Independent Project
Cool Green Stuff
Ms. Anderson
2011
Your Independent Project is worth 50% of your Exam grade.
Your Exam grade is worth 20% of your Final grade.
You will complete this project on your own time with the format provided.
The work associated with this assignment is on top of your regular class work.
Plan your schedule accordingly---DO NOT LEAVE THIS PROJECT TO THE LAST MINUTE!!
This project is going to be an exploration of “COOL GREEN STUFF” (Products that make the world a
cleaner, greener and more beautiful place). You will be able to explore your own interests based around
the concept of finding great recycled, sustainable, renewable objects you love. When composing the project
consider Elements of Art, Principles of Design, mediums, materials, size, transportation, and storage of
project.
For this project you will Design your own “COOL GREEN STUFF”. You will personally design a
functional object using recycled, repurposed or renewable objects. The hottest designs right now are those
that promote a cleaner, greener and more beautiful planet. Through this process you will promote this
cleaner, greener and more beautiful planet as well as reflect on the increasing disdain of the wasteful,
disposable society we have become, and celebrate ingenuity, respect for the environment and a humorous
reworking of everyday objects.
So it’s basically All about eccentric (something that is unusual) design that gives rise to functionality!
It can be about recycling...or more on how the items are re-used!
Think outside the box and Use your imagination!!!
What type of design can you create with things that we no longer use? With what we recycle? With things
we throw away? What do we no longer have a demand for?
1. So first choose an area of interest:
Design Ideas:
YOU ARE THE ARTIST! YOU WILL CREATE EVERY ASPECT OF THIS PROJECT! NO
ASSEMBLY KITS OR COPYING OF ARTIST’S WORK!!!
Sculpture
Décor
Architecture
Comfort
Craft and Jewelry
Kitchen
Product Design
Lighting
Wood Working
Crochet
Fashion (clothes & bags)
Stationary
Mural
Gadgets
Electronics
2. Then find:
Find Ideas & Concepts from:
-Internet
-Ikea catalog
-Design catalogs
-Rummage through your basements, garages, closets, trash, etc.
-Find inspiration from other Artist’s work
-Art books (from library, book stores, textbooks, magazines, and comics)
-Other Art projects you have seen
-Museums or exhibitions
-Browse through and art or craft store
-Discuss with friends or family
-Go to the Cooper Hewitt National design Museum
Check it out: http://www.cooperhewitt.org/
**GOING TO THE MUSEUM IS A REQUIRED PART OF THE PROJECT
Check out these websites for inspiration:
Fashion: (jewelry/clothes/bags)
Stuff: (gadgets/ electronics/stationary)
www.myspacefruit.com
www.honorable-mention.com
www.replayground.com
www.mindwhatyouwear.com
www.thimblescratch.com
www.dedeceplus.com
www.ecoist.com
www.refinding.com
www.seccoshop.com
www.margauxlange.com
www.joaosabino.com
www.suitcase-london.com
www.rebeccawardjewellery.com
www.lianakabel.com
www.elsewares.com
www.margauxlange.com
www.shopregeneration.com
www.pomme.com.au
www.beckycity.com
www.replayground.com
www.seccoshop.com
www.shopgeneration.com
www.claassen-partner.de
www.honorable-mention.com
www.clearbluehawaii.com
www.nigelsecostore.com
www.haul.com.au
www.poopoopaper.com
www.366cm.com
www.resourcerevival.com
www.replyground.com
House: (décor/kitchen/sculpture/lighting/comfort)
www.nigelsecostore.com
www.366.cm.com
www.ryanfrank.net
www.yousaytomayto.com
www.dedeceplus.com
www.atypyk.com
www.redstr.com
www.joaosabino.com
www.thorstenvanelton.com
www.hubcapcreatures.com
www.enpieza.com
www.studiomama.com
www.jorrevanast.com
www.uncommongoods.com
www.replayground.com
Books with project ideas to make the world a greener place:
www.the-green-apple.co.uk
www.replayground.com
www.greenapplemap.org
3. Then brainstorm your idea and create a:
Proposal and sketch:
Due date: TBA
Includes:
1. Name
2. Class color
3. Mediums and materials used (what recycled, sustainable, renewable objects will
be used, what will be used to create or hold together the objects, how will it be
displayed)
4. Short explanation
-why you chose to do this?
-how you plan to execute?
-explain idea
5. Sketch on back of proposal of your brainstorm ideas
** Proposal must be typed!!!!
Paper: To be handed in the day the project is due (NOT with the proposal)!!!
A one page typed paper on your visit to the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum
(http://www.cooperhewitt.org). Be sure to bring a sketch pad and pencil so that you
can document your visit. You must include a sketch of one design that caught your
attention while at the museum (not on loose-leaf paper!!) as well as credit line
information. Talk about this design and why it caught your attention. You must also
talk about the design that you created for this project. Explain why you chose to do
this design, how you achieved the goal of your design, how you created the piece or
any problems you encountered along the way.
Paper will be read during presentation by student!!
Then handed in to teacher
Requirements for paper
-12 pt
-double spaced
-1/2 inch margins
-Arial or Times Roman font
Submitting work:
-Each student will be given a scheduled day for presentation of their project.
-On the morning the project is due you are allowed to drop it off in W106 or W004
(before or after H-period…not during!!!!!)
- PRESENTATION COUNTS!
- Paper is to be handed in the day the project is due!!!
- Presentations of projects will be conducted during the last two weeks of school.
What Inspires You?
Do you give yourself enough credit for what you do?
Creating art requires us to think outside the box, whether it’s about the
objects or elements we select, how we use our supplies, or the way we
assemble it. It requires us to creatively combine unrelated thoughts and
materials with nothing but a vision of what we think we’re going to create or
believe we can create. It takes a leap of faith.
Do you give yourself enough credit for what you create?
I’m not talking about how good of an artist you are, I’m talking about the fact
that you sit down and face the blank canvas, paper, etc.! Creating anything
takes courage; it takes belief in yourself to know something, even if you feel
that you don’t know enough. I think it says a lot about the human spirit of each
and every person...despite the unknown, we know we must move forward, no
matter the fear or anxiety, we must create art…and so we take a leap of faith.
Do you give yourself enough credit for what you know?
We show our humility and our sense of humanity when we put our art out to be
seen and make ourselves vulnerable to others’ opinions and criticism. We are
at our most fragile when we display what has come from inside our hearts and
minds, and we show our belief in humanity when we do; believing most will be
honest but not brutal. It takes courage to be able to hear what someone has to
say and not have it reflect how we feel about ourselves. We must believe in
ourselves enough to know what we know, and we must believe in ourselves
enough to take that leap...