Coming Home

My first year in the MFA program is almost complete. I will be home in two weeks and I couldn't be any more impatient. I find myself missing the mountains, especially since everyone from BC has been posting photos of the nice weather all over social media. This longing for the mountains inspired me to paint a landscape in my studio the other day. Here is how it all came together. 

I started by using a paint brush and india ink to create an outline of mountains, a lake, and some trees. I visualized a scene from my camping trip last summer in BC. Next I added line details using coloured micron pens. 

Coming Home, India Ink and Coloured Micron Pens on Bristol, 11"x14", 2016, Mallory Donen

Afterwards I scanned the above image using a flatbed scanner. I used Photoshop to generate the panorama landscape image below. 

It's amazing how much you can miss things from home that you often take for granted. Can't wait to come home and be reunited with the mountains. 

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 

Update: Shows, Publications, and more!

Sunday, March 6, 2016:

Here's an update on what's been happening with me lately. I've been busy submitting to various shows, publications and residencies. As of right now I have not been accepted for any residencies for the summer. As for shows, I was in the Semiahmoo Arts Members Exhibition, in White Rock, BC, at the Turnbull Gallery from January 10-29, 2016. 

Installation view, 2016, Semiahmoo Arts Members Exhibition, Turnbull Gallery, White Rock, BC

Installation view, 2016, Semiahmoo Arts Members Exhibition, Turnbull Gallery, White Rock, BC

A Day to Live (1), 24x30", Acrylic on canvas, 2015, Mallory Donen  

Wave, 24x30", Acrylic on canvas, 2015, Mallory Donen

I was also in the I Chew Chew Chew You A Pizza Art Show, an exhibition at Hot Art Wet City in Vancouver, BC, from February 11-27, 2016. My image was also published in the Pizza Zine which was a small black and white zine published alongside the exhibition. I'm waiting for my copy to arrive in the mail, but I'll post photos once it arrives. I also found out the other day that my image sold, which was surprising and exciting news! 

Installation view, 2016, I Chew Chew Chew You A Pizza Art Show, Hot Art Wet City, Vancouver, BC 

Gettin' Baked!, 11x14", India ink and watercolour on bristol, 2015, Mallory Donen

Furthermore, I've been accepted for a couple of upcoming publications. I will be in this year's Louden Singletree 2016 issue, which is a student-run literary and visual arts magazine at UFV. The publication will be launching in early April 2016.

Additionally I will also be published in another student magazine created as a curatorial thesis at OCAD University. Below are the images that were chosen and a description of the publication that was listed with the submission posting.
 

Windows Within Windows, 2015, Mallory Donen 

Transitions, 2015, Mallory Donen 

"PUBLICATION DESCRIPTION:
Modern Laundry is an art publication I will be curating and designing for my Curatorial thesis at OCAD University. The project is centred around the site of ruin and how it is perceived, and will be largely submission-based. Here are some ideas I'll be covering:
In the case of architectural ruin, there exists a double state between nostalgic monument to the past and revolutionary allegory for change and rebirth. Ruins are therefore caught between life and death, reminding us of the splendour of the past but also its resultant failures and shortcomings.
The concept of the ruin is complicated further when we look at the relatively recent development of planned obsolescence, in which the ruin is built into the design of consumer products, creating an endless cycle of consumption and excretion. Perceived obsolescence on the other hand does not even rely on the physical breakdown of the object, only the replacement of its sense of newness with another product, casting the first into a grey half-life.
The publication is therefore a comparison between classic and modern conceptions of ruin. How does garbage and the undead object act in relation to the architectural ruin? How do we live both functionally and aesthetically in an undead landscape, caught between growth and decay?
Topics explored include:

Architectural Ruin
Planned / Perceived Obsolescence
Re-adaptation of objects / garbage
Undead objects / architectureRelationship between growth and decay
Trash aesthetics"

Additionally, I just found out today that I've been chosen as one of 15 artists who will be painting at The Brush Off! at the Children's Museum, in Winnipeg, MB, on April 8, 2016. The Brush Off! is a live painting competition with several elimination rounds, where guests vote for their favourite artists. There will be over 35 original paintings created during the night and the paintings will be bid on, with all the proceeds going to the Children's Museum. For more information check out the website: http://childrensmuseum.com/support/the-brush-off

Finally, below are some photos of my most recent work for my MFA. 

Yes, I have been a busy bee lately! I've been working hard and it's definitely paying off, I'm getting experience in so many diverse areas. Only a couple more months of my first year in the MFA program, then I'll be heading back to White Rock for most of the summer!  

Mallory :) 

Midterm Critique

Saturday, February 13, 2016:

This week I had my midterm critique/evaluation with my Thesis Advisor and two committee members. It all went very well and I got lots of good feedback. They were really impressed with the techniques and skills I've acquired since my last critique. I've been creating patterns digitally using Photoshop and my original drawings/paintings. The process is very complicated and involves multiple layers of editing and adjustments. The patterns are irregular and have moments where I purposefully disrupt what is expected of a cohesive repetitive pattern.

However, I'm happy that the feedback wasn't all positive because I wouldn't be able to grow as an artist if they didn't give me some constructive criticism to help push me even further. The main concern my committee members had was that my patterns need a more focused concept and idea behind them. After mulling over what they said, I realized that they are right. If I insert an additional element of meaning behind my patterns they will only become stronger visually and conceptually. 

This upcoming week is reading week, so I don't have any classes. I'll be using this time off to de-stress, relax, and figure out what it is that I want my patterns to say. Take a look at the photos from my midterm installation below as well as a couple detail images of the larger piece. The large piece is 5ftx10ft and the smaller ones are 30"x40" each. 

Start of Winter Term 2016

Tuesday, January 19, 2016:

It's the start of a new year and my second semester in the MFA program at the University of Manitoba. I got off to a rough start and missed my first day of class due to food poisoning, which put me out of commission for a couple days. I binge watched Gilmore Girls on Netflix and soon realized that I've already seen every episode. Once the sickness passed I had lots of work to do and little time to spare. 

The semester is going to be challenging and I'm sure it will push me even further than last term. I'll have a lot more writing and reading to do this semester but I'll still spend plenty of time in the studio too. I got another Teaching Assistantship job for a first year class called Open Studio. Basically the students are assigned projects with themes and it's up to them to decide which medium of art is best suited to their ideas. I gave my first "lecture" or rather powerpoint to the class this week showing them a handful of artists and works to help inspire their own projects.

As some of you may have heard or seen in the news it's finally turned into a typical Winnipeg winter with days as cold as -41 with wind chill. The first couple days of really cold weather were an adjustment, but it's all about adapting to the climate and now that I have it's really not so bad.

I finally found time to spend a solid day in the studio. I spent most of Friday producing source materials for patterns that I would eventually create digitally. Here are the initial drawings/paintings:

Then I spent the weekend working in Photoshop where I manipulated the source images and formulated complex patterns. The photos below show the original drawing/painting next to the pattern that was created from that source image. 

That's all for now, I'll be sure to keep updating my blog as the semester continues. 

Cheers,

Mallory 

Familiarity, Intrigue, and Beauty: The Mundane Urban Landscape

Sunday, December 6: 

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours roaming the streets around my neighbourhood. I walked along Corydon, Osborne, River, and Wellington Crescent. Although I am often inspired by my natural surroundings (don't get me wrong the trees in this area are large and beautiful), I found myself being drawn towards abstract shapes and lines found in the urban landscape.

The Royal Crest: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen 

I began by walking along Corydon towards Confusion Corner when I found myself bored of looking at the storefronts on the main strip. Every time I walk down this street I find myself drawn to the alleys and spaces in between the buildings.

Untitled: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

The alleys and hidden sides of buildings are filled with bizarre imagery that make for interesting documentation of architecture. While photographing these types of images, my goal is to capture unique perspectives that juxtapose elements of nature and the man-made. Alternatively I also attempt to combine various shapes, textures, and patterns, that exist within the immediate urban environment.

Untitled: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

Although these things often seem mundane and functionless, they are strangely interesting to me as I can read a sense of character, animation, and life within them. They're intriguing because they are uncanny elements of the urban landscape that seem unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time. These shapes/structures are repeated within various architectures within the urban setting. But we do not pay attention to these often hidden components, therefore making them seem unique to us when we eventually take the time to notice them. 

For some reason I have always been fascinated with taking photographs of fire hydrants and fire hose connections on the sides of buildings. No matter where I am in the world these are two objects or shapes that are always present. They often look slightly different in shape or color, but it is something I immediately look for when travelling or visiting a new place. Now some may think this is totally strange and there must be something wrong with me right?! Wrong! The reason I do this is to feel connected to home as well as feel more comfortable in my current surroundings. There's satisfaction in knowing that these are things that connect all of us around the world. Some may think this is far fetched, but I truly believe in the power of these mundane signifiers as a way of bringing about a sense of comfort and belonging.

Untitled: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

Untitled: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

While on this photo walk I found myself discovering the mundane urban landscape by seeing things with a new and unique perspective. This meant I was looking up, crouching down, tilting sideways, and basically every other way of looking imaginable. Looking is a powerful thing, but sometimes you need to remind yourself that just because you can see does not mean that you see things.

Windows: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB, Digital Photograph, 2015, Mallory Donen

I was walking past this building when I noticed something beautiful. I walked across the street so that I could get a better angle of what I had just seen. The photograph above (Windows: Photo-Walk, Winnipeg, MB) is what I had seen, a window within a window, within a window. The moment was filled with lines, windows, shapes, and all in all a very interesting pattern formed by architecture, design, and destruction. A man walking by the window looked up in curiosity and confusion. He asked me why I was photographing the window when it was cracked, old, and in his opinion not very beautiful or nice to look at. I simply answered that I thought it was worth photographing and that I'm not interested in what everyone thinks should be photographed, but rather things that get overlooked or forgotten. He seemed happy with my answer and continued on his way, while I continued photographing the moments in the urban landscape that I found intriguing, familiar, and beautiful.


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. 

MFA Studio Sneak-peak

Sunday, November 15, 2015:

I know that I've been slightly MIA lately, but I promise it is because I have been working extremely hard in my studio at the U of M. I'm inspired everyday by my peers, faculty, and my surroundings. It seems like I'm constantly writing down new ideas for projects in my sketchbook. So here is a sneak-peak into my studio and what I've been up to these past couple of months. Enjoy and feel free to share! 

Daydreaming is a series of painted photographs, 
click here to see more of this project and the process of how they were created.

Daydreaming (series in-progress), 36x28", Acrylic on canvas photographic print, 2015, Mallory Donen

Remember my project Freedom Versus Control? Well I am currently recycling it into a new project. I've been cutting out shapes with an exacto knife and doing various things with them. I started out thinking I was going to use them to make collages, but then I began rolling them to keep them from curling and I discovered that they make interesting sculptural objects. That's when I started to glue them and create rolled paper sculptures. Here is a glimpse into what they look like, but you'll have to wait and see the photographs that I shot of them in the studio the other day (I need time to edit them). 

I've also shot a couple rolls of film since I've arrived in Winnipeg. I haven't had a lot of time in the darkroom as they took a while to get everything set up in the new building. But here is a look at some of the photographs I've taken around downtown Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba campus. Some of the photos have been manipulated in either the darkroom or Photoshop.

Here are some photos I took one day in front of my studio mural titled Fiesta. Click here to watch a time-lapse video of how the mural came together. 

That's all I am willing to show at the moment, until next time.

Check out my 2016 Calendars if you haven't had a chance!