New Studio

New Studio

Stephanie Tomczak  and I have been looking for a studio space to share, since I got back in Seattle, and we finally found one. We share the building with two painters and a maritime IT guy. Today I finished unpacking my things and feel pretty good about the space. The room is fairly big and we've split it down the middle. The floor is concrete, so not exactly level. Our space has a wooden platform/stage in it to make the floor level. I've set up my studio area on the stage, and my office area on the concrete floor. I picked up the old metal desk and the lockers from a surplus warehouse.

I have out the wooden levels and my plumb bobs that I made for the Persen House exhibition. It seemed pretty fitting since most things aren't quite level in this space either.

ParaNorman

ParaNorman

I can't wait to see this movie, partially because it was made right down the road from me (well 3 hours down the road) and that someone I know worked on this movie. The incredible metalsmith Miel Paredes creates armatures for LAIKA, and this video really highlights how LAIKA uses traditional craft methods to create fantastic stop-motion animated movies, and I love a miniature.

 

Just Funny

Just Funny

Being from Richmond, VA, I was pretty excited to see this. I love how serious his delivery is.

Kiev

Kiev

I LOVE A MINIATURE!



MiniLook Kiev from threeshot on Vimeo.

 LOVE THEM!

Hello Again

Hello Again

I've been out of contact as I was finishing up my graduate school work, packing to move cross-country, moving cross-country, and trying to settle back in in Seattle. Also three days after I arrived in Seattle I started teaching summer session at North Seattle Community College, which has been great and my students are super awesome. I may have missed teaching those Seattleites – a city of over-achievers.

I've uploaded photos of our cross-country drive to my flickr, so check em out.

Here is the route that we took:

Today I came across Design Bird blog, a Swedish designer blogging about, you guessed it, design. But, I was super excited when I came across this post about her love of things copper. It was so nice to see a designer appreciate the often undervalued metal (well outside of rain gutters and plumbing). I especially liked this sexy copper bicycle (from Olsthoorn Bicycles) that she has in her post. 

MFA Thesis Exhibition

MFA Thesis Exhibition

Well, I am officially done with school. I moved out of New Paltz last week and am recovering at my parents' house in DC for a few days before I start my cross-country move back to Seattle.

Here are a couple of images from my thesis show: Solipsistic Apparatus. 

This work explores systems, both man-made and within the human body. I am interested in the similarities, and the intersection between the two. I have been exploring these concepts through material investigations and the creation of wearable jewelry. There is a record of the passage of time visible in bodies and the built environment, through deterioration, repairs and additions to structures. These works endeavor to construct their own system, visually creating a link between the built and the bodily, as an attempt to symbolize our corporeal existence. Through wearing, the jewelry is activated, creating parallels with the body while also working incongruously with the body – encircling it but not intersecting it.

Photos of installation taken by Keith Ferris.

You can see more images on my website and flickr.

Silver & Light

Silver & Light

SILVER & LIGHT from Ian Ruhter on Vimeo.

First Year Work

First Year Work

As I am getting work ready for my thesis exhibition, I was looking through work, that I made last year (2010-2011), in grad school, and decided to add some photos of that work to my website. When I came into grad school I was interested in blood cells. I was thinking a lot about how we are made up of blood, and about all we do to contain that blood in our bodies. I began thinking about bringing that blood to the outside as a visual element. The idea of blood cells spilling off of us. This was the last piece I made right before grad school.

Then when arriving at New Paltz we had 10 days to make 10 pieces, so continuing my thinking about blood cells, but moving into also thinking about the vascular system, I created this ring and this brooch. 

These explorations in my first year, later transitioned into a broader thinking about systems, which inspired my thesis work. You can see more of the pieces that I made last year on my website. 

Posters Are Up

Posters Are Up

And my name is on them, so it looks like I'll be graduating soon.

Persen: Place & Things – The Catalog

Persen: Place & Things – The Catalog

Previously I wrote about an installation of work that the MFA at New Paltz created in response to the Persen House in Kingston, NY. Well, the catalog of the installation is finally finished and available online for purchase. Hyun and myself did the all design work on the catalog, and I'm super happy to see all of our efforts finally completed.

You can preview/purchase the catalog at Lulu.com.

Luminaris

Luminaris

This is a cute short stop-motion animation film by Juan Pablo Zaramella. A sweet little thing to watch on a Monday morning. 

Parts Bin

Parts Bin

I've realized that I now have a "parts bin" at my bench. Full of test parts, and parts that are intended for future pieces.

SNAG Pin Exchange

SNAG Pin Exchange

I just came across this photo the other day. This is a shot of the pins that I made last year for the SNAG pin exchange. They were plastic animal/nun/baby mash-ups. I think my favorites are probably the baby chickens.

System R3529

System R3529

Here is the original image that I used for the front of my postcard.

 System R3529, Sterling Silver, Copper, Steel and Graphite, 2012

Show Cards

Show Cards

My cards came in today for the MFA thesis exhibition, and I'm pretty excited about them.

New Paltz Ring

New Paltz Ring

As I've mentioned before, all of the Metal graduate students are going to Munich in March for Schmuck 2012, and we have this fund raiser project, well, to raise funds for the trip. So, we have designed class rings of sorts. We are calling them "Memento Rings". Having never been a class ring wearing kind of person before, I am pretty excited about these.

The Morse Code Ring was designed by Sara Glaberson, then modeled in Rhino by myself, then 3D printed in stainless steel. I now have one of these rings and am super excited to wear it. You can order your own ring from our blog http://npmementoring.blogspot.com/ . Here are some pictures of it:

Art Thoughtz

Art Thoughtz

Thinking about sharing this Hennessy Youngman video with my class on Tuesday.

Work from the Fall

Work from the Fall

Here are a couple of images of work that I completed at the end of the fall semester. They are painted copper forms.

Schmuck 2012

Schmuck 2012

This year all of the New Paltz Metal graduate students as well as Myra and Jamie are planning on going to Schmuck exhibition in Munich – an international jewelry competition. Interestingly, I heard that they didn't accept any Americans this year.

A few of us (including myself) bought our tickets the other day and made lodging reservations. I've never been to Germany before unless you count a layover at the airport, so I'm pretty excited.

was zahlt/what counts at studio gabi green, gollierstrasse 17

Copperplate Practice

Copperplate Practice

I've started my Copperplate calligraphy practice. I printed out these sheets on a laser printer with laser printer paper, and I'm using my new Noodler's Ahab pen with the Noodler's Blue-Black ink. I plan on binding these sheets together to create a practice book, but haven't yet. 

I love, love, love this ink color. It even looks nice smeared all over my hands, which is a frequent occurrence with this pen. Next I'd like to get the "Black Swan in English Roses" ink from Noodler's.

I know I'm suppose to use a dip Copperplate pen, but part of my reason to learn Copperplate is to improve my everyday handwriting, and I'm not going to use a dip pen out in the world. I did read on the Fountain Pen Network forum that someone altered the Noodler pen with a Copperplate nib. I might buy another pen and try that. Sounds like it has potential. 


I did get a few great tips from Debi Sementelli, and the one that I keep repeating to myself while I'm practicing is,  "Go slow and think about each letter form. It's very zen like and part of the art of lettering to be appreciated." Very helpful. Thanks Debi!