Newest completed piece

Subtle Movements

Thank you for a wonderful year!

This has definitely been a year! I have had so many experiences and learned so much about my self and my art. It feels as though this year has given me a leap forward and a push to get to the next level of where I want to be in my art. I am very grateful for my studio and the faculty who have helped me develop my art.
I am so happy with where my art is going to take me next. After the breakthrough with my portrait paintings I have never been more excited to paint another series. This next series is of a horse, cow, and two donkeys. It focuses on subtle movements that I find to be so beautiful and graceful. I am continuing to paint large and simplistically and working on my technique everyday.
These paintings and a few others that I am planning for the future I am going to be showcasing in the Vail Art show/Farmers market this summer. I hope to start selling my artworks and get my name out there more and more. As for other goals for the future I'd like to find a gallery to represent me and I plan to enter some contests this summer. Over all I am very excited for whats to come!
Thank you all for such a wonderful year I don't know what I will do without you. I hope to stay in touch, I will be living in the Denver area.

Y'all did grand tonight!

Thanks to all - the BFA Presentations tonight
were well thought out, confident and solid.

Cheers!

New Idea for Work

So I've been thinking a lot lately about what I should do with the last of my PINS money, which isn't that much, but I'm determined to buy something really great. Deborah told me that I should use it to do something I've always wanted to do but couldn't; however, I feel like I've done that already with my work in the show.
Instead, I would love to do something that I haven't done before. In Open Media, I have included a photo of myself and am using paint pens to create patterns in the spaces where the transfer didn't stick, and doing something so different was very refreshing for me.
So, I was thinking of getting one more large piece for a photo, and then getting another piece that I could possibly cut shapes out of. Then, I wanted to experiment with affixing these to the photograph after screen printing etc. on them. Also, perhaps cutting sections out of the photograph/plexi. Any opinions are appreciated.

Gallery Talks

The final step in the process! Outlining my talk now, see you all tonight.

Reflection-Senior BFA Exhibition

A week after the show, here are my thoughts:  My final project was truly an outcome of my winter quarter's experimentation--working with wood, pouring and playing with resin and adding color, playing with intersecting planes, growing live crystals to observe fractal growth, etc. I was aware at the time that my experiments were far from my best work, but looking back I think of them as my "ugly children." I wasn't sure where I was going at the time but I knew deep inside I was on a journey of evolution and creation. Out of that painful process came my idea for the light boxes that served as the matrix for my fractal work. I feel the end result was unique and beautiful. I "invented" an entirely new process, at least to my knowledge. (They say there is nothing new under the sun, so I'm not absolutely sure.) I haven't mastered my new invention yet, as I am thinking of ways I could refine my process. I think my boxes transform the traditional stained-glass window into something very modern. The boxes are my abstract and free-standing "windows" and they're portable and flexible. It works indoors hung in front of a window and it would work hanging outside on a tree limb, for instance. I could vary my content from people to animals, to nature and landscape...the possibilities are endless. My take-away here is that I experienced the way failure can actually facilitate success while on a personal path of growth.

Comments from my instructors at DU last quarter were that my craftsmanship needed to be brought up to the same level as my ideas and writing and I think I accomplished that goal. I was conscious of workmanship while I was working on my project. I do realize there are certain things I could do even better with each new piece. (I noticed that each consecutive box was a little better than the one before.) I am proud of my final project and what I accomplished. Dan, Kelly, and Kaitlin each stated they thought I executed my concept well. People and friends who don't know much about art read my artist statement, looked at my boxes, and totally "got it." I really don't think my idea was that complicated--either you like it or you don't and that's okay with me. I am comfortable with that. 

I have this half-baked idea

I've been writing a lot recently, still thinking and developing my weird little fictional world, and I've been interested in mythology lately. Specifically, I've been trying to build a theology that makes sense for these people.

What I have come up with so far is a set of six Gods, essentially, known to these people as "The Council". I'm working on developing their defining characteristics and then my hope is to illustrate each deity before the end of the quarter.

Is that a silly plan?

Busy Getting Lost

Well, the show went well, and my parents are in town. I have been busy showing them around, but more so, I have been busy getting lost in my head. With parents here, there seems to have a lot of feelings involved lately and I am not used to that at all. I have been working on a new format of resume and website and those practical stuff. I am also trying to explore related, but a little different style of work. After the critique with Scott, I feel a little better but still lost. There are some questions I have been asking myself, but I still don't know the answers yet. I am not sure what direction to go next, but I know taking step by step will help.

In my printmaking workshop, I am trying new printing way with the same figure and hopefully, she can help me find myself. With parents here, I am lucky enough to go see different places, such as DC and Seattle. It is weird and stressful to be gone for two weekends straight. However, I did use my time away efficiently. I saw a lot of art and got a lot of inspiration from the famous artwork, from people around me, from the different culture in different cities, and from my chaotic brain and mind. From being overly excited to see Kiyochika's prints of night lights to crying in front of Andrew Wyeth's Off At Sea, I found a little peace in simplicity. I want to focus on the simplicity more from now on, but forcing myself to use the same figure until I am sick of her (or when I have another breakthrough). Besides all of the craziness in my mind, I am super excited to start the plan with my printmaking final project! Parents leave tomorrow, and I will be back on my own for another unknown period, so I guess I will have plenty time to commit to art again.

Spots Serialized

Hey everybody! Show opened!

I just finished the first of 3 (possibly more) prints in a new series I'm workin on. I'm experimenting with OPAQUE screenprinting inks, in conjunction with the transparent ones, on mylar. This work is more personal but I'm still creating and implementing new symbols (in my favorite square shape).

I'm still printing backwards-burned screens on the frosted backside (viewed through the shiny)

"Soft Spot"

New symbols: (top) motherhood/guardianship (bottom) surgery anxiety

So ....?

Now that the show has opened, most of my energy during this past week has been spent on writing/finishing/turning in my paper for distinction, and catching up in my classes. I'm slowly trying to regain a balance between all four of my classes and their course loads. Everything got extremely skewed last week, what with the Distinction-Paper-Panic and the BFA show opening. I'm coming down from the "Now Panic and Freak Out" mindset, though I haven't had much time for a proper rest yet. I probably won't at all, the way things are going.

I'm still working with this fictional civilization-thing that I've been developing for the past three months. I really need to think of a name for it. Calling it a "Fictional Civilization" every time I need to explain it is getting exhausting. Two ideas for artwork about this "place" immediately formed before I turned in my paper on Monday, but because I'm using those ideas for class projects, I'm not exactly sure what to do for seminar now.

But I just cut mulberry into strips for a new series of prints, and the scraps look inviting. I will most likely take the smaller scraps and do pencil or ink drawings for BFA land. Actually, I definitely will do that. I miss drawing.

So, that's all.

Brainstorming

So, the works for the show are finally complete and I got some well deserved rest in between writing my distinction paper and doing work for other classes. I met with Deborah last week to discuss making new work, and I have a bit of a dilemma. I am practically out of PINS money, but I would like to make one more piece before the end of the quarter. I also used some of the last of it to buy materials for a relevant Open Media project, which will feature a recreation of an old photograph using myself as the subject. This has already posed some issues, as printing of photographs costs about $30 for each print, and I have two at the moment and will probably need more if I create another work. I am trying to get in contact with Roddy to see if he can help me print, but he was unable before because he didn't have regular, non-coated paper which doesn't work for a transfer. I am meeting with him today to look at some possible paper options, if not, the last of my money will go to the two prints for my Open Media project.
When talking with Deborah, there were a few options we discussed. We talked about making smaller work, using the last of the funds to create one more complex piece of Plexi and perhaps, as an experiment, try making prints on transparencies instead of Plexiglas. The last proposal is intriguing to me, but I have no idea where I would go to do that or how much it costs. I have also thought about simply raiding their scraps, but they don't have a huge selection of clear acrylic. Any ideas or opinions are welcome.

:)

Congratulations everyone! Our art show was fantastic I am so proud to call all of you my fellow BFA's! It was such a fun show with a great turnout! Everyones work looked beautiful and so well done. It was a great experience to share with you all!

The show!

The art was amazing, the crowd was amazing, the wine was amazing, the lighting was amazing, everything was just amazing! Great job everyone, and congrats :) :) :)

Santa Fe!

Last weekend Aaron and I decided to take a quick road trip down to Santa Fe, New Mexico! I loved getting a taste of the southwestern scene that I love so much. The town is full of art. We walked into a lot of galleries looking for inspiration. I collected the galleries art magazines like it was my job. One of the coolest things we did during the weekend was we went to an art auction. About thirty different artists with very different styles painted a painting in just two hours, then they auctioned the painting off. It was very entertaining. Some of the paintings sold for a lot, some almost didn't sell. Going to this auction gave me a boost of confidence because I know that I can paint fast and I would definitely take part in something like that, it would be a fun challenge. Overall it was a fun trip and I am ready to get painting!

Starting a new series.

I have been coming up with a new series and I started this past week. I have learned that I work well when I come up with a group of planned paintings to paint rather than just one at a time. I like the idea of having a group, like I did for the BFA show. I didn't have the energy to do it in a day, but the process has begun! The photograph is of the start of the piece.

THE BIG NIGHT!

It finally arrived after all the last minutes changes, stress, and months of anticipation! I was amazed at the number of people who passed through the gallery, and most of them sincerely seemed interested in our art. I had no idea this event would be so well attended. I was so proud to be there with my fellow BFA's, especially knowing how hard we had all worked and gone through so much to get to this moment. I loved the diversity of all our art--there was nothing remotely similar--every BFA's work was unique.

Even though I knew the outside light would change periodically, I was blown away at the drama of the constant changes in my boxes. At times when the light was just right, they appeared to be floating in space. Total strangers came by and made such positive comments about my abstract boxes. They truly seemed to be interested. Several wanted me to describe my exact process, but I kept my specific materials a mystery. People I had never seen before took multiple photos--which I took as a compliment--as long as they don't try to copy! Dan Jacobs took time for a personal conversation with me and my parents...he was so kind and warm. I also loved meeting and greeting with all my profs and was so grateful for their congratulations. Most of all, many family members along with old and new friends came to support me and be part of my evening. An unexpected visitor was my high school choir teacher, Rebecca Bowles, from Highlands Ranch High School. I hadn't seen her for several years and she has always been such an inspiration to me. (We traveled to Italy together on a choir trip with performances in Venice, Florence and Rome.) There were so many people who came, I had difficulty spending quality time with each of my visitors. Then as my family and I were leaving and the front doors to the gallery were being locked, my cousin, Lauren (who is an older, taller version of me) was able to run in and quickly see my installation for a few seconds!  Now, as I'm looking back one night later, it all seems like a dream...

Installation Process

As the time neared to begin my installation, I had a total of 7 boxes: Sam, my self-portrait, Hunter, Ian, Janice, Scott, Hannah. I eliminated Sam and Ian, because his box wasn't quite finished. This left me with a total of 5, which is the number Kelly was expecting for my final pieces. I worked with Dan, Kelly and Kaitlin for several hours on Saturday, May 10. I did some last minute sanding to make the wood and resin more smooth. We discussed the arrangement of all the boxes. The image I had in my mind was that they should be hung in an assymetrical manner instead of marching in a row. I wanted them to look like they were floating in the air. After some discussion, we came up with a plan for the final day--Sunday, May 11.

The original plan Dan ad Kelly came up with to hang my boxes was to have D-rings attached to each side of the back of my boxes, with an added eyelet at the top to thread the wire through...so they would hang straight and not tilt. The rings were already on and ready to go, but Dan had a better idea---one that was simplified. On Sunday, he had Kelly and Kaitlin drill 2 little holes in the top of each box and screw in an eyelet in each hole. They had to be spaced perfectly apart. Then wire was wrapped around each eyelet and attached to the ledge at the top of the window. Small adjustments were made (using a level) in the wire so that the boxes hung straight and didn't tilt to one side. I loved the idea Kelly and Kaitlin had to hang the two boxes on the right window in tandem. Scott was at the top and Hannah was connected by wire on the bottom. It was a creative solution to display the two together, I thought. Finally, I thought the distance the boxes were from the window--about 2-3" was absolutely perfect! Dan put some temporary cardboard behind the boxes so they wouldn't bump the window as I quickly oiled the walnut frames because they were looking a little chalky and dry. He thought teak oil would be better than varnish for the finish.

One last minor change is that I decided to follow the recommendation of the professional gallery staff to leave off the walnut trim I had purchased and planned to add at the final stage to cover the edge of the plexi-glass. They thought it looked just fine and with the way the light shone through the center of the boxes. The edges were not noticeable at all and it looked simple and clean the way it was...

LIGHT SOURCE CHANGE

In my first box (Sam) I was experimenting with LED (battery operated) lighting which would fit inside each box to illuminate my artwork. I thought I would hang my pieces on one of the gallery walls and turn on the lights during the opening reception. Then, I started thinking about the following 3 weeks that my work would be open to the public in the gallery. I couldn't be running in all the time to turn on the lights OR replacing the batteries few days. So.....I decided to take Sarah and Catherine's advice to use natural light. I went to Shwayder to talk to Kaitlin about this idea and she showed me 3 windows in the gallery that had curtains pulled across. She pulled back the curtains and I knew that was my best spot! My boxes would be able to utilize the constantly changing daylight--whether the sun is in full force, or behind a cloud, etc. The natural light would provide versatility and act as a vehicle for my pieces to interact with nature.

TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

I learned a valuable lesson with my first box, Sam. I had submitted this image as my representation for the BFA postcard and it was finished, but then I got the idea to add some reflective/translucent gold paper as an added layer. After I added some pieces in a layer of resin and it dried, I noticed afterwards that the back of the paper was opaque and completely blocked the light but it was too late!
The paper was already permanently embedded in the resin! I will take this as a lesson learned to not overwork my art in the future. I chose to not add this box to my exhibit in the Myhren Gallery. I am re-doing it, but not in time for the show.

It was late at night and I was putting Box 2 (my self-portrait) up high on a shelf where there was more room. No one was there to give me a hand and it was super heavy and I was exhausted and I dropped it. It fell  on the floor and the wood frame broke. Oddly, the inside (plexi-glass with the layers of resin) popped out in one piece. It seemed almost miraculous! Since the frame was ruined, I made another box with Craig's help along with Dan's advice to make a niche in the wood all the way around that would help hold the image in the box. After I sanded the edge to make it fit better, this concept totally worked.....!

A GOOD Accident

In the process of planning my layers, I eagerly put my dad's photo in the box to see where it might go best, then as I removed it, some imprints of the photo remained because the previous layer of resin wasn't totally dry. At first, I was in a panic, then I looked at the box from the front and noticed that it made the image look more 3-D and "aged." I decided I liked what had happened and incorporated this process in my next box!

STUDIO CHANGE!!

I was working at Nagel at night after all my classes were done to finish my boxes. I also was pouring the resin outside to minimize the fumes and it was way too dark to see details.....so I decided to transport all my boxes and materials home, which required about 2 trips back and forth. I set up my studio outside on the back deck and on the kitchen island. This move served my purposes very well....looking back, I don't think I could've finished if I had not made the move!

Congratulations everyone!!!!!

So happy for you all - your work looked great!

The crowd was overwhelming -

Congratulations!

Catherine

It's here!

Happy opening everyone! Can't wait to see the final presentation of the gallery :)

Everything Ready!

Started installing on Thursday and have been making small changes. Steamed the fabric so many times and played with the lighting. I think it is ready! Also we finally finished painting the wall and Kaitlin helped me hang the print across from the installation. Now there is a conversation and it is looking good!

Finally There

Wow... so obviously it's clear that  my mind has been elsewhere lately with regards to the show and getting everything prepped for it. I've had almost zero time to dedicate to blogging, but I am finally trying to get back on track. 

Installation went really well. I decided to do four additional paintings prior to install which will help to solidify the idea of life and death in my work. I created four, 5" x 5" paintings of bird nests with eggs as they appear in the museum's ornithology collection. The aim is to juxtapose this idea of life and death as well as to reinforce these objects as treasures rather than dead creatures. The nests are located in between each specimen painting to help with this ideal. 

Can't wait for you guys to check it out on Thursday! 

Installation!

It is finished!!!

I completed the mermaids tail last week, her hair, and the details such as props and jewelry (one of which I made removable so that I can wear it muhahahaha)

and here is the headpiece on the mermaid monster goddess:

Then the weekend came and it was time to install. After a snowy four hours, this happened:

and I especially love how the tail fin turned out:

I included little artifacts to help add to the sense of the "scene" or narrative. Many of them have sentimental value, either something given to me by someone important in my life, or something I picked up along my life. In a way, the mermaid has become not only a sort of self-portrait, but a shrine encompassing these material objects and the memories they contain. 

I also wanted to share a handful of quotes from the book The Power of Myth Deborah loaned me that caught my attention:

"So the feminine represents in a way, the inclusive love for progeny. The father is more disciplinarian. He's associated much more with the social order and the social character. This is actually the way it works in societies. The mother gives birth to his nature, and the father gives birth to his social character, you might say, how he is to function" (181-182)

"The idea of the Goddess is related to the fact that you're born from your mother" (166)

"All of the references of religious and mythological images are to planes of consciousness, or fields of experience that are potential in human spirit" (165)

"The myths are metaphorical of spiritual potentiality in the human being, and the same powers that animate our life animate the life of the world"

These lines made me have deep conversations with myself about these themes of the goddess, femininity/masculinity, and mythological references that appear in my art. Thank you Deborah! 

:)

Everything is Installed

And I am suspicious.

Nothing to freak out about but distinction

And I am really freaking out about distinction

Installed, what now?

I finished installing the pieces on Saturday and I am very happy with how they look and I know our show is going to look amazing!
Although I took a break from the studio yesterday (the first day I didn't go into the studio since who knows when), I am back today to finish writing my distinction paper and brainstorm for new pieces. Unfortunately, I am at the end of my PINS funding-- the stands for my pieces were terribly expensive (probably cost more than the pieces themselves). I am down to maybe $200, probably less. This has told me that I need to find a cheaper way to display these works in the future, or possibly make smaller work once I am out of money. Though I must admit, the stands look really good.
I am also undertaking a relevant project in Open Media Studio, as I have attempted to do all quarter, which will likely serve as a part of this body of work. The many other pieces I have created in other classes all year has been relevant to my concepts overall, but have not utilized Plexiglas as a material. I am finally going to include myself in the work, and try to recreate old photographs using myself as the subject. I will then transfer the photos to separate sheets of Plexiglas and add symbols on top. Hopefully this project will provide new material to continue working, even after the quarter ends.
See you all on Thursday!

doin things

I just halfway installed and I'm way pumped!

It went smooth as hell, I'm heading to Home Depot now to grab MDF for the floor portion. Tomorrow I'm gonna come back in to paint them Gallery White and I should be in the clear.

This last week I met with Deb, revised the statement once, met with Sarah, revised it twice, and now I have two final sentences to polish before I send that over tonight!

Very excited to see everybody's work going up (and secretly envious of the people who just had to hang paintings haha)

Cheers

PS got two new ideas for prints to work on while the year finishes, very excited about those. I've been staring at mylar too long

Installed!

Installed for the show yesterday! Very very excited!

Installation!

So I installed today... and everything went pretty smoothly! We were able to match the centerpoint of the piece to the centerpoint height of 58" used for the rest of the gallery. The warped canvases were just adhered with velcro at the corners, which is basically invisible even from the sides--it's just a matter of time to make sure they'll hold the canvas down but they seem pretty strong. Other than that there was just some touch-ups of the flower petals and then tacking down the flowers to the wall to make sure everything is secure. Now to get ready for opening next week!

Nearly There

I began attaching velcro pieces last night and got two of the structures done before I ran out. So today I will be on a mission to legally acquire more velcro, which is mildly annoying. But needs must. After I get it and attach bits to the last structure I will be ready to install tomorrow morning. I've made large paper templates of all three pieces in the hope that they will help with the installation in some way. Ideally I will be able to tape them on the wall in the gallery and ultimately mark where each smaller piece will be placed on the wall.

I hope that made sense. My brain is a bit fried today.

I also got my artist statement and label information sent to the gallery this morning, a little later than I would have liked.

Coming Together

Everything is coming together slowly but surely!!! The majority of my pieces are out of the glaze kiln and I'm still waiting on one more kiln to cool down so I can unload! I'm happy with how the surface of the glaze came out and how it muted down the screenprinted pattern so it looks more ghostly and faded. As I've been laying things out I still feel like something is missing and think that there needs to be something such as vinyl or paint behind some of the pieces to offset all of the detail, pattern and color.  Any thoughts? I'm going to play around with this by cutting out some paper stencils and placing them behind some of the ceramic pieces. I'm installing Thursday so I need to make a decision ASAP!

This gives a general idea of how things are looking....This isn't all of the pieces, some are still in kiln. I like the idea of layering the flat slabs behind the thicker larger pieces, but I don't know how I would hang them if I did that because it would block the holes that I made on the backs of the pieces. 

And this gives an idea of how the glaze turned out....

I was thinking it would be interesting to place vinyl or paint or something where the flat slabs are currently placed in these photos and then I'd move the flat slabs somewhere else. Just an idea...

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

All of my pieces are essentially finished, and are at Plasticare to ensure tight-fitting stands. When they are returned to me (Friday at the latest) I am going to add some final adjustments. I am also working on the final panel for the second piece, which will be laser etched and painted on (and maybe screen printed on the back). Unfortunately, because of the hurry to get pieces to Plasticare, I do not have pictures of the final states of each panel. I guess it will be a surprise.
I am meeting with Catherine this week to discuss my artist statement, and also with Deborah to speak about the next works and my distinction paper.
One question for everyone, I am having some trouble writing out my labels. This is how I've done it so far, and I want to know if it's okay. I'm not sure how much information to include, such as the separate panels and all the different media.

Hanakotoba (The Language of Flowers)

Acrylic, screen printing, laser etching, drypoint and watercolor on Plexiglas

3 panels, 20”x30”x12”

I am excited to continue making work, especially considering I still have some PINS funding left. I am also looking forward to working with less pressure and more experimentation.
On a side note, I am also making a poster for the PINS symposium this Wednesday so check it out if you're there!

Come So Far (Still So Far to Go)

Alternate title: I am finished with the printing, but I need to finish my artist statement and installation preparation. That felt too long for a title, though.

My trajectory for the rest of this week is clear. All I need to do is make final adjustments to my last piece, mount all of the paper to mat board, attach velcro, and make templates so I know where things are going to hang on the wall when I finally install on Friday and Saturday. It all seems simple enough, but I am finding myself stressing about it, regardless.

Also, the last piece now looks like this:

The artist statement has also been a source of distress. I have written several drafts, the latest of which I am going to post here, and any feedback anyone is willing to give me would be greatly appreciated.

Artist Statement

In my experience, no two humans understand or synthesize information in exactly the same way. I propose that fictional narrative has the ability to tell us about ourselves, and that it provides meaning where hard scientific or historical facts fall short. My studio practice is in turn an investigation of this proposition, the goal of which is a heightened sensitivity to the human experience. (my own method of understanding and dealing with heavier concepts)

Much of my work is derived from an analysis of pop cultural, narrative landscapes—Gallifrey, Hogwarts, Middle Earth, Narnia—those with established languages, geography, or other distinguishable iconography. This interest in maps, writing systems, and symbols as related to invented realities has inspired the development of my own fictional civilization.

In my recent work, I explore a society that never developed a linear concept of time.. Moreover, I seek to reflect this society’s interest in an abstract sense of space and light through different types of ink surfaces, as well as the dimensionality created between wood and paper. The structures on display have specific cultural functions; i.e. a clock, a calendar, and a compass. Ultimately, these offered artifacts are an attempt to convey the strength and purpose of imagination.

 As I think about it, I do not believe I am trying to convey or communicate that fiction tells us about ourselves to viewers, necessarily. I am trying to communicate that to myself, because lately I have found myself questioning my own belief system. So this process is deeply personal. It is me trying to convince myself that my belief in fiction and its inherent ability to tell us about ourselves is still valid. I want it to be valid. I don’t know how to function otherwise. But I am not trying to convince viewers of this, because fiction reflecting reality is not a new concept. People have been thinking this for a while. It’s why fiction exists. I am trying to convince myself at this point. But I don’t know how to say that without alienating viewers. But also I want viewers to know that this process was very, very personal, and then think about my work however they flipping want. 

Am I overthinking? I think I am overthinking. 

Progress Shots + Updates for installing

Here are some progress photos. It is 99 % done, including curating. I met with Kaitlin and Kelly this week to go over the methods of installing. They suggested that Velcro may be the best way to go. I got 15 ft long white industrial Velcro, and will sew them on the edges by Tuesday. I also need to iron some of the parts, and I am wondering if there is an iron in studio that I could borrow. Anyone knows about that???

As far as the artist statement goes, I am meeting with professor Lerer because I want to make sure mine is precise but clear and straight to the point without giving to much information. It has been edited many times after the workshop on Tuesday, and I think it is very close to be done as well. 

Things are coming together....

This week I spent many many hours cutting scales and placing them to finish the majority of the tail...

The last thing I need to do is make the fin. I was originally going to use more dragonskin to do this, but I will be using aluminum to create continuity within the tail. 

Finally, I will be adding the "art layers" to the odalisque this week: her jewelry, nails, eyes, etc.  I have a number of materials (string, beads, clay, feathers) that will be used to make these details. I think they will really make the odalisque come to life :D

After a discussion I had with Deborah today, I'm going to read about mythology and the importance of universal ideas in different cultures, such as figures or symbols that appear through out art or texts. We talked about the human's need to dress in costume, from shamanism to European royalty. I think I will be able to make more connections between the human figure and its manipulation through out history. Deborah graciously gave me a book to borrow, so I will report back what I find! Also hoping this will inform my artist statement!

I'm very excited to start installing on Sunday the 11th, and start playing with the drapery and props... :)

Guy Friend Crystals

 The photo of Hunter has now been fit inside the frame. I recently took this photo of my friend
Ian and I plan to paint more navy blue so it goes with my self-portrait and unifies all my pieces.

The Mother of Crystal Photos

The top photos converging point has been cut so that it is next to the photo lens in the photograph of my mother. This really connects the lens of a camera with the concept of a crystal for me. Next, I painted the perspective lines that I feel connected them even more.

Aaaah! Time Crunch!

So sorry for the late-ish nature of this blog post. I'm up here in Grand Junction this weekend for a two-day track meet, and things have been hectic.

SO... I am currently in the last-minute stages of finishing up my body of work, "Still Life" for install on May 11th. I was back at the museum this past Friday to photograph more bird specimens, and my plans changed slightly while I was there. As many of you may remember, I was originally planning on only showcasing Colorado species. However, I realized that in my statement, I talk a lot about biodiversity and the range of species that are showcased in these kinds of collections. I decided instead to opt out of JUST local birds and instead depict species from other regions as well. It seems to go hand-in-hand with the mission of the collection anyhow.
     As you may remember, I was planning on doing some larger birds for this next piece, pending I could find a piece of cradled basswood panel that was large enough for the bird I was doing... Two factors changed that decision for me: Number 1, I can't find anything larger than an 18" x 24" panel, with 2" side depth. I would probably have to make one if I wanted to mimic the parameters set in the other paintings, and that's just not something I have time for at this point. Number 2, almost all of the large birds in the collection were a little bit odd looking... due to storage reasons a lot of them were simply folded up or straightened out and were not as interesting as I had hoped. Because of this, I decided to go back to what some of you originally said in our critique last week - to do multiple birds as they are viewed int he drawer. I decided to use up one of my panels for a row of Coppery Headed Emerald hummingbirds from Costa Rica. I think the result is actually quite stunning and I'm really pleased with how it's turning out. My goal from now until the 11th is to get as many paintings done as possible... I'm considering doing a small series of either eggs or nests as they appear in the museum's collection, to create a bit of a juxtaposition between life and death in the series. For now, I'll leave you with a (really crappy) picture of my newest piece...

Stained Glass Photo of Dad

This is a photo of my dad in front of a real stained glass window. Although people who are special to me are in the photos, the faces will be even more abstracted after I cut and paint the photo. This makes my show more about color and the human subject helps me find focus.:)

Layering Crystal Photos Now

I cut the face out of the bottom photo, and layered the photo with the top right face in the first photo of my friend Hannah.