Art in Progress

48" x  24" rolled paper w/ gesso  texture (in process)            This map is representative of my trip to France this past summer. The shape is roughly the same as that of France itself, but not exactly. Each individual paper tube is placed in direct relation to the places I visited--the most significant of those places being Paris. The color is representative of the buildings and architecture that are seen throughout France.           The map itself is made of paper board, shredded paper, black ink, charcoal, and gel medium. The paper circles are made of gesso, wood glue, and rolled paper.

Left - 6" x 4.5" | Right - 5.5" x 4.5" (in process - forming the kissing pots) (in process - pre-bisque) The Memory Being able to watch the stars with people you love is a vert fulfilling moment. As I laid on the trampoline with the love of my life and his little brother, I was in awe at just how vast the sky was; amazed by how far it stretched without any end in sight. We had been huddled together in the backyard for about an hour before we finally saw a bright streak of light dart from one side of the Kuiper Belt to the other: a shooting star. It was remarkable - and the first one that I had ever seen. From then on, they kept shooting across the sky, one after another.  The Concept           My physical representation of this memory is a set of "kissing pots." The first material (earthenware) serves two purposes: to communicate closeness and body heat. The second (Mayco "Mirror Blue") and third (Mayco &

          This photo was taken of my Momento piece. I really appreciated the texture and the look of the inside of the kissing pots, and felt that they would make an interesting iPhone wallpaper. After a bit of editing and light readjustment, this is the end result.

Balsa Wood Sculpture, 8' x 9' Balsa Wood and Nails, 4" x 5" (in process)           The first of the balsa wood sculptures was made strictly out of balsa wood, wood glue (as seen in photo 3), pins, masking tape, and paper. I had originally wanted to put the pins in a more geometric pattern, but masking tape is difficult to work with when it comes to 90 degree angles.            The second balsa wood sculpture was made out of balsa wood and pins. When I first started the project, I'd wanted to experiment with texture. By using the back-end of a sharpie, I was able to create the illusion of texture; however, as I tried to make the wood more malleable by soaking it, the push marks soaked up all of the water and returned to their original flatness, as if I'd never done it in the first place. 

Masking Tape Shoes -- (6" x 9" x 5") (in process)           The shoes I wear every day are my Doc Martens. Those shoes have been around the world with me, so they seemed like the right shoe to replicate for this project. The entire shoe, including the sole of the shoes (above), is made entirely out of layered masking tape.

Adolescence   Teenage   Today In Process            When I was younger, I felt as though my parents never understood me. I was always very creative and used my talent as an outlet for unwanted emotions. The first photo is representative of this stage in my life: adolescence.  As I got older, fights with my parents became more violent -- I would scream and threaten them with things I didn't mean. I constantly felt misunderstood and resentful towards them, blaming them for everything I thought had gone "wrong" in my life. Soon enough, I found myself engaging in talk therapy for "anger issues" and it wasn't long until the therapist was able to pinpoint the issue. Not only did I feel misunderstood, but I had been living undiagnosed with ADHD for a majority of my life. The second photo is representative of when I began medication. Today, I feel as though what was supposed to "help" me has done the exact opposite. By forcing me to foc

"The Bean" - Chicago, IL (2016) "The body is the primary mode of perceiving scale."            The summer before I started college, I went on a trip to Chicago, IL with my best friend, Phoebe. Why would we go to Chicago? To see our role model, Kelly Nicole Long, finally graduate as a "Master of Fine Arts." At the age of 32, Kelly received her certificate from SAIC. She was my high school art teacher and always believed in me even when I didn't (she still does!). She has played a very significant role in my life and was the one that pushed me to pursue my own degree in fine art.            One of the most important things you have to see when you go to Chicago is The Bean. For starters: it's very easy to underestimate the actual size of this oddity. As Phoebe and I stood beneath it, we took in just how big it actually was. When you look directly up,  the entire dome is an optical illusion. The reflection that is seen in the ph

    Stage 1: Clear Mindedness Stage 2: The Beginning Stage 3: Disillusionment          Touch, for me, has made a very big impact in my life. There has never been a defined line between pain and pleasure due to my past. When you feel as though you deserve the pain being inflicted upon you, it's likely that something isn't right. I've had to rediscover myself through the definition of touch because there are specific things that differentiate between "good" and "bad." As time has passed, I've learned what it means to be in pain, as well as being relieved of it.      When I was in the darkest part of my life, pain was something I felt I deserved. I had been forced into thinking that everything was my fault. I thought that he was demonstrating how much he cared whenever he put his hands on me. I didn't see it as a bad thing at the time -- just normal. Touch, at this time, was sharp; violent and difficult for me to wrap my head arou