Hello everyone! I am Cullen Jacene, and I am junior working towards my BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering. While engineering has always been a joy of mine, the same cannot be said about art as I used to dread it as a kid since I did not have the interest or patience for it. However, as I aged and was able to explore art in my own ways, I started to enjoy it more and more. This is especially true over the last 2 years at WPI where I’ve had plenty of opportunities to make some projects I am very proud of.

            The three art classes I have taken so far are Essentials of Art, Digital Art, and Art in the Makerspace, and they have given me most of my art experience. Essentials of Art gave me practice with traditional forms of art that I used to avoid, Digital Art taught me how to use a computer to plan and develop art, and finally, Art in the Makerspace gave me the training to make tangible works of art using the resources on campus. While I do not necessarily practice art consistently, I do use some of the skills I have gathered in these classes in my life. In particular, I have used my knowledge of the machines from Art in the Makerspace to create parts for my other classes.

            It has been in the past two years that I have made my favorite pieces since I now have the freedom to work on projects that highlight my personality and interests. One such project I tackled was a frame for my sister filled with a collage of photos from our life because she graduated from college. I used Inkscape to create a design that featured many inside jokes, sayings, and stories and then used the laser cutter to engrave it onto a piece of plywood.

            My other favorite work, shown at the bottom of the page, is a bust of my head made of layered wood. This project began in high school when my engineering shop acquired a 3D scanner, and I decided the best way to use the new equipment was to scan my face. With this 3D model of my head, I started to make as many interesting things with it as possible, such as ornaments, coins, and ice cube trays. However, I always thought it would be funny to make a life size version of my face and mount it. This idea stuck with me for years, until I eventually got access to the laser cutter and was able to make the slices of my head in the correct size. In total, it took me four years to go from the initial idea to final product, and I could not be happier with the end result.

            I am now looking forward to this class due to how much I have enjoyed art in the last few years. I can’t wait to get started building and see what everyone makes by the end of the term.