Art major Jess Oertle spent Fall semester 2021 working with Professor Carole Garmon in an individual project. This goal of the project was to focus on the personal professional development of the artist through the process of creating four sculptural works. Putting in the work needed for exploration and experimentation of materials and processes, rather than waiting until
an idea is fully developed to begin producing art, resulted in more creative and organic conceptualization. In this way, failure and obstacles are seen as opportunities for growth and ingenuity.
Jess documented her work on her own website: https://steodesigns.com/arts-491. After her project was completed, Jess reported:
Last semester, I had the opportunity to focus on my art and dig deeper into why I create. Through researching the processes of artists that inspire me, I learned that the way I approach my work has a profound impact on what I produce. Before coming to UMW, I had a background in graphic design where the goal of my work was to do all the heavy lifting for the audience; answer all the questions. UMW professors challenged me to flip the script on this approach, experiment with new materials, and ask the questions instead of answering them. “Across the Pond” is one of my favorite pieces to evolve through the experimentation of unfamiliar materials. I used Yupo paper and alcohol inks to represent fond memories of a particular time in my life. While my idea for the piece prevailed to the end, I allowed my experimentation with the materials to guide the execution.
Jess’s work was supported through a College of Arts and Sciences grant to help purchase materials for the project.
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