Was Blogging Ever Cool?

Click to enlarge.

Digital Sketch

My creative exercise for the day. Fifteen minutes with Photoshop and a random word generator. I don't know where the soft colors came from. This would be the perfect poster for the bedroom of an eight year old girl.

Resolutions

I've never been big on resolutions because I've always been pretty good at self motivation. If I want to do something I don't wait for a certain date to start. So I began my resolution a few weeks ago. It's my goal to sketch something every day. I tried to do this last spring but life was a little too complicated. Things are no less hectic now, but I'm making this a priority because sketching helps me relax and it helps me design.

These sketches are meant to be quick and casual. I've taken drawing classes but I've never been taught to shade with a pen. I'm sketching now to try and teach myself how so they will be very experimental. I'll share the sketches here and on flickr when I have the chance.

Walking and Sketching

Inspite of an overwhelming amount of work to do before the end of the semester I took a break and went for a walk around campus. A storm is moving in and the ground is covered with a beautiful dusting of snow. I stopped by the bookstore and bought a new sketching pencil in terracotta to break out of my usual black and white mode.

I stopped outside the Merrill-Cazier Library and made a quick sketch to try out the pencil. It has a waxy feel, but the color lays down nicely and doesn't smear. It was truly a quick sketch - I was sitting on cold concrete.

I was gone almost an hour and it felt good to get some fresh air. I think I may be able to get some work done now.

When I got back to my desk an envelope was waiting for me. It contained our IIDA (International Interior Design Association) Campus Center certificate. We're official! This is the first year our school has been a Campus Center and it's exciting to have proof of all the hard work.

Drawing

One of my ongoing goals is to improve my drawing abilities. I've spent the evening on two tutorial websites. Drawspace has an impressive library of printable drawing lessons from beginning to advanced levels.

Even more helpful for my current project has been Manga University. It feels a little silly drawing anime all day, but it's been a lot of fun.

Here are the preliminary results of my presentation.

More to come.

Palais Royal

Palais Royal, originally uploaded by zenroxie.

I filled my sketchbook while I was in Europe this summer. This is one of my favorites of the art nouveau details on the Paris Metro.

There's No Place Like Home

I don’t know if I was more excited to fly home, or to fly to London. This trip has been wonderful, but I’m exhausted. We’re all ready to get back to our family and friends. The day started out uneventful. I shared a taxi with Tim and Susan. We left Hotel Arley at 8:30 and were dropped off at Terminal 1 of Charles De Gaulle Airport a little after 9:00 a.m. Security was light, just a few questions about when I packed my bags and a metal detector at the gate. I joked that this was the airport the shoe bomber left from and it was the only airport that let us keep our shoes on.

The rest of our group came about an hour later on the metro and our flight left on time. Besides Tim and Susan, Wendy, Megan P., Natalie, Barbara, Russell, Adam, Gabe, Kelly, Melissa and Una were on the flight with me. It’s only an hour shorter flying from Paris to Chicago than it was flying San Francisco to London, but it felt a lot longer. I think that’s how all trips are. It always feels longer on the way home. It didn’t help that the audio on my seat didn’t work. I missed out on all the movies and had nothing to watch but the map the whole way. Boy is the Atlantic big!







I amused myself by sketching. I know everyone in the group is sick of my sketches at this point, but I find relaxing. It’s also a great way to kill time. I sketched several pictures in the in flight magazine and was surprised to find that a picture of Jackson Hole’s antler arch made me homesick. I’ve never liked anything western, but this was the first familiar thing I’ve seen in a month.

At Tim’s suggestion I also sketched the inside of the plane. This was my view for 8 and half hours.



The tedium also made me feel guilty. How spoiled are we? For $500 we can fly half way around the world in a day. Travel couldn’t get much easier. It took my great great great grandparents their entire life’s savings, and months on ships, trains, and covered wagons to make this same trip.

About 30 minutes before we landed an announcement was made. Due to new Homeland Security measures we needed to take all liquids of gels we had with us and put them in our checked baggage before we could get on our next flight. That included water, lotions, shampoo and anything else of that consistency. I thought it was odd, but I was a little more concerned with filling out the customs and immigration form.

We landed about 20 minutes late which made me nervous after the flight we missed on the way to London. We still had two hours before the next flight but that isn’t a long layover for an international flight.

This is my first time in Chicago and I didn’t see much of it. I didn’t even see much of the airport. I did notice that the designers did some cool things with the carpet pattern to enhance wayfinding. A pattern of stripes led the way down the hallway to customs, and started to break up and then run perpendicular to the walls when it was time to stop. No one asked, “Where are we supposed to go?” The carpet pattern was clearer than the signs. I also thought, “How lame is it that after all this time away, I finally make it back to the US and all I notice is the airport design!” I can’t help it. I’ve never pretended to be cool!

Immigration was a piece of cake. Two or three questions and I was through. Then things got complicated. We had to collect all our luggage, go through customs, and recheck everything before finding the connecting flight. All would have gone well if it hadn’t taken FOREVER for our luggage to arrive. One of the most stressful parts of the entire trip was waiting at baggage claim knowing how little time we had.

During the wait I found out what was going on. We heard a few more announcements about no liquids or gels, so I finished my water and looked through my bags. All I had in that category was hand sanitizer and sun tan lotion. I pulled them out, ready to put them in my luggage. I stood next to an airport employee who was helping an elderly man with his luggage. Another man nearby asked him why we needed to get rid of anything liquid. He responded, “You haven’t heard yet?” When he was assured that, no, we had no idea why, he continued. “You were in the air while it was happening, but a terrorist ring was busted this morning in England. They were trying to smuggle explosives on to planes in small shampoo bottles. They arrested 24 and think there may be more. The security level has been raised to Orange.” We had absolutely no idea! I found the rest of the group and told them what was going on. It explains why it was taking forever to get our luggage. They must be rescreening everything that came in on an international flight.

The luggage finally came, but mine was in the last batch to arrive. I gathered everything up, put my liquids in the luggage I needed to recheck, and headed for Customs. There was a bottleneck of people trying to get through, but they quickly checked our forms and sent us through. Our souvenirs were the least of their worries. United let us leave our luggage in a pile and with an assurance that I could make the flight I ran to the train. I made it up the stairs just as it was about to leave for Terminal 1. I tried to step on the train and I was half way in as the doors started to shut. This happened all the time on the Tube, and everyone would step back an make more room. It was amazing how many more people could fit into a car that you were sure was packed. But here no one budged! Everyone just stood there staring at me and I barely had time to jump back before the doors shut. I heard Barbara yell my name and looked up to see her and Russell in the corner, and PLENTY of room in the rest of the car. Welcome back to the US! No one here knows the proper way to use mass transit!

It was several minutes before the next train came and as the first one on I went all the way to the back so there would be plenty of room for the next group of travelers. I was joined by a pilot and a few people I recognized from our Paris flight. As the train slowly made it’s way around the terminals there was a long line of news vans outside. Some one asked the pilot if that was because of the terrorist arrests and he said yes. “Heathrow has been shut down” he added. Things must be worse than I thought. I’m very glad that we didn’t fly out from England in the midst of this! My sister went on study abroad last summer and flew to London the morning of the Tube bombings. Now I’m flying back amidst terrorist arrests. My parents may never let their children leave the country again.

Of course my flight left from the furthest terminal and I ran to security. This is where I realized I might not make my flight. The line was long and slow, and they were in no hurry to get us through. Barbara and Russell were a few people ahead of me. If we were going to miss the flight we would miss it together.

As I entered the line a man was going over the security restrictions again. He said to no one in particular, “Do you have any liquids or gels? Any water . . . shampoo . . hair gel . . . booze . . .?” I laughed, which made him laugh to. Under the circumstances there was nothing else to do. I looked through my carry on again and discovered that I had missed my lip gloss. It took it out and looked at it. It was a gel and I had to abandon it on the counter. I loved that lip gloss, and it was a new container. It became my sacrifice to our national security.

I can’t believe how long it took to get through Chicago security. Salt Lake was quite fast, and San Francisco was a model of efficiency. Here they were understaffed and didn’t seem to care about anything. They didn’t screen people based on how soon their flights left. There was no ushering through the multiple lines to make sure they moved at the same rate. There were no instructions on what they wanted done or how to put your belongings through the scanner. This caused delay after delay as they had to rescreen bags that weren’t put through properly. I don’t mind waiting, even when I’m late, but I can’t stand inefficiency.

When I finally made it through I ran with my laptop, camera and bag to gate C16, expecting to miss my flight. I also expected C16 to be the last gate but was relieved to find it way only half way down the hallway. I turned the corner to see they were still boarding the plane. I made it!

Once on board I found that everyone else was there except for Una. She was behind me in baggage claim and must still be in security. An announcement was made over the intercom. Our pilot hadn’t made it in from Seattle yet and they were still waiting for passengers to arrive. It was another half an hour before we were ready to take off which gave Una time to make it. It was a very stressful two hours and there was still another layover in Denver ahead of us.

The flight went by surprisingly fast, but once again I had audio problems. The sound actually worked, but the in flight entertainment from NBC didn’t. The sound cut in and out and was then gone completely. I tried to turn to a music channel, but the woman next to me had her tray table down and her lap top out. Her tray completely covered the controls to my headset. I was stuck again with no sound but I was too tired to care. The flight attendants finally changed the tape and played an episode of The Office. I have only seen one episode of the show before and yes, that is the episode they played.

We finally landed in Denver and for the first time there was plenty of time before the next flight. Tim and Susan were scheduled to leave an hour before the rest of us but they found that their flight had been cancelled due to security reasons and they went to get on stand by. We found our next gate and collapsed on the floor. I pulled out my sketchbook. Sorry everyone, but it helps me de-stress.



Before long the sun started to set. We had been traveling for almost 20 hours, but we flew with the sun and the end of the day was just catching up with us. It was our first rocky mountain sunset in ages. I never really noticed a sunset in London or Paris. You need mountains to make them dramatic. Even behind an airport it was beautiful.



It actually felt good to sit still for a little while. A few of us split an overpriced pizza and Kaylee fell asleep on the floor. She looked like we all felt.



There were concerns that our flight would be cancelled too, but when it was only delayed an hour we considered ourselves lucky. On the plane I shut my eyes for a minute and woke up over the Rockies. I don’t remember take off at all. I looked out the window (this way my first window seat the entire trip) and saw Logan below. The temple was lit and I could see where my house was.

We landed safely and our luggage soon followed. But Tim and Susan were back in Denver and on the carousel were Kelly and Wendy’s luggage going around and around. Their flight went directly from Chicago to Salt Lake, but apparently their luggage didn’t. My parents were there to pick me up and we took Una back to Logan as well. When I got home it was after 1:00 a.m. which was 9:00 a.m. Paris time – over 24 hours after leaving the hotel. I can’t believe I actually made it.

This is a long post, but it was a LONG day to end a LONG trip.

Water Bottle Design

Cambridge

You just know that under the stately veneer of Cambridge is an undercurrent of radical thought. I ventured to Cambridge today with Tim and Susan. On the walk into town you are greeted with this message.







Perhaps it was meant to be read walking the other direction, but I like this iteration better. While Mies is no longer considered radical, I found traces of a counter-culture everywhere.

St Mary's is a quaint little church in the center of town. There we sat among the headstones and ate our lunch.



Afterwards we climbed the tower and got a bird's eye view of Cambridge.





This is King's College Chapel which hosts magnificent fan vaulting. Outside St.Mary's is a message board to sign in support of human rights. It has become a place for legal grafitti. I'm glad this joke was something I could photograph. (Click for a larger view.)



Out front was a busker playing 60s protest songs, with a bit of Eric Clapton thrown in.



We went on a fabulous walking tour of the city. The amount of history here, like everywhere else, is staggering. You could get lost in it, which is probably what prompts a bit of rebellion. In the US we are able to create our own future with little regard for the past. That's good and bad. We often loose our responsibility in our freedom, but here when you disregard the past you are doing so consciously.

This is Pembroke University, one of the 31 universities that make up Cambrigde. It was designed by Christopher Wren.





This is our tour guide. I missed his name but he did a fabulous job showing us around the city he loves.



Architectural details like this are everywhere.



King's College is the most exciting complex of buildings in town, with spires everywhere. If you name it after the king (founded in 1441) it has to be flashy.



King's College Chapel is stunning. No photography of the elaborate fan vaulting and stained glass windows was allowed so I sketched like mad.



Outside this poignant sign in a window throws you back to the present.



We also took a punting tour of the Cam River. From this vantage point we could see the back end of the colleges we had toured earlier. These were our companions on the boat. They're from Taiwan and took more pictures of themselves than we did of the architecture.



The bridges over the river are beautiful and distinctive. This is the "Bridge of Sighs" named after the famous bridge in Venice popularized by Byron. The original connects the courtroom with the execution chamber. This bridge connects the classroom with the exam room.



This is the Wren Library designed, surprisingly, by Christopher Wren. It is very stately and perfectly proportioned.



This is a new library built in 1998. It is meant to look like a ship. Old and new mix well together.



"This is a wooden bridge. Why is it a wooden bridge? Because it's made of wood. Some people call it the 'Mathematical Bridge.' Why? Because they're idiots!"



That's the story we overheard by a satirical guide on another boat passing by. The version we got from our guide, John, was that the bridge is built with a formula that evenly dristributes the weight put on it. I like the idiot version better.

Cambridge is a charming and intriguing city. It is so shrouded in tradition and history, yet is a modern and, I suspect, radical bed of thought. It's also a great place to watch people, for all of those reasons.

Blenheim

It’s difficult to describe Blenheim Palace. It is magnificent and stately, but it is also welcoming and accessible (which Windsor is not). That’s a combination I wasn’t expecting, and one I didn’t really think was possible. The building is monumental, truly a palace, built in the English Baroque style by John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough. I hate baroque, but several rooms were restrained enough in it’s use to keep it from becoming oppressive. It even felt inviting because you loose yourself so completely in the architecture. But it was the small details that made it human. The Long Library, the longest room in England, is filled with books. When I look through homes I always look at the books (and movies and music) displayed. They tell you more about who lives there than looking through bathroom drawers would. The thousands of titles in this librbay include:

Life of Ruskin Vol . III by Collingwood
Marius the Epicurean Vol. I by Fater
The High History of the Holy Graal Vol. I-III
History of British Fishes Vol. I-II by Yarell
Garden Craft of Shakespeare by Ellacombe
The Heptameron of Queen Margaret
Exemplary Novels of Cervantes
Decameron of Boccaccio (I have this too!)
History of French Literature
Swift’s Works Vol. I-XIX

Perhaps the warmth of Blenheim can be attributed to the interior design of Lady Henrietta Spencer Churchill. She also designed the private quarters which we also toured. This was the highlight for me where I was able to see the tea room which inspired the architecture of the kitchen I designed this spring. The spaceplan in each room was very cozy. Movies I spotted in one room included The Terminal, Cold Mountain, and The Green Mile.

The gardens are beautiful as well. I've always loved formal English gardens as an art form.







I spent time in the courtyard sketching. As I sat there people kept peaking over my shoulder. It’s disconcerting, but I’ve gotten used to it. Sketching in public makes me feel like a street performer. A group of French teenage girls watched me for several minutes, chattering away. I don’t know what they said, but told me “very beautiful” a few times before they left. Click on the photos to see a larger size.







Blenhiem also has the most beautiful landscape gardens that go on for hundreds of acres. They were designed by Capability Brown and add the comfortable atmosphere. You could sit and gaze forever. You also felt like you could play.



Outside the palace gates is a charming little town. Today I took pictures of door knockers. These are all on the same block.







I had dinner in Oxford with Audrey, Adam, Seth, Megan, Darrin and Kelsea before heading back to London.

Windsor

This morning we used our BritRail passes for the first time and went to Windsor Castle, the home of the Queen. Winsor is grand and imposing - as intimidating as it was built to be. It is the largest occupied castle in the world, inhabited for almost 1,000 years. Winsor was originally built by William the Conqueror. Being a desendant of William and all the Plantagenants you would think I would be allowed into the private residence, but no. I couldn't even take pictures inside.











Edward IV, Henry VI, Henry VIII, Charles I, George III, George IV, William IV, Edward VII, George V and George VI are all buried here, in St. George's Chapel. Henry VIII is buried with Jane Seymoure. As a queen she did two things right. She had a son, and then died before she could make him angry.





I love the Tudor details in the older part of the fortess, especially the chimneys.





Across from the chapel I found this van. It's a pretty funky logo for an electrical, mechanical, and building services company.



Tonight there was a birthday party for Princess Beatrice at Winsor, so they kicked out the common rabble. Outside the gates is the town of Windsor with Eaton nearby.



There are signs everywhere in England, so many more than in the US. I find them endlessly fascinating. Here are a few I particulaly liked here.







With all its grandeur, I found Windsor cold and foreboding. It wasn't a comfortable place to be, especially inside. I can't imagine living like this. I'll take my little craftsman house any day.