Sunday, January 12, 2014

Back to School

My favorite nap time buddy
I had so many plans for winter break. I was going to get a head start on projects for Spring semester, organize my studio, create a website for myself, exercise daily, and even finish sewing those damn kitchen curtains that I started a year ago and that my husband never stops giving me a hard time about. But I did none of those things. Instead, I rested. Blame it in the fact that I was still working six days a week, blame it on the art-making marathon that was finals week, blame it on the holidays, whatever. I napped with reckless abandon, hibernated under multiple down-filled comforters, read good books, and I don't feel at all guilty about it. If there's anything I've learned about life so far, it's that if you don't take time to rest and reflect, the opportunity will pass you by, leaving you perpetually tired and burnt out.

Now that I've taken the time to relax and recharge, I'm ready to get back to it. Spring semester starts tomorrow. I'm taking an art history course on Dada and Surrealism and an independent study studio course. And, of course, my internship will start on February 1st. It will be interesting to see how my work there will inform the art that I make. I'll post my projects here throughout the semester. I promise not to slack off with the blogging like I did last time. Seriously.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Eastern Papermaking Internship

I'm pleased to say that I have been chosen for an Eastern papermaking internship at the Morgan Conservatory. I've been involved with the Morgan for years, taking workshops, going to shows, and donating work for their annual open house, but to actually get to intern there is a dream come true for me. I was so excited that I almost started jumping up and down when I got the news. Not only do I get to learn from the best, I also get to give back by working as hard as I can for them.

Starting in February and running through July, I'll be working with Aimee Lee, Fulbright scholar and hanji (Korean handmade paper) expert, in the Morgan's Eastern papermaking studio. Basically, I will be learning how to make paper from scratch, starting with scraping bark, which sounds pretty exciting to me. I don't have much papermaking experience to date but I can't wait to dive in and really immerse myself in every aspect of it.  

There are some challenges involved, though. For one, I have to cut my hours at work in half, which also means cutting my paycheck in half, and the internship is unpaid. I'm currently in the process of writing a grant proposal to secure some funding through school, but it's going to be a struggle no matter what. Even if I don't get the grant, though, I'll make it work (even if I have to eat Ramen noodles for the next six months) and I guess this is a great chance to finally learn how to do the grant writing thing. I know all the hard work will be worth it. This is an amazing opportunity and it's so completely in line with all of the art I've been making. This is exactly where I need to be right now. I couldn't think of a better way to start out the new year and I know there are so many good things ahead.