Sketchbook Project 2013

Printmaker, Courtney Coriell, told me about this project. You order and create a sketchbook which is included in the Brooklyn Art Library -a small storefront in Brooklyn entirely made up of these sketchbooks from around the world. My sketchbook and Coriell's sketchbook will be on the Right/Write When You Get There tour of the mid-west this year. Visit The Sketchbook Project website for more info or participation.

New Albany Farmer's Market Booth Pics

 

I'm really enjoying working the Farmer's Market every Sat 8am-1pm. I love the people I meet and talking about craft and basketry.

 

Late Spring 2013 Enchanted Forest Installation with Students

 







During my regular after school art classes, I talked to my 1st-11th grade students about doing an art installation together in our downstairs gallery. Because I am a fiber artist by trade, I asked the installation focus on fiber work. I taught them how to do twine method basketry and we looked at Appalachian basketry design for our form. I then gave them the option to make small people/animals out of Sculpey clay to include inside the baskets. Our theme was Enchanted Forest. Later I taught the modified twine method I use in my own work, and invited them to create vessels. The following images is the installation in the front two gallery windows at the studio.

How Teaching has renewed my interest in Functional Basketry





Student Weaving

I've been teaching basketry and fiber art as an Artist-in-Residence for six years; 

Blackacre Conservatory, 2007

and for most of those years I had been focused on sculptural work and installation art. Although my interest has remained constant in creating exceptionally well crafted pieces -with great attention to detail. I've had a conversion of sorts.

Student Work, Spot 5 Art Studio, 2010


I want to say it started with the amazing work my students have produced. -And I've been pretty infatuated with the materials, especially when they come in a big box full.



But I really think it came from working directly with the students, problem solving to create pieces they were interested in.

 

Most of my residencies are based in Public Schools, which involve requests for historical and/or cultural connections to our work; and most of the historical/cultural references to basketry are as functional art. Although I often introduce the concept of using basketry methods to create art object sculptures -with no functionality intended- the students often want them to have some sort of functional use. By the beginning of this year, I was becoming frustrated. I wanted to be one of the students in my class creating my own interesting, artistically designed, functional piece.

 

But one piece was not enough for me. I've started working on a whole series of funtional pieces. First it started small:

Just a few mini baskets. Then I started thinking bigger:

And then in functional multiples (nesting bowls):

Not quite sure what's next.

 

Animal Embroidery Schaffner Elementary

In January I was brought into Schaffner Traditional Elementary, on a VSA Arts KY inclusion grant, by art teacher and all around creative person Carolyn Brayden. I was to work with four 3rd grade classes on Peruvian inspired embroidery. Previous to my coming to the school, Brayden had introduced Peruvian embroidery and the history to her students. She then guided them toward selecting an animal to do a colorful embroidery on burlap.

In my first visit I showed some of my work and discussed life as a professional working artist. This was part of Braden's plan, so the students could make connections between what they are learning now and how those skills can be used as a professional. We then practiced threading a needle, how to knot the yarn, and how to do a running stitch. In the following visits students drew their animals on burlap, outlined them with a running stitch, and later filled them in with either a seed stitch or satin stitch. The following images are some of the beautiful work the 3rd grade students did. I would love to do this project with my children at home and turn it into a wall hanging.

 

 



Eisenhower Elementary Legacy Project, January 2013

 

In the fall of 2012 I met with the Art Teacher at Eisenhower Elementary and a representative from The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, the organization overseeing the project, to plan a residency at the school for their four 4th grade classes. The teacher requested we do something related to Appalachian Arts and she wanted the students to have both an individual project to take home, and work on a collaborative legacy project for the school.

 

For the individual project the students did small Appalachian inspired baskets made from raffia, reed, and found stick handles. For the collaborative legacy project I constructed an adapted loom for the students to weave into with various materials I brought from my studio and the education department at The Kentucky Museum of Ar and Craft.

 



 

Detail of Legacy Weaving

 

Detail of Legacy Weaving

 

Detail of Legacy Weaving

 

Legacy Weaving Project

 

Working with a Student

Student basket

Student Basket

Student Basket

 

Students working on baskets