Base14

Time for some recap. Coyote Song is a mini collection that I put together in September, 2011. Originally inspired by the song from The Seedy Seeds, it was how I made my transition between undergrad and grad. “I’m not afraid of what you got… singin’ your coyote song.” I used natural dyes made from materials found within walking distance of my studio and rust that had accumulated within the dye lab, allowing me to fully bond with the new environment I was living in. I used a shibori technique on crepe silk to emulate rock landscapes and kept the designs casual with a touch of sass. The accessories (including this clutch) are made out of the same tree stump that was used for dye. Serene, right? See the full set of looks here.

Tomorrow is the opening of the MFA show at Indiana University. I will be displaying my recent piece Moment, finished in November 2011. It is an exploration of the limits and possibilities of dyeing and felting. I used natural dyes to create basic tones of gray on wool roving which I then blocked out into areas to create a portrait before felting it into a piece. To the textiles orientated, this process in itself is a bit of a geek-fest.  Felting has many inherit difficulties (such as shrinkage) which make it difficult to have enough control over the work to create an image.

Moment presents a memory, soft and gentle. It is a moment of enlightened euphoria, affected by the haze of memory but with a physicality of surface firm enough to grasp onto. The choice of process reflects the necessary patience and resolve required to hold onto memories and maintain convictions. Distortion is unavoidable in both felting by hand and in the process of remembering moments. The resulting softness of the felt makes it desirable and conveys my own sense of longing for things past. (closeup)

I believe it’s time to introduce you to my studio. It’s a cozy space with one big desk, plenty of Base14 movie posters and just enough white space to keep me at ease. Last fall I relocated to Bloomington, Indiana where I am working on an MFA in Textiles. Since then I have been producing a vast array of work and trying to find my orientation within the world of contemporary art.

My work from the last six months has continued with themes from my senior collection such as topography and mapping, and has introduced investigations into memory, personal relationships and how I spend my time.

If you are in the Indiana area, you can view my new work starting on the 15th at the MFA Exhibition in the Grunwald Gallery of Art.

If you can’t make it out to the UCLA campus this Saturday evening for The 39th Annual Annie Awards, I have good news for you. Several sites will be streaming a live feed of the show, showing all the presenters, winners and acceptance speeches. You can watch it on any of these sites:

• The Official Annie Awards Website [http://annieawards.org/watch-it-live/]
• Cartoon Brew [http://www.cartoonbrew.com]
• The Animation Guild [http://animationguild.org/2012-annie-awards/]
• UStream [http://www.ustream.tv/annieawards]

The show begins at 7pm PST, and if you’re a Base14 fan be sure to be prompt. I suspect the award for Best Short Subject will be one of the first presented. Excitement!!!