Sandy: Art Educator

My interview with Sandy was conducted in bustling and busy environment. This was appropriate for her, in that she is one of the most effective multi-taskers I have ever met. Sandy's views herself as art educator primarily, and most importantly.

As a child, Sandy wanted to be a ballerina. She started making acrylic paintings at a young age, and people in her small town took notice. A gentleman that worked for the town newspaper assumed that Sandy wanted to be an art teacher because she was such a great artist. She was always encouraged to be a teacher but didn't commit to the idea until a high school guidance counselor convinced her that it was the appropriate career path. She recalls stating, "I guess I'll be an art teacher."

Sandy believes that the things that make you a great person are the things that make you a great woman. A great woman needs balance. Sandy views herself as constantly changing: "My obsessions change." A great woman has drive, passion, love for family, and is always seeking more.

She struggles with the title of artist. Sandy describes herself as an art lover, an art enthusiast. She likes to make art, but is not actively breaking barriers. In her opinion, a true artist is striving to break barriers. Although she feels like she's fallen off of the "artist" bike, her passion has shifted to teaching art. Sandy is a great educator because she loves to learn. "I have a passion for what I teach." She believes that if you're not excited about it, you shouldn't be teaching it.

When asked if Sandy feels limited of any of her labels, her response was that people take on their own labels. It depends on your own perception of your labels. As a woman, you understand things differently but Sandy went on to say, "I don't have any label I don't wear proudly." She confessed that she doesn't always feel that she's taken seriously by the art community due to her role as an art educator. That is merely an avenue and an opportunity for change.

Culmination of Summer Work

These will be framed, and I won't say that they are finished yet. A frame can change the feel of a piece and I have big ideas for these frames. Lori, Carrie, and Leah (in respective order) have been wonderful inspiration for the beginning of this project and I am learning about myself by working with the pieces of their lives as Women Artist Educators.

Leah: The Process

Leah's piece began with some linear raised elements and patterned paper. Her piece, for me, is about a feeling of nature and strength. I worked on some gels of her personal artwork and a portrait gel that was b & w. I didn't paint behind this one so that the colors and patterns in the background could show through. I have some saved items to incorporate, including: stones, photographs, papers, fabrics, and magazine clippings. I have to decide which to add in their raw state and which I will make gel transfers from. The challenge on this piece is that I enjoy the overall feel of it as it is... so I have to carefully place additional material and framing.

Carrie: The Process

I began this piece with acrylic orange painting and sponging in the background.
I added some saved items that were donated by Carrie, some in their original state and some that had been altered.
I used gel transfers of some photos from around Carrie's home as well as a gel transfer image of her. some of these gels were b & w with acrylic painting behind them, others were color gel transfers.
Jellybeans have been added and coated with envirotex, the significance of the jellybeans will be understood by the subject. There are also some sewing needles "poking" in around the arm of the subject.
As a femmage, this piece includes photographs, saved items, made by/for a woman, and there is a nod to a typical female activity: sewing.

Gel Transfer Technique

So... I started this project with the intention of using photocopy acetate to transfer the images onto a gel covered surface. The trouble I experienced with this technique was that it was just a bit too unpredictable. I wanted to preserve the quality of the image, but with the acetate, I was only getting a faded and sparse image.

Aiming to achieve a different effect, and with some advice from my Mansfield professor, I started painting thick layers of gel over a paper image. The image has to be toner-based, but can be color, b&w, or even from a magazine or book. After the gel layers dry sufficiently, I submerge the entire paper into a bowl of water (as seen on the video clip). After the paper fibers have softened enough to be removed, I carefully work the paper away from the gel. The toner has already bonded to the gel, so when the paper is removed, the image stays on the gel.

In the video, I begin removing the paper from an image that has been coated with gel, and I finish up paper removal on a smaller gel that has already been worked once. No narration, just the artist working with the birds happily chirping in the background!

I've found that this technique is working well with my "femmage" collages... and I have been able to successfully control the results to some extant.

Lori: The Process

On this particular work, there are two gel transfers on the bottom layer that have been painted from behind. The next layer has some transfers from a book that Lori passed along to be with some basic tissue paper collage. Each layer has been coated with "enviro-tex" epoxy which has been flattening and smoothing the layers. The layer added in the video also included text that was derived from Lori's personal experience in art, along with some line work.

There are several aspects of this piece that qualify it as a "femmage." First of all, it is created by a woman, and the subject is female. Photographs have been included, by way of acrylic gel transfer. The quilted transfers add two femmage aspects. The fact that they are photographs of quilts, I believe, can be interpreted as a form of fabric. Also, the book was something saved by the subject. Text, although it is not embroidered, has been included.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the result, and I can't wait to see if Lori and other viewers can identify the piece as a portrait. Final image will be posted soon!

Adding a gel to "Lori"

The video clip captures the artist at work! After removing the paper from the gel, and deciding on placement, I use the gel medium to adhere the portrait transfer to the piece. Once dried, I add a layer of "enviro-tex" polymer.