Post-Exhibition projects

Artist Statement

For our post exhibition section of art class we created 4 drastically different works with some materials that were new to us and some mediums that were familiar. We learned how to use a laser cutter, and how to make linoleum prints, mediums which I had little no experience with before. We also redesigned the hedgehog mountain logo, and created our own independent study works. This time was a major adjustment compared to art class the rest of the year which was a very fast paced and structured class. While it was nice to slow down, especially during finals week, part of me missed the critiques and fast paced action of the rest of the year, and certainly I missed the seniors in our class who added much more life than I realized.

The first project with the Xtool, we designed a black and white design on paper and then put that into photoshop to clean it up, as well as adjust the levels and make it black and white. Then we plugged that into a new software (I forget the name), and that programmed the laser cutter. I made a kangaroo keychain design, because I love kangaroos and I needed a keychain with my name on it for my ski bag. After the laser burned the leather I washed out the carbon and left it to dry hard. This process was really not that hard and I had much lower expectations for it, I actually enjoyed it, especially the simplicity because it was the first post exhibition project and I had no energy for anything big.

For the next project we re-designed the Hedgehog Mountain design for a local artist, I think. This was even easier than the Xtool because we didn't even have to use a laser tool. Literally all I did was sketch a quick design and then photograph it and play with the levels and adjustments to make it pure black and white.

The linoleum print was easily the hardest of the project because it was a very tedious process. First I sketched out a design and then replicated that on a larger scale to fit my linoleum piece, once I was pleased with my sketch on the larger paper, I graphite-transferred it to the linoleum. I re-did the lines with sharpie on my linoleum block before starting to carve it out. The carving took a long time, and I didn't even carve that much linoleum, I did kind of a reverse print where I carved out my design instead of the negative space. Finally I started applying the ink to realise I was maybe half done with the printmaking process. Once I started printing I ran into sort of a problem, because there was such a lack of negative space and the linoleum block was so big, it dried unevenly. This drove me absolutely nuts and I finally settled on a print that was pretty done. I actually came to like the lack of full color on the print because I had chose a skeleton surfer as my design, the incompletedness of the piece added to a surfer grunge.

My final project I went back to the classics; acrylic paint. Except I wanted to sort of use it in different ways than I had before because I have felt a little constricted in my painting ability because of how I chose to use acrylic paint. So I wanted to focus on a style that is completely foreign, where I didn't let the paint fully dry before adding the next layer. I think this actually looks pretty sick and I'm pleased with how this turned out.