Kelsie Plusch
Senior Year Work
Process: These two pieces were made with more of a similar process to the ones I made over the summer. However, with these pieces I painted the background color pink and blue. That way the colors I wanted would be more prominent and match well with the candle wax I was using.
Materials: poplar wood, masonite, paint, candle wax, sex wax
Feedback: Everyone definitely liked the fact that I used an actual color for the background paint instead of just using black or white. They felt it was more interesting to look at and said I should continue to do more color schemes.
Next Project: My next plan is to build a structure similar to these and use the same poplar wood but instead of the masonite I'm going to use plexi glass. This will be a trial run and it will be interesting to see whether or not wax will stick to plexi glass but the main purpose of having a clear front is so that I can attempt to install some sort light behind it so that the light will shine through, hopefully it will turn out as planned.
Materials: poplar wood, masonite, paint, candle wax, sex wax
Feedback: Everyone definitely liked the fact that I used an actual color for the background paint instead of just using black or white. They felt it was more interesting to look at and said I should continue to do more color schemes.
Next Project: My next plan is to build a structure similar to these and use the same poplar wood but instead of the masonite I'm going to use plexi glass. This will be a trial run and it will be interesting to see whether or not wax will stick to plexi glass but the main purpose of having a clear front is so that I can attempt to install some sort light behind it so that the light will shine through, hopefully it will turn out as planned.
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Process: This was my first piece I did this school year so I decided to try something different. In this piece I used beeswax as well as sex wax and candle wax. I also changed the way I painted the box before adding the wax. This time I did not put any paint on the sides of the box and on the front of the box I put white paint on top of the masonite and then scratched some of it off. After that I put a layer of beeswax over the entire box and then continued to use my regular process of melting the candle wax and sex wax on the box with a torch.
Materials: poplar wood, masonite, acrylic paint, beeswax, sex wax, and candle wax
Feedback: I got mixed feedback with this piece. The beeswax actually masked the smell of the regular candles so this piece doesn't smell like the others do. However, this piece was different from the others because of how prominent the beeswax is and the way parts of it allow the background of the paint to show through and make a figure.
Next Project: My plan is to continue with the technique I used when I made my summer pieces and not use the beeswax. Although it was good to use a different media and see how it works I do not like the way it smells so I would rather just use candle wax and sex wax.
Materials: poplar wood, masonite, acrylic paint, beeswax, sex wax, and candle wax
Feedback: I got mixed feedback with this piece. The beeswax actually masked the smell of the regular candles so this piece doesn't smell like the others do. However, this piece was different from the others because of how prominent the beeswax is and the way parts of it allow the background of the paint to show through and make a figure.
Next Project: My plan is to continue with the technique I used when I made my summer pieces and not use the beeswax. Although it was good to use a different media and see how it works I do not like the way it smells so I would rather just use candle wax and sex wax.
Summer Work
Abyss
Wax on wood
11 ½ in x 11 ½ in
Summer 2012
Wax on wood
11 ½ in x 11 ½ in
Summer 2012
Sangue
Wax on wood
11 ½ in x 11 ½ in
Summer 2012
Wax on wood
11 ½ in x 11 ½ in
Summer 2012
Artist’s Statement
A New Definition to Art
My process is one of combining paint and wax; sight and smell. Why should art be limited to one sense? The use of candle wax allows me to explore the sense of smell, which in turn adds more character to my work. I am constantly melting and rearranging the wax in order to give me the desired result. The pieces I make are never permanent, just as nothing in life is ever permanent. They are pieces I can continue and reflect back on as I continue with my life; forever changing as I further my exploration through different senses.
A New Definition to Art
My process is one of combining paint and wax; sight and smell. Why should art be limited to one sense? The use of candle wax allows me to explore the sense of smell, which in turn adds more character to my work. I am constantly melting and rearranging the wax in order to give me the desired result. The pieces I make are never permanent, just as nothing in life is ever permanent. They are pieces I can continue and reflect back on as I continue with my life; forever changing as I further my exploration through different senses.
Art 45
Summer Work Self-Evaluation
Intelligence
This year’s summer work and last year’s summer work could not have been more different. Last year I had no plan whatsoever and didn’t care much about it at all. This year I had come up with an idea before the summer had even started. I also had my objects made before summer because I knew exactly what I wanted them to look like, I just knew that I would not be able to make them on my own. I also knew that I wanted each one to have a specific color scheme I just hadn’t figured out exactly what colors I would use. With all of that being said, this summer work was definitely idea-driven and it really gave me a chance to practice my technique on a different type of surface.
Investment
I spent a lot more time on this project than I have on previous projects. I found it to be very challenging to work on an object with five sides instead of just working with one side. I had to be really careful when working on each side so that I wouldn’t mess up the other sides in the process. I did not do each piece in one sitting, I worked on all three at the same time for a little under six weeks. However, I do not think that they are complete. I haven’t figured out how I would display them yet and the one picked to hang in the show could use some finishing touches.
Difficulty
The most difficult thing about this summer work was the fact that the object had five sides. Because the torch is so hot, every time I would be working on one side another side would start to melt and I would have to try and fix it. This was definitely frustrating at times but in the end I was really pleased with the way it turned out. I liked challenging myself and I would definitely be doing that again. I think it is important to challenge yourself because otherwise you’ll never be learning something new. I also like the new idea of the object and hopefully I would be able to come up with even better new ideas for my future works.
Self Assessment
For this particular project I would give myself an A. I know that I worked harder on this project than others in the past because I was more excited about it which motivated me to work on it more. I think the idea of using an object with more than one side was creative and it ended up working well. After doing this summer work I have learned that the more time, thought, and creativity I put into my work the more proud I am to show it off to others. I can actually say that I am proud of my summer work and in my opinion that means I must have done A level work.
Summer Work Self-Evaluation
Intelligence
This year’s summer work and last year’s summer work could not have been more different. Last year I had no plan whatsoever and didn’t care much about it at all. This year I had come up with an idea before the summer had even started. I also had my objects made before summer because I knew exactly what I wanted them to look like, I just knew that I would not be able to make them on my own. I also knew that I wanted each one to have a specific color scheme I just hadn’t figured out exactly what colors I would use. With all of that being said, this summer work was definitely idea-driven and it really gave me a chance to practice my technique on a different type of surface.
Investment
I spent a lot more time on this project than I have on previous projects. I found it to be very challenging to work on an object with five sides instead of just working with one side. I had to be really careful when working on each side so that I wouldn’t mess up the other sides in the process. I did not do each piece in one sitting, I worked on all three at the same time for a little under six weeks. However, I do not think that they are complete. I haven’t figured out how I would display them yet and the one picked to hang in the show could use some finishing touches.
Difficulty
The most difficult thing about this summer work was the fact that the object had five sides. Because the torch is so hot, every time I would be working on one side another side would start to melt and I would have to try and fix it. This was definitely frustrating at times but in the end I was really pleased with the way it turned out. I liked challenging myself and I would definitely be doing that again. I think it is important to challenge yourself because otherwise you’ll never be learning something new. I also like the new idea of the object and hopefully I would be able to come up with even better new ideas for my future works.
Self Assessment
For this particular project I would give myself an A. I know that I worked harder on this project than others in the past because I was more excited about it which motivated me to work on it more. I think the idea of using an object with more than one side was creative and it ended up working well. After doing this summer work I have learned that the more time, thought, and creativity I put into my work the more proud I am to show it off to others. I can actually say that I am proud of my summer work and in my opinion that means I must have done A level work.
First Work
These were the first pieces with candle wax and wood that I created. These were made in the beginning of my junior year before I had mastered the technique. These have more texture because this was before I knew how to blend the wax correctly.
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