Today, I took my dad and N to some art museums. N loves art and artsy things. She shows great talent and maturity at such a young age. She'll far out shine her big sister for certain.

  I think I'll always have a soft spot for Rauschenberg. This piece gave my heart a little smile. Dad probably thought it looked like a piece of garbage on the wall. In fact, he didn't really like most of the Modern - Contemporary stuff, but he was sweet to tag along and listen to me ramble excitedly about this artist and that movement and why I love this stuff.

Robert Rauschenberg, "Niagara Summer Glut," 1987

  These are a couple favorites of mine at the Museum of Fine Art Houston. I like them because they're dreamy and girly. When I was in Paris this past summer, I went to a retrospective of Odilon Redon that was absolutely fabulous.

Odilon Redon, Two Young Girls Among Flowers, 1909

 Kees van Dongen, Corn Poppy, c.1919

So, the end of the semester came and went, and I guess I survived because I'm sitting at home Christmas Eve full of chocolate and joy. Merry Christmas by the way! Here are a few pictures of the last remnants of my work.

Experimenting with mirrors, but my documentation is too MySpace.

I set up my installation in the shared space of the BFA studios.
 Space really affects the work. So, I'll need a lot more paper to fill Gallery 303.

I added more layers to these.

Maybe I got a little sentimental, because I just wanted to go home.

And, these didn't turn out as great as I hoped, but...I'm still thinking about these people.
They affected me deeper than the artwork may show.

I pushed the limit with my hand and had to give it a rest from cutting paper. Next semester I'll need to take it easier and employ help...If only I had a workshop full of art minions. I did, however, attempt the tissue paper paintings again. I'm pleased with how they turned out because I think I had a little more heart invested in them. And, I finished my book series as finished as I want to be.

I was home alone in my apartment for a week...and went a little crazy (artistically). I made an installation in my kitchen that eventually encroached upon the living room. I essentially destroyed my house with art. And, my hand might fall off as a result of cutting an inordinate amount of paper, but I like where this is going. I want to do more as soon as I physically can!

When I took a break from cutting out my words, I worked on these altered books that will showcase a portrait of individuals I met/interviewed in Germany this past summer.

Also not such a great week.  I did, however, research my materials and delve deep down into the library to find treasures of folklore and symbology. I began reading and researching about birds, animals, and "wise women." I think I'm a swallow (or at least I want to be).

 

 

Branding

I think it is still difficult for me to talk about my art and what type of art I do, because I have varied interests. When people ask what my “specialty” is, I say education. Of course, they are more interested in what type of medium I use, and so I shrug my shoulders and say that I am primarily a two-dimensional, mixed media artist. Content wise, I am an expressive, figurative painter.  All of my work is very emotionally driven.

Non-art people may brand me as a quiet, thoughtful, and expressive artist. I’m not sure exactly the labels others would give me, but non-traditional (in the academic, illustrative sense) might be one of them. I think most gather a sense of feminism in my work. Perhaps, they would label me as a feminist artist. I believe I am a feminist, but I don’t know if I would willingly label myself as such.

I worked on some more cut outs. I have four mobiles now. I just need an entire gallery full without giving myself carpal tunnel.

 I added my favorite scripture to my studio wall. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Honestly, I've put my tissue paper paintings on the back burner because I had so many conflicting criticisms. I haven't had the energy to try them again with all their issues. They're technically frustrating and somewhat conceptually frustrating too, because I need to reconcile my materials and process with what I'm really trying to say.

This week I continued to work on my cut outs and  stencil/spray paintings. I tried out plastic table cloth, which sort of worked. I'll be excited to cut into some thicker paper Cassandra donated to me.

I'm typically not overtly religious in my work, but I cut out a scripture verse this week. Ecclesiastes 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" These word cut outs are quite therapeutic for me and I think I'm just going to write and cut and write and cut until I've said enough.

In fact, I had to do another piece last night to cope with some disappointment. Sometimes I feel totally irrational and a little crazy, or obsessive when I make art. I think that's "normal" for artists. I hope it is. I don't know, maybe this stuff isn't art but I have to do it. I have to make this stuff. And, maybe it's the process that's more important to me. This piece is more about the ridiculous amount of time and effort it took to make. It's more about the left over scraps and throw aways than the actual words themselves.

Alright, alright here's what I've been working on: I've been building these huge sheets of tissue paper "canvases" to paint and draw on. Working with tissue paper is extremely tedious and time consuming because of how utterly fragile it is. I have to mix just the right consistency of glue and water, wait just the right amount of time before moving the pieces, and be very patient (something I'm not so good at by the way).
Once I have my supports built, I cut out stencils. This week I experimented with butcher paper and postal wrapping paper. Unfortunately, these stencils are too thin and lightweight that I have to tape, weight, or pin it down. I may have to use plastic stencils, but that will get pricey.

Not wishing to waste any scrap of paper, I then started cutting words, and sentences out of the left over stencil paper (sort of Barbara Kruger and Jenny Holzer inspired). I then pasted them to the wall and am super excited about the potential.

Overall, I made some exciting discoveries and foolish mistakes. I just need to be stricter and more disciplined about my studio time. The pleadings of roommates and friends have distracted me somewhat, but I must be mean. I must say no. I must make art.

Ok, kids this is what happened in my studio and/or living room this week: I've been experimenting with gesso transfers, layering, and scrubbing away. Here are some of the poor beaten pieces of paper I've been working on. They're getting tired, but not finished yet! I need to calm them down, focus, and punch some highlights.

I had critiques with Cassandra Barney and Andrew Ballsteadt this week. They offered some good suggestions. I might start painting unicorns. Andrew loved the bunnies. He was so excited about my work. It felt very encouraging. I could go and paint a hundred more furry creatures. After his review on Friday, I just wanted to walk on sunshine, paint in the studio like a mad woman, and smile til my cheeks hurt because I loved art so much!

Consequentlly, my brain has been churning and working out some potentially exciting ideas involving non-traditional materials such as notebook paper, thread, tissue paper and spray paint...Experiments coming soon. I'm gonna start working BIG, which is thrilling and potentially disastrous!

Oh, and here's some sewing. I'm helping a friend make a quilt. Sewing makes me feel motherly and feminine, probably because my mom is such a fabulous seamstress.

Ok, this past week I took one small baby step. I decided to start, to just start working, because I was tired of beating my head against the wall trying to figure out my concept. As I began to paint, more ideas flowed and linked together.

Sunny's mentorship and Mixed Media class is helping me out. I've tried different techniques, especially layering and sanding acrylic paints. So, I've begun these portraits involving layers of paint and text. The writing comes from interviews I conducted this past summer in Germany with young adults about their "coming of age" process and what it meant to them to approach adulthood. They still have have a ways to go and I'm learning how far I can push and pull through the layers. Color is also still tricky for me. And now, I'm actually wondering if I need the cameo-like portraits at all. Maybe the writing can be the art itself.

My Own Space

First, terribly exciting for me, I got some studio space!  Oh, I’ve been hoping and wishing for a sliver of studio all to myself. However, once in my happy new space, I didn’t get too far.

This week was hard. This week was frustrating. I just spent hours and hours researching by gathering images and looking at new artists. I made a concept map to help me brainstorm and worked in my sketchbook. I experimented with mixed media techniques combining ink, watercolor, acrylic, etc. Oh, and I painted over an ugly painting.