MAG Newsletter

Just finished our quarterly newsletter for this fall. There is a new format, smaller legal sized, only one page front and back.

BFA in progress work...

the first drawing/monoprint that started this body of work. all drawings are on 22x30" arches 88 paper

silkscreen and ink

my dancing frog inspired drawing, not complete yet. will do a little more color work and some more silkscreen runs of circles

silksreen, ink, nupastel, gesso, silverpoint

This is my water puddle drawing/print.

silkscreen, ink, nupastel, gesso, silverpoint

This one is inspired by catching fireflies in mason jars. Still lacks the silksceen runs.

ink, nupastel, gesso, silverpoint

and an artist book i've complete!

handbound book, coptic binding, silkscreen, gradiant ink roll relief, ink

good shot of the coptic binding

the layout of the structure

preview of some of the pages

the gradiant ink relief turned out beautifully!

Currently Working On...

At the Murray Art Guild, I'm finishing up the quarterly newsletter, new tabloid format since we have less content this quarter. (Our Annual Arts MAGazine is coming out in October!!)

Working on designing a Calendar we sell every year as a fundraiser. This year we've decided to focus just on kids! So it will be all kinds of playfullness.

PROOFS photography exhibition opening reception is next Friday night. Press stuff on that..

Side by Side art program for kids with special needs will begin soon!

In my studio world, I'm working diligently in the studio to prepare for my Senior Thesis Exhibition! Opening Recepiton: Oct 22!!!! Will post updates on works in progress shortly..

Something new.

Much too long since last post...computer down!

none the less, more to come soon: life drawing, belgian binding book.

cool discovery while blog surfing: Donna Sharrett

Excerpt from her artist statement: "I consider my works meditations on the beauty of rituals developed over time to satisfy the fundamental human need to mark important passages in life. Cultural and religious mementos from both historic and contemporary references inspire the work. Materials are chosen for their symbolic significance."

I mean, c'mon people. If nothing else, it's gorgeous! The immaculate needle work and use of materials has a nice marriage. And I love the reference to cultural development. Interesting.

plein air drawing

A drawing I completed yesterday. Plein Air, midmorning, it's my Meyer Lemon Tree.

Schaffer ink
pen and ink
#2 Sable brush
on Bristol paper.
5 mins +/1 a few.
8x10" framed

Completed a drawing AND matted/framed it...all in one day! That's definitely a record.

21C--Museum Hotel, Louisville, KY

I went to Louisville this weekend on vacation. While there, I visited 21C Museum Hotel. It is a 90-room boutique hotel that has been renovated to include over 5000 feet of exhibition space dedicated solely to 21st century art.

There is a really cool, pretty large exhibition of Simen Johan titled "Until the Kingdom Comes." Though a Biblical reference, the series of photographs are not meant to be seen as religious, but rather are meant to be open statements that allude to the final resolution of existence and what that might mean for each individual. Interesting play on fantasy and reality. The images really challenge the viewer to make some concise conclusions, and may be a little overwhelming for the less intellectually stimulated. Not that the visual dialogue is too complex to interpret, just that it requires a stretch of critical thinking mixed in with a bit of imagination.

 Untitled #135, 2005

Untitled #133, 2005

Redescovering my love for lines via the book "Speck" by Peter Buchanan-Smith

While visiting a friend in Louisville this weekend, I ran across a very interesting and visually playful book: Speck: A Curious Collection of Uncommon Things by Peter Buchanan-Smith. It's really neat, and a great coffee table book to have when entertaining guests. [amazon link]

There was one page in it that featured drawings by Meaghan Kombol that she had made while riding the New York subway system. She rode each of the routes that run throughout the city and attempted to draw a straight line on each trip. The result was obviously not a straight line, but rather a line that poignantly described the physical movement that happens on each route. It reminded me of a photograph in a way, how this line captured the abstract essence of a single moment in time, or a series of moments in this case. It was a visually paired down representation of a full senses experience, all summed up into a line.

This idea has been termed "Self-Generated Information Visualizations." What a loaded idea for a simplistic concept.

As a linear drawer, I am obsessed with lines and line quality. These lines speak simply and truthfully of that which they were made by. First impression, they are deceivingly uninteresting. But once informed upon their conception, a multidimensional representation of a concrete action allows the viewer to hypothetically explore other outlets...what might a line made in your car look like? or your walk to work? or the elevators at the office? All of these environments are lived in and through daily, yet have you ever thought what they would look like as a line?

ps. Peter Buchanan-Smith is a designer working in New York City. Really neat site [go here] and it is more than just graphic design.

Arts Calendar call for entries...

The Murray Art Guild publishes an Arts Calendar featuring Members' artwork and photos from the workshops we host. It is a cute little publication, great for those generic gifts for bosses, in-laws, etc. Great for hanging at work and ofcourse you can support the local arts!!

Here is the flyer I've put together for it...we accept only original artwork because I do all of the photographing for the spread in our digital documentation studio at the MAG and need really high quality photographs for print. I also do the layout for the Calendar, last year I personalized the month grids with Board Meetings, exhibitions, and other significant MAG dates :) As well as thumbnails for events we host, just to let the viewer get a little more insight as to what the Guild does.

photography competition posted and bookbinding workshop!

At work this week:
I put together a flyer for the upcoming juried photography competition: PROOFS. It's coming up quick, entries due in a month. I'm looking forward to meeting and working with Alison Hahn of Paducah. She is a Professor and the Head of the Digital Photography/Imaging at WKCTC in Paducah. Her work has a delicately rich atmosphere achieved through her technique of layering multiple images acquired by a flat bed scanner. I love the idea of using nontraditional imaging techniques, I'm excited to meet her and talk shop.

Here's the link to the PROOFS Prospectus with an Entry Form. And the flyer if you'd like to share with your friends :)

I'm also going to be teaching a BOOK MAKING WORKSHOP next weekend!! I will be guiding the class step-by-step from beginning to end how to make a blank book using the Secret Belgian Binding stitch. It is a hard-cover book where the covers and the textblock are built seperately and then stitched together. It can lay completely flat and is a very sturdy structure.

GO HERE to get a Registration Form and even pay your registration fees ONLINE (that's right, we've finally made it to the 21st centur!)

Here's the wikipedia link that has a description about the binding style, and a photo example:

and another...

The blog I got those images from is pretty sweet too. It's called Studio B. Check it out.

Upcoming Projects

Now that the introduction is complete, here is a brief overview of what all is going on in my life. I should begin by mentioning the various positions I currently hold: art student at Murray State University, Director's Assistant at the Murray Art Guild, and will soon be joining a committee of administrators and directors for a joint community art project.
In no real order of significance or measure, here is a list of the upcoming porjects I will be directly working on....

1. I guess it's appropriate to mention I am approaching my last semester as an undergraduate BFA student. I am looking forward to being drowned in studio work, as I have let it take the back burner during the Process Impact project, admittedly so.

2. Third annual juried photography competition at the Murray Art Guild. A lot of organizing and administrative tasks. Then installing the show. Updates to come.

3. Committee member of a project where the committee members wish to coordinate a gallery hop in the city of Murray, incorporating all exhibition locations possible. currently there are 5 galleries, and two retail spaces involved.

4. organizing third annual art calendar fund raiser for the Murray Art Guild.

5. brainstorming proposal ideas for upcoming grad school applications due this december/january. No real leads yet, just a few seedling ideas. Will elaborate when more idea development occurs.

6. writing article(s) for upcoming Arts Magazine the the Murray Art Guild publishes. to be distributed in the local newspaper. possible available online this year :)

7. maintaining this blog to track my activity in the art field. For educational, resume, and entertainment purposes.