Ryan & Kate

This summer, Ryan Weber and I worked with Elizabeth Mackie on an interdisciplinary project that combined scientific research and art as part of the MUSE program. We began by researching the Ortler Mountain in Italy and its neighboring village, Solda, which have been negatively affected by global warming. After finding a record of how much the Ortler ice cap melted each year over the last century, we interpreted that scientific data into plans for a large-scale sculpture and an artist book.

The sculpture traces the diminishing ice cap through the years, while the artist book takes the shape of the mountain as it creeps into the space the glacier used to inhabit. Both pieces are composed of several sheets of handmade paper. During a trip to Women's Studio Workshop in Rosendale, New York, we learned how to make the paper for the artist book. We also experimented with various large-scale papermaking techniques and made enough paper pulp for the sculpture. Back at TCNJ, we began making 5'x8' sheets of paper, which we manipulated to take the shape of the Ortler mountain. After we screenprinted the small sheets of handmade paper white, Ryan worked extensively on the artist book, cutting intricate shapes into it.

The sculpture, entitled King Ortler and Little Siberia, will be on display from October 5-November 15 in the Icebox, Crane Arts Center in Philadelphia, as one of ten pieces chosen for the Philadelphia Sculptor's sponsored juried international exhibition on global warming. In addition, Virginia Welsh of The Ann Street Gallery in New York has selected the piece for a global warming exhibition in Fall 2009. This September, the artist book will be exhibited in the TCNJ Art Gallery as part of the Faculty Exhibition.

:-)

Hello, Hello!

For me, this summer has predominantly consisted of freelance photography after completing my photography maymester. Since finishing the course, I’ve taken a strong interest photography of all kinds. Aside from that I have been working for an independent wrestling federation called the North Eastern Wrestling Alliance (N.E.W.A.). My work generally consists of comprising flyers, DVD covers and several other forms of media to help promote upcoming shows and sales. Most of the work has been done in Photoshop.

Independently, over the last three months, I have embarked on a spiritual journey which has led me into practices of the Native American culture. I have read several books by a man named Tom Brown Jr. Tom Brown Jr. is a tracker and a wilderness awareness expert. His teachings have become an inspiration to me and I feel that much of what I have learned from him will be incorporated into my work this upcoming semester. Going along with this, I have participated in my first ceremonial sauna or “sweat lodge” which has also been a tremendous learning experience. At the very least, I believe that my experiences will contribute to the amount of focus that is exerted into all of my future projects.

Anyway, It looks as though I am among some pretty amazing classmates! I’m looking forward to meeting all of you.

-Nadia

anna's artist statement

To me, creative thinking (whether for artistic or practical purposes) when encouraged, always brings with it great possibility to inform or transform. When I paint, it's more intuitive than technical. I'll usually have an intial thought, get an idea for colors and composition, and go from there. Water-soluble oils, watercolors, and to a lesser degree acrylic and pastel are the mediums I tend to gravitate towards. The tentative title/idea 'Sensing Some Treasure in Loss', is for a group of paintings showing different stages of recognition/discovery (after the initial loss, what's the journey, what is the gift from it). The idea is from a painting 'The Cocoon' I did that I'd like to
expand on. It's one of the pieces I'll be bringing to class.

Summer Update

Hello everyone- I hope you all enjoyed your summer. It sounds like everyone has been up to some very interesting and productive things.

These past few months have been very strange (and at times difficult) for me.... when last semester ended, a friend and mentor of mine returned from Germany with terminal cancer. I spent much of my time helping her and her family as much as I could until she passed away on July 11th.
I don't have any real art projects to show for my break, but I am very proud to have known such an amazing individual. The time that I was able to spend with her will be cherished, as it was very special to have been welcomed into the life of someone so spectacular. Her name was Amy Tucci, and she was an amazing martial artist, visual artist, musician, equestrian, and friend. If you have a moment, I recommend visiting the following link to read about her, as she was (and is) a very inspirational woman. I won't forget her.

http://www.pamausa.com/Pages/amy/memorial.html

If it is possible, I would like some of my work this upcoming year to both honor and be informed by Amy's memory.

There were also some positive things that happened this past summer... I (unexpectedly) became a freelance photographer and am getting fairly steady work. In an effort to focus more on school and art, I recently quit my day job in home finance (August 15th was my last day) and will now solely be a full-time student.

Last night I just returned from a 3-4 day camping expedition in Ontario's Algonquin provincial park... we spent an average of 6 hours paddling canoes a day and were fortunate enough to see a moose. It was a nice way to end the summer, I think. :)
-Kerrin

Update

This summer I spent half of May and all of June in Paris, France with the International Studies Abroad program. I attended two classes 5 days a week with Christopher Schade, a paiting professor from Montclair, and professional photographer Claudio Cambon. The painting course was plein-air acrylic based and was held in different areas around the city. The photo class was classroom oriented, but had certain times a week to go out and shoot with my manual SLR. The experience was amazing. I got to see and know Paris while still learning and practicing my skills. I came home with 6 paintings and 18 rolls of film developed.

Since then, Iv'e been catching up on some commisioned paintings here and there in my free time. I still find that the most enjoyable and most difficult paintings are the ones I do on my own, sans assignment. I need to stop judging myself so much.

Can't wait to get back!

Artists Statement
I began painting by learning the skills and techniques associated with traditional style representation and plein air style landscape. Today I use these skills to create a more abstract representation, usually of figures and powerful objects that have an air of anthropromorphism. My pieces tend to work with saturated colours, textural application and incorporation of other two-dimensional materials. I feel that painting is not necessarily the final product, but more about the process leading up to it. Because of this, I like to leave traces of a human interaction within a work.


Intensity of Ten Thousand
Acrylic on Canvas
2007