series of seven

Now that I'm out of school and done with my BFA I can show you guys some other work I've been doing besides that for my BFA project! All while working on my big project I did have other classes I was doing work for. I was in Watermedia 4 with Marcus Vincent... and it was a little class with just four of us in there. I loved it. We mostly got together once a week and hung out (that is when I showed up)! Marcus was so understanding about my BFA taking over my life and let me turn things in whenever I finished. What a gem :)

Our final for that class was to do a series of seven. With this series he wanted us to find something to hook onto to and remember what we are about as an artist. To use what we were passionate about and have the work be about that. Having it be in a series makes it so you can explore your ideas throughout seven pieces, not just one. We got this at the very beginning of the semester... so we could really search, ponder, and pray about it... which for me meant I don't start it till the week before finals... bahaha.. aahhhh. I did have an idea of what I wanted to do.. but I didn't lock it down until that last week. 

My idea came from that book I've raved about on here, The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto. In it he takes photos of water crystals exposed to different words and circumstances. There is a series he did where he wrapped the cups containing the crystals with the word 'thank you' in 7 different languages and took pictures of the crystals. Each photo is a representation of 'thank you' in each language (below). So cool!! So seven thanks you's... series of seven.... it was meant to be. Plus it meant something to me cause I felt like it was my thank you to UVU and the experiences I had there.

Here is the page from the book with the photographs of each 'thank you' crystal (the japanese one had its own page).

As you can see each crystal forms uniquely and different than the one next to it.. but all are beautiful and have a sense of gratitude about them. I love it! So having each picture as a starting point for each of my pieces... I began to create.

I worked on each piece at the same time... so I didn't do them in any specific order. I would do a little on one and while that dried to a little on another. It was fun to jump around from piece to piece! It kept my marks fresh and my brain going!

Let's start off by showing you the Japenese 'thank you' piece. (below)

On the left is Emoto's photo of the crystal that formed with 'thank you' wrapped around it in Japanese, then on the right is my piece inspired by it. I love the rigid edges in the crystal and the green hues. I don't use a lot of green... so pulling out my gem green pastel and playing with it on there was fun! As you can see I didn't match colors or shapes perfect... thats why I say I used the reference photo as inspiration and not as a guide to copy. I wanted to make it my own while still giving a nod to Emoto's photo and the idea of it being about thanks.

Thank You (Japanese)
15 x 22.5 in
Mixed Media
2015

As I worked I kept my book open and continually glanced at it making sure that my pieces had the same energy as the crystals. That's how to crystals formed... through good energy. So to try and generate that same energy was a freaking challenge! Another challenge... I gave myself. Before I started these I challenged myself to NOT use collage... aahh! I collage on everything. I'm obsessed with it. I really don't know why I told myself I couldn't use it... I guess I thought I was being all cool and 'thinking outside the box'. I put way to much pressure on myself for this project when I only had a week to do it... haha.

While I was working one night Austin came in to check on me... and he caught me in a moment of frustration cause I was just pissed... haha. I felt like it wasn't working.. my idea was dumb.. I was dumb.. and my life was over... haha.. I go through these phases a lot. But he of course was bias and said I am amazing and I will make it work... while in my head all I could hear was 'bla bla bla'! But bless that boy he was right and I'm freaking awesome! hahahah.. I did end up pulling through and surprised myself with what I could do. With not being able to use collage I had to solve problems in a different manner which made me do things I normally would not have done. It was fun to see the outcome and see what I can do!

 

Thank You (English)
15 x 22.5 in
Mixed Media
2015

Thank You (Chinese)
15 x 22.5 in
Mixed Media
2015

Thank You (German)
15 x 22.5 in
Mixed Media
2015

Thank You (French)
15 x 22.5 in
Mixed Media
2015 

Thank You (Korean)
15 x 22.5 in
Mixed Media
2015

Thank You (Italian)
15 x 22.5 in
Mixed Media
2015

Doing these pieces sure gave me a lot of closure with my time at UVU coming to an end. It was good for my soul to be able to say thank you. Thank you to all the wonderful people that I met in the art program and my professors. Thank you for the support of my family and friends. Thank you to my Heavenly Father for putting me on this path to becoming an artist. Thank you to my incredible husband for being my biggest fan and punching bag when I'm frustrated ;)... and thank you to my little hands for showing me I can do things I never knew I could.

I have lost and found myself in art. I am forever grateful.

the process

Hey hello hiiiiii :)

So I told you I'd eventually tell you about my process for creating the art for my show... and today is that day! 

After making all my wood panels, prepping them, and reading The Hidden Messages in Water (read it)... my soul finally felt ready to create the work for my show. Also the fact that I procrastinated terribly and only had 2 weeks to finish the work made me ready too.. haha. Although I rushed it and didn't sleep and stressed myself out.. I wouldn't have it any other way. That is when I THRIVE. Going on no sleep and painting in the middle of the night when the world is asleep is when I pump out the best work. It's when I have time to sit there and think about it and its daylight outside... I produce absolute crap! It is best for me to just loose myself in the solitude of the night and create.

To start off, here is my artist statement for my show. This statement encompasses the underlying meaning of each piece and also tells you why I do what I do. With the idea of water and the universe I began to create each work of art and then each one morphed into their own meaning and story.

My artist statement :)

Alrighty... now that you know where my mind was at... let me go through each piece for ya so you can bask in their glory .... bahaha

1. Abyssal

This is a piece that I actually started months before I started all the others. Not that I was making it for my BFA, it was just a piece I did in the studio at school one day. I turned on Maxwell radio and got all in the groove and just threw paint around (pic 1). It was a very fun day :). I wasn't expecting anything out of it and I didn't care how it turned out. I added darker shapes to give it some solidity cause I got a little carried away with my dancing brush :) haha (pic 2). Without much thought I started throwing some greens on it... mostly because I hadn't used green very much lately and just wanted to (pic 3).

At the end of the day.. I left it hanging... and it hung in the studio for the next couple weeks. I just stared at it. I finally brought it home where it sat and I didn't really think of it after that.

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After my break from this piece... I was in the midst of doing that art for my show and this guy snuck back into my thoughts.. sneaky devil. I pulled it out.. and again.. stared at it... haha. Until I decided I was going to use it. I mounted it to one of my panels and decided to collage on it. Before the collage this piece hinted at deep waters and what it feels like to be down there. With the collage I wanted to emphasize this idea. I wanted it to feel more like the abyss in the water and the cracking of the Earth from erosion. From that last picture to the finished piece it totally transformed and took on a new life!

Abyssal

65.5 x 42 in

Mixed Media

2015

Now for the deeper meaning...

Water is unpredictable and it can surprise you. It can crack open the Earth right below your feet and drop you into the abyss when you least expect it. The only choice you have in the matter is whether you drown or swim. Sometimes you will drown and others will have to dive in and save you... and thats okay. Cause other times you will be able to swim and fight it. Either way you grow and you learn. This piece is about that evolution in life and the world due to changing waters.

2. Flux

So I don't have the best step by step process photos of this piece because by the time I was almost finished I didn't realize I had gone that far! haha. I was in my art studio at home and Aust had come in and asked how long I was going to be. I told him I was just going to gesso the board and put a few collage pieces on it... so I wouldn't be too long. All a sudden, a couple hours later, I had done a lot more than I had expected! So I was basically finished before I had even come up for air. (pic 1)

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This piece had a quality of 'flow' deep within it that I wanted to pull out. I added more blue/grey throughout the piece to give it that cohesive movement and emphasize the shapes that were happening. (pic 2) And then even more finishing touches to finish it off :) 

Flux
25 x 49 in
Mixed Media
2015

I named this piece 'Flux' because it is about the dancing waters of life. The rushing waters move you, cleanse you, and change you. I also just love dance and movement and wanted to have a piece that embodied just that. I'm so deep. baha

3. Aqueous

This piece was a fun one. I started out with a nice gessoed board and glued on some ripped Rives BFK paper onto it. Then I got my water-soluble crayons (grown up crayons.. haha) and just started going to town on it! I scribbled all over and then sprayed it with water and watched the magic happen (pic 1). Then while it was still pretty wet I went in with some acrylic to add some more dimension (pic 2). That part was fun because with the wet board the acrylic dripped and pooled ever so nicely :) Then I flipped the board upside down, I liked the composition better plus I didn't want all the 'drippys' going in the same direction. I went in with some nice paynes gray and purple to add more contrast (pic 3)... then with turquoise and quin gold to make it feel more like water. (pic 4)

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As you can see I flipped it again onto it's side and this is where it stayed. I always work on pieces all different ways and then at the end I decide which way it looks best. I like it horizontal like this because it brings out the peaceful quality in it more, which is what I wanted this to be about, the serene gentleness that water can have. 

Aqueous
72 x 36 in
Mixed Media
2015

Ya know when you are swimming and you stay under water all by yourself and just look back up at the surface? That's the feeling I wanted this piece to have. When you are fully immersed in the water... it is quiet... light is dancing through... and you get a sense of calmness. That feeling is my favorite... plus.. you feel like a total mermaid :) haha. It sure heals the soul.

4. Eclipse

This is another one that I worked on vertically that ended up being horizontal... but the way I started it was much different. K.. I don't want to sound all weird here but I totally dreamt up this idea before I did it... haha aahh but can you blame me? I was barely sleeping and when I did I fell asleep thinking about my show and what to do. So I felt like it was a little tender mercy just showing me the way!  I woke up in the middle of the night with an image and had the scribble the lines out of my brain so I didn't forget. So when I started this one I actually knew somewhat what I wanted it to look like and to be about, which is the only one that was like that.

My idea: Conflict. Opposition. Overcome. Crashing. Thrashing. All these words that portray the chaotic side of water.

To start out I got some Sumi Ink and created the shape I saw in my dream (pic 1)... hahaha aahh that sounds so funny when I say it out loud. The dark shape jutting down while the white shape was swirling and crashing over it was what I wanted. The color palette I used for this piece was to emphasize that idea of conflict. I hardly use black in my work. I'm a color junky... closest to black I usually get it grey! But this piece needed it. Then adding the yellow and reds to it gave it that power it needed. I collaged some pieces on it... because i'm obsessed with collage... and filled in the white areas with color (pic 2). 

There was still a lot of black marks showing through that made it too busy, so I went over it all again with some acrylic to push back some of those marks (pic 3). By doing that I kind of flattened the piece... so I went back in with dark to add some contrast and dimension (pic 4). That's what always happens when you are working on a piece... haha.. you fix a problem only to create another. That is all part of the process though and I love it! 

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As you can see I ended up turning it on it's side. With it horizontal it really emphasizes that wave-like shape crashing down and over coming the darkness, which is what this piece is about. 

Eclipse
72 x 36 in
Mixed Media
2015

One night... I had all my pieces flooding our kitchen.. and asked Austin which one was his favorite.. and he pointed to this one. So I asked 'why'? He said he loooooooooved the colors and how it was a little different than the others. I then asked what he thought it was about... and of course he got all flustered saying he doesn't know anything about art or anything.. haha.. he's so cute. So I just told him to try. Just to look at it and tell me what you feel. His reply made me cry (I'm a boob).

He said it felt like inside each of us. We all have a dark side and a light side. We are constantly having to overcome the darkness with our faith and light. Sometimes it is a battle when things get hard and you have to fight to conquer it. It is a constant process that can get easier as time goes on. It is our job to 'eclipse' the pain to make room for healing. 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

5. Solstice

Alrighty... this was the very last piece I did. I started it after all the others were completely finished. The biggest reason I waited to start this one was because it was the biggest of them all... 7 feet tall!! It totally scared me because I didn't want to biggest one to be the worst one ya know??? haha... And I was feeling pretty proud of the work I was doing and had NO idea how I was going to top myself. 

So with no idea or direction... I started up ripped up paper and throwing it on there. I tried to used warm tones and cool tones to kind of bring in all my other pieces so they went well together (pic 1). Then to make it look like not just torn up paper I started painting over it to soften up edges. I also liked the mountain like shapes happening on the bottom so I wanted to bring those out more to make it feel kind of like a landscape (pic 2). 

After that it sat in this state for a while. I hated it. Absolutely hated it. I thought all my hopes and dreams for the biggest one begin the best one were crushed.... haha dramatic I know. I took a picture of it and sent it to my friends for feedback. Bless their hearts for giving me guidance and telling me it didn't totally suck... they just said it needed some life!! So after staring at it even long.. I added some rich reddish pink to contrast the cool blue (pic 3). It needed to be warmed up and more vibrant! Then it felt as though the big red area was just too big and too bla? haha.. So I taped up some white tissue paper to see what it would look like to extend a shape through it. (pic 4)

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As you can see I just glued that white tissue paper right down. I love how it went a little transparent and gives you that shape without it being too much in your face! Going through the issues I did in this piece.. made me super connected to it. It is for sure my favorite of the bunch because of my process with it. Plus its the biggest. So it had to be the best.. haha.. and in my eyes it finally was!

Solstice
48 x 84 in
Mixed Media
2015

Once I finished this piece I had to look at it and figure out what it was about. For me it was about the process of creating it... but since that is only my experience with it.. I needed to give it a life that everyone could connect to. But... I'm not going to. :) Muahahahha. 

This piece, I feel like, can be interpreted many different ways and I have heard a few. I'm not going to tell you what they were because I want to take your own ideas and feelings from it. My biggest goal as an artist is to create an experience for the viewer. So that is what I want you to do. Let yourself let go of 'what is it?' and ask yourself 'how does it make me feel'? Because that is what art is about. That is why I do what I do. That is when it turns into something pretty into something important. So let it be that. 

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To finish I just want to say thank you! Thank you for supporting me and keeping me going! It feels good to know that what I'm doing is okay and that I'm maybe... hopefully... inspiring you in one way or another. :)

bfa show opening night! - 3/24/15

My BFA show has come and gone and I cannot believe it is over and done with... that thing consumed my life! It sure felt good to see my work displayed in the Woodbury Art Museum along with other amazing artist whom I am very lucky to call my friends. It was so fun to have everyone come to support and take a peek into my soul! (also kind of scary).

Thank you thank you thank you to all who came and all who loved from afar... it was definitely a night that I will cherish. It gave me the motivation and confidence to keep doing what I am doing... and I love what I do.

So THANK YOU!

That's Austin in the background :)

My man

Momma's and sisters

My dad... we are awesome :)

Catherine Downing... my professor and mentor

Me and the one who has influenced me and my art the most... Brandi Stoneman

The End :)