Seeing and Believing

I don't have a lot of things from my critique notebook because we've had a couple crits where we hand our observations to the artist. A few things that we've seen recently that have caught my attention were from Carolyn, Sammi, and Susana.

Carolyn's work always draws you in with this nostalgic quality. The unassuming colors make you walk up close expecting to see some needlepoint from your grandmother's attic, but then you are greeted with these gruesome but somehow still endearingly funny images or stories.

Sammi i always enjoy because she finds joy in the most ridiculous (in a good way) places. Her paintings are of things that i would absolutely just walk by in life (plastic bags, dead fish) but she has a way of bringing them to life and making them important. When someone is so in love with a certain thing, it's hard to not begin to look at them the same way in her paintings.

One thing about Susana's work that i always enjoy is that it is messy, not in presentation; her thoughts are well put together. But you can tell she dives head first into her work and doesn't mind getting messy and isn't afraid to put all of her ideas out there.

What is it REDUX?

Right now I'm working on making 3d illustrations. I'm always looking at bright colorful fantastical characters and wishing i could draw them. Since i never draw and work mainly in clay, I'm developing my own version of illustrating. I'm making a series of wonderful characters based off of my wonderful friends.

I haven't really had alot of time for thinking recently. The studio is always a busy and distracting place, but for my next project i'm not really sure where i'm going to go, but i'm considering revisiting the paper art i was looking at earlier this semester.

I am a master chocolate chip cookie maker, so here is my favorite recipe:

3/4	cup granulated sugar
3/4	cup packed brown sugar
1	cup butter or margarine, softened
1	egg
2 1/4	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
1	cup coarsely chopped nuts
1	package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix sugars, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

The Surround

Work in the studio has not been going exactly as planned. For once this is okay and sort of the whole point. I was trying to just let things develop on their own without going crazy over details as usual. I originally began working with dead sunflower leaves and other various decaying plant life. The leaves are not absorbent enough for the slip to not crack and break. I would like to continue working with them and figure out how to make it work, but for now they've been put on the back shelf and i'm moving on.

In my experimenting, i found my new obsession. The tops of corn stalk are just lovely (and absorbent). In life they are the male part of the plant, used to pollinate and make delicious corn for us to enjoy all summer. In death, they get to be my next project =) I currently have a significant amount of tops to work with but i would really like to find more before they are all cut down and thrown away. I originally considered not firing them at all but i did a couple firing tests and they turned out pretty well, so now i'm moving on to thinking about alternative ways to color them.

As far as dreams are concerned, I don't actually dream anymore; or if I do, I can't remember them. I used to dream events that already happened and I would rather not re-experience. Now I really am only capable of falling asleep after 5 am and not usually long enough to dream.

A visual memory that i've been thinking of recently really is not related to anything i've been doing or anything else i've been thinking about. I've been picturing that scene that looks like armageddon after a concert, or homecoming, or some huge event. After everyone leaves and the parking lot is left with the traces of everyone who was there. I just think its interesting that no one thinks about who has to clean that up, or if you would have the same careless attitude anywhere else or if it's just that type of event that brings it out in people. All those things aside i always find it an interesting visual and wonder if that what would end up being the "ruins" of our generation.

What is it?

Sadly this summer was wasted away being a responsible adult; working and paying bills. Unfortunately this means I neglected all things art even though I felt the ceramics studio calling to me. I'd like to have the motivation to jump right back in to the semester, so I'm working on that. I've always struggled with concept, and wanted to make art just because I feel the need to. After having discarded several ideas that keep nagging me because I didn't have a conceptual reason for wanting to create them, I just decided to let go. I would like to take this semester and have the chance to experiment and not obsess so much over planning every detail. I plan to take some of those ideas that keep coming back to me and just run with them and let them develop and change without a strict plan. The first thing I'm going to attempt is to create some pieces made with porcelain slip and flammable materials like paper and dried plant/organic materials. Not really sure where it will go from there, but i'll keep you updated.

The artists i've been looking at recently work mainly with paper and ceramics in sculpture like Andreas Kocks. I'm interested in their processes and the intricate work they do, and seeing if i can bring those qualities of paper and other materials into ceramics.

I also stumbled upon Jessica Drenk who dips various household items in porcelain slip.