Phase II Update! 3/25/12

I have finally finished my first piece for Phase II. Here are some images to show my progess! I'm really happy with the way this piece came out. I had some trouble with it, but was able to get past it and I love the outcome.

I have also started another piece for Phase II that I would like to have done, if not almost done by Thursday. This one is based off of an African myth about a Hammerhead bird. When a hammerhead bird learns that someone is about to die, it flies to their home and gives 3 cries of warning. I have taken my own interpretation of this myth and created my next wood burning piece out of it. The grain in the wood I have chosen to do it on is fantastic and I'm really excited to play around with watercolor on it. I've gotten a pretty good start on this and can't wait to finish it. Here's some photos from today:

Artist Event: Tufts University Gallery- Nancy Holt

I went to Tufts University and looked at an exhibit by Nancy Holt titled Sightlines. Tufts University has a really strong connection with the arts that I did not expect or know about.  This gallery exhibit for Nancy Holt had a lot of work and was very interesting to look at.

 Nancy actually went to Tufts and graduated in 1960 with a degree in Bio. She then decided to explore video and photo. Her work explores different parts of landscape, challenging you to focus on the little details of a particular spot. I particularly liked her piece Views Through a Sanddune, 1972 where she teamed up with URI and placed a cylinder through a sand dune making you focus on a small aspect of the landscape in the background. Depending on which way you looked through the cylinder in the sand dune, you saw two small landscapes of the ocean, both different.

You can see how she is combining her science degree and her artistic skills in a lot of her work. All of her work has to do with the surrounding environment of these cylinders that she creates. It is almost as if she is creating “the center of the world”. These cylinders are common in almost all of her work. I think this idea of focusing in on a small aspect of something really large goes along with noticing the little things in life. There is so much that we overlook and take for granted. I think  Nancy Holt wants us to slow down and look at the small things and appreciate what is in front of us. 

March 12th, 2012- Phase II Update

With Spring break and everything I realized that I haven't been on here in a while! I've been working on more wood wood burnings. For Phase II I've decided to use bird myths as my influence and inspiration for my pieces. I found an Irish myth that says when loved ones pass away they come back to sit on their family member's shoulder as a Raven. I've taken my interpretation of the myth and brought it to life in my wood burning, still incorporating the body, watercolor and carving. I plan on having this one done and another piece done for the critique at the end of the month.