Hey, everyone! Welcome back to campus after winter break! I don’t know about anyone else, but it was rough getting back in the groove this week. However, I am definitely glad to be back in the Insalaco art building with my graphic design classes. This semester, I have three art and design classes that I am eager to get more into this year.

One of the classes I am taking this semester is Packaging Design with Prof. Christine Medley. This week, we completed some exercises to get used to the type of stuff we’re going to be doing later in the semester. Our first exercise was a continuity cube. I chose to put fish and other sea-related things on my design, so that, when folded together, it would create a continuous underwater scene. This was a great exercise because it helped me to begin thinking about the complexities of packaging and how the design works together in 3D.

Another exercise we did was cutting, scoring, and assembling other packaging templates and dielines to see how different types of packaging come together and ways to design later on in the semester. This exercise was fun because it was a fun challenge figuring out how to put the templates together. It was like a fun puzzle!

Another class I am taking this semester is Printmaking, specifically Etching, also with Prof. Christine Medley. So far, I have had a great time learning more about printmaking techniques, and I love any opportunity to experience any kind of tactile art. Our first assignment is to create an etching plate from plexiglass and carve any image or drawing we desire onto it. For my design, I chose to use a sketch I did of my hand with a flower. It was a great drawing, and it would be perfect for the printing plate.

The last design class I am taking this semester is Advanced Portfolio Development, with Prof. Christine Medley. This class is more of a means of preparation for after graduation. On the first day of class, we had to fill out a Career self-analysis to decide what we wanted to do in the future, as well as list our strengths and weaknesses. I am excited to continue this class because, even if I don’t graduate for another semester, it will help me to have a stronger footing once I officially complete my degree.

Although it is feeling difficult getting back into the college schedule after a long break, I am excited to see how this semester plays out, and I cannot wait to continue creating and designing to my fullest potential. I hope everyone enjoys their classes this semester, and I wish you all luck in your studies!

Thank you all for reading!

– Cecelia