2nd Year MFA Progress/Update

It's been a busy start the year and things are not slowing down any time soon. This semester I am in three courses (Studio/Thesis, Seminar, and Investigating Installation elective). However, next semester I will only be taking one course which means I'll be focusing all of my attention towards my studio work and writing my thesis. 

A couple weeks into classes and we started things off with 2nd year MFA presentations. Each of us installed some works which we created throughout the summer and we had to give a five minute presentation in front of the School of Art faculty members. During the presentation I explained the research and projects I created this summer. After the presentation I answered questions from the faculty regarding the work I presented.

As per usual, I created a lot of work this summer. However, since most of my digital work is quite large and I am still a student on a budget I put together an overview of some of the work I made in the summer. I also printed two larger pieces one 43x43 inches and the other 36x43 inches. 

As I mentioned above I am also taking an elective focused on investigating different types of installation. I've begun working on a hand-painted india ink drawing on a large paper roll which in the end will be suspended and installed in a circular formation (with a slit to walk inside of it). The imagery will fully encompass the visual field of the viewing subject. See below for images of the work in progress thus far. 

Last night I went to Nuit Blanche Winnipeg, which was my second year in a row attending. This year I found it much more exciting and eventful! My favourite installations were the ones that involved light, play, and interaction. Another memorable moment was riding the trolley from St. Boniface to the WAG with a live brass band.

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. 

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day everyone! What an amazing country we live in. I can't think of a better place to live. Living in such a beautiful country and province, it's not very surprising that I love nature. I've been doing lots of biking since I've been home in BC for the summer. I try to take my sketchbook with me every chance I can so that I can sketch things while I'm taking a break on longer bike rides. Last week I biked 26km from Crescent Beach to White Rock Beach and back home. Here are a couple of sketches from the journey. 

 

I also started to do some more watercolour which I'm very excited about, since I only really started to get into watercolour last year. I recently did a series of watercolour paintings of leaves that are based off of images found in a book I bought from Black Bond Books in South Surrey. After I painted them, I added fine line details with a black pen. 

This series of leaf paintings are going to be used as source images for a new digital artwork I will be creating as part of my MFA studio work. I also have two other projects I will be creating during the summer for my MFA including one based off of the human body and one based off of sea creatures/sea-life. Stay tuned to see more of my MFA summer projects! 

Linocut Tutorial

The video below is a step-by-step tutorial on how to create linocut prints.
From beginning to end I'll show you how my printmaking process comes to life.
Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions! 

All of the prints you see in this video are pictured below
and are available for purchase at my Etsy shop.

Update: Work, work, and more work.

Judging by the title I'm sure it's obvious that I've been busy working since I've gotten home from school. Although I am expected to continue making work for my thesis exhibition while I'm home, May has been my month off from school. To be completely honest I really haven't had any time to squeeze in even just a moment for school. 

Since I've been home I have worked every weekend as a sports photographer shooting and selling at lacrosse and hockey tournaments. The hours are long and gruelling, but the gig pays well and I love the company that I work for. 

On Friday evenings I coach a youth indoor Atomic volleyball program (ages 9-12 girls) for an hour and a half. Last week my beach volleyball coaching began and it will continue for Tuesday and Thursday nights for the next 5 or so weeks. Finally a couple weeks after that beach program wraps up, I'll start coaching another beach volleyball program on Tuesday nights till the end of the summer. 

As you can see I'm just a little busy and on top of all of my guaranteed income jobs, I've been working rigorously on selling my art. On my second week back from school I completed a commission landscape/night-scape painting. I have a couple of other jobs lined up, but I'm always looking to do other custom paintings.

I've also been working hard on creating an Etsy shop. Etsy is a website where artists, crafters, artisans, and other people who make and sell quality goods, gifts, and items host online shops. If you haven't looked at the website it's the perfect place to find meaningful items and gifts for yourself, friends, and family. Of course I would love it if you would check out my shop first. I also shot an about me video for the my Etsy shop page and new headshots too! 

Click this link >http://bit.ly/etsyshop-artbymallorydonen< to check out the Etsy shop. 

Art by Mallory Donen www.artbymallorydonen.ca http://bit.ly/etsyshop-artbymallorydonen

Art Battle: 397 Vancouver, Red Room Ultra Bar, Vancouver BC

Lastly, are some updates on other art related things I've been doing and will be doing this summer.

On this past Thursday I competed in my second Art Battle in Vancouver. Although I didn't go through to the final round I still had a blast and I felt a lot more relaxed than the previous one I had done. 

I submitted to another show at Hot Art Wet City in Vancouver. This is the piece that got in to the show called "Eat Yo Self". The theme of the exhibition is anthropomorphic cannibalism.

The opening reception for the show is Friday June 3 from 7-11pm and runs from June 2-25. If you're in Vancouver be sure to check it out! 

Milk-o-holic, 9x12", Black ink and water-soluble pencils on bristol, Mallory Donen

I also got into "Back Alley Artists Night". I'll be showing some of my paintings at this event in downtown Vancouver. 

Here's some more info: 

The Back Alley Artists Night is an annual, one night showcase brought to you by The Purple Stapler. It features the work of emerging filmmakers, visual artists, slam poets, performance artists and live musicians from across the Lower Mainland and provides an opportunity for cross discipline networking while celebrating amazing art.

Date: June 4th, 2016
Location: CBC Studio 700 @ 700 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2R5
Tickets are $15 online or at the door (cash and credit accepted). 

Here's a link to the Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/565689430279336/

A couple of weeks ago I received my copy of the publication "Modern Laundry" in the mail. Two of my photographs are featured and one of them is even a full spread! 

I think that's about all there is to share at this point. If you're interested in receiving my newsletter email me at info@artbymallorydonen.ca. The newsletter will include updates like these and special discounts at my Etsy shop. Also if you or anyone you know is interested in having me complete a commissioned painting or mural I am always looking for more work. 

End of Semester Critique

Yesterday I had my final critique of the first year of the MFA program at U of M. I installed new work I had made since my midterm critique in one room, and I installed the work that I made in the first half of the semester inside of my studio.

 

Staying within the medium of digital art, I've been pushing myself even further with this new approach. I am using the computer to make complex patterns from drawings, paintings, and photographs. There are multiple layers with varying degrees of transparency. Sometimes I cut and paste sections into random places on the image or I delete sections altogether. My process has become very collage based and I like to recycle old works into new ones. My practice continues to surprise me and it is in a constant state of transformation and development. 

I'm so happy with the work that I have produced during my time in the MFA program. I never could have imagined this is what my art would look like. One of the most valuable things that I've learned this year is that artists need to take chances and try new things. I believe that this is the only way artists truly reach their full potential.

I'm excited to return home in 9 days! I can't wait to spend time with friends and family. I'll be working several jobs including sports photography, coaching indoor and beach volleyball. The rest of my summer will be spent playing beach volleyball, hiking, running, biking, and making art.

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.