This semester I am taking an art philosophy class.

Each week we are given an article to read and take notes and then discuss it during class.

It is really an interesting class and most of the time it takes me a few days to comprehend what we discussed! The class has a pretty good mixture of undergrads and grad students which gives us lots of views and insights in to each topic.

Not only do we discuss articles but we have also been given a semester long assignment.

Make art 6 days a week based off of a single object.

I've shared some of my work with you before but I didn't really explain it very well.

Basically, we were told to pick an object before we knew the assignment so all of our objects are VERY different.

I chose an old mason jar.

(Hense the title of the post).

So, this is about to be the 5th week that I have made art based off of a mason jar.

that should add up to about 30 pieces of work.

I've come up with some kind of a system.

Each week I fill it with something

cover it in something

and

draw it sitting on my kitchen table with oil pastels.

Here are some of my examples of mason jar art! Hope you enjoy!!
(This isn't every thing I have, I'll have to scan in my drawings. )

This project really is awesome.
As an art student we are constantly asked to be creative and to push the limits.
Each project demands new ideas with good craft to back the ideas up.
Not only is this time intensive but it is mentally exhausting!
Some times I just want to make something because I think it sounds cool, or looks pretty!!
That is exactly what this project is for.
This semester I am allowed to take a mason jar and make art with it.
That is the only requirement.
It doesn't have to be perfect because there is no final critique.
If I don't like my result I can try again next week.
There doesn't have to be a heavily loaded concept.
We can make decisions based solely on experimentation or looks!

Basically, this project is ment to remind us how much fun it is to be creative!

I'll keep you updated on my mason jar art every few weeks!
Hopefully something cool will come out of it!

PS> if you visit my Etsy store I am hosting a 20% off sale on the scarves!
Just use the code: fall2012

*Warning! I have a cold so I feel pretty foggy. If this post doesn't make since dont judge :)

Today was my first 5 week review!

The art department is complicated so if you missed my post explaining what a 5 week review is and how I got here, check it out over ... here because its a lot to type out again :)

As I mentioned before I decided to dissect a bankers chair.

This is what I showed in my review.

I'll explain in a minute :)

This is a rough video that just documents my process of "dissecting" this chair.

It took a while, but was actually quite enjoyable, and I'm pretty stoked about the out come.

Because of my foggy-ness I'm going to upload my artist statement.

I kept it pretty simple, I hope you can fallow along!!

Chair Dissection

As an artist we are called to ask questions. I have no idea what questions I want or need to be asking. So, to figure this out I have started researching my interests. This piece is a research-based work that I have tried to do in a way similar to a dissection. I figured that if I could explore my interest of furniture and learn as much as possible I would then find what exactly it is that I am trying to ask my viewers.

At the beginning I had no intention of showing this piece, but as it progressed I began to think back on a visit from Mark Dion. His artwork is fascinating to me yet it seems so much more scientific than any art piece I had seen before. Unlike Mark I am not going deep in to some jungle or setting up a habitat I am simply interested in the chair as an object. I soon came to find out that the simplicity of this task is just as deceiving as the mundane-ness of the chair.

My findings from this dissection have led me to the answer that the chair is not a simple or mundane object. There is much history to be uncovered and many pieces to make it functional. Bringing the intricate details to light is something I have thoroughly enjoyed and hope to continue to do.

Now, the whole point for the 5 week review is to get feedback from your professor.

This ^ artist statement was written before my review.

If I wrote it now it would be completely different.

While I enjoyed the dissection of this beautiful chair I was still left clueless.

But of course, my professor helped me figure out a starting point with one of the simplest of questions.

"Why did you pick that chair?"

After answering the question I realized that what draws me to furniture is its quality.

I almost always pick antique/vintage anything over something new.

I always assumed this was because of my mom, and the fact that she saved everything.( we have some awesome things around our house). But I realized today that while that may be a factor it really is that I appreciate the integrity of something old.

What I mean by this is simple.

Old chairs are awesome because they have been made to last.

I enjoy objects that show good craftsmanship.

Figuring this out was so exciting!

It may sound dumb, but it really was an "Ah Ha Moment"!

I've constantly referenced how society has cheapened many things that at one point had loads of meaning. I've commented on our language in this > post and how many of our words are "meaningless".

Now, I am looking to comment on how so many products are purposefully manufactured in a way that they will need to be replaced rather quickly.

I'm not saying that everything that is new is cheaply made and has poor craftsmanship,

but it is pretty darn close!

So be looking for a new project soon! Hopefully I can gather my materials and start working by the end of next week!!

PS> I'm getting a new camera this week!! My pictures are gonna be 100 times better! Hopefully...