For this project, I decided to make an object to represent online digital data visually. This was an fascinating project idea due to my personal interest in artistically interpreting scientific data. I chose weather changes as the data.
I picked the Weather Underground website as the source because it is open to the public. I created an account and can get the data anytime for the area which I am interested: Denver, Colorado USA.
For its enclosure, I decided to make a cube which would hold all necessary parts inside. For visual representation, I used regular sized LEDs with different colors. I wanted to make the cube as small as possible for a more elegant design.
This assignment allowed me to create some geometrical forms and learn woodworking skills in the process by making something useful, as well as artistic for me.
I have always admired the old-fashioned way of making chairs. I was trying to make my chair decorative, but also functional. I have an orchid plant which needs lots of light. I cannot put the plant directly in my window sill because I have to be able to open and close the blinds. Since my desk is next to the window, but lower than it, a chair could be useful for putting the plant in the right position for getting enough sunlight.
My idea was to build a chair out of two types of hardwood with different colors, such as cherry with a reddish hue, and maple with a blonde (yellowish) hue.
I created this book to honor the memory of Victor Tsoy who was the lead singer of the rock band Kino. He was a great inspiration for young generations in the 80's in the Soviet Union. He faced opposition from the government for his art and its themes such as freedom and independent thinking. He died tragically in a car accident in 1990 when he was twenty-eight years old. The cause of this accident remained a mystery and some presume the government had a hand in his death.
Tsoy's art and music lives on within current generations, who even today find meaning and inspiration in his work.
For this book, I depict the lyrics from the song "The Star Named Sun" and visually represent Tsoy as the sun, to communicate him as a bright and hopeful messenger.
Inspired by a hand-tooled leather jacket from Italy which I found in a fabric shop in St. Petersburg, I challenged myself to create a ladies' long leather coat that was as unique and stylish. This coat can be worn with a black leather belt to dress it up. It has two external pockets and is extraordinarily soft and lightweight.
The first black dress is Italian velvet and is extremely comfortable and stylish. This dress can be worn with a striped atlas belt and a beautiful shell necklace, also handmade.
The second black dress is made with Italian cotton and can be worn with a black leather belt. It has cups on the shoulders for extra comfort and style, which were an exciting challenge to build.
This is a 40"x40" oil painting on canvas which I created for my mother when she was in need of a piece of art to fill the space on her living room wall. She found an example piece by an unknown artist which I then used as inspiration for this piece. I included colors that were complementary to the environment in which I knew the painting would hang.
I decided to solve a problem for my mom. She has a floor lamp in her bedroom, on which the shade needed to be replaced. She liked the size and shape of the lamp base and the glass table around it. I decided to leave the existing base alone, but to make a new shade for it. I tried to solve the criteria that would fit my mom's needs.
The floor lamp is next to her bed, so it needed to be intimate, but convenient for reading as well. The design of the shade should match the ceiling lamp which was made from wood and rice paper. On the other side of her bed, she has a plant in a beige-colored pot. I decided to use wood in a beige color for my material. I planned to make use of an interesting shape.
I was inspired by this piece of glass I found, which I decided to use as the surface for this temperature and humidity sensitive lamp. This piece hangs on my bathroom wall, because of its beautiful design, as well as its usefullness as an indicator of temperature and humidity.
With the rest of the leather remaining after I constructed the coat, I was inspired to create a functional and beautiful leather bag. Inside I used Italian velvet to enhance the luxoriousness of this bag, and utilized a belt to make a comfortable and sturdy strap.
In my own bedroom, I had an empty space on the wall, which inspired me to create a piece of art that reflected my personal style and conveyed a message of intimacy, warmth, and love. This 36"x18" oil painting on canvas hangs there now to emanate these feelings and complement the decor of my room.