Final Project: The Old Maid

This quarter we have focused on creating images that have deeper meaning in a variety

of different ways. To prepare for our final project we made some lists during class:

                  • List 5 specific events in your life that shaped/affected your personal aesthetic.

                  • List 5 people who have influenced your creativity and creative work.

                  • List 5 inanimate objects that you keep around your workspace that have ‘meaning’.

                  • List 10 activities you do to stimulate creativity.

                  • List 1 thing that hinders your creativity.

From this list of 26 things, we had to “personify” each event/person/place/thing into a

character that is part of our own autobiographical game of “OLD MAID”. In the game

of Old Maid there are 25 character cards (there are two of each that match) plus one

“old maid” card. When the game ends, the player who has the old maid in their hand loses.

  

I chose a color to represent each category of my cards. I also used a limited color

palette on each set, using only one accent color paired with gray tones.

I'm apologizing ahead of time for the lengthiness of this post!

EVENTS

Etta: This card represents marriage. My husband and I had a wedding on New Year's Eve

inspired by the 1940's. A large part of the decor were white peacock feathers. I gave the

character the name Etta because the music that night was jazz, including Etta James

Allen: This card represents my move to Texas. I chose a Grackle bird because

they are something that, in my experience, is unique to Texas. These birds are complete

lunatics, but they're quite striking. He's named Allen after my blissfully peculiar Texas

neighbor. He's 85 years old and drinks every day while playing bluegrass on his 12-string guitar.

Nafplio: This little guy represents my trip to Greece a few summers ago. For a portion

of my trip, I stayed in a charming and beautiful city called Nafplio. While there, I

partook in one of Greece's popular dishes... Octopus. I gave this character the

Greek "evil eye", which is said to ward off negative spirits and energy.

Maple: This card represents growing up in Tennessee. One thing that I've noticed Texas is

lacking is TREES. This is increasingly apparent in the fall months when I'm accustomed to seeing

the leaves change. Some of the most beautiful colors in Tennessee come from the Maple trees.

Scarlet: This symbolizes one of my fondest childhood memories. A local radio station had

"Saturday night at the oldies" every Saturday night. We would all get together in the family room,

where we'd move the coffee table out from the center and dance around to the oldies. One of

my favorite songs that played was "Little Red Riding Hood" by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs.

PEOPLE

Sissy: This card is my sister Leslie, or as I call her Sissy. She has always been an amazing

sister and friend. Each person is pictured with an animal that is symbolic to them. My sister

holds a rabbit, which throughout history has been associated the cycles of the moon. They

also represent spirituality and overcoming challenges.

Nathan: This card is my daddy. He is the strongest man that I know and I have a lot

of respect for him. He has showered me with unconditional love and support and always

encouraged me to do what makes me happy. He is pictured with a ram, which represents his

sign Ares. People who are Ares are adventurous and courageous. My dad is no exception.

Renee: This card is my mother. She has played a large part in my pursuit of a creative career.

Like my dad, she has been incredibly supportive of me throughout my entire life.

She is an incredibly gentle and nurturing person. For this reason, she is pictured with a deer.

Ben: This card is my husband. He has brought so much happiness to my life. He keeps

me grounded and reminds me not to take life too seriously. He's a free-spirited and clever

guy. I like to think of him as foxy.

Nancy: This card is my grandmother. You'll see her holding a cat, which represents

independence. She the most independent lady I know. With my grandfather, she

raised eight children (eight!). She has lived the past 21 years without my grandfather

after he passed away. She's embraced her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

OBJECTS

Athena: This represents an peculiar owl figurine I brought home from 

Greece. I have reason to believe it's a bit spooked, but that's another story entirely.

Genevieve: This card personifies a necklace my sister gave me. It's an antique metal

envelope that opens up and has a metal rectangle tucked inside that reads"Je t'aime"

which means I love you in French.

Arlo: This is a representation of my ukulele. He can usually be found around

my work area. I like to play a little tune when I need a break from life.

Buddy: This card represents my camera. It's one of the few expensive material

things that are really important to me. I saved for a long time to buy a digital SLR

and I finally got it when I was eighteen. My dad made an agreement with me

to earn and pay for half. The other half was his birthday gift to me.

Crosley: This is my record player. He lives in my office, which is where my creative

work happens. It's fun to collect vinyl records and relax to them while you work.

ACTIVITIES

Gemini: Representation of my two kitties, which offer me frequent breaks from the task at hand.

Lavender: Personification of a break from a project, which ideally involves coffee or tea.

Orion: A firefly that is symbolic for stargazing, which is difficult to do in Austin.

Frost: Personification of poetry. Named Frost after one of my favorite poets, Robert Frost.

Wink: Representation of getting a "wink" of sleep. I often find inspiration in my dreams.

Dirby: I often go for walks to clear my head. My dog Dirby is usually in accompaniment.

Vivien: A character symbolic for the inspiration I get from movies. Particularly old movies.

Fitzgerald: Personification of reading. I feel like this guy could nestle into some books.

Walter: He's on the go, like me. He represents traveling and seeing new places.

Jebraska bunting: A verb, which means to ramble on about nothingness with my sister. However,

through the ramblings we typically come up with some of the best ideas ever.

HINDRANCE

When thinking of things that hinder me creatively, or just in general, I kept going

back to the same things: Fear of failure, lethargy, and procrastination, which are all self-imposed.

So, ultimately, I am my own hindrance. I chose to illustrate a scorpion because I am a Scorpio,

who are known to have a duality to them. Since coming to art school, I find this incredibly

apparent. Some days I am very productive and have all of my ducks in a row. Other days I am

verging on self-destructive and find myself jaded with life in general. I call this side Jane, which is

my middle name. When Jane forces herself to do work it's often the best I've ever produced.

So, I guess I'd like to think of myself as a blissful combination of both Amanda and Jane.

Project 7: The Bard

For Project 7 my pseudonym Eliza was hired by the

Royal Shakespeare Company to illustrate the program

cover for a production. From the list of plays I could

choose from I selected The Winter's Tale.

The play was written toward the end of Shakespeare's

career. It seems to be kind of a redo of Othello.

It's a study of jealously and its destructive effects.

I chose to illustrate a location that is present in

the play, which is The Oracle in Delphi. I chose

this imagery for a few reasons.

Firstly, because key events took place here in the play.

Secondly, because the temple today has only three columns

remaining. Symbolically, these three columns represent

the three characters that are amidst all of the tyranny.

Thirdly, because they are ancient ruins (today). Therefore,

they are deteriorating and crumbling, much like the

relationships present in The Winter's Tale. And fourthly,

because I have actually been to The Oracle in Delphi

and experienced the location for myself. There was a
spooky atmosphere to that place... But that's another story.

A photo I captured of the Oracle in Delphi
This was once the Temple of Athena - Delphi, Greece

This is a sad tale about the destructiveness of jealously
and tyranny. It's grows very dark and even involves murder.
A quote that I liked from the play was, "A sad tale's best for winter."
So, the frigid season (and bleak illustration) seems appropriate.

I found some good imagery for inspiration.

Florizel and Perdita - Charles Robert Leslie, 1837
An illustration of characters in The Winter's Tale.

Hermione - Henry Van der Weyde, 1887
This is a photograph taken of Mary Anderson
who played Hermione in a performance of The Winter's Tale.

I feel like this fit my pseudonym so perfectly. The play is bleak
and gloomy, just like her. The program cover reflects the same feel.

In-Class Assignment: Editorial Illustration

I was given an article in class to read and begin

executing a one page illustration to pair with it.

My article was about ads that follow you.

While reading the article I highlighted certain

words or phrases that were repeated or stood

out to me. Three that I underlined were:

"spooky", "very invasive", and "creepy".

I began to think about the angle that when

companies target and re-target you, essentially

by using cookies, it can be incredibly creepy!

I illustrated a particularly weary man at his computer

with a ghostly figure lurking in the darkness behind him.

I made the parallel between ads that follow you and

ghosts. They both follow you, they're both creepy,

and both very invasive.

Bewaaaare the Metlife ghost!

Project 6: Simplification Through Symbolism

For this assignment we had to turn a 

complex concept into a simple visual.

We chose three quotes and transform into

them into a black and white logo illustration.

After making what seemed like a neverending

list of quotes, I finally narrowed it down to three.

 

The animal theme was completely unintentional.
I didn't even discover it until they were complete.
Such a serendipity.

In-Class Assignment: Between Ugliness & Beauty

For this assignment we were to draw 4 pictures that

attempt to show the midway point between ugliness and beauty.

Beauty: The quality present in a thing or person that 

gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind.

Ugliness: Very unattractive or unpleasant to look at; 

offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance.

 

Abandoned House

This is the drawing that I began during class.

My inspiration for this was the historic architecture

I've seen growing up in Tennessee. Many of the structures

are civil war plantations. Some have been converted into

museums or venues for weddings, but there are a great

number scattered throughout the region that are deteriorating.

There is something about old abandoned homes that spark

my senses and make my heart flutter a bit. Particularly,

the houses that are being consumed by nature... Trees emerging

from glassless windows, vines cascading along the sides.

The house itself is so beautiful, and of course, the nature

is as well. But there is something so dark about the combination.

This was someone's home. Memories made there. Lives lived.

Why is this home abandoned and empty? It's a dreadful sight, really.

Simultaneously, however, it's fascinating to see nature take

back what was hers to begin with. Sigh...

Bat Chandelier

For this piece I began thinking about animals.

There are very few animals that I don't like. Bats are

one of those few. I think bats are pretty amazing, but aesthetically,

I'm not a fan. The sight of one sends shivers through my soul.

I wanted to pair bats with something lovely and unexpected.

So, I chose to use a chandelier for the beautiful part of the image. 

However, instead of glistening diamonds hanging from the fixture,

there are ominous bats dangling.

Snapdragon Spines

One of my favorite flowers are Snapdragons. They are tall

blossom-laden stalks with individual blossoms stacked

vertically upon one another. They come in many colors.

One afternoon it hit me. Somehow, I made the visual connection between

Snapdragons and spines. Something about those detailed anatomy charts

of the spine gives me the creeps. However, the intricate stacking of the tiny

bones reminds me of the beautiful flower.

 Snapdragons

Ocean Trash

For this one I was inspired by a beautiful photograph
I came across of the ocean floor. I began pondering
on what is actually on the ocean floor that is ugly.
There are many strange animals, but I wouldn't necessarily
consider them ugly. The solution for the ugly portion of
the piece was something man made (of course)... Trash.

I remember reading an article once about how it is legal
to dump waste into the ocean once you are so far from shore.
Reading further, I was astonished at the amount of our
trash scientists believe rest on the ocean floor. 

Project 4: Emotional Cyrk Poster

Cyrk - contemporary Polish circus posters, emerged in

1962 as a genre of the Polish School of Posters.

Usually based on a single theme and not meant to be advertisements;

they were created in an attempt to interest the passerby in the upcoming circus.

Under my new pseudonym, Eliza, I created my own Cyrk poster.

I was given a list of emotions and selected one that relates to my new character.

 MELANCHOLY

In-Class Assignment: Pseudonym

We took time during class to create a pseudonym.

The fictional character that I have created is Eliza Everdeen.

Born during a raging thunderstorm along the countryside of England

in a village called Ashworth, Eliza Everdeen lives with her thoughts.

And her cat Velveteen. You could consider her a wallflower. Orphaned

at a young age, she is an individual of solitude. Quiet and observant,

she often goes entirely unnoticed. 

In-Class Juxtaposition Excerise

During class we each formed a long list of juxtapositions.

Then, we chose three sets to combine into one illustration.

 

Petal Fan

For this drawing I had the juxtaposition of

nature and technology in mind. Rather than metal

blades, this fan wisps air with flower petals.

 

Giraffopotamus

This is an illustration combining fat and skinny.

I took the pattern from a loooong and skinny

giraffe and placed it upon a plump hippo.

He seems rather happy about it.

Dutch Pollution

When drawing this I was thinking of clean

and dirty. For earth a dutch windmill is a source

of clean energy, so I chose to illustrate one of the

Netherlands windmills expelling polluted black smoke.

For shame!

Project 3: Totally Looks Like...

For this project I took notice of objects that reminded

me of something else. I photographed them and

paired them with what they reminded me of. Enjoy!

 Egyptian Kitty Statue

He's named after the Greeks.
Alas, he walks like and Egyptian.

Shell Lamp

This vintage green lamp is perched in my living room.
I wonder if you can hear the ocean in it...

 Percymallow
What can I say?

 Dumbo Shoes
I work at DSW and we call this shoe the "Dumbo shoe."
I wonder if they make you fly...

Cinnamon Gates

We use this gate in our hallway for our dogs.
Every time I look at it I think of baked goods.

Paper Towel Clip

The blissful realization that our paper towel

holder looks like a giant paper clip.

 

Old Man Profile
There is one stone that juts out of our fireplace to create
the perfect profile of a man's face in the shadow.

Ball Gown Light

I saw this light hanging in a friend's hallway.

I imagined a flowing white ball gown.

 Whale Tape Dispenser 

The more I stared the more it looked like a whale.

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep that night...

Project 2: New Yorker Phrase Narrative

For this assignment we drew a phrase out of the magic fez.

We thought about the narrative potential behind the phrase and

how it can be interpreted into two different images.

"It's nice to see some people still appreciate the value of a dollar."

I decided to apply my phrase to animal situations. The phrase dealt

with money, so I thought it would be ironic to depict animals

rather than people. I mean, do you know an animal that cares about money?

 

 "It's nice to see some people still appreciate the value of a dollar." 

My concept behind this one was driven by the thought, "What would

farm animals consider putting a dollar to good use?"

I imagine the chatty hens saying the phrase as they walked

past the goats munching on dollar bills. Goat salad!

"It's nice to see some people still appreciate the value of a dollar." 

The concept behind this illustration is greed. I approached

the phrase as if it was being said in a sarcastic way. The rabbits represent

humans. The fancy rabbit lady if financially well off, but instead of using

her money to benefit her own kind she chooses to buy lush clothing.

The Paper Game

As we arranged our drawing tables into a large square

we were reminded of the childhood game of telephone.

Our in-class assignment for the day was much like it.

There were 22 of us, so we all counted 22 sheets of paper and

stapled them into a small booklet. The first page was ours to write

any quote we wanted. Once we wrote our quote, we passed our

booklet to our right. Everyone had two minutes to draw out

the quote of the person before them. Once two minutes were up,

we passed to the right once more. No one was allowed to look farther

back than the drawing in front of them. They had to then gather a quote

for the illustration presented to them.

Quote. Drawing. Quote. Drawing.

And so we passed... 22 times.

The initial quote.

 

The final drawing.

 

Exquisite Corpse

This lovely lady was collectively assembled by myself and two

of my classmates. Each collaborator added to the composition in sequence,

without seeing what the previous person contributed (hence the folds).

A bit of history:

Among Surrealist techniques exploiting the mystique

of accident was a kind of collective collage of words or

images called the cadavre exquis (exquisite corpse). Based on

an old parlor game, it was played by several people, each of

whom would write a phrase on a sheet of paper, fold the paper to

conceal part of it, and pass it on to the next player for his contribution.

In-Class Shape Excerise

 For this assignment we were given a piece of paper with three

simple shapes on it: A triangle, square, and circle. We had about

ten minutes to create something fantastic from the shapes.

Triangle: This is my girastronaut. Inspired by my aerospace engineer

sister's love of space and its celestial wonders.

Square: The tele-kitty. In a perfect world all cats would have

everlasting tails to do with whatever their hearts desire.

Circle: I met an exceptionally cute sheep at the county fair once

and I've wanted pet sheep ever since. Unfortunately, that's not

entirely possible (yet). So, the solution is to keep miniature

sheep, much like most people keep hamsters.

Project 1: Shape Potential

For this project Chase revealed a magical bag of shapes.

One by one we were all given a unique shape cut from poster board.

We were to create 10 drawings using the shape, the

whole shape, and nothing but the shape.

Voila.

Peculiar Mountain Range &

Pompous Bird

Descending Santa &

Balloon Dog

Wandering Woodland Bear &

Cascading Books

Alluring Memphis Man &

Cheese Tasting

 

Skalliwag Kitty &

Rural Home