"Making & Mindfulness"

Over the past year, I've been working on my Senior Thesis project.  I made a series of sculptures and drawings revolved around the idea that doing process-oriented, time consuming tasks helps stimulate mindfulness, which eventually leads to recovery from traumatic experiences.  That sentence nutshells my research quite a bit, but hopefully seeing the photos of my work and my artist statement will help fill in some gaps.  Enjoy!

Build[ing] Up, 2016, plastic sheeting, latex paint, joint compound, paraffin wax, white and yellow beeswax

cut, tie, wrap, pull, repeat (Perspective), 2016, white fabric, wood chair

(Left) Constructive Action, 2016, plaster, chicken wire, wood, PVC pipe, lace, plastic tarp

(Right) Constructive Action (Afterthought), 2016, plaster, wire mesh, wood, plastic tarp, unraveled rope

 

(here are some detail shots)

Continuity/Disruption in White, 2016, white muslin and similar found fabric

Continuity/Disruption in Cream, 2016, cream-colored muslin

Line Variations (with tools), 2016, charcoal power, polycrylic, wood tools

This past year was a tough one, and the added stress of this project didn't make it any easier, but I am so happy to have followed it through.  I am incredibly proud of this show, and all of the work featured in it.  It's experiences like these that push me to continue making art. 

***UPDATE: My sister at KGD films, made this amazing video of my exhibition opening (she also took some of these beautiful photos you see above).  Take a look and please visit her website and like her on Facebook!***

To watch the video click here

Necklaces!!

Happy Wednesday! Today, I am posting a couple of necklaces I made in the past few months.  I got really into wood carving and using different Dremel bits.  I had so much fun making these necklaces, and I can't wait to wear 'em out!  I love making jewelry and clothing, because it makes you feel so accomplished.  Especially when people ask you where you got it.  Definitely more to come!

Stay tuned for some prints as well!!!

2016!

Hello!!  I hope everyone's holiday was full of fun and good times.  I wanted to share a fun project I completed just before the holidays.  Lots of artists exchange pieces with one another as a way to have fun and to expand their art collections.  Recently, some fellow artists and I exchanged mini sculptures just in time for the holidays.  I thought I would share some pictures of mine.  I had a ton of fun with this project and got very into wood carving!!  Enjoy these and have a great New Year everyone!

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season is finally upon us, and I have LOTS of new projects to share, so be on the look out.  Today, I am posting a project that I completed about a week ago.  It is another mold-making project, but it involved some pretty interesting casting materials.  I took molds of a couple different shaped pipes, and cast them in a mixture of paraffin wax, sawdust, sand, rocks, charcoal, and human hair.  The purpose of this project was an experiment in seeing how much of the sawdust-sand-hair mixture the cast pieces would pick up, and also what would happen if I modified the molds by carving into them.  Even though I took this kind of a weird way, it was fun experimenting with unusual materials.

What's Left of Us, 2015, paraffin wax, sawdust, sand, rocks, charcoal, hair

More posts to come really soon, so stay tuned!!!

Wood bent sculpture

A couple of years ago, I first tried making a sculpture out of steam bent wood.  I just recently finished another attempt at a steam bent wood sculpture.  Even though many things went wrong, and plans changed, ultimately I am happy with this sculpture.  I do not have a name for it yet, and I probably will not end up giving it one.  I think this sculpture can be seen many different ways and it resembles many different objects.  Instead of telling the viewer "what it is", they interpret for themselves, and enjoy the form and the shadow.

Untitled, 2015, wood (cherry)

"This Is Not About You"

"This Is Not About You", was a half-year long project, that I completed last Spring.  With this project, I explored issues of body ownership, relying heavily on the portrayal of female bodies within the media and in cases of sexual violence.  In order to do this project, I needed women to volunteer to have their breasts cast.  I took the initial mold using Alginate, and then made a mother mold using plaster gauze.  During this process, I had an open conversation about the volunteer's relationship to their bodies, and/or any incidents that made them feel as though they lost ownership over their bodies, etc.  I recorded and then transcribed these conversations, in order to create a booklet of anonymous quotes to accompany the sculptures.  After the mold was made, I filled the Alginate and plaster gauze mold with plaster.  From there, I would reshape the form of the mold, making it reminiscent of ancient Greek or Roman sculpture.  It is a hard project to explain in a short paragraph, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.  Also, I must apologize for the photographs.  The person that took them did not capture the work from multiple angles or do close-ups on individual pieces.  Hopefully, better photos to come soon!

These are direct quotations from my conversations with the volunteers.  Some are very intense, and could act as a trigger for anyone who has been sexually assaulted.

 



This project was really special to me.  The women I worked with are incredibly brave for trusting me with their bodies and their stories.  I can only hope that this project makes us remember that our bodies belong to us, and only us.

Sorry for the break!

Hey there! It has been quite a while - oops! So I wanted to come back with a new sculpture that I just made.  Recently, I've been looking into Process Art and soft sculpture, so I had a lot of fun mixing a traditional craft with non-traditional materials.  More sculptures to come soon, and maybe some drawings too!

  Woven Wire, 2015, copper wire, coated wire, foam strips, screen mesh, paper string, rubber tubing

These drawings were made in response to the woven wire piece.  They were created by making impressions, of the materials used in the woven piece, in a block of clay.  I then made an oil and charcoal powder mixture, which I painted on the blocks, and then stamps on the cardboard pieces.

Enjoy!

John Hunting Hansen

John Hansen is a sculptor who I have the pleasure of working with on a day to day basis.  He is an Assisting Professor and the Shop Technician for The College of Wooster, but he is also a mentor for me.  John has a ton of knowledge about materials and tools, he is a fantastic problem solver, and assists anyone who needs help in the classroom.  Outside the classroom, he is an extremely talented artist.  He uses materials like wood and metal frequently, but he does not look for the best looking pieces of wood or metal.  In John's artist statement, he talks about his desire not to waste anything.  Art can be a pretty wasteful area of study, occupation, and lifestyle.  Many artists waste tons of perfectly good materials because the wood grain looks wonky, or the metal is rusting or discolored.  John uses it all, and I think the imperfections further the emotional impact of his work.  John will be leaving us at the College after this year, and I will miss him so much!  This post is for John, and please look him up, because his art is really awesome. These are my favorites!!

Worn Out

The Day is Almost Done

Here is his website

http://www.johnhuntinghansen.com/2012/07/10/gravity/

More Paintings!

Painting this semester, like I have previously stated, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my artistic life.  It has made me think about my role as an artist and what it means to respond to something - an event, a feeling, a person.  For my final painting project, I decided to respond to how I was feeling about missing someone very special in my life.  We needed to create two to three paintings of a specific meal.  I chose to set up a picnic-like meal.  My first painting shows the perfect picnic basket meant for two.  It is the ideal situation - the experience I want to have.  The second painting shows a chunk of bread and one half-drunk beer.  It is reality - it is the experience I am living.  These paintings tell the story of my experience in Florence.  While I miss all of that closeness, and want that ideal experience, the independent experience has been extremely beneficial to my growth this semester.  Anyway, this project is so special to me, so I hope you enjoy!

Cinzia Torrini

I just wanted to take a second to post a short film done by an Italian filmmaker, Cinzia Torrini.  She created a film as a tribute to Florentine craftsmen and women.  It's a beautiful film that really appreciates the traditional crafts of Florence.  Please watch, and remember to support local craftspeople!!

Ciao from Firenze!

Currently, I am studying in the wonderfully art-filled Florence, Italy.  Here I am taking a Painting class and a Batik class.  Both I have enjoyed so, so much.  I have never really painted before coming here, and the thought of painting really freaked me out...for some reason I saw paint as permanent, not malleable or changeable.  Then after talking to other artists in my program, I realized paint is much more malleable than metal! So I decided I would try it out.  What I have found is that painting is very special - it is almost a spiritual experience.  You learn so much about how you see the world by capturing beautiful moments in paint.  I decided, although I'm not the best painter, I would share my progress, hopefully to show people that anyone can paint, even if you have never done any sort of art!

        

         

       

 

As for Batik, it has been such fun learning the different ways to apply wax to the silk, and the different ways to dye the silk.  Such beautiful "mistakes" happen! I am always pleasantly surprised by the little cracks and splotches that show up when all the wax is ironed out.  Here are my two batiks that I've completed so far!

Keep on creating!

Lillstreet Art Center & Past Art Projects

This past summer I was really fortunate to work at Lillstreet Art Center in Chicago!  It was so much fun working with kids that were really psyched about making cool things.  If you're ever in Chicago be sure to give it a visit - there are tons of ceramic items, that are really, really beautiful.  I'll post the website below!

I am also going to use this time to post some photos of past projects and a project that I have adjusted just a bit.  The two projects below are ceramic pieces mounted on wood.

Untitled, 2014, clay & wood

Experimentation Trials, 2014, clay & wood

This next project I made about 9 months ago, and decided I would make some changes to it.  I thought I would rivet a piece of metal on the back of the piece and use a simple white vinegar and salt patina.  I think it turned out pretty nicely!

http://lillstreet.com/