Autumn At UNC Nasiha Rizwan
Getting Started
As the maker that I focused on for this project, my mind immediately went to one place when choosing how to create this book nook: comfort. I've been focusing on my mental wellness, and a walk on campus in the Fall has always been a deep source of comfort and ease for me. The gentle crinkle of colorful leaves, the soft gray-blue sky, and the sight of squirrels and the occasional deer are a whimsical experience. I decided to take a trademark location at UNC, our Old Well, and transform it into a book nook that will always take me back to that place. I set the goal of creating the Old Well, as many UNC Alumni have created, and placing it in a scene that envelops me back into this seasonal time at UNC every time I look at it, even after I graduate next Spring.
The Making Process
After determining which materials would be used for the different elements, such as trees, animals, and the old well, I began to both draw inspiration from designs online and create my own, as well as the Halloween Lanterns that we completed in class (INLS 690). I found a basic design of an Old Well on Thingiverse, which I modified to fit the dimensions that I needed for this book nook as well as additional roof details. I also drew inspiration from some tree lanterns online to develop the trees on Adobe Illustrator, that I would then laser cut and put on the walls of my book nook to add popped-out dimension.
As the maker of this project's focus, I used design technologies that I find joy in. I have painted for my whole life, so painted artwork is arguably the main feature of this project, with 3D printing, LED lights, and Laser Cutting technologies also being used. I carefully painted the walls of the book nook blue after a white spray paint layer, and then brushed over some water-based gray paint to create a mellow, Fall sky. After gluing down the laser-cut trees on the walls, I used brown and gold acrylic paint to add shiny details and dimension to the wooden trees. I painted the base of the Book Nook soft green to resemble grass and mixed deep brown and maroon to paint the base a signature UNC brick path for the Old Well to fall upon. After the paint dried, I used a knife to etch in bricks.
Throughout the Making process, I questioned what material I would use for leaves. Painting them seemed to be Baroque and one-dimensional- clay, too risky, and paper too flimsy. When I visited home for Thanksgiving break, my sister pulling out our craft bin during some Winter cleaning give me the answer I was looking for-the beads that we used to make artwork as children. These were solid beads, but I wanted a more translucent look to mimic a shimmery fall scene, so I purchased glass beads and carefully placed each bead in a colorful, organic fashion. They were perfect.
The Final Product
The final Book Nook whisks you back into UNC in Autumn, a timeless era of nostalgia and youth. The Old Well sits on a brick path, surrounded by trees laden with multicolored Fall leaves and curious wildlife. The Gorilla Glue, which dries a puffy white, was intentionally used to add a whisper of soft snow on the trees and ground. Gentle fairy lights on the Old Well complete the scenery, an addition that is also at UNC's Old Well. After plenty of trial and error, the different materials came together to create an amalgamation of visceral Fall feeling- a moment where leaves wilt to wither away old memories, making way for growth to later blossom.
