Reflections

     Looking back at my first post, my goals...  1 Come back with an accent; nope, three months is not enough time to get an accent.  2 Learn Irish way of looking at art;  I learned to question my materials and my methods, to use them to support the meaning in my art.  3 Have fun and meet people; check, great memories were made.  4 Music and dancing;  yes more music than dancing but both were found.  5 Surf;  I tried.  The surf school was closed for the holidays when I tried to go.

• No grades were given until the semester was over. This allowed us students to focus on the meaning, technique, and quality of our art instead of worrying about what type of grade we would get for a project.  This format also encourages changes in art work after the project's due date.
• I love the snow in Ohio, but I miss the sunny days and clear skies in Ireland.
• I miss the fun and joyous time I had with the people in Ireland.
• I would like to come back to Ireland someday in the Summer.

Goodbye BCA

Packages from home are like Christmas

• The last Thursday of the semester BCA hosted a dinner party.  It was located at a local pub.  The food was amazing and afterwards there was a DJ. 
• Packages from home are like presents on Christmas morning.  Even if the package is not for you, it is neat to see other people getting packages.
• Delivery: Something that many of the students got excited about was delivery!  A new pizza place opened up in Ballyvaughan and they deliver!  They also have very good fish and chips, which is better than their pizza.
• (From before I left:) If time could just continue in this moment forever, I would be content.  I love the community here at BCA, the people are wonderful, and spending all day working in the studio alongside other artists is great. 
• No glitches when flying home.  It was just hard waking up at 4am to be driven 1.5 hours to the airport to get there an hour before the plane departs.

Finals

     While Fourteen to 1 was up there were finals.  Finals were not like traditional non-art finals where you take a written test, these finals were like my Sophomore review at ONU.  Art work created from the semester is displayed on a table and the teachers come around and ask questions.  Questions like: how has my experience at BCA effected my artwork? which project conveyed my meaning most efficiently? which piece is most successful?.  It was all of a fifteen minute visit. 

Here are pictures of what other student's showed for the exhibition

Mary Sinacola

Grace Gutekanst

Madeleine Morris

Allison Bogard

Kaitlin Egan

Joe O'Brien

Luisa Earle

Mellie Szemis

Raquel Isely

Kelsey McKissick

Fourteen to 1

     The exhibition, Fourteen to 1, is our undergraduate end of the semester show.  At the same time there was also a graduate show exhibiting.  Fourteen to 1 : Fifteen students exhibiting art work of their choosing from the semester in Ireland.  I displayed seven projects including: Noah, Ballyvaughan, Self-Portrait Peppers, It is Nothing Special, Building Beauty, Working Together, and Be At Peace.  Exhibition space was the studios and newly renovated barn studios, I also exhibited in the castle for my Be At Peace instillation. Installing everything was not that hard and in the end it was nice to see everyone's work all at once.  One week later everything was taken down.  Much easier down than up.

Artist Statement:

            My work plays with the different concepts of peace.  My goal is to bring the viewer a sense of peace and hope that is felt throughout the day.

  Noah shows the innocence and wonder of a child.  It is this wonder and interest I hope to see more often in the world. 

 Building Beauty explores the concept that shattered remains can still be a beautiful serene form.  That in every stage of completion, from fragmented pieces to a whole form, a sense of serenity and attraction can be seen.

 

 Self-Portrait Peppers explores the notion of what a pepper might paint if asked to make self-portraits throughout its life.

Working Together is about the different nations of the world working together towards a communal goal of peace.

  It is Nothing Special is about my journey up Cappanawalla and what I learn at the top.

Be at Peace located in the castle, invites the viewer to take a minute of their day to sit down and relax.

 

 Ballyvaughan is about the memories I hope to take with me back to the states; Memories of the beauty and simplicity of life in Ballyvaughan.

Forgive my Insanity

     I hope you are still there!  Updates soon!  Here is the very short version: Fourteen to 1 opening last Saturday, final critiques Monday, essay due Wednesday, cookies! cookies!! cookies!!! and music.  Sorry, it is the sugar cookies talking and the joy of knowing that I don't have any more art project to work on. Which is nice but also sad because I will be leaving Ireland soon.

"Be at Peace" instillation

Part of by exhibition showing

Spackle

     Just spackled the wall in preparation for this Saturday's opening. (ie. filled in the holes on the walls with spackle)  Everyone is very busy here.  And it is raining.  Which is not good for those who have to move their art work to the building one over. 
     A group of us students were thinking of going surfing next week after final critique, but the surf school is closed for the holidays which is a total bummer.

By the way, it is ten days until Beethoven's birthday!

Two weeks...