Observation #4/4 : I Killed my Plant with Purpose

I decided to correlate the plants health with my own as this semester continued on. I took key events that happened to me over this last 4 months and observed the state of the plant to see if there is any correlation to my state of mind and body to the plants.

I found that there are two things that can kill a plant. Being to busy and unable to care for yourself. I was gone so much this semester with business and with seeing my girlfriend that I neglected the plant and the life that I worked so hard to build up. I also got very sick and had a hung unexpected chain of events that through me out of the loop for a while.

All in all. Everything was worth it and a ton of lessons were learned. I learned that I never will be that old man saying ,"I wish I would have taken more risks." nor will I ever say, "I should have not lived life and worked more." I have found a new calling and that is family, friends, and taking care of those who need it ten times more then me. Don't get me wrong I will be going for my MBA in Houston and be working but no one will see me work as hard as I have this last 10 years but they will see me smile more. Time with people and helping people is far more rewarding then time at an office trying to get that bigger better iPhone but rather spend that on new adventures and live life the way it is supposed to be lived.

Other events that you do not see on the time line:

1. Sold my beautiful Jeep.
2. Went to Vegas.
3. Fell in love with girlfriends twin 10 year old girls
4. Gained a freeloading roommate (stay tuned for the "Shit My Roomate Says" series---Hilarious)
5. and Life.

Great Semester.

Project 4x4 - 4/4

Link: Behance (pativette)

For my final 4x4, I decided to apply my research and make a website of my own. Behance is a solid start, as it's a popular platform for freelancers and other illustrators. While I do have a lot of work I could put into this portfolio, I found that only my strongest and most recent or relevant work would benefit from being uploaded for various reasons. Old (read: high school) art isn't reflective of my current body of work, and neither is work from my foundation classes. It took a bit of weeding out, and I wasn't left with much - but it's got to start somewhere!

My work is chiefly digital painting, in Photoshop. I also use Illustrator and InDesign for specific projects (the weapon pattern was made in Illustrator!). As for inspiration, a lot of it comes from other illustrators and digital artists such as Claire Hummel and Leslie Hung. I'm also heavily influenced by video game design, which has pushed me to make work involving mythology and fantasy elements combined with digital media. My history and foundation as an artist is deeply rooted in video games and its rising popularity in the industry and artistic culture, so it doesn't come as a surprise that I would pursue a career as a freelance illustrator with a focus in video game design and/or visual development.

For the past 2 years, I've focused on exploring on various concepts and styles rather than a single body of work focused on one overarching concept. I find that I'm learning a lot more about what I like in my work and ultimately what it will have to say about themes relevant to me and my life, including but not limited to nostalgia, grief, and mortality. My work will not always have a story to tell, as illustrators are not only storytellers but also designers - but in the future, I hope what I have now will develop into something much closer to that goal.

love letters to the gallery trash. 4x4.

Final 4x4 - Joel Minan

For my final4x4 I connected another project from another class with this project. In my Human Factors class I had to work with IHS Honduras. My role in the group was to create illustrations that the people from Honduras could identify with. Then the group laid out all of my illustrations into a small book. This book will be taken to Hounduras during IHS's October trip and have a test run.

Last 4x4 People Watching and Quiet

People Watching from Megan Kowalski on Vimeo.

Quiet from Megan Kowalski on Vimeo.

4x4 final Matrix - Scott Werner

To put my final matrix together I decided to use the words that Grayson has to yet to develope. All my observations have been either visual or sound. Each section of 3 represents an observation. The last is my words summing it all up.

4x4 Kids Play When Adults Away - Scott Werner

For my fourth observation I decided to have my teenage daughter Haylee use a video camera and photo camera to capture moments with my niece Grayson. She did this while babysitting and no other adults were around. My intent was to observe in the second person through the imagery caught by Haylee. The video below is the result of going through sixty phots and over an hour of video.

What I noticed is that Grayson pays more attention than we realize. Seeing her at the highchair following Haylee while she prepped food for Grayson shows this. You can see her eyes follow and view the eagerness or desire for food. I could also see the emotional connection being made between the two of them through the interaction.

The song I choose has multiple meanings in this particular situation. On a personal level I'm faced with losing relative sometime in the next year. At the same time I am in awe of the wonder the Grayson sees soaking up as much as she can. I felt this song conveyed my feelings and inner turmoil that not only am I losing someone but so is Grayson and she doesn't see that and is not affected by it.

Here is my video:

"In their voice"

Library from Megan Kowalski on Vimeo.

Your Voice - Scott Werner in Joel's view

So my stomach has been expanding quite a bit over the last year and I really don't like to exercise. I know that Joel likes to take things that are not fun and find a way to make them fun. I also know that he likes to try new processes. So I decided that I would start my walk routes again this summer but I needed more incentive to do them.

I made a map of my area and put my current walk routes on it. It was amazing to see the distance that I used to walk. I then decided to highlight parks, food places, and my favorite hot spots. I then decided that a new process would be to see the parks in my area that I haven't seen before. I then found nine new routes using these parks. I then determined that if I complete a route I could buy myself a treat from one of my hot spots.

My poster shows these routes and says 10 weeks, 10 routes. The tenth route is the one I discover while doing these routes. I am very excited to try this new process in losing weight.