Wax Lips

Monogamy Drawing

The setup for my first project of my Senior year. A drawing on paper about monogamy.

Janus

Here is the final product of the my thread passages. This work contains five squares that are 18''x18''. Each square is threaded with 8 parabolic curves. This work is about endings and new beginnings. Each square is threaded on both sides, creating a reference to being janus face. There are two sides to every story. Each of the five squares are parallel to each other creating a tunnel like passage, a sort of portal. The color transitions from white to red to black. These colors signify two people and they're love for one another, but also relating to the chaos of a relationship. 

New Thread Work

Post Kiln Firing

Here are some pictures of my soda-fired clay work 

Second Semester....

Hello! It's definitely been awhile! My first project this semester was 'Synchronicity', yes I am still basing my work off of my personal relationships with others. This work is made from plexiglass and thread (white,black and red) It is seven feet long and about one foot wide. 

When I installed this piece in my departments gallery space, I installed it vertically. It looked all right. Then the my department found an off campus space to have a show. So I decided to install my piece diagonally and loved it. I had many influences contributing to that decision (Tatlin's Corner Relief) lol 

After I made this piece, I disappeared from studio. I was in a funk...and liberal arts was kicking my ass...My teacher started a Sculptural Clay Workshop before the off campus show and spring break, a 2 week workshop about clay. My peers and I learned how mix our own clay. It was super awesome and interesting. At first I was stubborn about clay, I thought I would just take the workshop and get it over with. I made a couple things that were all right and bisque'd them and soda fired them.

Just a few things I made during the workshop.

Then one night I took a bike ride, due to the lovely weather, I woke up and decided to get back into the swing of making things. I went to studio and disconnected from everything and I made this.

Front of Sculptural Clay Piece

I just kept working and working. It felt great to create something that is completely different from what my usual work is like. I fell in love clay.

Back of Sculptural Clay Piece

This piece is in the process of being bisque'd and then I think I am going to soda fire it! and I started a new clay piece the other day so we will see where that takes me.

Also this semester I am currently in a ceramics elective. We have been learning Rhino, 3D design software, which is pretty dope. I definitely want to keep up on Fab Labs and Hacker Spaces. 

Here are a few projects that I have been working on in that class. 

These are some ceramic tiles that are less than 3''x 3''. With the help of a friend we created this design on illustrator and then I sketched it up in Rhino and then milled out a relief of the tile on a CNC router. Then I made a plaster mold and now I am in the process of pouring slip and casting the tile. I made the tiles tessellate, so then they can form other shapes. 

I have also been doing the same process with the shape of Africa. There are smaller pieces that fit in side that I am currently making molds for and then will cast.

 I was going for an Africa-n Bento Box. I am really excited for these to turn out. 

Other Project

Here are a few photos of the other project I created this past semester.

End of 1st Semester

Happy Holidays!!!

The end of the semester was a few weeks ago and it's been awhile since I have updated.

I created one last work that contained three wooden triangles made from 2x4's with plexiglas window panes. The triangles were painted - black, grey, and white, also all three triangles spun with the help of disco ball motors. The title of this work is 'Avoidance'

I wanted to create a work that reflected a certain situation that had happened in my life. Also I am still using triangles as a symbol of female [and male in the this case]. Also the colors are referencing that not everything is black and white, which also references my ethnicity but I didn't want to the viewer to make that connection - I only say that because my peers mentioned it in critique and of course that would know that since they know me.

With the triangles spinning constantly - the black and white one spin counter clockwise and the grey one spins clockwise - it speaks of motion and time. And also the triangles occasionally 'bump' into each other which I feel reflects my situation very well and it also very ironic.

After creating this work, a couple of friends of mine created a music video to go along with the piece.

Avoidance from kendra werst on Vimeo.

I also created a lightbox this semester as a side project. I used vinyl from my internship and put special daylight bulbs in the box. I used those bulbs because I was learning about Seasonal Affective Disorder in my abnormal psychology class blah blah blah light therapy. Anyways here is an in progress picture but I finished it and the box is just painted white.

I just noticed I left out a project that I did this semester. So tomorrow I will try to post another update. And one of my resolutions for this year is to keep up with this blog and writing more about my work.

Wish me luck!

Junior Year....so far

Well I feel like I am off to a great start of my Junior Year. My teacher is Michael Wickerson and I really enjoy having him as a teacher.

He gave our class a mini project that would get us back into the swing of sculpture. The project was based off the concept of the Spirit of Gravity.

I had found a whole dead dragonfly this summer in the middle of downtown Kansas City and it was the first thing that came to mind when Michael stated Spirit of gravity. Dragonflies have many different meanings but the ones that mean the most to me are the fact that dragonflies have 360 degree vision, symbolizing self-realization. Recently I had been going through a period of self-realization of lots of actions and ideas in my life. So I decided to build a wood object that would frame the dragonfly. Also in this period of self-realizations, I was feeling lots of tension - pushing and pulling, mentally and physically.

So I decided to sew thread through the dragonfly. I went through many sketches of how I wanted to present the dragonfly. I found myself in love with the process of sewing the dragonfly to this wooden frame system, it felt like a dragonfly sewing machine. When I was fabricating it, i had a drill bit placed on a piece of wood that held the spool of thread. Then I would place the piece horizontally on the back side and thread the needle through the drilled holes, through the dragonfly and then through the other set of drilled holes, pulling a continuous piece of thread. With each thread added there was a lot of pushing and pulling of the dragonfly, in the end the dragonfly has a slight curve to it.

One of my favorite parts of the piece is the way the dragonfly is lit, creating shadows that reference movement.

Prints!

I finished carving my wood blocks and decided on colors for the prints. (Below) are some test prints on drawing paper. My final red, green and black prints were printed on Hosho paper.

I decided to try out some different colors and techniques. So I learned how to do a rainbow roll, which I really really enjoyed!

Then my teacher taught us how to make this mini screens out of everyday materials - fabric, embroidery hoop and glue. I decided to do a kdub logo

I then printed it on the back of one of my tank tops :]

Here is a sneak peek of what's coming next....