Safari Mural

I've been working on a mural project while I've been home in Michigan for a couple of weeks, and this time around I experimented with a slightly different approach. All of the murals I've done thus far have been abstract compositions painted directly onto the wall using semigloss interior paint. For the safari nursery project, I decided to go a different route and do large vinyl print-outs of ink and photoshop illustrations, with some details being painted directly on the wall (such as the vines) Here is a sampling of the work I sent out for print. (The monkeys were part of the original design but will not be included in the final installation)

Thesis and Graduation

A few snapshots of the thesis show! I had the privilege of showing in the Meyerhoff Gallery right next the the talented Dai Foldes (pictured above with part of his painting/design thesis) The shelf and frames were custom-made by Mark Oliver. I have high-res photos taken by a friend that will be posted as soon as possible. The shows all looked great and I was especially proud to be part of the Illustration senior class of '11. Whitney Sherman is an excellent instructor and I've been honored to graduate with such talented classmates. As for future plans after graduation, I will be working as a Teaching Assistant/Resident Counselor at MICA's Pre College program and then looking for work in Baltimore as I develop my freelance business. Currently I am home in Michigan for a couple weeks and working on a commissioned mural.

Artist Statement from Commencement:

I have always been drawn to the narrative potential of visual art as well as the imagery that exists within the written word. For the past semester I have been navigating this relationship between text and image by using both mediums to explore one over-arching theme. The novella “Fells” is a fictional narrative based off of the environmental disaster in Picher, Oklahoma and the surrounding areas of the Tar Creek Superfund site. It explores the ideas of responsibility, consequence, and man’s relationship with land through the eyes of three boys who witness the rapid decline of the city of Fells. The fragility of human structure, both built and inherited, is revealed in the constant push of the interior to the exterior. The imagery displayed is not meant to accompany the story in a traditional illustrated sense, but is supportive to the narrative and includes characters from the text. In the same way that the imagery was inspired by the text, some of the visual elements of the novella “Fells” existed before the parallel text. This relationship of text and image is something I plan to continue to explore through both my illustration and personal writing in the years to come.

Game Day in Illustrated Maps

For the last day of class we spent the time playing the finished board games and having a short crit at the end. Here are some photos of Sack Lunch! Our class blog is now public, you can check out more photos of game day as well as a thorough collection of maps made over the semester: http://micamaps.blogspot.com/

Sack Lunch game cards!

In Maps class we are doing a collaborative project where we work together to make board games. My group is doing a game called "Sack Lunch" to help teach healthy eating habits. Players collect entree, side dish, drink, and dessert cards that have different point values. The idea is to have the highest rated lunch by the finish. I was responsible for the side dish and drink cards--the entire game will be finished next week so check back for updates!

Thesis Update

These drawings are old, but I realized I hadn't posted them yet--here are two more thesis works, uncolored. Final print sizes will be 13x20 and 14x10.65.

Novella, finished!

I finally finished my novella and ordered it for print today--you can preview it here: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2115637 or see the printed book at the Commencement Show in three weeks. The book is hardcover, 72 pages. Here is the summary printed inside the front flap:



"For Adam and Dan and Isaac, the sinkholes were the beginning. They were the first violent strike by the ground, the most visible sign of aggression that was to build in the following months."


A fictional narrative based of off the environmental disaster in Picher, Oklahoma and the surrounding areas of the Tar Creek Superfund site, "Fells" explores the ideas of responsibility, consequence, and man's relationship with land. The rapid decline of Fells is witnessed by three friends who become the city's vigilantes at night, fueled by their devotion to the condemned high school building they will never graduate from. The fragility of human structure, both built and inherited, is revealed in the constant push of the interior to the exterior. The remaining residents of Fells must cope with this realization and make the choice to abandon the land or become part of it.

Neverland

I did this map a couple months ago but was just recently able to get a decent scan of it. The actual size is about 20"x24", ink and watercolor.

Top Ten UFO Sighting Spots in New Mexico

For my maps class we threw darts at a wall to select a state to make an infograph about. I hit New Mexico, wanting to do some sort of chart about Roswell. The result after some hours of research was this graph, which shows the Top Ten UFO Sighting Spots of New Mexico. I learned a lot about UFO sightings and the Roswell Incident in the process--this website especially was amazing: http://www.ufoinfo.com/contents.shtml Unfortunately the colors are showing up a lot more desaturated--that pink should be neon!