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Proposal #4 Memory Proposal: As an artist I have been exploring patterns in my work. I have been told that these works would be ideal for clothing. This has led me to scour the web for a service that would print artwork on fabrics. It needed to be relatively affordable and printed within the United States (to avoid import taxes and not knowing whether or not the fabrics were being printed in “sweat shops”). I have settled on Spoonflower which has received recognition for it's quality, variety of fabrics and affordability. An 8”x8” test swatch of each fabric is available for $5 apiece. For my project I plan to order three different swatches. From these swatches I will cut out patterns for clothes to fit Barbies. The number of outfits will be determined by how much fabric is needed for each outfit. The goal is at least one per fabric pattern Materials: Fabric Swatches x3
Relevance: I have always had an affection for miniature things. I believe this is why I like working so small. I have fond memories of playing Barbies with my sisters when I was younger. Part of the fun was dressing up the dolls in the clothes that were either bought or made (handed down from my mom and her sister). I would like to carry on this creation by creating the clothes. The small scale also provides a platform for me to experiment with fabrics. I would like to print off more fabric with my designs in the future and they will hopefully have marketable value. 
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Although it was somewhat difficult, I believe the project was a success. I originally intended to go on a raw diet, but quickly switched to vegan because of the lack of availability of alternative protein sources. Our campus has little to no available raw forms of protein. I could have gone out and purchased these myself. However, being a “poor college” art student, I am heavily reliant on the dining hall as my source of my meals. I wanted to observe the availability of natural food and healthy options for students that diet out of moral choice or for the health benefits. Adapting a vegan diet seemed easier and healthier by comparison. It was kind of daunting at times but I pushed through and kept with it for the full two weeks. I have several take aways from this project. The first is the campus' lack of variety of vegan options. There are options available all the time like the salad bar, vegan station, and allergy free zone, but their menus are repetitive. Variety is supposed to be the spice of life (but). Many vegetables are cooked in butter, contain milk, or animal components (fat). This leads into my second take away which is the acknowledging the difficulty that comes with being vegan. When I was shopping or picking something out to eat, I constantly had to check the labels on everything. Having a quick bite to eat involved either looking up the ingredients or researching online quickly to determine if what I was planning to eat was in fact vegan or not. Which in a way adds to the performance aspect of this project. The final takeaway was the effect of the diet on my health. Because most of what I ate was natural or plant based source, didn't involve milk products, or eggs I generally felt better by the end of the two weeks. Many vegan options do not involve a lot of processed ingredients, most are made with very few and simple ingredients. The days that I ate more fatty foods, I didn't feel as a great. Most days I ate generally healthy and I was filled with a renewed since of energy. I all around do feel better. I like feeling this was and intend to stick with a more healthy diet. I am 98% I am lactose intolerant, so the lack of milk has heightened my energy and improved my skin. I will not be fully vegan, as much as I would like to for moral reasons. Living in the south it seems like everything is cooked in butter or animal fat. Constantly having my diet dictated by reading labels and researching everything is stressful and somewhat limiting.
The Scotian Women set. The mural is by yours truly, other technical elements were designed by Ben Aguilar. I was given the wonderful opportunity to design the mural for Bellarmine University's production of The Scotian Women. The play penned by Lee Pennington in 1981 focuses on the events surrounding the Scotia Mine Disaster in Oven Fork, KY in 1976. The work features vivid dreamlike imagery that is present in the mural. The play is written not only to reflect the emotions of the women at this particular disaster, but universal to any disaster of this nature. The coal industry is such a large part of Kentucky's history and culture. Elements of this culture are prominent in this work. I was fortunate to be apart of this production. I attended the opening night of the show where Mr. Lee Pennington himself attended. Hearing from him at a talk-back after the curtain call was a great experience. I wish the cast and crew well throughout the run of this show. Break some legs! General Admission: $8 Students & Sr. Citizens: $5 To Reserve Tickets: boxoffice@bellarmine.edu (502)272-7480 Show Dates: March 23,24,25,31 @7pm April 1&3 @7pm, April 2pm Bellarmine University Black Box Theatre, Wyatt Center for the Arts Project #3 Nature Proposal: The upcoming project will be primarily performance based. I am planning to go on a vegan/plant-based diet for two weeks. I will then document my experience in a journal. The journal will not only include my notes but illustrations as well. I have purchased a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Any additional meals will be either at the grab-and-go carts or dining hall (primarily the salad bar) on campus. Supplies:
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Vegan or plant-based diets are generally associated with a healthy way of living. There is very little to no processed elements involved. Although animals are considered to be a part of nature, it involves heavy human manipulation to be eaten. Animal bi-products like milk also have to be altered in order to be consumed. I am personally trying to move towards a healthier lifestyle and this of course involves my diet. I would like to experiment with this diet for two weeks and see how it would affect my health. This could also serve as an assessment of the availability of healthier options on campus. If someone is like me, they rely heavily on the on-campus dining options. I have of course purchase my own groceries for snacks, but if I want to frame this from the perspective of a college student living on campus, this shouldn't be my only source.  I am excited to announce that my work: The Night HE Came Home was accepted into a show! The show is titled 225: Artisans Exploring Kentucky's History. The exhibition will run at The Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea in Berea,KY March 25-September 23. There will be an opening "meet-the-artist" reception Sunday March 26 1:30-3:00pm (my attendance is TBD). Kentucky Artisan Center at Berea 200 Artisan Way Berea,KY 40403  Although it was a drizzly day here, that didn't stop me from getting some beautiful shots of nature (ques The Who and gets arrested by Horatio Caine for making a terrible pun). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXCaHq-F0m4 Project #2: Mapping End Report I feel that my initial concept was not completely abandoned. What I strived to do was recreate a Lictenburg figure constructed with aluminum foil. Although the base structure was completed with no issue because I used multiple layers of foil to cover it, adding the armature was a different story. At first I tried attaching the arms with wire; however they loosely swung from the structure. I tried keeping them glued on with spray adhesive but this didn’t work either, so I finally settled on hot glue. This made the process go a lot faster, but the structure also became slightly heavier. With some help, I was able to hang the structure from the ceiling in order to work on the arms 360◦ around the structure. Because the bases of the arms were so heavy it made pieces on the base structure hang loose, I would have liked to display a little bit better craftsmanship. The weight of the arms also made me unable to extend as far out as I would have liked to. Gravity is something that has never been my friend. I would perhaps like to pursue the idea of adding colored lights for the end of the semester I began to wonder whether or not to cast the aluminum in some kind of sealant so the project could be easier handled and moved until the end of the semester show, but then I reconsidered. The Lictenburg figure maps the energy fluids in nature. Our visual perception of energy is in fact temporary. Like this structure it will only be around for a short period of time until it is indistinguishable. Energy itself is unstable. We as Americans tend to see foil as a temporary item. It is used to store food for a short period of time before it is thrown away. I wanted to remove aluminum foil from it’s original context, as a piece of garbage. Rather it is a durable and manipulable material with beautiful reflective like qualities. The most commonly viewed form of the Lictenburg figure is seen in lightning and aluminum foil has this “flashiness” quality.
 A couple of in progress pictures, if you would like to see more pictures or smaller projects, be sure to follow me on Instagram: @elizabethclaretaylor "Bit by bit, putting it together...Piece by piece, only way to make a work of art" -Stephen Sondheim (Sunday in the Park with George)
Press Release for Upcoming Show http://www.craigkaviargallery.com/the-enduring-figure  Abstract: For this project, I intend to recreate nature’s way of mapping energy, the Lichtenberg figure. I would like to recreate this figure on a large scale. It will be primarily composed of aluminum foil with a wire base for some level of stability. The sculpture will cascade down from the ceiling and spread out in different directions the further down. This will involve a great deal of aluminum foil because there will be many branches reaching out from the base. Intended Materials:
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Relevance: The Lictenberg Figure is nature’s way of mapping energy. They are believed to map the characteristics of positive and negative electric “fluids”. Similar structures can be seen in tree branches and veins. The most common example used with the figure, however is lightning. I chose aluminum foil as the chosen medium because it has reflective properties and “flashiness” much like lightning. I would also like to incorporate it with my on-going series featuring Kentucky subjects. The Reynold’s Metals company was founded in Louisville,KY in 1919. In my own abstract work, I tend to use the image of the figure as a basis, because it provides a pathway for work to branch off from. I would like to see this image revealed on a larger scale giving a visual metaphor for the energy paves naturally in a controlled and safe environment. Research Sources: "Lichtenberg figure." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Web. 08 Feb. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichtenberg_figure>. "Reynolds Group Holdings." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Web. 08 Feb. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_Group_Holdings>. "What are Lichtenberg Figures, and How Are They Made?" Captured Lightning, Web. 08 Feb. 2017. <http://www.capturedlightning.com/frames/lichtenbergs.html>.  Sketch of project idea (c)2017 My work 50 Bottles of Bourbon on the Wall was recently accepted as part of The Next Generation show at Kaviar Forge and Gallery in Louisville,KY. The show runs March 31st-April 29th. The opening will take place March 31st 6-9pm, during the Frankfort Avenue Trolley Hop. Address: 147 Stevenson Avenue Louisville,KY 40206 Phone: (502)561-0377 Regular Gallery Hours: Thursday&Friday: 12-6pm Saturday: 12-4pm Site: http://www.craigkaviargallery.com/  I have set up a Go Get Funding Account to fund my Studying Abroad Trip to London this summer. Any amount big or small is greatly appreciated! Feel free to share this post. Thank you in advance! https://gogetfunding.com/help-clare-study-in-london/   In terms of my goals, I believe the project was overall successful. I made 16 records in the time allotted. I made 16 unique designs based on crowd sourced music genres. One of the drawbacks to the process was of course time. I paint fast and found waiting for one record to dry (in between layers) to be particularly frustrating. Especially if I was also listening to my own music (usually fast-paced classic rock), I paint to the speed of the music. This was compromised a little by working on multiple records at once. This of course, could feel a little over-whelming. This project also had the issue of my preconceived notions and attitudes towards a particular genre. It is hard to remain objective in a project associated with music, because of the emotional elements. There is one record in particular that I can think of, #9. I do not like this genre of music; therefore I made it a “disgusting” green color. Other factors could also sway my design process. I have a Children/Soundtrack station on my Pandora station for this project. The songs I listened to from this genre are so intimate with the movies they are from; it is difficult to disassociate them with something else. I wonder if someone else did this project how would they interpret the music? Like art, music is something that isn’t physical different from person to person, but is altered by perception. I feel if I repeated this process with someone helping randomize the music more, meaning something I haven’t heard, this issue could be easier avoided. In my process, I noted some things about my style as an artist. I tend to use similar colors: pink, orange, green, blue, purple, and black. It may be because I had the same colors mixed up already and used them out of convenience. But I use these colors often in my other work, so I obviously find these colors very pleasing. I also have this tendency to outline shapes and forms in my designs. I don’t know if this is relaxing for me to do this, or if there is some deeper meaning behind why I do it. I like the graphic quality the images appear to have, even though my style tends to border on the line between graphic and painterly. I believe this project was a great way to explore my psyche and become more ambitious with my abstract designs. These are no longer a quick doodle on a miniature canvas. They have a musical narrative driving the designs.
Adding the final touches to the records. Pictures of the final product to come soon!  My work currently on exhibit with The Enduring Figure at the Kaviar Forge & Gallery in Lousiville, KY was featured on their Facebook page this week.  Records being primed with Gesso and Acrylic Primer for painting. Don't worry these are used records and not playable!
Albums came in today as well. Can't wait to get these primed and painted!  Sketches for original 16 completed. The designs will take on new form when painted onto the records. 
Started my project off by crowd-sourcing music genre/ sub genres to a new Pandora station.
Abstract: For this project, I plan to utilize the themes of universal language in music and visual art. Music and visual art both similar in that even if one does not speak or able to read a certain language, they can both be appreciated in a similar fashion. To illustrate this theme, I plan to paint on vinyl albums in reaction to different types of music. The choice of music will be sourced from the group discussion on Moodle. I will ask the class for music genres and subgenres. I will then plug these into Pandora, to randomize it a bit. I will then react to the music as so on the album. Each individual piece will be labeled as the time of the piece (e.g. 3:05) to disassociate the work with established meaning (genre/song title/artist etc.). I intend to sixteen (as a minimum) in order to hang them on a wall in a square. This is also usually how many tracks are on a CD/album.\ Intended Materials:
Relevance: As an artist I have been experimenting with abstracted forms and this would mark a unique change in my artistic approach to my work. Based on past experiences I have found that vinyl works ideally with acrylic paint. Like visual art, music and words have the power to move people. But without understanding what is being said or written, it can lead to a disconnect among others. Early forms of communication were represented visually through hieroglyphics and cave drawings. Stories of tribes and people were told through song and dance. As we evolved into our own different cultures, there was a development of language. In the article “How Brains See Music as a Language” published February 19, 2014 to The Atlantic, scientists believe the brain is wired to process acoustic systems, like music, that would be more complicated than speech. The article interviews Charles Limb, an otolaryngological surgeon at Johns Hopkins who believes it is unlikely that the brain has evolved past the spoken form of communication so there must be a connection between the two. The goal of this project is to illustrate this connection in its visual form.
I am very happy you are here to view this page! I am beginning this blog to document my ART 210: Art Concepts Class for the Spring of 2017. I have begun work on my first project. The theme is language. I will keep updates on the process, once I have purchased all my desired materials Peace!- Clare  |
