Sage Dawson has a blog that updates her printmaking process and inspiration. I went to undergraduate school with her and her mixed media prints have improved beyond my comprehension from graduate school.

Emmy-Ray‘s blog showcases her jewelry making, inspiration and creativity that bleeds into her home life. Lately, I have been enjoying her home projects and making mental notes for future decorating ideas.

First off, here’s the promotional graphics for the upcoming 323 East Gallery show! It’s looking pretty fabulous. I want to go really badly, but it’s hours of driving and there’s so much work to do to graduate (it’s during my spring break too, so horribly tempting).  Hopefully there will be tons of photos taken.

More info about the show on Facebook!

Second, there’s an online article for the Altered Esthetics Gender show:

Citypages Article

Fun fun! Have a good weekend.

Creo Magazine is an online quarterly magazine that promotes student artists and visual culture. I got asked to be featured in their spring issue, “Nature vs. Nurture” along with a grouping of other artists from around the country. This is a preview of a page with my work. There’s another page with an interview included. I’m pretty impress with the flashy online magazine viewer. I got caught up in reading and forgot that I couldn’t physically move the pages except with my mouse.

Back to the studio/library/printshop/runningwithmyheadcutoff!

That’s me all disheveled and tired looking, which is how I roll 98% of my time at school. I don’t usually put pictures of myself up, but I figure this one is for the folks. When I first toured MCAD, my mother was appalled at the undergraduate students’ general appearance. Grandma glasses, leopard print leggings as pants, unwashed hair, and ill-fitted thrift store wear offended her fashion sensibilities. “Why are these girls looking ugly on purpose?” she asked me loudly enough so that the surrounding perpetrators would overhear. “I don’t know Mom, it’s an art school thing,” I told her, slightly embarrassed. Then she grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me, repeated the entire time, “DON’T EVER CHANGE MEGAN! DON’T COME HOME LOOKING HOMELESS AND DIRTY! I MEAN IT!” Oh the memories. Maybe I’ll find an obnoxious outfit at a thrift store to wear the first day home for Christmas break? Our secret, shhhhh.

The Trebling Effect, framed 32″ x 35″, silkscreen, relief print, and collage. (apologies for the horrible glare)

The work is framed, packaged and sent off. I spent a lot of money that I didn’t have, so maybe the karma fairies will grant my wish and the work will sell at the show. I have no clue if the work is appropriately priced for that area and my (for lack of a better word) rank as an artist. I’ve learned my lesson though, I’m not framing/mailing big works anymore. It just hurts my wallet too much. I’ll probably have to resort to eating ramen for the rest of the semester. (blah blah blah, I shouldn’t whine)

The show should be pretty exciting. I wish I could be there. Even if I could afford it, my schedule is so awful that it makes it impossible to go. On a more exciting note, I got my friend H. E. Croan to submit for Round two and she got in! Go networking…and karma fairies.

-Megan

Edit: Earlier version of the image, sans glare:

I’m having the hardest time coming up with a title for this piece. I still don’t know if this should be considered complete as well. The urge to tinker and fix mistakes still tempt me. I’m going to reprint this project because the possibilities that collage brings gives me the capability to work multiple compositions. I’m hoping the next version I create might be used for the upcoming show. Still not sure what will be needed yet, but the excitement has not worn off.

Yay.

Projects are starting to snowball. Last year I was struggling to put together ideas, while this year there’s too many to juggle. I have two books waiting to be printed, a linoleum to carve and print, an eight-foot tall monster to silkscreen, as well as various sketches to develop and blocks to reprint. Guh, too much!

P.S. Don’t forget the poll from last post, I still need more input!

I’m planning a trilogy of art books this semester. I hope to make more than just three, but definitely working with this set. The first book is Moth, the second and third will be Bird and Bee.

This is the first time I made/attempted an edition of books. I usually just aim for one. It was difficult to do, my materials were low and my money short. I somehow managed! There are eight in all, with five decent ones and three really crappy ones.

It’s very long. I’m doing another version of this print in a bigger size. MUCH bigger.

Front side was relief printed, backside is screen printed. The story is written there, but I don’t really know how to go about documenting this book. It would be hard to digitize it without it becoming awkward. I’ll have to see how professional book artists display their books online.

-Megan

I’ve been taking an undergraduate class this semester. I’m allowed to take up to three if I choose in my graduate education. This Artist’s Book class is the first one. Every class opportunity before this I  somehow rationalize not taking it or had a sneaky way to learn the techniques without spending 5 hours a week in a class. This class I couldn’t refuse. It’s been rewarding to finally learn to correctly make books. It gets frustrating to learn from books and tutorials. I learn the majority of what I know myself, but not the little essentials that make the book expertly crafted. The biggest lesson had to be the paper grain, which is not covered anywhere I looked. Now my folds don’t look so shoddy and my covers don’t bow.

Above is a box/book that was collaborative assignment as well as the meander accordion book (below). I made my own book as well, but I’m saving it for its own post later.

-Megan

MAKE IT WORK! If I had my own Tim Gunn, he tell me that over and over until I became a production machine. This semester has been the semester of bad prints and mishaps, but I’m going to make it work! I will! I need to push myself to my breaking point and beyond.

This particular print was already a mess to work with, but I didn’t like how the proofs were looking. Neither did my mentor, but at least I got some suggestions on how to steer it in a better direction. There’s only so much you can do with a relief print, but I think collage helps.

Guh, all these photos are horrible quality. My fault.

I’ve been working on a book as well. Here’s a sneak peek:

It’ll be an accordion fold. I was finish it for class today. I’ll blog the photos of it later this week.

-Megan

Booyah!

The show at the Chambers went really well. Everybody’s work looked fantastic. My print was also sold. I talked to the curator and she said a collector bought the print. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay. Okay, back to work. Poot.

Edit: Forgot the school took photos. Go there!