Good morning and Happy Wednesday! Today we have two Senior Projects from Taya Ambrose and Carla Canestro.
Taya Ambrose: Tashtego: The Underwater ROV
For my senior project I built an underwater ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle). It is controlled from the surface by joystick controls, and it sends live video back to my laptop. The ROV can be used for underwater exploration, and it is able to record video of wildlife. It took a great deal of troubleshooting to figure it out due to the fact that I did not have any prior robotics experience. I chose this topic because I thought it would be fun to explore, and I found it to be just as enjoyable as expected. I learned about general electronics, circuits, and construction. I also learned that engineering in general requires a large amount of patience.
Below is a video of her ROV in action!
Watch Taya’s Senior Project presentation here.
Carla Canestro: A Story Through Images
My project explores the creative process of storytelling through images. Since I personally do not enjoy reading, but love stories, I wanted to find a way to make an art-based book that requires the reader’s imagination to create unique interpretations. After exploring various wordless picture books, and experimenting with different artistic media, I focused on the creation of a story that would use visual metaphor to portray an emotional transformation. My project is not a final product but, due to limited time, represents an outline of my story, which I titled “Unwind”.
At the beginning of the book, we meet the central character in a deep state of overwhelm, depicted in a gloomy, chaotic, urban setting. I created the images in these early stages of the story with dark colors, drawn in pen with static, confining lines to emphasize emotional confinement. As the story progresses, my character begins to express herself through painting, using self portraiture to show her overwhelming feelings. Gradually I introduce watercolor collage to evoke the freedom that begins to emerge as she breaks free from the clouds that have shadowed her mind. The new views of the city are now illustrated in bright color, the harsh lines retreating, in reflection of her inner state, which evolves towards liberation and self expression. This book became a personal representation of my own experience and highlights the importance of self expression in releasing ourselves from the stressful demands of the world as it is.
Watch Carla’s Senior Project presentation here.
Thank you Taya and Carla for sharing your fun and engaging projects with the SLOCA community!
