The End

It is such a relief to have the opening behind me. It was an exhausting day, but the show went really well and everyone's work looked great! This project has been an amazing process and a wonderful growing experience. I have learned more about myself than I knew there was to learn, and I am now confident with the direction of my work. I am so grateful to have had this experience, and for my professors, gsi's, and classmates, who have all helped me so much along the way, whether or not they realized it. Thank you to everyone who came to the opening Friday night! Go to my website to see all of my work: http://www.christinefredendall.com

Week 13 Reflection

It's hard to believe the show opens in one week. I did these two prints over the weekend, and I like the first, but really dislike the second. By that point, I was really tired, and my heart wasn't in it anymore. So I'm just going to let that one go.

My books came in on Monday! It's so exciting to see them bound and printed like actual books. So, now I'm trying to finish up my website, revise my thesis, and get my work installed.

Week 12 Reflection

I finished a large print today, and I also did two small ones earlier this week, but I don't have images of those because they are buried on the wall in my studio right now. I still want to finish another large print and two medium ones by Tuesday. My only concern is that my oil pastel supply is dwindling faster than I had hoped. I ordered some the other day and will get them tomorrow, but that still might not be enough. I'm going to try Michigan Book and Supply tomorrow, but they are always out of stock - so frustrating. So, I just hope I have enough to get me through the next three prints. It will be a busy weekend.

Week 11 Reflection

working on book: 16 hours
printing: 15 hours
drawing on print: 2.5 hours
photographing pastel drawings: 1 hour
preassembly of prints: 1 hour

I finished coloring this print at the beginning of the week. I'm really happy with the color, but as Erica and I were talking about today, I'm not sure how I feel about the drawing style/texture. I've drawn the last few prints tighter and heavier than previous ones. Although I like it, I kind of miss seeing more print show through. So, I'm not sure how I am going to approach the rest of the prints.

I've been working on my poetry book all week, as well, and I'm almost ready to order it. I can't wait to see it printed.

I also did a lot of printing this week, and I cut myself off now so that I can spend the rest of my time assembling, drawing, and figuring out what will be in the show.

Week 10 Reflection

Working on book: 5.5 hours
Pastel drawings: 6 hours
Drawing on print: 13.5 hours

This week I did a couple more pastel drawings. I'm going to have these drawings printed alongside the poetry in a book, so I'd like to do a few more drawings in the next week. I'd like to get the book ordered by the end of next week to make sure it gets here on time. So, I need to take better photos of the drawings, edit the poems, and get the book completely formatted by then. I'm going to need a lot of input next week about the poems, the order of the poems, font, titles, alignment, format, etc. It will be a busy week.

I'm still not finished with this print, but it's close. I need to finish it up so I can start coloring the next one and keep printing. Once I have the book set to go, I'll just be printing and coloring nonstop.

Week 9 Reflection

Photographing house: 1 hour
Assembling prints: 4 hours
Drawing on prints: 13 hours
Working on thesis: 4 hours

This week I finished assembling the prints that I did before break, and I colored the smaller two. I really enjoyed working with the smaller size, and I think I'd like to continue working with various sizes. For the book, I've decided that I want to have the poems printed along with the grayscale pastel drawings. I want to keep it simple and clean. I think I'll get it printed through an online site, but as Janie pointed out, I need to get going on it to make sure it's printed in time.

I'd like to stay
in today,
rather not open
the door
to step outside.
Inside it's warm
and quiet,
blinds turned
to let sunshine
bleach walls.
And the spot on the
couch, waiting
to hold me,
feet tucked
beneath.

I used to sit
on the tan floral couch
while mom did aerobics
in the morning.
The living room
full of light, soft,
like the feathers we
picked up by the river
to make pillows.
The woman on the screen,
long blond hair with bangs,
demonstrating stretches,
a soothing voice
over soothing music,
timed breathing
to measure heart rate,
walk in place.

Week 8 Reflection

Printing: 10.5 hours
Assembling prints: 9 hours
Reading: 2 hours
Writing: 1 hour

The image above is the print that I did last week. I assembled it this week and did a lot more printing, as well. I've been playing around with the size of the prints. I don't know whether to continue with the two and four part prints, but it was nice to change it up a little. I was thinking about trying to print in nine and/or twelve parts after break. If anyone has any thoughts about the size of the prints, let me know.

I also started reading some poetry books that Elly was kind enough to lend me. I think they will be helpful for learning more about poetic forms and also about how I might put my poems into a book. The books are Harmonium by Wallace Stevens, The Making of a Poem by Mark Strand and Eavan Boland, Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, T.S Eliot's The Waste Land, and The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst.

I'm going home for part of break, so I'm planning to take some more photos while I'm there, rest up a bit, then get back to work.

I'm not here.
I'm where cream of wheat
cooks on the stove,
Saturday morning.

I'm not here.
I'm where sunshine
blinds me across the table,
Sunday paper.

Sunlight bleeds
through the window
and spills
onto the floor,
caressing my shoulders
and dusting
my knees, golden
honey slowly sliding
toward my toes
atop glossy floorboards.

The stairs weep at night,
"Don't step so hard,
we are old and worn
and tired of your feet."

"But I must get to bed," I say.

"Oh please, don't burden us
with your weight. It's far
too much for us to bear."

"But I've already begun my ascent."

"Turn back now," pipe
the steps up above.
"Come back as a child," one says.
"Oh nonsense, hop over the railing,"
moan those below.

Their bickering rises
and they swallow my feet
sunken in swollen warped
wood grain covered
in thinning lacquer
under a film of dust.

Light leaks around
the corner at the landing,
peering through spindles
and onto the railing,
reaching my fingertips.

And the wall whispers,
"Don't fret, dear,
the stairs are just whiners.
Don't mind their complaints."

"Thank you for letting me know," I say,
as I climb the rest of the way.