big, big BIG updates....

Shamefully, nearly a 2.5 months have passed since I have last posted.
It's been a busy time.... lots of different weather, lots of travels.  Although, unfortunately, not to very exotic places.  (yet)

Classes have ended and summer break has begun.  In fact, it's been going for a while.  This summer, I've been working hard to redesign and coordinate a national art supply store's website.  It's been a pretty epic task- a project that just gets bigger and bigger every time we get closer to being finished.

Probably the biggest news in my life is that this fall I will begin as an Assistant Professor at SUNY Potsdam.  (although, this may be considered "old news" as it's been public knowledge since early May)
My specific focus will be in their foundations program-- in 3d Design/Foundations.  To put it lightly, I'm over the moon with excitement and I feel very fortunate to have been offered such an amazing position.

I've found a dreamy apartment along the riverfront and I'll be moving in early August.
until then, I'll be wrapping up my job at the art store on Thursday... then jumping around Maine and  traveling to exotic, relaxing locations (I really enjoy being "off the grid"), and then to Boston for a concert co-headlined by two of my favorite singers (Josh Ritter and Brandi Carlile).

With less than two weeks left before I move, it's really starting to set in.  I'm really going to miss living in Maine.  Every night, I can smell the salt water and hear the fog horns from my house.   With mountains, lakes, and the ocean, Maine was simply meant to be enjoyed.  And that I did.

Artists at work

Photo credit (above): John Morrill Read, Dyer Library, Saco, Maine

Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of being invited to an Artists At Work session at the Dyer Library in Saco, Maine.

I was working on small prototypes (below) of bouquets of viruses.   These are approximately 14" wide each.  The final versions will be 36" wide-  much more "looming" in scale.  

 

Glitter infects everything

latest projects and works...  larger, plush, glittery..

Photo Credits: Marina Douglas

bouquets

digital prototypes for studio projects. Approximate finished size = 36" each

preparing for a small show in June at the Dyer Library in Saco, Maine.

On Tuesday, I'll be a guest artist at the Library, giving a demonstration of how I create my works.

for now, it's bed time. I've got to teach in the morning.

Crafts National & Shipping work

I am thrilled to be a part of Crafts National at the Mulvane Art Museum in Topeka, Kansas. 1089 works were submitted, and just 100 were selected. The work will be on display from May 5 - August 19, 2012.

This work, "Woven" was selected for the show. It is made entirely of patterned fused glass and then "rolled up" in the hot shop. The process of these works is what makes them unique, as these color patterns cannot be created with traditional hot working techniques.

So tonight, I am packing my work. Double boxing, of course.

After unpacking many glass exhibitions, I have always made it a point to pack my work in a very clear fashion. Unpacking considered & organized work is a TREAT. Your gallery will appreciate it.

Tips:

- Always double box your work. This means that there is a smaller, interior box that contains your artwork, surrounded by a larger box. The larger box also has padding/protection. If the big box gets dropped, it absorbs the impact.

- By including a picture of your work on the boxes, it makes it easier for the gallery staff to match your work with it's packing materials. It also helps them know what they are unwrapping.

- Things get separated. Write your name on everything.

- Organize your loan form/shipping label/whatever in an envelope. Place the envelope in a very visible place, inside the large box.

- Include printed instructions for packing/unpacking. Tape them to the box so that they are clearly found.

- While it is very important to pack the work securely, you don't want to make it impossible to decipher how to unpack everything. Someone else- who may not know what's inside- will be unwrapping it. Consider this as you're endlessly taping and wrapping bubble wrap around your piece. (picture & instructions!)

- Packing peanuts are the devil. They stick to everything, spill everywhere, and result in the gallery staff crawling around the floor trying to pick them up. Minimal use, please. Your gallery will thank you.

If you have any tips or horror stories about shipping artwork, reply and let me know about your experiences!

When I studied glass in school, I never imagined that I'd one day be so in love with textiles.

While working on this composition (clearly, this is not anywhere near finished) I can't help but be reminded of certain glass techniques. Though my working process to create the viruses is very different, I would love to make them with a pulled glass murrine.

Maybe that's next. For now, I'm rolling felt. And there's just something amazing about this soft material that I really enjoy.

Oh yeah- it's cold again in Maine. Thank goodness. I wasn't ready for summer in March... or whatever that was.

Almost April.

It's always astounding to me how quickly the semester flies by. Not to mention that my perception of the season has been completely skewed- Portland, Maine has been experiencing record high temperatures for the past week. It was nearly 80 degrees this week. Yes- 80 degrees in Maine, in March. It felt like a HOT summer day. Perfect for spring break.

The ice cream shop down the street opened on March 1st and was greeted with a snow storm and a snow day. Typical of Maine weather... but their opening so early may also have to do with their location- right next to an elementary, middle school, and a public library. Who could resist?

This made me really appreciate Maine's normal weather. I really enjoy the weather in the north east- Summers are darn near perfect with warm(ish) days and cool nights. True story: I've kept a down comforter on my bed year round.

These sunny glorious days have provided a good excuse to hop back onto my bicycle for the season. My partner and I have been taking some rides, ranging from 7.5-15 miles for each stretch (not bad for building up endurance). It's hard to find time, but the sunshine helps us to make it a priority. And of course he & I still take the dogs for their daily walks through the woods. The little one (Gunner), weighing in at just 5 pounds, loves the trips just as much as the big one (Silas, 70lbs). He's the smallest one at the dog park- and it's funny to watch him frolic around and explore the woods.

One day this week he got 3 walks and a little bit of ice cream. What a tired, spoiled pup.

Anyway, finally the weather has started to cool down again towards more reasonable temperatures. What a relief. I'm not ready for heat. (I can cycle when it's chilly, too)

Anyway, been in the studio making some more little viruses.

These buggers are 4" wide. Much smaller than the other ones, which are now ranging from 5-12" wide.

proposed installation (first draft) via photoshop.

Abacus - Thread Count

"Thread Count: Only the Best for My Best"

wood, thread spools

2012

About the Varicella Series

Through these studies, I am chronicling the incubation of the virus in the human body. Each day, the virus grows until it finally becomes contagious.

Many of us can remember a point in our childhood where we contracted a virus: Chicken pox. It lasted a few weeks, gave us a slight fever, and left crusty blisters in its wake. And it itched like crazy.

Once you have it, you’re granted immunity for life. Unlike many infections, the earlier you were infected, the less severe. For those adults who never had it, it can be deadly.

This shared experience of childhood is now disappearing, as more parents vaccinate their children with the chicken pox vaccine. Varicella Zoster Virus (chicken pox), a nuisance virus, is now so well extinguished by a vaccine that parents must go through great lengths to naturally expose their children.

In a world of seemingly limitless medical technology, we struggle to cure every illness before it arises. Until 1995, Varicella was the only major childhood illness to not have a vaccination. The vaccination lasts 7 years and requires a booster, which many people avoid- unwittingly making them susceptible to a more severe case later in life.

With the growing number of vaccines administered to young children, some parents are seeking other ways to gain natural immunity to the virus. While some parents hold “Chicken Pox Parties” to gain exposure, others are going to greater extremes: sending saliva soaked lollipops with from their sick children to help infect others.

My sisters and I caught chicken pox during the same time period – a modern day “pox party,” perhaps. We itched our blisters and my mother covered our skin with calamine lotion. We curled up in bed, into mountains of soft pillows, and enjoyed the week off of school.

Installation Progress (Varicella Zoster virus)

Recently, my work has shifted from adorning the figure to focusing on the internal workings of the human body- specifically when it is infected by a virus. Varicella Zoster is most commonly known as Chicken Pox.

Working on a macro scale, I've been visually documenting the incubation of the virus in the body. Did you know that the body incubates Varicella for 10-12 before it reaches the skin (and becomes contagious)? And it takes 14 days of incubation before skin lesions appear.

With so many childhood vaccinations, it is so difficult to catch chicken pox naturally that parents are going through great lengths to infect their children with the virus. --Even sending saliva soaked lollipops through the mail. (more on this in a later entry. But this is what sparked my interest on the virus.)

A childhood rite of passage is being extinguished. While there are certainly serious cases of chicken pox, most of stayed in bed for a week while mom covered us in chamomile lotion and read us our favorite books.

After many long nights of cutting, pinning, and sewing, I was able to complete approximately 120 of these little viruses. At least, that was where my last count was. It could be more. Each pillow is an abstracted form of the Varicella Zoster Virus.

Last week I installed a new work for the Faculty Biennial at the University of New England Art Gallery. For this installation, I decided to take a slightly different approach to my planning process. As I was sketching out this basic form in my sketchbook, I found myself wondering just how I was going to install this work in the gallery. I mean, I knew that I would use pins (there's a pocket installed in the back of every virus structure. But how could I get this thing up on the wall without making it some crazy ordeal?

The solution was photoshop. So I hopped onto my computer and turned my sketch into a digital collage of viruses. I could also better estimate my overall scale- which ended up being almost 3 feet longer than initially planned. And after using photoshop to help me visualize the arrangement of the work, I projected my image against the wall to use as a pattern during installation.

Whew. This made everything so easy.