I'm still here!

DSC03800, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

It's been quite some time since I've posted. I don't know who reads this but I do know there are a few people that I promised I would write consistently on this blog as a way to keep in touch. I've been putting it off and time has just flown by.

As a general update I'm loving it out here! I feel so lucky that I have this time to explore what I want and how I want. It was almost too free if that's even possible! I've been thinking/researching many subjects and of course it's hard to include all of these things at once.

One of my classes, the History of Modern Craft has been really interesting. I just learned about Candace Wheeler, one of America's first textile/interior designers and a leader in women's rights. She developed a business that gave women the opportunity to make a living through applied arts. She was able to infuse her personal beliefs, design aesthetic, and artistic talent into a business that helped unify the relationship of craft/art/design. I'm looking at her right now as an example of qualities I would like to practice myself...

Want to know more go here and here.

See..but now it's gone.
Go to Pats Steaks. It's delicious! Been there twice already.

My Trusty Companion

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This is my main bike that's been though thick and thin (ice, snow, mud, potholed streets) This was my first bike purchase after I learned that a Kmart huffy really isn't a nice bike. I remember thinking that $300 for a bike was a lot of money and I almost didn't buy it. Since I've had it, it's transformed into a perfect commuter with a few upgrades.

Bike Ride to School

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It's not as long as it looks. Google says it's 8.5 miles but it's mostly flat and over half of it is on the Schuykill river trail which is a nice paved wide trail. I'll be riding most days (I think) and we'll see how I hold up as it gets cold. I'm kind of a wimp with cold weather. Although, I've decided that I'm joining a local team for racing Cyclocross which is going to be in some cold weather so I better toughen up! It's supposed to be very popular in New England with races every weekend that I could do. There's only one problem: I don't have a Cyclocross bike. And people wonder why I need three and now I need another? I actually do ride them all and have ridden each bike at least a couple of times since I've been out here. I've looked on craigslist for a bike with no luck. I will make it work...even if I have to sell one to get one. I'm really attached to my bikes though, and I would hate to part with one :(

I had a doodle on a piece of receipt paper from Mark's Bistro that I found in my purse. Yesterday, I made a pattern from it. I haven't played around with color yet - just put a purple background in it. On the patio of Mark's there's an assortment of potted plants that make it feel like a garden and welcome guests with happy colors.

View on top of the MET

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This view is on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Museum of Art which overlooks Central Park. You can see one bamboo stick because there is currently a large installation of intertwining and roped together bamboo creating a network of pathways on and above ground. It was very fun!

Pit Stop

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Everyone who knows me will not be surprised by this photo. I had to have a mini cupcake before walking around the Garment District. They didn't have the Nutella Crunch, so I opted for red velvet which was not disappointing.

Lush in an Urban City

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Exotic Plants

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In Rockefeller Center there were beautiful plants. Inspiration for color and design.

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The textile hanging in the corner is actually a cover for me clothes. This is the other print from Japan. I hemmed the sides and used Velcro pieces to adhere it. The storage boxes closer are my sewing/fabric/art supplies which will be in my studio at school eventually. I'm pretty much all settled in now and I've made my space work in a comfortable, livable way.

My Loft

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To maximize space, I put together this bunk bed. It's been a while since I've literally had to climb into bed.

Curtains

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These are the curtains I made yesterday from fabric from Japan that was given to me by a friend.

Desk as seen from my bed

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I have just enough room! I love my bookshelf/lamp. My books fit into it perfectly.

Work area

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Until I have access to my studio at school, I've made room under my bed for working on projects. Yesterday I sewed some curtains for my room and a cover for my cubbies that I keep clothes in. This Kenmore heavy duty machine was my friend's grandmother's. For a time she lived in Okinawa and used the machine there. How ironic is it that my friend ended up teaching in Okinawa now, near where her grandparents lived? Also, the fabric that I made my curtains and cover with were from Japan, given to me by a new friend that I made in Pittsburgh on my way here.

Entrance of my room

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As I walk in my room to my right is this nice little area that I have art supplies, my jewelry box, and scarfs-oh and my Swedish rain hat.

I had to re-post this picture so it's out of order but this was the first morning of our trip out to Philadelphia.  One last goodbye to Tommy.  Wonder if he will even notice I'm gone...

The Wissahickon Park, which is part of Fairmont Park has miles of biking/hiking trails the creek winding through it. Certain sections are deep and people can actually swim in it. It's really beautiful because of the dense trees huge rocks that you can climb on. I'm lucky to live just a short bike ride away from this or the city. I have the best of both worlds.  If you look closely, you can see Frances in the picture.  Like a ninja, she blends into the background with her black getup.  We rode to the trail from Manayunk.  I had my mountain bike, but Frances braved some rough terrain on her vintage foldable bike from the Omaha Bike Community Bike Shop. 

On our way to the grocery store as we were walking through the hills of Manayunk, we found a new friend. This friendly pig was chomping away on something - I'm not sure what. I'll be back to visit and maybe next time I'll get its name. Its tail was wagging away just like a happy dog. It's the ugliest cute pet I've seen!

In Pittsburgh, we stayed with some friends of France's who keep chickens in their back yard. I fed them peanuts which I had to crack open for them and they quickly pecked them out of my hand. They sure know how to pose for the camera.

From the wide open spaces of Omaha yards and streets to the narrow one-way streets of Manayunk, we traveled in our 14 foot U-haul truck. At first, I was a little nervous to drive it but before I new it, we were winding through the Appalachians like it was nothing. The trip was smooth with fun stops along the way to stay with friends in Columbus and Pittsburgh.

"One dolla, one dolla!"

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He doesn't look too happy with this price. Good thing it was high. I would have missed Tommy.

Stuff, stuff, and stuff

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I'm finally feeling recovered from this weekend's garage sale. In it was my stuff, my friend's, mom's, mom's friend, brother of a friend...you get the idea...a lot of stuff. My friend is moving to Japan to teach and she was selling almost everything she owned. Many questions run through your mind when allowing yourself to let go of objects. It does feel good and freeing though. We celebrated our life changes this weekend and look forward to accumulating rich experiences rather than things in the coming years.

Philly illustration by Julia Rothman

On the Design*Sponge website was the Philly guide. I'm visiting this weekend so it couldn't have come at a better time. New home...I'm almost there.

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This painting was an experiment. I guess all art is anyway. I had this blank canvas and decided to drip India ink over it, then another mixture of paint, and then I envisioned circles, then stripes of color. The circles needed to have one more dimension so I added a clear gloss to make them pop. I'm still deciding what to call it.

Macro Micro World, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

I was recently going through all of my things to prepare for my move. Trying to figure out what to keep and what to get rid of can be tough, especially when you look at something and think, "I could make something out of this." That is my struggle. Of course most things end up not being used. However, I found this woodblock print that I did in 2007 in black and white. I decided to use it like a coloring book with gouache. It's very springy.

Mazatlan, Mexico

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I took so many pictures but this one is my favorite. The way the sun was shining looked heavenly. The banister frames the landscape and the way the sun brightens the white makes a great contrast. I feel warmer just looking at it.

Willem De Kooning's painting of "Woman and Bicycle." Recently this is how I have felt, at times, particularly on hills. As the season progresses, I will find a new image to represent the way I feel. I hope it looks strong, powerful, and sleek!

My Future Home

philly, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

I'm so excited to move to Philadelphia. Letter "A" represents my new school: Temple University. I will be a student at Tyler School of Art in the Fiber department. I'm a very lucky girl. "Philadelphia freedom..."

Omaha Light Pole

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Today was one of the first sunny -and warm days. My friend and I took a walk with cameras in hand. We took many pictures of this interesting light pole. These have been in Omaha since I can remember. I like them.

This image is one of Jun Kaneko's pieces that is currently on display at the Bow Truss space downtown. I am new intern of Education Programs under Jacquie Scoones. My job involves creating contacts with local educators in the secondary schools and helping with ideas/planning future activities for learning from a creative perspective. New website coming soon! www.thekaneko.org

Architecture + Lighting = Art (just one equation of many)

Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Staircase at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago

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I loved this staircase. I could have spent a lot of time just taking photos from different angles!

4th grade art from Western Hills Omaha

4th grade art from Western Hills Omaha, originally uploaded by ashleyrodriguezreed.

This was a mixed media lesson using oil pastels and tempera to make a scratchboard. We talked about organic lines and shapes in a garden, looking at several artists. They turned out amazing! This is one among many.

In progress

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Been messing with oils lately...doodle painting is fun.

My newest illustration of fun. I call it "Technicolor Dreamworld."

The installation is up! Overall I am happy with the colors and the patterns that came out. The figures create movement and energy however, I think that the relationship to the entire space is not unified because I kept the figures contained. I think that maybe if I had more time I could have pushed it farther and made it work. I can take away a lot from this because it was a challenge and now I can see what works and what doesn't. I'm still trying to figure it out. The meaning of the piece does come across, but the visual impact is not as strong as it could be. The idea behind this installation was that I was putting imagery together from the history in Corning and around it. The stories that are created and made by the people who settled her, such as the French Icarians, and the people who are trying to sustain their communities by bringing in new ideas and also preserving the past. I was fascinated by how we create our lives and what becomes meaningful over time, and how these things remain and evolve through time. The way the pieces are hung, like bed time mobiles or string puppets gives the lighthearted feel of story telling. Hung throughout the figures are common symbols that the community associated with their past/present/future. The figures have hand painted designs that represent nature and cultivating land. The smaller cut silhouettes have a structured, screen printed pattern. The pattern is influence by the Opera house stenciling, upholstery, and Icarian symbols.

Today thousands of bikers came through main street to eat and buy my t-shirts, of course. Bikers began trickling in by 8-9am and kept coming until the afternoon. The streets have probably never been this full since that last RAGBRAI in 97'. It was great for the whole community to get together and bake pies, grill pork chops, and welcome people. The beer garden had music blasting and some people were dancing in the street. Fun stuff!

RAGBRAI in Corning. Joke of the day: Do you know why some bikes have kick stands? Why? Because they are two tired...ha ha.

I began printing the pattern that I designed. It's very structured and but I made it look antiqued because I thought it would add depth to the flatness of the graphic print and also fit the Opera house ambiance. I want the fabric to seem modern but also feel like it could be from another time based on the aged look of it.

Rows and rows of trees. Iowa is full of trees contrasted by vast hills of corn and soybeans.

Corn and checker plaid.