Capstone Painting goes Gallery!

Aye Eye Captain!

Here are some of my fiddlings from Color Theory class today. I really enjoy combining gouache, pen, and marker to try out some different color relationships. These little experiments may be used as college materials for my final piece or who knows, maybe just fun for now.

Color Theory: Color Anomaly and Bridge Tones

In this exercise, I created a design using monochromic or analogous schemes for the palette. From there, I made 2 more almost identical designs. In one, I added the bright fuschia to create an anomaly with this blue/green atmosphere. I turn to the third design to "solve" this anomaly. By changing some of the original spaces into more red/purple tones, the anomaly is more cohesive with its surroundings.

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Color Theory: Palette Studies

Here are two color theory assignments. The first was a triadic palette, where we were to combine red, yellow, and blue to make a dark tone. The dark tone was then mixed with white and used as the background of the design and palette. To create this palette, I mixed mid, dark, and light tones, six hues for each. Including the original white, red, yellow and blue this palette consists of 22 colors. From this palette, I made this busy design.

Triadic Palette Design

The second was an altered palette, where 4 colors are individually mixed with the same darker tone. From this palette came the design below included all of the colors mixed.

Altered Palette Design

Color Theory: Color Inventory

One of our assignments in color theory consisted of making a color inventory by pulling colors from a source. My source was one of the infamous MADBALLS stickers. Specifically, Swine Sucker.

So from this, I created a color inventory and a small corresponding painting. The inventory shows the proportions of color. The painting takes these proportions and makes something of them.

Proportional Color Inventory

Corresponding Painting

MADBALLS

Does anyone remember Madballs? They were these balls that came out in the late 80s/early 90s, and they totally embodied the gross out/slime kid factor of the time. So of course I had one. These found their way back into my mind when I found Madballs stickers at the dollar store. One of the stickers was this toothy, oozing robot creature, and, in needing a break from assigned art projects, I decided to draw it and throw some gouache on top.
With names like, Slobulus, Repvile, and Swine Sucker, how could you not want one? They even managed to make an animated series out of them. I suppose its freaky fun for everyone.

Sketchbook Pg 6

I'm finally got a hold of one of the scanners at school so here are some sketchbook images. It seems like I've been pouring all free moments into my sketchbook studies, but hopefully I can upload some pictures of my current paintings soon. My color theory class has opened me up to gouache, and I've been having a lot of fun incorporating it with ink drawings. So here they are!

Sketchbook Pg 5

Lately, I have been lovin' on my box of 64's (crayons, that is), so other than run of the mill pen that is my medium. I'm not sure why , but it is a very freeing feeling to know that I could use a drawing utensil named after macaroni au fromage.

Sketchbook Pg 4

I finally got a hold of a scanner! So here are some ink drawings from my summer sketchbook. I will have many more creations scan and up soon enough. Enjoy!

Cook-ie Up A Storm

There is something about a warm batch of cookies to make any day better. This mixed with the colors and yumminess of M&Ms makes for a heart (and stomach) warming experience. I made these a little while ago and as it has been a bit of a rough and now stormy day, here is the recipe so maybe someone can enjoy these this evening.The Nestle Toll House original chocolate chip cookie recipe is a good stand by for basic dough, then from there you can add whatever your heart (and stomach) desires. I'm a bit of a cookie perfectionist, so my footnotes are in the [brackets].

M&M Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a medium sized bowl combine:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

In a larger bowl beat:

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Add 2 large eggs one at a time.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Fold in a 12 oz bag of M&Ms. [go for the dark chocolate ones if you're dangerous like me. That or you're a Sith Lord]

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets [I use parchment paper, because they seem to bake more evenly and burn less]

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. [Be watchful, depending on your oven they could be done around 7 or 8 minutes]

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.

If you have a wire rack you can throw those puppies on there to further cool.

Otherwise, go ahead and get your glass of milk, a blanket, and your warm cookies to watch that rain fall from a comfy couch.

Lets go to Vegas and Env-elope! Adventures in Mail Part 3

It seems like I have been so incredibly busy lately; job hunting, traveling, etc. that I haven't been able to post. My latest art house co-op project was sent out today, so I got a quick scan in before mailing it. This project was entitled "the things i dream about" including a piece of art no bigger than 4x6 based on one of my dreams. My dream went as such...I was wearing a black/pearlescent cloak in a sterile white room with some fellow cloaked people. Half of the people were unknown, whereas the other half were some friends of mine, Kyle and Drew. We were the red team in a kind of space olympics. The game at hand involved wearing a face mask that pushed water through piping faster than the opposing blue team. My team managed to win, and after some celebrating the scene faded away...weird I know.

Entitled: "Pipe Down"

Comic Relief

Love yourself some comic books? Get your fix with some local comic events. There is gallery in Charlotte called Gallery Twenty-Two that has a "Fine Art of Comics" show going on from May 1st to June 4th:
After that, from June 4th through the 6th, is the annual Heroes Convention also in Charlotte at the Convention Center downtown. I recommend if you plan on going more than one day to definitely get an all weekend pass. If you only plan on going one day, most of the costumed people are around on Friday, which is always fun. If you wait until Sunday most of the good stuff is picked over, but you can haggle a little with the prices since the vendors are trying to get rid of stock. There will be tons of artists there for signings and selling their work. Some included; Tim Sale, Mike Mignola, Skottie Young, Bill Willingham, Brian Bolland, and many more!

Hope to see you all there!

Clothes-minded #1

For a while now, I have been interested in creating a variety of paintings based on the clothes I wear. I like the idea of incorporating the wide variety the shapes and colors in an artistic medium. One day, my etching professor, Lee Walton, gave me an assignment to create from the outfit I had on. With the influence of my color coded closet and some suggestions from multiple professors, I started my first in the series as a collage. My two studio classes for this semester consisted of a collage class and an etching class, and I decided to use both aspects. I dyed the papers by wetting and pressing them together, while at the same time embossing them with blank plates. I arranged the collage to moderately resemble the repeated shapes and designs of the outfit I had on. I plan on making more and thanks to my friend, Kevin, I have some of my outfits documented.

Tuesday's outfit

Etch-A-Sketch

Thanks to everyone who made it out to the gallery opening last night! The show should be up for a few weeks so feel free to stop by the Artery and see all of the amazing work.

Here is my piece in the gallery. It is an etching with a bunch of dry-point details added in. This etching actually sprung from another project involving place/memory in my Variable Topics class. My place was the alley way on Elm St. where the Simple Kneads Bakery is located. Entering this alley is like escaping into another world. This slightly eccentric homeless man gave me a slice of bread to feed the birds as well as a piece of coal and another rock. The coal was to be past down through generations for 4,000 years until it turned into a diamond. The rock was said to be the petrified gonad of a dinosaur. This interaction stuck with the me and added another whimsical aspect to the place. My Variable Topics collage moved more toward an abstraction, but I still wanted to portray this man. I had made a drawing from memory of him in my sketchbook, and then took it further this etching. I worked really hard on the hatching and texture of this piece. It is one of an edition of 5 and is priced at $50 (if you want the piece framed it will be around $70). Email me with inquiries!

entitled

"Feed The Birds"

YOU BESS BE THERE!!!

poster by the amazing Janie Ledford

That's All Folks!

I was looking in the printing making section of the library when I came across an interesting book called Folk Toys of India by Ajit Mookerjee. These toys are made from clay and papier-mâché and are painted with a heavy emphasis on line and selective color. The characters of these toys consist of milkmaids, lamp-bearers, drummers, and something as simple as a mother and child. There are also a wide array of animals ranging from pigs, tigers, horses, and dogs. This book also contained some interesting contour drawings of a few of these toys. These drawings inspired me to go through and do some drawings of my own. Here is one of the sketch pages of my study of the toys. The owl here can be associated the goddess of wealth and acquires sanctity. The little guy in the bottom left is the Jagannath, which is based on the famous icons of the Puri temple. To the far right is Nanda, which is part of a series depicting Krishnalila, and the last is simply a horse on wheels.I was surprised that this book pulled me in the way it did. I find the imagery fascinating and I hope to stumble upon more varied influences like this more often. One quote from this book stuck out to me:

"The form of expression, ranging from realism to abstraction, simplicity to fantasy, is as modern as it is timeless."

I feel as if in my work I am always dancing around these things in search of my range within each of them. What is my artistc pH? am I more abstract than real? am I simple more than fantastic? or maybe I'm a neutral pH of 7, half of each. Who knows, I'm still working on it!

Making The Best Of It

One of the early assignments for my Variable Topics of Drawing class involved making some smaller collages. Today, I submitted one of my favorites to EVERYTHING(an alternative art magazine). I used the layering of red mesh to create this composition. I'm really interested in materials of different transparencies, and the relationship and commentary they can create. This piece is an example of using the same material and transforming it into different hues and shapes. One of the constant lessons that I am learning is that you don't need a million different ingredients to create something beautiful or meaningful. Barbara introduced us to a poem by Kay Ryan entitled "The Best of It", that I feel describes this aspect of the piece:

The Best of It

However carved up

or pared down we get,

we keep on making

the best of it as though

it doesn't matter that

our acre's down to

a square foot. As

though our garden

could be one bean

and we'd rejoice if

it flourishes, as

though one bean

could nourish us

This poem really speaks to me in terms of artwork and life in general. Only having "one bean" in your garden, you put all of your love and care into its well-being. This minimalist love helps us grasp the importance and sometimes need for simplicity. As a painter, I feel most successful when I can describe a lot with a small amount of mark. Within this collage, I am attempting to nurture this singular material in order to produce something nourishing. By "making the best of it" you can turn something average into something extraordinary. In a world of complexity and chaos, sometimes the simple, little things are the ones that make us stop and "rejoice."

In a less technical and material based approach, my connection to this piece, other than being the creator of it, lies in the cellular qualities of the structures. While putting all of the pieces together, I noticed how much these forms reminded me of blood cells. These tiny things that are a living part of you. You don't necessarily think about them on a daily basis, but they are constantly with you. In life, I feel like the little things are what make you special. Its a little bit of yourself and the "one bean [that] could nourish us."

Lets go to Vegas and Env-elope! Adventures in Mail Part 2

This morning, I sent out my first art house co-op project! I love the idea of a kick-ass space ballerina, so I figured what the hay. What could be more fun than tutus and lasers? I drew on tracing paper than glued it on top of a watercolor of mine. It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to, but its supposed to be a fun and carefree piece. I hope you enjoy it! Email me if you want something sent to you.

Lets go to Vegas and Env-elope! Adventures in Mail Part 1

Ever since I was a young-in, I always loved getting mail. There is something about this box, envelope, or postcard making its way through the world just to find you. You are the destination and it literally has your name on it. Its very gratifying. As we get older, the envelopes and what's inside them tend to get less fun. I am getting into mail art as a connection to my social projects. I am developing ideas for a project called Mail Me Something through the art house co-op. Basically, I have free reign as long as it is no bigger than 4x6. My latest mail project came about with my love of making people smile. I decided to make a postcard for my extremely cool friend, Kyle. He shares my interest in the walking dead, so I printed my zombie etching on orange cardstock and sent it on its way. The card was received with a "you made my week" :)

postcard

Sketchbook Pg3

So I went through a bunch of my art utensils that I have collected throughout the years and noticed that I had a ton of blue. Crayola and Prismacolor mixed with off brand and no brand markers and pens at varying dryness. I decided it would be fun to doodle and use different different utensils for different details. Here are some drawings!

Thoughts on Self-Portrait Collage

In my Variable Topics of Drawing class, we are getting to the tail end of our self-portrait collage. With this in mind, I am feeling a little uneasy about the final product. A few weeks earlier, I made a list of things that need to happen in my work:

1) Edit what isn't working

2) Bring some clarity to the piece

3) Develop 3D form idea more clearly

4) Experiment with a variety of materials

5) Lose self-conscience approach

6) Develop figure

7) Form structured red and blue shapes within thought bubble

Going back over this list, I noticed one thing in particular that I cannot scratch off the list. Number 5: Lose self-conscience approach

I don't know what is going on in my head this part of the semester, but I can't shake this feeling of unease, worry, and embarrassment toward my work. Things that are not class involved seem to be flourishing in way, while with class work I feel stumped. There is a cloud that, at least for right now, I can't get through. The game plan is to continually push myself to not think and just make. I am writing out my concept in hopes of clearing my head a bit from this mess.

Concept:

We as bodies are just the vessels of our mind and soul. I am an inanimate object without what makes me me. I could look completely different than the way I do, but still be myself on the inside. Due to the inevitability of change, it is also very clear to me that I will physically look different years from now. I want to portray the puppet that is a body as this scribbly, amorphous, and dead looking figure, with the mind represented in a thought bubble. The mind is to be represented in red and blue structural yet abstract shapes and forms. These forms when viewed through 3D glasses will show the importance of mind as oppose to the generic vessel.

Early collages/drawings

Current, yet not totally up to date photo

Healium

In an attempt to lighten the load...

Rise of the Mostly-Dead but Still Moving

In honor of the Humans vs. Zombies extravaganza here at school, here are two prints of my zombie etching.

Want a zombie playlist to go with that Nerf gun? Check out these both undead and awesome tracks:

Zombie Killer by Leslie Hall

The Dead Will Walk by The National Lights

Zombie Graveyard Party by Be Your Own Pet

Return Of The Loving Dead by Nekromantix

They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh! by Sufjan Stevens

Operation Lovechild Update!

As I posted earlier this month, Operation Lovechild was completed and recorded, but there is more to tell! While in the computer lab of the library, I noticed that one of the blogs I follow, an open [sketch]book by Suzanne Cabrera, had a new entry entitled "love note". I checked out the entry and found out that she saw and was positively affected by one of my valentines! My heart leap when I read her entry and all of the comments that people left. It is really nice to know that it is around a month later and there are still lingering effects of my acknowledgement. In Suzanne's entry, she says "the note wasn't meant for me", but little does she know that it was. My notes are for everyone and I am so glad that she helped spread Operation Lovechild to even more individuals. Check out her entry here http://www.anopensketchbook.com/2010/03/found-this-on-locker-near-drink-machine.html

Don't Forget.

You are Loved.

It's a Piece 'o Cake!

As I am a girl with a very dear love for baked goods, birthdays are my time to shine. Whether its cookies, cupcakes, or the traditional birthday cake, I try to put a lot of work into it. I want to create something unique for the people I love. Yesterday, I completed my most recent birthday cake for one of my friends, Geoff. Being a fellow fan of the show Frisky Dingo, I decide that Killface would fit his specifications of white cake with vanilla frosting. Thus, we have Cakeface:

A few other semi-recent birthday creations:

Kate's Cake:

For a fellow painting major, we have here a chocolate funfetti palette cake with marshmellow fluff paint:

Drew's Cookie Volcano:

Drew had a potluck for his birthday. When I realized that I couldn't actually get him a suckling pig with a spit, a cookie volcano was the obvious second choice. I baked somewhere around 80 chocolate chip cookies and 40 funfetti and dubbed it, Mount Chocomanjaro. The premise was that both the cowboys and native americans find a common enemy in the volcano. They must protect themselves from the chocolate syrup lava!

pre-eruption

post-eruption