photoshop

Glitch Series 01

Since returning home after the completion of my MFA thesis I've been taking it pretty easy and trying to allow myself some sort of break. I've recently completed a new project titled Glitch Series 01, which involved converting a series of digital image glitches (sourced from images generated in Photoshop) into a cross-stitch pattern which was then completed as a cross-stitch work. 

The images used for this project were a series of glitches that occurred one day while I was working on another project in Photoshop. The file that I opened did not appear the way that it was supposed to, instead it was a collaged mashup of several files which I had opened within the past week or so. Instead of dismissing this unexpected moment as a computer failure, I accepted it as a gift. It was as if the computer had gotten frustrated with the overwhelming amount of information and data I had given it within a short span of time and this was its way of materializing that frustration. The computer had spoken and I wanted to savour every last moment of it that I could. 

I proceeded to save and alter these strange glitches that reloaded and occurred each time I saved the file. I adjusted the curves and colourations of some of the images before saving them, in order to enhance the artistic, almost painterly qualities. In the moment it was a highly energized, playful interaction, a constant wave of communication that fluctuated between myself and the computer.

I stored these glitch images in a folder on my hard drive, unsure of my future plans for them. It wasn't until I began integrating cross-stitching into my thesis projects that I realized this is what the glitch series would become. 

I selected 9 cropped sections (below) of the single glitch image (above) to create a series of images that would then be converted into a series of cross-stitches. 

The 9 selected images above were then uploaded onto a website called StitchFiddle.com, where they were converted into cross-stitch patterns. Below are the resulting cross-stitched works.

Each piece is approximately 3.5" x 3.5". I'm still working out the kinks for final display but currently my plan is to frame each digital image with its corresponding cross-stitch partner in a 20" x 20" frame with a double window matte. Below is a rough mock-up of what each of the final pieces will look like framed. 

This project evolved and developed over a long period of time, but I am extremely happy with the results. I wouldn't be surprised if I continue doing more cross-stitch works with a digital aesthetic in the future. 

MFA Thesis Exhibition

Last week our MFA Thesis Exhibition titled 3...2..1.Chaos opened and I defended my thesis I Come From a Long Line of Machines. 

I Come From a Long Line of Machines investigates the repetitive processes of embroidery, finger knitting, digital image-making using Photoshop, and how they are similar in their use of mechanical systems. By engaging in a collaborative process with different machines and tools, I attempt to share control of artistic production. I address notions of artistic authorship, chaos, order, control, infinity, and mechanical repetitive systems. I embrace systematic processes in order to create art that is similar to that of a programmed machine. By doing so I am able to gain perspective into the ways in which machines and humans are alike.

Final Year Begins

Summer has come to an end and it's less than a week until I'm back into the swing of things for my last year of my MFA program. I have mixed feelings of anxiety, stress, and excitement about the upcoming academic year. By June 2017, I will finally be done with school most likely forever or at least for a while. Not sure what my plans are going to be after graduation at the moment. I'll look for post-secondary teaching jobs or possibly apply for artist residencies abroad. But for now I'll be mostly focusing on the year ahead, which means making a concrete body of work for my thesis exhibition and writing my thesis paper.

Check out some of the most recent MFA projects I've been working on. 

Summer MFA Studio Progress

Although I am home in BC for the summer and trying to have as much of a "summer break" as possible, I am still expected to continue working on my MFA studio work and thesis. This is a look into the work I have been creating over the summer. 

First I began by creating source images based on three themes or areas of focus. In my last blog I shared images of the first theme "Leaves/Nature". The other two themes I've been working on are "Ocean Life" and "The Human Body". 

Below are the drawings/paintings I created from referencing a documentary film on ocean life.  

Below are drawings/paintings I created by referencing my Human Anatomy textbook from University. 

With these source images I finally began to work back into Photoshop to create digitally produced works of art.

Below I will show the source images first and then the resulting digital artworks that have been formed from the initial image. 

Tulip Tree Leaf

Puffer Fish

Leg Muscles and Bones

Deltoid Muscles

Fish (no reference)

Coleus Leaf

Abstract (No theme)

It's been an interesting experiment trying to incorporate more specific reference images into my source drawings. There are aspects that I find pleasantly surprising, but mostly I find myself falling back to my comfort zone of abstraction. When I create abstract works its seems less straining and forced. I feel that my best works are those that flow naturally from within and are created based off an intuitive process, which I find is a much more relaxing and easing approach. 

From the Studio to the Computer: Making Patterns

This semester I've had two courses that have kept me very busy with lots of reading. To be honest I haven't spent a lot of time in the studio. This is also due to the fact that I've been creating a lot of work from home on my computer using Photoshop. But the day before open studios I found some time to be in my studio and play with all sorts of different materials and processes. I decided to use this spare time to let go, relax, have fun, and experiment with whatever I had lying around.

I had some pre-mixed paint that I had been storing in some old tupperware containers for a couple months and I was going to clean it up. I then proceeded to use paper towels to scoop out the old paint. But instead of throwing out the paint, I used the paper towel similar to the way I would use a sponge to apply texture to several sheets of bristol. I also mixed some paint with crackle paste medium and used a palette knife to create shapes and textures on cardboard and card-stock. Lastly I ripped a small piece of canvas and collaged it onto a sheet of stonehenge with some of the paint and crackle paste.

Although I was creating with little intention, in the back of my mind I knew that I would be able to use these small pieces as sources to create digital patterns. The next day when everything had dried I scanned all the images using a flatbed scanner at the school. Below are the patterns that I created using the above experiments. Each source image precedes the patterns that were produced using that image. 

Patterns really can be created out of anything and everything. The world is my oyster! I'm feeling so inspired these days and I don't see it ending any time soon! 

- Mal 

Pattern Frenzy

Sunday, November 29th: 

Pattern frenzy?! What does this mean?! Well I've been slightly more pattern obsessed than usual. It all started after one of my professors asked if I had ever thought of printing on fabric or creating wallpapers. That's when my mind went crazy I began making patterns in Photoshop with anything and everything that I had access to. So basically this meant making patterns from my paintings, drawings, and photographs. 

Fire Hose, 8x10", Silver gelatin print, 2015, Mallory Donen  

My first experiment began when I cut out a fire hose from a photograph I had taken with my 35mm camera. I decided to scan the image since I found that the shape left behind looked interesting and I wanted to make a pattern from it.  

Next I began making patterns using old photographs I had taken with my DSLR. 

Here you can see how two photographs taken with my 35mm camera were combined to make a single pattern. 

The next group of patterns were created using test strips from the darkroom. The test strips were then scanned and manipulated in Photoshop to produce the images below. 

Negative scratching can come in various forms, some examples may include literally scratching a film negative with a sharp tool such as a push pin, paper clip, or even a nail. However, painting or drawing onto a negative is also a form of negative scratching. The photographs below were created by painting india ink onto blank negatives. The ink cracked upon drying which created a unique and intriguing naturally occurring pattern. The images were then scanned and digitally manipulated in Photoshop to create various patterns. 

This next series of patterns were created using photographs from a new project titled Paper Sculpture series. 

Here's a set of patterns I created using these ink drawings/paintings. 

Untitled, 8x10", Ink and water-soluble pencils on rag paper, 2015, Mallory Donen

Untitled, 8x10", Ink and water-soluble pencils on rag paper, 2015, Mallory Donen

This photograph is of an object I created for my Print Media class in 2013. The sculpture was created with a styrofoam ball and pipe cleaners. I also used this image to create several patterns.