10 days before gallery reception for BFA final show.

I have been working with the crows for 4 months now to not much avail. Mary Kenny (drawing/ design and printmaking teacher) reintroduced me, inadvertently to Matt Woodward. http://www.mattwoodwardart.com/  He does large, large scale graphite drawings revolving around architecture and its embellishments. I have heavily leaned on him to finally figure out what to do with my crows. I have made 2 large 4x4 feet panels of crows on lines. Below are the two seperate panels- one done, one started. I'll glue them together and hang them to the floor. 

The crows on the lines represent a type of meditation- like rosary beads or Buddhist prayer beads.

All very rough and gestural. 

All other crows have been cut up and are being sewn into a paper quilt that is also 6-8 feet long and will also hang to the floor.

The quilted crows reference the hospice where my dad passed away in Australia. When a person passed away the family typically made something and gave it to the hospice-  bed covers, paintings, pottery, crocheted doilies etc.

The quilt also references comfort, covering, story telling. A quilt is like a historical document- 'it  tells the story of a time or the  story of a life . Traditionally many have been purely functional, created for warmth, but culturally, they have expressed the lives , and often marked the celebrations,of the person who made them.' (pictures to come)

I also have painted in charcoal and acrylic two 4x4 foot panels  of single crows...actually a raven and a crow.

Not all will be hung but I will take them all to the gallery and see how they get along together.

BFA!

This year the department has set aside space for BFA students to work in and store their work in. It's great having an area to work from  that is also accessible to other students to watch the work progressing from.

Thomas Grana is having his BFA opening reception this thursday the 17th- come, come, come!

BFA student space!

Thomas installing Geo-Phonics!

messing with the murder.

I spent a couple of weeks working on the benches. They are essentially done- just waiting for their final color of 'patriot blue' (ironic). With the cold snap on us (aka- winter), I can't spray paint them until we get a sunny afternoon so it's back to photo and crows. I'm trying to document the crows, possibly cut them up and mess with them. I think I would like to burn them and bring the ashes somehow into the piece.
 I am trying to articulate a more focused theme by using the work to explore/create a personal prescription (a ritual, rite..... convention...) in an effort to breach the gap that has come with the sequestration of death in our society- a consequence of which is the loss of public recognition of personal mourning.
Heavy.

Junior Art Portfolio

The JAPR students presented their work on friday to faculty, students and other interested parties. JAPR is a step in practising putting together a body of work and talking about it.
I thought the work, as a whole, was consistently of a high standard....I suspect if I were to have shown my JAPR work with this crowd, I would have been invited kindly back for another chance!

http://mattwmattson.blogspot.com/

http://samshearart.blogspot.com/

http://khartsock.blogspot.com/

http://molly-allen.blogspot.com/

http://vicgut.blogspot.com/

http://appetiteofthesoul.blogspot.com/

http://christyrasmussen.blogspot.com/

http://brettvarga.blogspot.com/

Two benches!

Progress on the benches

I was able to get alot done this past weekend. I was able to cut out all end supports, attach legs and cut and rout (is that a word? ) all my slats for the seating and begin assemebling them. I have finished one completely and the 2nd is half done.

attaching legs to end supports

end supports with legs!

routing- rounding the edges of the slats (favourite tool!)

figuring the spacing of the slats out...

attaching the slats

the almost finished bench!!

Building II

Started the benches with Dave- first he taught me to make templates out of masonite for my end supports. This helped with the design element and made the work much more efficient once up and running....