Fall 2010 Theme

   It is so ridiculous. Teachers for some unknown reason want each student to have their own "theme" for the semester, year, or even all four years. I suppose that they are assuming that all artists are obsessed with a certain topic so this should be easy, to come up with and keep to a theme, that is. Certain people, such as myself, aren't really obsessed with anything in particular. At least not to my own knowledge am I obsessive about anything. I didn't really have a theme last year and my portfolio review committee didn't like that too much either. I am just interested in so many things at certain times in my life. Obsessions for me only last a day or two, usually. Once I have done enough research on the topic to answer the questions I had, I am through with it. So sticking with one topic will be quite a challenge for me. Along with choosing a theme they want concept too. It has to have meaning. I know! They expect way too much. I decided the other day that I would be better off just being a designer instead of an artist. Supposedly the difference between the two is that designers are given their concepts, while artists must come up with their own. Less brain and obsession work for the designers.
   Anyways, I think my theme this semester is going to be 'Bugs'. You are probably thinking to yourself, of all things why that. My answer is why not, of all things. Honestly I just happened to make a grasshopper out of foam while in sculpture class and then a catapillar, so I sorta stuck to the bug theme and made a grasshopper stencil for Papermaking. So why not do my theme on bugs? I don't know a whole lot about them, other than what you learn on your own naturally and what school teaches little ones about butterflies. I do enjoy learning.
  For Papermaking I have to have this blasted theme. I need to somehow incorporate it into patterns to use as stencils. I also have to come up with concept/meaning. Hopefully I can find some ancient tribe that worships insects or something. I have been thinking about using their migration patterns, mating rituals, process of communication between them, and so on for my patterns. Now which bugs in particular should I use? Maybe some species that reminds me of myself? Or reminds me of my friends/family? That should probably be what I figure out first. I'll do some research and get back to you.