Experiments & Fun Stuff
Experiments are a part of who I am. I love to mess around and find out what happens. A lot of the time, it turns out well! Below are my curated favorites of my successful experiments.
Cyanotype Sheet
Group Project
This was a group project in the RMCAD Darkroom II Alternative Processes class. We got a giant sheet and soaked it in cyanotype chemicals. Once the Sheet was prepared, we spent about 30 minutes in the sun creating an illustrative image of a graveyard. This was a really great experience and it taught me a lot about the cyanotype process and what it can do!
Group Members:
Todd Dobbs (Professor)
Charla Barnish
Oli Coyle
Alicia Garza
Leandra Hausle
Iliana Krueger
Eckseptionz
Xavier Marquez
Kaitlyn Noeth
Tree Schiavone
Cameron Thompson
2024
Contempt in Confined Spaces
This is a playful way of showcasing being stuck in a situation due to nostalgia and fear of the unknown.
The idea all started while I was looking at the many frogs in my lifelong collection. Each one came with a specific nostalgic memory, and I realized...I haven't added to this collection in a LONG time! So I dedicated my project to this, and linked it to nostalgic feelings.
Notice this adorable Red Eyed Tree Frog. Tree frogs thrive in the south american rainforest. Now notice his home, a teeny tiny north American marsh and pond. Not only that, but the frog here is so much bigger than the space he has, he has to move around in cramped positions just to be comfortable. There are no fences, but he sits and stays. Why doesn't he leave and find a more comfortable home?
Well...There are many people out there who stay in a certain situation that hurts them to stay in, they know it's not ok and they do nothing...but why does one stay in such a situation?
Perhaps they grew up in this situation and don't know better, and fear leaving being on their own for the first time. Perhaps they fear the unknown, so they stay where they know nothing will surprise them.
Maybe they are stuck in "fright" instead of taking "flight".
Whatever the reason, leaving is emotionally tough. It's so hard to get out of that comfort zone. Once brave enough though, I assure you it's very possible, and you are more brave than you think.
Mixed Media Sculpture
Materials used:
-wire
-plaster gauze
- ping pong balls
-Duct tape
-Painters tape
-Epoxy clay
-Silicone putty
-silicone spray
-Acrylic paint
-Faux foliage
-Epoxy resin
-toy frogs (from personal collection)
-Dirt
-rocks
Size: 15in x 10in x 20in
2024
AI Emotion
As a way to experiment with AI image generation in 2024, I asked MidJourney to show me emotion repeatedly. Almost every image I received was a sad white woman, the emotions are extremely dark. There were only a few variations that showed a male, but still sad, or a woman of color…again, sad. After 81 tries I finally got a happy emotion, but it was an interestingly creepy emoticon. The results from this image generation project shows how AI learns directly from the humans who post and use the #emotion tag. Most likely, white women are more eager to share their despair, and not many people in general post about happiness using that word. It was an interesting human thought experiment.
Toadstool
Through learning and experimenting with lithography, I created a “fun-guy”. This toadstool is a pun in itself, but is an outstanding print series that I did while learning the ins and outs of printmaking. This lithography print was created with an aluminum plate, and I etched the image in with an intense chemical process.
Lithographic Print on Watercolor Paper
11 × 17 Inches
2026