Peacock, enforced art
A few months ago, I helped a grad student with her online survey. It should have been an easy project, but there were a lot of edits to do, firewalls to surpass, and emails to deliver. I was ready for it to be over long before it was actually done. And when it did conclude, she wanted to stop by and give me something as a thank-you. I always feel a little awkward about that – unless it’s cookies – because this my job and I’m happy to help. I told her I was glad to have helped and her thank you – and future success – was all I needed.
I figured that was done with it, until today when I got an email from the department where she’s gotten her degree. She had left something for me and I was asked to go pick it up. So, at lunchtime, I trucked across campus and found the office where I picked up a small gift bag. I didn’t open it until I got back to the office, but saw there was a small post-it note with my building info on it. I guess she’d intended they deliver it to me – and the department decided I was going to pick it up instead. Yeah, thanks.
Back at my desk, I opened the gift bag and found a nice gift box. In the gift box was…
A jewel encrusted metal peacock statue.
Upon further examination, I realized it was on a hinge and the torso would open up. So:
A jewel encrusted metal peacock statue/jewelry box
There’s not a lot of storage area there – maybe a small ring or 2 M&M’s – and the whole thing is surprisingly heavy.
And… I have no idea what to do with it.
I know she appreciated my help – and likely the project would have failed without me – but it’s such a strange thing. I really would have been fine with just a thank-you. Or, you know, cookies.
So, thanks. You shouldn’t have. I mean, you really shouldn’t have. 🙂
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One of my recent projects was a rebuild/overhaul of a website. There were many rounds of detail changes and some back and forth on the design, but I was pretty happy with the final result.
Except, not final. Someone else joined the group I was working with and had a whole slew of changes. Including the addition of a new section on their homepage.
While I was grumbling about it I realized that I didn’t have enough approved images to build that new section header. The site is about bio-mimicry – the intersection of art and natural science – and I realized that I did have an image for that section. Or, I shortly would.
I grabbed one of the origami projects I have in my office and found a good wall to photograph it against, then got out my phone and took a photo. Downloaded, edited, cropped, resized and re-uploaded – to their website. Task = complete.
I don’t know how long that’s going to last there – I got yet another round of detailed changes today – but for the time being, my art is on the website.
https://www.uakron.edu/bric/ (scroll down to see the picture on the lower right of the page)
I try to only use my powers for good – but clearly need to be more closely monitored.