A Serving of Shapes/ Collabortive 3D Art Installation

I am in the process of preparing for a Serving of Shapes, a collaborative art installation including four public workshops exploring 3D printing and design. After the public 3D rendering workshops, we will be selecting a group of the public creations to print and install in the show. The process of sketches and models will also be captured in a digitally printed tablecloth. (printing will be done by Spoonflower).

To kick off the workshops in the gallery space at the de Saisset Museum, I will create a few 3D printed installation to give the public a feel for what 3D printed objects are. I will share some of my reflections on local agricultural history though my installations. Below are a few concept sketches.

This sketch concept reflects on the fruit blossoms falling like snow. When the valley was filled with fruit trees, many recall that the blossoms looked like snow on the trees. The bowl will have motifs pulled from artifacts from Japantown and Heinlenville and will integrate a view of the mountains.

Washing Day. I was drawn to a photo of kimonos drying on the line on a California Japanese farm 48 hours before internment. Japanese Americans farmed much of Santa Clara Valley's land before WWII. There was a great desire to assimilate more after the war; forks replaced chopsticks.

bees hanging from filament. Swirls represent scent of blossoms on the wind

Soundscape Audio Collage Project

I have been exploring creating the first sample of a sound collage for a public arts project tied to bus stops in San Jose, California.
Here is the first test of a collage representing the area in and around King and Alum Rock Road in San Jose. I look forward to collecting more audio to make these compositions richer. I have a lot more recording to do of community elements and am enjoying this audio journey into various communities.

Tinkering in Tinkercad

I have been fixated with learning Tinkercad and teaching it to others since I learned about it in a Techshop class in October. I have several projects in the works that will bring Tinkercad and 3D printing to education settings. Working with the de Saisset Museum at Santa Clara University, I have been mapping out a public art workshop series and art installation for January 2014. The project is calls a Serving of Shapes/ an Exploration in 3D Printing. This 3D printing workshop invites the public to reflect on Silicon Valley's agricultural past and technology infused present. We have also applied for an Applied Materials Excellence in the Arts Grant to take the workshop on the road to the Dr. Roberto Cruz Library in East San Jose for a teen workshop and to the Mayfair Community Center for a teen workshop. I am creating a library of objects. Here is a link to the wasp/bee design below on Thingiverse: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:201105

Bee and cherries printed from a library of 3D objects I am designing for the workshops. The project will also result in a picnic tablecloth that integrates the public's designs and design process.

Working with a teacher at a local Cupertino elementary school,  I am guiding a 4th grade class in exploring Tinkercad as they create chess pieces that reflect upon their literature reading. They are creating chess pieces that are literary characters and they are explaining how their chosen character is suited to the roll of the chess piece they selected. We are printing the chess pieces on the used Afinia 3D printer I purchase off of Craigslist a month ago.

4th grader designing a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory chess piece.

Stanley character from the book Holes as a King chess piece. Created by a 4th grader at Stevens Creek Elementary in Cupertino, CA.

Side view of Stanly chess piece.

Percy Jackson chess piece (King chess piece) by 4th grader at Stevens Creek Elementary in Cupertino.

I will be posting the lesson plan for this project soon, but here is a link to the worksheet the students used.

I just discovered Makerbot's lesson plans: http://curriculum.makerbot.com/2011/lessonsPlan1.html and look forward to delving into these for curriculum!