Two choice pieces from my review.

"BIRCH"


"EXILE"

Done AND Done

One semester at the SMFA, completed. As a good friend texted me today, "Let the wild rumpus start!"

Photos of my review board setup coming soon, right now I am at home and just want to chill with the family. Even though I only live and hour away I've only been able to come home twice over the last 3 months, and I really miss everybody.

Starbucks, again.

Only two more days left in the semester. Its absolutely incredible how time seems to go by so fast. My review board is on the 16th of December, and at that point I have to prove how much work I've done in that last 3 months. While I have worked by butt off pretty much non stop since classes began in September, I still have a lot to do before my review board. I don't feel as if I have made the art I want to make, but I think I am on my way. I am almost settled at school, I have amazing teachers and people I can talk to who really care about creating art and discussing motives and inspiration.

I have the most amazing mentor at school, and I know that without her invaluable help, I would be lost here. The week before thanksgiving, I was able to successfully avoid an artistic and academic crisis by sitting down with her and discussing some issues I was having with my classmates and the school in general. In addition to being an amazing person to talk to, she is a great artist -the kind I aspire to be one day. I was able to visit her studio in Southie a few weeks ago, and was completely blown away. I had seen images of her work, but of course there is nothing like being in the presence of the real thing. Seriously, check her out: http://www.joycemcdanielart.com.


I've been sitting in this chair at starbucks for 2 hours already, trying to write a presentation on ancient Peruvian pilgrimage rituals for my art history class. It's really not going where I want it to right now, so i think its time for another refill.

juuust breathe.

soo much reading/work to do before tomorrow morning... bleeeh.

gave blood today at Boston Children's Hospital. i'm glad i did but going there brought up some feelings from this past spring that i am not sure I have fully worked through. so i have restarted some projects from last semester that were never completed, and have begun a new series (mostly collage work) that i hope to show glimpses of soon.

for now, im going to go back to fighting with my paintbrush and listening to the latest album from BrandNew.

sooooo, boston.

its been exactly a month since i started classes here at the museum school. so far, i absolutely love it here. the greatest thing about this school is the freedom we as students have in that we each plan out our own individual course of study.it was a bit confusing and frustrating to sign up for courses at first, but after a week or so i had my schedule set.... and by set i mean jam packed. i am taking the maximum amount of courses i can, which makes me incredibly busy, but why did i transfer here if i'm not going to take advantage of everything i can?

so for the past month i've been spending all day everyday drawing, welding, transferring, mixing, sawing, sewing, taping, gluing and painting, not to mention making tons of handmade paper.

one of my favorite classes so far is "Material A Week". each monday my teacher (who also happens to be my faculty mentor and an amazing steel artist) gives us a new, non traditional material to experiment with. basically we've got 7 days to create a 3-d sculpture with a material we may have never even thought of in a sculptural way. its a challenge but a very good one. so far we've worked with cardboard, bubble gum, and steel wool...

"Nest"
(cardboard, feathers)

"Pop Princess"
(bubble gum, gum wrappers, pearls)

skirt detail:

haven't titled this one yet.. (steel wool, thumbtacks, thread)


and currently i have 140 pieces of white drawing chalk on my desk waiting to be transformed into some sort of sculpture by monday morning...

a night of excellence, and cheesecake.

dad and I went to my school's awards dinner tonight where i received the John C. Burton award, a scholarship given to a transferring art student. i was really excited to be nominated and then to win it was truly an honor. the scholarship is definitely going to let me breathe a little easier as far as paying for school goes. the dinner was an enjoyable time, i love going to events with my dad. my name wasn't until the third page of the program, so we spent the rest of the dinner making snarky comments and downing massive amounts of coffee and a bit of wine as well. my dad also got to meet Prof. Pacheco, my painting teacher, which was cool. i wish i would've been able to have more classes with him while at mt. wachusett, but he told me to come back and have a show in the school gallery once i get a decent body of work together so that was really encouraging. aside from almost falling up the stairs on my way to accept the award, it was a great night.

also, i won the floral centerpiece. bonus.

midnight. abstraction.

its after midnight. i've been in my studio for over 7 hours. and so far i have only 2 drawings that are acceptable for my final- that is not good news. but i was feeling unenthused about the drawings ive been doing for my final series. so to relax i dove into some charcoal abstraction... i'm COVERED in charcoal but i think this is going to work.

i need to call it a night. have to wake up in a little over 6 hours. precious minutes of sleep are calling my name... tomorrow i need to crank out at least five more drawings.

memories & dust

Appropriation Term Project inspired by the work of Regina Frank

For my term project I chose to focus on the work of Regina Frank, an artist from Germany. Best known for her site specific installations and performance pieces, Frank often uses fabric, beads and the forms of dresses in her pieces. For my appropriation project I used her 1994-99 piece entitled “Hermes' Mistress” as inspiration for my own sculpture. In this installation/performance she sat wearing an enormous red satin gown, and with a laptop beside her, collected tidbits of information and conversations from the internet. Using lettered beads, she then transcribed the words found onto her gown, creating a swirl of text circling her dress. An effort to bridge the gap between growing technology and traditional handiwork, Frank started the piece in New York City with 35 straight days spent in the gown. She also worked on and performed “Hermes' Mistress” in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Berlin.

Much of Regina Frank's work deals with political, cultural, or spiritual issues. These ideas are translated by the artist into a visual language using fabrics, text, and natural materials. Her own form is often a part of her installations, whether by image or live performance. Frank seems to have an affinity for the feminine form of a dress or gown, a shape that finds itself in a large number of her pieces. An active member of the international art community, Regina Frank exhibits her work in museums, windows, and public spaces.

Regina Frank's use of fabric and text both found their way into my project. For my appropriation piece I created a three-dimensional sculpture using wire, fabric, thread and text. In keeping with the feminine nature that is often found in the work of Frank as well as myself, the form of the sculpture is recognizably female yet still retains an abstract quality.
The actual construction of the sculpture was done with a core of foam and plaster, which I then covered with scraps of textured grey fabric. I stitched the grey material together at the seams with black thread, intentionally leaving uneven stitches and frayed edges to show the hand-sewn quality. I then used a transfer technique to imprint text from a xerox copy onto the strips of dark grey and green material. Printing the text out backwards, I used a transfer marker and pressing down hard on the back of the paper with a wooden spoon, transferred the ink from the xerox onto the fabric. Echoing the form of a dress or bustle, I added the strips of dark grey and green material onto the back of the sculpture creating a pattern of words and memories.
To find text and sentences that would reflect the theme of my project I also utilized the internet as Regina Frank did for “Hermes' Mistress”. I sent out a request via e-mail for sentences to make up the text element of the sculpture. I asked each person for one sentence dealing with a memory they have of a female. Good or bad, happy or unfortunate, I only asked for one honest sentence. My intent was to communicate the memories and feelings that a varied group of individuals have of females that have had an influence or impact on them. The idea was to use the words sent back to me to both influence the creation of the sculpture as well as to print the actual text onto the surface. The memories I received were surprising and diverse, yet were linked by the shared humanity of those who sent them. I was surprised with the honest words that people shared with me and in a way I believe this to be a community piece, as it was compiled with the help of others experiences and memories.

figure studies

molten metals..

wax sculpture with pouring tubes attached: the basis for the "lost wax" bronze technique

pouring the metal!

photos of the BRONZE POUR! it was amazing, other than breathing in the furnace fumes. my bronze piece is currently being repaired since there was a small shrinkage issue on one portion of the back, but nothing a welder can't fix. i started grinding down the marks left by the pouring tubes, but ended up smashing my left index finger with the tool due to the grinder getting caught on the edge of the sculpture and kicking back into my hand. majorly painful. and ill probably have a black-ish purple fingernail for quite some time before it falls off, according to the school nurse.

really, i don't have good luck with fingers and sculpture tools. i need high quality gloves, and how.

happy birthday Lila Star

it's hard to believe i won't see your smile again.
we miss you. i miss you.

more hidden poetry

(image: "we were both afraid")
(click image to enlarge)

im loving this found poetry. its like a million different stories are happening within one old book, and i'm just letting them out. there are so many other things i should be doing, but this has captured my imagination this week and i can't help but continue to explore this idea.

friday is my visit to SMFA.. i am thinking seriously about going there. honestly i wasn't expecting to even get in, let alone receive so much aid for this year for such an amazing program. but perhaps i was selling myself short in thinking that way. they don't let people in by accident, and if they saw something in me and my art that got them to stop and take a second look, they must think i could do great things within their community.

2 weeks, and i have to decide. oh dear, oh dear. my brain is a mess.

happy birthday

to me.

and Raphael.
so I'm twenty-three. i feel simultaneously old and as if I'm at the beginning of my life. I am about to embark on something truly exciting, as soon as i can make up my mind as to where i will be for at least the next 3 years.

to me, its scary to commit to something for that long. since high school 5 years ago, i've moved from one place to another or back almost every year. ri, atl, ri, ma, nyc, ma. and now there is another move in a few months, though this time it will be semi-permanent. i truly cannot wait. i cant wait to be challenged both artistically personally. to grow in knowledge of my craft and develop skills i may not even be aware of yet. i cant wait to be the quintessential 'art school kid'.

and now, a birthday tradition at Caffe Dolce. i believe an irish coffee is in my immediate future.

(image: Raphael, Self-Portrait c. 1504)

coffee at 11pm

the future is daunting, to be sure.

but my heart and mind seem to be somewhere else, and coffee is my best friend these days. and i am awake only when completely necessary. but in this weird state i am creating things that i'm somewhat excited about, so perhaps its not so bad, really. i love old books and tonight i decided to rip some pages out and cut sentences and phrases that when taken out of context can be reassigned to create new and surprising situations. its like a treasure hunt.

"the sky was only unfulfilled space and death

and he had brought her back

the wind had strengthened

The earth around him crashed

crash and spit and snap

He said, "Give me your impatient arms;

you can't make anybody better.

It's awful easy to lose."

this weeks three R's: Rodin, Ronnie & Rocky

my brain is still in vacation mode. i'm back at school after spending spring break in Philly. a week free of worries and the ability to actually relax was much needed. i took the bus, which people are often surprised to find out, but i am fully capable of traveling alone through sketchy bus stops... i just put on my "don't mess with me" face and i'm all set. the main purpose of my trip was to visit Ronnie, one of my greatest friends who i hadn't seen in a year, and it was a great time. he was obliging enough to take me into the city to see the Rodin Museum (aaaammmaaazzzing- theres a reason he's my all-time favorite sculptor) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. i know museums really aren't everyones cup of tea, but i love them, and him for taking me and not complaining as i dragged him through gallery after gallery for 4 hours. the philly museum is of course featured in the original Rocky film, so even though we didn't run up the steps, we watched other fools do it.




i still don't have concrete decisions for next year. MassArt is definitely out, i really have not had a good experience dealing with their offices and don't want to go to such a huge school. I visited Montserrat, and i LOVED it. i wanted to pack up my suitcase and move there that day. i got my financial aid packet from them and have 70% of the cost of tutition completely paid for, and already aproved for loans for the other 30%. that is GOOD NEWS. i really wasn't expecting that great of a school to be that far within my reach!
while i am learning more and more towards formally accepting the offer from Montserrat, i still want to wait and see what the SMFA has to say.

both schools are amazing, but in the end it may come down to who wants to help me out the most financially. decisions, decisions.

bravery is a facade

"Heroes Are Only Men"

they like me, they really like me

i got home from class today, and an envelope from Montserrat was waiting. I GOT IN! I quickly glanced over acceptance letter and the packet they gave me and it was only when i reread it that i noticed that they gave me the 'founders award" which is five thousand a year for four years! thats not all im going to need of course and it will still take work to make this happen, but i got in!

i;m going out to Beverly on friday to visit the school and hopefully meet with the financial aid people. this trip was already scheduled but now that i know i've been accepted i'm even more excited! i want to explore the town and see the surrounding neighborhood and meet people and everything! aaaah im excited!

dreaming of travel

school update: i'm so busy i can't function.

I am loving all my classes but dealing with all 5 of them coupled with the anxiety I have about my applications is draining me. I've been having trouble sleeping and basically I'm surviving on caffeine and the hopes I have for this fall. In my applications I included a new statement of purpose that I might post here soon. I love to write and so instead of the typical "here is why i want to go to your school" I wrote six little one page 'chapters' about different experiences or people who have changed my life and my view of the world. I think it came out pretty well and I hope the admissions people like it too.

Every time we cover something new in art history I want to pack my bags and get there as soon as possible. Most of the places are not exactly feasible at the moment; Greece, Jerusalem, Madrid, Paris, ect. But today, it was New Mexico and Peru. I can't even begin to imagine the breathtaking views of Machu Pichu, and merely reading about them is just not going to do it for me. I want to see the canyons of the west for myself and stand in the crumbling pueblos and marvel at the ingenuity of the peoples who settled the land. Without horses for transport and even without the wheel, they built massive stone architecture and did so with mathematical accuracy. I mean, these are not just little stone walls. Since I do have an aunt who lives in NM and has connections in Peru, I might actually see these things someday. My aunt is an artist too and though many people in my family don't understand why she does certain things, I still feel a sort of creative kinship with her. Maybe it's an artist thing.

Art History midterm in 2 days. time to study.

Knowledge Is Beauty

now, its out of my hands

yesterday i sent my application and portfolio to Montserrat, the school i really really really want to get into. i'm applying as a transfer student to three schools in the boston area, but this is the one i'm most interested in. SMFA because I want to see if I could get in, but the price is amazingly high so without some serious financial aid/scholarships its sort of a long shot. and MassArt is a state school, much less expensive and only a few blocks from the museum school, but bigger and i might have to wait til the spring to transfer in. and the more i've been in communication with each admissions office, i'm liking Montserrat more. its on the north shore, close enough to the city but far enough away. right on the coast, as in 2 blocks from the water. cold new england water, but still. its smaller, and also they just added a creative writing minor....it will be hard to choose between that and the art history minor but i cant worry about that until i've actually been accepted. i have a visit scheduled for the 6th for a tour and hopefully meet with someone since they'll already have recieved all my materials by then...... we'll see.

of course all of this hangs on them actually accepting me and then me getting the finance aspect figured out..



i've been having fun messing around with found objects lately.... my dads garage, junk sales, and the stuff in boxes ive been collecting for years are all contributing to my inspirations, mostly dealing with memories or the absence of something/one.

image above:"the toolshed at 195"

simple elegance

i've decided a major focus of my sculpture this semester is going to be to use feminine forms and shapes. i want to convey the beauty, elegance and purity that all women are born with through simple forms and lines. too often in this society we focus on the superficial and fake, and the extras. i want to try to look past that, to the internal strength that lies in the heart of every woman. i have a bit of a dance background, so a main inspiration as far as shapes go would be dancers lines. not typical ballerina moves, but im going to try to draw some ideas from those contemporary as well as ballet moves that show power and grace.

this week we start on our wax pieces in preparation for the bronze pour. im so looking forward to that. but now i should get to reading my art history homework... its back to the italian and flemish renaissance in the morning.

thursday is the opening of the annual Flora in Winter show at WAM... my dad and i are going. it should be a good time even though i'll have to take some notes during it for a class. just seeing colorful flowers in the middle of this horrid weather will be amazing.

Monet vs. Pollock

started art history II this morning. it was a good class despite the i-think-i-know-everything-even-though-i've-never-taken-art-history-before-and-i-answer-rhetorical-questions-and-interrupt-lectures girl that sits behind me. yes, there is a difference between Monet and Seurat. and Monet and Pollock. i should really stop being an art snob but i can't stand people who think they know everything when they don't and interrupt when my professor asks me to explain the insanely obvious difference between Monet and Pollock.

and i leave you with a little bit of those two great artists while i pack up my materials for Matsuda's drawing class tomorrow.

carry on, with hope

i'm waiting. waiting for spring. waiting for creativity to strike. waiting for luck. waiting for a my hands create what my mind sees.

the spring semester starts back up in a few days, and i can't wait to get back into the classroom. 5 courses is going to be a lot of work, but i'm ready. my applications for the fall are hopefully getting out soon, if i can finish my damn essays. i love to write, but writing about myself and my ambitions is daunting. how can i sum up who i am and where i want to go in one little paper? i think i need a looong date with a vanilla chai at the coffee shop to help me think.

someone is always waiting.