Oh, how I've missed you!

hi there! this past quarter has been a whirlwind!! i have missed the luxuries of free time and especially blogging! i just started my summer quarter this past week and my first assignment in each of my classes was to start a...blog!! i figure if i can manage two blogs for school, then i can squeeze in a new personal blog post here and there! yay!

this past spring quarter i took TYPOGRAPHY and COLOR THEORY. both classes were a.m.a.z.i.n.g! i was sad to see them end...but i learned sooooooo much! in color theory i learned to paint using gouache. that was probably the biggest challenge i have experienced in art school so far. i can only equate the process of learning gouache with learning to speak fluently in a complex language such as japanese! with about four weeks left in the quarter i began to start to grasp the technique needed to create a successful painting. here are some of the paintings i made:

gouache on bristol using triad color system 

gouache on bristol using triad color system

gouache on bristol triptych using tetrad color system (work in progress)

typography was intoxicating for me! call me a nerd, i don't care! i loved every second of that class. while my classmates were fighting the urge to fall asleep...i was on the edge of my seat enthralled by the notions of kearning, leading, specing type, indicating layouts, and much much more! my teacher was very particular that we should learn to appreciate the intricacies of typeface and the rules of typography. he made us ink by hand all of our assignments, and expected nothing less than perfection..."i don't want to see any caca!" was his favorite phrase. i walked out of that class armed with so much applicable knowledge. here is some of my work:

ink on transparency design using symbols, numerals, smart quotes

ink on transparency indicated layout with graphic

ink on transparency leading excercise

ink on transparency indicated/spec'd layout

i got a three week break before my summer quarter began...i crammed it with two trips and a whole lot of zumba! i got to visit my family out in orange county, ca for a week, and also attended the zumba convention in orlando, fl for another week! i also got to create a costume for myself and my mom that we wore to the "glow party" at the zumba convention. the theme of the party was white - the sky was the limit after that! immediately we knew we wanted to be birds for the party so i set off making us some costumes that could be transported easily across the country.

zumba warrior birds =)

i think they turned out great! we fit in perfectly with all the other crazy zumba people!

i just started my summer quarter last week! this quarter i am taking COMPUTER ILLUSTRATION and SURVEY OF DESIGN. i am super excited for both of these classes. you can check out my new class blogs here:

COMPUTER ILLUSTRATION - karabou-illustrations.blogspot.com
SURVEY OF DESIGN - karaboucreations.wordpress.com

speaking of class...i better get back to my homework! it was so good to catch up =) i will try to be better at my blogging habits this quarter...like i said, i have no excuse since i will already be blogging for my two classes! hope you're having a great summer!!

~kara

project REstyle #5: apple print maxi-dress

happy st. patty's day! today is one of my favorite days to go to work...everywhere i look i get to see one of my favorite colors. it's a beautiful sea of green. i absolutely love colors! the thought of living in a color-less, dull environment gives me an anxiety attack =) not only do i need to be surrounded by color, i must have LOTS of color in my wardrobe, probably more than the average person (especially in seattle!).

my next project REstyle has one of the more classic color combos...red and blue. 

sewing is one of my biggest passions...i learned to sew when i was 15, and i immediately fell in love. the fabric that i have collected over the years has grown into quite a collection - but there is ALWAYS room for more! the beauty of fabric is that you never know when or for what you might use it, but it doesn't have an expiration date. i have had several lengths of fabric that lay dormant for many years, but then put to use the moment that perfect idea came along.

while out thrifting, i have to stop by the fabric section. it is an absolute must. you never know what gems will be hiding there, and the prices are amazing! my favorite is when i find a vintage piece of fabric. vintage fabrics are beautiful and it feels like an honor to be the first person to make something out of a piece of fabric that was never used after all those years.

BEFORE: blue, bubble hem dress (from forever 21), vintage apple printed fabric

 

i removed the body of dress, and attached the apple fabric underneath the bodice. i added a pleated detail to go with the draping of the bodice.

AFTER: apple print maxi-dress

 

 i love that this dress mixes old school with new school! i also love the contrast of the fabric textures...one satin and smooth, the other cotton and casual. and of course, the color combo.

 

i will post an outfit pic of this once it warms up some more...along with the t-shirt REstyle. come on spring!!

~kara

p.s. i will not post tomorrow, there is a blogger's day of silence for the earthquake/tsunami victims in japan. more info to follow.