Art21

Recently I started to watch this PBS series called Art21 that my friend Jessimi told me about.  It is FANTASTIC!  If you are into art and want to know more about 21st century artists and what makes them tick these mini documentaries are the ticket.  I was especially moved by Ann Hamilton, she is a bit of local legend in art but I was never really motivated to learn more about her until I saw this.  In the first five minutes of her presentation I was floored with how similar our artistic views on fabric and fibers were connected as well as our influences by word and thread.  She basically put into words all my feelings for my artwork.  I am the kind of person that avoids mass popularity and opinion in all things, I believe in experiencing it for myself and making my own judgement.  This has been in all things from music, food, art and movies.  That is the reason why I never explored the genius of Ann Hamilton previously.  Now even if I don't get into grad school I still want to make it a goal of mine to meet with her and perhaps participate in one of her projects.

Her video work reminds me a lot of one of the directions I want to follow with my own work.  Recently while doing my new portfolio I made this raw video of the creation of my Neuron time based piece.  This was after all the stitches were sewn, where I am slowly pulling out the supporting threads and had no idea of the end result and if it would even stay together.


I am very excited for the possibilities in my future artwork.

Curriculum Vitae

With the new year just around the corner and my Grad app about 80% complete it has been a little bit amazing putting together my CV.  I have never done one before and looking around the internet there doesn't seem to be any one standard format.  I've gone through at least three different attempts and finally I think I nailed it with something I am happy with.  Even more so it was hard to look back and see everything I had done and try to fill the gaps and dates.  Once it was all accomplished it was a relief and a bit astonishing.  I get through life mostly day by day, one goal at a time.  They used to be big goals like graduating High School in time, getting into my dream Art School, getting through art school in 4 years.  Now they are a lot shorter such as entering this contest or that one, getting certain pieces photographed, updating my etsy store.  Doing this grad application has really pushed me to get a lot of professional things which I needed to do anyways done in a very short amount of time.  It has been a good thing.

 

This is the most recent piece that I finished and probably the last for the portfolio before I submit it.  you might remember it from THIS post when I started it. I just thought I would add this in here before it get's more wordy.

Now back to that CV.......  Overall looking at it, I haven't been as inactive as I thought, there were a good number of years between college and now that I wasn't doing anything but once I got my head back on straight I was back into it.  And now I present to you basically my life as an artist up till now.

The CV

Education

Yonsei University Korean Language Program 1999

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1999-2003 – BFA focus in Fashion/Sculpture

Internship with Gary Graham Independent Fashion Designer, Tribeca NYC 2002

Teaching Experience

Columbus College of Art and Design 2009 – present

Continuing Education Instructor in fashion

Saturday Morning Art Class Instructor for fashion fundamentals

College Preview Elective Instructor in Fashion Fundamentals

Wholly Craft Crochet instructor – 2011 – present

Milk Bar – Sewing & tailoring instructor 2010 – present

Stitching Post, Husqvarna certified sewing machine instructor

Brother International Sewing Machine Ambassador 2011

Shows/Exhibitions

2001 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fashion Show - Chicago, IL

2002 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fashion Show - Chicago, IL

2002 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fashion Gala Showcase - Chicago, IL

2003 The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Fashion Show - Chicago

2003 International Styles Scotland Fashion Show - Chicago IL

2003 International Styles Scotland Fashion Show - Glasgow, Scotland

2003 Art Institute of Chicago BFA Show - Chicago, IL 

2008 Kelli Martin Anti-Label Fashion Show - Knitwear Designs - Columbus, Ohio

2008 Short North Halloween Highball Fashion Show - Columbus, Ohio

2008 Tiny Canary Craft Show - Columbus, Ohio

2009 Ohio Art League One Night in a Hundred

2009 Ohio Art League Thumb box exhibition

2009 Ohio Art League’s One Hundred Annual Spring Juried Exhibition

2009 Short North Halloween Highball Fashion Show - Columbus, Ohio

2009 Tiny Canary Art Show - Columbus, Ohio

2009  Craftin' Outlaws Craft Show - Columbus, Ohio

2010 Independents Day - Columbus, Ohio

2010 Touchy Feely Exhibition at Ohio Art League

2010 Ohio Art League Thumb Box Exhibition

2010 Ohio Art League One Night

2010 Craftin' Outlaws - Columbus, Ohio

2010 Viewfinder Arts and Craft Show - Columbus, Ohio

2011 Independents Day - Columbus, Ohio

2011 Craftin Outlaws - Columbus, Ohio

2011 Crafty Supermarket - Cincinnati, Ohio

2011 Ohio Art League One Night - Fiction - Columbus, Ohio

2011 Ohio Art League Thumb Box Exhibition - Columbus, Ohio

2011 Wonderland Shirt Show - Columbus, Ohio 

Publications/Media

2008 Tiny Canary Art Show - promotional card image

2009 Promo commercial on CW for Short North Halloween Highball 

2009 John Reuban, Jamboree Music Video - Fashion Design

2009 Tiny Canary Art Show - promotional card image

2009 Styl Russian Magazine - special on Military inspired fashion 

2009 Favor Magazine - Enchanted Editorial - fashion designs

2009 Moo.com promotion for minicards - artist business cards

2009 Uniform Project - Daily feature March and December garment donations for Akanksha

2009 Columbus Underground - Local Designer Article

2010 Knitting Pattern in Knit and Wrap published by Lark Crafts

2010 The Daily Book of Photography, Fashion Design Section 

2010 Columbus Alive! November 18- Viewfinder artist article

2010 CMH - Beauty Among Ruin Beauty Editorial - fashion designs

2011 Women’s Day Specials Budget Weddings Vol. 1 Number 1, Brother International advertisement

2011 Better Homes and Gardens Do It Yourself Fall 2011, Brother International advertisement

2011 Rock N’Roll Bride UK publication, Artist/Designer Bride

Awards

2002 Recipient of the Emmanuel Ungaro Marshall Fields Scholarship

2003 Grand Prize Winner of the Styles Scotland International Fashion Show

2011 Brand Ambassador for Brother Sewing Machines International

Organizations

Ohio Art League

Columbus Crafty Cotillion

Volunteer work

Independents Day - Craft Alley Main Organizer 2010-present

Ohio Art League Gallery and Events 2009-present

Tiny Works

 I don't know if it's because I am tiny that I have been working in super tiny and smaller in format pieces.  It's very opposite from college when I was the smallest person working on the most gargantuan of sculptures.  My first 3D piece as a freshman at SAIC was 8x4x6' it would of been entered into the freshman gallery show except that there was no way to transport it out of the room into the transport truck.

Currently I am working on a visual interpretation of neurons over periods of time.  The longer more spread out ones are when I am more at rest while the clusters involve a lot more thoughtfulness and productivity.  I'm about halfway done with it and it has been about 15 hours into it.  I can't wait to finish this and then pull out the colored holding stitches.  I plan to do this again depending how it turns out with a better log of the times and activities that were going on around me as I worked on this. 

I have come to a little bit of a sense of peace as the Grad application for OSU quickly approaches.  If I don't get in this year I'll try again next year and I will just continue to work on things as much as I can.  I'm also opening myself up to applying to SCAD in Savannah and seeing what will happen there.  Our lives are boundless so we shouldn't let ourselves be restricted by thoughts of can't but allow ourselves the possibilities and instead look for solutions to the things that we feel are holding us back.

I put a penny up against it for a perspective of how small this work really is.  I need to think about that in terms of photographing it for my portfolio.

You can see I have nearly made the halfway mark in the fabric.

Pleater Machine

Image from Marie Grace Designs

Ever wondered how in the world people who do hand smocking on children's clothes make those perfect little pleats without wanting to blow their brains out?  It's very simple, they use a pleater machine.  Also called a smocking machine (because you use it to make the pleats for smocking).  I have the pleasure right now of borrowing one of these fantastically simple but effective machines.  it kind of looks like a pasta press of death. I spent all day Sunday learning it and some sample stitching while "slaying" to approx 8 hours of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with the hubby and kitties.

 This is the set up.

Fabric rolled evenly on a dowl rod inserted into the back holder of the Pleater machine

Pleater Rollers filled with fabric

Special Curved Pleater Needles

Thread for each needle

Fabric already worked

Bin of threads

The hot mess that keeps the rest of the fabric and machine in order.  There really isn't a better way that I can think of then putting them in a basket and paying that they stay reasonably untagled as they are slowly threading out.

 As the Fabric is pleated it is also forced onto the pleater needles to keep their shape.  you use bright and different colored threads so that you can easily see and place the different stitches.  When the fabric starts to get clustered you have to pull it down through the needles and thread to keep moving the fabric through.  It's a little unnerving to rely all these perfect tiny pleats on some needles and thread that seem so delicate in comparison to the rest of the machine.

 

This was about one yard of fabric densely condensed into about a foot of yardage after the pleats.

 Once you  have your machine set up you do NOT want to cut the threads until you think you have done all the fabric you need for that time.  Also make sure you pull out enough space between all the fabric so you can cut the thread and tie them off as you like for security so the pleats don't become unraveled.  I did a sample of Muslin to start, Silk Organza and then this green cotton that I have ideas for.  I'm not looking to put any of these into clothing but I do want to get the maximum potential in manipulation and surface textures.

This was my sampler on the muslin of some traditional smocking patterns and stitches before I decide on what I am going to do with my other lovelies!  As I make the stitches I pull a little bit of the pleat open so that I can see the colored threads and it helps to keep this straight as well as pattern out the design.  I'm really looking forward to pushing the extent of what I can do with this.  Especially with the Silk Organza where it has transparency.

Touchy Feely

I was a terrible person and didn't take very many Progress Photos of my Touchy Feely Piece.
I know I was supposed to be doing the hairpin lace with the beaded Tilli Tomas Yarn but as I was draping with it and the Silk I just felt it was getting too matronly.  Not that there is anything wrong with Matronly but it just was not what I was going for. 

I decided also to go with the Royal blue silk instead of the Gold or Pale green because it just was more intense and grabs you.  It makes you want to touch it and feel it, I mean that IS the point of exhibit.

I had two yard of fabric so I just started at it with a hand needle and thread.  Originally I was going to to do a constast color and then it just looked hocky.  I thought just the color and shape should speak for itself.  It took a lot of patience and probably about 30 hours of time.

I wanted the front to be a bit of a different manipulation then the back so I was trying out circular gathering to mimic my bubble manipulated wools.  It kind of worked but not exactly as I had envisioned it to.  I could of stuffed the bubbles but that would of defeated the purpose of it being an empty space for people to squeeze.  I think I just miscalculated the effect the bias vs weft had as it was gathered.

Of course this is unfinished in the photos.  I was so rushed because I thought I would have another week to complete it but the deadline was closer then I thought.   I worked day and night for an entire weekend standing, sitting, kneeling around the form to finish it.  I completely forgot to take photos of the final piece.  Hopefully this weekend at the Show I can get some good images.

If you are in town you should come by Touchy Feely by the Couch Fire Collective at the OAL Gallery

Join us for a reception Saturday, February 27, 6pm - 10pm

Ohio Art League Gallery, 1552 N. High St. Columbus, OH 43206

in the South Campus Gateway