Saturday, November 26, 2011

Student Work-Medals of Childhood

When I attended a required design class in undergrad, I had an assignment designing 3-D paper objects based on fractals. I wasn’t particularly excited about fractals at the time and due to my lack of interest completed a half-hearted project. I SWORE if ever I was an instructor that I wouldn’t force students to create pieces based on my personal pet projects.
I stand before you, a self-professed hypocrite. I have a keen interest in medals, especially those of friendly societies/fraternities. This semester I introduced a project for my Metals I class that would incorporate the technique of lost wax casting and sweat soldered findings. The assignment was to create a wearable medal of achievement with a childhood theme.
The medal above by P. Cauthen is based on the student's time as a boy spent on bicycles.

This piece, created by K. Grimm represents the books of adventure she read as a child. For K. Tunks, the movie Toy Story dominated her childhood.
The below medal, by J. Barnett, was based on a memory from her childhood. When she was a girl, she once cut the heads off her neighbor's roses, then went around the neighborhood selling them for a penny a piece. I told her that artists had to be good entrepreneurs!

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