RENDERED Art Medley 2
SUMMER
Welcome to the RENDERED Art Medley!
This is an art dispatch from my studio, once per season. Featuring all-new artwork, and some anecdotes behind the creations. My next essay will be for paid subscribers (TIDBITS narrated essay) later this month, then RENDERED (free for all) in September.
In this edition: News from the Studio, photos from my papermaking workshop, then a display of my recent artworks (ten finished pieces, more in progress). Enjoy!
News from the Studio:
My first group art show will be on August 31, 2024. I’ll be part of a group of local artists showing my work at a one-day outdoor event! Here in Anjou, in a small town square by the Mayenne River. I’ll write a brief about it for the next Art Medley! Details available here.
This year, I’ve been much more insistent on applying locally for art markets, exposition opportunities, and such. I have no shame in admitting that I’ve got a lot to learn. I’m also learning how to find niches I can fit into (in person and/or online). In order to have something to offer at a market, I’m creating more functional art pieces, all of which encourage connection and/or conviviality. Notebooks for journaling, stationery for letter-writing, coasters and other cloth table decor… I’ll see how the people respond!
I’ve decided to decrease the price of yearly paid subscriptions: the pricing is now 30 euros per year. Monthly subs and Art Collectors remain at 5 euros/month, and 65 euros/year, respectively. Details available here.
I am available for commission and freelance illustration work, and my web shop has select items for sale. Commission inquiries are accepted via my website!
Papermaking Workshop
This spring, I participated in a week-long papermaking workshop, run by the master craftspeople at Atelier Letellier-Nakamura, in the Anjou region of western France. This was my third session, and I learned some more advanced (and fabulous!) techniques. At this level, I am starting to feel more at ease with this process. My goal has been to make my own paper for my art, and become more knowledgeable about paper itself. I love how a fresh sheet of paper feels in hand, and working with paper pulp and water is immensely gratifying (and difficult). Paper is a noble medium all to itself. In making my own paper, I give my attention to a part of the art process that is easy to take for granted.
The following pieces were created at that papermaking atelier:
“Ceci n’est pas une banane” (Hemp and cellulose fibers, 2024)
I created the stencil for this plantain by hand, using pliers, scrap metal, and packing tape. Why a plantain? Plantains aren’t very well-known here in Metropolitan France, so if the viewer can identify what it is, then we have a common frame of food reference.
I am not in community with anyone of Puerto Rican/Diasporican heritage here in France. I was raised in New England, where I was taught to be proud of my heritage. Here in France, I feel shrunk down to being “just” American. Food and art are my vehicles of communication—this really isn’t a banana, they’re not the same, and I’m asking the viewer to reconsider how they regard—and misinterpret—what they see.
“Still Here” (Hemp fibers, 2024)
A near-perfect silhouette of a crocheted doily made by my late grandmother. This piece is a meditation on grief, and the simultaneous presence/absence of someone who’s no longer physically here.
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Now, on to new art!
“Souvenir/s” (Watercolor, Colored pencil) A cordial glass caught in the light. I wanted to explore the distortion of the shadows.
“Family Jewels” (Mixed media) I painted the earrings in watercolor on aquaboard, then mounted it upon an upholstered base, rather like a regal pillow. (I wanted there to be a voluminous aspect to it, as if the earrings have “weight” and substance.) The floral fabric was part of my inheritance from my late grandmother. I consider “Family Jewels” some of my finest work to date: It’s a meditation on femininity, that which I inherit and that which I choose for myself. The earrings are my baby earrings (my ears were pierced as a baby, which is a fact that always shocks the French). I created this piece as part of my portfolio, applying to an art show in 2025.
I’m able to use a studio space this summer, which means printmaking! These are some prints, old and new: “Buen Provecho” and “Garlicflower.” I also created a mini-set of 8 tiny prints: once the ink is dry, I will cut them apart and make them like trading cards.
One of my artistic goals is to create my own line of stationery: these cards are part of that vision. I enjoy making small, cute things. I’m also a fan of the art of letter-writing, and sending a card in the mail “just because.”
Printmaking leaves a fair bit of downtime; thus this summer I’m also doing watercolor and dabbling in various techniques:
“Mom’s Kitchen” A cartoon-esque reimagining of my mom’s stove.
“Tulum” (Watercolor) Based on a photo a friend sent me while they were on vacation. I might turn this into a mini-series. The Polaroid-type disposition shows my point of view, as I’m experiencing vacation vicariously through other people’s pictures.
Thanks for stopping by! I’ll be back soon with the next TIDBITS narrated essay for paid subscribers, followed by the next RENDERED for all subscribers.
Love the new collections! Exciting new trails to blaze in local fairs! Best of luck and continue expanding your horizons!❤️