Ross A. Laird

Hi everyone.
My creative project was inspired by the idea that everyone is connected and similar yet very much unique and individual – like blackberries from the same bramble. I hope to use this one day as an art project for my daughter’s class at school, to teach a variety of different art styles (art history) and to instill a sense of belonging despite their differences. Using different art styles will demonstrate that no matter how original each is, it should be appreciated for its own unique reasons. I hope this metaphor will play out so there will be a willingness for each child to experiment with discovering their own artistic style instead of worrying about what others might think. This hopefully will extend to how they feel about themselves and each other too.

This project also gave me the opportunity to experiment with different art styles and it became a personal moral booster. :)

For my second creative project I tried to combine my skills in hand drumming with my very mediocre skills in juggling, which I hereby term “drumggling”.

It was quite challenging, but it made me realise how it’s possible to join together two seemingly unrelated skills. I wish that I had been able to push it further, but it’s a starting point. Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCXYNsCRGO8

My second project entitled "In Dreams" is inspired by a series of vivid dreams about colour invading a colourless world. The living comic book page consists of a combination of Paint/Photoshop art, foam board, and poster paper. The text in the piece originates from the lyrics to the song "Dream" by The Pied Pipers, a popular group from the 1940s. In relation to current pop culture, this song appears in the trailer for the upcoming video game BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams.

In the future (perhaps for IDEA 2, or for fun), I plan to create something on a much larger scale, but within reason. As of late, I am inspired by the following video:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-qJu20do0o

The moais (meaning sculpture in Rapa Nui, language spoken in Easter Island), where nominated to be one of the new 7 wonders. They are located in Easter Island, which depends on Chile. The moais are statues made from ash from vocano. It is a mystery how thay were carved and erected. People think they were made in honour of the people who governated the Island. Habitants of Easter Island think they have “mana”, that is a magical force that protects the Island.

Many of my students, at Kwantlen and elsewhere, are searching for careers without cubicles. These students are interested in careers in the arts, in expressive arts therapies, in culture and multiculturalism, in media and publishing, and in many other interdisciplinary areas. The difficulty for many students is that they are completing programs which are limited to specific fields and disciplines, and such specificity does not reflect their intended career paths. They want interesting and diverse careers, not jobs hidebound by traditional roles and practices. This information session, held at Kwantlen's Surrey campus on November 24th (7:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Room G1205A), will offer students a glimpse of various interdisciplinary career paths and options. For students earlier in their academic development, the session will offer ideas about courses and overall direction. For those nearing completion, the session will offer perspectives about employment and career advancement.

This session is open to the public, not just to Kwantlen students. If you are interested in attending, please use the signup link below (site membership and login are required for this option). Or, simply show up. There is no fee.

This is the video from the presentation by Carla, Erik, Debbie, and Adam at last week’s class.

Over the past few days, various students in our group have been asking about assignment criteria, grades, standards, outcomes, and so on. This makes sense; most students are used to, and rely on, the specific educational filter of the instructor to define what learning means and how to accomplish it. As you have probably noticed by now (...), our class is a bit different. We are encouraging authentic learning, freedom of inquiry, and a philosophy of personal engagement. In our class, you guide your own learning. Yes, there are outcomes and criteria (see the outline for those); but the main guideline should be your own engagement with whatever learning calls to you. It's your class, right?

• The Fountain
• Stardust
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Star Wars
• Big Fish
• Local Hero
• Aguirre: The Wrath of God
• Blade Runner
• Brazil
• Citizen Kane
• High Plains Drifter
• Lawrence of Arabia
• Unforgiven
• Wings of Desire
• Solaris
• Dreamscape
• Return of the Jedi
• Altered States
• Seven Samurai
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Spider-Man 2
• Rocky
• Apocalypse Now
• The Secret of Roan Inish
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Back to the Future
• X-Men 2
• The Wizard of Oz
• Pan’s Labyrinth
• Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
• Fantasia
• Constantine
• Unbreakable
• Into the West
• Chocolat
• The Lion King
• 1+[encrypted]+#b94+
• Read more

There are three homework items for the coming week:

1. Share your creative process (art-making) with someone you trust.
2. Watch at least one film with an interdisciplinary focus or style.
3. Choose a postcard or photo from your personal life or personal history. Make a copy of this artifact and bring it to class.

Martha Whitehouse: Skirting the Edge

Lemon Demon: The Ultimate Showdown

The enso is a symbol from Zen Buddhism that represents the circle of spiritual unity. Often, the phrase “go have tea!” is written alongside. This phrase derives from the Chinese Zen master Joshu, who lived during the 10th century. He was reputed to have taught until the age of 120.

Enso are sometimes called “circles of enlightenment.” They symbolize that everything is a wheel, rolling onward, with a center that is both full and empty. Enso drawings are the Zen equivalents of the center of the labyrinth (in the Christian tradition), the still point (in myth), the heart of the mandala (in Buddhism), and of rain falling on the roof of my home on the first morning of October (in Taoism). Every tradition and every moment speaks to the theme of unity in some way.

Final Assignment Due

Second Assignment Due

First Assignment Due

Going Forth by Day

More on Going Forth by Day

And more…

GK Chesterton

Here is the page with the stars.

Review as many of these as you like. Most are derived from various aspects of our conversations last class.

For my students:

Michael Moschen puts on a quietly mesmerizing show of juggling.