Summer Series

This summer, I created some paintings for friends. All are primarily acrylic on scrap wood, a few include accents of permanent markers and paper.

Pufferbelly Depot

This project spanned a longer time period than any of the previous ones, which allowed me to be more in-depth in designing the details. These details are further explained in the final concept statement, which is as follows: "Bobbi Ambrosini’s home and gallery space is inspired by the rhythm, overlap, and connectivity demonstrated in the Glasgow train station’s ceiling. Within the home, a series of large sliding doors demonstrate overlap, as they create layers when they are opened. Another example of overlap is in the feature wall at the back of the gallery, which is layered with overlapping distressed metal panels. In the gallery space, a succession of curved display walls creates an undulating rhythm. Another instance of rhythm in the residence is in the sculptural installation in the ceiling recess above the dining room table. This rebar structure not only defines the dining space, it replicates the repetitive lines in the train station ceiling displayed in the inspiration photo. In the living room, the longest wall is covered in a series of independent panels which form a rhythm of their own. Connectivity is demonstrated in the open floor plan with minimal interruption between the studio, gallery, and living spaces. The curves shown throughout the plan also exhibit connectivity, because while the shortest way to connect point a to point b is a straight line, a curve is much more interesting. Color is especially important in this design, since a high contrast color scheme is helpful to the visually impaired. The residential area is comprised of cool muted colors, the gallery remains neutral to showcase the art, and the studio has a bright, inspiring atmosphere." My concept is stronger in elevation view than in plan, so my perspectives are the most informative parts of the boards. In completing this project, I encountered new tasks, such as egress plans, which made it a great learning experience.

Module to Model

The keywords guiding the construction of this model were connectivity, overlap, and rhythm. I made it in two pieces, painted individually, and the arranged one in front of the other and joined at one end by a piece of colored wood. I added more thin black pieces of wood to reinforce the rhythm. The colors are drawn from my parti module and applied in a way similar to the work of Bobbi Ambrosini.

Couch Recovery

When a friend's apartment was lacking in furniture, two other friends and I decided to buy an old couch as a gift and recover it ourselves. We found one in fairly good shape at Goodwill, and picked up some fabric remnants at a different second hand store. None of these pieces were big enough to cover the entire couch, so we bought up all the black fabric they had to cover the arms and the front, and picked out a big piece of polka dot fabric for the cushions. We brought it home, and after a few hours of stretching, wrapping, smoothing, tucking, cramming, and lots of stapling, we ended up with a cute black and white sofa that we were all really proud of. The proud owner loves it and plans on taking it with her to her house next year.

Pattern to Textile

The concept of connectivity is central to the textile design. In the module, the two halves of the drawing are joined by thin black lines which could resemble train tracks. Just as a train takes you to your destination, the series of vertical black lines visually unites the two shapes. On a larger scale, the leading lines match up to create visual movement across the entire composition. These horizontal lines also provide a sense of rhythm to the composition, as they are evenly arranged from left to right. Overlap is evident in the module: two basic shapes are manipulated to form multiple quadrants, each with its own unique characteristics. When the module is rotated and combined in the textile design, the shapes within the module come together to make larger blocks of color.

Carrie's Studio

As a class, we got to tour artist Carrie Vielle’s studio. It’s built on her own property near her home, so it is relatively small. It can function only for creating, since any secondary needs can be cared for in the house, which is just a short walk away. Since it is such a compact space, most items inside have more than one purpose. Storage is display space, and work tables double as a means of organization. Carrie has filled the space with things she loves in order to provide inspiration, and to give any visitors a sense of her personality. She is part a small art community where patrons often develop personal relationships with the artist, so she graciously hosts anyone who wants to know more about her process or any of her works. Her studio is much different than I had expected (in my mind, artists of her caliber work in industrial lofts) but the setup houses everything she needs, and since she designed (and for the most part, built) the space herself, all her supplies can be at hand, in a fashion that is ideal for Carrie.

Art Museum

Keith Wells, curator of WSU’s Museum of Art took us on a brief tour of his latest exhibit. The largest piece (a wooden life-size replica of a car crashing into a small cabin) definitely draws the most immediate interest, so it is placed the center of the room. If it were anywhere else, it would draw people’s attention away from the photos and painting mounted on the surrounding walls. With the centerpiece equidistant to any given piece, it gives these supplementary works an equal chance to be appreciated. As a rule Keith keeps the walls white and minimizes any seams so that all attention can be paid to the art.