Final Project - "Over and Under the Parks"

For my final project I knew I wanted to revisit weaving. I have had an admiration for yarn and wall hangings for the past couple of years but haven’t attempted to try making my own piece until now. This piece started out with no design plan in mind but the idea of trying out different techniques in one to see how they looked and for my own practice. This way, I can get familiar with how I can use yarn to create different looks and textures in my pieces. I did choose the earthy tones for the yarn with the intention to tie it together with the National Parks I have visited. Someday I would like to do or be a part of something big that will help me give back to the parks and preserve them because I do believe they are important. For now, I capture their beauty through my photography and do the little things that I can to help out. So naturally, my design turned into the idea of a landscape from Big Bend National Park, the very first park I visited and the one that got me to appreciate nature so much more.

I was surprised at how much easier I found this to be than I thought it would be. The last time I tried weaving was in fourth grade when my elementary art teacher taught us how. We were only supposed to do one, but I remember I ended up doing several and even made my own loom at home out of cardboard (because that’s how we were taught) to continue. Of course I need more practice but the joy of weaving was still there like when I was in fourth grade.

I’m truly impressed with yarn and the different techniques I can do to make different designs on the loom. I bought some fluffier yarn because it was on clearance and it ended up being my favorite on there. I’d like to use the colors and techniques to incorporate more of the colors and patterns I see at National Parks.

My take away from this project is to always try or do what you have been dreaming about doing. Like I mentioned through out this course, I follow local artists on Instagram and I feel inspired by their work. I have found myself to have less time to create while teaching but there are still ideas and things I want to create and do. Weaving was one of them. If it wasn’t for this project, I eventually would have tried it…but it definitely wouldn’t have been until the summer or whenever I decided to set time aside.

I’m not fully done with it, I’m wanting to hang it on a stick from a tree to keep that natural look to it.

Zack Smith Final Project

Hand Back The Keys (minus the final layer)

My project unconventionally involves crafts (I’m hoping this is okay, I decided to get creative) Because my medium is printmaking I thought I would let crafts inspire my print, as well as various dimensions of the history of the American craft history. 

My poster entitled “Hand Back the Keys” is a feminist comment on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka LDS or Mormon Church) history. It examines the patriarchal nature of the church organization and the history surrounding the church moving from a progressive organization, specifically in the area of women’s rights, to a less progressive organization. The purpose of this poster is to question the roles the church imposes on women.

This print has several textile influences that date back to the late 1800’s, 1930’s and 1940’s. This was my first time incorporating a textile into a print and I really like how it turned out.  For starters you will notice the base of the print is a handkerchief.  Several details of the poster (the all seeing eye and the banners) were influenced by banners originally used by the early women’s organization of the church. In addition, a picture of a crown from the 1940's inspired my design. 

I was surprised by how long this project took me. I spent over 15  hours researching and sorting through the church archives. It was a pretty cool process as I had access to the original photos. I then spent 4 days making the print with a buddy who acted as an assistant. Not to mention the time I took to design the image (30 plus hours)…and it’s not even finished (I have one more layer to go). 

Beyond using textiles as part of my work I kind of went out on a limb by questioning some things seen as the norm in the religion I participate in. Throughout the readings, as I have mentioned before, I found myself being most inspired by the work that aimed to communicate or comment on the current political or social climate. I aim to do this via this poster. 

My take away was that I feel like I have found my medium. I’ve often felt like I didn’t have the voice to communicate my opinions. This now gives me my voice in a way that feels authentic to me. I also think that this made me interested in using textiles in my future work and really got me thinking of how I could use other mediums to influence my work. 

I’ve included pictures of my almost final work, inspiration pictures, and a little bit of the process. Also, I printed on a few different types and colors of paper which is why each layer looks like a different paper. 

Candie Printz Craft Projects

Embroidery piece- in progress. I will post more reflections on this once it is completed. There is also a photo of a found object craft piece that I did just for fun.

I have chosen to do two craft pieces. The first is the main one I am striving to complete- an embroidery piece. I am doing an abstract piece using french knots, so far. I TOTALLY underestimated how long something like this would take. I have a small circle done so far and it has taken me over 8 hours, several fingertip jabs, and pains in my hands from the repetitive movements that I had not anticipated! This is a lot harder than it looks! I will continue to post updates with photos as I move forward with this. I am trying to fade the thread colors from dark to light. It has no deep meaning or message, but serves as an experiment in technique for me.

What surprised me is the difficulty of embroidery. I will try to include more stitches to change up the texture of this piece, but the french knot is very time consuming.

What impressed me is how relaxing something like this can be (when I'm not stabbing myself with the needle, of course!).

My take away from this is that this is something that is underrepresented in public schools today. I plan on doing more embroidery pieces with all of my classes next year. I think there will be students that will appreciate it.

Craft In America and Final Projects

Between now May 14th you can turn in your review of one episode of Craft in America, your final project and the short essay over your final project...apox. 250-500 words. Share your experience using our three regular questions.

I have enjoyed getting to know each of through this class. Thank you for your time and for sharing your thoughts on the book. This is the last time this class will be offered.  I have been re-assigned out of Visual Studies (not sure yet if I will be in Foundations or Art Appreciation ) as such I will not be offering the seminar this summer on Threads of Compassion: Crafts and Community, nor will I be able to chair any MAE committees.  It has been my honor to work within this program.

April 22, Chapter 11

Well, we have come to the end of this amazing book. I hope you keep this a reference and as an inspiration for your own work. As I have said many times before, it is one of my all time favorite books.
For the extra question share what you would do with an NEA grant...they were for $10,000 and could be used for anything. One artist purchased a car to take his art work to shows. Others used the money for supplies. All you had to do at the end of the year was write a short essay on how you used the money and did it make a difference.
You can give your review of one episode of Craft in America at anytime. The same is true for your final project.

April 15th, Chapter 10

Although clay and glass are still strong, wood expands into an unique art form which in many ways represents the growing gap between function and material object. The techniques and craftsmanship of a piece is still valued but there is a shift away from simple function to almost function or maybe no function.  As you read think about this change in purpose. Think about how you view art and craft or the art of craft, and how these pieces/ the attitudes they represent influence your teaching.

For your extra question share your favorite style of furniture.

April 8th, Chapter 9

Once again clay rules. Any of you who have or will take a clay class at TTU look at these images...this is what you/your work will be judged against. These are the images your professors were taught to admire. For me it seems clay and the other mediums had gone from a slow slide to a fast train away from functionality. Yet they were  more committed to the technical information and experimentation based on techniques. In a way this focus on technique was an compliment to tradition. I especially love the concept of textiles and spirituality.

In the first part of this chapter the book series Foxfire is mentioned. If you have not heard of or read this books take time to look them up. They are wonderful stories of life in isolation.
Another book from this time is Flash Deign...a documentation of the recycled and embellished  clothing coming out of the hippie revolution. Both books, along with Objects USA, are incredible recordings of the time.

Pay attention to the short section on how teachers "made" stars by showing slides of only certain people to their students. How true that was and still is. It is hard to trust our own judgments so just continue to use what others have said is good. For your extra question 1. share a famous work of art you would never consider as art if you had not been told so many times it was great. 2. share one piece of art that you love but is not found in the art history books.