Mary G:)

yer a wizard

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

a covid queen 💅✨

0/10 experience

I lost my taste and smell and had the worst body aches, headaches, and chest pain:( stay safe out there pals!! 

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

Hi friends its been awhile! I ended up coming down with covid and also was logged out of my tumblr for the longest time because I forgot my password and the email I used! So yeah I’m a mess and this is me playing catch up with all my tumblr posts!!😅

Here are some images I took throughout my final project process! I taped these up on the side of my house for 20-30 min and they turned out really well! The cyanotype process is one of my favorites :)

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

“Dreaming is the art of the mind. Every dream is intrinsically a creative experience. As the artists of the night, we are co-participants in weaving new creations from the complexity of our entire being.”

— Fariba Bogzaran and Daniel Deslauriers, Integral Dreaming: A Holistic Approach to Dreams (2012)

This dream journal was how I interpreted my dreams. I tried to remember the emotions and colors I saw and drew up a sketch of how that dream affected me! I actually do have a dream journal where I write down what happens, but drawing them in color or black and white was a fun change-up! I went very abstract with them because I only can remember so much but I think it would be fun to see how others interpret these! I dream a lot and my mind wanders all over the place and sometimes this is where my creativity sprouts from. I believe dreams can have a deeper meaning or purpose so checking in with them from time to time could be beneficial :)

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

For this project I created a mini indoor garden! Through the processes or anthotypes and VanDyke Brown, I created a “take home” garden. I explored these processes in many different ways by developing prints and developing the paper alone. Using berries, leaves, and wine, I was able to create some wonderful anthotypes with a variety of colors. As for the VanDyke Brown process, I printed out digital negatives to work with in the darkroom when it came to exposing the prints. I love flowers and the symbolism they hold, and as the weather in Iowa City begins to get colder, the flowers begin to die out for the season. I was also inspired by those miniature zen gardens and how they maintain their beauty whether you look after them constantly or leave them be. This garden is one that can be kept indoors and doesn't need to be tended to 24/7. This whole project is based off of the idea that time is fleeting. Seasons come and go, the prints will fade over time, the processes used will fade as well, and no garden lasts forever. However, this garden that I created will be able to last through the harsh winter, keeping me hopeful for springtime when the real flowers begin to bloom once more. I enjoyed working with both of these processes and exploring a more in-depth concept on flowers and their reality.

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

Loneliness 

I am lonely.

I cannot say that

I have always been alone,

although 

now I know

fate meant for me to be this way.

I have nobody.

I would be wrong to say

someone would care,

if I tried again to destroy myself.

The effect would be massive

only if I was perfect.

It’s untrue that I could have worth,

even if I tried.

I am less than beautiful,

nobody can convince me that

I am right where I’m meant to be.

Aloneness (now read from bottom to top)

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

My first tries at the VanDyke Brown process! Super fun even though I was deathly afraid of getting the chemicals on me or in my eyes! I like the vintage feel to these images since they are faded just a little bit-- I would like to try and see if I can get a more defined/sharper final image. The way I brushed the chemical mixture onto my paper had more of an effect on my image than I thought! I will remember that for future reference.These VD process test photos were ones I took for a self-portrait series last semester!  

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

Last week, I observed my surroundings in the world outside of my apartment. I opened the windows, made myself a smoothie, and just observed outside my bedroom window. Since moving in, I feel like I haven't been able to stop and relax. My mind has been “go go go” all the time with homework, projects, work, etc! My window is right next to my desk which I am always on for zoom calls and class. I feel like I have never really appreciated it until this observation. I am usually too focused on my computer and my zoom meetings to pay attention to what is happening outside my bubble (or window for that matter!)

I noticed how well I could pick up sound with my window open. I noticed all the sounds that are in earshot of me. The faint voices from people walking by my building.  The birds chirping and the squirrels rustling. Every now and then a car drives by to interrupt the silences. No trains passing by this time around, but they come around multiple times a day like clock work.  I live on the quiet side of town which I appreciate a lot.

I took a video of my view and what I was observing after my initial observation. The video wouldn't post unfortunately so I took some screenshots of it instead! It seemed almost as if it was a form of meditation rather than an observation.  This was such a great excuse to take some time for self-care because I often overlook that. I was able to get some inspiration for future projects out of this which was very exciting! (ignore my dirty window)

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

How do you navigate power in your work?

The healing power of art is something I think about when seeing the word “power” related to my work. For me, my work is like my own art therapy. It is very powerful in the fact that both my mind and body can work cohesively to create whatever it wants. Art is such a healing activity for me and for many others as well. I am able to reduce any stressors I have and channel my emotions. It amazes me how art can be whatever you want it to be.

Art is healing the whole person.

Art is caring.

Art is powerful, illuminating, educational.

“At the deepest level, the creative process and the healing process arise from a single source. When you are an artist, you are a healer; a wordless trust of the same mystery is the foundation of your work and its integrity.” ~ Rachel Naomi Remen, MD

I have been interested in art therapy and enriching the lives of individuals through creative processes and psychological theories. There’s a sort of power in that  job when it comes to helping others. No matter what I end up doing in the future, I hope my art will continue to be a method of healing for myself.

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

“Under the Sea”

My work explores how plastic pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife. By using a cyanotype process, I take you on a journey deep within the ocean and what marine life has to live through. Most of the waste does not decompose, meaning it will be around for a long time wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. As the objects go in and out of focus, it reminds me of the saying that some things fade over time but they will always still be there. Unfortunately for sea life, they have to deal with the repercussions of human faults.

I consider myself a very resourceful artist. All of my materials were either taken from my trash or objects that I previously had. By laying different materials on cyanotype paper for certain time frames in direct sunlight, I was able to make a very informative piece on human waste and pollution. I also incorporated paint to bring in more details and colors that the cyanotype could not deliver. In this instance, using trash to make my art was symbolic because I was able to bring awareness about ocean contamination by reusing my own waste and trash.

From far away, you see what appears to be a celebratory-type banner. Usually hung for happy occasions like birthdays, these banners are meant to make you smile. However, the closer you get, you realize the “art” you thought you saw is now just garbage that is polluting our oceans. It is meant to be a trick of the eye deceiving you: the closer you get, the more you realise what you are actually looking at.

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

behind the scenes of my cyanotype project!

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

some cyanotypes I made from previous digital negs! learned a lot! I think I could have left them in the sun longer (this was for about 40 min/close to sunset time) but I love the first one!!!! Has a lot of nostalgic qualities about it:)

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

What is a flag?

I saw a few of my classmates answering this question, and with our flag projects coming up I thought I would answer too!

 In a literal sense, it is typically known for being a rectangular piece of fabric with some sort of pattern, color, or symbolism behind it! These are often hoisted into the sky on a flag pole for display or even used for decoration. Now, we could talk on and on about the flag’s history, but I think the symbolism or message behind a flag is the most interesting part about it! What I find unique about flags is how its meaning can be different for everyone, despite the intentions for why it was made. State or country flags, typically a sacred item that holds great significance, may not always mean that to its citizens or its enemies. Often viewed as just an item that represents some sort of community can be way more complex if you want it to. This object is up for your own interpretation and can be a different concept to different people. 

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

Here are my cyanotypes drying! surprisingly, it gets pretty dark in my wicker coffee table!! 

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

"In a fractal conception, I am a cell-sized unit of the human organism, and I have to use my life to leverage a shift in the system by how I am, as much as with the things I do. This means actually being in my life, and it means bringing my values into my daily decision making. Each day should be lived on purpose."

Adrienne Maree Brown, Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

What ways can hope be a material in my art practice?

What ways can hope be a material in my art practice?

Every artist can have a role in society. Whether that role is worldwide, in your community, or within your inner circle of friends and family, your contributions are important. I think hope can be a material in my art practice. My role is, as simple as it may be, to offer a message of hope to others! I hope this role that I want to take on will inspire and connect others. Even if just one person feels something from my art or has some sort of connection with it, I would feel accomplished. I love to have fun in my work practices and if I am not experiencing enjoyment or excitement, I feel like my audience will not enjoy it either! Hope and passion can go hand in hand when it comes to creating art, at least for me. How can I hope this will inspire others if I am not passionate about what I am doing? I hope my art can give the world something, anything.  I also hope to keep trying new things and thinking outside the box! There are so many ideas and techniques I want to give a try at some point during my art career:) The idea of continuing to learn and grow throughout my years will be so rewarding to look back on knowing I wasn't afraid to try new things.

[dobbyisafreeelf5678]

Last semester I began my exploration with Anthotypes! By using photosensitive materials from plants and berries from our garden, I made an emulsion that I painted onto my paper. By laying it out in the sun for a certain amount of time, images began to form! I was able to create these images which in a way are similar to cyanotypes. It has been a very exciting project to work on and I have continued to pursue anthotypes for the rest of the summer:) The first image is from spinach, the second is from plants in my backyard, the third is from blackberries and the 4th is made from raspberries!

We talked about change this week and how it’s coming - one way or another. This art form will change over time and will not be kept preserved if I just leave it out and about. Change can affect our artworks in many different ways. For example, the changes of time will have an impact on my anthotype prints. What will you do when change comes and will you be prepared for it?