The Summer of a Lifetime

Saturday, September 17, 2011

My Final Goodbye

The transition back to America was almost too easy; it felt like I had never even left home to begin with. My life just seamlessly picked up where it had left off, and continued as if nothing had ever happened, as if the most amazing summer of my life never even existed. Yet the memories I formed in France have not stopped racing through my mind. I cannot forget how I was just surrounded by an indescribable surplus of beauty, where the sky contained at least a dozen different colors at any given moment. I cannot forget about the fact I just survived a summer without AC or ice cubes, luxuries of our western society that beforehand I had taken for granted. I cannot forget how France made me take risks and step outside my comfort zone. I cannot forget the nights I spent roaming Provence and going on exciting and somewhat dangerous adventures. I cannot forget about all of the dreams I formed for my future, and how simply being there seemed to magically and tremendously fuel my imagination.

I realize that it would be unhealthy to keep wishing that I could teleport myself back to Lacoste and relive the whole experience all over again. That simply cannot and will not ever happen. Somehow though, I have managed to become completely satisfied with simply cherishing the beautiful moments that happened to me in such an unforgettable place. This summer was a gift from God, a defining point in my life that I am forever grateful for. I selfishly wish Lacoste could solely be mine; however, it’s time for me to give it up to the next group of students that are about to embark on some of the greatest adventures of their lives. The time has come for me to say goodbye to a summer of simple living, a summer of memories, a summer of no regrets, and the summer of my lifetime.

~Peace & Cupcakes~

Megan Mosholder's incredible wrapped rock installation.

MY LOVES

Sold some photographs :)

Mal and I

French Modernism wall!

The highlight of meals. You don't even know.

My home for a summer.

Hot date with Laurel!

Chateau at night.

Sunrise crew.

Chateau at sunrise.

My final Lacoste sunrise.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Exposition et Vernissage des étudiants de SCAD Lacoste

SCAD Lacoste présente son Exposition d'été 2011. L’exposition trimestrielle rassemble les œuvres de 59 étudiants en peinture, photographie, gravure et histoire de l'art créées sur le campus pendant la session d'été. L’exposition aura lieu le vendredi 26 et le samedi 27 aout 2011, de 15 h à 19 h et une réception de vernissage aura lieu le samedi de 17 h à 19 h. Les visiteurs auront la possibilité de rencontrer les étudiants et leurs professeurs au cours de la manifestation et les œuvres exposées seront en vente. L’exposition et la réception de vernissage sont gratuites et en entrée libre.

SCAD Lacoste is pleased to present its Summer 2011 Vernissage. The quarterly exhibition features works created by 59 students in painting, photography, printmaking, and art history during the Summer programs held on campus. The exhibition will run Friday and Saturday, August 26th and 27th, 2011, from 15:00 to 19:00, with an opening reception on Saturday from 17:00 to 19:00. Visitors will have the opportunity to speak with the student artists and their professors throughout the exhibition, and the work will be offered for sale. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

SCAD-Lacoste’s students, faculty, and staff have been prepping all quarter for our student exhibition, and today is the day all of our hard work will finally be displayed for all of southern France! The exhibition spaces stretch throughout the entire campus, and the studios are filled with some of the most amazing artwork ever produced by SCAD students. After hearing about past experiences from Lacostians, I have no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most well-rounded and quality shows Lacoste has seen in awhile. Surrounding myself with such talented peers all quarter has been extremely inspiring, and as a Fashion Marketing student, I never thought I would have the opportunity to display any work in an actual art show. I am beyond thrilled to have the chance to have nine photographs displayed in Studio 3. My work includes one beautiful Lacoste sunset, one cluster of my favorite pink flowers from the area, and one grid of colored jars from my field trip to the Ochre Factory. After a summer of collecting local flowers and bugs, I am proudly displaying six photographs that I lovingly refer to as my x-ray images. The point of this little series is to show the immense details housed within these petite blossoms and insects. Here is a little preview of my work that I will be selling today and tomorrow. Be on the look out for all of the details of my final weekend here in France!

~Peace & Cupcakes~

Our French Modernism wall in Studio 3! Inspired by the old Salon style. The two little ones centered at the bottom are mine, as well as the pink flowers on the right near the edge!

My Summer of a Lifetime series.


Colored Poison

Friday, August 19, 2011

Final Preparations

A countdown to the end of my summer quarter has officially begun. I only have twelve days remaining before I am abducted by a plane bound for the US. Final papers and projects have all been assigned, and the natural stresses associated with the end of the quarter are in full swing. While I should be focusing on all of this work that needs to be completed, I can't help but continuously reflect on my summer here in France. I can indubitably say I have lived and studied in Europe, a phrase that I never dreamed would exit my lips. I have roamed every nook and cranny of southern France, scaled the steepest heights of Paris, and have fallen in love with every inch of London. So many things have changed in such a short time, and my visions for the future have been tremendously fueled by all of these priceless adventures. I am having a difficult time reminding myself that my time here is not yet complete: so much can and will happen in these final days. I have twelve days left to absorb the breathtaking scenery that surrounds me from all sides, and twelve days remaining to fill my lungs with this sweet French air that has taken over my soul. Twelve days to strengthen the deep bonds I have formed with my extraordinary friends that will soon be absent from my everyday life. Twelve days to seize the day; to seize a moment; to seize the night. I have not yet finished my collection of memories: there is still so much to see and do. I desperately desire to hold on to every moment of this summer. These are the best days of my life- treasures that I will possess forever.

~Peace & Cupcakes~

My first Lacoste sunrise

August 18, 2011

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Take me back to London town

I would have never guessed that my summer of a lifetime would guide me throughout the fabulous French terrain, much less spit me out momentarily into England. Three of my new SCAD-Lacoste friends and I decided to seize the much-anticipated weekend of August 11th, the most popular period to travel, and try our luck in the unfamiliar UK territory. London seemed like a shiny new penny: The sights, colors, and energy that compose this great place could not be more different from the home I have found in France. Upon exiting the smallest airport outside London, we were greeted by the familiar face of one of my dearest friends from SCAD-Atlanta. London would not have been the same without our honorary tour guide. To say we conquered London would be an understatement, and there is simply no way we could have done so without his sincere hospitality.

The most amazing moment of this experience was when I found myself standing in front of Stonehenge, an iconic destination most tourists miss when they visit the Greater London area. When learning about this miraculous yet mysterious place in school, Stonehenge was one of those mystical landmarks that I believed could only exist in textbooks. The colossal gray stones were extremely addicting: I could not turn my eyes from the hundreds of colors resting on the surface of these famous forms. As I was gazing upon the natural beauty of the rocks, the sun began to set which cast an angelic pink hue that illuminated the contrasting colors of green fields and neutral stone. The sky soon popped with a blend of blue, orange, and magenta that framed Stonehenge in the most picturesque way possible. While Stonehenge itself was the central focus point of my vision, the sun was setting on the right side while a full moon began to rise on its left. The juxtaposition of day plunging into night produced stunning images that will forever be locked away in the back of my mind. This encounter was like poison penetrating my heart; an event so intense that life itself seemed to pause for a brief moment - enabling me to soak in all of the exquisite beauty.

I still have a hard time believing that this little girl from Mississippi was in London only yesterday. It felt like a flash of fun so impeccable that it could only exist in my wildest of dreams. Photographs have become my only reassurance that London was more than an illusion, but in actuality a reality too flawless for words. I would not change one second of this vacation: every single spectacle of this great place intrigued me. London was almost too good to us, and for a brief period only friends, fun, and firsts consumed my life. I fear that all of my enjoyable moments in France have been momentarily overshadowed by the few brilliant days I spent in England. Life can be so humorous sometimes. As soon as I thought it couldn’t get any better, London teased me with cheerful moments that will never stop racing through my mind. The UK welcomed my friends and I as if we were family, and a sense of comfort consumed me from the time I arrived to the moment I departed this crazy adventure.

~Peace & Cupcakes~

What I did & saw in London:

Rode the London Eye
Big Ben
Parliament
Westminster Abbey
Strolled through the gardens of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
London Aquarium
Priceless strolls through central London
London Underground
Walked along the river in Richmond
London Trocadero (famous shopping and entertainment center / clips of Harry Potter where filmed there)
Odeon Theater (famous theater in London where movie premieres occur)
China Town
Regent Street (famous shopping street in London)
Oxford Street (an even more famous shopping street in London)
o Top Shop flagship store
Harrod’s department store
Club Oceana
Town of Windsor
Tour of Windsor Castle
o State’s Apartments
o Fine China collection
o Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House
o The Drawing Gallery
o Artwork by Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Reuben, Tintoretto, Leonardo da Vinci
o King and Queen’s bedrooms, studies, grand hall, dining room
The Food Guard’s march
Passed a Cricket Tournament
Hampton Court (where King Henry the 8^th lived)
Shopping at Bentalls
Stonehenge at sunset
o Chased the moon
Traditional Indian munch