Things have gone a bit crazy lately and I actually enjoyed so much what I did that I forgot/didn't really have time to post it here. Pace is slowing in studio since all the discovery/analysis phase of the thesis is behind us now. We've started designing with what's called "Situations" around here: design ideas put together using whatever media suited us better. We're due to start actual planning now.

I decided to go back to the drawing board (freehand drawings, that is) and try to (re)discover sketching as an exploratory design process. I kinda struggled for a week or so before I could start to be satisfied, not only with my drawings but also with the drawing process. As a result I eventually managed to free my mind from the "design" ideas with which I was stuck so far. I ultimately drew without having to think about it, set the hand free to wander on the paper and created designs in a sort of automated fashion.

I tried a bunch of media and papers and the best combination proved to be Pilot V7 pen (my long time fave) on 18" by 24" newsprint. The only conclusion I can draw so far from these two weeks of exploratory drawing is that I really need to practice more; I especially would like to do some life drawing and outdoors sketching... Wishful thinkin' I'm afraid...

As for the desk crits, the one on monday was great, I was a little overwhelmed by the drawing process itself and not really ready to talk or hear about my drawing while I was in the midst of it. I think Natasha (thesis advisor I) felt it and she just gave me advice as to what direction I should take, which was great. Yesterday, Jeremy (advisor II) tried to read stuff that I didn't think about in my drawings, since he foresaw general schemes for the planning phase where I was just envisioning spaces and atmospheres. Although what he said will prove to be useful in the next weeks, I was so much into the drawing thing that I wasn't ready to hear/listen to any comment whatsoever. I spent so much time on these sketches that I had a bit of a hard time to accept comment, because I took them personally.

I think it's a good time for me to take a day off (probably on saturday) and think about something else. The problem is if I take a day off I won't do anything and just end read/procrastinate all day in my bed... If you have any idea about things to do on a week-end in Toronto, comments are welcome.

[MODE RANT ON]: On another note, something strange happened yesterday in the studio. A group of students started to bitch after a lecture given by Jeremy (who is also the head of the department and the coordinator for all three thesis studios) about the program itself and why they where so frustrated since their second year, because the curriculum is kinda (I have to agree with that) unclear and it's somewhere in limbo between interior design and architectural design (not architecture, because we don't have technical classes whatsoever). So they started to complain forever about these things.

That wasn't a smart move since they frontally attacked the head of the department in front of two third of the thesis students and another teacher (who happened to be the assistant dean for the faculty of design). Since these people aren't generally the most thorough students, I found their demands and complaints a bit pushy, when they don't do the assignments, show-up late in class, if they even bother showing up and complain all the time about the amount of work. One of them kept on arguing even during her desk crit time. Jeremy ended up politely saying something along thos lines: "If you think you're too smart for this program, why don't you do the work?"

One never questions the General in public, it's the best way to have your head cut off without warning, though, Jeremy is very (too?) nice and always tries to accomodate everyone. Moreover, if they don't like the program, why didn't they drop after second year? Why do they wait 3 years and a half to formulate complaints? Why don't they go in an architecture school? The program is far from being perfect, I agree, but if you want to change it you go there and don't randomly bitch in such a disorganised way. I had a say in this story, it would be: "Do your work, grow up and get over it."
Interestingly enough, this is always the same student that happen to bitch...
[MODE RANT OFF]