Drag Queen Paintings...

In case the teachers wanted to see :)

Anders/Victoria

(this one uploaded a little differently than it looks, the background is more flat like the next two)

Jody/Amya

Kyle/Mona

Bittersweet

I honestly don't think it has hit me yet that we are done!!  It has been such a whirlwind of a quarter!! When I look back at where I was at the beginning of the quarter and think about where I am now it's very surreal.  So much has happened this quarter that I truly can't believe that 10 weeks ago I still wasn't even sure what I would be making for the show!!! The fast pace of the quarter and balancing the show with other classwork was a real challenge for me. There were times that I doubted that I'd be able to get through it, but looking back now, all of the challenges I faced were so worth it and I can say that I'm proud of the work that I created and who I have become through this process.  

I think that the senior sequence and the BFA show is such a powerful and confidence building experience.  It has guided me to find my voice as an artist, helped me to develop a disciplined studio practice, and has given me the confidence that I need to go out and continue to make work after graduation.  It is very bittersweet graduating. I will truly miss being in the studio and seeing all of my fellow BFAs and professors. I'll miss our critiques and the priceless feedback that we offer each other. I'll miss having access to such amazing resources and being able to come into the studio whenever I want. I'll miss the community and support group that we all formed through the Senior Sequence. There are so many things that I am going to miss, but I am confident going forward because I have been given the skills and resources that I need to continue my art practice post graduation. I am so grateful for my professors....Chinn, Mia, Catherine, Roddy, Sarah, Deborah, Lea...thank you so much for the support and guidance that you have offered me these past four years. I am so grateful to you all and will miss all of you! I am so grateful for all of my fellow BFAs and the support that they have given through everything and the relationships that we've formed these past four years. I will miss you all so much!! Love you all! See you at graduation!!!

Moving on, moving up.

Well. Here it is. The final post.

This quarter--well, this year really-- has been quite the whirlwind. Juggling multiple internships and jobs whilst completing the senior sequence and also wrapping up this chapter in my life has led to quite a few panic attacks, tears, stressful moments, emotional episodes, but most important of all: graduating. And, of course, not to be a total "Debbie Downer" there were plenty of glorious, hilarious, and happy moments that well overshadowed the hard times.

Working towards completing my piece for "Composite" this quarter had plenty of ups and downs, but smoother sailing once I honed in on which of the opinions being given to me resounded most with my personal aesthetic and vision for my work. The piece came together quite well I think, and while elements could be refined and worked on in future explorations of this concept, I'm looking forward to taking a break for a while. It's all too easy to get burnt out on art and forget why you love it, and towards the end of this quarter things were strained in my creative mind.

I finished my final model painting and series for figure painting. The model painting was different because I went with a more graphic, stylized aesthetic, but the series I feel very pleased with because of the connection to the people I painted as well as the overall effect of the patterns with the wood and black and white.

I'd say the best parts of the quarter were the open studio community and constant openness to feedback and sharing. The resources and ability to work on whatever I wanted with access to materials and space. The knowledge of the faculty during individual critiques. The hardest parts were issues of miscommunication, trying to digest multiple opinions and sort out which were most well-suited for my work, and managing my time.

Being whisked away to Philadelphia left me without many proper goodbyes, and the goodbyes I was able to make were rushed at best. So, even though I'm well into this new chapter in my life, I want to say I do miss you all dearly (if any of you are even still looking at this blog) and I appreciate that I was able to have you be a part of my life for whatever amount of time you were.

And have a picture of the main campus at URBN headquarters.

Painting Project This Week-Susan

I have been working diligently this week on a painting of my beloved piano teacher, Susan Havener, who passed away of breast cancer 3 years ago. I started with a pastel practice drawing on black paper in shades of green, blue, and peach. Next, I transferred an enlarged drawing of a photo I had of Susan onto a huge canvas. Mikaela assisted me by drawing the outline of my body on a separate piece of paper and I transferred this also to the canvas. I blocked out the background in green oil paint and drew the body with oil crayons. I've wanted to paint Susan for a long time as an homage to her memory because she had a huge impact upon my life. I feel like she is still teaching me. This is also another way to stretch myself and take my painting a step further by painting on the largest canvas I've ever worked with. (Deborah has also encouraged me to do this.)

Loaf of Red Clay

LOAF

This is one of the multiple sculptures I've been working on outside of ceramics Food and Function class. I started out with bread basket in mind as I rolled out  slabs of clay and purposefully let the wrinkles in the canvas mark the clay. The project sort of morphed from there. (The slash marks remind me of the way a crystal is broken up.) Making this piece started me thinking about the internal and external qualities of functional sculpture in the way it curls, twists, and intertwines. The remaining objects I've made for extra BFA work were still in the kiln when I had my camera, so unfortunately I didn't get to take photos of them. They are in the ceramics studio and available to view.

Just took some photos of them for quantity scale... 

Recent Crystal Photos

The weekend after the BFA show I went on a hike with friends and took more crystal photos. There are two of Ian 2nd from the bottom, and the last one is of Sasha playing the guitar. I love the way her figure blends in with the grasses. Ok....I really think I'm done with this theme for awhile.

BFA Exhibit Professional Photos

A fellow photography friend from CU Denver helped me take these photos. Her name is Sam and I met  last her in Ireland last summer. (The very first light box I made was of Samantha and I am in the process of making it over.) I am satisfied with the quality of these photos and will post them to my website, however...one more thing I would like to do before de-install is take final photos at sunset, when the light comes through the boxes in the most dramatic way. (The only problem is that the gallery closes at 4 p.m. and they look great around 8:30 p.m. I'll have to talk to Dan or someone to see if I can make special arrangements.)