Kristin Osiecki

I recently purchased my first ever fixed lens. Today was the...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:30:00 -0500

Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden

Naples Botanical Garden

I recently purchased my first ever fixed lens. Today was the first chance I’ve had to spend a significant amount of time playing around with it. It’s definitely going to take some getting used to. The true test will be the first concert I shoot with it. If anyone has any tips or tricks for shooting with a fixed lens, please send them my way!

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY | TEXT AS IMAGEI’m starting over with...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:08:00 -0500

Random words from each student.

Random words from each student.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY | TEXT AS IMAGE
I’m starting over with two new classes of Digital Photo students and thought I’d share one of my favorite projects from last semester. Drawing Inspiration from Stefan Sagmeister’s “Things I Have Learned,” students generated inspirational phrases. They then constructed each word using a variety of different materials and photographed them individually. The above images are words taken from each student’s series of photographs.

As our first assignment in AP art this year, students created...

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:26:00 -0500

As our first assignment in AP art this year, students created political posters solely using cut paper. Their goal was to create a poster that compels the viewer to take action.

If you like what you see, give them some love, as they have submitted their work to the Say Something Poster Project.

Click here to give these students credit for their awesome work!

A lot to be thankful for this year… for one, some free...

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 21:07:00 -0500

A lot to be thankful for this year… for one, some free time to snap some photos. I’ve been super busy teaching these past few months. Currently I am teaching Digital Photography, Sculpture, Drawing From Life, AP Art and Ceramics. I’ll be updating with some student work within the next few days.

xoxoko

Last week I was invited to teach an art lesson at a local high school. Given that it was on such...

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 12:22:00 -0400

Last week I was invited to teach an art lesson at a local high school. Given that it was on such short notice, I decided to use a modified version of a lesson developed at RISD with fellow MAT Amanda Gross. This assignment was designed to make drawing more approachable to students at all levels by focusing on humor instead of realistic rendering.

One of the main goals of this lesson is to encourage students to see drawing as a means of communication. Graphic Novels and humorous illustrations were used as a starting point. Students viewed this work and discussed what techniques artists use to communicate humor. Exaggerated features, proportions and motion lines were identified as characteristics that help their drawings convey humor.

Each student started by choosing a funny memory from his or her life. With only one frame to tell their story, editing became an important part of the process. What elements are essential in telling this story? What devices can be used to convey humor? Armed only with black pens and working within a five inch frame, students were encouraged to make the most of simple implements. Variation in line quality was introduced as a means of creating depth and texture and emphasizing motion. Below is their inspiration as well as a few samples of student work.

Samples of Student work:

This past Monday I had the opportunity to teach a Media Arts lesson to seventh grade students at...

Fri, 27 May 2011 10:17:00 -0400

This past Monday I had the opportunity to teach a Media Arts lesson to seventh grade students at Q2L in NYC. The lesson I taught used animation as a context for breaking down movements. Students used their own bodies to analyze dance moves and then reanimate them using stop motion animation. Working together to animate one single clay figurine, each group added ten frames of animation to the piece. The end result was a collaborative animated dance.

The lesson was designed to be an introduction to stop-motion animation. It gave students the chance to test out different kinds of movements. While this was a one-off lesson at Q2L, I would definitely use it again to kick-off a long-term animation project. In addition to helping them build up a catalogue of movements, it also helped them develop a process for analyzing and breaking down movements into frames.

One of my main goals in creating any lesson is helping students develop new methods for understanding and interpreting information. As a designer I feel like I am always using my body as an analytical tool. Whether I’m designing a chair and thinking about the way I sit and stand, or mimicking the pose of a drawing subject so I can better understand the way the body moves. It is my hope that, through this lesson, I’ve given students a new way to relate to their work.

Below are some samples of student work. The first is a sheet students used for breaking down their dance move into five key frames. The second is a sample of an individual reflection.

While this lesson was a bit ambitious, perhaps even unrealistic, for a 45 minute block, I was really impressed by the reflection sheets that students filled out. They definitely reaffirmed my feelings that, while this lesson could use some significant tweaking, the ideas and methods behind it are solid.

Alright, here is the final piece!

Photos from MIT’s Fast Light, a design + technology...

Thu, 12 May 2011 11:10:00 -0400

Photos from MIT’s Fast Light, a design + technology exhibition. I wish I hadn’t let the rain deter me from participating in the daytime activities, but I’m so glad I stopped by to check out all of the interactive lit sculptures. Wish they were permanent installations!

Been spending my Saturdays in the Letterpress studio at AS220 in...

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:30:00 -0400

Letterpress logo

Letterpress notecard

Ludlow slug and my grubby little fingers

Weighing inks to match a Pantone swatch

Inking the press

Been spending my Saturdays in the Letterpress studio at AS220 in Providence. If you are at all interested in learning printing techniques check out their workshops. I’ve really been enjoying the tactile nature of both the printing process and the final product. I’ve also been working on doing some personal branding. Mocked up this logo in a hurry to have negatives printed. While it may not be the final iteration, it’s growing on me!

In addition to learning letterpress I have also been learning some very basic electrical engineering. My hope is to eventually make a large-scale theremin-like instrument and work with musicians and choreographers to compose music for it. At this point I am slowly building the technical skills and revising the design as I go. Chances are the end goal is several years off.

It’s always humbling to learn a new skill that is completely outside of my area of expertise. At this point in my journey as an artist I am usually building on existing skills. In this case, I am starting with a blank slate. It can definitely be frustrating at times, hitting walls that I can’t overcome on my own. As a designer, struggling to speak through unfamiliar media is where I experience the most growth. As an educator, it’s a helpful reminder of the importance of compassion and well-scaffolded lessons!

Alright, enough with the rambling. I’m off to NYC!
xoxoko

Just a quick update… At the moment I’m catching up...

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Gocco-printed Valentines

Seamless Magazine

Seamless Magazine

Seamless Magazine

Limay fundraiser shirt

Limay Poster

Misprinted Poster

Just a quick update…

At the moment I’m catching up on photographing work for my portfolio. I’ve also designed and printed an edition of t-shirts to raise money for flood victims in Limay Nicaragua. I will send up a flare when they are available online!

xoxoko

Tomorrow marks the beginning of A better World By Design 2010, a...

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:09:00 -0400

Tomorrow marks the beginning of A better World By Design 2010, a three-day conference centered around socially and environmentally conscious design. I will be in attendance all three days. There is an amazing range of lectures and workshops. For more info: A Better World By Design 2010

Update| links to organizations represented at ABWBD

Brown Students: Rainewater For Humanity

Ramsey Ford: Design Impact

Panel Discussion: Rebekah Greenwald: Artists For Humanity

Edward Mazria: Architecture 2030

Damon Rich: Center For Urban Pedagogy

Guerilla Gardening

Student announcer: Ambica Ruse: AIDS Relief International

Student announcer: Aro Fab Lab: Engineers Without Boarders

Nicaragua | In Retrospect While most everyone in my life was aware of my travel plans, few were...

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 22:35:00 -0400

Nicaragua | In Retrospect

While most everyone in my life was aware of my travel plans, few were aware of the motivation behind this endeavor. While earning my Masters I began researching global arts communities. In particular, I became interested in the role that technology plays in facilitating and maintaining learning communities. Seeking to continue this research I wrote a grant and received funding. This grant allowed me to travel to Nicaragua with The Art of Solidarity (AoS). AoS is an abroad program offered by Maryland Institute College of Art. Through AoS, art educators and film documentarians travel to Nicaragua to collaborate with local artists (For more info about Art of Solidarity click here, or visit the Art of Solidarity blog). As part of this program I was able to experience first-hand the challenges and benefits of cross-cultural collaboration. In the coming months I will be publishing an article on my experiences on the Community Arts Network.

In addition to my interest in the role of technology in cross-cultural collaborations, this experience also allowed me to further another goal of mine, learning Spanish.

Below is a brief run-down of how I spent my time in Nicaragua.

Managua | July 17th - July 20th

We spent three days in Managua getting our bearings. Some highlights from our stay in Managua/Masaya:

Video workshop on Poyo Lake in Masaya.

Hotel La Abuela en Masaya

Exploring the islands of Lake Nicaragua by boat.

Celebrating the 31st anniversary of the revolution in Managua.

Estelí | July 20th - August 1st

While in Estelí each day began at the the house of Mothers of Heroes and Martyrs. There we ate breakfast prepared by the mothers and then spent three hours studying Spanish. The rest of our days were devoted to shooting and editing video documentaries in collaboration with VIMAU.

Exploring at Casa de Cultura, home of the Muralist Collective

Mural tour through Estelí

Working hard at VIMAU.

House of Mothers of Heroes and Martyrs.

Limay | August 1st - August 13th

While in Limay we spent our mornings working at the youth center. The majority of Art of Solidarity participants worked with youths to create two large murals. I worked with a smaller group leading students in the creation of a video piece. In addition to working at the youth center we spent evenings working in the marmolina stone carving studio. I also had the privilege of living with the family that runs the studio.

Milking cows with my host brother.

Students shooting a scene in the local cemetary.

Animation workshop

Students chose to incorporate animation as a time-lapse illustrating the effects of drug use. We used makeup to age “Gustavo’s” face and make him appear gaunt and sickly.

The mural team hard at work on preliminary sketches.

On our last night we premiered our student film at a local dance hall. The crowd erupted as soon as the title reading “Limay, Nicaragua” appeared on screen. I could feel not only the pride of our students, but the pride of the entire audience. Throughout the making of the film we received a great deal of support from people in the town. We were welcomed into their homes to shoot and several people volunteered as actors. The response to this film was really overwhelming. This was the first moment where I understood what our presence in Nicaragua meant to the people there.

Estelí | August 13th - August 16th

We returned to Estelí briefly to show our videos and say goodbye to everyone at VIMAU.

Check out this video from the premier.

León | August 17th - August 19th

We spent the last three days of our trip relaxing on the coast and reflecting on our work.

Alright, that’s all for now. More photos here.

Last night we spent some time reflecting on our collaborations in Nicaragua with the guys at VIMAU....

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:57:00 -0400

Last night we spent some time reflecting on our collaborations in Nicaragua with the guys at VIMAU. While it was a hectic day, I’m glad everyone made it. Producing four documentaries in the span of a week has been incredibly intense for everyone and left us little time for in-process critiques and reflections. More than anything it was important to me to learn what our work here has meant for the groups we have collaborated with. Beyond exchanging technical skills, our greatest accomplishments were the cultural and personal exchanges that occurred throughout the filmmaking process. Jonys, Eddy, Jorge, Marlon and Ivania welcomed us into their studio space and shared a great deal about their lives and culture with us. Despite the fact that our visit was brief I always felt at home in Estelí.

Thinking about what I have gained from this experience has me looking ahead to all of the things I want to accomplish when I return to the US.

This morning we are leaving Estelí for León. I will miss everyone here and hope to return. I’ll update this with more detail later. It’s time to pack!

Photo

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 19:51:00 -0400

While in Limay our group is working on two projects with...

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 23:56:00 -0400

While in Limay our group is working on two projects with students at the youth center. The majority of Art of Solidarity participants are working on mural projects. I am working with a smaller group that is leading students in the creation of a video.

Our students chose to work with the theme of drug abuse in Limay. In the course of planning out their video, students decided that they wanted to shoot a scene in Limay’s police station. Not only did the police agree to let our students film in the station, they also agreed to act in our film! One of our student actors was booked, cuffed and thrown in a cell. After shooting this scene the police also filmed a chase scene where they catch a drug dealer in the act. It was a fun shoot, and the police seemed to enjoy it as much as the students did.
Overall our students have done an awesome job, both on camera and behind the scenes. I’ve been really impressed by their ability to select a theme, generate a story, and edit it down to create a storyboard. I’ve also been impressed by how well they have been framing their shots.

I made this for a stop motion demo. On Monday I will be teaching a stop animation workshop. The goal is to have our students integrate some form of animation into their film.

After two sweltering days with no running water in Limay it is finally back on.

Can’t wait to post some videos for you folks.

We arrived in Limay on August 2nd. While here we will be working...

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:10:00 -0400

We arrived in Limay on August 2nd. While here we will be working with youths to create several murals as well as a video project. I have not yet decided which team I’ll be working on. After spending a very intense week shooting and editing a documentary in Estelí, painting would be a welcomed change. Then again, I would also really love to teach animation. As a video instructor I will have the opportunity to teach a three hour workshop of my own design.

One of our first stops in Limay was the youth center where we will be working for the next twelve days. Roughly 25 students showed up on the first day for our initial meet up. After introducing ourselves we jumped right into brainstorming and sketching. The kids seem really enthusiastic and engaged. I can’t wait to get started.

Photo

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:13:00 -0400

Photo

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:04:00 -0400

An excerpt from a reflection assignment for MICA Upon entering the city of Estelí one can feel its...

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:59:00 -0400

An excerpt from a reflection assignment for MICA

Upon entering the city of Estelí one can feel its character viscerally. Despite our urban setting, lush green mountains remain visible to the east and west. The streets are lined with vibrantly painted homes, and businesses are covered with carefully rendered illustrations advertising the goods sold within. Every surface is like a thoroughly worked canvas, rich with color, pattern and texture. It seems as though the people of Estelí possess an innate sense of color and composition. While I came to Estelí knowing that it is home to a rich community of artists, I had no idea that artistic acuity would be so deeply infused in the culture of its people. Never before have I seen such striking and pervasive visual culture.

For me, one of the most striking features of this city are the hand painted signs and murals. Text and image are applied directly to the city’s architecture, becoming part of the visual landscape, rather than intruding on it like modern advertising in the United States. I can’t help but picture the skyline of Boston from the upper deck of 93, now cluttered with at least a dozen Clear Channel billboards advertising everything from the local YMCA to Miller Light. Even walking down the street in Boston, and every other city I have traveled to, the landscape is littered with visual communication that is completely at odds with its surroundings. While every surface in Estelí is saturated with color, texture and pattern it is never jarring. As a designer I find this continuity between culture and visual language fascinating. Even logos for modern goods and services have been skillfully translated into this language. Seeing these familiar symbols rendered in this way throws my sense of time and place off kilter. In general Estelí is a fascinating mélange of past and present, where horse drawn wagons plod down streets lined with cyber cafes.

Murales en la Case de Heroes y...

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:28:00 -0400

Murales en la Case de Heroes y Martires, Estelí Nicaragua

While in Estelí we start each day at the the house of Mothers of Heroes and Martyrs. There we eat breakfast prepared by the mothers and then spend three hours studying Spanish with Señora Blanca. Our afternoons are spent at VIMAU working on video documentaries. Generally these work sessions run until nine or ten.

Note to self, write about celebrating the anniversary of the revolution in Managua on the 19th. * *...

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:19:00 -0400

Note to self, write about celebrating the anniversary of the revolution in Managua on the 19th.

* * *

Today began with a lecture by Israel Lewites, son of the Sandinista leader by the same name, and nephew of former Mayor of Managua, Minister of Tourism and 2006 presidential candidate, Herty Lewites. Herty Lewites died only four months before the election. An autopsy was never performed. Many of his supporters believe that he was murdered.

Israel gave us a run-down of the past thirty years of Nicaraguan political history. It is clear that politics is a loaded subject for him, understandably. Despite this fact I felt as though he was careful to give us an unbiased account and frequently acknowledged where his opinions were coming from.

Israel currently runs Water & Earth Bio Solutions, a waste water treatment consultancy. He is also a VJ and is working on producing educational television programming. He mentioned that he feels education is the key to positive change in Nicaragua. It’s clear that he wants to enact positive change in Nicaragua, but feels that he can accomplish more outside the political realm.

“Logic and truth, it doesn’t matter. You don’t need it to run this country. All you need is to repeat your lies.”

* * *

After leaving Israel’s home, we packed in the van and headed for the bus station. There we hopped a bus for Esteí. We arrived in Esteli this evening after a 2.5 hour bus ride from Managua. By pure coincidence I sat next this amazing young woman from Esteli who is studying social anthropology in Managua. She was kind enough to talk to me about about life in Managua and Esteli.

After dinner we went to visit VIMAU, a collective of video artists here in Esteli. We had a chance to share our work with them. This was the first time I got to see work by most of my travel companions. I feel incredibly lucky to be on this journey with such a diverse and talented group of artists. I can’t wait to start creating work with everyone.

I’ll add more detail to these entries later, I’m updating via phone.

Many pictures to follow.