Embossing

Recently finished the second plate that will soon be embossed with:

Embossings from the first plate (from front and back):

I bought a lot of paper to make more embossings with and I intend on cutting and embossing with color on top of these to have a varied body of work.  After that, I might put this on hold and go back to what I started doing in the Fall semester where I was cutting out more abstract maps on plain paper.  I have the two below hanging in my studio and they are my favorite pieces so far so I'd like to go back and make larger scaled ones with some variations.

Second Demo

I've spent the weekend making another demo of a coloring book. I found already made books that are completely empty. I bought two different styles -spiral and also a bound one. I have been putting the images into the book by transferring them with wintergreen. I had not really done transfers before so I'm learning through trial and error of what to do and not to do. One of the issues I am having right now with the coloring books and the ink is visible through the next page. (Shown below) I also didn't give the pages enough time to dry before going onto the next one so most of the pages have smudged. 

I've put the plot building of the other coloring books on hold. I'm focusing on how the coloring books are going to be made/put together before I continue working on the other books. 

I also made many copies of the drawings I have done so far to give to small children to have them color and react to. I might incorporate the colored drawings into some type of poster once I get some of them back. 

BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN

I have been very busy this week cranking out masks. I feel a bit overwhelmed, because these masks seem to lend themselves to an infinite number of combinations and possibilities. There’s no way I’d be able to make them all, at least not this semester, so I have to pick and choose which ones to pursue for the time being.

I am slowly photographing them, and will post each mask as I do so.

Thank you to my model, Ashley Mason.

I don’t yet have a title for this series of masks I am making. I hope it comes to me fairly soon.

So much to do, so much to do. More updates to come in a few days.

digested digestions

finally: the third installment of a series i started at the end of last semester exploring the idea of digestion. for the first collage i was playing with the comments given in my mid-semester review, and the trouble i had in digesting what felt like a lot of conflicting/overwhelming information. with the second i was looking at the definition of digestion and what i had intended when naming my project digestions. in this final piece (third one down) i continued to look at old scientific texts and illustrations and found some interesting resources. I was particularly drawn to the square diagram i used (showing "the capacity of the human stomach at different ages"). there was a certain point last semester when i began wishing i had not titled my project "digestions" and began to feel boxed in by the title; when i stumbled upon this image i knew i wanted it to be a prominent piece in my final collage.

I'm really happy with these three as a series. I would love to hear feedback from others if they feel like they work together, or if the third looks disconnected/out of place.

the new marbled pieces will be posted shortly after i am paid on the 28th and can buy the inkjet transparencies i need to finish them :)

METAL EXTENSIONS

Last semester I deconstructed three or four sewing machines. Because of this, I now have a large collection of miscellaneous parts. I had experimented briefly with them before, having them serve as body adornments. Now I am continuing with those experiments.

I want to create even more, but it’s difficult. I’m finding that most of the time, with these particular experiments, what looks interesting in real life does not translate well into the photograph.

new dice

It has taken me a while to put anything up on the blog this semester because so far I've been recreating/rebuilding collages from last semester. I'm finally getting into new(ish) territory and have some collages to share.

The first here is 1 of 6 that I did last semester. I'm not going to post them all (they are pretty much the same), but I did want to show the difference in scale/alignment/spacing of the type from the first incarnation:

old:

new:

The next 6 are the old dice collages from last semester, but this time I rebuilt them on the 8 x 8 masonite panels that I have been using. They are significantly similar to the first dice collages, but I did have to get inventive with some in translating them from rectangle to square. I think these look/feel a lot more finished than the first group and I am happy to have added them to the pile of collages on panel that I will use in the final exhibition.

New marbled pieces are in the works and a new/final installment to my Digestion series will be up soon.

status

This weekend I worked a lot on getting some layouts done. These aren't final, I still need to refine some of them. However, I just wanted to show what I have done.

Naughty Dog Brand

After a one-on-one meeting and discussing with John the "Naughty Dog Brewery" creation, I have decided to drop the "Brewery" and create just the "Naughty Dog Brand". This brand will still include "A Girl Named Otis" beer, but will expand to include clothing, dog supplies, accessories, etc. The process of deciding which products the Naughty Dog Brand would include was fairly easy. I decided that I would start by making products that my very own naughty dog has destroyed in her three year old lifespan. This includes t-shirts, leashes, collars, flip flops, hats, door mats, bags, picture frames, toys, blankets and various other items left unattended in my house. I have also changes the color palette to tones that are more natural and common in my design work. The pictures I will post are all rough ideas and sketches to make sure the colors work together and the brand is clear. I did my research and looked at how existing companies like The Black Dog and Hello Kitty used specific products to build their brand. Seeing well-known brands like The Black Dog, I want to make sure my line isn't infringing on their ideas. I'm still working on a mission statement and clear message that I want my company to present so please be patient!

PAGE LAYOUTS 11x13

UPDATED STATEMENT

I pulled a lot of this from pre-existing posts, so it probably sounds familiar. I was pleased with the way I had composed a lot of these paragraphs from my posts, so I saw no harm in just using them verbatim for my new statement.

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The Oxford American dictionary lists the following definitions for “extension” and “projection”: EXTENSION – A part that is added to something to enlarge or prolong it; a continuation : the railroad’s southern extension. PROJECTION – A mental image viewed as reality : monsters can be understood as mental projections of mankind’s fears.

At the beginning of this semester, my thought was that my work would be both an extension of myself (a literal extension of the body, work that adorns and decorates, enhances or inhibits, empowers or makes vulnerable), and a projection of my inner thoughts/visions/emotions onto three dimensional objects. Thus far I have continued with this core concept.

As I continue to work, I am pulling from a number of themes: Power, weakness, control, horror, comfort, exposure, protection, masculinity, femininity, anonymity, restriction, and also, challenging the movements/behavior of the human body.

I have been exploring different kinds of “extensions”. Some are sewn from fabric, and others are made of cardboard, or metal pieces harvested from machines. Some of these articles are meant to augment the body or make it appear powerful. Others are actually meant to interfere with the body and the way it is normally seen/the way it normally functions.

I am currently making a series of masks which serve as full hoods, creating an ambiguous human figure, yet isolate specific facial features via precise openings. I am also experimenting with the visual impact of liquid of varying viscosities on fully ambiguous masks.

I am also pursuing a specific art direction in my work. There is a certain “look” I am attempting to achieve in documenting the work, and I feel that my art direction alone serves as a strong addition to my portfolio.

Hard Drive Failure

So you can assume my weekend so far has been "eventful." Due to my computer's logic board shorting out a few nights ago and my my external drive being damaged by the school's computers (I could go into more detail but I think we'll be fine with just the gist of things) all of my seminar work was erased. There were no back ups. I have just finished spending the better part of two days with my computer savvy friend attempting to recover what was lost. Combined total of recovered files, pictures I posted here and the internet I have 22 recovered files out of the 30+ I had finished.

To make matters worse, most of these files where just .png, which makes editing them on a grander scale nearly impossible. I'm going to be spending a lot of time now trying to recreate what I lost, be grateful you don't have to deal with this.

However, there is a sorta of consolation good news to come out of all this. Simplicity. Sure, I have lost a considerable amount of work and am unable to make any notable edits to any of my existing/surviving pieces but now I know better than to dump so much into one piece. Do I need to make 100 images like I thought I would? No, but it would be nice. So this whole experience has given me a chance to look at things the other way. One shower, a bowl of cereal and a fresh set of clothes later, I'm working to get my work back while making as much new material as possible.

Makes everything seem kinda happy. Let's see how long it lasts.

-Jordan

Coloring Book Update

I have been working on adjustments to the current coloring book I have made of Penny the Pit Bull. One of the adjustments is I am changing the size of the book, it was originally 8 inches by 6 inches and now it is 10 inches by 7 inches. This will give the images more room, and also I have moved the next to the opposite page of the images of the dog and made the text larger. 

I have also started taking away detail from the dogs. Although I am bummed to do this because I feel like it takes away some of the personality of the drawings, it makes more sense when it comes to a children's coloring book because (as I had learned from the young girl I originally had color the first mock up) the small details won't make sense to a child, and sometimes even be confusing. For example, the young girl I had color the book thought lines on the face were scratches and wounds. Below is the before (left) and after (right).

And also, before (right) and after (left). 

I am also working on two more coloring books simultaneously. One is of Oona who is Tessa's dog and the other book is of my two dogs Ruby and Rusty combined. The difficult part of drawing Oona is her fur is different colors so it's a bit difficult getting it to translate into just a line drawing. With all the drawings though I find myself putting small details into the drawings but then having to pull back and try to keep it simple.