Summary of Experiences in Mixed Media

Summary of my experiences in Mixed Media....

I enjoyed Amie's class and the experiences she shared with us. This is the first graduate class I have been in where we actually took a field trip to galleries. One of my favorite experiences was visiting the Try-Me gallery and meeting the Royalls. What a privilege to hear them talk about their collection and the stories behind some of the pieces! I am very thankful for having had that opportunity. An experience I was nervous about: I had never done a blog prior to this class. Amie pushed me out of my comfort zone. I am glad to have done the blog because now I have documentation of my work and references to pull from which will also aide in writing my thesis. I will continue to post on my blog as it will be a helpful tool for my thesis. A frustrating experience: This would probably be keeping up with producing work as well as posting in the weekly blog outside of teaching. It was also a challenge to put together an artist statement. I am glad to finally have a statement that fits my body of work. Something that inspired me: discovering new artists and videos to attach to my research links. I LOVE reading Janet Bote's blog as well as her work that is inspired by nature. This is an artist that is new to me. I came across her work while researching artists that use nature in their work. I also appreciate the many different examples of artists Amie shared with us in class as well as on the blog throughout this semester. 

It is a good feeling to finally see and feel my body of work coming together. A new discovery that has impacted my work: Amie helped me look at different ways I can display and arrange my pieces. She also communicated to me the need to discover which process I love the most and go with that. At first I was all over the map, trying various techniques. This advice was very helpful; I discovered I liked trying out different ways of applying and taking away the modeling paste. I plan on continuing: various processes with modeling paste and found objects. Amie, thanks for a great learning experience!

Notes from the Critique

Below are my notes from our class critique:

Michelle

You were very busy painting your smaller pieces in the last week before our critique! Your color palette is so different than mine but I love seeing the complimentary colors together in your work. I wonder if you have always been drawn to that color palette? Your work is very dimensional; I want to rub my hands across it. As an artist you do a great job displaying light and shadow. It was interesting to see how you create the layers by ripping and stapling onto the canvas. Keep in touch so I can come to your show!

Betsy

The work you did in Amie’s class was different from what I saw you do in Sally’s class. I believe your larger pieces could easily be displayed with the smaller work. Your distressed surfaces and repetitive patterns were gorgeous! Loved that manmade antique look you gave your pieces. As you are finishing up the program please keep in touch!

Merenda

Wow! Your work could be displayed so many different ways. I was loving the idea of having the window floating out in front of the house you created. Perhaps you could build some shelves to display work on too. This would help pull the viewer’s eye from the box shape of the house. Your smaller monoprint pieces inside the sectioned wooden box were so interesting. I enjoyed looking at each one individually and think you should display some by themselves. Best of luck as you pursue getting into the program; hope to see you again soon.

Liz

I have not done much with photo transfer in my work so I was fascinated by your technique. The last piece you displayed on the far right definitely stood out from the others. It has a flowing composition and layers that draw the viewer in. The blue wash dripping down the piece has a nice effect. I would recommend pushing back the residue from the transferred text so it becomes more a part of the piece. I know you ran into some technical difficulties this semester. For your next class maybe you could work smaller and produce more images; that may put you closer to where you would like to be with your work.

Cheryl

Your paintings have become cohesive over the course of these past few weeks. We have watched you grow more and more confident in your process. That last week before the critique you really busted some work out! You should think back on the circumstances and environment that you were working in. Were you thinking less and working more quickly? Were you working on more than one piece at a time? Whatever you were doing was successful! I loved the last pieces you did with the seagulls and the diptych. Hope to see you in another class!

Happy

When I see your work I want to pull out all the little treasures I have collected and make some art. Your work is so much fun! It is amazing how beautiful the Xeroxes of your pieces turned out. I always want to look closer at your work. You do an awesome job at tricking the viewer with your drawings that look 3-D. Your last pieces really hit it home by using minimal supplies yet having the same effect you were going for with the earlier pieces. It was a pleasure meeting you and I hope our paths cross again!

　

Revised Artist Statement

Artist Statement

Hope Harding

My process is instinctive, the materials guide me each step of the way. I may begin putting down a preliminary surface and covering it with another, then scratching into it or wiping away only to start again. The textural surfaces become, in a sense, the most important part. They bring me back to nature: the dusty earth, the wind against my skin or the smell of salt water in the air.


As I explore multiple mediums and ways of applying as well as attaching them, I discover new things unfolding in my work. It becomes even more personal when I add a found object picked up along a walk or journey. The object is embedded forever into the painting, capturing a memory.


I want people to be drawn in, to look closer and possibly want to touch the work in hope that it evokes a familiar feeling or sense of place for them.