Artist Statement
My statement is not to explain my work but to discuss my creative journey. As my gallery pages indicate I have explored more than one medium. The process of making art is as important to me as the finished product.
I fell in love with transparent watercolor during my undergraduate studies. I was attracted to the luminosity of the color that can only be achieved when light passes through the transparent color and reflects off the white paper that supports it. The various techniques, the rapid drying time, and the amount of detail I could achieve were also attractive to me. I began to explore light drenched still life with interesting shadows shortly after I moved to Wisconsin. I painted the sun streaming down on an arrangement of objects in response to the gray days of winter.
After I felt I had taken photo real, transparent watercolor as far as I could I began to explore the process of collage. Working with layers of paper and fibers mixed with other material was my first step toward merging my love of sewing and fabric with my art. Collage also moved me away from realism toward abstraction. I still enjoy the process of collage and I'm incorporating hand embroidery on paper in my current work.
I have always enjoyed working with tools and gadgets. Whether the tool is a notion for sewing or a tool for working with metal I enjoy collecting and using them. I learned about the tools and gadgets for sewing from the women in my family. My interest in hand tools for wood and metal work I attribute to my Dad. Dad's projects often required trips to the blacksmith shop. I would go with him and I was often allowed to entertain myself at the anvil. My memories of my childhood trips to the blacksmith were revived with my interest in metalwork and jewelry making.
While working on my Masters in Art Education through Texas Tech University I decided to use embroidery for my exhibition. In my pursuit of degrees I never had the opportunity to explore fiber arts as a media for making art. To honor the women in my famiy who taught me to sew, knit, and embroider I decided to use the needle to make my artwork. The Texas Tech University, Art Education program is based in social theory. Since I teach elementary art in rural Southwestern Wisconsin I decided to research urban sprawl and it's impact on farming and our future food supply. My graduate research and the red work embroidered kitchen towels I created can be viewed at www.lcaywoodgradproject.weebly.com .
I fell in love with transparent watercolor during my undergraduate studies. I was attracted to the luminosity of the color that can only be achieved when light passes through the transparent color and reflects off the white paper that supports it. The various techniques, the rapid drying time, and the amount of detail I could achieve were also attractive to me. I began to explore light drenched still life with interesting shadows shortly after I moved to Wisconsin. I painted the sun streaming down on an arrangement of objects in response to the gray days of winter.
After I felt I had taken photo real, transparent watercolor as far as I could I began to explore the process of collage. Working with layers of paper and fibers mixed with other material was my first step toward merging my love of sewing and fabric with my art. Collage also moved me away from realism toward abstraction. I still enjoy the process of collage and I'm incorporating hand embroidery on paper in my current work.
I have always enjoyed working with tools and gadgets. Whether the tool is a notion for sewing or a tool for working with metal I enjoy collecting and using them. I learned about the tools and gadgets for sewing from the women in my family. My interest in hand tools for wood and metal work I attribute to my Dad. Dad's projects often required trips to the blacksmith shop. I would go with him and I was often allowed to entertain myself at the anvil. My memories of my childhood trips to the blacksmith were revived with my interest in metalwork and jewelry making.
While working on my Masters in Art Education through Texas Tech University I decided to use embroidery for my exhibition. In my pursuit of degrees I never had the opportunity to explore fiber arts as a media for making art. To honor the women in my famiy who taught me to sew, knit, and embroider I decided to use the needle to make my artwork. The Texas Tech University, Art Education program is based in social theory. Since I teach elementary art in rural Southwestern Wisconsin I decided to research urban sprawl and it's impact on farming and our future food supply. My graduate research and the red work embroidered kitchen towels I created can be viewed at www.lcaywoodgradproject.weebly.com .