Semester Ended

Life Shot

Oil paint on canvas, 24in x 36in, 2018.

A painting of various object’s from Megan’s life from the stuffed moose in the upper right for babyhood to the form titled “Study…” for the study abroad. This circularly movement spirals into the center where wood grain references Megan’s rural childhood yet the open spot indicates the possibilities that the future holds.

This was created as the final, open-ended project for Narrative Painting.

Past Rememberances

Memories

A wide shot showing one side of the sculpture, 2018.

A paper cast of Megan’s desk laid over a plexiglass frame and built with embedded colored thread.

The inside of the sculpture just showing between the paper, 2018.

The ghost like material of the paper reflects the etherealness of memories. More strongly still, the threads appear to run and pool across the top of the piece and, glance through the plexiglass, one can see the threads descending to coil on the tabletop, like a collection of ideas, dreams, and memories.

A focused view of the drawer knob, 2018.

Handmade kozo paper, paper thread, natural dyes, plexiglass; 2018. Full size, approx. 36in x 48in x 24in. This was made for the class, Japanese Papermaking and Aesthetics.

A view across the top showing the inset colored paper threads, 2018.

Community of Paper

Yesterday’s Tomorrow

Wide shot of all seven poems over nine booklets displayed in their custom wooden box.
Wide shot of poems collection; 2018.

A series of booklets connected with handmade kozo paper thread each containing a poem. These poems are: “The Wanderer,” “Silent Cry,” “The Lonely Willow,” “Lives of the Leaves (3 Parts),” The Deep of Winter,” “Lifeless,” “In Conclusion,” and were written and edited over a decade.

A close up riffle shot of the edge of one of the booklets with a focus on the off-white, rough but supple paper quality.
Close up riffle shot; 2018

The story of these poems reflects the climactic plot rise of a narrative and intends to convey a sense of winter, the traditional season for making paper. The books have a very large sensory impact, the tactile feel of the handmade paper, the sound of the pages being turned, the faint smell of the fiber, the soft off-white of the paper and the gray to black of the ink. Beyond this, the books are bound together with lengths of paper thread, both indicating the order in which they are intended to be read and creating a shared community experience when multiple people interact with the collection simultaneously.

Sample page of “Life of the Leaves: The Burnishing,” 2018.

Handmade kozo paper, paper thread, sumi ink, wood, nails; 2018. Full size, approx. 24in x 36in x 2in, individual books vary from 3in x 4in x 0.5in to 4in x 8in x 0.5in. This was made for the class, Japanese Papermaking and Aesthetics.

An image of the poem “The Wanderer,” 2018.