Anna S.

Getting to know sculpture 🗿| Diving into color 🎨| Exploring the application of creativity + faith

[annaspoolstra]

Studio Project: Documentation Post 📸

Title: "Full of Wonder"

Materials: Tagboard, construction paper, cardstock, various collected items

Dimensions: 9.75 x 11 in.

Artist Statement:

🎨 I so enjoyed getting to know Joseph Cornell’s work this semester! This piece is entitled “Full of Wonder” and I intended for it to reflect the way Cornell looked at the world with the wondering eyes of a child. I also wanted to combine two of the main themes of his work: childhood nostalgia/games and travel. This box encapsulates my personal childhood memories of summer road trips with my family. Each of these items were carefully chosen to represent different aspects of our trips, so that the end result is like a 3D scrapbook. These items represent my love of God’s creation and our National Parks, as well as the way my imagination was able to run wild and free as the road went by. As we drove, I was often either immersed in a book or riding my train of thought as I listened to travel playlists. These trips (and the items I collected on them) fed my imagination and created treasured memories with my family. I wanted these items to act like puzzle pieces; put together, they create a window of my past, a picture of my childhood wonder and curiosity, and a reminder of the little objects that can tell our stories. 

🎨 I’ll be honest, this piece was a harder one for me. I don’t think of myself as a collector like Joseph Cornell; I’m not one to have little bits of paper, toys, and other ephemera sitting around. I’m not really a collage-er either. But as I studied Cornell’s works and started making this box, I realized how many little collected pieces of the past I have. In a way, this project reminded me of the child still within me, the little girl who found wonder in hotel key cards and mini dolls and polished rocks. And I remembered how she’s still the foundation of who I am. I might be more of a minimalist now, but I still love mini things, and I still have a creative, imaginative spirit. I’m still moved by music and stories and nature. This project provided me a window into my past, and it gave me an opportunity to communicate with Joseph Cornell––one of my new favorite artists. :)

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #15

1️⃣ What’s abstraction good for? Describe some of the reasons why artists might employ abstraction in their work. 

The biggest thing abstraction does is it allows for more artistic freedom. Sometimes it’s not always easy to make art that says something concrete and sure; sometimes the artist is still wrestling with topics and ideas, and what they create reflects that. Artists might use abstraction in their pieces as a way to show that struggle with various ideas and inspirations. 

Abstraction also makes room for more than just the traditional mediums and styles of artworks, like Renaissance oil paintings and marble statues. Abstraction allows for a variety of creations to be called art, from crayon drawings to crocheted works to assemblage. Artists might use abstraction to explore new mediums and communicate new ideas in ways that are different from the traditional routes.

Additionally, abstraction provides for a wider range of interpretations of an artist’s message, which is necessary and good. Artworks can often be more engaging and meaningful when their message isn’t immediately obvious. Artists may employ abstraction to encourage their viewers to not only contemplate different topics but also to personally connect with the pieces the artist makes. I think that oftentimes art becomes more personal to both artists and viewers when there’s a little abstraction to the piece.

2️⃣ What does having a physical space to make art in mean for your process and how do you make your space work for you?

I’ve found that I work best at my desk in my bedroom, where I have a quiet space with great natural lighting. Something about having my own physical space to create in facilitates my creative process. My room is a place where I can be sure I have all the materials I need , and where I can work freely, spreading out materials everywhere. It’s also a comfortable, familiar place, where I can be focused on my work instead of distracted by my surroundings. 

I make the space work by using makeshift surfaces to work on––my dresser, the foot of my bed, the carpet, etc. I also borrow lamps from around the house when it gets dark, because light is a huge part of my creative process. I’m most comfortable creating in my room, where I can focus in silence or with music, in daylight or lamplight, without the need to transport each medium and material I might need to create with (like I do for practicum). I really think my creative process and best work depends on being able to work in my own space.

📸Photo Credit: https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/681876852548272128/questions-of-the-week-whats-abstraction-good

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #14

1️⃣ How does the location or context of a work of art affect its meaning?

The location and context of an artwork can definitely play a central role in its meaning. For example, art that is location-specific, like public art and monuments, are often more meaningful to the local people and the place’s history because of its location and context. I think of the monuments in Washington DC, which commemorate great leaders, and significant events in American history. Their placement in our nation’s capital adds significance to their message and purpose.

While this is not always the case, I think many artworks need to be given context too, for their meaning to be fully communicated. There is a lot of meaning we can draw from art just by our own interpretations, but the meanings of artworks generally become deeper and more significant when we can understand the artist’s inspirations and reasons for creating their work.

2️⃣ Are there any particular activities you do everyday as an artist?

I wish I could say I have artistic practices that I do consistently on the daily, like painting or sketching for x minutes…but I don’t really. What I usually find myself doing is taking pictures of little things that catch my interest throughout the day—a gorgeous flower, an interesting cloud, or a book cover design I love. I also scan Instagram (and sometimes Pinterest) and take screenshots of art and designs that I’d like to incorporate into my art later on. I don’t generally plan to do these things each day, they just kinda happen as I go about life🙃

📸 Photo Credit:

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/681239439940501504/questions-of-the-week-how-does-the-location-or

[annaspoolstra]

For Further Study: Joseph Cornell 🎨 🔍

I had so much fun researching the life and artwork of Joseph Cornell! His work is fascinating and nothing like I'd ever seen! I was disappointed that I couldn't include more of his work in my presentation, but I've listed some of his art below if you want to know more! ⤵️

🎨 Untitled (Penny Arcade Portrait of Lauren Bacall) (ca. 1946)

Exhibition context: First exhibited in the Hugo Gallery in New York (Dec. 1946)

Date: 1945-46

Materials: Wood, glass, paint, tinted glass, mirror, foil paper, string, thread and printed paper collage

Dimensions: 20½ x 17 x 3½ in.

To see the careful details and fun interactive-ness of this piece, watch this little video!

🎨 Cockatoo and Corks (ca. 1948)

Exhibition context: Originally exhibited in 1949 at the Charles Egan Gallery, this piece was part of the 26 boxes that comprised Cornell’s Aviary series. It now resides in a private collection.

Date: 1948

Materials: Wood, paint, glass, metal and printed paper collage, with music box

Dimensions: 14 3/8 x 13 1/2 x 5 5/8 in.

🎨 Object (Roses des vents) (ca. 1953)

Exhibition context: Currently contained in the MoMA collection

Date: 1942-53

Materials: Wood, compasses, printed paper collage, shells, marbles

Dimensions: 2 5/8 x 21 1/4 x 10 3/8 in.

A note about this piece: “Roses des vents” means “compass dial” in French, and the title is a reference to a poem by Philippe Soupault, a friend of Cornell’s. The lid of this box is lined with maps, and mini compasses are set into a wood tray. Underneath, there are compartments with maps, diagrams of constellations, shells, marbles, a beetle and a paper fish. I just love how this box is constructed, and how it communicates the theme of travel.

🎬 Rose Hobart (ca. 1936)

Exhibition context: This film first premiered at the Julien Levy Gallery in New York

Date: 1936

Materials: Footage from East of Borneo (1931), other movie clips, Brazilian record from a thrift store

Dimensions: N/A

I wanted to also include one of Cornell’s experimental films, since I didn’t get to mention them in my presentation. This one, titled Rose Hobart after the main actress of the B-movie East of Borneo (1931), is the first film he made.

For more information about how Cornell made this video collage, and details about Salvador Dalí’s unexpected reaction to the film, visit this link from MoMA. And click here to watch the film on YouTube.

🔍 For more information on Joseph Cornell, check out these links:

1️⃣ This article from The Art Story provides a great synopsis of Joseph Cornell’s life, accomplishments, and key artworks. For anyone who just wants to dip their toes into Cornell’s background and work, this is a great resource!

2️⃣ This article from The Guardian was written during the Royal Academy of Art’s 2015 exhibition of Cornell’s work (called Joseph Cornell: Wanderlust). I found it to be a really comprehensive look at Cornell’s background, inspirations, and artwork. If you want to get to know Joseph Cornell more personally, this is a good read!

3️⃣ This 6-minute video details the Joseph Cornell pieces belonging to Ed and Lindy Bergman, who were enthusiastic collectors of Cornell’s work. The video provides a great introduction to some of his other artworks, so if you want a general overview of his art, check this one out!

[annaspoolstra]

Sculpture Research: Handmade Recycled Paper 📝♻️🌷

I had so much fun with our papermaking this week! I absolutely love the results! 😍 I think there's something so lovely about the rough texture embedded with flowers. It feels similar to a paper egg carton, and it makes me want to scribble the surface with pens and brush it with paint, just to see what happens 😄

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #13

1️⃣ What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?

There have definitely been times when I’ve gotten bored or frustrated with a piece I was working on. In those instances, I’ll usually take a break from making and do something else. Sometimes I’ll take a walk, grab a snack, or work on other tasks. If I’m tired, I’ll scroll Instagram or watch a movie to give my brain a rest. Usually, I can come back to my art with more patience and motivation after a break.

When I’m feeling unmotivated with my art in general, I’ll try switching to a different medium. If I’ve been using watercolor, I’ll try sketching with a pencil or pen, or I’ll play with markers and colored pencils. Or I might switch to my iPad to work with layers and the handy undo button for awhile. And if I’m feeling uninspired, I’ll look at artists on Instagram and Pinterest. Lately I’ve been building up a list of “Future Art Project Ideas” on my phone, jotting down ideas for when I experience artist’s block. Sometimes I just need a switch in materials, some inspiration from other artists, and space to play without any pressure to create a piece, in order to feel motivated again.

2️⃣ Can art provoke change or transform our way of thinking? How?

Absolutely! Art is all about communicating others’ perspectives, and those perspectives can change how we see art and the world around us. Personally, I feel like my own perception of art and what constitutes art has been shaped by the artwork I’ve been exposed to in the past two years. I’ve noticed that I have a more open mind about what counts as art and a greater appreciation for art in general.

My mind also goes to our recent conversation in class about craftivism—the ways artists use their craft to advocate for change in society. This is one example of how art can be used to change people’s ways of thinking about current events, and to bring awareness to other people’s experiences. It’s really an inspiring thought, to know that art has the ability to influence people’s decisions and actions.

I also think of all the illustrations I’ve seen over the years, especially in textbooks. I’m a visual learner, and if there weren’t diagrams for biological processes or geometric problems, my learning would have been dramatically impacted. So even the artwork we (maybe) take for granted has the ability to help us understand concepts and processes, transforming how we think about the world and those around us.

📸 Photo Credit

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/680605896809824256/questions-of-the-week-what-do-you-do-to-keep

[annaspoolstra]

Sculpture Research: Paper Mache cup 📰 ☕️

I made a cup of gold! 😊 It was so fun experimenting with paper mache over the past couple classes. It took me back to third grade 😂 and reminded me how versatile paper is. I love the texture of paper mache when it's dry! 👌🏻

[annaspoolstra]

Questions of the Week #12

1️⃣ How have the tools and materials of artists changed over time?

Today there’s an overwhelming variety of tools and materials artists can use to create, but this wasn’t always the case. If you think back to the Renaissance, artists were mainly using charcoal, oil paint, watercolor and marble for sculptures. Over time, as society’s perceptions of art and artists changed, a vast array of other tools and materials have been added to these traditional ones. Now almost anything can be used to create artwork––materials range from those found on the street or in nature, to “regular” paints, pencils, canvases and wood, to digital platforms for photo editing and graphic design. And I have to say, I’m very happy to be an artist during this time; I love the variety of options available to experiment with!

2️⃣ What impact do you think commercialism and the media have had on your work? Is this good or bad?

I think these have had a moderate impact on how I approach my work and the creative process (especially commercialism). I’ve noticed, mainly on social media, how artists with small businesses promote their work and encourage aspiring artists to create things that sell, sometimes according to the current trends, sometimes not. As a result, although I haven’t personally created work to sell it, I’ve definitely thought about it. I believe there’s an inherent value in art (so that it doesn’t have to be a money source), but I also think it’s great when someone’s work can make a profit for them. So I don’t feel that approaching my work and artmaking in general from a commercial standpoint is bad. But I also think there should still be space for an artist to create for themselves without the need to sell it.

📸 Photo Credit

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/679973853799317504/questions-of-the-week-how-have-the-tools-and

[annaspoolstra]

Questions of the Week #11

1️⃣ What role does art play in our society? What role does art play in the church?

When I think about the art I see regularly in society, I think of advertisements, which convey information and prompt people to do certain things. So there’s definitely a commercial aspect to art in society. I also think of social media platforms, which are inundated with graphics, photos, and videos. These posts (most of which I would characterize as art) document people’s lives, helping to connect family members, friends, and strangers with glimpses into other people’s worlds and surroundings. Much of the art on social media (at least what I see) also provides interest, entertains viewers, and generally brightens people’s days. As a result, I think art in society creates connections, communicates thoughts and ideas, and ultimately makes life more enjoyable.

The chief role of art in the church is to facilitate worship of our Creator. I see this especially in the worship music, the filming of worship and sermons, and the occasional live paintings that happen during services. I think the role of art in the church also overlaps with art’s roles in society. Art is used in the church to connect church members and create an atmosphere of fellowship and welcome. This is seen especially in the use of graphics for events and even the church’s interior design, which fosters community and identifies the church as God’s house.

2️⃣ How do you want people to remember your work?

I try to put a lot of meaning in what I create, with the hope that those who see it will take the time to consider the story it tells. I try to create work that is uplifting and hope-filled, inspired by my faith as a Christian and my own experiences and struggles. I want people to be encouraged by my work and to consider the ideas it presents in addition to any beauty it offers to the world.

📸 Photo Credit

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/679337508016898048/questions-of-the-week-what-role-does-art-play-in

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #10

1️⃣ What are the most important skills an artist can have?

One of the key skills an artist can have is the skill of observation. Art-making is an inherently visual process, and being able to notice/pay attention to the shapes, patterns, and textures around you is really important for creating.

I think another important skill is the ability to market/communicate about your work and purpose as an artist. All of the most successful artists I’ve encountered are able to communicate well about their work, so I think that ability is an important skill to have in your artist tool belt.

2️⃣ What risks have you taken in your work and what has been at stake?

The work that has been most risky for me are pieces that I’ve made for class or for the art show. These pieces have deadlines attached, so there’s a time pressure, and there’s usually a grade that’s at stake as well. The risks that I’ve taken in these pieces generally have to do with experimenting with the combination of things that I already know how to do and things that I’ve never tried before. I think it could be argued that experimenting and trying new things is part of being an artist, and is not as much of a risk and a responsibility. However, when there are deadlines and grades at stake, I would argue that experimenting is a risk.

📸 Photo Credit

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/678659854600110080/questions-of-the-week-what-are-the-most-important

[annaspoolstra]

Studio Project 01: Sculpture Sampler 🎨 🐘 🎒

Title: “Dumbo”

Materials: cotton T-shirts (5 XXXL and 3 XXL), felt sheets, plastic buttons, wool roving, thread

Dimensions: 17” L x 7” W x 14” H

➡️ I had so much fun creating this little backpack! It was so magical to transform something from a sketch on my iPad to a physical object. It took a lot of time, especially since I used my own T-shirt yarn to make it, but it was worth it! I’ve never created anything like this before, and now I want to make more crochet backpacks! 😂

Recipe for Interesting Art 🎨

1️⃣ Something we’ve learned in class: I used the basic crochet techniques we covered in class, including our flat seaming crochet and surface crochet. I also incorporated needle felting to create the little yellow hat.

2️⃣ Something you already know how to do: I already knew how to sew a running stitch 🪡

3️⃣ Something new you’ve learned: I learned a lot of things to make this project! First, I learned how to make T-shirt yarn by cutting up T-shirts into mostly continuous strips and pulling them to create string. I also learned how to join the yarn strips. Then, I learned how to crochet an expanding rectangle for the base of the backpack (as shown in this video), which was a technique that was also covered in class as part of the Mobis potholder. I learned how to crochet a semicircle (part of which required learning how to crochet a magic circle), and how to crochet elephant ears. In addition, I learned some new stitches: half-double crochet stitch, double crochet stitch, and slip stitch. Finally, I learned how to make a basic gathered ruffle.

4️⃣ Specific inspiration #1: For this project, I really wanted to crochet something that would serve a functional purpose. And since I’ve always loved traveling, I decided to make a backpack of some kind.

5️⃣ Specific inspiration #2 (unrelated to first inspiration): I’m always inspired by Disney characters, and the idea of a character-themed backpack was really interesting to me. I’m a big fan of many of the Disney backpacks made by Loungefly, and I figured I could probably make something similar from crochet. One of the Disney characters that is near and dear to my heart is Dumbo––and since I had access to a lot of gray T-shirts, I decided to go with him as my second inspiration :)

📸 Photo Credit:

Top pictures: me

Bottom pictures: my mom 💕

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #9

1️⃣ What shifts have occurred in your work?

The most obvious shifts that have occurred in my work are shifts in materials. When I was just beginning to pursue art-making on a regular basis, I began with pencil drawings, then set off trying new mediums to see how I liked them and what effects they could achieve. Dry media (including graphite, colored pencils, and charcoal) characterizes most of my early work. My more recent work is mainly composed of paintings, especially watercolor, gouache, and acrylic. And my most recent pieces have been sculptural in nature, which is a whole new world that I’m kinda falling in love with :) These shifts in different materials are like a trail showing my history as an artist. I really love exploring materials, and I can easily see my growth as an artist in my different phases of various mediums.

2️⃣ How do the social identities of the artist relate to the work of art they create?

I think one’s identity can easily permeate and be expressed through artwork. Our social identities, then, can play key roles in our decision-making when making art, from the subject and purpose to the choice of materials and colors. I also think that we’re often not aware of how our social identities factor into what we make, but––similar to a worldview––they definitely influence us and our work.

📸 Photo Credit

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/677994037638234112/questions-of-the-week-what-shifts-have-occurred-in

[annaspoolstra]

Sculpture Research (Week 7): Needle and Wet Felting 🪡 💦

🔍 This week’s exploration in felting was so exciting to me! All I’d known of felting before was the polyester sheets you could buy at the store—I didn't even know that there was such a thing as needle felting! I loved making my own little “Truffula Tree” (inspired by Dr. Seuss' The Lorax) and my own sample of felt from dyed wool fibers. It creates such a hardy, yet soft material, and I really love it! 💕

📸 Photo Credit

Google Image of Truffula Tree

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #7

1️⃣ Has there been a person or experience that has steered your work in new or significant directions?

I would say that it’s been my art teachers over the years, both in and outside of school, that have really influenced my work. Through the classes, workshops, and various online art courses I’ve taken, the teachers facilitated my exposure to new materials and mediums. These experiences lit up sparks of inspiration in me, driving me to explore those mediums more on my own time and ultimately direct my work in new ways. Of these art instructors, by far the most influential I’ve had is Tina 😊 Not only has Tina introduced me to a variety of materials and methods of artmaking, but she has challenged me to think of both art in general and my own work with new perspectives—for example, both go far deeper than just creating pretty things! I’m so grateful to get to learn from her instruction and perspectives on art making😄 She’s taught me the importance of art, and I think that’s really influenced my approach to/relationship with art today.

2️⃣ What distinguishes visual art from craft?

These two categories overlap in a lot of ways, but I think they mainly differ in their purposes. Visual art is a broad category, and it is usually made to express oneself and to communicate one’s thoughts and ideas. Craft, on the other hand, is more specialized, and I think it refers more to the repeated production of certain items (that are usually functional) in a way that is “correct” and expected. In other words, there’s not as much random flexibility in the production of craft items than can appear in visual art. This is not to say that one’s creativity is limited in craftsmanship, but that there’s generally an “official” way of making items that serve a functional purpose; major deviations from that way and/or alterations that impede its usual purpose often crosses the work over into the visual art category. For example, making a bookshelf is a craft, but making a cast of the negative space of a bookshelf (as sculptor Rachel Whiteread does) would be visual art.

📸 Photo Credit:

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/676805261011435520/questions-of-the-week-has-there-been-a-person-or

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #6

1️⃣ How would you describe your subject matter or the content of your work?

Honestly, it’s kind of a conglomeration of both materials and subjects. Most of what I’ve made depends on my emotions at the time, and/or what skills I’m trying to build, techniques I’m trying to practice, effects I’m trying to achieve, etc. The large majority of my work is practice and play. As for the content of my work, portraits (especially of girls and fairies) appear a lot in my artwork; I remember those being my go-to subject matter when I was younger and those drawings/paintings taught me a lot about form, proportion and how to convey emotions. I also have a variety of still-lifes and landscapes created from pictures of the things around me and the places I’ve been. I love nature, and I love creating depictions of what I see around me––it just brings me a lot of joy 😊 Another pattern I’ve noticed is bias towards cool colors, especially blue (in fact, it’s hard to find a piece in color without blue from my collection of artwork). My art usually has a light, stylized, sometimes whimsical feel to it.

I often feel like the actual act of creating, especially with traditional mediums is in itself fulfilling to me––which somewhat explains the variety in both my subject matter and materials. I love the tactile feel of making marks on paper and sliding a brush across a canvas. Layering forms of media is very interesting to me too, like drawing in colored pencil over watercolor or gouache. I really like playing with materials, and even if I don’t love the end product, creating for the sake of trying new things makes me happy.

2️⃣ How do the materials used to make art influence the meaning of the work?

I think one of the best things about art and being an artist is the variety of materials out there to use. There are so many options, from found objects to yarn to paint to charcoal to photographs to video to digital programs with their own effects––the list goes on and on. Throw in color variations and different artistic styles and you have millions of ways to communicate visually. Part of being an artist is making decisions about what materials to use for which projects and how much of them and why. Symbolism can thus play a big part in artistic choices. Different materials can symbolize different things in order to best communicate the artist’s message. I feel like materials can act like different tones of voice when you’re talking, or different instruments in music. Changes in these automatically affect the speaker or musician’s message; in the same way, changes in materials influence the meaning of an artist’s message.

📸 Photo credit:

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/676085919989841920/questions-of-the-week-how-would-you-describe-your

[annaspoolstra]

Sculpture Research (Week 6): Molds and Casts

I had so much fun using Tina's "found" molds and Durham's putty to make these little guys! It's so cool how easy it is to create casts with everyday packaging. I think my favorite creation is the little purple bow pin (made with a silicon bow mold, Durham's, a push pin, and acrylic paint) 🎀 🥰

We also made a tape mold of the art studio column on Wednesday, which was SO much fun! Who knew packaging tape was such a versatile material? I loved how we all just decided to recreate the column, and made it happen! We wrapped tape in sections around the original column, then cut them off and reattached them with more tape. We signed our names in Sharpie, and attached our column to the ceiling! Below are some in-process pics and some close-up images of our latest contribution to the art studio 🥰 ⤵️

[annaspoolstra]

Question of the Week #5

1️⃣ Do you see your work as autobiographical at all?

I think so! Art is deeply personal, even if it doesn’t seem like it when you’re just playing with paint swatches or crochet samples. Although most of my pieces were not intentionally made to communicate my personal history, they do show my artistic growth. In that sense, they’re autobiographical representations of my artistic history.

In addition, artwork is generally tied to people’s values, motivations, and experiences. Some of my other artwork has been directly inspired by my own life experiences, personality, joys and fears. Since these pieces are reflections on/of the various events in my life, I would consider my artwork autobiographical.

2️⃣ How do history and the passage of time affect the meaning of an artwork?

Artwork usually becomes more meaningful over time, especially work by artists who were famous (either during their life or posthumously). The older something is, generally the more valuable it becomes. Work by key historical artists connects us not only to their talent but also to bygone eras, functioning somewhat like a time travel device. History also plays a key role in bringing clarity to an artwork’s meaning. Historical events, trends, and values usually become more clear in hindsight, making it a lot easier to analyze the meaning and influences of an artwork, as it’s removed from our contemporary issues.

📸 Photo Credit

https://thinklookmakecycle.tumblr.com/post/675456338784026624/questions-of-the-week-do-you-see-your-work-as