IsabeauxStudio

I won't bore you with all the details of design school.  Just the highlights.  A lot of the concepts and groundwork for the pieces that I am now doing have roots that began in college.  As you read through and see examples of my more current items, you will be able to see a common thread.

The first year mostly consisted of "sewing and patternmaking bootcamp" and all my requisite art classes.  I think by far freshman year was the most mind expanding because I was expected to take classes in painting, drawing, woodshop, sculpture, performance art along with the fashion, math, science and literature classes.  These freshman year art classes really had you look outside yourself for new materials and ideas.  I loved the painting classes, working in oils was incredibly messy but hugely fantastic.  There was something very satisfying about applying thick bold strokes of paint.  Once the canvas did dry, it was a painting in relief.

I also really enjoyed the sculpture classes, as it was the first time that I explored working in any other media besides colored pencil.  This sculpture at left, done in 1993, was made from car parts taken from an old Fiat.  My boyfriend at that time was building a driving simulator for a work project.  I got to help him remove the engine and it was a great source for the raw materials to make into sculptures.  I still have this piece in my shop and it still smells like gasoline fourteen years later.

 
During freshman year I started to learn patternmaking, sewing and illustrating skills on a rudimentary level.  My illustration skills greatly improved.  No longer was I drawing "voluptuous cat" cartoons but started to do "stylized" human figure illustrations.   This was the first time I used watercolor and it is a medium that I have struggled with for years since. I was able to do fashion illustrations,  but couldn't do a full watercolor painting of a landscape and have it turn out properly.  It was incredibly frustrating.

On a separate, but important note, also during my freshman year  I started doing Shotokan Karate on a whim.  I went with my roommate to go and check out the classes.  We both intially joined however she ended up quitting and I stayed.  I became very involved in karate, training three to five times a week, and competing up and down the east coast as part of Drexel's women's team.  I loved it, and did well.

 Ironically karate not only improved my confidence level and gave me a sense of "power" but also influenced my design work during college. I began to really appreciate and be inspired by all things Japanese.