In the beginning…

May 5th, 2010   §   3

I love working for Outside In in Portland, Oregon. In my job, I don’t work directly with our clients so I recently started volunteering a couple of hours each week. They encouraged me to teach calligraphy in our Day Program, where homeless youth (~19 to 22 years old) come for a safe place, food, showers, emotional support and healthy activities.

I usually have 3 to 7 people in each class and they are welcome to do their own thing or ‘play’ with a planned project. I really enjoy my time with them. It’s all about relaxed exploration of tools and materials, creative projects and satisfying experiences. It’s important to offer a time and space where they feel valued and can discover or build on their wealth of talents.

I’m blogging about the class because I would like ideas about teaching calligraphy to at-risk youth. There are unique challenges and this is my first experience teaching calligraphy. Thankfully, my first calligraphy teacher, Holly, is providing much-appreciated encouragement and advice.

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Nuclear Legacy Project

March 11th, 2009   §   0

The idea for the Nuclear Legacy Project (NLP) began with my 2006 master’s degree paper about a 1991 exhibit featuring Patrick Nagatani’s photography series, Nuclear Enchantment, and a corresponding body of poetry titled, The Deeds and Sufferings of Light, written by Joel Weishaus.

My studies inspired me to explore the cultural impact of nuclear weapons in the U.S. and produce an art series related to these explorations. The first nine pieces are based on photojournalistic projects that appeared around the end of the Cold War. I will be looking at publications by Carole Gallagher, Robert Del Tredici, and Peter Goin. Language will be a recurring element in my art as a way to delineate and question the ways in which we circumscribe memory and knowledge about America’s nuclear industry. » read the rest of this entry «

No Leaks

March 9th, 2009   §   0

This piece, No Leaks, was inspired by a call for entries to the North Bank Artists Gallery juried show, Red Rain Falling, which exhibited in February 2009. Honestly, the menstruation theme didn’t excite me until I googled “menstruation +nuclear.” I found a Nuclear News Buyer’s Guide ad for the Crouse group of companies from 1976 comparing beautiful women to nuclear power plants, seriously.

1976 nuclear ad » read the rest of this entry «

Layering at North Bank Gallery

March 9th, 2009   §   3

Yea — my first group exhibit! I think there was a pretty good turnout at the opening reception (March 6th) and I enjoyed meeting the other three artists. The North Bank Artists Gallery is at 1005 Main Street in Vancouver, Washington. Here’s the postcard we mailed out:

Layering exhibit postcard

North Bank has a nice, well-lit space; you can see a little of the building on their website. I like showing more of my work at one time and enjoyed conversations with several people on opening night, First Friday. Generally, it seems difficult for people to talk about art though and I wish more people felt comfortable asking questions and expressing opinions. I think some of this has to do with arts education. My background includes graphic design which places a high value on discussion and constructive criticism.

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Inspired by William Blake

March 8th, 2009   §   1

This piece was inspired by William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. The back of the priestly stole is embroidered in white and silver threads with excerpts from Blake’s original work. (An electronic version is available at the William Blake Archive: http://www.blakearchive.org/blake/.)

Heaven and Hell

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Welcome to my blog!

March 8th, 2009   §   0

Okay, so maybe the name seems a little strange. Jules was with me when I found froggie and decided she would be my new muse. The previous muse (a crazed wire face mounted on a wooden block) was too hysterical to work properly. Froggie sits on my desk and inspires me with her optimistic and open attitude toward whatever the day brings.

So Fragments of Frog and Fiber refers to my creative process, from inspiration to material output (much of which has to do with fiber but also beads, metal, wood, and found/recycled objects). I will share my process and outcomes on these pages and hope to connect with artists around the world with the help of these images and texts. Thanks for visiting…I welcome your feedback!