Weekly Update

Here is a quick update on everything I have been working on during the past few days. 

I have finally finished the book that I began cutting into. The whole concept behind this work is the idea of the unexpected. On the outside this looks like an old book filled with ghost stories but once it is opened the viewer realizes it is not what it seems. The ghost stories cannot be read because the pages have been cut into creating something that is visually pleasing ultimately challenging the idea that this book is suppose to evoke fear in the reader. 

Also this week I have been working on trying to understand and visually represent the concept of what uncomfortable is and how it feels. Below are just two of the three sketches/paintings I completed in hope of portraying uncomfortableness. In the first image I tried to portray a personal feeling of uncomfortableness. This feeling of being uncomfortable is a feeling of not being 100% on track, being stressed, feeling confused and feeling of being inept. I tried to paint/sketch what my mind was going through at the moment. The constant effort to try and be comfortable and calm, but those moment of not knowing what to think are portrayed at the same time. In the second image I tried to portray a physical uncomfortableness. I painted a simple object, an apple, with my less dominant hand. For someone to try and complete tasks with their non dominant hand is difficult and physically does not feel comfortable. My hand it not used to holding a paint brush in this manner. After completing these sketches took note of what I felt and was thinking at the time and after while evaluating my work. For example when looking at the first image I felt more uncomfortable because the image turned out ugly. I would have been embarrassed to have anyone else look at this piece and even try and understand it. 

After exploring the idea of being uncomfortable and getting individual responses, which were interesting, I began to think more about it and where I could go next with this idea. And I was stumped. What is this feeling of being uncomfortable and why does it matter to me? I began this project by thinking of putting myself in a situation that I am not fully comfortable to allow myself to be challenged and grow. So I began questioning if my project needed to be about uncomfortableness specifically or could I place myself in a situation that I do not feel completely comfortable in to gather my research and ultimately create something I learn from that interaction. I don't know if any of this makes sense, but somehow in my mind it all makes sense. 

So I began looking at some of my past work for inspiration. I specifically looked at these pieces below. 

This is a sketch that was later turned into a stippled print. It was a project for my printmaking class and probably one of my favorite pieces I have done. First of all I love the details of it but most of all I love the concept. It is something unexpected in the idea of why feet would be growing from flowers of why flowers would be growing from feet. I choose two object that are complete opposites, something beautiful and something ugly and combined them in a way i saw visually pleasing. 

These three images were apart of a project titled "Insecurities" . For this project I look physical aspect of the body and against common societal beliefs portrayed them as something beautiful. This project again touches on the idea of opposites and reading further for a deeper meaning. I still love the idea of what is not immediately evident. Where is outside is viewed different than what is really on the inside.  


So I think after thinking about all this I am leaning towards going in a little bit of a different direction than the whole concept of uncomfortableness. I am not completely changing directions but I want to further explore this idea of what is not immediately read and begin looking at relationships. So who knows what will come of this. . . . .