. They do not have to be ground-breaking technology. Learning how to crochet this past week, for example, has been delightful.

I have many favorite tools. On the first day of class, I mentioned the letterpress (which is magical). I also love the small but mighty bone folder and x-acto knife for bookmaking. They are tools that are specifically made for artists because they are not as easy to use as scissors and rulers.

What I love about learning how to crochet is that because I’m fairly new, the progress has been pretty fast. I went from making twisted messy knots to a square of single crochet in 2 days. I learned by following Youtube tutorial. It is very helpful when the teacher explained what she is doing instead of telling people to follow her without understanding the structure of the single crochet. I spent a day without much improvement following one tutorial that was shorter but didn’t explain much. The next day, I switched to a longer but more thorough tutorial and the result was very satisfying.

I identify as a designer, learner and maker of things.

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Practice: I would consider myself a researcher who practices, mostly because I enjoy doing research a lot.

Favorite tool: My favorite tool remains to be scissors, mostly because it is very versatile, and something I always forget to carry.

Knitting: For this week I wanted to try making an amigurumi, or knitted plushes. I followed these tutorials (1, 2, 3, 4) to make a knitted square and then followed this tutorial to attempt the bunny. I didn’t have any filling, which might have contributed to why my bunny looks a bit awkward. I used more yarn to make the filling.

I really enjoyed the mindless work involved behind knitting. If I were to become more crafty with my hands (I felt that I was knitting at very awkward angled with my fingers), I would definitely do this as I am thinking or doing other things.

Though it was enjoyable, a frustration I encountered was that while I was looking for other things to knit, many of the tutorials I found online were written in rather complex languages. The explanations for the patterns were very hard to understand, so I was only able to follow whatever was available in video form. Also, knitting required a lot of patience. I can finally understand that being a knitting grandma is not as relaxing as it seems.

A tip I would give to beginners is to be more patient and start slow.

ATTiny:

For the circuit, I had to make it twice as the first time did not work as expected. I believe this was due to the bad soldering. I ended up creating another circuit in the breadboard.

Video

For this project, I choose to do a group project with Jaeky Cheong. We were using a pressure sensor I got from the swatch last week from Aaron. For the code, we setted the pressure to 300, 500, and 800. So if the pressure reached 300, the green LED will be turned on; if the pressure reached 500, the red LED will be turned on; if the pressure reached 800, the blue LED will be turned on.

Here’s the code:

And then we used a bird to explain how the power and code works in the short film below:

For my computational craft assignment this week I decided to create a three-switch sensor that connects to three micro-servos.  Attached to each micro-servo is one prehistoric dinosaur.  The servos connect to wires going to breadboard and then an arduino for code.  Our classmate Erin helped me write the correct code for the switches so that when the switch is pressed,  a corresponding servo/dinosaur spins in action.  The whole piece is narratated by Richard and Beans.  Richard and Beans are hamsters who are in love.

-AJS

PLEASE VIEW LINK FOR VIDEO

In this project, I use my 3-pattern-layer sensor which is made by conductive tape.

When the user put the pattern together, the button will light up.

As people press it harder, the LED will be more lighter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My1yLriotgE&feature=youtu.be

Group project with Chang Liu_ A explanation video for kids