Senior Projects Fall 2015

The love for nature comes easily to me since I was exposed to it as a young curious child. I have great respect and a deep connection with the past and present of this majestic river and am personally committed to supporting the conservation of the Peace River. After nearly 100 years of the river’s occupation and exploitation the passageways were rerouted and the natural environment quickly returned its former beauty. As an artist my interest has always gravitated to the beauty of nature. When I was a young person the Peace River was the first place I chose to paint outdoors after a positive experience during a lesson with Robert Butler, one of the original Highwaymen who painted the Florida landscape. As an adult I was involved in developing the DeSoto County Arts and Humanities Council which holds the annual “Art of the River Competition” to celebrate the beauty of the Peace River. The intention of the work in this exhibition is to invite you to see this beauty and encourage you to experience the real thing, learn more about your environment, and understand the importance of environmental conservation.  

The process for this series of paintings began with going out on the river to take photographs of the landscape. Back in the studio I made ink sketches on paper, and then rough drafts on Masonite boards using modeling paste mixed with acrylic paint. The final works were developed from these initial studies and include various levels of mixed media relief and sculptural elements. The large-scale relief painting of Arwin Lake was created with wire, recycled homework and paper clay on wood panels with acrylic and metallic paints and multiple layers of crackle medium. Six other scenes are rendered on wood panels that are painted with modeling paste and acrylics to create textured surfaces. Two large black and white ink sketches of the old bridge and train trestles of the past are also rendered in mixed media with ink, pencil and white charcoal. The total of seven paintings and ten black and white sketches complete the series representing the age of seventeen when I first started painting on the river. 

My first exposure to such thoughts of mortality was at the age of 8 when I watched the Steven Spielberg film Poltergeist. I became interested in the methods used to create gory moments in horror films and I trained myself how to visually breakdown a movie, frame by frame. As a child, death was a scary notion but, through horror films, it became a natural and safe place to explore my curiosities. My passion, as a young adolescent, only grew when I began to watch horror movies starring my favorite horror movie icons like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Kruger and Michael Myers. I have been making films for over three years now, including writing, producing and directing the picture, as well as editing, costume design and special effects make-up. I have filmed two documentaries for Florida Gulf Coast University, a short horror film for my Digital Media Workshop class entitled After School and I have been the Special Effects creator and designer on several independent films shot locally in Southwest Florida. With The Path I can showcase my abilities as a storyteller, film maker and special effects artist. The Path follows a dynamic revenge/mortality narrative, in which the main character finds herself isolated and not knowing why awful things are happening to her. These traditional elements connect my film to the horror genre.

Filming The Path was a labor of love. While making the picture, I used a handheld Canon G40 camcorder to capture most of the scenes in the woods. The entire movie was shot in Lehigh Acres, Fl. near a stone quarry. It was a location I was very familiar with and that I had used previously. I shot the film at 6:00pm in the evening in order to keep the natural light low and the continuity the same. Each shot was filmed from at least three different angles at least three different times. The only shots not utilizing the Canon G40 were the aerial shots. A drone was used for those scenes. A GoPro camera was also used in some of the footage in order to obtain a first person perspective. The picture was storyboarded prior to filming. The movie follows most of the original narrative seen on the boards, but some changes were made during production. It was written in three acts, although like most movies it was filmed out of sequence. I used the Adobe Master Suites Collection to build and edit the film over a three month period. Over 72 hours was spent behind the camera and well over 150 hours in front of the computer editing the movie.

“Every move really counts, whether it’s a big move or a small one. It needs to be instinctive.” - Bear Grylls, Man vs. Wild
Everyone has different goals they want to accomplish in their idea of fitness, whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, or just becoming more flexible and toned. But our goals are often pushed aside because we struggle to realize the progress we work hard to obtain. Motivation is the key in achieving our goals when it comes to molding our bodies into what we want them to be. Digging deep within the core of human thinking is where the motivation forms. But humans are also animals, and when it comes to fitness, that inner animal needs to come out. Accessing the animal instinct can become the primary inspiration for growing into a better, faster, and stronger person. 

As a graphic designer who loves fitness and animals, producing an ad campaign for Around the Clock Fitness combines all of those passions. Personal fitness has always been a lifestyle I enjoy through pushing myself to become the best I can be. Being able to mold and take control of my body in cardio, weightlifting, and calisthenics is not about competing against others, but improving myself through the mind and body connection. I believe in fitness built on strength, and striving to train beyond the limits of what I think my body can reach. I develop the meaning of personal fitness by illustrating the synonymous connection of animal interacting with human. Animals and humans are not as different as one may think. Despite their reliance on instinct, animals must maintain fitness in order to survive. Fitness is accomplished through the development of seven attributes: balance, speed, flexibility, strength, stamina, power, and endurance. Whether a cheetah is running after a gazelle, or a person is running to get fit and healthy, speed, stamina, and endurance are used to accomplish their goals. The fusion of animal and human investigates the separate characteristics that each person occupies, and what type of animal they can become. So why not get in touch with ourselves and see the purity, fierceness, and power in our animal instincts? 

When encountering my fitness advertisement campaign for Around The Clock Fitness, my artwork takes a critical view of the relationship between humans and their inner animal. I work to create the image of what a person sees and feels when exercising and show the art and influence of their inner animal. My process involved models posing in different categories: yoga, cardio, weightlifting, and plyometrics while being photographed as they are embracing their inner animal. Using Photoshop, I have digitally enhanced the link between human and animal in my posters by first cutting out the background and placing them against a blue-white gradient to clearly focus on the human body at work. I then placed a silhouette of the animal they represent beside them. I used text by placing it vertically behind the model, constructed in different sizes. This causes the viewer to dig deeper into what they are thinking by highlighting the attributes that are found in animals, and using self-talk derived from their relationship with their animal. With the use of Adobe After Effects, I have further illustrated the animal alongside the person throughout the posters, by shifting back and forth from animal to person exercising in the video.

When I was little, my sisters and I lived in a house off of McGregor Boulevard in Fort Myers, Florida. There was a giant oak tree in our front yard and after watching this tree go through storms and floods the tree always stood strong. I’ve always been interested in trees in legend and mythology because of the stories they tell. The Ancient Celts honored oak trees as an emblem of endurance and conducted spiritual rituals in the sacred oak groves. In the Classical era, Zeus and Jupiter held the oak tree sacred as the Tree of Life because its roots would penetrate deep into the underworld and its branches would soar into the sky. In Northern cultures the oak tree is believed to be the tree of the thunder gods because of its endurance to withstand lightening strikes. Cultures in India believed that the oaks were cosmic trees called Asvattha where the tree reverses the usual order - the roots are in the sky and the branches grow downward covering the Earth. For me, the McGregor tree is a symbol of strength and resilience that grows at the center of my universe. 

When I was three my parents divorced and both remarried by the time I was five or six. My sisters and I would plan our entire days around playing near the oak tree in the front yard. This was also where I met one of my first childhood friends, Wendy. She lived across the street and would come over whenever we were outside to play with us. We built lemonade stands and played with our Barbie dolls under our tree. As I got a little older, I would see hurricanes come through and cause branches to break and wipe all the leaves off of the tree. No matter how much damage the storms did to the tree it always overcame it. In August 2014, Wendy passed away from complications with osteosarcoma. She didn’t know it, but I looked up to her more than people really thought. She reminded me of our tree: she was determined; she battled her way through her own personal hurricanes and never gave up. Coming from a divorced family wasn’t always easy, and there were plenty of times where I needed to remember to believe in myself and get through it. I’ve had my own set of struggles in life and sometimes the only thing you can do is to keep fighting. This project is a constant reminder for me to stay strong and keep fighting - if Wendy could do it, so can I.

I am a graphic designer and typically only work in a digital format, however, for this project I wanted to paint what I would normally make in digital illustration. I didn’t want to use a paintbrush for the background because I wanted to be emotionally and physically involved in the painting. The markings in the background needed to be emotional markings. For the first layer on the background I used a sponge to build up the colors in the cosmos. In the second layer I threw and dripped paint with a paintbrush. For the third layer I used different sizes of circles as a stamp. For the tree itself, I included paint chips from dried built up acrylic paint tubes because I liked the texture. The paint chips resembled the markings in an oak tree’s bark. I painted the background first so that whatever texture was in the background would also be in the tree as well. The McGregor tree is painted so large because I want people to stand up next to it and be completely absorbed by the growth beyond the edge of the canvas. The tree “grows” off of the canvas to give it a feeling of continuous life. Since I don’t typically make photorealistic images, I wanted to paint the project in an illustrative style that would be similar to something I would create using graphic design software.

Each small decision contributes to the slow formation of a larger picture. Layer upon layer, cycles repeat until understanding and experience gradually appear. Observe science, astronomy, physics, history, culture, economics, faith, music, art, even human behavior, and a mysteriously numeric “natural rhythm” emerges. Mathematic order found in nature carries inherent significance. Humans are consumed by patterns and routine, gravitating to the familiar, often mindlessly addicted to a myriad of controls and a series of habits dictated by the subconscious. In spite of technology designed to “keep us more connected,” there is a contemporary phenomenon of increased separation, whether social, physical, spiritual or emotional. This includes a deepening disconnection with even the most intimate items we consume daily. Push to Exit is a series of mixed media abstractions birthed out of found recycled burlap from around the world that reflects on order and rhythm, separation and disconnection, and the diversity of human experience.

Human experiences may be better understood by studying the simplest of everyday items. The genesis for this work was an encounter with this unassuming material, the burlap bags used to ship unroasted coffee beans from across the globe to a Fort Myers, Florida roasting plant. Each 150-pound gunny sack is unique in thread thickness, natural shades, and shape. I was immediately seduced by the texture of the coarse jute fibers and by the long journey these materials had taken, only to be discarded once their purpose was complete. As a graphic artist I understand the arduous process of producing successful packaging, work that serves such a short lifespan of usefulness. Painting offers a much longer purpose, encourages a slower pace and affords me a more physical engagement with my work. Making this project required me to exit from my normal technology-centered routines and focus on the material directly in front of me.

During my design career I’ve spent several thousand hours analyzing digital detail and spatial relationships at the pixel level; for this project, I chose to escape from that familiar world and work large scale. Each burlap piece was painted outdoors, in the fresh air, next to grass and trees. Small pieces of leaves, seeds and flowers that have blown onto the paint are visible, as well as a few unroasted coffee beans. I responded to the unique burlap threads primarily using acrylic paint, but also charcoal, pen, tapes, and toner transfers. Painting the layers flat on the ground is part calculated and part intuitive, a tactile discovery process. Exiting the normal bustle of commercialized consumption, technology and all its distractions, I find fulfillment in repurposing this discarded packaging to record my own contemplative moments. I invite viewers to experience the exhibition separated from their own devices, as well as to interactively contribute to the artwork by pushing in their own exit points.

I have always been fascinated with stories. My grandmother and my parents would read stories to my brother and I; each of these stories had some meaning, whether to make you laugh, teach you a lesson on morals, or help you understand why certain things happen. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is forced to stop multiple times as he crossed the Mediterranean Sea. I decided to pick out a number of those individual adventures as the basis for a series of ceramic sculptures. The clay, as a medium, is a metaphor to me because you literally have to sculpt, shape, and mold it. Everyone has a different path, some more treacherous than others, but how we overcome those obstacles is what creates us. We acquire scars; a scar is our body’s reaction to something traumatic that has happened to us. We heal, but we have become hardened. Working in clay allows me to reference life’s scars through the textural properties of the material. I also included images of my own face to represent my connection with the obstacles that I have overcome.   

I have used red earthenware clay for these sculptures, and this clay body is a naturally formed substance that can be found throughout the earth. I chose to leave the pieces rough and jagged because they are meant to be symbolic of life’s scars. Every piece was made using direct hand-building and carving methods, as well as casting and mold making for the faces and figurative shapes using plaster and casting rubber. Once bone dry the sculptures are bisque fired to 1728 degrees Fahrenheit. Following the bisque, I decorated the surfaces with glazes and stains, using a selection of mineral oxides and crawl glazes to emphasize the textured surfaces. It was important to have the textures be seen and accented because they are the representation of the struggles that I faced and how I conquered them. Following the glaze and stain applications the sculptures are re-fired to 1888 degrees Fahrenheit to allow proper adhesion to the clay and chemical reactions for decorative purposes.

Creating a digital design business of my own is my ultimate goal at this point in my life, so in graduating I wanted to take this final step forward into the “real world” as a stepping stone to my goal.  Because I believe that design is found at its strongest when working with a team, I knew going into this that I wanted to work with other artists and designers.  A team of artists with different abilities can help explore, create and teach new ideas and techniques.  Having different styles and forms of art will help ensure that projects a client is asking for can be done. Looking back at any great design, you will find a team of people behind them.  Especially with digital design, and its infinite space of knowledge, tools, and people all available through the internet.

In using this Design Team as my Senior Project, I hope to expand my work, as well as bring in other artists to employ who would be a benefit to the team.  Having a business that is capable of doing client work for a multitude of different media is important to me. A close friend of mine, Jacob Schismenos and I have discussed many times about putting together a design team, and creating a business.  And after discussing the project and my ideas for it, I came to the conclusion of introducing him as my first client.  Along with the client came the project ideas to have a comic book created from start to finish. In the process of making comic books, I found that it was precisely what I enjoyed in creating graphic/digital designs.  It was fun and allowed me to express my own creativity, and give it my style and touch. 

It started with the story of the comic, just sharing ideas back and forth between my new client and I.  After the story was fully established and typed up, the art began with the line artist laying out the sketches for the panels and inking for the comic book.  I then transferred the work into Photoshop, where they became digital renders which were thoroughly colored, laid out, formatted and designed.  After pages are colored, I would then re-edit in any way necessary to fix and improve the images.  As pages came closer to completion, bubbles were added in along with each panel’s dialog. Throughout the process of the comic I also had to create the designs for the branding of the business.  These parts included the business name, logo, custom fonts, posters and banners that could and can be used as forms of advertisement showing the company.

Through my colorful, whimsical children's book titled, This Is Where I Belong, I am sending the message that animals belong in their natural habitat - not in zoos, circuses, or exotic pet shops. My book is designed for children four to seven years-old. The pictures are bright and visually engaging for younger children, and the text is simple and easy to follow for early readers. The story follows my chihuahua, Tito who is separated from his family while on vacation. On his quest to return home, Tito meets four endangered creatures who need his help to get back to where they belong. The animals embark together on a journey, and eventually they all reach their natural homes. Unfortunately, not all the wild or endangered animals held in captivity will experience a happy ending like the one in my story. It is my hope that the young readers take the story to heart, and develop a compassion for all endangered animals. 

The twenty-two illustrations for This Is Where I Belong were developed using acrylic paint, watercolor, and colored pencils on Stonehenge watercolor paper. There are three vignettes, and nineteen full-page illustrations, and at thirty-two pages, the length of the book is just enough to hold a child’s attention. Much research went in to developing the physical appearances and personalities of each character. I worked from photos I took at exotic pet shops and zoos, and used character studies to draw the animals from different angles. My own dog, Tito was a model for his character, not an easy task as he doesn't sit still for very long! The printing process involved scanning the illustrations, and adding the text using Photoshop. I digitally uploaded the images as PDF files to the printer with a program called InDesign. The printer is then able to print the books using a laser printer. The binding and cover are put in place after the pages are printed and collated. Creating this book was a labor of love for me. It combines my three favorite endeavors in life: making colorful, uplifting art; teaching children; and spreading the consciousness that each animal sharing our planet deserves to be treated fairly and with respect. This has been a very rewarding project, one that I hope will influence those who read it to take action to help endangered animals.