Art Practice Commons^™

Lovesick: An Original Comic Book, Sims C. Vincent

University Honors Theses

Lovesick is a creative thesis in the form an original comic book. Belonging to the genre of action comedy, this 30-page comic is entirely drawn traditionally in black and white ink. The story follows a 20-year-old artist named Dax whose unhealthy mental state prevents him from producing artwork. Feeling desperate, Dax makes a deal with a mysterious salesman named Middleman. In exchange for gaining the ability to effortlessly make all the artwork he wants; Dax will be forced into employment with an evil corporation that is hellbent on enslaving humanity. This paper explains how the story was constructed, and what …

Shaping The Witch: A Visual Art Thesis, Amanda Cobb

University Honors Theses

This thesis is an exploration of the complex and interconnected nature of folklore, personal mythology, and re-enchantment as expressed through the lens of puppetry. I have drawn inspiration from the works of deeply reflective works concerning the psychological nature of mythologies of Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung, as well as the magical and beautiful work of artists Jim Henson, Brian and Wendy Froud, and Mercer Meyer. Through working in the medium of puppets, I have given consideration to the possibilities and limitations of these forms in expressing the complexity of narrative, personal mythology, the anxiety of disenchantment, lost and reclaimed …

The Needle And The Pen: A Retrospective On Eighteenth Century Life, Consumerism, And Dress In Relation To Modern Garment Production, Madeleine F. Beer

University Honors Theses

Within the realm of feminist scholarship of history, it has been said that "human stories can be told as effectively with the needle as with the pen" -Serena Dyer

Throughout history, craft deemed "women's work" has been undervalued on all levels but aesthetic. Gendered creative practices have been the focus of dress and craft historians; and such works have begun to reverse the emphasis of women as simply consumers and instead push forward the narrative of women as creator and producer.

I strive to make work that is both aesthetically pleasing and informative. Textiles reflect the human experience, weaving linear …

My First Embrace Of The Sea & The Fish Swimming In My Head: A Collection Of Poems, Photographs, And Cultural Artifacts Inspired By My Father And Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Maya Sutriasa

University Honors Theses

This creative thesis reflects the artistic process and influences of Maya Sutriasa's BFA project. This work aims to understand the duality of her biracial and bicultural identity as a second-generation Indonesian-American. This exploration begins with memory, employs time travel, recounts metaphors pertaining to water, and bears witness to her family's cultural hybridity. This paper, and the artwork done for this project, was a means of understanding parts of myself. The artwork shown in this paper mostly takes the form of introspective poetry, journal entries, and textile art.

Ode-Cean: California, Danny-Olivia F. Hanson

University Honors Theses

As a 2D artist from San Jose, California, the overarching themes in this work have been self love, self expression, and interconnectedness. For this thesis project, the author chose to focus specifically on depicting Californian wildlife as a way for them to feel more connected to their home. The hope is for audiences viewing the work to think about the way that they are connected to sea creatures and their ecological impact. Motivations behind the work and process of creation are discussed.

The Wounded Inheritance: Epigenetics And The Family Line, Lisa Banta

University Honors Theses

Through the process of researching, conceptualizing, and creating my honors thesis I have been investigating my previously unknown family history and the events that led into generations of parental abandonment and inflicted trauma, in tandem with learning some basics about the research and science of epigenetics. In my own family line, the traumas endured by and inflicted upon the last five generations have, with no exaggeration, shaped every aspect of my life and history. Epigenetics explains how severe trauma can be passed down many generations through chemical changes in DNA. In other words, individuals may carry within their own bodies …

The Development Of An Art Practice: Reflecting On My Experiences In The Undergraduate Art Programs At Clackamas Community College And Portland State University, Justin M. Taylor

University Honors Theses

In this essay, I will be discussing the content and overall experience of my thesis exhibition, The Development of an Art Practice, on display at the Alexander Gallery, Oregon City, Oregon, from November 6^th through December 6^th 2019. The exhibition showcased my development in the undergraduate art practice programs at Clackamas Community College, and Portland State University. Featured in the exhibition was a selection of two-dimensional visual works, which I produced in the programs.

My work was process driven with an emphasis on experimentation. While the selection of work revealed reoccurring themes, both in process and content, …

Looking To The Future Of Education: A Social Art Practice Pedagogy, Alexis Xochihua

University Honors Theses

This article discusses how the implementation of a social practice arts pedagogy will benefit the American educational system. It discusses methodologies and influences that affect the current system and how this system does not prepare students for higher education or life. The social practice art pedagogy utilized arts-integrated pluralization of topics and integration of social examination in order to develop critical thinking skills, social awareness, and quality of education.

Forming A New Art In The Pacific Northwest: Studio Glass In The Puget Sound Region, 1970-2003, Marianne Ryder

Dissertations and Theses

The studio glass movement first arose in the United States in the early 1950s, and was characterized by practitioners who wanted to divorce glass from its industrial associations and promote it as a fine arts medium. This movement began in a few cities in the eastern part of the country, and in Los Angeles, but gradually emerged as an art form strongly associated with the city of Seattle and the Puget Sound region. This research studies the emergence and growth of the studio glass movement in the Puget Sound region from 1970 to 2003. It examines how glass artists and …

Moving Pictures, Melissa Ann Mcclure

Dissertations and Theses

My thesis work includes 10 large drawings that explore the narrative qualities of line movement. I use line in these drawings as a recording device to document both the physical activity of the process and the personal experience that the lines represent. Through this work I attempt to develop a language of visual imagery that is autobiographical in nature. A system of personal symbols and recurring forms make up the structure of this visual vocabulary. Line movement and rhythm provides a sense of the dialog.

An Exploration Of Some Aspects Of Mystery, Terry Foster Thompson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis project consists of twenty-four paintings, drawings and lithographs dealing with three sub-themes of the larger subject of mystery: the mystery of existence; the mystery of religion; the mystery of the unknown. These themes are explored through manipulations of light, color, compositional arrangement and painting and drawing techniques.

Snake River : A Personal Search, Eva Havas Slinker

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis includes twenty landscape paintings, primarily oil on canvas, inspired by a trip to the Hell's Canyon Country of the Snake River.

The search for a personal idiom necessitated introspection, and the visual interpretation of the recalled experience required that formal issues of painting be synthesized to communicate the essential response to the landscape. The images progress from the depiction of deep space to compositions of the component parts of the landscape: trees, water, and rock.

Torso As Ceramic Vessel, Richard Garrett Masterson

Dissertations and Theses

The ceramic forms in this thesis project represent a study of the sculptural and figurative qualities of the ceramic process. This study includes a search for a personal form language, development of the slab construction technique, and development of a glazed surface appropriate to the work. The subject of the work is the human torso, with the vessel-like forms focusing on the core of the body as a metaphor for the core of the human spirit.

Enhanced Realism In The Development Of My Painting, Zifen Qian

Dissertations and Theses

It is a basic truth that the artist must have independent experience and personality in order to create art from life. Combining a traditional realistic style with some elements of abstract composition fits my personality. My paintings represent a pursuit of this idea that is the enhanced realism in the development of my painting.

Dudelsacks: Sculptural Extensions In Blown Glass, Cristine C. Corcoran

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis project consists of 19 sculptures. The medium is hot blown glass. The work interprets and extends the visual and metaphorical qualities of bagpipes. The utilization of the German dudelsack references the playful improvisational nature of these international and culturally diverse forms.

Some Visual Issues Of Painting : An Exploration Of The Painting Process, Barbara Leedy Branham

Dissertations and Theses

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Art: Painting.

Things Seen And Remembered, Charlien Dee Fitzpatrick

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis project consists of twenty oil paintings and watercolors. It is a series of visual problems based on work from direct observation as opposed to work from imagination. The concern is to show how the works from observed nature affect the imaginary pieces and how the imaginary works lend unexpected elements to the observed works. With a particular interest in color, visual energy, and painterly form, the project shows how these two avenues of exploration start out separately and eventually blend.

Bronze Casting By The Lost Wax Method Employing Mixed Media, Donna M. Pickett

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture.

Seven Dyads, Donovan Peterson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture.

The Formal Language Of Nonobjective Art, Gwen M. Erickson

Dissertations and Theses

A thesis report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

Transparent Landscape, Elizabeth Harris

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and features the work of Elizabeth Harris.

Jewelry From The Environment, Douglas Lawrence Kollmeyer

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis deals with the development of a body of my own creative work and the teaching of jewelry-working in the secondary schools. Emphasis in both instances was given to the use of the natural environment as a stimulus for design ideas. The philosophy of nature as art forms has been the focus of my creative endeavors for several years. This lead to the design and completion of jewelry, flatware, and holloware in this study. Knowledge gained in my work experiences formed the basis and background of the presentation of these skills to secondary students.

Synergism Of Substance And Emotion, Carolyn Jean Mills

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis features the work of Carolyn Jeans Mills for a Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture.

Photo-Realist Portraiture, Elaine R. Fleskes

Dissertations and Theses

A thesis report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

Overgrown Geometry, Connie Earnshaw

Dissertations and Theses

A thesis report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics.

A Harmony Of Opposites, Patricia Reppenhagen

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and feature the work and words of Patricia Reppenhagen.

Image Development Through Process, Jean Handwerk Lee

Dissertations and Theses

A Thesis Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

Images From The Horse Heavens, David Thornock

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is for a Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

The Pursuit Of Form, Robert Allen Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis includes the work of Robert Allen Anderson for a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture.

Adjustable Systems In Wood, James Richard True

Dissertations and Theses

A Thesis Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture.