Wrapping up

Last Wednesday was the closest thing to our sketching final, which was basically an installation piece somewhere in the architecture building. I chose a display case on the third floor and used the glass to reflect sketches I'd done so it looked as though the sketch and the viewer were floating in space. It was a neat trick and the reviewers loved it. You can't underestimate the value of that little trick, the bit of dazzle. How can they see with sequins in thier eyes? Anyway, the only thing left for that class is the sketchbook which I'm supposed to fill. Our instructor tells us that its about "quality" but also that he wants us to fill the sketchbook. What it will really come down to is a balance, and he'll compare sketchbooks, probably weighting a person who did a bunch of mediocre drawings the same as one who did half as many drawings at twice the quality. I'm actually in really good shape, as I think I've got halfway decent drawings and already over 200 drawings done.

Friday night, Saori and I went to the Senior Graphic Design show at PURL downtown. Saori actually spent a year in the graphic program before switching over, so she knew a lot of those people. Overall it was very impressive, interesting work.

In studio, my professor asked me to put my project up in the gallery downstairs for Design Excellence. Design Excellence is a little competition held by the college of architecture and landscape architecture, where three projects are selected from each studio and then an outside panel of visitors comes to review it and award a winner and a runner up from each year. I had my group's Buenos Aires project put up (probably because it was one of the most finished), but this is the first time I've ever been selected personally for nomination. The reason this time: graphic appeal. My boards have some sexy images. The other two nominees from my class have okay projects but really well done boards, boards that make mine look really bad by comparison. I already am 99% sure I am not going to win (my project is just not that coherant and they always get people from different fields to judge), so it is a bit of a hassle. But I'll take it anyway. I realized at the graduation dinner that I've become extremely jaded about competitions and awards. Theres a great bit of advice I got from one studio instructor that the best project always gets second or third place: the winner is something everyone can agree on. I am also looking more now at who is doing the awarding, and why, and typically, it is very pointed.

Got my final grades from Systems: didn't do as well on the final as I'd thought, so I ended up with a B+. Not terrible, but not great either. At this point I'm predicting an A- to an A in studio, a A to B+ in Human Behavior, and probably an A in sketching, although the teacher is a bit hard to read sometimes.

Last night, we went to my old History of Architecture professor's house for dinner. Actually, it was a reunion dinner for those students who went with him to Rome for summer study program (like Saori), but she got special permission to bring me. It was an interesting dinner, it was a very interesting group of people who went on the trip. We arrived early to help prepare everything. I brought fresh tomatoes and imported mozzarella, and Saori baked a creme custard. At his apartment we made delicious mushroom and italian sausage risotto with all kinds of appetizers and desserts.

Right now I'm over at Saori's place working on my sketchbook. I'm took a break since the Mexican families behind her apartment were having a huge party and blasting thier corrida (mariachi music) at volume level 11. Cinco de Mayo was yesterday, anyhow.

Interesting Fact for the day: Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexican Independance, but marks a key victory against the French.