My work for final critique, December 4, 2013

Blue Memory, 2013
Acrylic, oil stick on panel
24"x 24"

Pink Memory, 2013
Acrylic, oil stick on panel
24"x 24"

Red Memory, 2013
Acrylic, paper on panel
18"x 24"






Blue Stripes, 2013

Acrylic, paper on panel

24"x 24"




Artist Statement

My work is about memory and the recurrence of events, large and small, in my life.  I repeat images, rhythms and color to evoke the idea of memory.  Repetition implies memory in the sense that an object seen for a second, third or fourth time is an echo of the thought of the first time it was seen.  I use repetition to represent events that happen over and over again.  It is also a way of outwardly expressing a déjà vu type feeling of having experienced a situation before. 

The investigation of my awareness of how seemingly different sights and situations can share an often startling sameness informs the imagery of my work.  To depict this idea, I may start a rhythm of shapes and then obscure them.  A repeated shape may start to disintegrate or look like it is disappearing.  These are tactics which I use in my work to seek meaning of my memories and my observations of events. 

Summary of my experiences this term;

During this term, I was introduced to several artists whose work will resonate with my students.  I will definitely include them in my teaching, and have begun already doing so.  Among these artists are Eleanor Aldrich, for the way she builds up surfaces; Mitchel Gaudet, for the way he uses art to describe a social event; and Lalla Esaydi for her rhythmic patterns. 

Steve Griffin, Robert Stuart, and Josephine Halvorson, among others, are artists that I have discovered this term who will, and have, influenced my work.

I had no idea that I would enjoy InLight as much as I did.  I thought it would be interesting, but it ended up being mesmerizing for me.  I also enjoyed the show at the Visual Arts Center, and was delighted to find a ceramicist whose work would inspire my own work.  I found inspiration there in the work of Blair Clemo.

I discovered a blog by Erin McNellis where she writes about her poetry and her research for her dissertation.  There were very interesting comments on Gertrude Stein and repetition which mirrored my own ideas, and helped me nail down how I could relate Stein's writings to my work.

I had many great aesthetic experiences this term.  It is hard to pinpoint the best.  I thoroughly enjoyed the work and the artists talk at Reynolds Gallery when Jessica Mann was there.  InLight put me on cloud 9.  I had an epiphany discovering the work of Josephine Halverson in Vitamin P2.  And, oh my gosh, the night at Try Me gallery was a long-held wish come true.  It was phenomenal, and it was fun to sit in the courtyard at Linden Row Inn at night and talk it over with everyone in class.

My most frustrating experience was sanding.  After carefully planning and adding layers with a purpose in mind, I would then lose all control when I sanded.  I never knew how it was going to turn out.  I had little control over the sanding because some areas would not uncover themselves no matter how long I sanded.  Other areas popped out from the sanding that totally surprised me.  I would have given up the whole idea of sanding except for the feedback that I got in class.  Because of this class, I will continue using the sanding process.

Final Crit, Decmber 4, 2013

It was a wonderful time at 1708 Gallery last night with my Mixed Media class taught by Amie Oliver. I was amazed at all the great work by my classmates.

Michelle McGrath - Beautiful work that I love. It reminds me of tearing something up and piecing it back together, stretched and tense and pulled tight, but back together.  Michelle painted the raised surfaces in such a way that tension was heightened.  Color really enhanced the strained, to the nth degree, feeling.  I can't believe how much painting Michelle did is a short time to complete her 2 ensembles.

Merenda  - The house of images was even more powerful to see after hearing Merenda's artist statement where I found out that her mother built houses. I love the light houses and all the textures that Merenda uses.  I think the suggestion that she expand the house so that there are negative spaces and irregular contours is great.  Merenda is a great community artist whose work I really enjoy.

Hope Harding - Each work is a special natural jewel.  As Hope mentioned in her artist statement, her work is like the memory of a quiet, thoughtful walk where rocks and leaves were found and treasured.  Her colors always enhance the quiet nature of the special object chosen.  I love the way she organised her work by size for the critique like Amie demonstrated in class.  Beautiful presentation.

Liz Hale - I really liked the neutral color of the river in the blue vertical work.  I think it was lovely with the blue-gray textured ground, and the photo collage.  I love the diagonal direction of the photographs that were collaged on all 3 works from the bottom or from an edge.  Liz's idea to evoke a memory or sense of a location that is not a strip mall with box stores is great.  Photo-transferred text added interest.  I agree with Amie and others that text could be expanded in ways that break form being a quote to spreading in more areas, running off the edge, becoming legible and illegible.

Cheryl Regan - I enjoyed so much how Cheryl changed the size and position of her subject, her son, and added birds to her paintings.  The two diptychs worked very well.  One was vertical and one was horizontal.  The footprint paintings were wonderful.  I liked quite a bit how Cheryl changed the sky in one of her landscapes.  She really brought everything that she was working on earlier to a new beautiful level. Loved the color.

Happy Krickovic - As if all the fabulous work from last class was not enough, Happy added four stunning new pieces that knocked my socks off.  They related so well to her earlier work and were so beautifully carried out.  I loved everything Happy created including the scanned work on paper.  Her great painting skills allowed her to fool the eye and play off textures on one another. I never wanted to stop looking.

Wow, just came across Josephine Halvorson in Vitamin P2.
                                                                                         

  Pink Stripe, 2010
  Oil on Linen
  23"x18"  

   Woodshed, 2013
    Oil on linen
   70"x35"









This gives me great ideas for new paintings.  Instead of recreating a distressed surface, I can paint one that already exists.  These paintings made me remember a painting I did almost 20 years ago in Don Crow's class.  I painted an old wooden screen door with a latch.  I'm very excited about exploring this idea.

I went to Reynolds Gallery to see Sally Bowring's show on Saturday.  Wow, it was spectacular.  Really loved it. The way she used color was masterful.  She used combinations of color that, for me, would be difficult like yellow and purple, and yellow and gray. Her results were wonderful, just wonderful.

        Summer Garden, 2012

           Acrylic on panel

            721/2"x 86"

                                                                  Winter Walk, 2013
                                                                     Acrylic on Panel
                                                                          48"x48"

Fall. 2013

Acrylic on Panel

72"x86"

Springs II, 2013

Acrylic on panel

42"x42"

I don't often see glass work that really thrills me so I thought I was going to have a hard time finding something in the work of a glass artist that I could apply to my own work.  Then I looked at the art of Mitchell Gaudet.  Wow, I love it.  I love the color.  I love the repetition.  I love the meaning behind the pieces.  I just love his work
.
   This piece is so beautiful.  I want to make a stencil quoting this design.







 Cobalt blue tile cast glass wall hanging, 14”x14”

Internal Workings
Glass and metal screen
80"x27"

I love the grid arrangement.  This gives me a good idea about how to make small pieces that work together as a whole.  This is something I have been trying to do for several years now and have never been happy with the results,  I always have trouble where the edges meet.  This work makes me want to try to create an ensemble of small pieces where the positive space does not wander to the edge of each piece.

Messages of Remembrances, 2010
Glass bottles, steel, wood   

Beautiful!

Messages of Remembrances, different view

I've been frustrated lately.  Nothing seems to be working out, but I keep plugging away. Here are stages in what I have been working on.

Step 1. Striped painting with pink oil stick stenciling over acrylic, 24"x24"

Step 2. Two layers of gesso over painting.

Step 3. After sanding.  I'm very disappointed and will try painting and sanding again.










Here's another piece I'm working on.

Step 1.  Mixed media as it looked at the last critique, 18"x24".

Step 2.  I decided that the rick rack was not working, so I ripped it off.

Step 3.  I added more of the design that was at the bottom because the piece was not unified at all.  I figured this would help it be seen as a whole.

Step 4. I covered the newly painted designs with white gesso tinged with cadmium yellow.  I debated whether to squeegee over the paint or let it dry and sand it.  I chose to sand it, but after what happened above, I fear I may have made the wrong decision.  It still feels a bit damp, so I am going to sand it tonight or tomorrow.






I've also been experimenting in how to successfully finish another painting shown at the last critique.  Here is the painting.

Feedback in the critique suggested that the dark blue short lines of torn paper jumped out too much. I liked this painting because the darker blue lines of paper strips were supposed to be long and vertical running along and inside of the  painted lines, but no matter where I put them the painting looked like pajamas.  In desperation, I tore the blue paper into pieces and threw it on the painting.  Presto, problem was solved.

This is a small study I made to see if heavy gel medium would work on the painting above.  This study has 2 layers of heavy gel medium over acrylic with torn painted paper, 6"x6".









Here is a painting from the last critique that I have not posted before.  I posted the steps but not the finished work. Media is oil stick over acrylic, sanded. Size is 24"x24".

                                       

Artist Statement

            My work is about memory, and my awareness of the repetition of large and small events in my life.  In my paintings, drawings, and mixed media I create rhythmic patterns by repeating images and colors to imply a sense of recurrence.  I often repeat imagery such as paper dolls or geometric and organic shapes in my work. I choose and repeat shapes and colors that remind me of events in my childhood and in my life as an adult. I see these multiple images as symbolic self-portraits which prompt memories of recurring events, such as waking up each morning or making the same mistake again or running into an old friend.

            By incorporating personally familiar and repeated imagery, I want to trigger a déjà vu experience in the viewer.  I want the presentation of my memories to evoke a memory in the viewer that brings about the recognition that we share a commonality.