There are so many things I'm doing that I thought I'd never had the chance to do or won't be doing anymore. I just recently finished writing a company profile and my clients are so very happy and satisfied with it that they now asked me to design, layout and write articles for a glossy magazine as souvenir for their daughter's 18th birthday celebration. They also asked me to make the invitations. As you can see, I do these alongside the set pieces I'm completing for the Christmas production. I am quite all over the place.
Sometimes, all I can do is laugh and ask, "Why do I do this to myself?" I know the answer. Of course I do. It's because I enjoy doing them immensely. The diversity of the projects are just mind-boggling and yet, I embrace it. It's exciting! When they asked me to do the magazine the first time, I laughed at their faces. That's not the way to treat clients, I know. My excuse is, they're my friends. But it's hysterical that they would just ask me to do it because I have no experience on anything magazine-related whatsoever. What got me was, they did not ask if I could do it. That level of trust in my ability to pull it off never fails to catch me off-guard.
These props and scenes I'm producing for the school are another thing. It's my first time to be the lead person to do these things. I'm just winging it, to be honest. They look great so far on the table but I have no idea how it would turn out with the stage lights on. But again, that level of trust in my abilities never fails to amaze me. All I can do is be grateful that they believe I can do it, and because of that I still have a job.
No, I haven't forgotten my paper crafting business. It's still there. It's just these last four months have been about trying and doing new things. Such joy to experience these new challenges.
Thoughts About My Job
Set Pieces for Christmas Production
Here are the photos of the set pieces. Thanks Art Attack's Neil Buchanan for teaching me the use of bathroom tissue in papier mache. Those extra corrugated boards definitely have use. The frames were made of 3/4" plywood scrap strips from carpentry. :)
Here's the fireplace.
I'll post the finished product later on. I doubt if I'll be able to finish this tomorrow. By the way, we're in the gymnasium closet, in case you're wondering why there were balls and hula hoops everywhere.
School Updates
Finally, I remember taking a photo of our Art Classroom. So, here it is! It's a bit small especially if I try to squeeze in 13 students in there. But I love it!
It's a corner room and during the day, we have lots of natural lighting. It doesn't look as bright as it really is usually because I took this late in the afternoon today. That window faces west. Ok, just a bit of a tour. I had that big black display board (literally, a blackboard) made to replace the white board that was on that wall previously. The white board was moved to the wall on the left side (not seen) of the photo. On the yellow sheets on display, those are cutting exercises by first and second grade students. On the far right of the board, those are warm/cool color and complementary color charts by third and fourth grade students. The bunting across the room is a triangle-cutting exercise by prek/k students.
On the windows, those are Chinese paper lanterns, a few that were left from their straight line cutting exercise. The low shelf is for supplies and the tall one is for papers. Beside it is a former cart I had replaced with several cubes to put pencils, scissors, pens, pencils, etc. Behind me is another supplies shelf where all the student folders are, paints (watercolor, oil, acrylic, poster, washable paints, powder paints, etc), color pencils, color markers, etc. I forgot to take a photo of that.
The tables were prepared for an exercise using hand prints in primary colors with color by number borders in primary colors as well.
Now, this one, these are several props for our Christmas production: stockings, doll key, elf tools, wreath, a rimmed hat, train conductor hats and a toy soldier hat. All these were made from recycled materials (corrugated boards, a-few-year-old felt paper scraps and five-year-old washable paints and glitters). I thought I took a photo of the set pieces. Oh well, tomorrow, I'll do that.
This Schedule is Frightening But Awesome!
Last week, I started working on the props for our Christmas Production. It's a big deal for the kids so I want the set and the props to look at least presentable and sparkly. I've been helping out on set designs since high school and again, when I taught the first time in that same school. This is the first time in which I'm actually the one doing it myself, along with help from my assistants Zara and Edjee, and the wonderful Mang Louie, head carpenter at IRRI. He truly makes things easy for me.
As of today, the frame for the set pieces are done while some of the props are ready to be painted. I requested for carpentry assistance on Monday. I hope I can show some photos (I know I'm slacking in the documentation department) of these things I'm doing.
Also, tomorrow, I'm going to meet with a mother of a debutante for her daughter's invitations and souvenir mag. The previous agreement, that was three months ago, would be I'd write the articles myself in addition to the layout and design of the magazine that should be finished in, well, five weeks? Ha! I'm Supergirl!
That's why I'm panicking now so I won't panic later on. There's a week and a half difference between the two occasions.
