Monthly Meeting .. May 2009

Textiles

I am currently a senior at Atascadero High School and plan to major in Art with an emphasis in textiles in the Fall of 2010. I have investigated Textiles and Art majors at numerous different universities across the nation, and find the California State University, Los Angeles, program fits closest with what I am looking for. I have also been considering the University of California, Davis, and Philadelphia University. However, I am unsure how many of my currently completed units will transfer to either of these schools.

In the Spring of 2006 I began work on my General Education at Cuesta College. By the end of May, 2009, I will have 37 units of my college degree completed. Among the broad range of classes completed at Cuesta, Beginning Drawing in the Fall of 2007 was one of my favorites. This was where I more fully developed my skills with dry media. I have always enjoyed art of all types, from working with simply a ball point pen and sharpie to creating three-dimensional pieces in my high school ceramics class this year (2009). Although I enjoy painting, drawing, and shaping three-dimensional pieces, the art forms that have captured my interest and free time are crocheting and sewing. My late grandmother taught me the basics as a young child. Ever since then I have been working on developing my skills as a hobby and as a tribute to her. From colorful afghans to intricate doilies, I have made countless items from yarns and fabrics. Every time I have an idea for a project, I think of my grandmother and the impact she had on my life. My Hospitality and Food Service teacher, Ms. Acord, has also been teaching me more and more about the basics of the art of quilting and I have helped her with finishing the bindings and putting borders on numerous quilts.

The opportunity to have a major in Art with emphasis in Textiles opens many more career possibilities than a major only in Textiles. CSULA offers other areas in which one can emphasize with their Art major, but textiles in relation to fashion caught my interest. The fibers of different materials, how they are used in designing anything from clothes to furniture, what results you should expect from them, and even the development of new fibers have all captured my interest. I am looking forward to being able to study these in detail as my major. I know that my grandmother would be so pleased to see me major in something that makes real use of the knowledge she shared with me years ago.

Animation/Illustration

Upon finishing my high school career I intend to immediately enter the Academy of Art University in online classes while also attending Santa Monica City College in an array of different classes to continue hands-on education until I am able to move to San Francisco. My major has been declared as 2D/3D Animation and I intend to receive my Bachelors of Fine Arts in that field. Following which I plan to continue with my schooling to earn a Masters of Fine Arts in the same field. Once done with school, I hope to pursue a career in traditional animation and storyboarding in the television or film industry.

Photography

My name is Michelle Roller and I am a photographer. I believe that photography has helped me incredibly in the time that I discovered it. I want nothing more than to make a career out of my art, but first it all starts with college. This coming fall, I plan to attend Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. I will spend about two to three years there taking my general education along with art and photography classes. I then hope to transfer to either San Francisco State University (major in Art or Art History), The San Francisco Art Institute or the San Francisco Art Academy (major and get a masters in photography and Art or Art History). In any case my goal is to live in and shoot the beautiful city of San Francisco. After college, however, I plan to work on my art freelance and run a business out of my home. I also think that working for a travel magazine would be an amazing way to pursue photography. There are many flexible directions that photography could take me and I have full confidence that I can be successful in whichever direction I go. Photography is my goal in life and nothing could make me happier.