Creative Research
Wanting to expand my artistic abilities has been a bit tough with so few seed bead artists or Beadist’s around to learn from so I have started expanding my education though videos and other classes such as ceramics and mosaics. My art has transformed from very small and flat 2D images to large 2D and 3D pieces. Through my quest for more knowledge I have finally found a few other Beadist’s that I am now getting in contact with. As I learn more about them as artists I am also learning about their unique techniques and exploring other markets for this type of art. What if people with certain disabilities could use this type of painting to finally “see” a painting through other means such as touch. In the near future I would like to put together a white paper and then maybe a book on this elusive art form, the artists who practice and develop it and where we might take it.
Incorporating International Culture into the classroom.
Travel is just not enough, immersion is better but regular exposure is one of the greatest paths to acceptance. Success in design comes from helping people and to do that we need to understand them. It's wonderful how our world keeps getting smaller and more accessible every day so why not learn as much about our world's people and design practices as we can. Having been a foreign student I know firsthand the edge it gives to students so they can be more successful in the global market after graduation. I encourage all of my students to take advantage of a study abroad opportunity but I also believe in bringing it to the classroom at every opportunity with interdisciplinary learning and incorporating unique international experiences into the design curriculum. If possible in the future I would like to help find a way to ensure that every student gets the opportunity to study abroad as we were able to do with students at Queens.
Panel presentation for IDEC National Conference in March 2012: Participants included Sabrina Frey, Kangli Ren (Helen), Jane Kucko and Rick Navarro
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This is the PDF of the slideshow presentation. If you would like to see the video of the the discussion please email me.
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Sharing my practical design experience with students
Practical Experience - My most valuable learning experience. During my time in the field I was fortunate enough to work on projects that focused mostly on designing for empty nesters. This experience exposed me to the unique challenges of incorporating universal design principles and aging in place techniques into every design. I coupled this with my interest into the how and why of things and took advantage of every building experience. Understanding construction methods and implementing alternative building solutions with hands on implementation is a valuable tool that every designer should grasp. Better insight and improving the relationships and interaction between contractors, vendors and designers is an area I have explored and feel strongly about sharing to help bridge the gap between our interdependent roles in the building process.
Thesis Research
My curiosity into other cultures and the built environment inspired my thesis research into learning why people live the way they do and the effects it can have on their lives overall. I believe there is much to be learned from the international community and that US designers should better understand and embrace these cultural differences. My research thesis explores the possibility that global populations with the highest level of subjective well-being could be living differently and may have something to teach us. How are the Nordic life philosophies manifested into their living environments to help promote increased well-being being? You can read about my research in my book published in 2016. (see info on cover)
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IDEC 2012 Poster presentation of research results - Thank you IDEC for voting it Best Poster at the 2012 National Conference. PDF contains information without graphics.
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