Introducing my class (See the class)

I teach Beginning and Intermediate Fiber Arts at the University of Missouri. I have 11 Beginning Fiber students, 1 Intermediate student, and 1 graduate student in my class. This class has students from multiple medias like painting, printmaking, drawing, graphic design, sculpture and ceramics. We spend a three-hour block of time, twice a week, in the studio making paper, baskets, bookbinding, weaving, sculptural paper and wearable surface designs. I’m hoping that adding VTS to my curriculum will motivate and push my older students, those older than 17, to see art with new eyes. I would like to see them engaged and go beyond their own passé attitude of just making art they feel comfortable with, but attempt to redefine their own self-made boundaries.

Blog Topic #2 WEEK 2: VTS Practice/”Dress Rehearsal” (professional peers)

Having a group of MFA students and the head of fiber faculty changes this conversation. They all wanted to talk at the same time.  They started to talk over each other and I had a hard time getting in one of the questions. They answered it before I could ask them, “What do you see that makes you say that?” They were also bouncing off each other’s questions in a high level of discussion. This group has worked together in critiques and understands what it’s like to have a high level discussion about artwork.  They saw more than what was actually on the surface of the artwork and pulled out additional surface details. The level of understanding for formal art helped the discussion go much farther than what we had talked about on Saturday in the classroom. I did enjoy having my peers do this for me. Also, filming this helped me to see that I need to work on the location and angle of the camera. The audience was very much into the discussion and pulling out what was in the art and what the art might be about. After we had the critique of the artwork, I turned off the camera before we were done talking about the work.  The group gave me a lot of advice on how to improve my student’s understanding of different ways to look at artwork. It was fun to be on the other side with Jo in the discussion. I love that she was a big part of it.

Blog Topic #1 Week #1 Blog (Based on VTS understandings to date)

I think all students, no matter what age, will be able to identify at some level with the VTS.  I do feel those students that start at a younger age will be able to take the VTS farther into their life skills. After reading Yenawine, where she talks about Permission to Wonder this helps show that younger children ask the why question more often than older adults. I think if we all asked why and looked at the world/art in the wonder of the child’s eye, we just might see beyond this time and now. Asking why within the modern world, about the old world, can help us understand the new world. Contemporary society in the museum setting is fast paced, leaving most viewers frustrated with art today.  Taking the time to ask why, would help in the understanding of the artwork and the artist. In that way we can reflect back to the old world of where did this idea come from and open up a discussion about the why.

About myself:

First I'm a wife to amazing man that is working on his Mater of Art in Teaching at Columbia College.

Second I’m a mother of three grown children that are all married. We have three grandchildren to date with more to come.

Third I’m a working artist and have exhibited my work all over the world. Just in the last year my work has been exhibited in Columbus Mississippi, San Antonio Texas, St. Louis Missouri, Edinburgh Scotland, Norwich England and Belfast Ireland.

Fourth I’m working on my Master of Fine Arts in Fiber Arts and my Mater of Education in Art Education K-12 at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Fifth I'm an Instructor of Record for Beginning and Intermediate Fiber Arts in the Department of Art, University of Missouri, and Instructor at the Craft studio for Student Life at the University of Missouri, and an Academic Mentor for the Total Person Program in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at the University of Missouri-Columbia

Artist Statement - Abstract

I.               

                           “Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach It.” – Salvador Dali

            The quest for perfection is exhausting and unrelenting, although many strive to attain it. This project challenges the notion of “perfection” as it pertains to the idealized family. Garment-like sculptures, depicting family members, highlight emotional states in a variety of ideal and destructive behaviors in order for viewers to evaluate their personal relationship with family.

            I use sewing thread, because of its perceived qualities of strength and fragility, is used as a material to construct garment-like sculptures in various states of completion and deconstruction. The use of this material, simultaneously suggests strength and fragility in various situations from idealistic perfection to life-changing moments of crisis.  “Holding on by a thread” is suggested by open, worn areas on the garments, while the act of obsessively interlocking the threads through chaotic stitching, depicts the pressures of coveting perfection. Family members are showcased metaphorically individually and in groupings. Extremes of family emotional states are suggested through the perfect whole garment contrasted by a thread-barren puddle. These echoes of garments highlight the futility of the quest for perfection and the ideal family, because in truth this condition is unattainable.

The garment as metaphor

The quest and the emotional state of each member of the family are shown through a thread
like garment. By challenging the notion of perfection inside the family unit, I am asking the 
viewers to evaluate their own behavior. 
1) The amount of thread in each piece helps show the work involved in keeping them healthy. 
2) A complete whole garment suggests the moment of life when we feel whole. 
3) Each layer of thread shows the experience of being positive and that of negative moments 
    with in your life. 
4) Water soluble stabilizer “Solvy” that each garment is sewn on then washed away show that 
    we can wash away the past and start anew.