Emerging Artists who Caught My Eye Part III

The last artist at the Wesleyan University senior thesis art exhibit that caught my eye was installation artist Eric Bissell, whose thesis was entitled 'Here is Expansive'. When first walking through the gallery I almost missed his work entirely since only the back of the installation (a concrete slab) can be seen until you walk around the whole piece.

For those of you not familiar with installation art, I like to explain it as site specific work (in which an area or space really dictates the formation of the piece) that is often three-dimensional and engaging the viewer in more than a visual manner, in a more conceptual manner. One goal being to alter the perceptions, including the human senses (acoustic, tactile, etc.,) of how a viewer interacts with the art. Changing that age old dogma of removed viewer/on looker of art to a full participant.

Eric Bissell's Installation entitled Here is Expansive photo by m.diaz

This particular piece is a video projection of the ocean's shore on a series of mirrored doors. You can walk right on up to the projection, hear the waves and step into the sand right there in the gallery. Although this work is more conceptually driven than what you may be used to, the manner in which you are moved within the space is very powerful.

Lorena infront of Eric Bissell's piece photo by m. diazA photo with flash causing an absence of Eric Bissell's projection

Another piece that was quite effective in Eric's thesis was the following one in which a pedestal covered in sand had a variety of war images projected onto it. The viewer was encouraged to 'play' with or move the sand by the presence of a little plastic hand held shovel. The images projected onto the sand changed with time.

Another interactive piece by Eric BissellThat same piece with a demonstration of the movable sand

There was one more piece in Eric's thesis but the gallery had closed and artist arrived to break down and move out their art. It was a sofa set in front of a television set playing what appeared to be an interview with a soldier. However, I was very fortunate to meet Eric and get his pic for this post.

Eric Bissell with his work photo by m. diaz Here I am with former students Lorena Estrella and Nikki Long

Well I hope you enjoyed this little foray into the fine art world and remember one of my personal goals is to blur the intellectual snobbery line between fine art and craft and appreciate makers and thinkers alike for their vast interdisciplinary talents.

***********************************************************************************

Ok here is the LAST of the art connoisseur posts. I'm holding out without turning to anti-biotics but I may have to give in- anyone who gets this as much as I do realizes quick that anti-biotics aren't a good thing to always turn to- nor do they always help. Today may be our first day of no rain in three or four days (yesterday was torrrential again) and I'm hoping to liven my spirits by having an informal ANTI- Bahamas party (since most of the seniors where I teach are currently sitting pretty in the Bahamas).

I've also been doing a lot of new work for the Azucarera exhibit and I think its fine time I gave you all a sneak peek again (tomorrow). I've also been thinking a lot about loyalty and whether or not its a characteristic that plays much of a role in people's lives anymore. I wanted to ask you all about it. Do you feel it passionately often, or does it kick in only once in a while? Does it have its price for you or is part of your cognitive make up? Just curious :))

Ciao- Amarettogirl

Emerging Artists who Caught My Eye Part II

The second artist that caught my eye during the Wesleyan Senior thesis exhibit was Nicolina Baxter. Her thesis show was entitled 'Flay' and I only got to see her in passing while she walked in the gallery at closing time to break down the exhibit.

Her sculptural forms are another aspect of my artistic tastes and motivations, that many don't know about me, since in a past life I sculpted as much as I painted! Nicolina's work is figurative yet by its very segmented state also abstracted which makes it even more intriguing. I loved the lay out, expanse and visceral feeling of the 'skin' she developed. In regards to the 'skin', I'm a sucker for clever and varied uses of materials and I'm suspecting this is an ingenious use of mold-making latex.

Nicolina Baxter's senior thesis FLAY photo by m.diaz Nicolina Baxter's thesis exhibit FLAY detail Nicolina Baxter's senior thesis Flay detail photo by m. diaz

As part of the exhibit there was also a 'voyeur box' which I've made use of in my work in the past - love them and when you looked through the peep hole you are somewhat assaulted with an up close and intimate red/orange hue of fingers moving quickly to peel back the 'skin'.

As I stated earlier I only got to see Nicolina as the gallery was closing. And since I only had a chance to say 'I really enjoyed your work' to her as I was walking out of the building, I couldn't take a photo of her besides it like I did with the others. So I managed to scoop her fb pic up - hope she doesn't mind (its a great pic anyway!)

Nicolina Baxter Pic from her FB page profile View through Nicolina Baxter's voyeur box photo by m.diaz Nicolina Baxter's senior thesis Flay detail photo by m.diaz

For all of you concerned I've had chronic bronchitis my whole life (since a child) and any cold often turns right into the bronchitis. However, since I received a flu shot this year, I managed to stave off getting any bout of bronchitis until now...I guess the vaccine wore off. NO worries, I will survive!

Now the next artist and last artist from this trip is drastically different and another real treat so stay tuned!

As for my work, its coming along (though slowly) I think I'll have to share another progress report with you soon.

I'm sad I've been neglecting my Etsy shop and crafting these days, but I can only do so much with two hands...but Oh how I wish I had more!! Ok so heres a dive from serious art connoisseur to silly question time! Yeah, I would want more hands and a ceaseless pool of energy!- SO YOUR TURN- tell me if you had a superhero power what would it be???

- Ciao Amarettogirl

Emerging Artists who Caught My Eye Part I

Seeing as I haven't been feeling well these days (looks like what I thought was a cold or developing allergies may be turning into my chronic bronchitis again- but I'm still fighting it), the hub thought it would be nice to take a drive up to Connecticut to see the last hour of the senior thesis art exhibit of one of my former students, Lorena Estrella. Lorena is currently a double major (Latin American Studies and Printmaking) and is now the second of my students who took printmaking with me in high school and went on to major in it in college. If that's not good medicine, I don't know what is!

Lorena is about to graduate Wesleyan University. While there I got to see another former student of both my hubs and I, Nikki Long (psych major) and we got to see other artists in the senior thesis show. The two others (along with Lorena's that really caught my eye) are Nicolina Baxter and Eric Bissell. There were others exhibiting, but had I walked into that space in any New York City gallery these three are the ones I would have photographed for you anyway. So here is part I of three post- each is very different so stay tuned.

Lorena Estrella with her senior thesis prints entitled 'ataduras' Lorena's ataduras print photo by m.diazLorena's ataduras print photo by m.diaz Lorena in the printmaking studio displaying her drawerLorena's matrix from one of her prints

Yes, the Giveaway is still going strong (i'm amazed!) and April 4th is almost here!

-ciao Amarettogirl

My Polyvore Gray Day

Unfortunately, I am now sick (and over my spring break vaca no less). Thankfully, I'm working with watercolors, and not oil paints, (which makes painting much more difficult when I'm sick) for my up and coming art exhibit. I'm able to get some work done in small bouts of energy. Still, I've had to be in bed and watch reruns of the wedding singer to comfort me, but I'm worried about how I'm going to get everything I need for the exhibit done. I have so much in my mind that I want to do and such little energy and time to do it. -_-

I thought for today's blog post I would fantasize about what I would wear if I could get up and be a fly girl today (which I have aptly named my Gray day) who knows it might actually motivate me!
And for those of you who have yet to be entranced by Polyvore you really need to try this digital collage mecca for your style dreams, fantasies, wish list and flat out designer fun like some of my fellow bloggers do! Often there are even creative challenge questions posted to help you start.

Polyvore is very addictive!

Amarettogirl's Gray Day by Amarettogirl featuring Stella McCartney bags

Those boots are So SO me, wish I owned them- in fact I do own Fornarina knee high boots that remind me of these!

Well next post I will be back with some new work that is coming along for the Azucarera gallery so stay tuned.

So tell me what motivates YOU on a GRAY day??

- Ciao Amaretttogirl

Special Delivery!

Woo Hoo! Don't you love getting special envelopes in the mail?? Yesterday, I received my eagerly awaited package from Etsy seller and illustrator Hidden Eloise!! I purchased some wares and am dying to get them framed and hung up in my home. This was coming from London, so I waited in anticipation. Being an artist, I have to really love it to want to collect it and I do! Since it was packaged SO SO lovely I wanted to share it with all of you!

My package from Artist/Illustrator and Etsy Seller Hidden Eloise

For those who know me and my art (especially my animal headed humans), for the past two years I've been grappling with my relationship to the land and my dichotomous animal nature. In addition, I just happen to live in bear country (see them all the time now) so when I came across Hidden Eloise's work I kind of fell in love! I got a twofer giclee print, a pocket mirror, a button, some stickers and a card with a 'lovely' note!

All the awesome stuff by Hidden Eloise in that little envelope!

Hope you liked this as much as I did and...
TELL me in this digi age of communication what was the last WONDERFUl thing you unearthed from the mailbox??

GIVEAWAY is still going strong, You can still enter and April 4th is getting closer!!!

Ciao- Amarettogirl

New Work...is on its way...

Since I have to get back to work (art making that is) for my up and coming exhibit at the Azucarera gallery (April 10th - 30th), I spent the majority of yesterday preparing the ground on my paper. I revived good 'ol tea-staining and experimented with marbling. I actually love the results and then I stood up until 3:30am starting the first piece. Thought you all might like to see what I'm up to.

If you're interested in tea-staining be sure to have a whole night - the results are much better with good quality rag paper and an overnight soak.

black tea staininga detail shot of the overnight results of tea-staining prepared grounds with experiments in marbling and my first piece on its way pic by m.diaz my newest piece in progress by marisol diaz a detail shot art and photo by marisol diaz

I really don't know what direction this will all go in - but its seems I'm still caught up in the last Unearthly woman concept...We'll see where it wall takes me.

-Ciao Amarettogirl

Illustrations for Two More Pen Pals and Indie shop Owners!

Ok so hopefully I could get back to doing some artwork for the exhibit coming up and stop being distracted by the urge to draw for my pen pals since these are the last two on my list!

Just call me the 'Queen of Procrastination' (though wouldn't it be cool to have a whole solo show on pen pal illustrations tee-hee) just kidding. Seriously I have to get serious...but for now here is some fun stuff.Little Illo for my penpal Marcie owner of Redstarink by m.diaz

First we have Marcie who owns a wonderful paper printing co. named REDSTARINK which you must see! My typography-fan readers will appreciate her clean, organized design aesthetic and her products to help you live more efficiently!
As you can see I reversed the words star and ink in my illo - hope Marcie doesn't mind the play with the words.

Then we have Bri who makes gorgeous head bands with butterflies and/or flowers- you need to check out her blog at Little Miss Famous to see! All my hipster lady friends will so want to buy one of those!

Little Illo for my penpal Bri owner of Little Miss Famous and maker of butterfly headbands by m.diaz

Well thats that for today. Thanks to all the wonderful responses I got to the last pen pal post about what kind of cupcake you would be if you were one- I got such creative and revealing answers!! And reader Emi found a seriously thorough what kind of cupcake would you be quiz that you should totally try.

Its hard to rival such a great q&a session but lets try...so in keeping with the cupcake you said you would be in the last pen pal post what would the ideal drink with which to accompany your cupcake be if one were consuming you?

P.S. It's not to late to join the April 4th Basket Giveaway Raffle! For some of us Spring Break has started and the challenge to stop by has just become more difficult so your chances of winning are actually good! Just comment on every post since the GIVEAWAY post AND be sure to leave a NUMBER on your last comment on April 4th before 9pm!!

Little Things that Add the Illusion of Decadence to my Daily Life...

For any one that knows me, they know that somedays are just not easy and like many of us, I'm faced with having to muster up the emotional strength and courage to face another onslaught of oncoming 'life' traffic. So to those days and to all of you who can use a little decadence in your lives (especially when affluence is not in the cards) here is a little post that I think might help since it helps me!

Reflective Pool - I love to scope out windows in NYC - call it window shopping for pics! photo by m.diaz of Bergdorf Goodman Holiday Window

Designer Treats CHEAP!

Gaultier for Target

Yes, as of March 7th Target has added Jean Paul Gaultier for Target® to their limited designer series and it make me smile! Anything that brings accessibility to the ordinarily exclusive makes me happy. Since my college days (way back when) I've been a fan of slip dresses and in this target collection there are two; a green, black and white one and a pink and black one and now I have both! Yay!

Bella Cucina Lemon Cream

Lemon Cream
This is one of those little opulent secrets I have that make me feel SO rich when I'm SSO not!! In the morning, I like to make some black tea and spread some of this Bella Cucina Artful Food Lemon Cream on raisin bread and mmm mmm mmmm! I just learned that this co. also has a blog called The Art of Food and there are often exquisite recipes shared! Bella also has a book entitled La Bella Vita Cookbook which includes not only more recipes but inspiration as well.

Mad Hatter at my back...TEA!!

Speaking of tea, I am a tea freak! I have a ridiculous attraction for a ceramic lined tea thermos and special tea-cups. Japanese green tea from Mitsuwa, but everyday is a black tea day.

Harney & Sons Paris Black tea

A good tried and true black tea the Tazo Earl Grey BUT for those extra special splurge days I have to give it to Harney & Sons Paris tea!

My personal advisees wearing my wares

Support

There's an old adage that says you shouldn't be friends with your students, they have friends as it is and your job as an educator is to be removed from that. However, I find that idea prescribes to a very limited definition of friendship and it inhibits mentoring as an advisor. It is also an archaic form of education. We are people with stories, led by these narratives and by the very act of exchanging those stories we are developing friendships and mutual respect.

So needless to say, another joy of my daily life is teaching, sharing, GIVING and exchanging with younger and simply OTHER human beings. In this pic my personal advisees and I, their personal advisor, flaunt our holiday gifts to eachother! Click the pic to see the Mai Sweetshop rings I made for each of them.

All Things Japanese

Mitsuwa Bean Cake

Love, Love, Love japanese craft books and going down to Edgewater, New Jersey where there is an Asian market named Mitsuwa that provides you a miniature experience of transporting you to Japan. They sell the best grocery treats and have an in-house cafeteria where you can get the most amazing sweet bean cakes in the shape of fish! I love all things Japanese and these are no exception- always guaranteed to bring a smile to my face!!

Nature Walks and The Discovery Channel

from LIFE Dscvry Photo by Anup Shah

Going for long walks on a beautiful sunny day always makes me feel wondrously fortunate. After Planet Earth the next thing that gives me a sense of wonder and opulence is watching the new Discovery Channel series LIFE narrated by Oprah Winfrey. In this pic an African elephant calf follows its mother in Kenya's Masai Mara game reserve. Click to see this photo by Anup Shah Naturepl.com to see it larger. Watch this with a little metal silver cup of ice cream with a long silver spoon and you will feel like your being carried in a canopy over the world.

Ok Your turn!

There's more but this post is getting long enough as it is. Share with all of us - What adds a little bit opulence/decadence/luxury or simply what make you feel so RICH when your so not?

Sweet Illustrations for My Penpals

Here are two illustrations for two out of my now four penpals from my Indie 2.o class!

Samia's Illustraion my Holland based Pen-pal, by m. diaz

I did this one by hand as a quick illo in my sketchbook and decided to keep it for Samia's letter.

For Salmezan, I decided to play with a cupcake drawing I did in my sketchbook that I scanned into photoshop. I layered the background with collaged digi pics and placed in a font that I later hand outlined. It came out a bit too green,but I still like it.

An Illo for my London based penpal Salmezan by m.diaz

So here's a silly question for you! If you were a cupcake what kind of cupcake would you be?

Let me hear about your filling as well as your topping. For example you might be a chocolate cupcake with ganache and raspberry filling and pink icing,or you might be red velvet cupcake with butter cream icing. Do you have any sprinkles or a cherry on top?
Be creative, you're a cupcake!

P.S. It's not to late to join the April 4th Basket Giveaway Raffle! Just comment on every post since the GIVEAWAY post AND be sure to leave a NUMBER on your last comment on April 4th before 9pm!!! We've decided we will VIDEO TAPE the number drop through the bingo cage to reveal our HONEST attempt to fairly choose a winner!

Bucket List Number 1. The Ice Hotel

ICEHOTEL,Sweden2006-07.Photo Big Ben Productions.

Imagine a river in Sweden that freezes every year and is excavated in ice to be carved, engineered, sculpted and constructed into a temporal ICE HOTEL. Now imagine that you get to go to said hotel during the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis. Now realize you are in a one of kind structure that when Spring arrives will melt back down to water. This is my Bucket List entry number one. The last flight leaves this Saturday and sadly this year I will not be on it, but one year I will.

The dropping of the temperature to several degrees below zero in Jukkasjärvi marks the start of an ephemeral art endeavour.

Using only frozen water form the Torne River, artists from all over the world gather in this small Swedish village, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, to create an exclusive art exhibition: ICEHOTEL.

The art is created with imagination and hard work, only to melt away under the unforgiving rays of the sun come springtime. All that remains are our impressions, our memories - and photographs. - ICE HOTEL SITE

I realize that I currently sleep with an electric blanket (one of 4), a sweatshirt and an electric heater by my side (I am a Puerto Rican living in the Northeast after all) but for this experience I would certainly sacrifice. When you plan a trip to visit and stay in the Ice Hotel you can choose between how many nights you would like a 'COLD' accommodation or a warm one. It seems the popular thing to do is one night cold and the others warm. The cold rooms range in style and type, from more grandiose Art/Deluxe Suites to simpler snow rooms.

To sleep in a room made of ice and snow is a surreal experience and a memory for life. You sleep in thermal sleeping bags on a special bed built of snow and ice, on reindeer skins. You are awakened in the morning with a cup of hot lingonberry juice at your bedside. Breakfast buffet, winter overall, boots, mittens, morning sauna and towels included.

Photo by Neringafoto of Ice hotel. Jukkasjärvi, Sweden. Artist/s: AnnaSofia Mååg Suite: Rest in the Nest

Ok so TELL me please ONE mega WISH-List from your BUCket list!! Share I want to know!!

-Ciao Amarettogirl