Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Last meeting


On Monday I had my final meeting with my artist mentor, Mary Giehl. It was a very productive meeting. As I looked back at all I have done this semester I realized how much I have grown and changed.  I learned a new medium and radically changed the way I  approach my work. This has been a transitional semester, one that has been unexpectedly personal.  I am looking forward to the January residency and seeing how my classmates work has evolved over this semester!  

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Working.....


That's it! I'm just working. From now until the residency begins I will be in the studio every moment I can spare. These are just a few of my pieces in process. I have about six I'm working on right now. It's a bit crazy but I am really loving it!

Friday, October 28, 2011

Flow

I

I am finally reaching a point this semester that I feel like I have a good work flow together. It has taken a lot of trial and error to get here. Learning a new medium as well as absorbing all the critical theory then finding a way to put everything together is quite a challenge!

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Place cont..

New work looking at "place". Not finished yet but getting there.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Place & Location


These two pieces are part of my exploration of "place".  Combining lines based on road maps from my region of Vermont with patterning, geometric shapes and color to represent a geographic location. I can't seem to escape patterning so I am just going to embrace it! I am interested in looking further into "place" vs "landscape" and how people respond to differently based on their geographic locations.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Experimentations

Here is one of my experimentations. I have been exploring the cultural landscape and environmental geography. How people adapt, change and respond to their surroundings. I have been using watercolor, ink and encaustic to create "landscapes" responding to the marks using color, patterns and symbols.  Not sure where it's going or what the finished work will be. Still feeling a bit lost and want to run back to ceramics on a daily basis but I'm sticking it out!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Uh Oh!!!!

So here I am working away on a series of work that embodies the message of womens' roles in modern society and WHAM it hits me. This is not what I want to be doing!  Uh oh! I have just realized that I have been forcing myself to work within a subject that I think will be of value in the art community not what I find of value to me!  I have been struggling to create art that went along with this concept but I keep running into dead ends and a profound lack of interest on the subject. Not that this is not an important issue, its just not my important issue.

So I dug out a few of my old Anthropology and Geography texts from Undergrad (Yes, I am a closet nerd!!) to take a break from art & critical theory heaviness. Reading them over raised many questions.  I found I had a multitude of ideas and directions to go in with my work.  I now understand that I need to put these concepts and ideas into my art. So..... I am scraping all I have done this semester and starting anew! I have so many things I want to explore that I feel energized and can not wait to get started. Just needed to share this with you all. Wish me luck. Who knows what will come out of it!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Something different


I couldn't help but post these images. This is the body of work I have been creating at the same time I've been working on my "non-clay"  AIB work. They are part of my exhibit that opened yesterday. They are so fun I just wanted to share them with everyone.

Monday, August 29, 2011

New work!

I have had an exciting few weeks. Experimenting with new mediums and techniques.  I attended a fantastic encaustic workshop at R&F Paints in Kingston, NY taught by very talented Lorraine Glessner.  Check her work out here www.lorraineglessner.net  Since retuning from the work shop I have been very excited to explore the encaustic medium. I have been using objects, materials and techniques that are traditionally thought of as part of the domestic sphere. Such as irons, wall stencils, fabric patterns, lace, embroidery thread & sewing transfer paper in my work. Here are two recent works, mind you these are still in the early stages.


Sunday, July 24, 2011

Frustration!!!

So since the residency ended I have been exploring other mediums. My results have been less than satisfactory! I have been working with fabric/textile to create vessels as well as encaustic/collage. Really nothing is coming together for me. I have yet to finish a single piece.  I'm stressed and worried that the semester will end and I'll have nothing to show for it! I 'm not giving up yet but I do have to ask myself if it is a mistake to not be working in ceramics?

Friday, July 15, 2011

Material......

I have spent the last week or so collecting material and thinking about this new direction I am going in. I am leaning towards using fabrics and textiles instead of clay to create vessels. Since I have very little experience working with fabric this going to be a very interesting semester. There will not only be a huge learning curve I also need to find the materials. So I have been hitting the tag sales and goodwill with mixed results. I currently have quite a few lace curtains and doilies. They are spread all over my studio.  I am heading out there now to experiment with them and see what happens.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

New work








Yes, it is clay. I know I am suppose to be working outside the ceramic medium but I started these before the June residency and needed to finish them. They are posted here for all to see.

Mentor Phone Meeting

Yesterday I had my second phone"meeting" with my mentor, Mary Giehl.  She is so enthusiastic and full of suggestions that it was easy to bounce my ideas off her. She is helping to guide me as I explore in this "no clay" semester.  After speaking with her I feel that I have more of a direction and plan. I am going to keep mulling over some ideas I have and see whats comes together.

I have begun gathering info for my first paper. This has reminded me that I am a much better studio artist than writer. This morning I ordering the book " A Short Guide To Writing About Art" in the hopes that it will help me become a better writer or at least a tolerable one!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Studio day!

Yesterday was the first real studio day I have had since returning from the residency. It felt so good to be back in the studio. I had so many new ideas and was so energized that before I knew it I had been working for 8 solid hours! The time just flew and I am really excited by this new direction, I'll post pics soon!

Who says it takes 2 weeks to recovery from the residency!