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art journal: chicken and rice

I’ve been drawing “just rice” and remembering the origin of this drawing project in last year’s food shortages and protests. The idea grew when I began to think about what eats what, evolution, and the connections between all living things. Some of the imagery that went into the drawings were new material for me, and some were a reworking of old favorites. Was it just a coincidence that searching through my collection of collage materials yielded that page of pictures of different breeds of hens? Had I thought about hunger in past projects, or were the hens collected for a different reference?

Until today I haven’t cared for the idea that artists should keep all kinds of junk that we will one day use in our work. But now I have this image of myself traveling through life with an archive of paper. Bits and pieces come out that are coincidentally relevant. Periodically I dip into the archive and whatever emerges will influence how I frame the issues of the day.

#Mailart

In June I participated in a mailart project organized on Twitter by Mark Philip Venema (aka @Art_News). The 33 participants had never met in real life, but have since become a lively community, not only exchanging art but also engaging in dialogue about our ideas, art processes and our lives.

The postcards produced, using a variety of media and evincing varied sensibilities, can be viewed on the #Mailart flickr pool. These are a few of my extra ones (because apparently I couldn’t stop at just 32).

Each piece is a relief print with colored pencils, is approximately 4x6,” and they are part of my ongoing “Theories of Evolution and Connections” series.