Maine (2012)

Watercolor Lesson (2012)

I brought lots of watercolored illustrated children's books to class and had the 7th and 8th graders look at the pictures. I had them look at how no picture was floating in a sea of white paper. I pointed out that even the most skilled artists sketched out their painting first. I covered the different methods of applying watercolors such as blotting, bleeding, dry brushing, blending and wet on wet. Their assignment was to make the first page of a story from their own imagination. this was my example:

Students work:

"For My Dad" (2011)

Watercolor.

This piece was done in honor of my dad for opening doors for me. The landscape came from a photo I had taken when the two of us took a trip to Greece together. That was a very special time for both of us. He loved these tiny fishing boats and the idea of Greek fishermen braving the ocean in such toy-sized boats. My dad taught me to brave the ocean regardless of size. That is what the open door represents. He always encouraged me to live my dreams. I hope and pray I always will.

"Self-Portrait" (2011)

Acrylic on canvas
I did this piece in the midst of an all-consuming relationship. The piece was done to illustrate my part in the relationship. You can just make out my boyfriend's chin and shoulder. Notice that the   hues become cooler as we are further apart and warmer as we are closer together. My happiness depended upon him. This piece is 3 ft by 2 ft. In Lubbock, Texas wind, for a 95 pound girl, that is like carrying a sail across campus. Of course, the alternative was taking this massive portrait on the bus and get strange  looks for this seemingly egotistical painting. I might as well have worn a sign saying, "Yes, I am one of those weird art students."

"Crippled Wings" (2011)

 Color-pencils.
This piece was done to illustrate the good and the bad within me. This is a self-portrait taken in my mother's bridesmaid dress in her childhood home. It was my first semester of college and I felt myself defining who I was and breaking ties with home. The broken wings symbolized my resistance to fly and "leave the nest." The swing set represented my hesitation to leave my comfortable childhood behind.  

"Unspoken" (2010)

Self-drying clay.
This was my first experience with clay. I did this figure with Degas' "Dancer" in mind. I think every girl deals with the conflicting emotions she has toward her body. My figure is both exposing and hiding her body in relation to the viewer. I was in a serious relationship and developing an eating disorder, because of my insecurities and his expectations. I could not decide if I was ashamed or accepting of my body.

"For Jesse" (2009)

Pencil and paper.
This was the first major portrait I did. I had just finished the art class that forever changed my future. It was a community portrait drawing class. I was the only person in the class under 50 years old. We just came in once a week and drew faces. I was taught essentially nothing, but I did learn that I had a gift. I thought I was average, but all my friends in the class told me I should consider pursuing art. It was one of those things I had never even allowed myself to dream about. But with their encouragement, I began to dream and those dreams gave me the courage to try art school. This portrait was done for a dear friend who loved the Joker from the Dark Night. I had just recognized my eye for portraits and was still experimenting with my abilities.

"World of Words" (2011)

I did this piece by removing pages of the book and wrapping the book itself in its own words. I also wrapped a feather in the words as well. There are a lot of ways to look at this. It could be offensive that I destroyed a book, because books are merely a collection of someone's thoughts and research. This piece could be viewed as a lack of respect for the author's thoughts. On the contrary, my audience would not have to read the book to understand there is power in words. Our thoughts fill us much like the pages of a book fills it. We keep them inside awaiting someone to take the time to read us. This piece takes the words and covers the book with them. It would be as if we turned ourselves inside out. Which is in fact, very similar to how it feels when you reveal what is inside of you to someone else.

"Make a Wish" (2012)

I made this pin from bronze. I sawed out the dandelion form, textured the feathery gold section, used brown patina on the stems and attached the back I made. I've always had an emotional connection to dandelions. I am by nature, very superstitious. As a child I made wishes on birthday cakes, shooting stars, the first star I saw every night, 11:11, after holding my breath driving through tunnels, and most frequently dandelions. I still make wishes whenever I can. Not because I believe dandelions have superpowers to grant wishes, but because it reminds me of what I truly want in life. It reminds me to dream big. And with this reminder, I am inspired to go after what I want.

"Alter Piece" (2012)

"Alter Piece" was a piece I did to create an alter in reference to child abuse. My process began by sawing out the copper floor and door. I then inscribed the wood pattern on the floor. I modeled the little girl after 1920's paper dolls. I cut them out then imprinted a lace pattern on her for the dress. I made three copies of her. I then annealed two of the figures so that I could bend them into crumbled forms. I attached the dolls with rivets. The doorknob was attached with a tubing rivet. I then used brown patina on the floor boards, door and figure. I sanded off the excess and left only the grooves darkened. I used black patina on the words in the door and the shadow on the floor.
This piece was done in reference to child abuse because guilt worships abuse. If children did not feel wrongfully guilty, they would not keep silent and enable their abusers. The words in the door say, "free  me from this guilt." I did this piece to bring a voice to all those too scared to speak out. I know a little girl who was abused, when she chose to speak out her abuser told her to, "keep skeletons in the closet where they belong." I released the dark shadows in her past. I chose to use paper dolls because dolls and childhood is a pure, innocent, two dimensional time in life. Abuse corrupts the child. Notice how the doll withers as she gets closer to the shadows grasp and the door filled with guilt.

"Water Series" (2011)

I did this series in Andrew Martin's intro to painting (water base) class. These are done with watercolors. They are all self-portraits from images of me at the ocean (left to right: beach in California, snorkeling in Hawaii, ocean in Italy, snorkeling in Cayman Islands, and beach in Hawaii). The theme is that life rises and falls like the ocean tide. The middle painting is the largest. The outer two are half its size and the furthest out are one fourth of its size. I go from at the ocean, in it, with it, in it and at it. My grandfather and I broke the board that holds the paintings, off of the house my grandmother grew up in as a child. The fourth painting from the left is my favorite. I was pleased with the reflection of the water on my skin and the starfish. I remember being beside myself because I was having so much fun that day in Cayman. I belong at the ocean. My heart and soul lies in the ocean. I always feel as if I survive winter for summer. And I love summer because I can swim. And I love swimming because it reminds me of the ocean.