Hot Stuff
"Hot Stuff" is a mixed media collage filled with (you guessed it) some hot stuff! I was inspired by I Spy books and my love for collage. I have nostalgic memories of renting I Spy books at the library as a kid. Sometimes I wouldn't even find the objects I was supposed to look for - I just loved looking through all of the creative scenes.
I combined physical and digital collage elements in Photoshop by scanning in any elements that I cut out by hand. I also wanted my color choices to reflect the theme of heat in a unique way, so my palette is inspired by thermal heat maps.
My Backyard
I wanted to try out sun printing, so I grabbed a few flowers, weeds, leaves, and pieces of grass from my backyard. I thought my print came out okay, but I didn't fully love it. I didn't think I'd do anything more with it, so I actually left it on my desk and used it as scrap paper to test some new paint pens.
Eventually, I realized that this would look WAY more interesting if I cut it up. I decided to create a collage with my print. This was just a quick project I worked on for fun and I really love how it turned out. It's also a nice reminder of where I was when I made it. These are pieces of my home that I'll be able to save forever.
Please Recycle Me
"Please Recycle Me" is a mixed media painting that combines formal art qualities with found objects to explore themes of sustainability. The paper elements in my work are pieces of packaging from a razor. I loved the blue, pink, and orange design on the packaging, as well as the printed message; “I’m made out of 100% recycled material please recycle or compost me.” As a result, I was inspired to find a new way to do what the packaging asked me to do.
I decided to cut up and repurpose this recognizable material to explore elements of cubism and optical art. Because I admired the bright organic shapes on the packaging, I wanted the addition of paint to seamlessly continue these lines. In addition to combining paper and paint, I also layered on plastic from another package to “recycle” something that cannot be broken down completely. Formally, these plastic squares add texture and dimension to the piece. Thematically, plastic, which cannot be easily recycled, blocks access to some of the paper assemblage pieces. Through combining found objects, recyclable materials, and formal art qualities, I found inspiration, beauty, and meaning in repurposing items that often get overlooked.
Origins
For this mixed media painting, I wanted to reverse the process of an object I interact with every day in order to explore its origins. I decided to deconstruct a teabag and visualize the production process through my work.
I focused on three stages of production - growth, dehydration, and manufacturing. In addition to using materials like leaves, dried tea leaves, and metal, I decided to create my own paper out of tea to display my collage and paintings on. I made three sheets of paper: one containing green leaves, another containing dried tea leaves, and a final one with processed tea grounds. I like that viewers can look at this piece and think a bit more deeply about the products they purchase and consume.
Funky Reflection
For this mixed media painting, I wanted to incorporate a broken mirror I had for years. Whenever we look at our reflection in a mirror, it’s never the same. Our appearance changes daily - whether that be in obvious ways through different clothing, hairstyles, accessories, and makeup, or in more subtle ways as our features change with age.
I planned to distort whatever was in the mirror’s reflection to represent how our appearances change over time. To further play with this, I painted pieces of the mirror itself to break the reflection up. I also focused on continuing some of the lines and shapes created by the natural curves and edges of the glass.
Climate Crisis
For my collage, "Climate Crisis," I found two images where the subject lined up perfectly. I wanted to contrast the lush, blue and green landscape with violent flames to represent climate change. This piece juxtaposes wanting to prevent what our future holds, with knowing that we've already created some irreversible damage.
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I also created this collage on the back of a post card. Ironically, the other side says "Happy Holidays!" Paring a serious topic with a cheery message felt out of place, but also weirdly fitting. It feels as if we're trying to replace this scary reality with a more joyful thought. It also serves as a reminder that we might not get to celebrate those happy moments in our future if we continue to ignore this crisis.