This project was one of those that you have designed in your head months in advance. I would sketch it out on random paper over the span of a few months before finally finalizing it.
This was a project that I poured not only my heart into, but the heart of every woman. This piece was for me yes, but for my little sisters, my classmates, my aunts, my grandmas, my friends, my community, and for every woman that has ever been told what she has to be.
I hope that when people see this piece they see a chance for change and feel empowered to be whatever the hell they want to be. This piece, yes focuses on women, but is for all people. A reminder to lift each other up and empower each other- and to be who you are.
Will the feeling that comes with seeing your art in a gallery ever fade?
This piece was one that I put hours and hours into. I made my own set of wood type, and and a set of about 4 different alphabets. I created the files, set them up to be cut out on a laser cutter, spent hours tending to the machine as it tediously cut out every letter to perfection. Then I used a combination of a handsaw and jigsaw to cut out each letter, then sand it down. Hours in the wood shop to create a beautiful set. I sealed the letters- and only then did we realize that I didn’t reflect my letters.
I was frustrated, but unsurprised at my human mistake. We all make them- I just didn’t think I would make it on a huge wood type set.
A few experiments later I was frustrated. I decided to leave the studio for a few minutes, clear my head, and go get coffee.
As coffee always does, inspiration hit and I ran to the store to get rice paper. I raced back to the studio and started to print. I LOVE texture and I understood that with the right layers of ink I could print through the rice paper and still create a piece with layers and texture and colors and love. This project didn’t feel like pressure because I had already turned in my final projects, but I wanted it to work.
So I playfully created a piece on the idea that art is messy and full of mistakes, using the set of wood type that I had messed up. I laughed at myself and spent hours mixing inks, using a wooden spoon to press the letters into the paper, laying out this piece- but forcing myself to continue and create on the spot.
A few months later I was walking into an art gallery to see this piece on the wall. A reminder that I am not perfect- but that I can continue to be a successful artist despite the imperfections.
After a long day I sat down to conquer this design with a heavy heart. Lots of things were going on- but I found comfort in my ipad on this day. Without thinking much I illustrated and created this hand done type piece.
If you glance at this piece, like most have done already they think it’s another feminist piece, and although I love those and thrive off those, if you read a little closer you really can start to drown in what I was feeling.
And I love that. I love that from a distance it seems powerful and strong and then you start to read and realize what the words actually say. For example, “Badass designer” isn’t a statement, it’s an expectation that I was feeling weighed down by. Physically, the figure (a self portrait) has a chaotic amount of things on top of her, weighting her down. Where everything is placed, the amount that is in this piece, and every detail is intentional.
I pulled the photo from a series I did that was featured in a photography gallery. The photos highlighted warm tones and I thought it would be fun to pull those tones into my ink colors.
I put the project aside for a few days and worked on another one. One that featured sea animals, and as I drew a cartoon octopus I thought, “mermaid… or tentacles.” and I shot back to this piece, and drew a fabulous head of hair that featured tentacles.
I incorporated a mixture of overprinting and trapping depending on the color and location and built up this piece that was complex and deep. This was a project I didn’t completely see the point of, but by the end of it I had fallen in love with the process of screen printing again.
The brand identity of "For Girls Who" was inspired by the screenprinted art above. The slogan for this company is "100% natural 100% you" and creates products that specifically cater to different outdoor activities. From top down we have sea salt spray, sunscreen, chafing cream, hand salve, climbing chalk, and deodorant for your whole body. The logo is created out of the hair of the artwork and a word mark. The main focus of each product is the artwork and how the hair of each product changes based on the product itself.
This piece started out as a collage work made out of magazine snippets. I translated that image to simple black and white, and took to carving in linoleum. I then printed on shirts and sold them to places around the US through my social media.
