Having this experience throughout the whole month of January was an amazing and inspiring start to what could be a very good year. I was very fortunate to be able to go and work with Dave as his apprentice and with his guidance I was able to create a portfolio for my college applications. While going through the application process Dave clarified a lot of the hopes that I had about my work and about my interest in industrial or product design. I also think that going into a completely different environment where my mentor only knows so much about my life was challenging but refreshing. Dave offered a fresh pair of eyes to view my work which helped to refine and transform everything into a complete portfolio. Looking forward into the next few months I will hopefully be receiving letters back from the colleges I’ve applied to which could lead to one of the first major steps towards my future career. Additionally, I'm really looking forward to taking advantage of more opportunities like this where I can explore working in different environments and continue to broaden my knowledge. In the last few months of my senior year I plan on trying to figure out what's next in my life whether it's going to college or not. One thing I know is that for the last few years I have been very fortunate to have had some very amazing working opportunities that have challenged me to prove my skills and use them for something other than a grade.
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(part 2) My internship project mainly focused on developing my artistic abilities as well as building a portfolio for my college applications. The main reason that I decided to do this internship was because of my upcoming applications and because I felt that I wasn't getting any guidance with my portfolio. Luckily Dave has spent almost his whole life as an artist and has created and reviewed countless portfolios which strongly benefited the process. Over the span of the first two weeks we scanned and finalized a lot of the pieces that I had already done in the past. Mainly this just involved a little touch up in Photoshop to help make the pieces look more professional. Dave also pushed me to explore the different alterations that we could make and showed me a lot of tricks that helped the pieces stand out. In weeks 3 & 4 we completed the application assignments and also took the best of the work that I had done over the span of four weeks and turned it into more portfolio pieces. Something that was very new to me during this internship was just how much time I spent drawing. I also started going to life drawing classes with Dave which were very challenging however it was also very beneficial and is something that I would definitely do again to further develop my skills in the arts. The artistic part of the internship was very important to me and Dave mainly because as he highlighted, in my current field of interest drawing is a very valuable skill. Being able to take an idea from my head and draw it out of a piece of paper for someone else to understand is an immensely valuable skill in design and getting started on that now will only benefit me.
When we first initialized this internship I was beginning the college application process and knew that I was going to need a portfolio for some of the schools that I was applying to. So in week one Dave and I sat down together and listed out all of the portfolio pieces that I had finished and all of the pieces we needed to make for example, I had to make at least two new pieces for an assignment that's apart of the application to the Rhode Island School of Design. After this I spent the week putting together everything that we had as well as cleaning out and reorganizing his little workshop in the studio. In week two Dave and I really focused on gathering all of my art and selecting the different pieces that he thought were portfolio worthy. Next we scanned all of the best pieces and brought them into Photoshop where I cleaned them up and finalized them with Dave's help.
So far my internship has been very interesting and I have been learning a lot about what its like for my mentor to be an artist as well as some valuable skills that I could use going into a field like design where your artistic abilities are very important. One of the biggest things that has stood out to me so far is how important connections can be especially in the artistic community. This has also taught me to put myself out there and to be myself because the unique skills set that I have developed is very valuable to someone.
So far we have put together a portfolio of 11 pieces which I submitted to two schools. Additionally we have been going to three hour live drawing classes which is meant to help improve my ability to draw things from the real world and to see. While I know that I don't want to be a full time artist if I want to be a designer I have to be able to show people whatever is going on in my head which is a skill that my mentor has really been helping me develop. Dave has really been helping me with how I perceive what I'm seeing and how I can translate that into something that captures the feeling of whatever it is I'm drawing. In efforts to prepare for my future one of my main goals for this internship is to draw everyday which is something that my mentor has been encouraging me to do. For my Internship project my mentor and I have decided that we will be refining my artistic abilities as well as creating a Portfolio of all of my different artwork mainly for my college applications. To do this my mentor has planned a variety of things to help refine my skills such as going to live drawing classes as well as individual assignments to help guide me. He has also planned out a few different events that I will be attending and assisting with such as the skid row carnival of love. Since my mentor Dave is also the most talented artist that I know I have been watching him draw as he from time to time stops and breaks down what he is doing and his process behind it.
To ensure that I meet all of my mentors expectations I always stay focused while my mentor is helping or talking to me. Additionally I try to keep an efficient work ethic to show that I'm capable of completing a task with consideration of time and effort. I also think that having an open mind is one of the most valuable skills someone could have while working for an artist. So far my mentor has already given me a lot of guidance to help me prepare for the next few weeks and I have felt very welcome in this new environment. What is your job title?
Creator. What are your main duties and responsibilities? With Creatively Consulting my main responsibilities are sales and marketing of the Creatively platform along with project scoping involving content development and delivery. For Spirit Flow my job is mainly creation and delivery or artistic projects according to the specification of our clients How did you end up doing what you do? I picked up a crayon as a kid and never put it down. Though I lived in an environment that wasn't perfectly conducive to being an artist I explored a bunch of other job possibilities. By the time I had explored a career in law, it became clear that I had to go back to the crayon. I took the drawings and paintings that I had done for my friends and family and put together a portfolio and went to the nearest art school, Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. I got accepted and never looked back. I committed to making a living through art and my creativity for the rest of my life. In my third year at center I got an internship with Disney feature animation. While I was at art center Disney crew came and picked the top 50 portfolios from the best art schools in the country. From there the review board at Disney would invite the top 15 to a paid summer internship at the studio. Out of the 15 interns they chose three and when Glen Keane gave a lecture about animation being only limited to what you can dream I was hooked and determined to getting one of those spots. Getting that job was my introduction to the show business. Disney was great training and after that I continued to practice in artistry and after 25 years I have built a precarious and always exciting and interesting and heart centered business. What skills and training are necessary for your position? A mastery in the modalities of art making, teaching and, service. What do you enjoy most about your job? The art making and camaraderie. I love to paint but I also love to paint with my friends and I love to create but I really love to create with my friends Is there such a thing as a typical day of work for you? Sometimes there are typical work days which are full of painting and client contact but generally it doesn't have a normal schedule. What is the purpose of your organization? We are a creativity company in service to the expansion of consciousness, human potential and spirit. How important is getting along with other people in your career? Its critical, we often deal with big ideas and no big idea can be done alone. A key aspect of our business is learning and training how to be artistic in a way that helps plus each other and the project. What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important here? Humility, curiosity, persistence, enthusiasm and grit. Is there anything else you’d like to add or share about your current job or career path? The career of an artist should be as disciplined or more than a lower or any other career. We are here to be an expressionist of the consciousness of our time and the skills and talent and commitment must be up to the times that were in. After arriving in Los angels on Monday night I settled in and chatted with my mentor for a bit before going to sleep. The next day we began discussing our plans for the next four weeks, focusing on what our current priorities are. One of the main things that we will be focusing on during my internship that we discussed was my college application portfolio including the development of my artistic abilities. We created a schedule and a list of possible portfolio submissions and began planning out new ones. Dave also gave me a few assignments starting with a reconciliation of 2019 which is the first step in a practice of completion and creation. I'm really looking forward to working with Dave on his large variety of projects including going to live drawing classes where I'll be able to practice and develop my skills with Dave's help. Below are a few picture of my mentors studio including his artwork.
Where are you going?
For my internship this year I will actually be going to Los Angeles to work under an artist who I have a bit of previous working experience with. Every year I go down to Tecate and volunteer at Rancho La Puerta's family week where I work as a camp counselor and an assistant to Dave Zaboski who teaches the art classes on the ranch. Luckily I was able to show that I am hardworking and very enthusiastic about art and having more experiences to broaden my knowledge. Now Dave has agreed to have me come and work under him in his work space in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Who is your mentor and what do they do? My mentor, Dave Zaboski is a classically trained painter who used to be an illustrator for Disney, Sony and Warner Brothers. He has drawn for a lot of great films such as beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, the Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Tarzan and many more. He has also co created a variety of children's books. Now Dave works on a variety of projects both exhibiting and also teaching and sharing his knowledge. Describe your project and daily responsibilities During the month of January I will be working on a lot of different things. So far Dave and I have talked a little about what our plan is for the month of January and we have started to form some more concrete ideas so that we can go into the month with a head start. Mainly I will be focusing a lot on gaining new skills and refining my craftsmanship and artistic abilities. I will also be taking open drawing classes with Dave where we will try and continue to hone in on my perception and ability to visualize 3D objects What are you excited about learning during this internship. So far I'm really excited to start this internship and I'm really looking forward to improving my artistic abilities and also working in a new and interesting place. I'm also really looking forward to getting help from Dave and seeing how he works and hopefully learning a lot of new skills from him. |
Samuel G.Hello and welcome to my 12th grade internship blog. On this blog I will be documenting my experiences with my mentor Dave Zaboski. Categories |