Momento

For my momento, I wanted to represent a memory that has has a very positive effect on my life.Within the recent few years, I have converted into Paganism. Before discovering and learning about it, I was spiritual discontent is being a Christian. I have nothing bad to say about Christianity; it just didn't fit who I was. I always felt an affinity and appreciation for nature. Desperate to find some guidance, I began to research earth-centered religion and the first word that came up was "paganism". Upon reading the definition, I began to feel excited that this may be the path I was looking for. I spent weeks and weeks learning about it; and as I learned more, the more I realized I had found my calling. When I began to adopt the label of "Pagan", I started to feel embraced in warmth and serenity, which was what I wanted to show in my piece. 

The three materials I used are: balsa wood, dark purple yarn, and gold clay. Each material has it's own significance to my memory. 

Balsa Wood: This material is significant for 4 reasons. 1) The wood is a natural occurring resource from the Earth itself, which helps represent the earth-centered aspect of my religion. 2) The shape of the wood is suppose to be an abstraction of a cradle, which symbolizes the feeling of  safety and security when I converted. I felt nurtured and whole. 3) The lightness of the balsa wood also communicates the lightness I felt after finding that I found a religion suited for me. 4) The wood is a sturdy material so I chose wood to represent the stability and structure my religion gives me. 

Dark Purple Yarn: The purple yarn is significant for 3 reasons. 1) The yarn I chose has a very fuzzy and fluffy texture. Initially, I wanted to use a fluffy fabric, but I couldn't find anything at the store. So this was the next best thing. I wanted a material that helped communicate the warmth I associate with this memory and this fluffy yarn does just that. I laid the yarn in the interior of the cradle to act as a "blanket" or a "cushion" that helps communicate comfort and relaxation. 2) The color of the yarn is important to my memory because purple symbolizes spirituality, transformation, enlightenment. I chose a darker and warmer purple to, again, communicate warmth and safety. 3) Since the store didn't have the fabric, I was looking for, I decided to make my own by crocheting yarn. The fact that I weaved my own fabric makes the piece a lot more personal and significant by representing the beliefs I had already woven into my personality before converting to Paganism. It also represents the personal building of my religion, "weaving" it the way I want it. 

Golden/Yellow Clay: This material is significant for 4 reasons. 1) Like wood, clay is a natural occurring substance from the earth. The clay is suppose to be an abstract representation of myself resting in the cradle. Even though humans are constantly submersed in man-made things, we are still a product of nature, just like clay. 2) Clay can be molded, just like human beings. We mold our beliefs, our personalities and our lives into what we want them to be. Just how I molded my beliefs that led me to Paganism. 3) The spherical shape of the clay represents the infinite love for nature and the serenity that feel because of Paganism. 4) The color of the clay signifies joy, happiness, hope, satisfaction, and confidence. 

My momento altogether is the state of being, both physical and spiritual, resting on top of the warmth and security of my religion. 

In Progress Pictures

Fall 2016

3-D Materials and Concepts

3-D to 2-D

I created an image using mainly my map relief and one of my three mini sculptures. I constructed this piece via Photoshop and manipulated certain elements of my map relief to create something entirely new. The circle shape in the center is taken from the background of mt map relief. I also used the moon and sun symbols from the vertical center piece of my map relief. I cut and copied one of my mini sculptures to create little flower shapes in the center. Then I created the two corner flowers by copy and pasting the mountain of my map relief, stacking the layers to create "petals". Next, I cut and warped the rectangular pieces from my map relief to create the other two corner pieces. I couldn't decide to add color so I added some modest color variations from the original. 

Images Used:

Fall 2016

3-D Materials and Concepts 

Personal Response to "On Longing"

"The body is the primary mode of perceiving scale." 

"Capacity of objects to serve as traces of authentic experience."

"The souvenir reduces the public, the monumental, and the 3-dimensional into the miniature that which can be enveloped by the body."

"To have a souvenir of the exotic is to posses a specimen and a trophy."

"Nostalgia cannot be sustained without loss."

Map Relief

I'm so happy this project turned out exactly, if not better than how I envisioned. I've never been so excited about something like this. So my concept  sort of came to me out of the blue and I sketched it out in my sketchbook. It wasn't until towards the end of finishing, I realized what my concept was based on. Within the recent couple years, I converted to a religion known as Paganism. Upon converting and learning more about it, I began to feel very spiritually serene and balanced. Paganism also has some motifs that are present within my map relief. These principles include: 1) interconnection (all things are connected in some way); 2) motif of cycles (life cycles, seasonal cycles, circadian cycles); 3) concept of harmony and balance. To relate it back to mapping, I would say that this piece is a spiritual map to serenity and balance. This piece means so much to me because it is the first piece of art I created that outwardly expresses my faith.

Constructing the piece was very fun and exciting. I was always eager to work on it. I wanted to add many different elements to create an intriguing piece. I covered the moon  side with many, many circle shapes to create simulated texture. On the sun side, I stacked rectangular shaped paper on each other and on form board to create actual texture and depth. I chose to place the vertical center piece on top of a black circle to bring the two opposite side together. Creating the mountain was very interesting. I cut paper out to form the interior of the mountain, cutting ridges to help create the mountain's texture. After gluing all the paper to the board, I used tracing paper soaked in gel medium and water to form the surface of the mountain. The tracing paper was very flexible so I could mold and shape it how I wanted. When it dried, the paper became very rigid and sturdy. Then I covered the whole mountain in white gesso to make the surface match the rest of the piece. 

Looking up from under the piece

Moon side is  coming out of the piece with simulated texture.

Sun is receding into the piece with actual texture and depth.

Embroidery Floss lines to connect everything together. 

Materials: Foam Board, Gesso, Black Drawing Ink, Black Paint Marker, White Paint Marker, Stonehenge Paper, Black Paper, Gel Medium with Water, Tracing Paper, White Embroidery Floss, Straight Pins, and Glue.

Fall 2016

3-D Materials and Concepts

Soap Sculptures

First Attempt

Second Attempt

ALL THE PANDAS!!!

Figure, First Attempt, Second Attempt

Second Attempt, First Attempt, Figure

I was honestly terrified to do this project mainly because I never really sculpted anything before. I mainly work in 2-D and I am great at translating 3-D space on a 2-D surface. I'm actually really impressed on how my sculptures turned out. It wasn't as hard as I thought. The difficult part was getting the curve of the body and the head right. My first attempt I managed to make the panda curve slightly. So on my second attempt, I made sure I addressed it early on. It worked out but I shaved off too much of his left cheek. For the ears, I decided to carve them separately and then attach them on with straight pins. The soap is very fragile so I was worried I would break the ears off and lose them.