VISUAL ARTS BLOG SIGNING OFF: Adios, Sayanara, Auf Wiedersehen, Nabadey, Salaam, Goodbye

Well, my loyal readership, this is the end of this blog for the year. I launched this resource last Fall with the hope of establishing a new conversational vehicle with fall 2007 applicants, and, just as importantly, of exhibiting some of the dynamism within the Department of Art. I hope the blog has been informative, answering questions about topics such as housing, scholarships, and admissions timelines. I'm sure you had other questions that weren't answered, though I appreciate those of you who forwarded some of those questions to me. I'm pretty confident that I answered--eventually--all the questions that came my way.

I hope the blog has been engaging and visually appealing. I'm very pleased with the videos that my talented student assistant, Ami Clark, produced. Though not every American would agree on the talents and competency of Texas' George W. Bush, I'd like to think that they would all agree on the talent and competency of Texas' Ami Clark. As an animation student and the Pencil Mileage Club Historian, you'll get the chance to meet her next year in an animation class or a PMC meeting. If you do, be sure to compliment her on her videography. The art department has not documented students shows in the past, but I think Ami did a pretty good job of showing the diversity of student work and inspiring our developing artists to share a little about their motivations and vision. Thanks Ami.

Over the New Year's break I had the epiphany of finding some actual CSUF students to blog about the student experience in the department. I'm really pleased with the way those turned out, especially Chris' revelations about PMC, animation, internships, and the innumerable opportunities students have in the animation program. For those of you who may have thought the blog was just propoganda, I hope they imparted at least a modicum of veracity and grittiness to the blog and the department.

I hope this blog has been helpful, entertaining, and eye-opening about the visual arts at CSUF. I'm pretty confident that no other art department you may have applied to had anything similar to this. We like to think that CSUF, especially the arts, is on the cutting edge of major social and artistic trends. That has to be our location to ensure both, that we attact the sort of student who aspires to be a creative leader, and that upon graduation that student is well prepared to see that aspiration materialize.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to meeting each of you this summer during New Student Orientation, as well as during the fall 2007 term.

LINKS TO SOME STUDENT AND FACULTY WEBSITES

CHRIS ALLISON, FINAL POST

Ahoy and happy summer, future Fullertonians!

Well, school is officially out, the grades are in, and I'm ready to relax!
It was a tough semester juggling all of the academic responsibilities that I
had, so this summer is a time to relax and recoop. But maybe in a way that
you wouldn't have suspected!

I'll be staying in Fullerton for the summer. Students are still allowed
access to the Visual Arts Department facilities, so this summer is "fun
time" for me! I'll be working on films for my own personal enjoyment,
without the pressure of deadlines. I think it's really important to take regular
breaks to remind yourself why you fell in love with what you're doing. It's easy to lose sight of the real magic that attracted you to art in the first place as you get consumed by the flurry of assignments and critiques.

This summer I'm going to try to finish a goofy short film for myself. I'm
also going to try to get a website up to showcase my work. And my last goal
for the summer is to get a tan at the beach! Boy oh boy, I sure could use
it!

Well, this is my last transmission for the Cal State Fullerton Visual Arts
Blog, but I'll still answer any questions that anybody might have. If you
end up coming to CSUF, you'll probably see me in the halls next year. Make
sure to stop me to say hey!

Your pal,
Chris
DAILY TITAN ARTICLE ON CHRIS ALLISON

ART ALLIANCE GROUP SHOW VIDEO

The final show of the year in the Exit Gallery was a--fittingly--group show. Five surfaces covered with all sorts of stuff. I've no words to summarize the panoply of media, content, visions, or skills exhibited. Just proud to claim these talented few as some of Cal State Fullerton's best. Ladies and gentlemen, the students of the Visual Arts Department.

MELISSA GRANILLO, FINAL POST

This last semester has really been a productive one. I created some pieces that I'm proud to put in my portfolio, I got through photo with a good grade (didn't think that would happen) and I managed to get my personal portfolio online! So, I have one year to go and I have decided to take an extra semester and graduate in Spring 2008. I figure with getting financial aid, I might as well take as many classes as I can. With the knowledge of the professors here at CSUF, I'm willing to stay the extra semester to get more under my belt and build my portfolio. I guess I'm also a little nervous about graduating, but hopefully I'll try not to think about that until the beginning of next year.

This summer I'm not taking any classes, but I'm busy doing part-time graphic design work, starting an internship, and working on a catalog with some other students for a fall exhibition. I've been fortunate to have done some networking and have been given opportunities to enhance my experience as a graphic design student. On a final note, I want to emphasize that networking is a huge factor in graphic design and many, many other careers. Keep a smile on, don't burn bridges, and build your address book!

-Melissa :)
MELISSA GRANILLO PORTFOLIO

SECRETS ON THE SURFACE VIDEO

Drawing & painting students, Nina Thomas and Crystal de la Torre, brought their work to the Exit Gallery for their peers to enjoy in April. Crystal's trade is in symbolism as she mixes familiar objects to create surrealistic but fascinating juxtipositions. Enjoy.
SECRETS ON THE SURFACE

MELISSA GRANILLO, PART 8 (from May)

This semester has been one of my most demading ones and I'm only taking three classes. I don't think I would recommend taking more than 2-3 studio classes in a semester. I was told this before and now that I'm in the mix of it all, I completely agree with that statement. Studio classes demand lots of work and time on at least 4-5 projects throughout the semester. Personally, I like to spend a lot of time on a project and try to make it the best it can be. Luckily, this semester, I have produced some pieces I will be happy to put in my portfolio. I'm relieved that CSUF has a class for building up your portfolio. I've been told time and time again how important a great portfolio is. With one special studies class down for graphic design, I'm looking forward to the next one to come because I'll get to have another professor and a completely different experience. I have even decided to stay one more semester and graduate in the Spring of 2008 just to get a couple more classes under my belt and really make my portfolio an outstanding one. I figure, I better take all the classes I can to really prepare myself so I can produce great designs.

-Melissa :)

MIXED SIGNALS VIDEO

Sculpture student, Thomas Miller Memorial Scholarship winner, and soon to be graduate student, Venice McCurdy had her final show this spring in the Exit Gallery. Functioning with dyslexia all her life has given her a unique perspective on the world, especially the place of reading and books in her intellectual and creative endeavors. One of her works gives a new--but productive--name to "creative destruction." Enjoy.
MIXED SIGNALS

CHRIS ALLISON, PART 7 (April Post)

Hey future Titans!

I wanted to write about another opportunity that I got at Cal State
Fullerton that you won't find anywhere else. My teacher Dana Lamb told me
that he wanted my films to be submitted to the Newport Beach International Film
Festival. Some students had submitted last semester and were really
impressive so the film festival gave Cal State Fullerton our own slot! I'm
so excited about this because the Newport Film Festival is international, so
I'm getting exposure to people from around the world.

Filmmakers are treated like royalty! There are free workshops for me to go
to, social events to make contacts, and we even present our films and answer
questions afterwards. I'm so happy to be a part of this since I might
not have received or even known about this opportunity had it not been for
the active CSUF animation community.
FILM FESTIVAL

REVOLUTIONEYES VIDEO

Art education and drawing & painting major, Loriann Hernandez, held her final show spring semester before graduating in the summer. It was a huge show exhibiting many media. Loriann is of the opinion that just about anything can work as a "canvas" for her paint, including a gate and a kitchen sink. Enjoy.
REVOLUTIONEYES

MELISSA GRANILLO, PART 7 (from April)

Spring semester is almost over. Only a few more weeks left! I'm always so amazed as to how fast the semesters go. I have so much to do and so little time. My busiest class is special studies for graphic design. I just finished up making a candy packaging design for jelly beans. Now I'm starting project 3, a self-promotional 3D business card. For this project and all others, we are given an article to read that shows a certain method to approaching a design. These articles are helpful because sometimes as young designers we have trouble coming up with concepts and the reading helps.

Throwing together type, images, and color, without a method, is not always the most successful method (usually). It's usually important to have a game plan, including asking yourself questions about your work: why am I using that color? why am I using this font? why are the images and type placed the way they are? It's important to constantly reflect on your design because if you can answer these sorts of questions, usually you'll produce a successful design.

I WANT TO PAINT LIKE SARGENT VIDEO

Drawing and Painting majors Ian Trout and Kevin Scianni teamed-up on this Exit Gallery show from March. The visual arts department offers a program in printmaking, though we don't have many majors. However, the techniques acquired and the unique results of the process attract many students who wind up taking a course or two. Ian took every printmaking course we offered and displays some of his work in the video. Kevin (pictured above) who initially pursued animation, switched over to painting & drawing and shares his exploration of 21st century forms. Enjoy.
I WANT TO PAINT LIKE SARGENT

CHRIS ALLISON, PART 6 (March Post)

Hey there pencil pushing Titan hopefuls!

I’m busy planning a Macromedia Flash workshop to be held by the Pencil Mileage Club soon. Myself and fellow animator (and beard growing extraordinaire) Mike Nassar were fortunate enough to intern at Titmouse Studios. We worked on the show Metalocalypse on Adult Swim, amongst other sweet projects. It was a great experience and the owners, Shannon and Chris Prynoski, were really nice people.

I heard about Titmouse from two stellar artists, Mike Roush and Richard
Pose, who work there. You guessed it, Mike Roush and Richard Pose
are both CSUF alums. They told me about the projects they were working
on, and how Titmouse is doing television animation, HERE, in the good ol’ US of A. And what great stuff! You gotta check out Titmouse’s reel on the
website.

Anyhoo, we picked up a ton of great tricks in Macromedia Flash.
Metalocalypse and a couple commercials that we worked on were all animated using Flash. Mike and I got hands on experience, and now we’re coming back to CSUF to share the knowledge. The great thing about CSUF is that there are possibilities to learn EVERYWHERE. Learning doesn’t stop when the teacher leaves the room, because there are tons of great students here that help each other out. And it doesn’t just happen when you’re at school. Mike and Richard got me into contact with the studio owners and really helped me land the big gig.

This image is a little teaser shot of the introduction to THE BOMB 2007, which will be premiered at this year’s CSUF Film Festival! (See my early March post on The BOMB.) We used a lot of tricks we
learned from Titmouse on it! Shhh, don’t tell anybody you saw this.

That’s all for now. Have a great one folks!

Your pal,
Chris
TITMOUSE INC
METALOCALYPSE

CHRIS ALLISON, PART 5 (March Post)

Spring break is a time that makes everyone happy! For some students, it’s a time to return to see their families. For others a time to go on an
exciting trip away from campus. But over at the animation department, it’s
a time to catch up on work and relaxation.

First of all, I’d like to talk about the Brian Crosby event that I promised
everyone. Cal State Fullerton is proud to claim Brian Crosby as one of it’s
own who now work amongst the ranks of Disney’s Imagineering Department. Imagineers are a whole bunch of talented folks at Disney who come up with ideas for the parks and build them. All sorts of people are needed for this, including artists, architects, marketing folks and more! Brian started out doing comic books while still attending CSUF.

During his visit he discussed his transition from freelance artist to Disney professional.

(Ryan Gerrish, my colleague and fellow Pencil Mileage Club member, introduces Brian Crosby dressed in black.)

Brian talked about Disney’s annual Imagineer contest, which is how he got his foot into the door and really caught the attention of the professionals at
Disney. Brian’s visit was great. He even stopped to look at people’s portfolios afterwards!

Brian has such enthusiasm for CSUF that he took the time to come back and talk to students and even give us one-on-one feedback about
our own work to encourage us to give Imagineering a shot. He gives a lot of
credit for his success to the CSUF Visual Arts Department, but I think it
was also a combination of his great talent and hard work.

(Brian Crosby looking at some student portfolios.)

Second, I’d like to talk juggling. Yup, juggling. As an art student at Cal
State Fullerton, about half of your classes are outside of the art
department. Spooky, ain’t it? But don’t be scared! There are plenty of
animation students that do just great at juggling art and other classes.
Heck, we’re so good that some animation students even formed a juggling club just to show off.

But one of my concerns coming to Cal State Fullerton, was that I’d have to take all these required classes that don’t require me to draw anything to get the grade. How lame! I have to not only be a great artist, but
an academic as well? Preposterous! But my mind changed
quickly. I’ve taken some really great classes at Cal State Fullerton
outside of my major that I really enjoy. I think it’s a better-rounded
experience than an art college because we’re interacting and learning about
things outside of just art. These are all things that help to enrich me as
an artist, and fuel my creativity.

Your pal,
Chris
CSUF JUGGLING CLUB
DISNEY IMAGINEERING

COCONUTS AND CHICKEN FEATHERS VIDEO

Animators Miyuki Kanno and Matthew Long constructed this group show to display their animation projects over their years at Cal State Fullerton. One of the steps in the lengthy animation production process is the dialog test, in which pencil drawings and sound are combined into a short film. Miyuki was kind enough to share a couple of her tests for inclusion in this video to get an insight into the process. Enjoy.
COCONUTS AND CHICKEN FEATHERS